Her Chance

With the days blurring together for Joseph’s consistent routine, the seventh morning in the outside world dawned differently. Two doors opened on the fourth floor as the sun crept above the horizon. Two figures descended the stairs and moved through their morning routine before stepping out the back doors, armed and dressed in padded clothes.

“Ready?”

“Uh huh!”

They cast suspicious glances at each other before exiting the guild compound and venturing deep into the woods. Reaching the edge of the barrier, they stopped to rehearse one last time.

“Remember, Tokko—I’m here for support. This time I’m trusting you to make your own decisions, your own moves, and pick your fights wisely. We’ve gone over enough scenarios, so treat this as a test to put them into practice.”

Tokko gave him a firm nod, gripping the long, sturdy spear in both hands. Her expression was a cocktail of fear and feverish determination. With a faint smile, Joseph slipped into the tree line, vanishing from sight.

Alone now, she crept forward step by step. Joseph shadowed her from a distance, and when he spotted a nearby hobgoblin patrol, he cast a faint moving water barrier around her—both as protection and a signal that danger was close.

Her breathing came in rapid bursts as her heart thundered in her chest. Reaching a small clearing, she struck the spear’s butt against a tree trunk. The sound echoing through the forest.

Three hobgoblins soon emerged, their crude weapons brandished as their noses twitched furiously. They snarled, locking on her with ferocious, hunger-filled gazes.

For a moment, panic gripped her body, but as their blades clanged uselessly against the swirling water barrier, she steadied her hands. With a sharp thrust, the spear punched through the shield and into one hobgoblin’s gut.

It collapsed backward, gurgling and clutching its wound as blood spilled out in torrents.

“GWAAAAA!”

The second hobgoblin roared in fury, its movements feral. Tokko ripped her spear free and lunged again, her first jab only grazing flesh. Gritting her teeth, she took another step and drove the weapon through its chest.

The third tried to cut her off with a wide swing, but the barrier made its strike meaningless. Tokko braced herself and attempted to pull the spear free, to pivot. But with the skewered hobgoblin stubbornly stuck to the spear, she had to yank the weapon back with all her strength, the corpse falling off as it impacted the barrier before she could properly attack again.

The last monster hesitated, eyes darting, then turned to flee. Tokko’s breaths came fast and ragged, but she charged anyway. Her strike missed its back, instead slicing deep into the back of its thigh instead. The hobgoblin collapsed in the dirt, carrying some momentum as its skin broke against the ground.

Without thinking, she raised the spear overhead and slammed it down through its chest.

Silence returned, save for the rush of her own gasps. Her hands trembled violently, and tears blurred her vision as she staggered backward. Blood stained the barrier, its surface rippling with a faint greenish hue.

For a moment, despair threatened to swallow her whole. But then she clenched her jaw, forcing down the sob in her throat. ‘No… not here. Not now.’

She gripped her weapon, pulled it free of the body, and stepped forward again, shoving her emotions and feelings down with as firm a stomp as she could.

After several more patrols were killed, Tokko’s strikes finally got a little steadier, with more confidence and strength behind each one.

When the last hobgoblin fell, Joseph emerged from the tree line. Noticing her exhaustion and slow nod, a signal they had pre-organized, he led her to a secure resting spot.

[Congratulations on reaching level 10. You can now advance your class.]

[(F) Knight – Skill: Enhanced Strike, Skill: Quick Step (+2 Strength, +1 Vitality, +2 Dexterity)

(F) Warrior – Skill: Destructive Strike, Skill: Endure (+3 Strength, +2 Dexterity)

(F) Spearman – Skill: Piercing Thrust, Skill: Impenetrable Guard, Stat: Wisdom (+1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Agility, +1 Wisdom)

(F) Cook – Skill: Savory Sustenance, Skill: Flavorful Inspiration (+1 Vitality, +1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Agility)

(F) Maid – Skill: Efficient Service, Skill: Tea Ceremony (+3 Dexterity, +2 Agility)

(F+) Worker – Skill: Efficient Labor, Skill: Enhanced Stamina, +Skill: Efficient Service (+1 Vitality, +2 Strength, +3 Dexterity)]

Tokko listed her advancement choices; her voice faint and filled with shame. Compared to Joseph, Che, Logan, and Han, her options looked pitiful. They had E+ and even D-class choices. She had only F-rank.

Her gaze dropped to the dirt, shoulders tight with self-loathing. No matter how much she tried to bury the thoughts, the weight pressed down on her as her options where limited to mere F-ranked classes.

Joseph broke the silence first. “Before we get to the main point, I want to hear what you think. Take your time. I already told you my requirements: communication, honesty, loyalty.”

She stared at the ground, hands clenching. After a long silence she whispered, “I… think I shouldn’t let it get to me. I feel… disappointed. Anxious. But I need to not care.”

She risked a glance at him, then quickly looked away. “I think… my class… doesn’t matter.”

Joseph tilted his head, considering. “Yes and no. You’re right—you can’t let it eat at you. But don’t fool yourself. Classes aren’t everything, but they’re not nothing either. They’re huge boosts. You should always weigh them, even if they don’t define your whole path.”

He leaned in slightly. “So. What’s your choice?”

“…Spearman.”

“Why?”

“I already use a spear. I tried a sword and couldn’t handle it. The skills sound useful. And… it adds Wisdom.”

“…Basic, but fair.” He didn’t sound impressed, but neither did he dismiss her. “And the other classes?”

“I don’t think they’d help in a fight.”

Joseph nodded. “Exactly. Out of that list, spearman is the best pick. The rest are too situational. But we’re not picking it. Do you know why?”

Tokko blinked in confusion. He fixed her with a sharp look and spoke again. “Think. This is a test of your deduction skills and out-of-the-box reasoning. Why not spearman?”

She pressed her lips together, thinking hard. “…Because… the list can change?”

A rare smile touched his lips. “Good. That’s the idea. If we wait, keep training, keep pushing you, maybe the system offers something better. Advancing now won’t change your weak base. But if we wait and you tough it out, we might get something worthwhile.”

Tokko’s face tightened with resolve. She nodded furiously.

“Good. Be ready—it won’t be easy. I’m talking brutal hunts, exhausting tests, until something truly worth it pops up.”

“I can do it!”

And so they pushed on, hunting until Tokko’s body gave out. Even when she could barely hold her spear, Joseph propped her up, forcing her to finish kills with the weapons weight alone. By the time they staggered back to the guild, she was asleep in his arms, still level 10—but alive, and just a little stronger.