NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88: Path of Redemption
At around Level 60, Warriors could finally learn a special skill from their trainers: Spell Reflection—an ability that sent enemy spells hurtling back at their casters.
The cooldown was long, twenty-four seconds, but even so, it broke the vicious cycle where Warriors were endlessly kited and pummeled by Mages. Other tanks had no such luxury. They could only grit their teeth, lumber forward, and pray they didn't get burned down before they closed the distance.
Ryan, however, had stumbled onto something even better. By deepening his armor-focused talents, he unlocked Resilience Armor, a defensive skill that made him pause in delight. The cost—five points of Divine Power—stung a little, but the ability was simply too good to ignore.
In the early game, who else had something like this? Against the Mages who had always been his bane, this was a lifesaver. At Level 40, his extra stats had barely been enough to endure a single extra spell. Now, he finally had a tool that gave him a fighting chance.
He didn't hesitate. The talent point he'd earned from reaching Level 20 went straight into Resilience Armor. He slotted the new skill into the most convenient place on his hotbar, admired it for a heartbeat, then continued jogging toward the Wandering Merchant to see what goods had refreshed today.
The merchant's stock did not disappoint. Ryan purchased several useful ores and herbs before heading toward the Professional Trainer. At Level 20, he could now unlock higher-tier professional skills—something he had been looking forward to.
Advanced professions were currently the highest tier available. Being the first to max one could even grant a Glorious Achievement—a permanent accolade for the history books. But at this stage, it was practically impossible. Advancing required materials found in Level 30 zones, and the final steps even demanded rare items from Level 40 areas. No one, not even Ryan with his regular access to the Wandering Merchant, could fully meet those requirements yet. He'd barely gathered half the materials he needed, and it might be weeks before he could reach the peak.
Still, the perks of advanced professions were enough to make any player jealous. Early on, they were absolute game-changers. Engineering, in particular, was notorious for its devastating gadgets: Impact Helmets, Mind Control Caps, rockets, and a whole suite of reflectors—Lesser Frost Reflectors among them—that could turn the tide of battle.
There were also tools for everyday adventuring: Gnomish Shrink Rays, Miner's Hats, Goblin Jumper Cables. Jewelcrafting, while less directly useful in combat, was a gold mine. The rings, necklaces, and gems Ryan could craft sold like wildfire. Their base stats were solid, and natural drops were vanishingly rare. Every piece he put on the market earned him at least ten times his investment.
After mastering the new professional skills, Ryan returned to Stormhold Fortress. Astral City was impressive but lacked class trainers, so any Paladin seeking skills or quests had to make the trip back.
Today, he had come for one thing: the Paladin's most infamous skill—Divine Shield.
Also known simply as Invincibility.
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Divine Shield: Holy Light descends upon you, rendering you immune to all damage for ten seconds. During that time, you are untouchable. Grants 5 Divine Power and applies a self-discipline effect. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
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Combined with Desperate Healing, the lifesaving ability he'd learned at Level 16, Divine Shield completed the Paladin's legendary trifecta. In the early game, players called it "three lives"—because if a Paladin shamelessly chained all three skills, no other class could reliably kill them in a duel.
And Ryan? He was already a powerhouse. With this… he would be unstoppable.
At Level 20, Paladins, Priests, Druids, and Shamans unlocked a pivotal class quest from their trainers. Completion of this quest granted them the most essential support skill: Resurrection.
This single spell could decide whether a player was welcomed into dungeon groups or ignored entirely. Without it, a party wipe meant long, tedious corpse runs. With it, a healer could instantly bring a fallen ally back, saving the team enormous time and frustration.
Ryan accepted the quest without hesitation—and immediately found himself thrown into a long, grinding series of prerequisites. It took him more than two hours to complete them all. By the end, he sorely missed the mount he had once borrowed during the Blood Gorge campaign. That steed had been reclaimed as soon as he finished the camp quests, and every long trek reminded him of the loss.
Finally, the true quest appeared:
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[Path of Redemption]
My friend Akashi has fallen in Blood Gorge. His wife and children are still unaware of this tragedy. But the great Holy Light, moved by his devotion, has granted him a second chance. Take this Book of Redemption and return Akashi to the living.
Quest Objective: Resurrect Akashi 0/1
Quest Reward: Redemption (Skill), 12,000 XP, 50 Silver Coins
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Ryan let out a long breath, relief and irritation mixing in equal measure. He had reached the final step at last. Fetch quest after fetch quest—without a mount—had tested every shred of his patience.
From Stormhold Fortress, he took a gryphon flight back to Blood Gorge. Almost immediately, guild messages started popping up. His location hadn't gone unnoticed.
Nightwalker: Guild Leader, didn't you swear you'd never step foot in Blood Gorge again?
Ryan: Just a class quest. Once I finish it, I'll learn Resurrection. If someone dies in a dungeon, I can revive them on the spot instead of making them run all the way back.
He smiled faintly, navigating by memory toward the quest location.
Nightwalker: Oh, that's huge! We've wasted so much time in dungeons waiting for people to corpse run. Having Resurrection will change everything.
Ryan could relate. He'd run a few dungeons where a single death stalled the entire group for fifteen minutes or more.
Riverbank Grass: Guild Leader, can only Paladins learn Resurrection?
Her voice was as lively as ever. She had also just hit Level 20 and was currently training her profession in Stormhold Fortress.
Ryan: No, Priests, Druids, and Shamans can all get it too—after completing their quests.
Riverbank Grass: Really? I checked the forums, and there's barely anything about Resurrection quests—just gossip and PvP bragging.
Ryan chuckled. Figures. People would rather post about duels than useful info.
Riverbank Grass: So… this is from the class trainer questline?
Ryan: Exactly. Keep following the chain, and eventually, you'll be sent to revive someone. Do that, and you'll learn Resurrection.
Before the conversation could end, Moonlight Beauty chimed in in an urgent tone.
Moonlight Beauty: Guild Leader, avoid the central area of Blood Gorge. The battle over the Guardian has flared up again. Bloodfang Cliff is crawling with players.
Ryan stopped in his tracks. His expression darkened. The NPC he needed to resurrect… was at Bloodfang Cliff.