Chapter 823 (1/2)

Randidly and Rejt trooped down the long tunnel toward the second Obelisk. The traps and monsters had already been cleared through, but monsters would continue to spawn until the obelisk was claimed, Randidly was informed. Not that it mattered. Randidly kept a sliver of his Perception forward and simply ripped the Level 7 mobs to shreds as soon as they spawned. For them, the walk down was downright leisurely.

As then walked, Randidly chewed on his lip in confusion. “So you never received any notifications about Village Spirits or Villages?”

Rejt shook his head. “No. Only the obelisks. ‘Seek the Obelisk to find your destiny, and leave a legacy for those that follow.’ Very intriguing. I was tempted to seize the obelisk for myself, but Allica was… rather rude about it. As you know, she has strong feelings. Apparently, it is a strategic resource. You’ll see below.”

But Randidly couldn’t wrap his head around what was going on here. Why had the methods of the System changed? “So everyone who gets a Class at the obelisk gets the same? And are there any requirements for getting a Class? How many Classers-”

“Easy!” Rejt laughed. “You take this almost as seriously as Allica. Why stress, when we can simply look around and find more obelisks?”

“The monsters and traps that guard them are going to become more powerful,” Randidly said with a short shake of the head.

Rejt grinned back at him. “Not as quickly as I will. You forget how invincible I am. But no, not all Classes are the same, but they are related. From the first Obelisk, most of those who chose to obtain a Class obtained Wayfinder, but we also acquired a few Hunters and Woodsmen of the Baleful Wood. As for requirements…”

After rummaging in his pockets for a while, Rejt produced a handful of sparkling copper coins. “These are dropped by monsters. A hundred copper will allow you to purchase a Class. I took only a day to reach a sufficient point, but most others are still struggling to do so. Only the best obtained a Class so quickly. Still, the one Class we have is rather… well. What is this ‘Baleful Wood’ that the Class refers to?”

“What sort of Skill restrictions do the Classes have?” Randidly asked as he had ignored the jab at his own Class, his heart tightening in his chest. Good thing that Rejt himself hadn’t received a Class. He could explain about gathering enough Skills prior to obtaining a Class… That would likely help these people grow.

But Rejt just stared at him. “Skill restrictions? I have not heard of this. It was not included in the Class notifications. Why would there be Skill restrictions?”

Randidly had no response that would make sense. Why, indeed? He supposed that since he was supplying the Aether rather than the System, people could gather as many Skills as they wanted.

“Can you buy anything else at the obelisk?” Randidly asked instead.

Nodding, Rejt said, “Yes. One hundred thousand coins can be turned in for an upgrade to the obelisk. Although no one knows what that means, most of those not part of the Torchbearers are clamoring for the Torchbearers to clear out the surrounding area and upgrade the obelisk. They seem to think it will solve the food crisis.”

Randidly’s mind moved lightning fast. If the obelisk was really a streamlined Village… “Probably won’t even affect food. But it might offer more Class options, allow you to buy weapons, or learn special utility Skills that are pretty useful. I would recommend trying it as soon as possible.”

Rejt threw up his hands. “Always more work! Gather the coins yourself. Are you not all powerful?”

Grinning, Randidly said. “Only compared to you.”

“Pah, then why did we walk all the way down here on foot? Someone one of your godly steeds,” Rejt grumbled.

The two arrived at the labyrinth, which now had helpful signs that allowed them to reach the center without trouble. As promised, the central clearing was dominated by a crystalline obelisk with a black stone at its tip, very similar to the one at the center of the shanty town above. In addition, there were a number of tents and carts spread in the surrounding area, as well as almost fifty people.

Monsters and White Hunters helped Weavers carry boxes too and fro, while there were other groups studying the obelisk directly with strange devices. Randidly couldn’t suppress a wince as he noticed most of those devices had the distinctive mark of Alta’s handiwork. It will take a long time to rid ourselves of your habit of taking the energy from the world itself, without a thought to the consequences…

When the two arrived, they were immediately swarmed. Not because of Randidly, but because of Rejt. He was immediately bombarded with questions about the obelisk, the plans for a permanent settlement here, and when the obelisk would be activated.

Rejt acted like he hadn’t heard a thing and walked calmly forward, forcing the group to scramble sideways to not be trampled. Amused, Randidly followed.

They eventually arrived at the largest tent, and only then did Rejt speak to the group. “Send Talim, Grem, and Eulia to me. We will activate the obelisk within the hour.”