Chapter 53
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 53. Dual Class
As soon as I opened my eyes, in a half-asleep state, I took out an item from my inventory.
A cold and smooth touch touched my fingertips.
It was the black bead I packed from the Imperial Secret Vault last night.
I sat on the bed, placed the bead on my palm, and stared at it intently.
The bizarre black color that seemed to suck in all light was like looking at a small black hole.
It was then.
A clear notification sound rang in the empty air.
*—Ding!*
[This item is capable of Potential Opening.]
Swallowing dry saliva, I immediately activated the skill.
As soon as I activated the skill, minute cracks began to form frighteningly on the surface of the bead.
Along with a static sound, the black shell fragmented and fell off.
It was like a snake shedding its old skin and molting.
As the black fragments fell onto the bedsheet, an intense light leaked through the gaps.
It was a brilliant golden light that felt like it would blind my eyes.
Soon, all the shells peeled off, and a golden gem fluctuating fiercely inside revealed its form.
Simultaneously, a system window filled my vision.
[Sun Stone]
Grade: Legendary
A crystal condensed by gathering only the hottest and purest flames of the sun that had been burning since the primeval time. One who ingests this stone can transcend the limits of the physical body and awaken a power of a different dimension from mana. However, because it contains a vast power of the sun that is hard to handle upon ingestion, an unprepared body may fail to endure the power and collapse into a handful of ashes.
"......!"
My jaw dropped.
My heart pounded.
A power of a different dimension, what does that mean?
But it was then.
The Sun Stone on my palm began to show a bizarre reaction.
*—Vwoom!*
As if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time, the stone began to cry low.
Even before an ominous premonition could brush past, the round golden stone began to melt down in an instant.
Becoming a sticky liquid like molten iron in a furnace, the Sun Stone dug in as if permeating the skin of my palm.
"Uh...?"
Flustered, I tried to shake off my hand.
But the liquid had already become one with my skin and began to run along my blood vessels.
At that moment, my gaze fixed on the last sentence of the system description window.
[An unprepared body may collapse into a handful of ashes.]
My spine chilled.
"Wait a minute! I'm not even mentally prepared yet...!"
My scream couldn't come out of my mouth.
Because the terrible pain starting from my palm battered my brain in an instant.
"Kuaaaaaack!!!"
I grabbed my right hand and rolled off the bed.
*—Thud!*
I smashed into the floor, but there was no time to even feel the pain.
The liquid that entered my palm was like living magma.
It began to sprint at a crazy speed riding my blood vessels.
My right arm heated up bright red, and veins popped out as if they would burst.
It felt exactly like boiling magma was forcibly shoved inside my arm.
"Huff... Huff...!"
I couldn't breathe.
The hot heat energy passed my arm, went past my shoulder, and rushed towards my heart.
At the same time, it spread in all directions riding the blood vessels of my whole body.
From the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes, every nook and cranny of my body began to burn.
It was a heat that felt like the blood in my whole body would evaporate.
"Kuuugh...!"
It felt like my internal organs were twisting.
My body bent like a shrimp at the pain that felt like searing each and every organ.
I opened my mouth and tried to scream, but my throat burned up and only the sound of hoarse wind leaked out.
My vision flashed white.
*I'm really going to die at this rate.*
*My body will collapse and become a handful of ashes just like the description says.*
Fear and pain mixed together and gnawed at my mind.
Every single cell in my whole body was screaming.
It was the fleeting moment when my consciousness was getting hazy and I was about to let go of the string.
The flame that was running wild rummaging through my whole body suddenly changed direction.
The energies that were rampaging at will began to gather swirling below my navel.
*—Rumble rumble.*
I felt a vibration like an earthquake happening inside my body.
The heat that had scattered in all directions clumped together, rotating fiercely with below the navel as the pivot point.
The burning pain slowly decreased.
As the swirling energy settled in its place and found stability, a system message popped up in a corner of my blurring vision.
*—Ding!*
[Obtained Special Stat: 'Aura'.]
With that phrase as the last, I fainted into deep darkness.
***
"Mmm...."
The coldness of the chilly room floor touched my cheek.
I raised my stiff body and opened my eyes.
I felt like the joints of my whole body were creaking like a person who had been sick in bed for days.
But the first sensation I felt the moment I regained my senses was not pain.
A heavy and warm heat felt below my navel was felt.
As if embracing a small sun inside my body, a pleasant warmth was spreading to my whole body.
"Did I... live?"
It was the moment I was about to exhale a sigh of relief.
"Urp...!"
I reflexively blocked my nose.
What is this smell?
A terrible stench that smelled like an opened sewer cover or crushed rotten eggs pierced my nose.
Looking around, I could soon find the epicenter of the smell.
It was none other than me.
Black and sticky waste mixed with sweat had seeped out over my skin.
I wondered if this was what it meant when impurities inside the body came out during bone-remodeling that I only saw in martial arts novels.
"Ew! So dirty seriously!"
I screamed and ran into the bathroom.
I turned on the shower water and lathered soap.
Once was nowhere near enough.
I washed and washed again to the point the bubbles turned gray.
Only after scrubbing hard enough to peel off my skin did the terrible stench fade.
I could only come out of the bathroom after taking a water baptism for almost 1 hour.
"Phew... Refreshing."
Shaking my hair dry with a towel, I stood in front of the full-length mirror.
Was it my imagination?
My skin seemed much smoother than before, and the grain of my muscles felt more defined.
Sweeping back my wet hair, I opened the status window.
*—Ding.*
Along with a familiar notification sound, a blue window popped up before my eyes.
Name: Kim Si-woo
Level: 50
HP: 4470/4470 MP: 495/495
Vitality: 101
Strength: 107
Agility: 112
Intelligence: 89
Dexterity: 151
Aura: 1
Remaining Points: 50
My gaze naturally fixed on the newly created item at the very bottom.
[Aura: 1]
It looked insignificant as a number, but I knew its weight.
I didn't even want to imagine that terrible pain I felt right before fainting.
The sensation of the blood vessels in my whole body burning up and my internal organs twisting revived vividly.
My body trembled.
"Ha... I really survived death."
I shook my head horizontally.
I was lucky.
I survived because I was really lucky; if I slipped up even a little, I would have become a handful of ashes just like the description said.
I personally experienced that the intimidating phrase in the item description wasn't a bluff but a real warning.
"Still... since I endured it."
Since I gained power as a result, should I say it's fortunate.
I smacked my lips looking at the 50 remaining points.
An Aura value of 1 is too little.
There was no need to agonize over where to spend these precious points.
What I needed most right now was to grow this new power.
"All-in on Aura."
Without hesitation, I tried to invest the remaining points into the Aura stat.
But.
*—Ding!*
[Remaining points cannot be used on a 'Special Stat'.]
A red warning window blocked my finger.
"......Yes?"
I blinked my eyes and pressed the button once again.
*It must be an error.*
*—Ding!*
[Remaining points cannot be used on a 'Special Stat'.]
The exact same phrase popped up without a single particle wrong.
"No, why!"
I shouted, getting furious.
I want to use my points, so why are you blocking it!
But the system was unresponsive.
Well, thinking about it, I wondered if it was living up to the name 'Special Stat'.
Since it's a power on a different level from ordinary Strength or Agility, the method to raise it seemed different too.
"Then how am I supposed to raise it? Do I have to do training or something?"
It was when I was at a loss as to how to roll the warm energy settled in my dantian.
*—Vwoom!*
Suddenly, the inventory vibrated loudly and began to emit light.
Except when obtaining or taking out items, the inventory had never glowed on its own before.
"What is it? What's happening again?"
Harboring doubt, I opened the inventory.
Among the numerous junk and materials, there was one item sparkling exceptionally dazzlingly.
The old ancient book I received as a reward from the Emperor.
It was the [Class Change Book of the Primeval Swordsman].
"Why is this...?"
I carefully took out the book.
As soon as it touched my hand, the book began to turn its cover on its own regardless of my will.
*—Flutter!*
The sound of old paper turning filled the room.
It was a book the Emperor said no one could open.
The secret manual that said only those who are qualified can see it.
That book was currently opening wide in my hand, spewing out golden letters.
*—Ding!*
[Detected the energy of Aura.]
[Qualifications verified.]
System messages poured out like a waterfall.
It seemed swallowing the Sun Stone and opening Aura was the key to opening this book.
The light spewing from the book wrapped my body.
[Changing class to Primeval Swordsman.]
The moment I saw the phrase, my heart sank with a *thump*.
Class change?
Wait a minute.
Didn't it say if you use a class change book, the existing class disappears and your level is reset?
I am a [Primeval Maker] right now.
Of course, a swordsman is cool too, but I didn't want to lose my current abilities.
You're telling me to give up this goose that lays golden eggs which made me earn 10 billion?
"Hey! Wait a minute! Cancel! Cancel it!"
I urgently tried to close the book.
But the pouring light didn't stop.
[Checking existing class information.]
[Class: Primeval Maker (Legendary)]
The system seemed to pause for a moment.
As if flustered by an unexpected situation.
.
.
.
[Confirmed another Legendary grade class.]
[Hidden condition fulfilled.]
I held my breath and looked at the empty air.
I prayed that the unfortunate event of my class changing wouldn't happen, please.
And the following message perfectly missed my expectation.
[Changing class to Primeval Swordsman as a Dual Class.]
"......Yes?"
I opened my mouth blankly.
Dual Class?
Does that mean having two classes at the same time?
And two of them at Legendary grade?
In front of the hard-to-believe reality, I forgot to even shake off my wet hair and just looked at the empty air.
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