Ch. 7 - Body Tempering & Class Synergy

The next morning, dawn had barely broken.

Robb was sleeping soundly when a series of rapid but gentle knocks jolted him awake.

He snapped to consciousness almost instantly, a conditioned reflex honed at the Stark estate, since one never knew when his Father might pay an unannounced visit.

"Robb, are you up?" Arnor's slightly hoarse voice filtered through the door.

He was about to answer when he heard Arnor continue in a hushed tone.

"Don't make noise. That lunatic Dagon next door has been researching sonic magic. Too much commotion and you'll set him off."

When Robb quietly cracked open the door, he found Arnor in rough shape.

The prince who always took such care with his appearance now had disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and several scorch marks on his usually immaculate apprentice robe.

"Your Highness, what happened to..."

"Shh." Arnor raised a hand to cut him off and motioned for them to leave the dormitory area first.

Only after they'd walked a good distance did Arnor let out a long breath.

"Don't ask. Had a little accident while researching enchantments last night."

He held up some Mana Crystal Fragments for emphasis.

"Blew a hole in the neighboring wall. The repair rune alone cost me ten fragments. If my reflexes had been any slower, I'd probably be in the lab right now, as raw material."

Robb caught the implication. In the Black Mist Order, any kind of "accident" could become grounds for mages to requisition experimental subjects.

Arnor fished a crumpled notebook from inside his clothes and flipped through it rapidly.

"But the incident did remind me, location matters for the first application of Scorching Essence Oil."

He glanced up at the sky. "The sun's just about to rise. Perfect timing for body tempering."

The two set off along a secluded trail.

The morning chill carried faint traces of a rotting smell, the signature scent of the Black Mist Forest.

Passing a cluster of fluorescent fungi, Arnor deliberately slowed his pace. "These are markers left by pathfinders. They fade in sunlight, which is why the mages use them for wayfinding."

After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a clearing.

Several crumbling stone pillars stood at crooked angles, their tops carved with faded, illegible runes.

Arnor patted the nearest pillar, raising a cloud of dust.

"The Black Mist Forest isn't that large, so you'll often stumble on abandoned mage testing grounds. Magical beasts and mutants generally don't dare come near places like this. Relatively safe."

In the morning light, the runes occasionally flickered with a faint glow.

"And even though those runes are damaged, they still function as barriers against mana fluctuations."

He crouched down to examine the ground. "Who knows how many test subjects died here back in the day. The floor tiles have been stained this color by all the different energies."

Robb noticed that the ground was indeed an eerie blue-gray.

The color hadn't been painted on, it had seeped in from within, as though the tiles themselves carried some kind of curse.

"But that's precisely why this place has become safe for the likes of us."

Arnor stood up and dusted off his hands. He gestured for Robb to sit on the blue-gray stone platform in the center.

"Take off your clothes. Down to your undergarments."

"What?"

Robb froze.

The morning chill made him instinctively clutch his clothes tighter.

Had he heard that right?

Back in the kingdom, he'd never heard anything about the Thirteenth Prince having... those kinds of preferences.

"Don't overthink it." Arnor rolled his eyes. "I'm not one of those depraved mentors who prey on pretty boys. The Scorching Essence Oil needs to be applied directly to the skin, especially on certain key..."

He paused briefly, as if searching for the right word. "According to mage terminology, they're called acupoints."

"Is this knowledge from another world?"

Robb asked as he unbuttoned his shirt.

Much of the arcane knowledge here had extraordinarily complex origins, primarily because mages were especially fond of absorbing supernatural knowledge and cultivation systems from other worlds.

"No idea." Arnor shook his head. "Our royal archives say this breathing technique was a revelation from the Ancient Sun God. But in my opinion, rather than obsessing over its origins, we should focus on the matter at hand."

He opened his notebook and carefully cross-referenced something.

"According to the records, the first body tempering requires targeting key positions along the heart, spine, and limb joints. The sequence is critical, the slightest error could..."

Just then, the panel suddenly flashed a notification.

[Detected: Currently using Scorching Essence Oil]

[Upon use, first body tempering will commence, initiating class change process for combat class, Knight Squire]

[Combat Class, Knight Squire (One-Star) Upon class change:

1. Attribute Growth. Mana Growth (One-Star) Constitution Growth (Two-Star) Spirit Growth (Half-Star)

2. Unlocks Class Skills, Basic Swordcraft, Body Tempering Breath

3. Special Bonuses: Slight increase in martial skill EXP gain rate, slight increase in physical training efficiency]

[Class Change Requirements:

1. Constitution attribute reaches 0.5 ✓

2. Complete one breathing-method body tempering session]

[Warning. First body tempering will determine the knight class's base attributes]

[Notice. Potion Apprentice class detected. Class synergy available, bonus enhancements granted.]

"So there is class synergy..."

Robb ducked his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

This synergy bonus was exactly what had made that game so compelling.

Players had been willing to pour enormous amounts of time and money into finding the perfect class combinations.

And now he had unlimited class slots. What did that mean?

Attribute stacking between different supernatural classes, complementary skills, compounding growth bonuses... all of these would become his exclusive advantages.

Back in the game, players could hold a maximum of three classes simultaneously. But his potential was limitless.

Given enough time, he could push class synergy effects to their absolute extreme and build a perfect growth system.

This was perhaps his greatest asset in this dangerous world.

Robb ended his train of thought and glanced at Arnor, who was still poring over his notes with intense focus, apparently confirming every detail.

That meticulousness reminded him of last night's "nearly blew up the dormitory" incident.

In a world this perilous, even the tiniest mistake could be fatal.

"Alright." Arnor finally closed the notebook.

"I need you to give your absolute, undivided attention to every word I say next. During the oil application, you'll likely feel an intense burning sensation. You may even experience hallucinations..."

His voice turned exceptionally grave.

"No matter what happens, do not struggle or move. Once the oil seeps into your body, it will begin affecting your meridians. The process must be carried through to completion. Otherwise..."

Robb nodded. He could feel the weight behind Arnor's words.

This wasn't merely a routine body-tempering session. It was a pivotal choice that would shape his future path.

"Just so you're not caught off guard, I'm starting now."

Arnor picked up the bottle of Scorching Essence Oil and poured some into his palm.

Robb noticed that the pale golden liquid began emitting a strange glow the instant it made contact with the air, accompanied by a faint scent of sulfur.

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