Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 151 - Cleric

Though, thinking of it, there was really no need for a test at all.

As he watched her, he noted the Magic Guard sitting over her constantly. It was being actively maintained at all times, at peak proficiency, while not drawing her attention at all.

He very much doubted she was even capable of failing a practical exam.

Merath continued the test. "Demonstrate Energy Bolt. Then Teleport."

"Okay!" Lena raised her wand.

She held still for a couple of moments.

Merath raised an eyebrow. "Is there an issue, young one?"

"I-" Lena looked around, unsure. She looked back to Merath. "I’m not sure where to aim the attack?"

Merath let out the smallest of chuckles before replying with a noticeably lighter tone. "Anywhere you wish is fine."

"OKAY!" Lena quickly and excitedly answered, then immediately waved her wand, sending an Energy Bolt in his direction.

Immediately afterwards, she vanished and reappeared behind him. She gave him a smile, though Merath noticed her light trembling.

Merath noted both her perfect performance and the trembling. "I apologize, child, if I have made you nervous. You have passed perfectly." He produced several books from the air around him and sent them floating toward her.

Lena caught them, eyes lighting up immediately. "Thank you so much!" She held them to her chest.

Merath waved it off. He extended a hand, and a section of the library shifted itself into a private reading room. Lena stepped forward, then stopped.

She turned and looked at Lumi.

Merath observed that and said nothing about it. He knew many others who might have interjected and said something about how a mage should define their own path.

He had no such inclination. Couples were natural. Caring deeply for each other, seeking each other’s perspective, those were natural things. Why would an old thing like himself who last saw his wife over six hundred years ago step his foot into it?

Lumi gave her a small nod.

Lena smiled and disappeared into the reading room.

Lumi turned to Merath. "Can she leave with the books?"

"Yes." Merath said.

Few people could casually leave with books from his library. Lena had not yet earned that right on her own. But Lumi had earned the right to ask on behalf of others. It was that simple.

Merath shifted his attention to the tomes partially. "Lumi, are you aware of the significance of these lost texts?"

"Lost is a misnomer." Lumi began explaining his view...

...

Lena sat down in the private room, books arranged in front of her.

A prompt appeared.

[Class Advancement Opportunity Detected]

[Would you like to advance your class to: Cleric?]

She stared at it.

She found it a bit funny, in an ironic sort of way. When she had told Lumi she would take the Cleric path, she had meant it completely. She had felt it fully. Now, sitting here in front of the prompt...

She’d love something more direct at killing.

She let herself have a moment of entertaining the thought.

Is she fickle?

Is she being an ungrateful, fickle brat who doesn’t know what she wants?

"It doesn’t even fucking matter." She suddenly growled out, speaking to herself. It didn’t matter. None of that mattered. The world was at stake. She had to do the most useful thing, and the most useful thing was the path she had already committed to. The path she had already told Lumi she would take.

And second, she knew her own emotions. They were unreliable at the best of times. In a few days, maybe even tomorrow, she’d feel great about her choice again. She always did.

She accepted.

The wave of advancement washed over her. She sat with it for a moment, then opened the books without putting her skill points in yet. She wanted to read first.

...

The next day, Lumi found her.

He dragged her along to the airship as she eagerly came with him, bringing her books. As they began flying, she kept reading, only glancing up occasionally to check where they were going.

"What skills should I put in?" she asked, suddenly looking up from the book and staring at her.

Lumi didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked another question. "What do you think?"

Lena blinked. "Me?"

"You."

"Isn’t that..." She looked at him. "You’re the expert. Why does it matter what I think?"

Lumi held her hand and looked at her seriously. "You’re the second highest authority on magic among us. Behind me and no one else. You have been slowly reading through how spells actually work since the beginning. Knowing what to put points into isn’t difficult even for randoms. It’s definitely not difficult for you. So do it yourself."

Lena was quiet.

She looked back down at her skill panel. She stayed quiet for a rather long period of time. Only after a few minutes did she look back up. "I’m sorry... I’m just scared."

Lumi held her hand. "Be more confident."

"..." Lena was unsure what to think.

Lumi pressed. "Like when you kill people."

Lena froze. Then, a large grin began forming on her face. "Hehehe..." As she chuckled, a blush appeared on her face. "Hehehehehe~"

Then she put her points in.

"I’m a really good girl~" She teased lightly. She stood up in the middle of the airship, over half her body poking out. "I can KILL! And just like I slaughter, I shall make my own decisions."

She sat back down and looked at him. "I can buff now. Also, I can heal, buff EXP gains, and deal extra damage to undead."

Lumi had predicted exactly that.

Because if Lena was being smart, that was what she would pick. And Lena was very smart.

The airship continued moving. Below, the familiar layers of Elenora shifted as they climbed in altitude, the thick forest thinning. The massive trees of Elenora didn’t just stop at any particular height. Their crowns spread outward at the very top, and the dense entanglement of the highest branches formed a very loose surface. Only through the thickest branches was there a stable path.

This was the rooftop of Elenora.