[Chapter 53. First Class]
Searanox's gaze drifted from Sarah, who was sprawled on the floor in a graceless heap of tangled limbs and dirt-smudged clothing. Over to the other women huddled near the portal's edge. The cool night air carried the scent of pine, a stark contrast to the musty decay of the dungeon they had just escaped. But the four young women seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere, their faces still pale and etched with lingering fear.
"Soooo~ where is my blanket?" Searanox asked in a calm tone that carried an undercurrent of steel, his eyes lingering on the empty space where his wool blanket should have been.
Sarah flinched at his voice, scrambling to her feet with clumsy haste. Her fingers fumbling as she attempted to dust off her clothes, the movements frantic and uncoordinated. "We… we left it there." she stammered, her eyes darting nervously around the clearing as if searching for an escape route. The usual sultry confidence nowhere to be found on her face.
Vanessa scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive posture. Her green eyes flashing with defiance. "We were a little busy trying not to get eaten by whatever was crawling around in that hellhole." she snapped, her bravado returning now that she was out of immediate danger. The words sharp enough to cut through the night air.
Searanox ignored her outburst completely, his attention shifting to Lana. Who was still trembling despite the warmth of the night air, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she could hold herself together by sheer force. "Did you at least bring the dagger?" he asked, his voice flat devoid of any discernible emotion.
Lana's eyes widened in panic at the direct question, her silver irises seeming to expand in the dim light. "I… I forgot." she whispered, her lower lip trembling so violently she could barely form the words. The admission hanging in the air like a confession of unforgivable sin.
Searanox's expression didn't change in the slightest, his features remaining as impassive as carved stone. He looked at the four of them. A cold assessing gaze that seemed to strip away their newfound confidence and made them all shrink back slightly. As if his stare alone carried physical weight. "Incompetent." he muttered, the word barely audible but carrying the force of a physical blow as he turned away from them. Dismissing them as easily as one might swat away a bothersome insect.
"Anyways… what did the system window say?" Searanox's voice cut through the thick tension that had settled over the clearing, his tone shifting back to its previous calm detachment. "Be specific."
Vanessa's jaw tightened at his dismissive attitude, but she answered anyway. The words tasting like ash in her mouth. "Congratulations. We're the second to clear the dungeon." She practically spit out the words, her lip curling slightly. "Then a whole lot of numbers and a whole lot of level-ups. We're level ten now."
Searanox's head tilted slightly, a faint almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. An expression that was more unsettling than reassuring. "Carmen, was it… right." He turned away, his gaze drifting toward the dark trees that lined the clearing. Their branches reaching toward the star-dusted sky like skeletal fingers. "I'm sure you remember the rewards mentioned. I would like to know the numbers." His voice was calm detached, as if discussing a mundane business transaction rather than life-altering system notifications.
Carmen didn't hesitate, her composure unwavering despite the tense atmosphere. Her voice was flat clinical, as if reciting data from a spreadsheet. "Two hundred seventy-six Lesser Goblin Spiderlings. One hundred seventy-one Lesser Shadow Web Spinners. One Elite Greater Shadow Web Spinner. One Elite Greater Venom Spitter. One Boss Lesser Ancient Broodmother. A total of seventy-four thousand two hundred twenty-seven experience points."
Searanox turned back to face them fully, a look of genuine surprise on his face. His eyes widening slightly. "Not bad." he said, a rare flicker of approval in his eyes that was more unsettling than any criticism. "Not bad at all." He paused, his gaze sweeping over them with renewed interest. As if seeing them for the first time. "Anything else? Stats? A multiplier?"
"Three all stats." Carmen replied, her dark eyes unwavering. Meeting his gaze without flinching. "And something about an eight-times dungeon reward."
Searanox's smile widened, a predatory gleam entering his eyes that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up despite the warm night air.
He took his notebook from his storage ring, the dark leather-bound tome materializing in his hand with a soft blue light that briefly illuminated his face. The pen appeared in his other hand, its tip scratching against the paper as he scribbled something down. "Well, that's good information." he muttered, the words barely audible above the rustling leaves. His eyes scanning the notes before the notebook vanished in a familiar blue light.
As the notebook disappeared, his gaze settled on Sarah. Who was now standing and attempting to brush the dirt from her clothes, her movements clumsy and uncoordinated. "Sarah, why don't you begin with picking your class. I'm not sure how it works, but you're a clever girl—you can figure it out." he said, his voice calm and detached. As if discussing a simple task rather than a life-altering decision.
Sarah froze mid-motion, her hands stilling on the fabric of her shirt. She looked at him. Her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and a desperate desire to please. "Me? I… I don't know what to do." she stammered, her gaze darting around the clearing as if searching for an escape route. Her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Just focus on wanting to pick your class." Searanox said, his voice a low growl that cut through the night air. Making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "The system will do the rest."
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Her nails digging into her palms. She took a deep shuddering breath, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and anticipation. "I… I want to pick my class." she whispered, the words barely audible. Lost in the rustling leaves. "I want to be strong."
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Sarah's eyes snapped open, widening as three translucent windows materialized before her. Their blue text glowing in the dim light. The names were a jumble of unfamiliar syllables, their meanings completely lost on her. She looked at Searanox. Her expression a mixture of confusion and desperate pleading, her mind racing to understand what was happening.
"Stop." he whispered, his voice low and commanding. Cutting through her panic. "Don't pick just yet."
Sarah flinched at his sudden command, her body trembling as she stared at the glowing windows. Her heart pounding in her chest.
"Read the names and give me an idea of what they do." Searanox said, his command clear and unwavering. His eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her feel exposed.
Sarah's gaze flickered between the glowing windows and Searanox's face, her mind racing to process the information. She looked at the three options. Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Riftstep Reaver." she read aloud, her voice trembling. "I… I don't know what that means. Sanguine Seductress… that sounds… sexy? And Shadowdancer… that sounds like something that would be good at hiding?" She ended with a question. Her eyes wide with uncertainty.
"Sarah, look at one of them and focus on wanting to know more. The system will answer… most of the time." Searanox said, a hint of impatience in his tone. His fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh.
Sarah nodded, swallowing hard as her gaze fixed on the second option. The letters seeming to pulse with an inner light. "I want to know more about the Sanguine Seductress." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her hands trembling at her sides.
Sarah's eyes widened as she read the description, a slow seductive smile spreading across her face. Transforming her features from one of apprehension to predatory delight. This was familiar territory. This was something she understood, a power she had wielded before the world fell apart. A language of desire and manipulation that flowed through her veins like second nature.
"No." Searanox said, his voice sharp and commanding. Slicing through the night air with the precision of a blade. "Pick another one."
Sarah's head snapped up, her expression stricken with shock and disappointment. The sudden rejection hitting her like a physical blow. "But… this is perfect for me." she protested, her tone dropping to a low husky purr that had always gotten her what she wanted before. The practiced cadence of her voice failing to move him.
Searanox's gaze was cold unforgiving, his eyes like chips of ice in the dim light. "Did I ask for your opinion? Did I ask what was perfect for you?" he asked, his words low and guttural. Each one a deliberate jab at her fragile confidence. "I told you to read the descriptions. Now pick another one."
Sarah flinched, the seductive smile vanishing from her face as if it had never been there. Replaced by a trembling lip and wide frightened eyes. She looked at the other two options, her expression shifting between fear and frustration as she weighed her limited choices. "What about the Riftstep Reaver?" she asked, her breath catching in her throat. The name feeling foreign and dangerous on her tongue.
"Just give me the footnotes of each of them. You don't have to read the whole thing to me." Searanox said, an unmistakable hint of irritation in his tone. His patience clearly wearing thin as he shifted his weight, his hand resting near the rifle at his hip.
"Riftstep Reaver… damage dealer, fast strikes, disappears and reappears," she said, her gaze darting nervously between the glowing window and Searanox's imposing form. "Sanguine Seductress… magical damage, support, manipulates, drains life force through… close contact." She paused, her cheeks flushing slightly as she remembered the intimate details of the description. Her eyes flicking away in embarrassment. "Shadowdancer… stealth, evasion, backstabbing, uses daggers."
Searanox considered her words, his expression unreadable as he processed the information. His mind calculating the tactical advantages of each class in this new, dangerous world. "Pick the Riftstep Reaver." he said, his tone final. Leaving no room for argument or negotiation.
Sarah looked like she wanted to argue, her lips parted to protest. But the cold hard look in Searanox's eyes silenced her before she could utter a word. She nodded, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and resentment. Her shoulders slumping in defeat. With a deep shuddering breath that smelled of pine and despair, she focused on the first option. The letters glowing brighter as her attention centered on them.
He stepped closer, his shadow engulfing her petite form as he leaned in. The scent of pine and something metallic, like cold steel filling her nostrils. "Sarah, listen closely now. If I'm done talking and you still think you want to be a seductress and fight in close contact, then sure…" His lips were dangerously close to her ear, his voice a low intimate murmur that sent shivers down her spine. "The whole dungeon was full of spiders that would put even your neighbor's dog to shame. The Broodmother is the size of a shed, its mandibles strong enough to snap bone. The other dungeon was full of bugs, but I'm sure you can seduce them." He pulled away slightly, his gaze boring into hers. His eyes like chips of ice in the dim light. "Now pick the class I told you to pick."
Sarah's breath hitched, her eyes wide with sudden dawning horror. The image of a monstrous shed-sized spider its fangs dripping with venom, flashed through her mind. The thought of trying to seduce such a creature was absurd and terrifying. Her face went pale, the bravado and flirtatiousness draining away like water through sand. Replaced by raw primal fear. The cold night air suddenly felt sharp against her skin, and she could feel her heart hammering against her ribs. A frantic drumbeat of terror.
She looked at the three options again, the choice suddenly clear. "I… I choose the Riftstep Reaver." she whispered, her voice trembling. Barely audible above the rustle of leaves.
Sarah felt a strange tingling sensation spread through her body, a warmth settling in her limbs and a newfound lightness in her step that felt both exhilarating and terrifying. She looked at her hands, turning them over and over as if examining unfamiliar objects. The faint glow of her own skin seeming to pulse with an inner light that hadn't been there moments before. The sensation was like drinking champagne—effervescent dizzying, a rush of power that made her feel invincible yet vulnerable all at once. She raised her eyes to meet Searanox's, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths—a mixture of awe, resentment and a dawning understanding that she was now bound to him in ways she couldn't yet comprehend. The familiar practiced smile that usually graced her lips was gone, replaced by an expression that was raw uncertain and utterly dependent.
He turned to Lana, whose wide terrified eyes were fixed on the glowing window that hovered in her vision. "Your turn." he said, his voice flat. Devoid of any encouragement or warmth, each syllable falling into the tense silence like a stone into still water. Sending ripples of apprehension through the small group that huddled in the starlit clearing.
