When Matthew and the others arrived home, Eric was the first out of the bus. He went inside Matthew’s house without an invitation and shouted happily for his daughter."Ka-ti-aaaaa!" He called eager to see his daughter after so many days apart.
But she didn’t answer.
"Katia?" He called again, less eager.
"She’s playing on Matthew’s computer." Matthew’s mother said while cleaning the dishes with a chuckle. "Sarah is with her."
"I see." Eric answered and moved upstairs.
"Sorry about him." Vanessa apologized when entering the house with the others.
"It’s alright dear. He missed her." Martha smiled. "Are you hungry? You should’ve called to let me know you were arriving. I could’ve made you all something." She said.
"It’s alright, mom." Matthew said, sitting on the couch. "I ordered us pizza on the way. It’ll be here anytime now."
"You should’ve told me regardless." She admonished him.
"Sorry, Martha." Ffyr said, giving her a gentle hug and kissing her cheek. "I wanted pizza."
"Ffyr..." Martha smiled at her. She was way less strict with the fairy than she was with her own offspring.
When the pizza arrived, Eric just sat sadly on the couch without eating.
"Katia. Your father missed you." Vanessa spoke gently with the 9 year old. "Let’s go home."
"But Aunt Ness..." She protested. "I want to sleep with Sarah again today. I can go home tomorrow." She bargained.
Matthew’s father just laughed and tapped Eric on the shoulder.
"I’ve been there." He sympathized with the large man.
"What do you mean first blood?" Sarah was the first one to ask.
"It means that the duel stops whenever someone gets hurt." Faralynn explained.
"Isn’t it dangerous?" Martha asked.
"It is. But it will be fine. Both Matt and Kaoru are very strong, but I don’t think either of them can kill each other with a single strike." Mia added.
"I want to be there." Sarah said.
"Alright." Faralynn agreed. "I asked Kazan to be there as well. He’ll stop the fight before anyone dies."
"Kazan?’ Martha asked.
"One of my subordinates. He’s the new swordsmanship professor in the school." Faralynn explained.
"He’s insanely good!" Sarah exclaimed. "I’m training with him and I can’t believe it."
"And how is his teaching? I haven’t had the time to train these past days." Faralynn asked.
"He’s very good with the sword. But he’s not as patient with the students as Firynn was." Sarah said.
"I’ll talk with him." Faralynn said.
"But tell me about Valerie! You fought her?" Sarah asked, suddenly changing subjects.
"A simulacrum of hers." Matthew corrected. "Catherine said she wasn’t at full strength."
"Really?" Sarah’s eyes sparkled. Ever since Sebastian showed her the Northern Star’s picture, she’s been obsessing with the Great Three as if they were one of the idols she aspired to be.
"It took all of us and 6 other adventurers and an army of 30 plus monsters to defeat her." Matthew sighed.
"Wow." Sarah said in awe.
"That’s a monster." Mia shivered. "How she hasn’t already driven away the ice trolls in the Arctic is beyond me."
"Well. We did defeat her simulacrum with a bunch of level 30 adventurers and 33 level 65 monsters." Vanessa pondered. "I imagine that the ice trolls might have heroes of their own to face her, even if they’re not as strong as her."
"And did you level up?" Sarah asked all of them, but really wanting to know Matthew’s luck with the gacha.
"We did." Eric said still sad about Katia not wanting to go home with him.
"Ness, Lynn and I got 4 levels each." Mia said.
"I got 3." Eric said.
"I got 2." Matthew said.
"Really?!" Sarah exclaimed. "That’s so cool."
"That also means that Kaoru leveled up as well." Vanessa was cautious.
"But what classes did you get, Matt?" Sarah asked.
Everyone turned to him, waiting for his reveal that he hadn’t done until now.
"Congratulations!
You reached level 41!
Gacha Leveling skill bonus acquired.
You can now reroll your class 1 time when leveling up."
His status screen read. Matthew was in deep thought. He looked at the classes he rolled.
"Congratulations!
You drew a tier 3 class!
Rook
You drew a tier 1 class!
Priest"
"Priest and Rook." He said.
Rook was a powerful class that was common for tank builds. It gained a lot of HP and Vitality per level and its two skills were Stand Vitality and Meek Vitality. Both were skills similar to his Reckless Agility skill. The first one traded Agility for Vitality and the second traded Strength for Vitality.
"I would reroll the Priest class." Vanessa said.
"Me too." Faralynn agreed. "Unless you want to improve your Purification skill, I’d reroll and try a higher tier class."
"Yeah. Let me reroll it." Matthew said, moving his fingers in the air to fiddle with his stat screen for it."
"Congratulations!
You drew a tier 1 class!
Mage"
Matthew bursted out laughing. He finally got the Mage class again. He finally could pick the Project Mana skill and use all his spells at a distance.
"Really?" Sarah clapped her hands happily.
As he picked the Project Mana skill his mind was already picturing how to use it. Witchcraft, Entice, Summon Spirit were skills that he could not use during battle effectively at all. He could now also use Spirit Magic at a distance and throw fireballs and wind blades just like Ffyr did. Even being able to make himself fly as the fairy did. Healing at a distance was also a huge plus.
"That’s a huge power up for you." Faralynn smiled.
"I’m also thinking about rerolling Rook." He declared.
"Why? It’s a tier 3 class. Its Stats are great for you." Mia questioned him.
"I don’t like the skills." He smiled. "And now that I have the option to try again... I kind of want to gamble."
"Then go for it!" Ffyr exclaimed.
"Yeah, Matt. Let’s see if you’re lucky." Eric smiled at him.
Matthew rerolled the Rook class after the room approved of his intentions.
"Congratulations!
You drew a tier 3 class!
Necromancer"
Matthew’s face went pale. He was lucky alright. He got another tier 3 class. But Necromancer? What cruel luck he had.
His hands subconsciously rubbed his back over his kidneys. The Unholy Mana skill was damaging his kidneys, he wanted to cut off from using it so much. But it seemed that destiny wanted him to keep using it.
He could pick the Create Undead skill. But the ethics of binding souls to dead bodies was something Matthew wasn’t comfortable with. Therefore he got Unholy Skill again.
"Well. At least it’s a powerful class." Eric comforted him.
"No harm done!" Ffyr joked.
"Yeah." Matthew forced a smile.
He put his free points in Charisma to balance the penalty the Necromancer class gave him. He wanted to keep his Charisma high to be able to use his Summon Lesser God skill, even though he had no clue on how it worked.
At least now his greatest weapon would consume less MP. He consoled himself, while looking at his stats.
"Matthew Lordstone – Level 42
Doctor (T2) – Level 1
Warrior (T1) – Level 4
Gunner (T2) – Level 2
Plague Doctor (T3) – Level 1
Ranger (T4) – Level 1
Summoner (T2) – Level 3
Priest (T1) – Level 2
Necromancer (T3) – Level 2
Witch (T3) – Level 1
Witch Doctor (T3) – Level 1
Caller (T1) – Level 2
Assassin (T3) – Level 1
Berserker (T4) – Level 1
Tautomancer (T3) – Level 1
Mage (T1) – Level 2
Miko (T4) – Level 1
Lancer (T3) – Level 2
Swordsman (T2) – Level 1
Scout (T1) – Level 1
Merchant (T1) – Level 3
Defender (T1) – Level 1
Thief (T2) – Level 1
Dancer (T4) – Level 1
Shadow (T4) – Level 1
Hydromancer (T2) – Level 1
Healer (T1) – Level 2
Worker (T1) - Level 1
Seer (T3) - Level 1
Stats
HP = 65/ VIT = 63
MP = 107/ MAG = 73
STR = 63/ AGI = 65
MIN = 68/ CHA = 62
Skills: Anesthesia (E), Imbue Mana (B), Boost Gunpowder (D), Resist Disease (E), Animal Companion (E), Purification (E), Unholy Mana (D), Witchcraft (E), Healing Totem (E), Summon Spirit (D), Pact (E), Spirit Magic (E), Reckless Agility (E), Berserk (E), Copy (E), Lingering Mana (E), Summon Lesser God (E), Stand Magic (D), Summon Pact (E), Sharpen (E), Sense Traps (E), Identify (D), Vitality Boost (E), Sense Others (E), Secrecy (E), Entice (E), Bless (E), Shadow Form (E), Create Water (E), Heal (E), Inventory (E), Sixth Sense (E), Neutralize Poison (E), Project Mana (E)."
After they all ate, Eric and Vanessa went home, much to the protest of Katia who cried to stay. But, in the end, she ceded and went away with her parents.
Mia and Faralynn also went away soon after.
Sarah and Ffyr went to Sarah’s room to play a video game she had in there.
Matthew laid on his bed studying the ceiling. His mind now revisited the fight with Valerie. Especially how Kaoru fought. He started to mentally train fighting against her. He had a week to prepare. And he surely didn’t want to lose.