[Class conditions met. Would you like to acquire the Advanced Class: Sword Saint?]
Time freezes.
I blink.
Then blink again.
And then I laugh. Loudly.
I throw my head back and unleash the kind of laugh that would make any mad scientist jealous.
"YES! YES, YES, YES!"
I jump up, my feet actually leaving the ground. Flame Fang nearly slips from my hand as I fist-pump at the stars.
"What a beautiful day!" I announce to the uncaring void, "Even if it's night!"
The sword hums faintly in my grip. It feels warm. Lighter. I swipe the notification open with one thought and zero hesitation.
I stab the air with my finger.
[Accept]
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[Advanced Class Acquired: Sword Saint (Max Lv10)]
[Class Description: Sword Saint]
The Sword Saint is a title granted only to those who have truly grasped the path of the blade. To them, the blade is not a mere weapon, but a tool, a means to carve their own path forward. May your blade always find its mark, and may your intent strike true.
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[Requirements:]
-
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What does that mean? No requirements? In what sense? Like "use intent to cut"…?
No… it makes no sense. [Hermit] had prerequisites and even limitations...
Wait… maybe… no, it's impossible. But I think it's one of the few possibilities.
I think I get it now… maybe. Looking back, I was stupid; just thinking about it makes things clearer… It's probably also the reason the System works this way. I wasn't summoned into this world, I was born here. And even if I have a system similar to Yggdrasil's, there are a lot of differences.
First things first… "System?"... of course, calling it never works. It's like it only exists out of sheer obligation or maybe just to mess with me. In Yggdrasil, Ainz could practically flick a finger and pull up windows at will. Here? The System acts like a shy cat: sometimes it shows up, but most of the time it hides under the bed and pretends it doesn't hear you. It's as if the System is part of the background noise.
And that's exactly what it is: it exists, but you don't feel it, like an annoying notification constantly lurking in the corner of your vision. It makes everything feel like a game, but it's painfully, terrifyingly real. That's "Overlord": the line between 'game' and 'world' is blurry at best, and every reminder just rubs it in.
Anyway, other things.
Skill points and all that… In this world, you can't just pick your class like you're shopping for groceries in Yggdrasil. There are these weird "non-classes" like "King", "Princess", or "Genius". Most people here are basically railroaded into specific builds by birth or circumstance, and almost nobody even knows what a 'class' truly is.
It makes sense: without a System, the whole idea of min-maxing or buildcrafting is pure science fiction for them.
But if they'd ever seen what passed for a 'build' in Yggdrasil, min-maxed spreadsheets, PvP lunatics, and broken combos that'd give a game designer an existential crisis, they'd probably faint on the spot.
Yggdrasil was probably full of people who, given the chance, would snap the rules in half for the smallest ridiculous advantage. Even if no one ever said it out loud, you knew someone out there was hunting for the most busted, illogical combo imaginable. Because deep down, it's a universal law: wherever you put people, someone will find a way to break the game.
Perfect balance? Sure. Tell that to any player who ever abused a bug or got punished for it.
Me? I can actually choose my classes, thanks to Adam. I'm the anomaly.
So my question loops right back to the start of this mental spiral: why do class requirements even exist? How are classes actually granted in this world?
Is it the will of the world or something?
I remember those two ninjas from "Blue Roses" who had a class with a level 60 requirement. So probably, this world has different rules for unlocking classes. And here's my theory: I'm reincarnated. I have two ways to acquire classes, through the System, if I meet the requirements, or through the New World's way: by achieving results that are then transformed into a class.
That changes everything. It really does. It means I can progress in more varied ways.
How beautiful… if that's true… I'm genuinely happy. Let's keep going.
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[Passive Skills (Max Lv10):]
Blade Mastery: Increases cutting power by 1.5% per class level.
Iron Grip: Makes it harder to be disarmed or to lose grip on your blade.
Durable Blade: While held in the user's hand, the blade is harder to damage or wear down.
Sword Intent: Every time the user attacks with a blade, there is a chance to ignore part of the enemy's defense. This effect scales with the class level and Agility stat.
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[Active Skills:]
True Slash - Perform an attack empowered by your intent. When it hits the target, it deals x1.5 damage and ignores one-quarter of their total defense.
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[Stat Bonus per Level:]
+9 HP
+17 Physical Attack
+6 Physical Defense
+17 Agility
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Okay… now that I've read everything, I don't think I fully deserved it. But if the world accepts it… who am I to argue?
Honestly, it seems amazing, but when I compare the stats, they're lower than [Ki Lord]. Even though the rarity is technically the same, [Ki Lord] gives 58 stats per level, while [Sword Saint] gives "only" 49. As for [Hermit], that one gives me 60 stats per level, but that's a special class.
Speaking of advanced classes, probably [Ki Lord] is just stronger than [Sword Saint], at least statistically and, honestly, in terms of abilities too. Or at least, that's how it seems to me.
Even in terms of bonuses, unfortunately, it doesn't provide any percentage-based boosts or other special effects. And now I realize I'm complaining about something I earned after years of work… which probably means I've been a little too negative lately.
Well… let's give it a try. I slip back into my stance and immediately feel an almost scary difference from before.
The sword in my hand feels not just better, but right. Maybe it's the synergy of new skills, but as soon as I try a few slashes, I notice something: I'm genuinely better. Not a night-and-day transformation, but a solid, satisfying upgrade. And even if it's not spelled out in the skill descriptions, it's as if I've gained… competence.
Yeah, let's call it that.
Now there's only one thing left to do: claim my prize. The juicy part. The payoff for all this buildup. It's time to make the nearest tree pay the price. Time for the fun part.
Something tells me I'll never unlock the Druid class. Honestly? I've never been a fan of tree-huggers. No offense, but chatting with bark is where even I draw the line, and considering what I'm about to do to this tree, I think the feeling's going to be mutual.
[True Slash]
I swing my arms down with force, feeling the muscles in my shoulders tense as my back moves, and the strike lands on the tree.
When the blade hits, it leaves a hole in the trunk, much deeper than the last one. A sharp pain shoots through my arms and shoulders, like I've pulled a muscle. I realize instantly: just because the ability has no cooldown doesn't mean I can use it often. In fact, quite the opposite. I've used it once and can already tell it's a trump card.
I can probably use it three times before becoming useless. It also depends on the recoil from what I cut. If instead of this tree there had been an unarmored person, they probably would have been cut almost in half, and the recoil would have been less intense, though I doubt it would do me much good.
Which makes me think: this isn't a skill. It's a Martial Art…
Okay, now I'm really tired, better sleep on it and think about it tomorrow.