"A risk I won't ever regret, huh?" Listening to the words that came out of Valyr's mouth, Noel let out a hearty chuckle, feeling that the young man's personality seemed to meld well with his own. However, just as he was about to say something to the man, Valyr's expression, which was that of an eager smile earlier, was now replaced with a deep frown.
'What the…' Reading through the first notification he had received after accepting the prompt, a frown instantly appeared on Valyr's face, focusing most of his attention on the first word that preceded the subclass he was expecting to get in the first place. 'Wasn't I supposed to get Shadow Serpentine Lancer?'
'What's with the Neophyte at the beginning of it all?'
While the frown on his face deepened, Valyr decided to continue reading through the other notifications that came after the first, his eyebrows raised in slight surprise as he was greeted by a notification that he both did and did not expect.
Ding!
[Due to the user obtaining their subclass at the peak of Rank 1, the effects of the subclass shall be applied retroactively.]
[You have gained 15 VIT, 15 STR, 30 AGI, and 45 DEX.]
Whoosh!
Coincidentally, just as his eyes had focused on these two notifications, a great wave of energy started to course throughout his body, imbuing within him the feeling that he had gained a lot of strength within an instant. Though the feeling subsided after quite some time, the feeling was enough for Valyr to forget about the small difference in the subclass he had obtained for a while.
'I don't know if the stats I should get from obtaining the subclass should be higher or not, but at the very least, the other perks from the subclass I was expecting to get are still there.' A few seconds later, the frown on his face returned, the thought of the subclass he obtained not being the one he expected to get still lingering in his mind. Inwardly letting out a low sigh, he suppressed the feeling of rage welling up within him as he had a hunch that Noel might have a good reason for giving him his current subclass.
And with that, he took a look at the remaining notifications he had yet to read, the ones he was expecting to get in the first place.
[Due to the nature of your subclass, your Attack stat now scales off of your DEX stat instead of your STR stat.]
[Due to the nature of your subclass, you have gained the passive skill 'Shadow Energy Empowerment'.]
'With how higher my DEX is compared to my STR, my combat power has basically increased by more than half all because my Attack stat is now based off DEX.' Bringing up his status screen for a bit, Valyr was briefly left at a loss for words at how substantial of an improvement obtaining the subclass was, taking quite some time to calm himself down after. 'As for the passive skill I obtained…'
Ding!
[Shadow Energy Empowerment] (Lv. MAX)
Rarity: Uncommon
You have gained access to a type of energy that is unique only to Shadow Serpents, a type of energy that remains elusive to those that are not aware of it, but instills dread and fear to those who do. Through this energy, your skills grow more ferocious, allowing you to slay your foes with greater ease.
This skill increases the efficacy of techniques under [Shadow Serpent Combat Style] and [Shadow Serpent Movement Style] by 20%.
'Definitely something I'm greatly satisfied with.' After going through all of the notifications that had appeared after accepting the prompt, Valyr went ahead and focused his attention back on Noel, who seemed to be staring at him for quite some time with a pensive expression.
"Is there a problem? You've been frowning for quite some time." Noticing that Valyr had focused his attention on him, Noel took the opportunity to ask the question that had been lingering within his mind ever since he noticed the frown on the young man's face.
"Not really a problem, but more of a question," said Valyr in response, the frown on his disappearing as his expression turned solemn. "You've been telling me all this time that I would get the Shadow Serpentine Lancer subclass. But when I accepted it, the subclass I got instead was the Neophyte Shadow Serpentine Lancer."
"Ahh…" After listening to Valyr's words, Noel eventually nodded in understanding. "So that's what's been troubling you since earlier."
"Well, I'd suggest you take a look at the description of the subclass first before I continue with what I have to say." Hearing these words come from Noel, Valyr went ahead and commanded the system to do so, a screen appearing in front of him not long after.
Ding!
[Neophyte Shadow Serpentine Lancer] (Subclass)
Rarity: Uncommon
Many spearmen throughout the ages have tried to forge their own path by taking inspiration from nature, with some ending up more successful than others. However, there are those who forge their own path of spearmanship by taking from nature itself, allowing their way of the spear to stand head and shoulders above their peers.
A Shadow Serpentine Lancer is one such path that takes from nature itself, taking the energy of an elusive beast, the Shadow Serpent, and making it into one's own. Such a lancer gains the ability to land deadly yet elusive attacks under the covers of the shadows, turning them into a foe that would be everyone's worst enemy in the battlefield.
However, unlike Shadow Serpentine Lancers, Neophyte Shadow Serpentine Lancers have gained the energy of the Shadow Serpent through impure means, causing the quantity and quality of the energy they command to be subpar when compared to true Shadow Serpentine Lancers.
Nevertheless, even a being like them would be considered a deadly foe everyone must kill, sometimes ending up becoming far scarier than actual Shadow Serpentine Lancers.
For each level gained in this subclass, the user gains +1 VIT, +1 STR, +2 AGI, and +3 DEX.
"Are you telling me the reason why you gave me the subclass is because of the Shadow Energy I have command over?" Once he was done reading through the subclass' description, it did not take long for Valyr to gain an idea of what Noel wanted him to obtain from reading it.
"Though I do admire the fact that you have gained access to Shadow Energy even before obtaining the subclass, the energy I have control over allows me to gain an idea on how you gained your source," Noel said in response. "Would I be wrong in saying that you gained Shadow Energy by absorbing an orb of Shadow Serpent Essence?"
"…" At those words, Valyr remained silent, surprised that Noel had come to that conclusion without even asking him questions about it. Nevertheless, he responded back with a faint nod, causing Noel to nod back as he opened his mouth not long after.
"The fact that you not only have a small amount of Shadow Energy within you, but an impure version of Shadow Energy at that, made me decide that although giving you the Shadow Serpentine Lancer subclass was an option, it was an option that would only hinder you than benefit you with your current Shadow Energy."
"How would it hinder me?" Valyr had a curious expression on his face.
"Let me put it this way, Ylvar." Noel looked at him with a calm expression. "If I were to give you the Shadow Serpentine Lancer subclass right now instead of the one you currently have, even ascending to the next rank, becoming a Void Serpentine Lancer, would be next to impossible for you."
"However, if you're fine with wasting away such potential, then I don't mind giving you the subclass. Perhaps you might subvert my expectations." Saying these words, Valyr went silent for a bit. Gone was the eagerness he had in obtaining the subclass before. Instead, what replaced it was a man that weighed the gains and losses of each decision, especially after being told that it would limit him in the long run.
"Is there a way for my Shadow Energy to improve, then?" Of course, after listening to Noel talk all this time, Valyr knew that everything revolved around his impure Shadow Energy. With that, he went ahead and asked the question that seemed to be something Noel was waiting to hear all this time, evident by the old man's pleased smile after Valyr was done asking.
"I'm glad you asked." Noel nodded. "Considering how you awakened your Shadow Energy, there are three ways to improve the quality and quantity of your own Shadow Energy. However, if it wasn't for that, then there would only be two."
"Since you've absorbed Shadow Energy from an orb of Shadow Serpent Essence, then the first way would be to absorb even more orbs of Shadow Serpent Essence. Of course, there is a likely chance that these energies would clash with one another, so you would have purify the energy from the orb you absorb first before melding it into the energy you already have."
"As for the second way, it's similar to the first one I just mentioned, with the only difference being that you would have to attune yourself to your own Shadow Energy and gradually absorb the faint traces of Shadow Energy in your surroundings, refining and improving your own Shadow Energy bit by bit. Among the two, this would assure you that you'd become a Shadow Serpentine Lancer, but it would take quite some time before reaching that point."
At Noel's last few words, Valyr had a slight frown on his face. If the threat of the final battle wasn't reminding him from the back of his head time and time again, he would have opted to go with the safest route since there wouldn't be a reason for him to become a Shadow Serpentine Lancer so quickly.
Sadly, there was.
'Since the first method's too costly, and the second method's too slow, I guess I'll probably have to ask about the third method.' Inwardly letting out a sigh, Valyr went ahead and asked Noel what the last method was. In response, Noel told him that it was the quickest way to improve the quality and quantity of his Shadow Energy, yet at the same time, it was the riskiest and most difficult. As to what it was…
"Well, the last method is basically the method as to how the Shadow Serpentine Lancer subclass came about in the first place."
"And that would be…?"
"To kill a Shadow Serpent, of course."
