Legendary Action

Action Surge was incredibly powerful. It allowed a warrior to strike a second time within a short period, practically saving this profession so closely tied to the concept of cannon fodder.

But judging by what the system said, not every warrior knew this technique. It seemed that mages were not the only ones facing the impact of the new era.

There was no need to say more about the value of a suddenly explosive technique like this. Everyone coveted such an ability, and Du Pont was no exception. "Can I learn it?"

No warrior level. Prerequisites not met. The user may use Experience Points to obtain this class, or independently comprehend the warrior class.

Using Experience Points to obtain it directly was easy enough to understand, but what did independently comprehending it mean?

Obtain the warrior class by fulfilling the prerequisites. No Experience Point penalty upon leveling up.

Du Pont was stunned when he saw that. Without an Experience Point penalty, wouldn't that be absurdly powerful?

"Then how much Experience Points would a comprehended class need to go from level 1 to level 2? One thousand?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Du Pont immediately grew excited.

Though a level 2 mage/level 2 warrior looked rather mismatched, its actual combat power was higher than that of a level 3 mage. Not only would he gain a precious innate attribute point, but with few spell slots in the early stages, he could still draw his sword and start chopping when he ran out of spellcasting ability. It was like having an extra trump card.

Moreover, he would spend less Experience Points this way than through the normal route. It was a small investment for a major return.

"What are the prerequisites for a warrior in the new system?"

Prerequisites: Strength and Dexterity must reach 14, Constitution must reach 13. Not met.

Must possess proficiency with martial weapons, simple weapons, three types of armor, and shields. Not met.

Must master any one fighting style, Ki, and two warrior skills. Not met.

After meeting all prerequisites, they will be mastered automatically. They may also be purchased for study. Mastering everything costs approximately 2,500 gold coins; purchasing the relevant knowledge for self-study costs one-tenth of that.

He did not have 2,500 gold, but buying the knowledge was not expensive. "If I buy this knowledge and study it myself, about how long will it take before I can take the class?"

Calculating... With full-time training, approximately six months to one year. Studying part-time during rest periods takes approximately two to four years. Combining it with practical combat training can greatly increase the speed of technique acquisition.

Six months at the fastest?

Normally, level 4 would grant an attribute improvement point. Under the new system, it gave two points. If he reached level 4, he could raise Intelligence, a mage's primary attribute, to 16.

Sixteen did not look all that different from 14, but ordinary people only had 10 Intelligence. With 12 Intelligence, one could learn cantrips. Every point of difference was worlds apart.

His most urgent goal now was to get 250 gold coins and strive to reach level 4 as soon as possible.

But he had no money on hand, and not even much time. Every day, he had to scribe scrolls to avoid being expelled and secure a steady income of Experience Points. If he wanted to make money, he could only use his rest time.

For example, he could go adventuring and try to rob the hoards of goblins or kobolds. Otherwise, if he relied solely on scribing scrolls to repay his loans, he would probably work himself to death.

If he had the warrior class's additional combat power, his chances of completing adventure quests and returning intact would definitely rise dramatically, keeping him from becoming part of the fifty percent of novice adventurers who died each year.

He could even consider undertaking adventure quests alone, avoiding the scheming and loot distribution that came with teaming up with others.

As long as he could earn his first pot of gold, his chances of repaying his loans would rise considerably.

The problem now was startup capital.

Du Pont took out the scrolls in his drawer and began scribing.

It consumed his precious Experience Points, but scrolls were also the only valuable items he could produce at the moment.

As a penniless man burdened with enormous loans, aside from his life, this was the only thing he could rely on to turn things around.

He opened the window. The fresh air was still somewhat damp, and a breeze brushed across his cheeks, clearing even his mind.

The only disappointing thing was that he heard a loud, miserable scream.

It sounded like a pig being slaughtered?

He shut the not particularly sturdy window before him, and the piglike squealing stopped instantly.

Such a thin window could not possibly have such good soundproofing. Was there some kind of protective array around the school dormitories?

Right. He had never heard sounds from the corridor outside his dorm room either. Only knocking on the door made any noise. Usually, it was absolutely silent.

The lack of noise was more important than fresh air. Du Pont glanced at the clock and began to Scribe Scroll. He put down his pen at the forty-two-minute mark and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Compared with yesterday, this time he had finished scribing in about twenty-nine and a half minutes.

Though the improvement was not great, Du Pont was still quite satisfied. He went to the cafeteria and spent 20 Copper Coins, making his money pouch a little flatter.

If he spent these few coins carefully, they would only last until next week. He had to find a way to make money.

He called to Charles and headed to the school logistics office, intending to submit a leave request in exchange for some 1st-level parchment. Unexpectedly, it was not open in the morning. Du Pont had no choice but to go to the classroom first and trade his scrolls with several classmates.

He currently had six finished spell scrolls and four sheets of parchment. Normally, he should have kept three scrolls to exchange for parchment to handle next week's assignment. But Du Pont used only one scroll to trade for three sheets of parchment. Of the remaining scrolls, he exchanged three for Flame Hand and two for Magic Missile.

The weekend was coming up, and he planned to head out and look for adventure quests. He needed a few offensive spells to protect himself.

However, during the process, he also received an extra gold coin, bringing his wealth to 1 gold, 5 silver, and 70 Copper Coins.

That was what he had received from trading a scroll for three sheets of parchment.

Though puzzled, Du Pont silently chose to accept it. He merely watched Charles speak animatedly, spittle flying everywhere.

From the others' discussion, he gathered that he might be able to raise the price if he sold more. Selling them at this price was already a loss. He was as honest and generous as those people from the Northlands Federation, a rare ray of kindness in this black-hearted academy.

By the time class began, Du Pont had figured out the key.