Chapter 35: I Decided To Make An Exception < Congratulations! You have cleared a Hidden Quest! > < Quest Name: Trial of the Heart > Rewards: 200 Arcana Points, +2 Bonus to all Stats! Note: You have now gained the recognition of the Hartwell Clan, and they will treat you as a friend from this point onwards. ***** After seeing the extra rewards from the Hidden Quest, Alex couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Sure, there were Bonus Stages in ELO where players could farm gold and experience. But out of everything he knew, this was the only one that handed out a jaw-dropping amount of stat points, pushing his strength to a whole new level. ***** Alex Stratos Age: 17 Mana: (N/A) Job Class: (N/A) Strength - 21 Intelligence - 17 Dexterity - 10 Agility - 40 Constitution - 38 Stamina - 38 Magic - 0 Luck - 4 Available Stat Points: 0 AP: 240 Active Skills: (N/A) 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 Passive Skills: Improved Stone Throw, Head Shot. [Difficulty Level: Hell Mode] ***** ’I’m now close to becoming a ranker,’ Alex thought. The ranking systems of humans and monsters were very different from each other. Anyone with combined stat points under 150 was still considered an ordinary person. Only after breaking past 151 would they be referred to as rankers. Just like monsters, those in Rank 1 were just the tip of the iceberg. The ranks went all the way to Rank 9, the highest rank anyone could achieve. Anyone who went beyond this point was called a paragon. Right now, Alex had 126 combined stat points, bringing him very close to the threshold of Rank 1. ’I’m glad I came here,’ Alex thought as the Ninja carried him inside the residence. Roselia trailed behind their guest, quiet and composed, just as a loyal maid should be. A few minutes later, they reached a bronze door, its surface embossed with the emblem of a claw. "Master, I am here," the Ninja said. "Enter." Roselia opened the door, helping the Ninja carry a weakened Alex. Gently placing him on the couch, the Ninja tapped a few pressure points on Alex’s body, allowing him to regain control of his limbs. "Thank you," Alex said. The Ninja nodded before melding with the shadows. "You sure made a commotion, young man." An amused yet firm voice reached Alex’s ears. As the young man’s gaze adjusted to the darkness, he saw a middle-aged Catkin sitting on what seemed like a throne made from bronze. Cairo stood behind his grandfather and looked at his disciple encouragingly. "Greetings, my lord." Alex stood up, then bowed respectfully. "I hope I didn’t do anything to offend you and the Hartwell Clan." "You did offend my granddaughter, Lavinia," Ramza replied with a smile. "She is now sulking inside her room and refuses to come out to have dinner with me. She’s probably in her rebellious phase, just like your master." "Anyway, introductions are in order. My name is Ramza Hartwell, and I am the Patriarch of the Clawford Tribe. I already know your name, so you don’t need to introduce yourself." Ramza stared at the young man and his little white pet perched on top of his head. After a minute of observing their guest, he spoke in a calm and friendly manner. "You mentioned that you don’t really plan to become a Swordsman," Ramza stated. "And yet you are learning sword skills from my grandson. Don’t you think that it’s a waste of both of your time if you continue your master-disciple relationship?" "I don’t think it’s a waste," Alex answered without hesitation. "If my enemy underestimates me and assumes I have no means to fight back, I can launch a surprise attack and tilt the battle to my favor." "So you plan to play the pig eating the tiger, huh?" Ramza smirked. "You’re such an ambitious boy." "Any skill is worth having," Alex replied. "Because everyone in this world is given endless possibilities." The concept of ELO was to allow players to do anything they liked. Aside from Class Specific Skills, anyone could learn any skill as long as they were willing to put time, effort, and resources into making it happen. Anyone in the Mage Class could become a battle mage if they learned how to wield weapons or trained in martial arts. Swordsmen could become magic swordsmen if they absorbed enough magic crystals, which would allow them to wield magic. Learning many Job Classes could also unlock Hidden and Prestige classes, allowing people to experiment with different builds and strategies. That was the beauty of Endless Leveling Online. "The reason I had my people bring you here for a discussion is because I want to offer you an opportunity," Ramza declared. "Two days from now, the Etherion Domain is going to open. "The members of the younger generation will explore the region and look for treasures and opportunities. "Normally, only those who belong to the Clawford Tribe are allowed to enter this domain. However, there were exceptions in the past. And just like my forefathers before me, I have decided to make an exception this time as well. "Since you are my grandson’s disciple, and you came here a few days before the Etherion Domain will open, I believe this is a fated meeting between us. Would you like to know more about the domain?" "Yes," Alex answered immediately. Ramza nodded. "Good. The Etherion Domain is similar to a dungeon. However, if you travel toward the east on the second floor, you will find a temple. "This temple is like any other you’ll find in the Kingdom of Avalon. It allows you to choose your Job Class, but there’s a catch." Ramza smiled faintly, raising a finger. Since the Etherion Domain was a special domain, it probably had its own secrets, which were monopolized by the Catkins. "If you are lucky, you might be able to acquire a Hidden Class," the Patriarch continued. "There are three or four Hidden Classes in the Etherion Domain. One of these Hidden Classes is the Ninja Class. "As you have seen for yourself, the Hartwell Clan has a few of these Ninjas who serve and protect our family from the shadows. But since you want to choose the Shielder Job Class, this means being a Ninja might not suit you. "The three other Hidden Classes you can obtain inside the domain are Demon Slayer, Horizon Striker, and... Oathkeeper." Alex’s face became serious when he heard the Job Class Oathkeeper. All Job Classes in ELO have three stages. Put simply, everyone started with a basic class, like a Swordsman, before advancing to something more specialized. Whether it was a Knight, Magic Swordsman, Gladiator, or any number of others, there were many paths to choose from. And after taking an advanced class—say, Knight, it could be ascended even further once certain conditions were met. Some Hidden Job Classes follow this same path of progression as well. The Oathkeeper was one of them. It had three stages, with Oathkeeper being its most basic form. When Alex had just started his journey in ELO, the Oathkeeper Job Class was one of his top choices. Unfortunately, he was unable to get it. The Shield Savant, on the other hand, was a special Hidden Class that belonged to the Legendary Category. It was already in its most perfect form, so there had been no need for him to ascend to another class. ’There’s no conflict if I get Oathkeeper before I become a Shield Savant,’ Alex mused. ’In fact, it will be more beneficial this way because the Oathkeeper’s abilities will stay with me even after I become a Shield Savant.’ After making up his mind, Alex looked at Ramza with determination. "Thank you, my lord, for giving me this opportunity," Alex said. "Please allow me to participate in challenging the Etherion Domain." Ramza nodded. "Then, I will see you in two days. Cairo, take care of your disciple." "Yes, Grandpa," Cairo replied. Truth be told, it was the Catkin Swordsman who had personally asked his grandfather to let Alex join the group of young Catkins entering the Etherion Domain after completing their coming-of-age ceremony. For hundreds of years, ever since the Clawford Tribe settled at the foot of Etherion Mountain, not a single person had managed to obtain the Oathkeeper Job Class hidden within the domain. Cairo, and perhaps even Ramza, hoped that Alex might be the exception. That he’d somehow get lucky and uncover the Job Class hidden by their ancestor, Leonard Hartwell. Whether or not the young man would succeed, however, would depend entirely on his luck and the choices he made once inside the Etherion Domain.