Shadow Dragon: The Fallen Angel Is My Teacher

Chapter 213: Class Evolutions!

"So, I need to be stronger than Rank 5 Exorcists? How much time will that take?" she asked, worriedly.

I raised one finger.

"One."

"One year?"

"Only one person has reached Rank 6 in the entire history of Earth. That’s tens of thousands of years of history. The chances of you ever reaching Rank 5...."

I stopped speaking.

Understanding the meaning of those words, Charlotta’s eyes dimmed.

She opened her mouth and closed it several times.

Her expression looked as if she had lost something important, which was true in this situation.

"Well," I spoke up. "Don’t give up yet. You have the potential to reach Rank 6. That’s why I am training you. As for your brother, I will look into ways to save him."

"Re-really?" hope returned to her eyes.

"Yes."

Well, the part about looking for her brother was a lie.

But Henry would meet her in a few days, and she should stop trying to rescue him after that, so making an empty promise was no problem.

"Get stronger, Charlotta. Get stronger. That’s the only way to achieve everything you want and could ever want."

Saying those words, I created a portal to her house’s inside.

She stepped through it, and left.

...

Several days later.

Basic Mechanic Force Mastery: 48% → 100%

You have mastered Rank 0 Mechanic Class!

Class Evolutions available!

I smiled, seeing the message.

I was creating an automaton for the meeting between Henry and Charlotta.

The automaton was needed as both Alan Veritus and Caelum Nocthera needed to be preset there.

While working on the automaton, my Mechanic Force Mastery has reached peak.

Yuna noticed my expression, and spoke, "Lord of Shadows, did you master Mechanic Class?"

’Yes.’

"Choose a class that will help you get the Rank 3 Runic Machinist class later," she advised.

I nodded.

Runic Machinist was a Hidden Evolved Class. To get it, I had to complete various requirements.

A few of those requirements to get and master various other classes.

Now that I had mastered Rank 0 Mechanic Class, I would be getting classes that I needed to master for Rune 3 Runic Machinist Class.

...

Class Evolutions of Rank 0 Mechanic:

1. Rank 1 Mechanic (Normal Evovled Class)

2. Rank 1 Gearsmith (Normal Evovled Class)

3. Rank 1 Tinkerer (Normal Evovled Class)

4. Rank 1 Scrapwright (Rare Evolved Class)

5. Rank 1 Golemancer Apprentice (Rare Evolved Class)

6. Rank 1 Divine Automaton Creator (Hidden Evolved Class)

...

’I got two Rare Evolved Classes,’ I told Yuna.

"That’s good!" Yuna spoke happily.

I was going through the list until my eyes landed on the last class.

’Hidden Evolved Class?’

I was surprised.

’How did I get a Hidden Evolved Class already?’

I’ve said it before but Hidden Evolved Classes were so strong that nobles in Wageah fought over them.

That’s why I wanted to get Rank 3 Runic Machinist Class, which was one of the stronger Hidden Evolved Classes according to Yuna.

But to get a Hidden Evolved Class already?

This....

I told about the Class to Yuna.

Her expression became serious.

"Did you choose the class already?" she asked.

’No,’ I answered.

"Good," a sigh of relief escaped Yuna’s lips. "Lord of Shadows, listen carefully. Hidden Evolved Classes are powerful, but that’s not all good news.

"Because they are so powerful, evolving them is almost nigh-impossible.

"Think of it as an exponential curve. The more you try to evolve as Class, the harder the requirements gets.

"Getting a Hidden Evolved Class is hard.

"If you master that class, evolving it would be harder than the difficulties you faced before.

"And if you manage to do that, evolving the new class would need you to complete nigh impossible quests," she explained.

I nodded.

Yuna continued,

"At Rank 1 a Hidden Evolved Class would not given too many earth-shattering advantages.

"After all, even if it’s a Hidden Evolved Class, it’s just Rank 1 in the end.

"But if you choose a Hidden Evolved Class now, the future Quests you would need to complete to evolve the Class would be impossibly hard.

"That’s why, I wanted to you to get a Hidden Evolved Class at Rank 3.

"From Rank 3, the Classes start to get quite powerful, and from there, the exponential curve difficulty of evolving the class would be much lower than the difficulty you would face if you choose a Hidden Evolved Class at Rank 1," Yuna explained.

I opened my mouth, ’So you are trying to say.....’

"Choose a Rare Evolved Class right now. It’s just a Rank 1 Class in the end. It’s better for you to focus on getting the Rank 3 Runic Machinist," she completed my thoughts.

Yuna was correct.

If you choose a powerful class, evolving it needed big achievements.

If you could not complete those achievements, you would not be able to evolve the class, and you remain stuck on that rank for your entire life.

If I choose a Hidden Evolved Class at Rank 1, my future self would need to gain big achievements.

It was logical to give up the Rank 1 Hidden Evolved Class, and aim for a Hidden Evolved Class from Rank 3.

As Yuna said, even if Divine Automaton Creator was an Evolved Class, it’s only Rank 1 in the end.

In other words, this Class was like a small pie.

I should not get greedy, and chase for the small pie, as it would make my life difficult in the future.

It was better to be patient and wait for a better pie in the future.

Everything Yuna said was logical.

Following her words would make my future considerably easier.

However...

I knew the dangers I had to face in the future.

The twenty-one Rank 4 Cursed Spirits, the factions of Exorcists Unions, the enemies in Prime Five, the Rank 5 Cursed Spirits, the Thirteen Disasters, the invaders.

A single person could not face so many enemies and hope to keep winning.

All it would take was one mistake, one wrong prediction, one enemy too strong to handle.

And everything would come crumbling down.

In my last life, I was strong. Strong enough that I had confidence to return to earth when earth was facing the invaders.

But the problems I faced were too many.

I failed.

I failed to protect the earth.

I failed to protect my home.

I failed to protect the people whom I called friends.

Even though I was strong, even though I was one of the best assassins, even though my talent in martial arts was unmatchable, it wasn’t enough.

The enemies I had to face were too many.

That’s why I was gathering allies in this life.

That’s why I was running around even though I was only three years old. If I didn’t start now, the future was doomed.

That’s why...

’I need to get as strong as possible.’

Choosing a Hidden Evolved Class now would make evolving the future Classes near-impossible?

That was no big problem.

I was already facing impossible odds.

One more impossible challenge changed nothing.

’Yuna, tell me one thing. If I take a Hidden Evolved Class now, the tasks needed to evolve that Class would be hard.’

’Does this mean the next Class I would get would be as strong as the challenges I would face to evolve it?’

Yuna’s eyes flickered.

She realized I had made my decision.

A sigh escaped her lips.

She didn’t try to change my mind, though. She knew I was someone who remained firm once he made a choice.

She spoke, "Yes. A Class’s strength is proportional to the difficulties you face to evolve it. The harder tasks you have to complete, the stronger the Class will be."

’What will happen to Rank 3 Runic Machinist Class if I choose the Rank 1 Divine Automaton Creator?’ I asked.

"I will have to give you the requirements of the better version of Rune 3 Runic Machinist Class," she said. "The new tasks will be similar to what you have to complete now, but the difficulty will be much higher."

I nodded.

Her answers were enough.

I made my decision.

Rank 1 Divine Automaton Creator (Hidden Evolved Class) chosen.

Evolution in progress.

I felt as if something was changing in my brain and my nerves. My thoughts became faster, and fluid.

Concepts that I knew before but could not executed with my current body could now be used executed.

At first, the change was subtle. A faint pressure behind my eyes. Then it spread, not painfully, but with a steady insistence, as if invisible hands were rearranging something delicate inside my skull. Threads of understanding connected one after another.

A strange warmth traveled down my spine and into my fingertips.

My nerves felt sharper, and more responsive.

When I flexed my hand, I sensed minute movements in each tendon, each joint, as if I had gained a craftsman’s awareness of my own body.

The connection between thought and action shortened.

Evolution complete.

Rank 0 Mechanic → Rank 1 Divine Automaton Creator.

+30 Dexterity

+30 Intelligence

Perk [Machine Soul Assembly] gained.

Perk [Sacred Blueprint Vision] gained.

Perk [Sanctum of Assembly] gained.

Basic Assembly Line Blueprint gained.

Basic Mechanic Force has evolved.

Basic Mechanic Force → Intermediary Mechanic Force

As expected of a Hidden Evolved Class, the power it gave was tremendous.

I checked the information about the perks.

Machine Soul Assembly: Allows you to create an assembly line to produce machine souls.

Machine souls, also known as artificial souls.

It was an ability that only Rank 5 Exorcists had.

But now I could create Machine Souls too, thanks to the Hidden Evolved Class.

’Currently, there are no Rank 5 Mechanics on earth.’

’So, I’m the only one who can create machine souls.’

The advantage was tremendous.

I could create machines that had emotions and sapience.

Moreover, since I had access to System, machine souls created by me would have access to System as well.

In other words, my machines could get stronger even without me doing anything!