The group finished the last of their drinks and followed Noah out of the tavern.

  The cool night air greeted them as they stepped into the open yard behind the building. The space was dimly lit by the moon, with a few lanterns casting soft light. It was quiet, save for the faint voices from the tavern.

  Noah turned to face the group, his expression serious. “Alright. Let’s start with the basics. Victor, you’re the tank. Your job is to draw attention and hold the line while the rest of us attack from the sides or the back.”

  Victor crossed his arms, nodding. “Got it.”

  “Leah and Emma,” Noah continued, “you’ll be our ranged support once we have proper bows. For now, focus on maintaining distance and coordinating your movements to avoid crossfire.”

  Leah seriously nodded her head. “Yes.”

  Emma gave a small nod. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Daniel,” Noah said, turning towards him. “You’ll flank and look for openings. Speed and precision are your strengths—use them.”

  Daniel grinned. “Easy enough.”

  Noah drew his cracked longsword, stepping into the center of the yard. “As for me, I’ll focus on staying mobile and dealing damage where it’s needed. Now, let’s get started.”

  The group spread out, and the sound of clashing practice strikes, quick footfalls, and shouted instructions filled the yard.

  …

  “Haaa, FUCK! Were you a fucking viking back on earth or what?” Daniel said to Noah, plopping on his butt.

  The group collapsed into a loose circle on the ground, sweat glistening on their foreheads and breaths coming in heavy.

  Leah leaned back on her hands, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. “Well, that was... intense,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. “But I’ll admit, it was worth it.”

  Victor chuckled, rolling his shoulders. “You all did well. If we keep this up, those Razor Fangs wouldn’t be a challenge at all.”

  Emma smiled faintly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “I still feel clumsy with a sword, but... it’s better than nothing.”

  Noah leaned on his cracked longsword, using it to steady himself as he stood. “You’re all improving,” he said, his calm tone carrying a hint of encouragement. “That’s what matters. We’ve got a long way to go, but if we keep training like this, we’ll be ready for anything.”

  Daniel, still lying on the ground, waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll be unstoppable. Just give me a minute to remember how to breathe.”

  Leah smirked, shaking her head. “You’re the one who said you wanted to show off. What happened to all that energy?”

  Daniel propped himself up on his elbows, his usual cocky grin returning. “I did show off. You’re just jealous I made it look so easy.”

  Victor laughed, throwing a small clump of dirt in Daniel’s direction. “Easy, huh? You were the first to go down in that last drill.”

  “Hey, I was testing Noah’s reflexes,” Daniel shot back, brushing the dirt off his tunic. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

  Noah shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Alright, let’s call it a night. We’ll need all the energy we can get tomorrow.”

  The group nodded, slowly rising to their feet. Emma adjusted her cloak, her expression thoughtful. “Do you think we’ll really awaken our classes tomorrow?” she asked quietly, her gaze flicking to Noah.

  Noah’s expression softened. “I’m confident we will. Just have trust in yourself, Emma. We’ve already come this far.”

  Leah gave Emma a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “He’s right. But even if we can’t, we can just return to the village and try the next day.”

  Victor placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder as he dusted himself off. “And when we do awaken, we’ll be even stronger. The Razor Fangs won’t stand a chance.”

  Daniel grinned, his cocky demeanor returning in full force. “Damn right. I’ll make those beasts regret the day they crossed paths with us.”

  Noah sheathed his longsword while shaking his head. “They are not crossing paths with us; we are invading their territory. Anyways,” he paused and gestured toward the tavern. “Let’s get some rest. We’ll need to be up early.”

  The group made their way back inside. The chatter of the other patrons had died down, replaced by the soft clinking of mugs being cleaned and the faint hum of the tavern lady’s voice as she spoke to a tired villager.

  As they climbed the stairs to their rooms, Noah paused, glancing back at his teammates. “Good work tonight,” he said simply, his voice carrying approval. “Tomorrow will be a fun day, take good rest tonight.”

  Leah nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. “We’ll be ready.”

  Emma gave a quiet “Goodnight” before disappearing into her room, while Victor and Daniel exchanged a quick fist bump before heading to their own doors.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Noah paused for a bit before entering his own room.

  …

  “Haa…it was a good training session.” Noah said, flexing his arm while heading towards his bed.

  He placed his sword beside the table before throwing himself on the bed. “I wonder what grade of Class they can awaken,” he said, wondering to himself.

  “I hope at least one of them awakens a Rare Grade Class,” he mused. “If I’m not wrong, Emma should awaken a Healer Class, Daniel a Ranger class, Leah an Archer class, and Victor a tank-type class.”

  “And then there is me,” his lips formed an amused smile. “Classless.”

  Noah lay on his bed, staring up at the wooden beams of the ceiling, the faint glow of moonlight seeped through the window.

  His thoughts wandered to the next day—the Razor Fangs, the Luminal Mushrooms, and, most of all, the awakening of his teammates’ classes.

  “Classless, huh?” he murmured to himself, his lips curving into a faint smile. “Or maybe not entirely. I wonder how far I can reach with this system.”

  Turning on his side, he let out a long sigh. “Still, I’ll need to figure out how to explain it to them. They’ll expect something when they all awaken. Maybe I should lean into the whole ‘Spatial Swordsman’ idea. It’s believable, and I can build on it as we go.”

  He closed his eyes, letting himself drift toward sleep. Tomorrow would be filled with excitement, and he needed to be ready.

  …

  The sun rose early, its golden rays cutting through the morning mist. Noah was already awake, sitting at the edge of his bed, strapping on his boots. He glanced at the cracked longsword leaning against the wall.

  “Today’s the last day for you, new friend,” he said softly, patting the hilt. “Even if we were only together for a short while. Let’s make it count.”

  The others were waiting for him in the corridor when he stepped out.

  Victor was stretching his arms, his expression relaxed but focused. Leah adjusted her cloak, her gaze sharp and ready.

  Emma looked nervous but determined, while Daniel was his usual cocky self, twirling a small stick he’d picked up somewhere.

  “Morning,” Noah greeted with a calm tone.

  “Morning,” Victor replied, cracking his knuckles. “Ready to fetch weapons and hunt?”

  “Always,” Noah said, leading the way downstairs. The tavern was already alive with activity, the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling meat wafting through the air.

  The group grabbed a quick breakfast without much chatter as they were too excited for their new gear.

  The blacksmith had promised to have their weapons ready by midmorning, so they decided to head to the forge immediately after eating.

  …

  The blacksmith greeted them with a nod as they approached the forge.

  He had already laid out their new gear on a sturdy workbench, his smithing tools gleaming in the sunlight. The weapons and arrowheads crafted from the Rockhide Bear materials looked solid and deadly.

  Victor picked up his new shield first. It was reinforced with bear scales, giving it a rugged yet polished appearance. He strapped it to his arm, testing its balance. “This is perfect,” he said, admiration and excitement clear in his voice.

  Leah and Emma inspected the arrowheads, their eyes lighting up at the craftsmanship. The talons had been forged into sharp, gleaming points that seemed to radiate murderous intent. There were also wooden bows placed beside the arrowheads.

  Daniel grinned as he tested the balance of his new knives. “These are amazing. Finally, something that feels right.”

  Noah’s hand hovered over his new longsword. The blade was sleek, dark steel reinforced with bear blood, giving it a faint crimson sheen.

  It felt heavier than his old sword, but at the same time balanced and reliable. He gave it a quick swing, satisfied with its weight and sharpness.

  “Good work,” Noah said to the blacksmith, offering a rare smile. “This will help us big time.”

  The blacksmith nodded, crossing his arms. “You lot better make good use of them. And don’t forget—your debt’s not cleared yet. I want those Razor Fang materials and mushrooms by the end of the week.”

  “Understood,” Noah replied.

  The group set out for the forest shortly after, their spirits high and their new gear giving them a sense of renewed confidence.

  The village fell away behind them as they entered the forest, and the surroundings were replaced by the dense canopy of trees and the faint noises of wildlife.

  Noah walked at the front, his longsword resting against his shoulder. Victor brought up the rear, his shield ready. Leah and Emma stayed close to the center, while Daniel flitted around the group like a ghost.

  They encountered their first beast—a lone E Rank Common-grade Vinestrike Wolf—not long after entering the forest.

  It snarled and lunged at Noah, but he sidestepped smoothly, his new longsword gleaming with Soul Energy as the blade sliced through its neck without any obstruction.

  The wolf’s neck became crimson as it collapsed in a heap, its body lying without a sound.

  The group stopped in their tracks, their gazes filled with shock as they looked at Noah.

  “HOLY FUCK!” Daniel was the first one to react. “WHAT THE FUCK! How did you manage to kill this beast in a single strike??”

  “N-Noah, d-did you awaken already?” Victor asked, his voice filled with shock.

  Leah and Emma looked at him with shining eyes.

  Noah nodded his head. “Yes, I wanted to give you all a surprise, so that’s why I kept it hidden till now,” he said with a soft chuckle.

  “When did you awaken your class? Was it when—” Before Leah could finish her words, Noah interrupted her and said, “Yes, it was after killing the Rockhide Bear. I awakened my class at that time.”

  “Bloody hell, man, you could have at least given us a warning. You really shocked us.” Daniel said, walking forward to check the clean slice at the wolf’s neck.

  “No wonder you were so sure that we will awaken our class soon,” Emma said as her gaze flickered with understanding.

  “This is good, now this will be a lot safer for us,” Victor said with a sigh of relief.

  Daniel turned around and looked at Noah curiously. “Anyways, what class did you get? Sword Master?”

  Noah thought for a second before saying, “No, my class is named ‘Voidblade King.’ It allows me to have a game-like Inventory and sword skills.”

  Everyone’s eyes widened in shock as they heard the class name.

  “Damn, that sounds like a high-grade class. What’s its grade?” Victor asked with excitement in his eyes.

  Noah paused, his mind racing as he hadn’t thought about its grade yet. “It’s R-Epic rank.”

  ‘I can’t make it too low-grade; it has a Spatial element, after all,’ he thought to himself inwardly, unaware of the storm it had caused in the others’ hearts.

  The group fell silent, their gazes fixed on Noah, disbelief and awe clear on their faces.

  “FUCK! Fucking Epic rank!!” Daniel’s eyes widened as he screamed, amazement and envy oozing from his gaze. “Man, fuck. You’re really something else, getting an Epic Rank class. I heard from Garrick it’s rare even in empires, much less this small village.”