Chapter 142 [Class Level]: 1

Words could hardly describe what Xia Nan felt at that moment.

In a sense, as his blade struck the Gravity Core, invisible ripples surged and echoed outward.

His consciousness detached from reality, drawn into a kind of microscopic world.

Everything before his eyes—the meadow's green, the clouds' gray, the crimson blood—was replaced by simple, primal black and white.

Every object in his line of sight was reduced to a blurry outline.

Everything, that is, except the gravitational ripples filling every corner like the air itself.

For an instant, the entire world—the very space he occupied—seemed to transform into a three-dimensional, abstract body of water.

Every object enveloped by this space kicked up fine, layered ripples on the "water's surface."

Xia Nan could no longer see the raindrops falling in a continuous silver curtain, and even the icy sensation of water splashing against his skin had dulled.

But through a perspective he had never experienced before, he clearly felt the gravitational ripples radiating outward in concentric circles as each raindrop fell around him.

Falling leaves, blades of grass, the enemy's corpse slowly toppling backward—the ripples they each sent across the "surface" collided and overlapped. They transformed into countless complex lines, chaotic yet orderly, intertwining and pulling at each other according to some hidden law.

In this moment, Xia Nan felt he was witnessing the essence of the world.

If his previous progress while practicing [Gravity Compression] through the hedge mage's notes had merely been glimpsing the tip of the iceberg...

...then right now, it was as if he had climbed to the very top of that iceberg. He could see the vast, boundless Ice Plains spreading out below, and the infinite, pale-cold expanse of the heavens above.

Xia Nan tried to analyze the bizarre phenomena he was seeing with his simple, shallow knowledge and techniques.

But with just a moment's thought, the massive influx of information surging into his brain nearly swallowed his consciousness.

For anyone else from this world, such an encounter would at most broaden their horizons—giving them another story to brag about in the tavern.

But Xia Nan was different.

Coming from a world of modern technology, nearly twenty years of education naturally endowed him with a scientific perspective completely distinct from the natives of this world.

While he didn't understand the specific principles and had never studied them in depth...

...the red apple dropping onto a man's head from his textbooks had always been imprinted deep in his memory, right alongside his fond childhood.

Planetary orbits, tides, and gravity—even if these basic concepts never found a use in his years as an office worker, they had long been carved into his mind through countless exams and exhausted ink pens.

Coupled with the trivial bit of experience he had gained while practicing [Gravity Compression]...

...the massive amount of information washing through his brain passively allowed him to absorb a tiny fraction of it.

And in another form, it was permanently etched into his body.

[Ding!]

[Proficiency +1]

[[Gravity Compression] (Simplified) -> [Gravity Control] lv1: (1/100)]

[Detected mastery of three combat techniques: [Spinning Slash] lv5 (Ma), [Fang Hunt] lv3, [Gravity Control] lv1.]

[Class advancement conditions met. Automatically searching for compatible classes—]

[Search complete!]

1. [Warrior]

Compatibility: 73.33%

Core Direction: [Spinning Slash], [Slashing Expert]

Elements: Martial Arts, Constitution, Shield and Armor Mastery

2. [Dawn Ranger]

Compatibility: 26.17%

Core Direction: [Fang Hunt], [Light-Bathed One]

Elements: Holy Light, Frozen Forest, Agility

3. [Ironcast Brawler]

Compatibility: 16.6%

Core Direction: [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones], Gilded Gourd Dewdrop (Hidden)

Elements: Defense, Sprite, Lifespan

4. [Meteor Blade Hunter]

Compatibility: 120%

Core Direction: [Spinning Slash], [Fang Hunt], [Gravity Control], [Slashing Expert]

Elements: Gravity, Phasing, Burst, Mobility

[Ding!]

[Perfect compatibility option detected.]

[Locked!]

[Auto-advancing—]

"Thud."

Steaming crimson blood sprayed continuously from the wound.

Under the impact of the gravitational waves unleashed when the blade clashed with the Silver-White Iron Ball, the Bugbear's corpse—its head completely obliterated—slowly fell backward, hitting the ground with a heavy, muffled thud.

Faint distortions from the vanishing singularity still lingered in the air before him.

Centered on Xia Nan, the ground within a fifty-chi radius had been ground into a perfectly circular, barren flatland by the erupting gravitational turbulence.

Only damp, dark brown soil and pulverized plant stems remained.

The iron-gray Decapitating Longsword was thrust deep into the ground, firmly supporting its user.

This sword had come from a dusty corner of the blacksmith shop, a "failure" in the eyes of its forger.

Just one day before it was to be tossed into the furnace as scrap and reforged, it had met Xia Nan—who had just finished his first mission in this world, broke and desperate for a handy weapon.

Through the Attribute Panel, he had noticed its uniqueness.

He bought it.

And it had accompanied him ever since.

A 50% durability bonus gave the sword the "Sturdy" prefix on the Attribute Panel.

Even after its master had used all his strength to violently clash against the Gravity Core leaping from the spatial turbulence...

...and even after taking the full brunt of the gravitational ripples at a closer range than the Bugbear...

...it still "luckily" maintained the integrity of its blade before the Fate Coin had even fully landed.

Predictably, it would continue to accompany its black-haired user through a second, a third... and many more hundreds of days.

Xia Nan had no time to check if his main weapon was damaged.

He didn't even pay attention to the enemy that had nearly driven him to a dead end just moments ago, merely confirming from the corner of his eye that it was completely dead, with no chance of resurrection.

Waves of warm current, like a hot spring, continuously washed over and strengthened his body.

His body expanded and compressed. Overall, his outward appearance didn't seem to change much.

But beneath his clothes and armor, his muscles grew denser and his bones more compact. Even his heartbeat seemed to grow much stronger.

Surging, hot blood flowed through his veins.

At this moment, if anyone were to approach and step onto the circular patch of ground smoothed out by gravity...

...they would be amazed to find their body weight slowly decreasing as they drew nearer, feeling as though a light leap could send them bouncing into the sky.

The rain continued to fall.

The gloomy downpour shrouded the entire world, filling the air with heavy moisture.

Xia Nan gripped the hilt of his sword in reverse with both hands, leaning on the blade to support his body.

The wet, black bangs on his forehead stirred without any wind.

Gravel, mud splatters, grass seeds, and even the rain that should have been falling on him...

...were now isolated from his skin by some invisible force.

In stark contrast to the violent, torrential rain outside...

...they hovered in midair.

Like celestial bodies in a galaxy, they steadily and slowly orbited Xia Nan's body.

In his pitch-black eyes, translucent text resumed flashing after a few breaths of pause.

[Ding!]

[Class advancement successful!]

[Class Level acquired!]

[[Meteor Blade Hunter] lv1]

[Strength +1]

[Agility +1]

[Perception +2]

[Feats: [Tidal Stabilization], [Heart-Guided Vision] acquired!]

[Combat Technique: [Gravity Etching] loaded!]

His panting gradually subsided under the effects of the strengthening power surging within him, and his pitch-black eyes, which had seemed somewhat dazed from the ripple impact, regained their focus.

'Class Level 1...'

'I'm a Class Holder now?' Xia Nan thought.

A deep sense of disbelief appeared on his rain-streaked face.

He hadn't seen hide nor hair of the third combat technique required to obtain a Class Level, and his practice of [Gravity Compression] had merely been a trial run to hone his Perception. He hadn't held out much hope for it.

Originally, he had planned to save up more money to hire a professional mentor in a relevant field, then build upon the [Fang Hunt] taught by the Barbarian Forgan to advance toward the [Warrior] or [Barbarian] path.

He never expected that a standard Goblin extermination quest—meant only to raise his combat technique proficiency and earn a little extra cash—

—would involve so many twists and turns, let alone...

...a harvest far beyond his wildest expectations.

Xia Nan suddenly focused his attention, staring at his reflection in the blade amid the swirling rain and grass clippings.

He called up the Attribute Panel:

[Name]: Xia Nan

[Class]:

Meteor Blade Hunter lv1

[Attributes]:

Strength: 7

Agility: 8

Constitution: 8

Intelligence: 5

Perception: 7

Charisma: 5

[Feats]:

Slashing Expert, Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones, Light-Bathed One, Tidal Stabilization, Heart-Guided Vision

[Skills]:

Spinning Slash lv5 (Ma), Fang Hunt lv3 (3/100), Gravity Control lv1 (1/100), Gravity Etching lv1 (0/100)

[Equipment/Items]:

Deathline, Sturdy Decapitating Longsword, Azure Pine, Fate Coin (Uses: 2), Snake-Scale Arm Shield (Temporary)

Xia Nan's gaze swept over the Attribute Panel, lingering specifically on the "Attributes," "Feats," and "Skills" columns.

Compared to the long string of 5s trailing his physical attributes when he first crossed over...

...his six major attributes had undoubtedly undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

And his successful advancement to [Meteor Blade Hunter] had directly provided him with a whopping 4 attribute points, two feats, and a combat technique.

It was only now, feeling his body brimming with strength and unparalleled lightness...

...that Xia Nan truly understood firsthand why those lowly Adventurers boasting in the tavern always wore expressions of envy and longing whenever the topic of "Class Holders" came up.

An unparalleled sense of achievement flowed through him.

But before he could savor it...

...his consciousness returned to reality, and the screams and furious roars of the villagers from the surrounding settlement flooded back into his ears through the freezing air.

His thoughts stalled.

"Squelch."

He forcefully pulled the Decapitating Longsword out of the rain-soaked, muddy ground, kicking up a few specks of dirt.

The tiny objects that had been orbiting him like satellites fell to the earth.

The icy touch of raindrops hit his skin once more.

Lowering his gaze, he shot a glance at the completely dead Bugbear lying on the ground ahead, its head blown apart.

Xia Nan abruptly turned and sprinted toward the edge of the battlefield.

Adeline had suffered a heavy blow, and her fate was unknown; he needed to check on his captain.

As long as she wasn't dead, he still had an unopened Healing Potion in his pocket.

Keeping her alive shouldn't be a problem.

It was a stroke of luck.

The three Fire Oil Bombs Xia Nan had thrown were highly effective against the thickly furred Bugbear, preventing it from giving chase while burning.

His warning had also given Adeline just enough time to urgently raise her two One-Handed Hammers in front of her.

Because of this, even though she took a direct hit from the Bugbear's Pale Bone Club, she wasn't killed on the spot.

She was currently leaning against the charred remains of a wooden cabin's wall, sitting slumped on the ground in a pathetic state.

She panted with a pale face, a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth, resting one hand lightly over her shattered chest armor.

By her feet lay her two One-Handed Hammers, their handles snapped and heads severely warped—heavily damaged.

They would clearly require major repairs or a complete replacement. Having just regained consciousness from her critical injuries, Adeline couldn't even process the distant battlefield. Even as Xia Nan hurried over, she leaned against the wall, squinting for quite a while before finally recognizing him.

"You—"

Her mouth trembled as a weak, hoarse voice squeezed past her bloodstained lips.

But she only managed a single word.

An extremely urgent expression appeared on Adeline's pale, bloodless face.

"Where is it? That Bugbear?"

"Did it retreat, or—"

With years of adventuring experience, she knew exactly what kind of temperament Bugbears possessed.

Normally, they appeared lazy and sluggish, barely leaving their nests and relying entirely on their Goblin underlings to hunt for food.

But once they locked onto their prey, and especially if they entered combat, it would be a fight to the death.

Now that Xia Nan had run back alive from the battlefield with no Bugbear chasing him, the fight was clearly over.

Considering Red-Mane's strange behavior facing the forest earlier during the melee, she assumed it realized it couldn't win quickly and so...

"It's dead."

Xia Nan frowned deeply, his left hand reaching for his pouch as he carefully inspected her wounds.

"It's good that it ran away, hurry to the village and help—"

"D-Dead!?"

Adeline had been speaking to herself, but halfway through, she suddenly registered what he said. Her expression froze in shock.

Without answering, Xia Nan simply stepped aside, giving her a clear view of the massive, bloody corpse lying on the distant battlefield.

At the same time, he pulled the Healing Potion from his pouch and handed it to her.

"Never mind that for now. How are your injuries? Can you hold on?"

A Healing Potion cost 50 gold. For Xia Nan, who currently boasted savings in the high three digits, it was completely affordable.

Although he usually seemed quite sensitive about "gold coins," when it came to a critically injured teammate...

...he didn't feel there was any reason to hesitate.

Furthermore, knowing Adeline's personality, once they got back to town she would force those 50 gold coins into his pocket even if he refused.

The crystal-clear red liquid sloshed inside the glass vial, emitting a faint glow.

Yet Adeline didn't reach out to take it.

Her eyes, which had just regained some of their spirit, stared blankly at the Bugbear's corpse in the distance for a few seconds before shifting back to Xia Nan.

Blooming on her face was a spectacular expression that he hadn't seen once since joining her party.