Chapter 25.2
Class Advancement: Demonic Schemer
-Knowledge is power.
-Learned Skills: Eavesdrop, Suggestion, Mind Reading
-Bonus Stats: Intelligence
Ooooh. Now this was tempting. More information-gathering abilities never hurt – Identify and Sin Scry were consistently paying big dividends.
Mind Reading spoke for itself. Every secret laid bare. Eavesdrop was better than advertised. It not only allowed him to listen in on people's conversations, but could do so from very far away, while also informing him of their precise location.
Suggestion implanted subconscious commands in people's minds...although it failed against anyone with the slightest amount of innate mana. Which was basically all of Valtia, rendering the Skill largely useless. Guess the system would've deemed it too powerful otherwise.
Still. One dud didn't outweigh two exceptionally useful abilities. And on a more personal note, Schemer highly appealed to his sensibilities. If he didn't already have Identify and Sin Scry, he would've picked it in an instant.
But he did have Identify and Sin Scry, so...
It was with a heavy heart that Simon removed Schemer from consideration. The day of reckoning was drawing nearer – when he would be forced to slay Piers Helmund and Duke Helmund in direct combat. If he wished to survive the battles to come, then he needed more up-front strength than what this Class was offering.
Class Advancement: Demonic Warrior
-Crush all who dare to stand before you.
-Learned Skills: Fell Claws, Monstrous Strength, Stalwart Heart
-Bonus Stats: Strength, Dexterity
Speaking of which, the last Class Advancement in the list provided exactly that.
Fell Claws permanently lengthened the claws of his Shapeshifted arm, making them deadly sharp. Monstrous Strength was an ability that temporarily – but drastically – increased his physical Strength, similar to the Glove of Power. Stalwart Heart granted him the mental fortitude to shrug off almost anything, even debilitating pain.
Ask and thou shalt receive...sort of. While Demonic Warrior would undoubtedly make him a stronger combatant, Simon had some reservations about it.
Mostly due to Stalwart Heart being a waste of a Skill. Increased mental fortitude was swell and all, but that hadn't really been a problem for him so far, not even when the Ravenous Wanderer infected him with nerve-searing acid.
Compartmentalization was a hell of a drug.
Also, Fell Claws and Monstrous Strength weren't ideal either. They seemed more appropriate for mowing down hordes of low-Level enemies – not for toppling the giants of Valtia. Would sharper claws and a temporary burst of Strength truly help him defeat people like the Helmunds?
Was hard to say when he hadn't seen either of them fight yet. However, Simon couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by Demonic Warrior. If he was to choose a Class solely to bolster his combat prowess, Berserker seemed like a better pick.
Which led him back to the main frontrunner for his next Advancement: Conqueror.
Classes like Warrior and Berserker are tailored for short-range melee fighters, he reasoned, and I've been favoring spells as of late. While I do still need to get up close and personal, my victories have largely been a result of using Channel Essence at the right moments. An upgrade to my casting speed would be extremely advantageous.
Then there was the upgrade to Grant Boon – Empowering a Boon-Bearer. It wouldn't make him stronger, but in practice, was it really any different?
Boon-bearers were assets to be employed at his disposal. Katarina because he could trust her, and Bastian because the man had no choice. Empowering either of them could turn the tide of battle in Simon's favor.
And lastly...all else aside, he wanted the upgrade to Subjugate Territory. Badly.
In a world with severe limitations on travel and long-distance communication, the capacity to teleport between settlements would be invaluable. He didn't mind sacrificing a bit of short-term power for incredible long-term utility. Sure, it wouldn't help him kill the Helmunds, that was true.
But it would help him build an empire afterwards.
Overall, Demonic Conqueror fit him better than any of the other possible options. Little surprise there. It seemed to be derived from the Sealed Demon's original powerset, and Kirkelas had been powerful enough to war against Duke Helmund for supremacy of the Severed Isles.
If it worked for him... Grinning, Simon made his selection. His grin widened as a burst of energy flowed into his body.
Your Class has upgraded from 'Nascent Demon' to 'Demonic Conqueror'!
Attribute 'Fell-Shrouded' has morphed to 'Fell Symbiosis!'
Subjugate Territory has upgraded! Rank 2 → 3
Channel Essence has upgraded! Rank 1 → 2
Grant Boon has upgraded! Rank 1 → 2
Strength: 35 → 37
Vitality: 33 → 35
Intelligence: 47 → 49
Excellent.
Though he wasn't finished yet. Simon looked at his Character Sheet, examining his 15 Unspent Stat Points.
Think I'll keep to what I've been doing, he thought. Roughly equal distribution for Strength, Dexterity, Vitality. Intelligence gets to sit on a higher tier. Really need the extra max MP for–
Alert: Your first Sub-Class is now available!
Choose any Class Advancement among the recent five that were not selected. One ability will be granted at random from the chosen Class, which shall then be deemed a Sub-Class.
Simon blinked.
Sub-Class? He squinted at the system notifications. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why wasn't I informed of this beforehand? Knowing that I would gain a bonus Skill from a non-chosen Class could have altered my final decision.
It was a rhetorical question. He hadn't been informed of Sub-Classes because he'd barely been informed of anything related to the system. His rushed transmigration would keep biting him in the ass until Voice-In-The-Sky was allowed to give a full, detailed explanation.
With a shrug, Simon looked over his remaining Classes. Apparently, he would receive a random Skill from one Advancement that he hadn't yet chosen. Process of elimination quickly narrowed down the field.
The main Skills he was interested in were Lifesteal, Eavesdrop, and Mind Reading. Lifesteal belonged to 'Berserker', while the latter two belonged to 'Schemer'. Choosing Schemer as his Sub-Class would give him 2/3 odds at snagging something good – and it was his personal favorite of the Classes anyway, so why not treat himself?
Here goes. Big money, no whammy. Mind Reading or Eavesdrop. As long as it's not Suggestion, I'll be happy.
Simon breathed deep, feeling oddly nervous. He didn't like the idea of leaving a Skill acquisition up to chance. Had never been a fan of casinos, either. Gambling wasn't as fun when your life wasn't on the line.
A mental image of dice being rolled played out inside his head.
You have gained the Sub-Class 'Schemer!'
Skill Gained: Eavesdrop!
Simon exhaled with relief. He would've slightly preferred Mind Reading, but Eavesdrop was great too – and far superior to a Suggestion spell that was guaranteed to fail on almost everyone.
In contrast, Eavesdrop appeared quite generous. It functioned on anyone that he'd 'met in person', whatever that meant.
I imagine I have to speak to them directly. Probably couldn't Eavesdrop on Duke Helmund after using a telescope to spy on him from half the city away...but if I can get within shouting distance, have him take notice of me, that should count.
The Skill's cooldown was fairly long, being usable just once per day. To ensure that it wouldn't go to waste, it had a failsafe that prevented activation if the target in question wasn't currently speaking to anyone.
Simon idly tested it on everyone he could think of. Katarina...asleep. Good, she needs her rest. Armand Calloway...dead. Eavesdrop auto-failed. Didn't hurt to check. Lucia, mayor of Springwater...also asleep.
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Despite the late hour, Irving the Waystation guard was actually available for Eavesdropping. He was likely drowning his sorrows in a tavern somewhere, whining to the poor bartender about his self-imposed troubles. No need to waste the Skill usage on him – not unless there were literally no better options.
On that note... Simon perked up. Bastian is awake. And talking to someone.
Who could only be one person.
Curiosity overtaking him, the transmigrator activated Eavesdrop.
Everything around him vanished, the world replaced by a featureless white void. Immediately after, two figures appeared: Bastian and Cyna, both looking blurred, as if viewed from a distance.
The sensation felt akin to Sin Scry – albeit less disconcerting. With Sin Scry, it was all too easy to become immersed in who you were scrying, as if you were that person. This was more like watching an online stream with sub-par video quality.
Eavesdrop puts me in a trance as well, Simon noted. I must be zoning out in my room right now. Should be careful to only use it when I'm in a secure location.
He turned his attention to the rebel duo. Eavesdrop didn't recreate the room they were in, or the furniture they were resting on, so Cyna was lying prone on air, hovering several feet off the ground. Bastian was in a seated position, his hand gripping hers.
"-back to sleep," Bastian said. Simon had caught him mid-sentence. "You're safe now. We can discuss the rest tomorrow."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Cyna whispered. The woman spoke with a deep-rooted confidence – which was betrayed by how utterly exhausted she sounded. "Where's the guards? Will they find us? Need a weapon."
"They won't find us," Bastian promised. Even with Eavesdrop's questionable audio quality, the tender concern in his voice was evident. "We gave them quite the slip."
That was a neat way of phrasing 'we slaughtered dozens and painted an entire hallway in red', but perhaps it was a story best reserved for when Cyna wasn't drifting in and out of consciousness.
"We?" She rubbed her eyes, urging herself to stay awake. "You said 'we' strangely. Did others help? You enlisted people?"
Bastian smiled at her. "Two wayward souls came to our aid. Admittedly, it was rather desperate on my part, recruiting the first people who agreed, but they certainly rose to the chall–"
"Are you safe?"
Cyna propped herself up on trembling arms. "I know that face. That tone. You're nervous. If it isn't because of the guards, then it's because of these new people. They helped, but Caelryn City isn't known for its compassion. Their cooperation had a price."
Her voice steadied. "If they've threatened you, I'll kill them."
Bastian winced. "...Must you be so perceptive, even to your detriment?"
"Who are they, Bastian? Not from the Hurricane. That much is obvious. Not linked to the nobility, if they helped infiltrate a stronghold. Where did you find people of their caliber – people willing and able to secret me out from under Helmund's nose?"
He hesitated. In his expression, Simon saw a desire to tell the truth. To reveal that he'd run afoul of a rogue Demon.
Yet he couldn't.
Clause 3: Bastian Evergray will never purposefully reveal Simon Cobblestone's status as a Demon to anyone, whether directly or indirectly.
The Swordsman put on a devil-may-care smile that looked false even to Simon. "I won't lie, Cyna. They're dangerous – but they *are* on our side. At the moment, that's what matters."
She glared at him. "You'll explain more tomorrow."
"I swear I will." Bastian gripped her hand tighter. "Now please, please rest. I can't..."
His voice wavered. "Can't bear to see you in such a state. Ancient One take me, I almost lost you. When you told me to run, and I looked back to see those guardsmen swarming you, it...it felt as if the world had fallen out from under my feet."
"Would do it again to save you," Cyna told him, sounding completely unrepentant.
"I know. Damnit, I know."
Their faces drew closer.
Simon ended the Eavesdrop. He was a Schemer, not a voyeur.
--
Cyna confronted him early next day.
The woman stood tall on weary, shivering legs. She wasn't even close to fully recovered, but that didn't stop her from taking center stage in the proceedings, Bastian hanging behind her with a worried air about him.
"Hello," she began, shifting her gaze between Simon and Katarina. "I am told that the two of you aided in my rescue."
It wasn't the warm welcome that others might've expected after carrying out a perilous mission to save her life, but Simon just grinned. He preferred this over weasel words and plastered-on smiles. If she was suspicious of them, better to address it from the beginning.
"That we did," he replied. "My name is Simon, though I'm sure Bastian already told you. As for my compatriot over there..."
He gestured at Katarina pausing to let her introduce herself – but she merely inclined her head in greeting. The Arcane Rogue's face was cold as she stared at Bastian and Cyna, her glower seeming vaguely hostile. Not to the point where she was ready to strike, but enough that her thoughts on them had been made eminently clear.
...Huh. Didn't anticipate that. "Her name is Katarina," Simon quickly said, pivoting before tensions could rise further. "We're simply a pair of good-hearted altruists always eager to lend a helping hand."
Cyna rolled her eyes. "Was that an attempt at humor?"
"Yes. My best material, I'm afraid."
That earned a wry smirk from her. She swiftly erased the glimmer of amusement before it could affect her judgement, locking eyes with Simon. "Bastian informed me that you were promised a princely sum in exchange for my liberation. How much?"
Katarina made a scoffing noise. "Whatever he got for selling the carriage he stole from us," she murmured. "Let's start with that."
Unsure of how he'd stumbled into the role of peacekeeper, Simon interjected before Cyna could fire back a retort. "The monetary details can be ironed out later," he assured. "In truth, there were two far more pressing reasons why we agreed to help."
"That so?" Cyna asked, her interest piqued. "And what might those be?"
"First: we surmised that you and Bastian are rebels. Rescuing you would be the same as assisting the Hurricane."
Simon put on a smile that was more teeth than mirth. "I could hardly pass up an opportunity to inconvenience Duke Helmund. Whatever you believe or don't believe from me today, understand that tearing down the nobility is my heart's greatest desire."
Cyna eyed him with an assessing gaze. "Feels like you aren't telling me everything."
"Of course I'm not. You'll just have to be satisfied with the fact that I haven't lied – directly, at any rate. Lying by omission is still on the table."
"I see." She tapped her foot on the floor. "What's the second reason?"
Simon pointed at Bastian. "Because he loves you."
The room went silent for a few seconds. "Come again?" Cyna eventually said.
"Oh, you should have heard how he tried to convince us."
Simon put his hand over his heart and adopted a fervent, stagelike tone of voice. "You can have everything," he pantomimed. "My blade, my life – everything I own shall be yours, if only you would save my dear love from harm!" He threw his arm out in dramatic fashion. "Please, good sir and madam! I can't bear to lose her!"
The transmigrator let his arm fall, nodding sagely. "After days spent in Caelryn City, his sincerity was refreshing."
Katarina snorted. Bastian frowned with poorly-hidden embarrassment, muttering about how it hadn't gone exactly like that.
As for Cyna, she burst out laughing, her composure finally breaking as she glanced over at Bastian. "I think I like this one," she told him.