Chapter 139: The Four Adepts Of Grayfen!

Immediately after examining their Character Sheets, Damian distributed one Essence Surge Pill to each of the three Journeymen and placed several bottles of Condensing Essence Pills upon the table.

Eunice, Paulina and Julia exchanged excited looks before swallowing the first pills, while Janet watched from her seat with the unmistakable satisfaction of someone who had finally found other victims to share her suffering.

"Remember, the Essence Surge Pill doubles the Experience you receive, but the Condensing Essence Pills become less effective after repeated consumption, so don’t start swallowing them like candy," Damian warned with an amused smile.

"Just keep an eye on your Character Sheets, and once you reach Overall Level 11, stop immediately." He advised with folded arms.

Paulina nodded enthusiastically and immediately swallowed another pill, prompting Janet to burst into laughter as Julia hurriedly reminded the Wolf Beastwoman to chew her food properly.

Eunice approached the process more carefully, checking her Experience after each dose and occasionally pausing to consider the changes taking place within her body.

The effects were almost immediate, with their accumulated Experience rapidly crossing the thresholds that would ordinarily have required months or even years of training and dangerous Adventurer missions.

Every advancement brought a new Free Attribute Point, and when their Overall Levels reached nine, the familiar General Feat selection appeared before them.

Damian watched the process with considerable satisfaction, especially when he considered how absurdly cheap these advancements were compared to the effort required to achieve them through ordinary means.

What had once been an achievement worthy of celebration throughout Rosewood Town was now being accomplished by three beautiful women sitting around his table and swallowing medicinal pills!

If Roland discovered this, the poor Lionman might actually suffer a heart attack!

Fortunately, Damian was fairly confident that Eunice could heal him afterward.

After several more doses, the final advancement notifications appeared, and three powerful surges of mana spread throughout the room as the women crossed the boundary separating Journeymen from Adepts.

Their auras strengthened considerably, while the supernatural foundations that had already been enhanced through cultivation underwent another transformation.

"Congratulations, ladies! You are now officially Adepts!" Damian announced with a broad smile, watching Paulina flex her arms while Julia examined the changes in her body with growing amazement.

"And now comes the really interesting part, because all three of you can finally choose your second Classes!" Janet prompted with interest.

Naturally, Eunice went first.

The beautiful Priestess closed her eyes as the Class selection interface appeared before her, but unlike Damian, who had spent considerable time weighing his options, she barely hesitated before making her decision.

A moment later, her Character Sheet updated, revealing a combination that Damian had not expected at all.

[Overall Level: 11.]

[Main Class: Cleric — Level 10.]

[Subclass: Warden — Level 1.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Adept).]

[Attributes: CON: 7.5 (+2), SPI: 20.0 (+2)]

[New Feats: Tough (General), Bulwark (Origin)]

[New Warden Class Passive: Incoming Damage Reduction: 12%.]

[Divine Spell Slots: Level 1 ×6, Level 2 ×5, Level 3 ×3, Level 4 ×3, Level 5 ×1.]

[New Level 5 Spell: Mass Cure Wounds.]

Damian blinked several times as he examined the sheet, his attention immediately settling upon the newly acquired Warden Class.

Of all the choices Eunice could have made, he had expected something that complemented her divine spellcasting more directly, yet she had deliberately chosen the most defensive of the Six Great Classes!

"Eunice, you chose Warden?" Damian asked with genuine surprise, glancing from the interface toward the smiling Priestess.

"I mean, I can understand the appeal, but I honestly thought you’d select Mage or something that could improve your magical versatility." He stated with a puzzled frown.

Eunice shook her head gently, her expression becoming somewhat nostalgic as she considered the question. "Actually Damian, becoming a Paladin has always been my true objective, and I believe combining Cleric with Warden will provide the strongest foundation for that path," she explained.

"Paladin?! Well, I’ll be damned, I really didn’t see that coming!" Damian exclaimed, staring at her with renewed interest before slowly rubbing his chin.

Eunice was certainly not delicate, especially after Damian had personally witnessed her smashing Varkas across the face with a divinely empowered staff, but she was hardly Paulina either.

If someone had asked him to identify which of his women wanted to become a heavily armored holy warrior, he would have pointed toward the muscular Wolf Beastwoman without a moment’s hesitation.

Then again, people were not obligated to follow the archetypes he associated with their Classes, and everyone possessed ambitions that could not be determined merely by examining their appearance.

Eunice had spent years protecting and healing others, so perhaps becoming someone capable of standing directly between danger and her companions was simply the natural conclusion of her convictions.

Damian’s eyes moved toward her new Warden passive, and his expression became increasingly appreciative as he considered its implications.

At Warden Level 1, Eunice already received a twelve percent reduction to incoming damage, and that protection would increase by another two percentage points with every Warden Level until reaching fifty percent at Level 20.

Combined with her newly acquired <Tough> General Feat, which reinforced her survivability, and the defensive advantages of <Bulwark>, she had taken an important step toward becoming considerably harder to kill.

Of course, her physical Attributes remained relatively modest compared to those of a dedicated martial combatant, but that was precisely where Shengyuan’s cultivation system could compensate for her weaknesses!

Damian nodded approvingly before examining the rest of her improvements, noting that she had invested two Free Attribute Points into Spirit and the remaining two into Constitution.

Her Spirit had now reached an impressive twenty points, actually surpassing his own current value, while her Constitution had risen to a much healthier seven and a half.

"Twenty Spirit, huh? You’re actually beating me in one of the most important Attributes for a Cleric!" Damian praised with considerable amusement, making Eunice blush as he continued inspecting her divine spellcasting progression.

"And you even received your first Level 5 Divine Spell Slot early, just like I did when I became an Adept!"

That was another excellent development, especially because Eunice had always specialized in keeping her companions alive rather than pursuing direct offensive power.

Her existing repertoire already included useful miracles such as <Spiritual Weapon>, <Spirit Guardians> and <Warden of Vitality>, while the newly available <Mass Cure Wounds> provided another powerful option for treating multiple injured allies.

Damian also noticed that her displayed repertoire now included <Shillelagh>, the rather entertaining divine enhancement she had used to introduce Varkas to the business end of her staff.

He still remembered Paulina laughing like a lunatic during that battle, and the memory became even funnier now that Eunice was seriously pursuing the path of a Paladin!

"Excellent choice, babe, and I think it’ll suit you wonderfully! Once your cultivation improves your physical Attributes, you’ll have the foundation to protect others from the front rather than always remaining behind them." Damian declared with a pleased smile, causing Eunice’s expression to soften.

"That is precisely what I hope to accomplish," Eunice answered warmly, her fingers brushing against the divine mark upon her forehead.

"I have spent so long relying upon others to shield me while I provided support, and although there is nothing wrong with that arrangement, I would like to become someone capable of protecting them in return." She added with a gentle smile.

Damian smiled and nodded, finding himself increasingly impressed by the seriousness with which Eunice approached her future development.

She had chosen her path long before meeting him, and now she finally possessed the resources necessary to pursue it without being restrained by her former limitations!

Next came Paulina.

The Wolf Beastwoman had been waiting impatiently throughout Eunice’s explanation, and the moment Damian turned toward her, she proudly thrust her Character Sheet forward with a grin that promised something ridiculous.

Considering her personality, Damian was fully prepared to see Warden or Ranger, perhaps even Rogue if she had suddenly developed an interest in becoming an extraordinarily muscular assassin.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated her ambition.

[Overall Level: 11.]

[Main Class: Fighter — Level 10.]

[Subclass: Mage — Level 1.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Adept).]

[Attributes: INT: 6.0 (+2), WIS: 5.0 (+1).]

[New Feats: Mobile (General), Mage Initiate (Origin)]

[Fighter Class Passive: Stamina Cost Reduction: 30%]

[Mage Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Shocking Grasp, Thorn Whip.]

[Level 1 Spell Selected: Longstrider (Not Automatically Prepared).]

[Mage Spell Slots: Level 1 ×2.]

Damian stared at the sheet for several seconds before slowly looking toward Paulina, who appeared extraordinarily pleased with herself.

"Mage? You actually chose Mage as your second Class?" he asked, unable to suppress his laughter as the Wolf Beastwoman proudly nodded.

"Of course! My goal is to pursue the ultimate damage output, and Fighter alone can only take me so far!" Paulina declared enthusiastically, raising one fist as though preparing to demonstrate her reasoning upon the nearest unfortunate object.

"With Mage, I can combine offensive spells with my unarmed fighting style and attack enemies from every possible distance!" She added with a wild grin.

Damian opened his mouth, considered her explanation and then slowly nodded as the logic became apparent.

Paulina had never been interested in subtlety or complicated defensive tactics, and if there was one thing that consistently occupied her thoughts, it was discovering increasingly effective ways to beat the absolute shit out of her enemies!

From that perspective, Mage was actually a remarkably sensible choice!

Her newly acquired <Mage Initiate> Origin Feat granted her three Cantrips, one Level 1 spell selection and two Level 1 Spell Slots, providing an entirely new dimension to her combat capabilities.

Unlike a permanently prepared spell, however, her selected <Longstrider> merely entered her available repertoire, meaning she would still need to prepare it before using one of her precious Spell Slots.

The Cantrip selections were particularly interesting, because Paulina had chosen three spells that complemented her preferred fighting style rather than attempting to imitate a conventional Mage.

<Eldritch Blast> provided ranged offensive power, <Shocking Grasp> gave her an elemental attack suited to close combat, and <Thorn Whip> offered another means of interfering with an enemy’s positioning.

Then there was <Longstrider>, which naturally suited someone who wanted to close distances quickly and pursue enemies who foolishly attempted to escape.

Combined with her newly acquired <Mobile> General Feat, Paulina was clearly developing into an extremely aggressive combatant whose primary concern was reaching the enemy and delivering as much damage as possible!

"Not bad, not bad at all!" Damian praised, nodding appreciatively as he examined her existing Fighter progression.

"And with Fighter Level 10, your Class passive now reduces the stamina cost of Fighter Skills, weapon attacks and unarmed combat by thirty percent, so you can keep fighting longer while adding magical attacks whenever necessary!" Damian tsked with a shake of his head, fearing for her enemies.

Paulina’s grin widened immediately, her tail wagging enthusiastically as she imagined the possibilities awaiting her.

However, Damian soon noticed something even more interesting about her updated Attributes, and his expression became increasingly amused.

"Oh? You actually invested two points into Intelligence and one into Wisdom?" Damian asked, genuinely impressed that the Wolf Beastwoman had resisted the temptation to strengthen her already formidable physical Attributes.

"Very good, Paulina, that’s exactly the kind of sensible allocation your new Class requires!" He praised with satisfaction.

Unfortunately, Janet had absolutely no intention of allowing such an opportunity to pass without comment.

"Pfft! Hahahaha! Paulina actually decided to grow a brain!" Janet exclaimed, clutching her stomach as the Wolf Beastwoman’s ears immediately flattened.

"Congratulations, you musclehead wolf! At this rate, you might eventually become smart enough to count how many people you’ve punched!"

"JANET!" Paulina roared indignantly, causing the little Demoness to laugh even harder while Julia covered her mouth to conceal an equally amused smile.

Damian wisely chose not to intervene, since this was precisely the sort of friendly argument that could occupy the four women for hours without producing anything resembling a meaningful conclusion.

Fortunately, Julia was next.

Unlike Paulina, the beautiful Elf approached her advancement with considerable composure, carefully reviewing her options before selecting the Class she believed would best complement her existing capabilities.

Her reasoning was straightforward, and Damian found himself nodding approvingly even before her updated Character Sheet appeared.

[Overall Level: 11.]

[Main Class: Ranger — Level 10.]

[Subclass: Fighter — Level 1.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Adept).]

[Attributes: STR: 12.5 (+3).]

[New Feats: Athlete (General), Double Strike (Origin).]

[Ranger Class Passive: Accuracy Increase: 30%.]

[Fighter Class Passive: Stamina Cost Reduction: 12%.]

"Fighter, huh? Now that is an interesting combination!" Damian remarked, examining Julia’s new Feat and the additional Strength she had acquired.

"I suppose you’re planning to become more capable of fighting enemies directly rather than relying entirely upon your bow?" He glanced at her and asked.

"Precisely," Julia replied with a satisfied smile, crossing her arms as she explained her decision.

Julia clenched her fist. "Ranger already provides me with excellent ranged combat capabilities, but now that cultivation can strengthen my physical foundation, I see no reason to neglect close combat."

Damian nodded approvingly, finding her reasoning difficult to dispute when he considered how her physical Attributes would continue improving through Body Tempering.

With sufficient Strength and Constitution, Julia could eventually fight at close range without sacrificing the extraordinary Dexterity and Agility that made her such a dangerous archer.

Her newly acquired <Athlete> General Feat further complemented that direction, while the Fighter Origin Feat <Double Strike> provided another martial advantage she could develop alongside her existing Ranger Skills.

More importantly, Fighter Level 1 immediately reduced the stamina cost of her weapon attacks, unarmed combat and applicable Fighter Skills by twelve percent!

"And your Ranger accuracy bonus has now reached thirty percent at Level 10, which is frankly ridiculous when combined with your natural Dexterity and existing Archery Specialization," Damian added with a chuckle.

"Between that and your new Fighter foundation, I can already imagine how unpleasant fighting you is going to become!"

Julia lifted her chin proudly, although the slight blush spreading across her cheeks betrayed how pleased she was by the praise.

"Naturally! I have no intention of falling behind the others simply because I prefer fighting from a distance," she declared, glancing meaningfully toward Paulina.

Paulina grinned back at her, clearly interpreting the statement as an invitation to spar at the earliest opportunity.

Damian could already imagine the inevitable arguments about whether Julia should be allowed to use her bow during their next training session, and he decided that resolving such matters could safely become a problem for Future Damian.

Finally, his attention settled upon Janet.

Unlike the others, the little Demoness had not gained any additional Levels, since Damian had already used the same medicines to raise her to Overall Level 11 during the Moonveil incident.

Nevertheless, she looked considerably happier now that her companions had finally caught up with her, and the tension that had occasionally appeared beneath her mischievous behavior seemed to have disappeared.

"Hehehe! Finally, I don’t have to be the only Adept among us anymore!" Janet announced cheerfully, stretching her arms above her head as she regarded the other three women with obvious satisfaction.

"I was starting to feel a little unbalanced, you know, especially when I kept thinking about how much stronger I was becoming compared to everyone else!"

Damian raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the admission, but the relief upon Janet’s face was unmistakably genuine.

Although she loved showing off her abilities and teasing her companions, she had never wanted her advancement to create an uncomfortable distance between them.

Besides, Janet already possessed an excellent foundation of her own, with Rogue Level 10 granting a thirty percent increase to stealth duration and effectiveness while Ranger Level 1 provided another twelve percent accuracy increase.

Combined with her remarkable physical Attributes and her Demonic bloodline, she remained an exceptionally dangerous combatant despite receiving no new advancement today.

"Well, congratulations to all four of you!" Damian declared, spreading his arms with considerable satisfaction as he looked upon the beautiful women gathered around him.

"The Four Valkyries are now officially an Adept-level team, and I must say, the future is looking rather promising!"

The ladies exchanged delighted looks before breaking into excited conversation about their new Classes, Feats and the various possibilities awaiting them.

Damian watched them for a while with an affectionate smile, finding their enthusiasm rather infectious after everything they had experienced together.

Eventually, however, Eunice raised a question that brought their attention back toward the future.

"Damian, now that we have all become Adepts, what exactly should we do next?" she asked thoughtfully, looking toward him as the others gradually fell silent.

"The Moonveil problem has been resolved, the Dark Goblin threat has been dealt with, and we have even managed to ermm... ’capture’... Serra, so there is no longer any immediate crisis demanding our attention."

Damian chuckled at the mention of Serra, especially because calling their current arrangement a capture was rather generous considering how matters had developed.

Nevertheless, Eunice was correct that their immediate objectives around Rosewood Town had largely been accomplished, which meant it was finally time to consider something considerably more ambitious.

"First things first, all four of you need to reach Qi Condensation!" Damian announced, raising one finger as he began explaining his plans.

"You’re only at Body Tempering Level 1 right now, so there is still plenty of cultivation ahead of you, but once you reach Qi Condensation, your foundations will become considerably stronger!"

The women nodded attentively, their excitement increasing as they considered the additional growth that Shengyuan’s cultivation system could provide.

After witnessing their first breakthroughs and experiencing the permanent improvement to their physical Attributes, none of them doubted that cultivation would eventually become an indispensable part of their development.

"Second, I’ll use my expertise to craft unique equipment for each of you, designed around your Classes, abilities and personal preferences!" Damian continued with a confident grin, already imagining the extraordinary combinations he could create through his knowledge of both realms.

"I want all four of you wearing equipment that actually complements your individual fighting styles instead of relying upon whatever happens to be available in Rosewood Town!"

Paulina immediately began discussing the possibility of specially crafted gauntlets, while Julia became interested in a bow capable of accommodating her increasingly powerful elemental arrows.

Eunice considered defensive equipment that would complement her future Paladin path, whereas Janet’s expression became suspiciously thoughtful as she imagined what Damian might create for someone specializing in stealth and assassination.

"And once all that is accomplished, we’ll finally begin expanding our influence beyond Rosewood!" Damian declared, his smile widening as he looked toward the four women.

"We’ve accomplished plenty here, but Valoria is an enormous world, and I have absolutely no intention of spending the rest of my life operating a little shop in one town." He added with a chuckle.

The declaration immediately stirred something within the Four Valkyries, and for a moment, nobody spoke as they considered how dramatically their circumstances had changed.

When they had first encountered Damian, he had been little more than a confused Otherworlder who needed their assistance to survive, yet now he possessed the resources, influence and personal power to pursue ambitions that most nobles would scarcely dare imagine.

They had already understood that remaining in quaint little Rosewood Town would eventually become impossible once Damian revealed the true extent of his abilities.

A man capable of traveling between worlds, manufacturing extraordinary equipment and raising ordinary Adventurers into Adepts within an afternoon was never going to remain satisfied with managing a single town forever!

Nevertheless, the realization brought a complicated mixture of emotions.

Rosewood Town had been their home away from home, the place where they had formed friendships, pursued their careers and experienced countless ordinary moments that had gradually become precious memories.

Leaving those familiar surroundings behind would not be easy, especially when they considered the companions, acquaintances and everyday routines that had shaped their lives for so many years.

Yet the excitement was equally undeniable, because the vast world beyond Rosewood was filled with places they had only heard about through stories and legends!

There were magnificent cities, powerful kingdoms, dangerous wildernesses and countless opportunities waiting beyond the boundaries of their familiar little town!

And this time, they would not be exploring that world alone.

They would be traveling together, growing stronger together and pursuing a future alongside the extraordinary man who had entered their lives and changed everything.

Whatever difficulties awaited them, the Four Valkyries now possessed something far more precious than wealth or power alone, and that was the confidence that their future belonged to them!

Damian looked upon their expressions and felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction, especially when Eunice reached for his hand while the others gradually gathered around him.

Their excitement was contagious, and for a moment, he allowed himself to imagine what the Baines Noble Family might become once they finally began spreading their influence throughout Valoria.

The future was incomparably bright!

......

After spending some more time with the ladies, Damian eventually excused himself and returned to his study, where he closed the door and settled into a comfortable cross-legged position.

The cheerful atmosphere of their earlier conversation gradually faded from his thoughts as he turned his attention toward an objective that had been waiting patiently beneath his increasingly hectic schedule.

Cultivation!

Damian slowly closed his eyes and examined the condition of his Refined Qi Sea, feeling the familiar circulation of the Five Elements Harmonization Art responding to his will.

He had already brought the technique to Perfection and established an extraordinarily solid foundation, but his actual cultivation remained at Qi Condensation Level 1.

For someone who had been busy fighting Fey, eliminating Dark Goblins, managing businesses, developing equipment and repeatedly becoming involved in increasingly troublesome affairs, that was hardly surprising.

Nevertheless, the fact remained that his cultivation had fallen behind the rest of his abilities, and Damian had absolutely no intention of allowing that situation to continue indefinitely.

His body possessed extraordinary physical Attributes, his Mage and Cleric Classes provided formidable supernatural versatility, and his numerous Feats created advantages that ordinary cultivators could scarcely imagine.

Yet Shengyuan’s cultivation system offered an entirely different avenue of advancement, and the next major realm represented a transformation he had been looking forward to ever since he first began cultivating.

Foundation Establishment!

Of course, reaching that realm would require him to advance through the remaining levels of Qi Condensation before attempting the actual breakthrough.

However, Damian possessed tremendous cultivation advantages through his Attributes, Feats and perfected technique, and with the immediate troubles surrounding Rosewood Town finally resolved, he could at last devote his attention to the task without constant interruptions.

After such a long time, it was finally time for Damian Baines to cultivate toward Foundation Establishment!