After a few minutes of trial and error, the hammer disappeared into the smuggler’s coat. At first she had tried to lift the thing up and then, pinning it to her knees and chest, try to fit it in the pocket.

Realizing how ridiculous this was she stripped off the coat and after laying it down tried to fit it in, handle first. Of course the head of the handle was too large to fit, but she figured it would just disappear once she got a portion of it in there. It didn’t work.

Kass put her coat back on and stared at the hammer, stumped.

“Perhaps it is much more simple than you think.” said the blade.

“What do you mean?” she asked incredulously.

“Consider how you retrieve an item.”

“By visualizing it, then willing it to appear, right?”

“Indeed.”

“Wait, so it’s the same with putting something in? Are you telling me you knew this the whole time?”

“It is beneficial for you to learn things on your own. To use your brain in different ways. For your survival of course.”

She was a little mad but figured the sword had a point. She definitely needed to change up the way she thought about things in this world.

“Alright, it’s fine. Thank you for the help. Let’s try this out.”

She bent down and laid a hand on the head of the hammer, willing it to enter the magical space. The idea was still unnatural to her, feeling so against all of the things she had ever experienced or learned about.

She struggled against the old ideologies, pushing them away to make room for new, seemingly impossible ones.

The hammer vanished.

Kass stood with a smile on her face. I can move it as easy as that. The coat doesn’t even weigh more! She was more than excited about this new discovery, her spirits lifting. I’m gonna make it through this. Then I’ll find a way home.

She moved over to the other weapons and repeated the process, each one taking less time than the last. When they were all stored away she decided to test what it would be like taking them out again.

Closing her eyes she focused, visualizing her desire. Sword in hand. She felt as the sword materialized in her hand, a smile reaching her lips again. Then a slight sting made her eyes snap open.

“Dammit.” she swore after seeing she was holding the blade of the weapon, a shallow cut on her hand drew a small amount of blood. She willed the blade to disappear again and it vanished.

“I’ve got this,” she said to herself, closing her eyes a second time.

“Oww, shit... Why am I practicing this with a sword?” She dropped the weapon to the ground. “Guess I’ll do this later when I have something else to use. Unless you want to take a trip into the unknown?”

“I would rather stay where I am, thank you.”

“As you wish,” she bent down and stored the guardian’s sword once more into her coat. That is so nifty. Just need to practice with it more.

“So do you think there is another way out of here?”

“I believe this place was meant to keep those that entered, in.”

“Back down the stairs then. I’m going to need water soon, and then some sleep. I’m not hungry yet but I imagine that’s coming. If you sense water or something I might need, please tell me.”

“As you wish,” the blade mimicked her response from earlier, making her laugh.

“Haha, thanks.”

Kass started down the stairs again, being careful like she had the first time, but more confident and aware of what she was up against. Her orb of light floated a ways in front of her just in case something decided to pop out in the time it took her to return.

Although she was moving faster, the journey still took awhile.

“What do you think of the Vagabond class compared to other classes? Be honest.”

“I cannot fully state an opinion with the information that I have. From what I have witnessed, the class could reward strong items, and you also receive more general skills than normal, but with it being randomized as it is, I can’t help but see the weaknesses attributed.

“Other classes receive bonuses that are tied directly to strengthening skills, and each skill complements the others in turn. Your’s does nothing of the sort and I fail to see the strength in such a class. This brings me to believe there is something more, something we are missing, but what, I do not know.”

“I hope you’re right. This coat and some of the skills I have are wonderful, but you make it sound like I really missed out on something powerful. Especially if I would have been able to choose the hero class…”

“It is still too early to tell what this class has to offer, do not fret.”

“When will I be able to get a second class? Maybe that will help out?”

“It depends, for some it becomes available quite early, even as early as where you are right now. But for the majority, it doesn’t happen until after reaching coronation tier negative two.”

“So like, level two hundred?”

“Indeed.”

“Alright, guess we can’t rely on that happening anytime soon.” She hopped down the the next stair and then the next. “One last question, if a skill doesn’t have a duration listed will it last forever?”

“It won’t last forever, but it will be some time before it dissipates. Magic of any kind needs a source of power. The mana that is consumed when you use a spell or skill is what charges them. If there is no duration specified, then the spell will only last as long as the mana used can power it.”

“That makes sense. I should have done this earlier.” she said as she cast barrier, the shield forming around her. “This way if I fall it will stop some of the damage, I should probably always have this active just in case something happens I’m not ready for.”

“A wise decision.”

It took another twenty minutes of stair hopping until Kass made it to the bottom once more. Nothing seemed to have changed and she walked the U-shape pathway until she came to the stone door.

“Think there is a specific order I should put these in?” she asked.

“You could try in the order that you defeated the guardians above.”

“Good idea,” she focused on the flail’s handle and willed the weapon to appear. It did, and she was happy to be holding the grip and not the spiked ball. The weight transferred and the weapon sagged, but with two hands she was able to lift it and place it within the slot in the door.

She did the same with the two swords, not cutting herself on either of them as they appeared, hilt in hand. Luckily the hammer slot was lower to the ground, and with a bit of effort she lifted it and pushed it in place.

“Got it,” she breathed out, tired from the exertion.

The door shook suddenly, dust and dirt falling to the ground around it. Kass moved back and drew Whisper from his sheath. The orb of light remained, illuminating the vibrating door. A few seconds passed and then the sound of grinding stone filled the space and the door lifted from the ground slowly.

“Here we go,” she whispered as she readied herself for whatever was behind the door.

When it reached a few feet off the ground, Kass commanded the orb to move underneath, wanting to be able to see anything that might be coming towards her. She didn’t see any immediate movement though and even when the door opened fully, nothing stirred.

She stepped closer, only able to see a small walkway that led to what she guessed was some sort of platform, with stairs leading away from it on both sides. Only open space was visible beyond, her light not able to penetrate through the darkness of the room.

“What is this place?” she asked, whispering again.

“I do not know, but be careful, it is likely there will be more undead here.”

Kass nodded her head and slowly crept through the door, doing her best to maintain the silence that blanketed the area. She glanced back at the opening and sighed. Forgot to grab something to make sure that doesn’t close behind me...great. You’re such an idiot K. Figuring there was nothing she could do that wouldn’t take her another few hours, Kass continued.

Once she made it to where the floor opened up to the platform, she stopped and looked around. She peeked her head out quickly to glance down the stairs but didn’t spot anything, only more darkness beyond.

Feeling a bit apprehensive she took a few breaths and checked to make sure her barrier was still active, then moved out onto the platform. She moved the orb deeper into the room as she reached the edge and looked out. She almost gasped at the sight.

Below her, over a hundred coffins lay spread out on the floor. Some were worn and cracked, others completely collapsed. She even spotted a few that looked untouched by time, still sealed shut. The stale stench of rot reached her nose, noticeable but not strong.

Kass couldn’t see the other end of the large open room, her light not able to travel any further unless she too moved deeper in. She could see both side walls though, the room much longer than it was wide. So far she hadn’t seen any movement, but she remained cautious, remembering what had happened the last time with the ghouls.

“What is this place? Some sort of catacombs?”

“It appears to be a mass burial site. It is known that certain beings have sacrificed hundreds to gain power or to extend life. I am not certain that is what we have stumbled upon, but be ready.”

“And we have to go through this place to get out? There isn’t another way?”

“We could try breaking through the walls above, but that could take hours, or days. I am not sure which to be the better choice.”

“Well, no point standing around I guess. Let’s go.”

Kass had only taken two steps towards the stairs when light flared to life on one of the walls. Another brazier. It was followed by another, and another. One by one they continued, on both walls, illuminating the large catacombs with their dull light.

“This can’t be good…” she moved back towards the doorway quickly, in case it started closing, and was relieved when she reached the still open door. “Now what do we do?”

“To continue forward we must leave the safety of the door I’m afraid.”

“What if we got something to put under it so that when it closes it will stop it?”

“With the weight of this door, I doubt we could find anything strong enough to do such a thing.”

“So my option is to either get stuck down here or hope the door doesn’t close like the last one did? Sounds like shitty options to me…”

“Indeed, shitty, as you have stated.”

Kass just shook her head, thinking of something they could do. But the sword was right, there wasn’t anything upstairs that could support the weight of the door. Unless the bodies could, but that was only a ‘maybe’.

“Sorry I got us into this mess. Guess it’s time to go kill some more zombies.” she shrugged.

Kass moved back to the edge of the raised platform and looked out at the newly lit area. It wasn’t surprising when she spotted a few ghouls down below, most unmoving. What did surprise her was what she could now see at the far end.

Strung between two pillars was the body of a man, naked to the waist, with some sort of red cords that wrapped around his arms and body, connecting him to the pillars. His head hung limp, face covered by the long white hair that hung down in front. Not creepy at all...

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say that that’s probably the evil dude that created all of this.”

“I would agree with you on such a statement.”

“So what am I up against? A super fast vampire that sparkles in the sunlight? Or are we talking some sort of magic wielding sorcerer that’s going to turn me into a pile of goo?”

“Considering the undead it would be safe to assume this enemy is a necromancer. While necromancers generally rely on their subjects to deal and take damage, some do possess spells of their own that can become very powerful at higher levels. Most focus on death magic. Try to stay far away from such spells as death magic can be quite, well, necrotic.”

“Have any id-” she stopped mid-sentence as a clacking sound came from behind her. Kass crouched low and turned, watching as a ghoul finished climbing the stairs and stepped onto the platform. It made no sound other than the customary clack...clack clack. It hadn’t seemed to notice Kass yet but her heart was still pounding in her chest.

The creature moved forward and stopped in front of the passageway leading towards the stairs. It’s head snapped to the side to look down the hallway and it seemed to sniff the air. It made a different noise, quiet but different, and Kass froze, waiting to hear replies from below.

Instead, the ghoul moved into the dark hallway, shaking its head back and forth. Not going to say no to this opportunity. Kass followed silently behind, and then, deciding it was safe enough, stabbed out, penetrating the skull easily. The ghoul fell to the ground with a quiet thunk and Kass nodded at her handiwork.

She checked her log.

*You have unlocked door to Saulthron’s inner sanctum.

*You have entered Saulthron’s inner sanctum.

*You have defeated Crypt Ghoul level 65.

*You have successfully learned the skill Sneak, level one. You have spent enough time within the shadows and understand the importance of being hidden. With more practice, you may one day become a shadow yourself.

“Hey Whisper...I just learned the skill sneak...is that normal?”

“... It is...highly unlikely, skills should only be attainable through gaining a class and each subsequent skill point awarded.”

She glanced down the hallway, and, seeing nothing, flipped to her skills page.

Skills

Illuminate

Level 3

Common

Active - 2 mana per minute

Range: 30 yards

Create a small sphere of light.

Identify

Level 1

Rare

Active - No cost

Allows you to gain more information about identifiable objects.

Dash

Level 2

Uncommon

Active - 50 Mana per use

Range: 6 yards

When used, allows you to move quickly to a desired location.

Barrier

Level 2

Uncommon

Active - 100 mana per use

Range: Self

Creates an ablative shield that envelopes your body, protecting you from physical damage.

Heightened Senses

Level 2

Uncommon

Passive - No cost

Increases awareness and reaction time.

Haste

Level 1

Uncommon

Active - 50 mana per use

Range: Self

Duration: 2 Minutes

Increases reaction and movement speed by 10%.

Gambler’s Way

Level 1

Unique

Class Skill

Active - 25 mana per use

Range: Self

Duration: Specified

Roll the dice to gain a random buff or debuff.

Sneak

Level 1

Common

Passive - No cost

Increase chance to remain undetected by 5%.

“It’s listed as one of my skills now. I definitely got it. How is this possible?”

“The only explanation would be your class. Maybe even the missing piece to solving what your class is.”

“Wait…” she paused for a second, trying to remember something, “I did see something about learning skills faster if I was alone or something when I first got the Vagabond class...but I didn’t pay any attention to it and I haven’t seen it since...why did that disappear?”

“Try refocusing on your entire class, what you see in your status is specifically tailored to how you want to see it. You can make changes at any time just by willing it to happen.”

Kass did what the sword said, willing her status to show her everything about her class. The glowing words on the page in front of her washed away, quickly replaced with new ones.

Name

Kassandra Johnson

Age

21

Eyes

Brown

Natural Hair

Brown

Health

330/330

Stamina

391/420

Mana

488/490

General Level: 77

Class: Vagabond Level 3

Subclass: None

Tertiary Ability: None

Strength

36

Dexterity

47

Endurance

42

Fortitude

33

Intelligence

49

Coronation Tier

-4

Unused Stat Points

0

Vagabond

+5 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance. +3 to Fortitude and Intelligence. +1 to Luck.

+20% Damage and Defense when fighting alone.

+50% Bonus to learn a technique or skill when studying alone.

You have joined the Brotherhood of Nomadic Adventurers and have become the 13th member.

“There it is…a fifty percent bonus to learn a technique or skill when studying alone...not to mention the twenty percent damage boost… So does that mean I can learn other skills too?”

“That is...impossible...”