Five drops of Divine Water from the Well of Earth. That was all Marcus needed.

With it, he could repair the Three-Star Sacred Lotus. And once the lotus was restored, he would obtain the Three-Chambered Heart, a transformation powerful enough to triple his combat capabilities. Strength, endurance, recovery, everything would rise to an entirely new level.

This was not a small upgrade. This was the kind of opportunity players dreamed about.

"I don’t have any Divine Water."

Liam’s calm response hit Marcus like a brick.

"You... don’t have it?"

Marcus stared at him, eyes narrowing immediately.

’Yeah. Sure. And dragons don’t breathe fire.’

Ten years ago, Liam had entered the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb himself. There was no way he had walked past the Well of Earth without collecting anything. Even if he had not taken everything, he should still have hundreds of drops stored somewhere.

"Liam," Marcus said patiently, forcing down his suspicion, "you’ve got plenty of that stuff. I only need five drops."

He wanted to accuse Liam outright of being stingy, but antagonizing the man would not help. Instead, Marcus switched tactics and leaned into persistence.

"Come on. Five drops. Don’t be so cheap."

Liam said nothing. Marcus immediately pressed harder.

"Fine, forget the other rewards. I’ll trade you something for it. Fair deal."

"Stonehaven."

Liam finally raised a hand, cutting him off before the bargaining could continue any further.

"It is not that I refuse to give it to you," he said slowly. "I genuinely do not have any. Ten years ago, I did not take Divine Water from the well. It held no value for me at the time."

Marcus blinked.

’Seriously?’

Divine-grade treasure, and someone just... left it behind?

’Yeah, no. Not buying it.’

The disbelief on Marcus’s face was so obvious that Liam felt a headache coming on.

’This kid...’

With a quiet sigh, Liam decided he might as well explain the truth.

"Stonehaven, it was not a matter of willingness. I simply lacked the ability."

"Lacked the ability?"

Marcus frowned, confused.

Liam looked genuinely uncomfortable admitting what came next.

"To obtain the Stone Milk Nectar from the Stone Milk Sacred Cave, I exhausted nearly all the treasures I possessed," Liam said. "I was gravely injured fighting the Mythic Beast guarding it, the Blue Water Dragon of the Stones. Saving the Seven-Colored Divine Eagle cost me almost everything."

He paused, irritation flickering across his expression.

"After that battle, I had neither the strength nor the resources left to pursue the Divine Water or the Bodhi Stone."

For a brief moment, Liam looked like a man reliving an old humiliation.

Ten years ago, he had been Level 85 and still failed to claim those treasures.

Yet the young knight standing before him, not even Level 50, had stolen the Bodhi Stone from beneath a Mythic Beast’s nose and returned safely as if it had been a casual outing.

The comparison was... painful.

Marcus, for once, had no comeback. The explanation sounded sincere, and Liam’s frustration was impossible to fake.

The room finally fell quiet.

Seeing that Marcus had stopped pestering him, Liam straightened and returned to the matter at hand.

"Stonehaven, according to the terms of my trial, you are entitled to two rewards."

"Yes!"

Marcus’s attention snapped back instantly. His ears practically perked up as he leaned forward expectantly.

"The rewards correspond to the tasks you completed. First, you successfully rescued the Seven-Colored Divine Eagle. The eagle is yours."

’Perfect.’

Marcus grinned and gently patted the bird perched on his shoulder. The eagle chirped proudly, clearly pleased with the outcome.

He immediately looked back at Liam, waiting for the second reward.

"Second," Liam continued, holding up the Bodhi Stone, "using this stone, I can perform a consecration ritual. I can grant you a second class. The class will be Mountain Roarer. You will inherit my archery techniques and trap mastery."

Marcus’s eyes widened.

So the Bodhi Stone really could unlock a second class.

That alone made the entire nightmare trial worthwhile. A second class meant expanded skills, new combat paths, and enormous long-term potential. The reward far exceeded what Marcus had expected.

Still... He hesitated.

Archers were powerful. No question about it. But assassins?

Assassins suited him perfectly.

With his high Agility and knight foundation, combining durability with assassination techniques would turn him into a nightmare opponent. High health, strong defense, explosive offense, brutal critical strikes, flawless accuracy. He could become nearly impossible to kill.

The more he imagined it, the more convinced he became.

"Liam... is there any chance my second class could be something assassin-related instead?"

He asked carefully, hopeful but cautious.

"Assassin?"

Liam blinked slowly. The boy was negotiating again.

After receiving a Divine companion and a hidden class opportunity, he still wanted to bargain. Worse, he was effectively rejecting Liam’s own inheritance class.

Mountain Roarer was not some ordinary hidden profession. With enough growth, it evolved into the King of the Mountains itself.

"You little brat."

Liam’s patience finally snapped.

"I can only grant Mountain Roarer," he said sharply. "I do not possess the authority to bestow other classes, nor will I attempt to. Accept it or refuse it."

Marcus raised both hands slightly in surrender.

’Alright, alright. No need to explode.’

"I’ll take it. Mountain Roarer it is."

"Good."

Liam gave him a stern look, though his irritation seemed to ease now that the argument had ended. He turned toward the elderly man in black robes.

"Elder Wind. We will require your assistance."

The old man nodded once.

"Mm. Come."

Elder Wind rose and walked toward the exit without another word.

"Follow us," Liam said.

Marcus quickly fell into step behind them. As they left the pavilion and moved deeper into Harmony Peak, Liam suddenly turned back.

"One more thing, Stonehaven. Using the Bodhi Stone to awaken a second class carries risk. Even under ideal conditions, your success rate is only about eighty percent. Failure will result in penalties. If you wish to withdraw, now is your chance."

Marcus did not hesitate for even a second.

"I’m not backing out."

Life rewarded those willing to gamble. Eighty percent success? Those were incredible odds. He would have accepted fifty without complaint. And with his absurdly high Luck stat, failure barely existed as a possibility.

Assuming Liam was not secretly setting him up, anyway.

The three of them followed a winding mountain path before entering a long tunnel carved deep into the rock. The air grew cooler, quieter, filled with a faint hum Marcus could feel more than hear.

Curiosity eventually won.

"Liam, where are we going?"

This time Liam answered directly.

"The heart of Harmony Peak. The Twin Realms Sanctuary."

"The Twin Realms Sanctuary?"

Marcus’s interest immediately spiked, and fortunately Liam continued explaining as they walked.

"The Bodhi Stone originates from the seed of a Bodhi tree," Liam said. "However, compared to a true Saint-grade Bodhi fruit, its power is limited. A genuine Bodhi fruit can grant a second class outright. The stone alone would not even give you a thirty percent success rate."

Marcus frowned slightly.

"So that’s why we’re here?"

"Yes," Liam replied. "I came to Harmony Peak to borrow their forbidden sanctuary. Within the Twin Realms Sanctuary, the world’s dual spiritual energies converge. Combined with the Bodhi Stone, those energies will allow me to perform the consecration and grant you your second class."

Marcus looked ahead into the deepening tunnel, excitement building with every step.

An eighty percent gamble, a hidden class. And the heart of Harmony Peak waiting at the end of the path.