20: Chapter 20 Advanced Jobs

Count Morta let out an expression of disbelief:

"Young man, I never expected you to possess such a powerful combat technique. It truly is surprising!"

"It is a pity that you cannot kill me, for my resurrection..."

As Count Morta spoke, he tried to pull out the halberd pierced through his chest, but he discovered that his fingers began to disintegrate the moment they touched the shaft.

The skin and flesh on his fingertips peeled away layer by layer, revealing the bone beneath, and then the bone also began to shatter, turning into grayish-white powder that slowly fell from his knuckles.

An irreversible change was occurring inside his body.

A powerful, law-like force was destroying every one of his cells, dismantling every magical rune that sustained his undead body.

For hundreds of years, every time he was injured, even with fatal wounds, he had been able to repair the damage by absorbing blood.

But now, he didn't even have time to make a move to remedy it.

The essence of life accumulated over hundreds of years was crazily leaking out from every split wound, turning into magical energy particles that dissipated into the air in the rainy night.

"This... impossible..."

His voice was finally no longer elegant, no longer aloof; only pure fear remained.

Even an immortal who had lived for hundreds of years would let out the most primitive wail when facing true death.

"What have you done to me... what exactly are you..." He did not finish his sentence.

Because his jaw began to disintegrate.

The skin peeled off his mandible, his lips turned to ash, revealing the teeth and hyoid bone still opening and closing behind them.

Then came the eye sockets; those dark red, slit-pupiled eyeballs slid out of their sockets, turning into two clouds of red dust in mid-air, while scorching grayish-white smoke emerged from the hollow eye sockets.

His entire body was emitting a sizzling sound, with countless cracks spreading outward from his chest, like the sound of red-hot iron being plunged into cold water.

Count Cassius Aurelius Valerius de Morta, the proxy of the Blood God in the mortal realm, turned to ash in a heart-wrenching wail.

The ashes exploded in the rainstorm, like a tiny, dark gray firework.

Thousands of ash particles quickly dissolved and dissipated with the washing of the rain, landing in the mud, on the carriage, and on the shoulders and hair of every survivor.

Richard stood in place, the halberd still held in a thrusting posture, the ashes on the spear tip being washed away bit by bit by the rain.

He was trembling all over, too exhausted to move, and in unbearable pain.

He gasped for breath; the words that had just echoed in his ears were too eerie—what exactly was that thing?

But he had no time to delve into it further; surviving right now was more important than anything else.

His adventure panel exploded with a whole patch of golden text at the same time the ashes landed, and he hurriedly took a look:

[Slay Vampire Noble — Gained 1500 Experience Points]

[As the slain target's strength far exceeds current level, additional experience bonus has taken effect]

[Level Up!]

[Congratulations, Adventurer! You have been promoted to a Level 4 Warrior!]

[Obtained Free Attribute Point × 1]

[Please select one of the following skills:]

[Charge] Charge at the enemy at high speed, causing stun damage with the first attack upon closing in.

[Weapon Mastery] May select an additional weapon type for mastery.

Richard chose Charge, then added one point to Strength, increasing his Strength from 8 to 9.

His 1500 experience points allowed him to level up twice in a row, and the second level-up notification popped up immediately after.

[Level Up!]

[Congratulations, Adventurer! You have been promoted to a Level 5 Warrior!]

[Current level has reached a class advancement node; please select one of the following advanced classes:]

First is [Berserker]: Transform into an incredibly berserk and valiant warrior, Strength +2, Constitution +2, Agility +1. Obtain [Berserk] skill, greatly increasing strength and speed for a short time, but falling into a weakened state after the effect ends.

Second is [Guardian Warrior]: Swear an oath upon your shield, Constitution greatly increased, turning your body into the team's sturdiest barrier. Strength +1, Constitution +3, Agility +1, obtain passive skill [Iron Body], capable of improving self-healing ability, damage resistance, and various elemental resistances.

Third is [Weapon Master]: Proficient in various weapons, switching freely between different weapon forms. Strength +1, Agility +1, Intelligence +3, may select three types of weapon mastery in the [Weapon Mastery] skill.

[Because you achieved promotion by killing a powerful creature, you may select a special class!]

[Brand Warrior (Special Class)] Slaughtering powerful beings is the path you crave. Strength +2, Constitution +2, Agility +2, obtain passive skill [Bloodthirsty Brand]: Each time you attack an enemy, you will place an invisible brand on them; thereafter, any damage dealt to this target will drain their life to restore your own injuries.

The duration of the Brand effect lasts until the target dies.

Richard didn't hesitate for a moment at this point; a special class, what more was there to say? Besides, it added one more attribute point than the other classes.

The others added a total of five attribute points, while only the Brand Warrior provided six.

The passive skill was also incredibly fierce—attacking to heal meant that as long as he was still fighting and still dealing damage to enemies, his wounds would constantly heal.

This strength was absolutely solid; a born warmonger, that's me!

He decisively chose Brand Warrior.

The moment he confirmed his selection, an unprecedented sense of power exploded from deep within his body.

This sensation was incredibly violent, as if someone had poured molten iron into his veins, spreading outward from his heart.

This pain impacted every one of his bones, every muscle, and every nerve.

His muscle fibers tore and reorganized in an instant, his bone density increased crazily, and a layer of dark red markings, almost invisible to the naked eye, appeared on the surface of his skin.

It was like countless fine vascular networks intertwining under his skin to form some kind of ancient rune, flashing once and then disappearing.

The upgraded panel displayed:

Class: Level 5 Brand Warrior (300/1600)

Strength: 11

Agility: 7

Constitution: 7

Intelligence: 5

Skills:

[Powerful Strike lv2 (45/100)] Your attacks deal more damage and have a chance to slightly knock back enemies.

[Appraisal lv1 (20/50)] This skill is a gift of fate and can appraise any equipment or item.

[Polearm Mastery lv1 (30/100)] When using polearm-type weapons, damage and accuracy are increased.

[Mortal Strike lv0 (7/50)] Reduces the healing effects received by the target and has a very small chance to kill the enemy instantly.

[Charge lv0 (0/50)] Charge at the enemy at high speed and can cause stun damage.

[Bloodthirsty Brand (Passive)] When attacking an enemy, you will place a brand on them; subsequent damage dealt can drain the opponent's life to restore your own injuries.

The most obvious change was the increase in Strength, jumping from eight points to eleven.

He clearly felt the halberd in his hand had become lighter.

The halberd that previously required both hands to swing with full force now felt like he was holding a light little wooden stick.

He raised the halberd with one hand and spun it twice; the halberd blade sliced through the curtain of rain, the sound of it breaking the air sharp and smooth, and he didn't even feel any burden on his wrist.

He looked down again at his already tattered hardened leather armor; now only a few leather straps remained hanging on his shoulders, the cloth lining inside exposed, the fabric covered in bloodstains and rainwater.

But even this set of ragged leather armor now felt almost weightless on him, as light as wearing a thin coat.

He closed the panel and looked at the others.

Cecilia was unconscious in the mud, her complexion frighteningly gray and pale.