Angie stood beside Charlie in the forest. Their mission was to completely cleanse the region of threats, and the map of the temple guided their route. When a beast lunged toward Angie, Charlie leapt forward, placing herself between them and striking with her sword.

  “Thanks, Charlie,” Angie said.

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  Charlie handled the stronger enemies. Angie watched as Lulie, the little bat, swooped in to attack a beast Charlie had pinned down. The bat could use [Vampire Drain], feeding on monsters and transferring Blood Energy back to Charlie.

  Angie spread her wings and rose above the forest canopy. I need to know what kind of insects are crawling through my lord’s territory.

  Luke had entrusted her with this task, and she intended to carry it out with absolute zeal. She flew over the trees until she spotted a cluster of spider beasts. Angie gripped her spear and hurled it.

  The spear pierced straight through one of the spiders from above.

  [You have slain a Feral Arachnid – Lvl 25]

  The remaining creatures turned toward her.

  “Hello, trash,” Angie said, raising her hand as she activated the class skill she had chosen at level 30.

  [Spear Return (Rare)]: A true Valkyrie is never left unarmed. When she throws her spear, she calls it back as if drawn by an invisible magnetic force. The return is swift and precise, as though the weapon recognizes its mistress. The range of the return increases with Perception, ensuring that no matter how far the spear flies, it always finds its way back to her hand.

  The spear snapped back into Angie’s grasp. She dove straight down, activating [Valkyrie Charge]. She tore through the beasts. One spider fired a strand of silk. Angie grabbed it, yanked the creature toward her, and drove the spear home.

  She kept advancing. When a beast tried to flee, she hurled the spear, pinning it through the back.

  A group of oni arrived, leaping between the trees, locking their gazes on her.

  “I was waiting for you,” Angie said.

  She hurled the spear at one of them, beat her wings to gain altitude, then activated [Spear Return] again.

  Archers tried to take her down, but she twisted through the air, evading their shots, then struck back, driving the spear into their chests and killing them one by one.

  Only one oni remained, wielding a heavy club. He struck her. Angie blocked with her spear and unleashed [Battle Roar]. She plunged the spear deep into the oni’s abdomen and dragged him backward until his body slammed against a tree.

  The creature spat blood, its weapon slipping from its grip.

  “You never should’ve gone after Lord Luke,” Angie said, yanking the spear free. The oni collapsed to his knees, vomiting blood.

  She tightened her grip and drove the spear straight into his skull, through the eye, piercing the brain.

  **Your class [Valkyrie] has reached Level 35!**

  [You have unlocked a new Class Skill]

  Charlie remained nearby, hunting Oni Priests with higher levels and other dangerous beasts. At the slightest sign of danger, she would be at Angie’s side in an instant.

  ***

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  “Another day of hunting, finished,” Charlie said.

  They climbed the temple steps together. Angie paused and looked toward the village below. “When our master comes back, I want him to see this beautiful view.”

  Every oni Angie had killed had lost its head. She had mounted them on stakes throughout the village, a silent and brutal warning.

  “What level are you now?” Angie asked.

  “Sixty-nine in my main class,” Charlie replied, a hint of pride slipping into her voice.

  She had spent ten full days clearing the forest of major threats so Angie could explore on her own without constant danger.

  “You’re way ahead of me. And you even have a second class,” Angie said, staring at her gray hands. “I wish I were stronger too.”

  “I wasn’t always like this, Angie,” Charlie replied. “I used to be a very weak, fragile skeleton.”

  They walked deeper into the temple. Charlie removed her armor, leaving only her maid outfit behind.

  Maybe I should get a maid outfit too.

  Angie tapped the notification for her new skill, and five options appeared before her.

  [Basic Shield Handling (Common)]: The Valkyrie gains foundational mastery over round shields, balancing weight between offense and defense. She can wield a spear in one hand and a shield in the other without losing control, using reach and timing to block direct strikes, deflect blows, and counterattack in a single fluid motion. This technique forms the basis of balanced combat, allowing seamless transitions between protection and aggression on the battlefield.

  [Aggressive Block (Uncommon)]: When intercepting an attack with her spear, the Valkyrie has a small chance to successfully channel the force of impact to break the enemy’s stance. This technique turns defense into offense, exploiting the opponent’s imbalance to create openings.

  [Bestial Instinct (Rare)]: The Valkyrie awakens her primal side, replacing reason with instinct. When activated, perception and agility exceed their limits by 10%. The body responds to stimuli before conscious thought, detecting movement, intent, and subtle changes in the surrounding air. Focus narrows until only the enemy exists. In combat, the body moves through pure impulse, a fusion of predator and weapon.

  [Advanced Lightning Resistance (Rare)]: The power of thunder is no longer something the Valkyrie fears. External electrical currents affect her with reduced intensity, allowing her to endure storms, lightning strikes, and unstable energy fields without paralysis or total loss of coordination. Damage from continuous electrical effects is significantly reduced, making her body far more resilient against direct lightning-based attacks. This enhanced resistance also facilitates the awakening of future thunder-related skills, guiding the Valkyrie closer to becoming the storm itself.

  [Valkyrie Tracking (Rare)]: The Valkyrie’s mind gains the precision of a huntress. She can interpret subtle environmental distortions such as disturbed soil, drifting dust, or changes in the scent of the air. This knowledge is instinctive, allowing her to track targets across varied terrain, even in rain, wind, or darkness.

  Out of the five, one skill immediately caught Angie’s attention. Advanced Lightning Resistance. It felt… oddly specific.

  Her eyes lingered on the final line.

  “This enhanced resistance facilitates the awakening of future thunder-related skills, guiding the Valkyrie closer to becoming the storm itself.”

  She felt something stir inside her. A quiet pull. A calling.

  Trusting that feeling, Angie followed her instinct.

  [You have acquired the Class Skill: Advanced Lightning Resistance]

  ***

  Another day had passed, and Luke was still gone. It had been eleven days since he’d left on his mission. Angie had reached level thirty-six in her class. With the strongest enemies defeated, she could finally explore the forest without constant tension.

  Before, a single Oni Priest would have been enough to kill her.

  “Come on, Lulie,” she called to her faithful familiar.

  The little bat flapped her wings and followed, while Charlie continued her steady routine of clearing the area.

  “It’s been days since Angie and I started working in the free temple,” Charlie complained aloud. “We cut down trees, broke rocks, handled metal, even did cleaning, and still nothing. No profession awakening at all.”

  Whether it was woodcutter, gardener, blacksmith, miner, maid, or even builder, neither of them had managed to awaken a profession.

  “At least I gained four levels as a Blood Death Knight,” Charlie said cheerfully. “Master Luke might be taking a while, but when we see him again, we’ll impress him with a new skill.”

  She went on with her routine until she stopped in front of a door.

  Master Luke’s room.

  Charlie opened it slightly and peeked inside. Some of his things were still there. She closed the door softly, hurried to the bed, and flopped down onto it. Charlie inhaled deeply, burying her face in the sheets, then giggled.

  “It still smells like Master Luke.”

  She liked being in his room. One of his shirts was neatly folded in the corner. She rushed over to it and stared as if it were a priceless treasure.

  Charlie threw herself back onto the bed.

  “It wouldn’t be a problem if I… left my scent on this bed too.”

  She rolled from side to side across the mattress. A wife’s duty was to care for a home for her husband.

  That included keeping the bed warm.

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