SB: Chapter 107 – Choice Made (Patreon)

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"Have you made your choice?" Healer Melon asked me.

"Yes. It is done." It was instant. One moment I had picked a class, and the next I had a class. "But it was just instant. Or close to it." No time appeared to have passed as far as I could tell.

"Only a few seconds. Which is slightly longer than others, but nothing concerning. There is a selection process, that much is known, but no one remembers. Hopefully, you didn't pick something horrible. Some people have done that."

"It seems like a very boring choice. I am surprised there isn't anything better than Adult Human. It's blue-ranked and the effects haven't changed, just the tier and the name."

"You are gambling on yourself. The maximum potential of your class has increased, but its effect hasn't narrowed. I looked over the College's research on classes before we departed. Whatever choice you made in class selection is about keeping your possibilities open, hoping you will raise the color of the class, before narrowing your class."

"You didn't tell me all this before?"

"Would it change anything? Ultimately, class selection is a very personal matter. Interfering in one is a social taboo."

"Sorry, I'm just frustrated by my choice and not knowing what happened. I feel like I am missing out on something important."

"Hah, the same for everyone else. You need to trust yourself more. But I understand. You probably believed that was the best class offered, or the best for your future. Don't underestimate the effect of stat gains. While those free stat points you have are tempting, gaining stat points through hard work is always better."

"I know." I pulled out the bracelet and put it back on. "No need to gain more experience for now. Do you have any ideas about how to improve a class after selecting it?"

"Soul fruits," Healer Melon said, and I winced at that. I would probably need a blue soul fruit, which would never happen without my mother giving me one. "There is a reason no one knows what is beyond violet in terms of color ranking."

"It isn't a terrible choice, but it is a boring choice that makes things difficult for me. I need to increase the class without a soul fruit. What about soul skills?"

"It is possible that there were many reasons for the wiping out of soul mages. Part of the reason is that they can easily bypass defenses, but they were bad people. Like dark healers, there is a strong stigma attached to such skills and classes. Your best option is to fight your way down into the dungeon and to find some natural treasures."

"I guess I shouldn't complain. There could be worse outcomes, like a loss in potential."

"Exactly. It is a struggle for people to get the best possible options. Your class is good, but it isn't the absolute best. It would be improved by increasing the color while the effects remain unchanged. But that almost never happens with such a high-ranking color. Unfortunately, you aren't an exception to the System."

It was annoying not to get something special. But that would be my ego and hubris talking, not my rationality. The System was not my mother. It wouldn't give me special treatment, no matter how much I wished it would.

We made our way out of the dungeon over the next three days after that. We hadn't run into any Abnormals except during the dungeon break. The stairs leading up to Genoa had slight damage. I had been worried we would end up at another passage up to the surface, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

I could end up like Judy, stranded on another continent, away from everyone and everything familiar. It might be interesting, but the downsides right now were too great. After I graduated from college and gained many spell skills, I would think about trying dungeon travel.

I was also going to acquire many spell skills, without aiming to maximize them in my later years at the College. If I knew the initial spell, I could work to improve it. It was better to acquire all the skills I needed long term and work on them while fighting in the dungeon.

Using a rotation strategy between different weapons and spell skills would help improve my overall skills more rapidly. The College was useful, but leveling anything used in combat was best done in the dungeon, not in a classroom.

Monster Processing had been a decent choice for the first semester, but ultimately it wasn't the best choice. I needed to think long term, and this class selection was like a slap in the face, telling me I needed to take my future more seriously.

Once we reached the surface inside the dungeon fortress at the edge of Genoa, there was a lot of rubble and destruction.

"Looks like it was worse than we thought," I muttered while looking around.

The stairs were mostly intact, so I hadn't thought things were that bad, but apparently, I was wrong.

A guard came over and stopped to give Ozy an intense look. My pet merely rested on my shoulders, and he addressed us. "Adventurers out of Genoa?"

"Yes, but from the College of Advancement," I replied.

"Then you'd better hurry. They aren't sticking around. The departure is imminent, last I heard."

"Thanks," I replied as we quickly navigated the paths created in the rubble. We arrived at the city center and took a magical carriage back to the College elevator. A large part of Genoa was destroyed.

"What happened?" I asked the staff member driving the carriage.

"A terrible Dungeon break. A pack of ethereal monsters was the first to break out, which disrupted the defenses, and then a lot of heavy hitters arrived, breaking the fortress. After that, monsters flooded out, and they couldn't easily contain the battle. Legends are great at fighting, not at minimizing property destruction. While the College helped, some people in the city are unhappy, so we are departing. You got back just in time. We are leaving in two days at the start of the new semester," the staff member explained.

"Do you know where we are going next?" Healer Melon asked.

"I believe we will head towards the port city of Garland. Not as big into trade as Genoa, they focus more on fishing and shipbuilding there. But it is still up in the air, literally. The Dean will decide."

"A small nation with nothing of immediate note," I said.

My knowledge of the world finally proved useful in understanding a particular concept. Garland was a decent choice for the College. It offered the chance to buy resources and access the city.

"What about Genoa? It looked quite wrecked," Healer Melon said.

"It got the worst of it, since there were dungeon breaks everywhere. The problem is that there are no dungeon entrances under the water, and there is a lot of water around Genoa. People say that funneled the monsters into the city. Others say it was the College that drew them somehow. Tensions are only increasing, so we are leaving once the semester starts. If you aren't in College, you are getting left behind. No exceptions," he said.

Being left behind would have caused us a massive headache.

We reached the elevator, and Melody was there. When she saw us, she had a look of relief. "You are back. Good. I was worried."

"Really?"

"You are the top student in your year, and your mother's background is immense. If you died, that would be…bad. But that didn't happen, so there's nothing to worry about."

We all got into the elevator, which ascended back up to the College.

"Thanks for worrying. It was rough in the dungeon for a bit, but we managed."

Ozy gave a brief nod while relaxing on my shoulders in agreement.

"Ah, well, you might not have heard. Your father has left his role as an Assistant Professor along with 24 legends that had been teaching and protecting the College," Melody said nervously.

"What? What is going on?" I asked as the elevator continued to rise towards the College.

"He has declared that he is running for the position of Genoa's Prime Minister, along with the position of Supreme General. He is rushing to consolidate power. The legends under his command countered the dungeon break, but the incident killed many of Genoa's forces and key politicians."

My father hadn't let the crisis go to waste. It looked like I would not be taking Speech as a class next semester or having breakfast with him anymore. He was moving forward with his crazy plan for world domination. What was I even supposed to think of that?

I was already known as a legendary child because of my mother, and now my father would only make me more infamous. He'd better get me some very good graduation gifts if he was trying to restart the Eldarin Empire, just without slavery. I almost wanted to roll my eyes at that nonsense.

Sometimes, things should remain in history. Things were working out well before he attempted to seize power. However, I was very aware of my privileged background. The hardships of ordinary people were something I rarely understood or considered. My father's care knew few bounds. He desired both peace and prosperity, but on his terms.

"His actions are his own, and I am not getting involved with whatever he is doing," I said firmly.

Melody let out a sigh. "That is good to hear. Otherwise, there might be complications. It is at the request of the Dean that you avoid any political statements while you remain at the College. In exchange, we will continue to protect you while you study here."

"That is fine. I am here to learn, not to cause trouble."

We arrived at the College. We made our way back to my dorm suite in the center of the campus.

After changing from my armor, I saw a letter on my desk. This must have been left here by my father. I picked it up with care. Runes flared and broke apart as I felt a tingle of Mana. I had been careless, but my Danger Sense, Trap Detection, and Poison Sense hadn't picked up on anything.

My Son, Justin,

I apologize for my sudden departure. I can't let a good crisis go to waste. I have now achieved my goal of teaching at the College. Twenty-four legends have sworn themselves to aid me in my goals. Despite your doubts, reforming the Eldarin Empire is a must.

The Beastkin tribes, the Demons, the Seraphims, and the Great Ocean Empire are all threats that exist in this world. Despite the obscurity of their internal politics and nations, they present an existential threat to humanity.

I wanted to tell you in person, but some things are hard to say. I was born with the name Edric Eldarin over two and a half millennia ago, at the time of the High Vostner human civilization. To fight oppression, I became a Supreme Legend, rallying humanity. Driving out the threats and enforcing order.

In time, I became known as the Eternal Emperor, who mastered soul skills and social skills. The steps I took at the time all seemed necessary to prepare for threats and handle various problems. Slavery was a way of enforcing laws without killing people. The term dungeon comes from Low Vostner, where it was initially used to execute criminals by forcing them to descend without clothes or weapons.

I tried more humane methods. To create an enlightened society. In the end, it failed because of betrayal, corruption, and certain rebels.

I looked up, pausing a moment from reading more. This was a lot to take in.

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