Chapter 240 Learnings and worship (1/2)

We stand now on the brink of the final ascension. There is tremendous fear amongst the people now, but also great antic.i.p.ation. Such a momentous moment in history, the ambition of it still takes my breath away.

Who else but we would ever dream of something like this? None of the other peoples would have the mettle, the commitment, to see such a project through to the end. In my eyes, it is yet another example of our superiority. The others don't see it as I do, they are filled with remorse. I care nothing of the fates of those beneath us, or for myself. Only the completion of our work can move me.

She is sleeping now. Deep, restful slumber, I hope. It is my fervent wish that she does not wake until we are done. To see the look in her eyes would break me. It would break us all.

But we wouldn't stop.

Excerpt from a private journal, page 344, Author unknown.

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[So the way the System works for humans and monsters has quite significant differences, huh?]

[From what you've told me and the limited information that the Church of the Path has collected over the centuries, there are similarities but also differences, most of them due to unlock requirements].

[I still can't believe that there are no prompts for unlocking skills].

Beyn chuckles ruefully.

[I've read copies of the journals the early researches of the church have kept. The frustration that they experienced trying to track down the exact requirements to unlock advancements nearly drove them mad. Some of them are quite exacting, I a.s.sure you].

[Give me an example]

[Very well Great One, may your carapace be ever s.h.i.+ny. As we discussed, the surface races do not 'evolve' and gain strength but instead have 'cla.s.ses'. Gaining levels in a cla.s.s provides stat growth and every cla.s.s give different stats at different rates].

[That still seems unfair to me. Why do most cla.s.ses have such low growth?]

Beyn raised a finger of his one remaining hand.

[It's true, most cla.s.ses have appalling stat growth. Take this village for example. Most of the people here have the 'farmer' or 'grower' cla.s.ses. The stat growth on these jobs is poor, 0.2 Toughness a level and 0.1 for the other stats. Without transitioning to a more advanced cla.s.s they'll be stuck with mediocre stats their whole lives].

I frown.

[So why don't they change cla.s.ses?]

Beyn shook his head.

[The requirements for advancing cla.s.ses can be quite strict and although a farmer can gain experience through growing and selling produce, the xp gain is pitiful compared to fighting monsters].

[How are they supposed to fight monsters without decent stats?!] I protest.

Beyn nods.

[Exactly. The system rewards battle above all else. In order to advance in cla.s.s any other way is hard. It can take decades for a moderately successful trader to advance to a merchant].

I think about it. Why would the System be built in such a way to punish non-combat oriented cla.s.ses? IT doesn't really seem fair.

[There must be shortcuts.]

[There are, but they are only available to those with resources. For example, a wealthy merchant can take their child with the trader cla.s.s into the Dungeon and pay for mercenaries to feed them the xp from kills in order to advance their level rapidly. Such practices are common in the upper echelons of society and…] he sighed heavily, [the Church of the Path is also a major player in such trade. Knowledge of powerful, advanced cla.s.ses, escorts to take people on 'pilgrimages' into the Dungeon, all of it is for sale.]

[Seems a bit grubby] I point out.

He nods.