Complications

Seeing as he didn't drink too much the previous night, Kurai had no problem waking up early, but the same couldn't be said for either Ren or more than half of the trainees.

Hana seemed to have expected it though because she made the greasiest breakfast possible to ensure that everyone would be able to recover before lunchtime and Kurai winced in sympathy as he noticed Rai's wide grin as he mentioned afternoon training.

It didn't take long to finish his own breakfast before he spotted Hozumi standing outside and seemingly ready to go, though he was sure she hadn't eaten breakfast yet and he frowned in worry.

Soft laughter suddenly sounded out next to him and he turned to see Hana taking his empty plate, "Did you know that your thoughts are very easy to read?"

Kurai was about to protest, but she shook her head, "It's a good thing in this case, but just so you know, it's safer to keep your expression neutral or bored. It makes it harder for people to determine your strength. Oh, and most Seraphs stop eating meat when they reach the point where they can actually communicate with nature."

Hozumi's previous words about being connected to Seradeihn's Deity echoed through his mind and he nodded in understanding, to which Hana smiled before she placed a basket in front of him, "Something for the road. The Guilds Hall might be close, but be careful which guild you enter into and always read the fine print."

A laugh escaped him, thinking that Hana was joking about how hard they probably worked the new recruits until he noticed that she looked quite serious.

A shudder went through him at the words as he gratefully took the basket of food, "You make it sound like they trick people into selling themselves away as slaves."

Hana gave a serious nod and Kurai paled before she suddenly smiled, "But don't worry, with Hozumi as your guardian you only have to worry about getting into trouble when she roasts someone without it being in your defense. Luckily you can heal them up again so there shouldn't be too much trouble. Stay safe, and you are welcome to visit us again anytime!"

Kurai watched her leave in shock as his first meeting with Hozumi came to mind, but then a hand knocked him on the back, almost sending him sprawling onto the table.

He turned around with a glare, only for it to disappear as he saw Ren and Rai standing there grinning. Although Ren still seemed very hungover.

A smile crossed his face, "You guys came to say goodbye?"

Both men nodded, but it was Rai that spoke, "Thanks for everything. I hope we will be able to see you again."

A glance around showed Kurai that the rest of the trainees were watching them with hungover smiles of their own and he decided that he would definitely return for a visit if possible, so he nodded, making them smile even wider.

With that, he placed the basket in his inventory and walked out toward Hozumi while fighting the urge to glance back as a strange sense of melancholy hit him.

'This is a game, so why the hell does it feel like I'm leaving behind some important friends?'

The feeling persisted and he wondered why Hozumi hadn't spoken yet, only to see a similar expression on her face as he was certain was on his.

A familiar 'ding' sounded as they left the training area and he glanced down to read the notice:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quest: Attend the Training Hall

(Quest Level: F – Beginner)

Your level has been found lacking. Please attend the Training Hall in the Eastern District to learn basic skills before applying for the Guilds Hall. (Complete)

You have obtained an Intermediate skill before reaching level 10. Over-achiever Achievement unlocked. The reward will be changed accordingly.

Reward: 35 gold, 1 Intermediate Skill (Cyberblink)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurai watched the message in confusion before another 'ding' sounded out leaving him to turn to a short message that popped up:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations: You have reached level 10. Please head to the nearest Guilds Hall to join a guild.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A smile crossed his face as he was temporarily distracted from his thoughts, "It seems I received a new skill."

Hozumi blinked at him in surprise as he glanced at her, "Oh? What did you get?"

Kurai grinned, "An intermediate skill called 'Cyberblink'. It would have been a basic skill, but after receiving 'Seraph's Blessing' from you, and then 'Seraph's Form', it also unlocked this skill."

Hozumi stopped walking, making Kurai stop as well as he noticed the thoughtful expression on her face, "Is something wrong?"

"Hm?" Hozumi seemed thoughtful as she shook her head when she noticed his gaze, "No, nothing is wrong. It's just…well…intermediate skills and higher don't really grow on trees you know, and the drawback on your body could be lethal if you were to use them all at once without training up your resistance first."

A thought suddenly occurred to Kurai as he listened to her words, "I-eh, how do you use the skills you gain?"

As he asked that, Hozumi was about to step over a rather large rock, only to have her foot catch it as his question caught her off guard.

Kurai moved to catch her and everything seemed to slow down around him before he found himself grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him to steady her only to feel the same weakness he'd felt after healing Rai, though he instinctively moved her body on top of his to cushion her fall.

The result sent both of them landing on the ground, hard, and Kurai winced as he rubbed the back of his head in pain, "Sorry, that…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Hozumi grabbed the front of his armor from where she was currently sitting on his stomach, "Did I really just hear right? You don't know how to activate your skills?"

Kurai nodded, though he wished he hadn't as a familiar glow seemed to cover her hands, "Have you been training your basic skills at all this week?!"

'Should I really answer that when it looks like she is about to roast me alive?'

The glow became brighter and Kurai leaned away as far as he could in their current position, "I don't have any basic skills…"

Hozumi froze at his words and the glow faded as she blinked in shock, "None at all? Not even basic sword skills? Aren't you a knight?"

Kurai cringed, "Well, my class says I am, but my stats on the other hand…"

Hozumi nodded in thought and Kurai smiled sheepishly as he noticed that she was still sitting on top of his stomach, "Shouldn't we be heading to the Guilds Hall?"

The question clearly caught her off-guard before she also noticed their current position and her cheeks became slightly red, but it seemed not even that would stop her current line of thought, "They won't accept you."

The words caught him off guard as he blinked up at her and for a moment he wondered whether she had figured out that he truly didn't belong in the gaming world, but then she continued, "As I said earlier, intermediate skills are hard to use because of the strain they place on the body, though now that I think about it, you were able to heal Rai by using 'Seraph's Form' to make up for your lack of mana to perform 'Seraph's Blessing', but you currently don't know how to activate it at will."

As Hozumi spoke she stood and helped him up, and he watched as she tried to formulate a plan, "So what do you think we should do?"

She sighed and gripped her sword handle in clear frustration, "Well you can't enter the place without being able to show that you know how to use your abilities. Sure, most guilds help you grow stronger, but they first want to see that you would be able to contribute something to their guild."

It made more sense than he cared to admit, and it also revealed why the Mortvira had turned him away when he first tried to enter.

A frustrated hiss sounded out and Kurai turned his attention back to Hozumi as she paced back and forth on the path, "So what do I do."

Even though she was his guardian, he didn't want to drag her down with him, but her response reassured him that he wasn't alone, "You are going to practice activating your abilities after going into 'Seraphs Form', while I am going to figure out how to hide the shift in your appearance. As amazing as it is, it has many drawbacks as many groups would want that skill for themselves and they would do anything to get it."

Hana's earlier words about guilds tricking people into being slaves echoed through his mind and he nodded in determination, only to find Hozumi suddenly looking worried, "Is there something else we need to worry about?"

She nodded but made no move to say something until he raised a brow and tilted his head in question before crossing his arms when it seemed like she still wouldn't voice her thoughts, "Tell me."

Hozumi glanced away, though it was clear that her cheeks were red with embarrassment as she mumbled something.

Not catching what she said, Kurai took a step closer with a frown, "Sorry, didn't catch that."

A sigh left her and she glared at him in embarrassment, "I said we need a place to sleep and train first and we can't go back to the training grounds. I also didn't bring any gold since the priests at the cathedral paid for everything."

Kurai's smiled in relief, "Well that's an easy fix, I have an apartment that we can use nearby."

Too bad he forgot that it only had a single bed.

Two hours later he found himself trying to access his powers on his make-shift bed while Hozumi busied herself by making food with the ingredients that Hana had given them, but with everything running through his mind at once, it was a lost cause and he decided to take a look at his stats.

'I wonder when Lin is coming on. Hopefully, the time difference in the game and in real life isn't too hectic.'

Kurai opened his menu and tapped the option to view his stats, only to realize that there was something wrong with his class:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avatar Name: Kurai Tachi

Class: Unknown

Level: 10

Chosen Occupation: Cultivator

Guardian: Hozumi Sasaki

Main Story Quest: You are the last heir of a prestigious clan, and you have been tasked to discover the truth about the Missing Eons. Due to the danger of the quest, you will be accompanied by a guardian.

Quest Status: 3% complete

Clan Renown Status: 15 renown

Inheritance Status: Locked (10% progress made)

Avatar Statistics:

- Strength: 8 (3) > <

- Endurance: 12 (5) > <

- Agility: 13 (5) > <

- Intelligence: 13 (6) > <

- Vitality: 13 (5) > <

- Dexterity: 12 (4) > <

Points Available: 30

Passive Skills: -

Active Skills: Seraph's Blessing, Seraph's Form, Cyberblink

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He turned to Hozumi with wide eyes, "Just hypothetically, what does it mean if someone's class suddenly says 'Unknown'?

Hozumi froze before her grip tightened on the handle of the pot and her hand started getting that familiar red glow.

'Maybe that just made the situation worse…'