SSR - Book 2 Chapter 9: The Dreamer

There will be a note at the bottom of the chapter just like this one. I would be thankful if you guys could read it! This is mainly to avoid spoilers.

***

“So?” Gerard hurriedly asked after a few seconds. “Out with it! You’re doing this on purpose!”

Rylan threw a Gerard a mischievous grin and turned back to the Class’ information. The more he looked at it, the more pleased he got.

An unexpected harvest for the first Class Evolution.

He narrowed his eyes. If anything, he’d expected a Magic Swordsman Class or the like, not this. The Class’ information became larger and clearer.

[Class

The Dreamer: as Roland Steelsong, your sword’s edge ruled the heavens and earth. As Rylan Flameheart, you overcame the person you were and started to pursue a different path to greatness by sheer force of will. The union of your two lives is what pushes you forward. Your determination to be better than you ever were before has not wavered. With the heavens as witness, you will go down an unprecedented road. You never stopped dreaming of a better future in either of your lives.

Stats: +8 all stats.

Per Level: +6 all stats, +7 Free Points.

* Increases the learning speed of new spells by 20%. Increases the effectiveness of all spells by 12%. Increases the learning speed of new sword styles by 20%. Increases the effectiveness of all Sword Arts by 12%.

* All your stats will increase by 10% when using both magic and swordsmanship.

* Grants the Passive Skill ‘Dreams of Transcendence.’]

Rylan let out a sigh of admiration.

That’s a lot.

Not only was it a Class that acknowledged his reincarnation, it also boosted both his spellcasting abilities and his swordsmanship. That alone made it the best Class he’d been offered by far – especially because of the path he wanted to take – but there was one more thing he needed to check. He focused his perception no the last line. After a second, another System message appeared.

[Passive Skill

Dreams of Transcendence: you have been reborn and neither your memories nor your experience disappeared, but your past life’s power vanished. All that remained was your dream to surpass even Transcendence. You are the harbinger of a new dawn, united by the threads of fate that bind two lives. The sizzling embers might one day ignite into an inferno. May you turn that dream into a reality.

Effects: increases all kinds of learning speed by 15%. Increases your ability to integrate swordsmanship and spellcasting. Increases the speed of your progress toward Transcendence. Increases the speed of your progress toward awakening Aura by 10%. Increases the effectiveness of all training by 12%.]

Rylan couldn’t help but smile widely. This was it. The System was acknowledging that he path he was pursuing wasn’t flawed. He clenched his fists. The System didn’t make mistakes. For the Class bonuses to be this good, it could only mean that he was on the right track. Naturally, he also hadn’t missed the last lines of his new best Skill’s description.

I can awaken Aura.

It was a confirmation of what he had suspected all along, an incredibly monumental line that made him understand that his efforts hadn't been wasted. Rylan smiled widely, trying to calm his racing heart down. All he needed to do was keep at it. As long as he didn't stop trying, he would get where he wanted to be.

“Rylan!” Gerard’s voice suddenly resounded, sounding more anxious than before and dragging Rylan out of his thoughts.

Rylan flashed his father an apologetic smile and explained the Class and unique Skill to him. Gerard’s expression changed as Rylan went on. By the time Rylan finished reading the Class’ specifications, Gerard donned a visage of pure disbelief. Rylan glanced up at him with a grin.

“…What the fuck?” Gerard asked after a few seconds, incredulous.

Rylan smiled at him.

“Do you need me to read it again?”

Gerard scoffed.

“Oh, shut up. I need to sit down. Fuck.”

The man dragged his feet toward the chair and sat on it as if he were collapsing, then stared at the ceiling.

“…Unbelievable. It’s only the first Class Evolution. Something like this…” Gerard said after a moment of silence.

Rylan observed his father’s reactions with interest. Even though it was obvious that The Dreamer was a good Class, he didn’t know much about possible Classes in this life. All he could compare it to were the other Classes he’d been offered by the System. It was completely possible that others had been offered equally great Classes during their first Class Evolution. However, judging by Gerard’s reaction, it didn’t seem to be common, at the very least.

“It’s a good thing. The stronger I am, the better. This Class is the best one out of all of them, especially because it boosts both magic and swordsmanship,” Rylan replied.

Gerard sighed deeply.

“…What was your first Class like in your past life?”

Rylan rubbed his chin in thought.

“Prodigal Swordsinger was the Class that led Roland to become the Sword Saint. It took into account both his Prodigy Trait and his connection with the sword itself. It represented the first step of his journey. In terms of swordsmanship alone, it was better than The Dreamer. However, The Dreamer also boosts spellcasting. I’d say they’re about even.”

Roland’s first Class Evolution had been the beginning of a chain reaction. Because of Prodigal Swordsinger’s power, he had been able to delve into greater Dungeons to Level up and fight against stronger opponents. This usually resulted in treasure and greater fame, which hastened his development. Naturally, this meant he acquired Aura faster than anyone else by continuously facing powerful foes. By taking full advantage of the Class, Roland had managed to strengthen himself faster than almost anyone else.

And I can do the same with this one.

The Dreamer was a Class that had been offered because of the unique circumstances surrounding his existence. It belonged solely to him as ‘Rylan,’ even though it had been influenced by his past life.

“Since they’re even, doesn’t that mean you can become as powerful as Roland?” Gerard said, turning to look at Rylan.

“No,” Rylan replied with a smile. “I’ll become more powerful than him. For the sake of our family.”

Gerard stared at him with a complicated gaze.

“…You know you don’t have to live your entire life for our sake, right? I understand why you’re like this, but it’s fine for you to have dreams of your own.”

Rylan immediately shook his head.

“I won’t make the same mistake again. You guys are what’s most precious to me, as you should be. I’d kill an Ancient Dragon if it meant keeping this family safe.”

No matter what, he couldn’t have the same regrets as Roland when he died. Rylan steeled his resolve. He understood his father’s words but didn’t think he should change. Roland’s only dream had been to become as strong as possible to keep himself from losing anything again. Rylan’s dream was to become powerful enough to be able to shield his family from any kind of danger.

…I guess in the end, I’m still seeking power.

He unclenched his fists and looked at his palms, furrowing his brow. Was this truly everything he should care about? How much of himself was focused on making up for Roland’s mistakes alone? He didn’t know the answer. Rylan didn’t even know what kinds of dreams he was supposed to have. Maybe he should try to become the strongest Mage?

“Rylan,” Gerard’s voice suddenly resounded, dragging him out of his thoughts. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to become stronger in a world like this. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to protect us because of what happened to Roland. But there’s also no problem in living for yourself. Once you find something you want to do, think about yourself too.”

The room went silent as Rylan pondered his father’s words.

…Something I want to do.

Did he want to surpass Roland and prove himself as the Sword Saint’s reincarnation? Or simply become as powerful as possibly could? Both would be enough for a goal, and it was only natural for him to want to become stronger, but that wasn’t everything. If he had to pick one thing apart from protecting his family and becoming even stronger than Roland, then…

“…I want to see the world,” Rylan said suddenly said. “I want to become stronger, protect all of you, and see everything there is to see.”

His past self had spent his entire life in Cantavega, concerned only with how much Dust he could snort before the sun went down. Roland, on the other hand, had been able to go anywhere at anytime, and had gathered countless memories of different places and appearances. The gap between the two lives was too large. At the same time, he currently lived in a completely different world from Roland, or so it seemed. That meant there could be unique places different from anything Roland had seen.

It wasn’t a goal nearly as grand as rising to Roland’s level or becoming the Sword Saint again. But it was something ‘he’ wanted to do. Besides, it wasn’t like he needed to choose a single objective.

I’ll become stronger than anyone else, too. For the sake of my family.

Rylan raised his gaze, looking at Gerard’s smiling visage.

“It’s a good goal. In fact, restricting yourself to Cantavega’s surroundings or even this kingdom is bound to hinder your development. The world is a big place.”

Rylan nodded. There were treasures to acquire and Skills to learn, alongside Dungeons to clear. Only by going everywhere he could to gather experience and memories would he be able to develop as quickly as he possibly could.

“Well, that’s for the future. We have problems that need solving right now. If there’s no better Class, pick The Dreamer,” Gerard continued.

Rylan looked at the System window that was still open.

“System, I choose The Dreamer Class. I’m sure.”

All System windows disappeared before a blue light wrapped itself around him.

Here it comes.

The blue glow became thicker by the second as it flowed into his body. His heartbeat became ever stronger, thundering in his chest. His blood flowed faster, pushing against the walls of his blood vessels. Rylan let out a breath and closed his eyes, using his perception to identify all changes to his body. His muscles rippled and developed, becoming both tougher and more flexible, and his bones creaked. His entire body was undergoing a revolution.

The seconds ticked by. Finally, as suddenly as the light had appeared, it vanished. A message appeared in front of Rylan.

[Human (F) has become Human (E).]

[You will now receive two Free Points per Level because of your Race.]

He smiled and opened his Status Window.

Status Window

Name: Rylan Flameheart

Level: 25

Race: Human (E)

Class: The Dreamer

Profession: none.

Trait: Determined

Stats

Strength: 68

Agility: 68

Endurance: 69

Body: 69

Intelligence: 97

Wisdom: 79

Free Points: 27

Active Skills

Magic Missile (F); Stormcaller Sword Style (S), Mountainpeak Swordsmanship (A), Second Imperial Swordsmanship (B), Falling Snow Steps (A), Earth Grab (F), Earth Spikes (E), Firebolt (F), Wind Blades (F), Water Bullets (F), Gust (F), Ray of Frost (F).

Passive Skills

Mana Core (Second Circle), Sword Handling (E), Stamina (E), Blade Affinity (D), Precision (E), Force (E), Overpower (D), Balance (E), Cutting Edge (D), Persistence (D), Mana Affinity (E), Faster Casting (D), Lionheart (C), Dreams of Transcendence.

Hybrid Skills

Sword Mastery (Master), Mana Cultivation (Beginner).

Titles

Young Mage; Reincarnator; Swordmaster; Intermediate Monster Slayer; Hard-working; Duelist; Swordseeker; Bladedancer; Battlemage; Moonlight’s Eternal Promise.

Rylan rubbed his chin. Apart from the introduction of the new Passive Skill and stat increases due to Class Evolution, nothing much had changed. Apprentice Mage had become Young Mage, but that was it. However, this represented something incredibly important – he could now Level up again.

“Father,” Rylan said as he stood up, “We should go now.”

Gerard looked at the study’s only window, facing the sunlight that shone upon him. Rylan glanced at it. The sun was still in the sky.

“Yes, we should,” Gerard replied with a serious expression.

Rylan smiled.

“To the Open Dungeon, then.”

He would defeat the enemies on his way there to Level up and enter the Dungeon with Gerard. He only had less than three weeks.

Let’s do this.

For the sake of the hometown he’d damaged so much and for his father, Rylan would clear the Dungeon and defeat everything in his path.

***

So, this Class was actually pretty hard to come up with. I had this vision of what I wanted the 'Dreams of Transcendence' Skill to be, but not so much about the Class that it would be part of. How good of a Class would it have to be in order to make sense, given that Rylan is a reincarnated Sword Saint - whose power was in a scale 'we' still don't know exactly - but also, one that fits the very first Class Evolution? Simultaenously, I needed to address the fact that Rylan is seeking to merge both swordsmanship and magic.

This is just a long-winded way of saying that I'd really appreciate you guys' feedback and input on this chapter. I'll read every comment like always and make the changes I feel are necessary. Thank you!