Chapter 18 – Silver Horizons.

The return from the Ivory Catacombs to the citadel's central sector tasted completely different.

With twenty-two silver coins heavy in her pocket, Level 10 achieved, and two bosses defeated on the same day, Diana decided it was time to make a definitive leap in her quality of life.

Her first action was to leave the simple room at The Ivory Refuge and rent a high-end apartment at the Ivory & Silk Residence, located in the noble district of the south sector.

The new place was spectacular: a two-story duplex suite with two private bedrooms, a spacious living room, a balcony overlooking the citadel's illuminated towers, a marble bathroom with thermal water, and a small soundproofed training room.

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[QUALITY OF LIFE EXPENSES - SECOND CIRCLE]

- Ivory & Silk Residence Rent (1 Week Deposit): -5 Silver Coins (500 Bronze).

- Celebration Dinner at 'The Nobles' Feast' Restaurant: -1 Silver Coin and 20 Bronze Coins (120 Bronze).

(Included roasted prime cuts of Manticore meat, medicinal herb bread, sweet root sides, and mana wine for two).

TOTAL SPENT: 6 Silver Coins and 20 Bronze Coins (620 Bronze).

[NEW ABSOLUTE POCKET BALANCE: 15 SILVER COINS AND 80 BRONZE COINS (1,580 Bronze!)]

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In the Second Circle, a life of luxury cost real silver coins. But with over fifteen silver coins still tucked away safely, Diana felt not the slightest remorse for spending.

As they dined on the balcony of the illuminated apartment, Rhea savored a piece of the prime meat with her eyes closed, letting out a soft sigh of pure satisfaction.

"This is… so delicious, Diana…" Rhea said, her voice full of wonder. "I didn't even know food could taste like this!"

Diana, sipping sweet fruit juice from her crystal goblet, looked at Rhea.

This time, Diana didn't try to hold back her face. A calm, true, genuinely sweet smile surfaced on her lips. It wasn't her arrogant or predatory combat smile, it was the smile of someone happy to see the person by her side enjoying life.

"We worked hard for this, Rhea." Diana said, her voice soft. "Eat as much as you want. From today on, we will never eat scraps or sleep in moldy rooms again."

Rhea looked at Diana, sensing the change in her tone of voice. The look between them was no longer that of a master and her servant, nor two distant mercenaries. It was the look of two partners… two friends who trusted each other with their lives.

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Later that night, with Rhea already resting in her own private bedroom, Diana sat in the armchair on the apartment balcony, the cold citadel wind rustling her black hair.

She snapped her fingers and opened her status window.

The milestone of Level 10 brought a profound transformation to the System's structure.

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[SYSTEM: ATTRIBUTE SPECTRUM EXPANSION UNLOCKED!]

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Three new categories of main attributes appeared below the traditional status list:

- Wisdom (WIS): Governs MP consumption efficiency, magic regeneration speed, and resistance to mental effects.

- Perception (PER): Governs visual acuity, trap detection, critical hit chance, and enemy movement reading.

- Willpower (WIL): Governs resistance to physical pain, boss aura pressure, and mental state stability in combat.

—System Notice:

The guide's voice resonated in her head, the tone serious and explanatory.

—The attribute spectrum has expanded. At Level 50, the final categories (Regency, Dominance, and Resonance) will unlock. With so many attributes available, game math has completely changed: it is impossible to be good at everything from now on. If you try to spread points everywhere, you'll turn into fragile trash.

Diana nodded her head. The era of 'general balance' was over. She needed to choose a clear, dominant focus.

She opened the First Official Class panel.

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[OFFICIAL CLASS SELECTION PANEL (342 OPTIONS GENERATED)]

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Over three hundred classes had been generated based on her victories, magic usage, item crafting, and the anomalous nature of her soul.

Without wasting time, Diana applied three strict filters to the interface:

1. Range & Damage Filter: Eliminate purely defensive or passive support classes.

2. Anomaly Filter: Keep classes with synergy for her loot rate and resource bonuses.

3. Leadership Filter: Keep classes granting combat bonuses to her party members.

The list of 342 options dropped drastically to three finalists:

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[TOP 3 FINALIST CLASSES FOR DIANA]

1. [Commander of Arcane Greed]: Hybrid Magic Damage and Leadership Class. Converts party wealth into arcane damage bonuses. Grants speed aura and drop-rate boost to all party members. Enables medium and long-range attack spells.

2. [Shadow Scavenger's Blade]: Speed and Physical Critical Damage Class. Focus on extreme dodge, mid-combat item theft, and temporary invisibility.

3. [Sovereign of Unstoppable Domain]: Crowd Control and Physical Pressure Class. Focus on stance breaking, area intimidation, and damage resistance.

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Diana stared at the three options for long minutes, running calculations in her mind.

The [Shadow Scavenger's Blade] class was excellent, but Rhea already fulfilled the role of speed and physical damage flawlessly thanks to her Agility 25. Choosing that class would be redundant for the team.

The [Sovereign] class was purely heavy, which didn't fit her agile, magic combat style.

The [Commander of Arcane Greed] option, however… was a perfect masterpiece for Diana.

It combined the long-range control of her Arcane Arrow, aligned flawlessly with her soul's ravenous nature, and offered a devastating bonus that would directly empower Rhea in any future battle.

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The sound of light footsteps echoed on the balcony.

Rhea stepped out of the bedroom wearing a comfortable tunic, holding two cups of hot tea. She handed one cup to Diana and sat down in the adjacent chair.

"Still thinking about the class, Diana?" Rhea asked gently.

Diana looked at Rhea, then at the screen with the option [Commander of Arcane Greed].

For the first time, instead of making a solitary decision and enforcing her will, Diana decided to ask for her friend's opinion.

"I'm leaning toward this first option, Rhea." Diana said, displaying the class description to Rhea. "It combines magic damage with leadership. If I choose this class, my spells directly boost your speed and damage in combat."

Rhea read the class description on the screen, and a spark of sincere emotion lit up her amber eyes.

"Diana…" Rhea smiled, a sweet smile packed with trust. "…you are already our commander. It was your leadership, your strategies, and your strength that brought us to this incredible apartment. If there is a class in the world made for you… it's this one."

Diana looked at Rhea.

Her friend's response was the finishing touch she needed.

Diana took a sip of the hot tea, feeling a deep, clean satisfaction wash over her chest.

"It's settled then." Diana smiled, her gaze shining with overwhelming ambition. "Tomorrow morning, I become the Commander of Arcane Greed."

Final Notes:

Diana's quality of life has finally leveled up! And yeah, as you can see, our protagonist refuses to live in a dump when she's got money in her pocket.

And the class has finally been picked! With Rhea's help, no less, I love these two-