This place would be difficult to locate quickly by searching on foot. The directions given by the goblin were simply too vague.
The goblins clues only described a forest fissure vaguely shaped like a hill, with sparse vegetation around it. In the dense Tob Forest, that kind of landmark was meaningless—unless you were looking from above.
Whoosh!
With a surge of mana, Minori's body shot forward, accelerating midair with practiced ease. The typical "Flying" spell only allowed one to drift at the pace of a hawk, but Minori's version, infused with his unique skill Magic Infusion, let him override those limits by burning through his reserves.
It would cost more magic power. But it would save time.
Roughly an hour passed.
High above the trees, he finally saw it.
A deep crack cutting through the green, terrain warped by ancient magic or tectonic force. The sparse vegetation around the slope and its oddly crescent shape matched the description.
This was it.
Without slowing, Minori glided down into the ravine and found a relatively clear patch where he could land. The trees here had thinner canopies, letting in faint rays of sunlight.
He stood quietly among the overgrown ferns, brushing a branch aside.
"…Time to level up."
The earlier fight with the so-called Wise King of the Forest had reminded Minori of a crucial truth.
His strength advantage came from planning, not power.
His overwhelming win against Hamsuke was mostly due to misdirection and his opponent underestimating him. Combined with his layered class features and wide toolkit, he had controlled the battlefield.
[TL: A Win?]
But in a drawn-out fight—one where neither side held a clear tactical advantage—his flaws would become visible.
With a flick of his wrists, two magic scrolls appeared from his Item Box.
Crack—!
Light exploded from the paper as the spell circuits activated.
Buzz!
Twin Fire Archangels materialized in flashes of flame and divine energy. Their radiant wings beat gently as they took position beside him.
"Circle the area. Eliminate anything that approaches."
The angels nodded and took off into the trees, emanating a holy aura that drove beasts and low-tier monsters scurrying in terror.
Now alone, Minori took a deep breath.
His eyes shifted to the familiar status screen.
He had been saving this. Hesitating until now because he wasn't sure if the conditions would truly activate. When he'd unlocked the Magic Swordsman profession, things had nearly spiraled out of control. Magic gone wild. Strange effects.
But this was different.
Now, he was ready.
[Experience Slot: 31201 / 10000]
Level Up: Cursed Knight → Lv. 4[Experience Slot: 21201 / 20000]
Level Up: Cursed Knight → Lv. 5[Experience Slot: 1201 / 30000]
Minori clenched his fist as raw power surged into his limbs.
But then…
Nothing.
No dramatic change. No visual effect.
His expression stiffened.
"That's it?" he muttered. "No trigger?"
Then his ears twitched. The jungle's sounds—birds, wind, insects—all grew sharper, as if silence had suddenly become a presence.
Buzz—
His status screen pulsed.
[Special Job Acquisition Conditions Triggered]—Conditions Not Met——Conditions Met——Switching between Genius (Priest) and Genius (Priestess)——Stabilizing…—Conditions Met—
Minori's eyes narrowed as the entries flickered rapidly.
Then everything froze.
[Special Class: Valkyrie Acquired]Confirm Class Change?—Yes—
BOOM!
Dark cursed energy exploded from his body like a shockwave. A solid black mist poured out, covering him head to toe. Plants withered in the blast radius, and the earth turned ashen.
Even his evil dog Kuro—a mutated beast with a cursed collar—whimpered and fled behind a tree.
But then...
Light.
A gentle, brilliant white glow seeped through the cracks of the black mist. The curse began to break down, fragmenting into particles that shimmered like starlight.
It was not dispelled—it was being transformed.
The hatred and pain embedded in the curse energy began to dissolve under the divine light, like sins being purified.
Minori felt it all. The voices of the dead. The weight of their grudges. And the silent absolution granted by this new power.
The mist cleared.
The light faded.
His skin pulsed with warmth as particles of divine energy melted into him.
And for just a moment—he saw a silhouetted figure rushing toward him through the white void.
A warrior? A woman?
Gone.
[Special Class: Valkyrie Obtained]
Class Type: Special
Level: 1
Passive Abilities:
[Additional Weapon Expertise]: Choose and enhance one weapon type (Slash, Blunt, Stab) with each level.
[Aura of Courage]: First melee strike in combat is a guaranteed divine critical hit.
[Divine Blessing]: Halves duration of all debuffs.
[Dark Resistance I]: -20% Dark Damage
[Holy Resistance I]: -20% Holy Damage
Active Skill:
[Guided Oath of Redemption]: Ignore one failed immunity roll (Cooldown: 10 days)
Valkyrie Skills:
Lv1: Clean Throwing Spear
Lv3: Impurity Impact Shield
Lv5: Heroic Spirit
Stat Growth: +20 to all primary stats per level
Description: A devout warrior—perhaps mad, perhaps chosen. Whether following divine will or personal conviction, you march forward without hesitation.
Minori raised his hand.
Power hummed just beneath the skin, coursing through his limbs like divine fire and cursed steel intertwined.
He couldn't describe it, but he felt changed.
Stronger. Calmer. Wiser. And something else.
Buzz—
[Weapon Expertise Triggered]Select Specialization:
Blunt: +20% Blunt Damage, +10% Crit Rate
Slash: +20% Slash Damage, +10% AoE
Stab: +20% Stab Damage, +10% Penetration
He stared at the options.
He understood now why certain players in YGGDRASIL had begged for hybrid builds, or sought class resets late-game.
"...So that's why the Warrior Takemikazuchi went with 'all-round' even when his Valkyrie was weakened."
He chuckled quietly.
"I want them all."But of course—that would be foolish.
He already had Slash Boost from Sword Master. It made sense to stack the effect.
Selected: Slash—Slash Bonus Increased (30%) / AoE Boost (10%)(Skill merged with previous Slash Boost passive)
Minori's eyes widened. His skill panel had auto-merged the effects.
Just like his dual Dark Resistance passives from Cursed Knight and Valkyrie—now unified.