Although Bastion no longer wore any armor, he gave off the impression of an immovable wall or impenetrable fortress. A successful Class Change produced incredible effects.
Bastion breathed calmly as the aura emanating from his body receded. An Ancient Defender wasn't just any typical class. It was a class that triggered one of the Hidden Attributes—Will—just by successfully changing.
Why? Because Will was the basis of the entire class.
Will, in short, refers to the soul's ability to withstand pressure, whether tangible or intangible. Another way to interpret it was the solidity of one's soul. Will possessed three facets: physical, mental, and spiritual.
Each aspect held a vital role that would become apparent to everyone in the future.
All three facets served as the basis of an Ancient Defender.
Like how Kieran's skills depended on Blood Mania, every skill in Bastion's arsenal now relied upon his new Class Unique Passive—Indomitable Pure Will.
"How does it feel?" Kieran asked with a faint smile.
"Incredible," Bastion answered.
However, before he could relish in the insane amount of changes, Bastion's pupils constricted.
BOOM!
Kieran punched Bastion abruptly, but something strange occurred. Kieran's fist was stopped by the Willpower spilling off Bastion's body. The Willpower adopted the shape of a large shield as Bastion lifted it above his head without moving his legs.
'How much higher has his Defense grown? No… how much Damage Reduction was he given?' Kieran wondered.
Changing classes may have broken Bastion's equipment, but his shield was untouched. Still, Bastion's first instinct was to create a Will Armament, which in his case formed a shield.
"I felt that from over here," Nemean said grimly. The force from Kieran's punch had traveled quite far, so everyone understood a frightening amount of Strength fueled that attack.
"Yeah, Bastion's Defense has become no joke. If he can handle Aatrox's punch with that strange crimson technique, I doubt many players of the same level can penetrate his defenses," Altair commented.
Luna's eyes glistened while watching Kieran deliver an onslaught to no avail. Bastion defended against every strike properly. Though Bastion lost Health, there was little to no effect on his body.
"What did you experience during your class change?"
"Galvan called it a Will Awakening and Will Refinement," Bastion answered.
"It has produced incredible results. Not just in your defenses but in your demeanor as well. I can feel it—genuine confidence radiating from your inner self. I don't know what means your instructor employed, but they are remarkable."
Kieran soon stopped because he only wished to test the results of Bastion's class change. If he wanted to assert dominance, he would have waited until his weakened state passed and fought Bastion properly.
Afterward, Kieran looked at the others. "Anyone else interested in opening up their Epic Treasure Chests?"
Nemean scoffed. "Nope, not at all. I feel as if Bastion has sucked up all the ambient luck. If I open it now, I fear I'll receive utter dogshit. Considering I have to compete with you and Bastion now, dogwater items will be unacceptable."
"So competitive," Kieran clicked his tongue. "But, I like that. A little friendly competition is beneficial to our growth."
"I agree. Competition creates an attainable goal, but because it's ever-elusive, we continue to strive for it," Ezra added.
"Yeah. Well, since that's out of the way, how about we check on this so-called lavish amount of riches? I'm not sure how great it is, but Altair made it seem absurd."
Now that Bastion had succeeded in his Class Change, Kieran changed the subject.
However, Bastion's mind was preoccupied with another matter. "When we return to Aeredale, I need to make a short trip. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I must do so before reaching Lv.50."
"Does it relate to your class?"
"Yeah, I've been given a special quest. I may have obtained the class, but now I need something called a Legacy Armament. Apparently, I can't advance without it."
"Interesting," Kieran nodded. He was familiar with the term but also curious.
'I wonder what level Legacy is embedded in his class. A Legacy Armament comes in many shapes and forms. Speaking of which, I wonder why Scar didn't order me to find one.'
As he pondered this question, Kieran walked into the hidden treasury and froze in shock. "Oh, Altair wasn't kidding at all. There is truly a ridiculous amount of wealth amassed here."
Considering Dusvim's thefts included several cities and spanned over a few years, it was understandable that he amassed a wealth similar to a subpar kingdom.
After receiving a report of the room's information, Kieran sputtered. "6.8 million Gold!"
More than ten times the amount collected from Jackson's portion was present in this room.
Furthermore, Kieran was stupefied because no quest objective required he bring back the Gold safely.
If he wished to, Kieran could claim all this Gold without any penalties. To Aeredale, this was a significant and almost life-changing amount of Gold. But to other kingdoms and especially empires, it was a trivial amount.
"What did you say?! 6.8 million?! How is that even possible? Wouldn't such a huge Gold injection disrupt the player population?" Ezra gasped.
"Undoubtedly," Luna agreed. "Introducing too much currency too quickly will depreciate the value of Gold."
"Who said anyone is injecting anything?" Kieran blinked at a loss. No one in their right mind would perform such a foolish action. It'd upset the longevity and practicality of making money.
Instead, Kieran's focus was on more practical alternatives. "We can help ourselves to a portion of this Gold, but we must return the rest to Aeredale."
Despite his words, Kieran remained indecisive. Should he keep it, or should he return the Gold to Aeredale? Both options held their benefits, but they also had their cons. For example, this was such an easy ticket to supremacy if Kieran wielded it correctly.
But, he could also put Mayor Lowe entirely in his debt. Having a City Mayor in one's debts was a triumphant position, especially for someone like Kieran, who would amass countless enemies along his journey.
"How much are we talking about here? Also, it's a shame that there is only Gold and materials here. It would be amazing if there were valuable equipment," Ezra sighed begrudgingly.
Kieran paused while looking at Ezra before speaking. "We can't ask for too much. Obtaining a Main Quest is a fortune in and of itself. Look at how much of a change we experienced."
Kieran pointed to his team afterward. "My team—I'll handle your expenses. You know our agreement already; I don't need to discuss it. However, Luna and Ezra—you'll each take 25,000 Gold. I'm sure that's enough to pacify any discord sown by disbelievers in your guild."
Ezra nearly fainted after hearing how much Gold Kieran offered. While a mere fraction of the immensity present, 25,000 Gold amounted to a small fortune for many players.
Although organizations could purchase Gold in the Universal Currency Exchange Trading System, it relied upon players willing to part ways with the in-game currency.
Thus, having incredible liquid funds didn't mean one could secure ample Gold in the game.
Kieran initiated the trade and absorbed the rest of the materials and coins into his inventory. Inferior, Ordinary, and Exceptional materials made up most of the item loot, but there were a few Superior materials that Kieran refused to part ways with.
After obtaining the loot, Kieran looked at the quest. Now that Dusvim was dead, the quest timer disappeared. All that remained was to collect his rewards by turning the quest in.
…
Whilst Kieran handled the matters of his quest, many of the player-filled kingdoms grew heated with player exclamations. Although the notification of Kieran's feat had since passed, it was still the rant of the town and forums!
"This is insane. What caliber of skill, equipment, and damage is required to take down an Epic NPC? Also, do you see the Level Leaderboards right now? There is no contest!"
The top of the Level Leaderboards was occupied by Kieran, his party, Ezra's members, and finally, a few other famous players. The level disparity was so great many began to question the legitimacy of the Level Leaderboard.
After all, the first spot was claimed by Altair, who was currently Lv.45. In comparison, the spot after Camila was only Lv.34!
Over ten levels!
Players couldn't fathom how it was possible when the experience required increased continuously.
Among those incensed by this new development, two people, in particular, felt like pulling their hair out.
Despot sat in a pub, scowling and shaking a table while staring at the world announcement he had yet to discard.
"How is this even possible? He is obtaining everything. There is no food left on the table for anyone. I can only imagine how great his rewards have been thus far. Who will end his tyranny?!"
"Hoh? I find it funny that you speak of tyranny when your living is earned by terrorizing all of Ridgewood," a gruff voice chuckled from across Despot. The owner of the voice seemed amused by Despot's indignation.
"Damn you, Vielens. He's the whole reason I even asked for your help! Don't patronize me!"
Vielens was the in-game name the Guild Master of Warhead Syndicate adopted. One could discern his propensity for violence from his brutal eyes steeped with concealed malice.
"I'm intrigued with this so-called Aatrox. I wonder if he's as strong as the rumors say. Hopefully, he provides excitement without crumbling beneath my fists," Vielens said.
