Second World

"The skills will be gone as well? I'd better not level up the skills then. If I find a better special class later and change, won't the skill points I spent on the previous class' skills be wasted?"

"Again, you are unbelievably confident… About the skill points, don't worry about spending. It will carry over. Let's say you level up this special class' level 60 skill to level 10. When you change to another special class, its level 60 skill will also be level 10."

"Oh, I see. Good to know, then I don't need to hold back in investing skills then."

Peniel didn't comment anymore. Jack was talking as if it was a sure thing that he would get a better special class later.

Jack was now checking the starting skill from this new special class.

*

Brave Slash, level 1/20 (Active skill, melee, requires sword)

Increases the sword's reach by 300%, deals 1000% light damage, and reduces the target's defense by 30%.

+30% critical chance and +100% critical damage.

High chance to wound the opponent.

Cooldown: 3 minutes

Stamina: 200

*

'Even its level 1 already dealt 1000%?' Jack thought after seeing the description. Although this skill only hit a single target, its high damage, high critical, and short cooldown made it very practical. He was not sure though, what it meant by high chance to wound the opponent.

Jack immediately gave the skill a test run. When he used the skill, the storm breaker in his hand was enveloped by golden light. The light extended to three times the weapon's length. Jack sent the slash to a nearby rock. Damage number of over 12,000 appeared and the rock was sliced clean in two.

That damage was without the critical hit. If the critical chance was scored, the damage could shoot up to more than 30,000. He could kill Master with one critical hit. Well, that was assuming if he could actually score the hit and if Master didn't use any defensive technique to block the slash.

"Awesome," Paytowin said after seeing Jack demonstrate his new skill.

"What about yours?" Jack asked.

"The active skill I got from my special skill is called Brave Techno Suit," Paytowin replied.

"Sounds cool. How about a demonstration?"

"All right."

Once Paytowin finished speaking. Several shining things suddenly materialized around his body. These things then slapped onto his body, covering most parts and interlocking with each other. As more of these things glued to Paytowin's body, Jack realized these things were components of a suit!

When the process was over, Paytowin looked like a humanoid cyborg, covered with a golden-white metallic exoskeleton. His head was also covered with a helmet, leaving only half of his lower face visible from the nose down. His eyes were covered by a golden visor.

"Coo… F*cking coollll…!!!" Jack yelled. "Damn it, man! Your technocraft class is truly full of coolness. That techno golem and now this. I think technocraft is the coolest class among the others. I am now again regretting for didn't choose this class. How does it feel? Do you feel clunky moving around in that?"

Paytowin tried moving his arms around. He also opened and clenched his fingers. All his fingers were also covered in metallic shells. "I don't feel any problem moving," he said. "I even feel lighter instead. The description said my attributes increased to 300% when I'm wearing this suit. All damage is decreased by 30%, I also have a shield that absorbs damage to as much as 100% of my HP. If I don't receive any damage in ten seconds, the shield will regenerate."

Jack slashed Paytowin with his sword. A golden shell appeared around Paytowin stopping his assault. A golden bar was shown under Paytowin's HP bar. The golden bar was reduced while the red HP bar was intact, indicating the damage from the slash had been absorbed by the shell.

"Dude!" Paytowin complained.

"Just testing. It's just a normal slash," Jack shrugged.

"Your normal slash is not normal!" Paytowin uttered.

"How long is the duration?" Jack asked.

"Ten minutes," Paytowin replied.

"That is for level 1," Peniel informed. "If you max level it, you can stay in that form for thirty minutes."

"Wow! That's a long time," Jack said.

"You will also get additional skills that are only available during that form. You have one already now, haven't you?" Peniel asked.

"Yes, it's called overdrive mode," Paytowin answered.

"Oh… Overdrive mode. Sounds cool. Use it!" Jack said.

Paytowin obliged. When he activated the skill, several parts of his suit opened up and released jets of vapor. It's like multiple boiling kettles were inside the suit. It even produced the high-pitched sound that kettles made.

"All your speed is increased by an additional 100% in this mode, try moving around," Peniel said.

Paytowin did and ran one round around them. He did feel the increase in speed.

"Your response time is also increased. So, all the ones around you will appear as if twice slower."

"Oh… No wonder. I was wondering why you started to speak slower. I thought you slow your speech to allow me to better understand."

"This mode lasted one minute. You will get another skill exclusive to this form after you level up the techno suit to level 10 and level 20."

"You know what? Once you are in Heavenly Citadel, you have to take up my gramps' martial art course," Jack said. "That suit is wasted if you only use it to run around. How cool is it if you fight close range in that suit."

"That suit is for universal purpose, you brute!" Peniel chided. She wanted to smack Jack's head again but Jack moved away. She then said to Paytowin, "Try shooting using your gun."

Paytowin nodded and equipped his gun and aimed.

"Hey, there is a reticle!" Paytowin uttered.

"Yeah, the suit helped you with a visual aim. That should increase your accuracy. If you have monster books or hunter books in your inventory, the suit can access the known monster data in that book and give you suggestions during your fight with the particular monster. Additionally, the suit can also detect hidden danger and see invisible enemies or traps."

"I'm jealous," Jack said.

"How about we trade? Your three classes for this suit?" Paytowin asked.

"Sure, let's trade."

"Let's."

Peniel rolled her eyes and ignored the two's meaningless exchanges.

"George, do me a favor, will you? The next time before you don that suit, do this!"

Jack made a series of non-sensical moves before at the end of the moves he yelled, "Transform!"

"You retard! Do you think we are in the seventies kids' show? No way I'm going to do that!" Paytowin uttered.

Jack was disappointed to hear Paytowin's refusal.

"If you want to do it so much, do it on your own before you transform into your dragon form," Paytowin added.

"Oh?" Jack looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't go and give him stupid ideas!" Peniel scolded.

"Okay, it's time to go back," Jack said. "But before that, give me some time to send a message to my friend in Liguritudum. I need to inform her about what World Maker had done. All of Fear's grunts are atop Mount Audacias, Probably they can use this chance to push their position against the rebel army."

Jack sent his message to Wilted, describing the situation about Master invading the Council of Virtus.

"He is there? No wonder the Council of Virtus' elite force suddenly up and left without any explanation. We are rather confused by their actions. A few used the zone portal, but the majority have to travel back on foot. The teleportation feature is too expensive for the natives, after all," Wilted responded.

"The battle will be long over by the time those who don't use the zone portal arrive. Heck, it should already end now. The divine priest has died, which meant they have breached the main temple."

"Considering their principles, they will still head back to make sure. We can't count on them anymore in our war. Is this why Master invade them? To pull Council of Virtus' elite force away?"

"I don't think it's that shallow."

"Then why does he spend the manpower to do that?"

"Hey, I'm hoping that you can tell me," Jack replied.

"It must involve some of the alterations he has made to the program," Wilted said. "There must be something inside the divine faction that he goes after."

"Why does he need to do the alteration deep inside an untouchable divine faction? Well, not so untouchable now that he managed to take one down."

"Probably the things he altered need to be already powerful from the start. Many limits are restricting him from doing changes. He can't risk doing too many changes without the risk of damaging the program or getting found out by others."

"Anyway, now you should tell the Liguritudum ruler to push ahead. You still have the pipe and the potions from Goddess Serenity, right? This moment is your best chance while Fear's goons are away."

"I very much like to do so, but the situation has turned to the worst since yesterday."

"What happens yesterday?"

"The elf country, the Aurebor Dynasty, has joined forces with Liguritudum's rebel prince. The elven forces crossed the border yesterday and were ready to mount an assault on our border towns."

"What? Why would the elves do that?"

"I don't know. I'm still sending people to investigate, but the words are that the invasion command came directly from the elf queen herself. We designed her personality as someone aloof and look down on all other races. She would rather not be in contact with other countries. I don't understand why she has chosen to ally with the Liguritudum's rebel prince."

"I bet Master must have something to do with this. The timing is too impeccable."

"Now that I heard your news, I think so too."

"All right, tell you what. I will try to talk with Prince Alonzo to send help," Jack said. In his mind, he thought, 'Alonzo might even be crowned king already during my absence.'

"Well, at this point, any help is appreciated," Wilted replied.

Jack ended his message with Wilted and open another one with Jeanny.

"Where the hell have you been?! We have been trying to contact you for some time!" Jeanny quickly replied after receiving Jack's message.

"I am here now. Anyway, I have important news. Is prince Alonzo back in the capital already? I need you to ask him something."

"You can talk to him yourself. We are gathering in the capital. You hurry and come here. Something big has happened."

"What something big?"

"The orc nation, Verremor, has begun an invasion into Themisphere!"