Ascension of the Nephilim

Chapter 586  Rule of Potential

The team was startled at Emeros's words.

"Master. You seem to be looking far ahead into the future. We are slaves and never dreamed of being swordsmen. It was too impossible!" Don smiled.

"We leave the decisions to you, young master." Philip also added.

Don and Serena both nodded to agree.

"Good! For now, gather up all the corpses, and let's retreat back to that place near our area. We will absorb the bodies of these imps and burn or bury the remains!" Emeros ordered as the group moved.

They piled all the corpses on the five wheelbarrows that they had. It was with these wheelbarrows that they hid their weapon and armor using dirt.

As the group moved back, the discussion naturally went with the jobs they had.

"Well, I only have one arm. So unless I have an advantage in magic, I will most likely be a swordsman." Wesret bitterly sighed.

"No, not exactly. My master taught me a technique for gauging one ability. I will now tell you your stats and what I think you are good at. You are level 3 with the following stat points: Strength: 10, Magic: 1, Dexterity: 14, Vitality: 7, and you have 1 point in Force! This is quite good, with an interesting spread! You have Mana and Force, and your strength is a point higher than the average. Most people at your level will have a strength stat of nine! Your vitality is slightly low, but it's because you have an arm missing. Still, my recommendation is that you pick Knight as your job!"

"...A Knight? Master! I have only one arm! A one-handed swordsman is possible but a Knight? Am I supposed to only bare a shield?!"

"You're thinking is too shallow. We have a mage serving us. And with my memories returning, it's only a matter of time before we find ways to regrow your arm!"

"Regrow my arm?! That's possible?! I haven't heard of such magic!"

"Not in this kingdom. But I think it's fairly easy. These stats of yours are good enough for a job class that my master took in his younger years. A variation to the Knight as it uses Force-like magic. The Force Paladin!"

"Paladin?! Isn't that the legendary lost job this planet only saw nearly half a millennia ago?!" Wesret exclaimed.

"My master knows how to make one. And you have its foundation. For now, you fight as a swordsman, but your training will always be that of a knight! And soon, a Paladin! You have that potential. Aspire to become one!" Emeros smiled.

"Master! Please do not speak of such things and offer me delusions!" Wesret pleaded.

"Delusions? You misunderstand. The kingdom is very lacking in perception. They look at stats and do not see the possibility because they have limited knowledge. The first few levels you gain and the first sets of stat you acquire can be studied to determine potential! I am not giving you false delusions! I'm not calling you a genius that appears once every thousands of years. I'm saying that you have a stat that's average and that you should work hard to acquire it! But with my knowledge and your willingness to take up this job, it is possible! Or do you underestimate me?" Emeros asked back.

"I... No! Never!"

"Then pursue it! This is the best possible path you can take! Not only for you but actually for me! I am asking you to be a Paladin to be my shield!" Emeros encouraged.

Wesret was silent, but his heart was racing. Emeros chose a job for him, but this job was a job of dreams!

"...I am willing! This will be my dream, master!" Wesret vowed.

"Good!" Emeros smiled. He could not help but recall how Kyros had found his shield and a family through the Steele family.

"Kyros had a sharp sword and an unbreakable shield. These allies... must become them!"

"A paladin...!" Wesret repeated in an excited voice.

"Master...? What about me?" Philip couldn't help but ask.

"Philip. You are level 3 with 8 Strength, 2 Magic, 16 Dexterity, 9 Vitality, and 1 Force! You said you're father was a hunter, and you inherited your family's profession. You have high dexterity for your level, wielding a higher magical potential than Wesret, and you also have Force!"

"Then... A Magic Bowman?" Philip guessed.

"Why stick with archers? You have the potential to be a deadly force afar and near, and your dexterity is good! My master spoke of his early life on how he had Dexterity to outclass and overpower all monstrosities that faced him. Just like Wesret, let's aim for a job of legend. One that uses bows and swords with the expert ability and incredible speed. A ninja!"

"Ninja? What's a ninja?"

"This place doesn't even know about it. But it's an amazing job. Don. Level three with the stats, 7 Strength, 3 Magic, 13 Dexterity, and 7 Vitality. No force points."

Don was stunned to hear his stats. It was lower than the rest, with only three magic points as his advantage.

"...S-so a mage?"

"Don. You have had a comfortable life. Wesret and Philip were always on the field. Young as you are, you only became a slave a few months ago, right? But don't despair. Mage is the path you should pursue; honestly, I can tell you're smart. Given a chance to grow and the right opportunities, you could surpass what Perment has reached!"

"So... I should find my elemental affinity and pick which element to master?" Don asked.

"Oh wow! Like Fire Mage Champion Xerov of our Kingdom!" Wesret praised.

"No. Let's not aim for a specific element. Let's aim higher. Aim to be a Dual Wielder, or better yet...A Triune Master!"

"What? Master... Is Triune Master...?"

"Yes. Another job was lost to this place, which means what it means. A mage who has mastered three elements!"

"...Is that possible?!"

"Yes. Just like Wesret and Philip, we will need a lot of luck and opportunities. But let's go for those lofty dreams!"

"I will! Master!" Don exclaimed.

"Finally, Serena. You are already at level 4. 14 Strength, 4 Magic. 21 Dexterity, and 15 Vitality. This growth shows you have good potential for magic. Four points at level 4 is a huge thing in this kingdom. Remember that the Baron wanted me to be his slave as well? That was the reason."

"...Then master desires that I become a mage?"

"No. Your magic is good, but so is your fighting potential. You would be best suited as a Battle Mage that emphasizes heavily on magic and a few on Force and attacks, or a Magic Blade, which is a sword expert that uses magic to empower the sword."

"...Master has not mentioned my Force stat. Is it because I have none?"

"Yes."

"Then why should I take these jobs geared towards that?"

"It's simple. Because your Force stat isn't exactly zero, it's just unusable. Like the rest, you will need a lot of luck to find it. But frankly, if we do find that miracle, you will be the strongest one here in terms of potential."

"What miracle do I need?"

"Serena. Your disease is not a disease. You seem to have a bloodline of a Vampire."

"...!" Serena was startled at Emeros's words. But her shock was not at Emeros's claims.

"Master... You...! You...!"

"Oh, so you know you have a vampire's blood?" Emeros asked again.

Serena was amazed.

"Master, you truly don't... seem bothered by it!"

"Why would I be?"

"Because... I'm a vampire?"

"Yeah... About that. I didn't want to frighten anyone, but the bloodline of my master made vampires scared of him. Either that or worship him. And it's not just vampires, mind you." Emeros recalled how Fallen-Spawns, Gigantes, Okto-Khefalis, and even the Blood Calamity fought and were defeated against Kyros and Noxus.

Serena was shocked.

"Woah... Master Emeros! You're master was that kind of being?! He wasn't human?!" Don asked with eyes full of marvel.

"...He surpassed humanity. He seemed human. Although... yeah. He was also inhuman." Emeros recalled Kyros and Noxus's different forms.

"Wow..." Wesret was also amazed.

"...So, does your master also drink blood?" Serena asked.

"Well, he didn't need to like vampires do. But he has taken in things that go beyond blood. Do you know of those dark creatures told in our children's stories? The Shade?"

"Those shadow creatures that cannot die by sword or spear?"

"Yeah. I remember my Master ate them for breakfast. And I'm being literal here." Emeros spoke of Kyros's first awakening after meeting Calaminus.

"Wow..." Philip's eyes brightened.

"Don't get lost in your dreams yet. You must train, train life you've never done before. The potential I spoke of can be changed. For now, our goal... is to train so hard and so great that our stats will be twenty points higher than the average man of our level!"

"Twenty points? What do you mean, master?" Wesret asked.

"Using your level three stats as a basis, a level 3 man will, on average, have 9 points in Strength. What I want you to have, is 29 points!"

"Twe-twenty-nine?!" Wesret exclaimed.

"Yes. But I don't mean it now. Our goal is to have that stat average before we reach level 30. Or before you reach a level, we become Champions. But the earlier we do that, the better!"

"Why?" Serena asked.

"It's part of the basic rule to asses the potential level a person can reach. Your body can only become stronger based on its base form. If your body has immense strength and can wield more strength, surpassing the Champion stage would be possible. But you can't become a Commander if you have a strength that cannot surpass what Champions have. You have Commander's Potential if you are 20 stat points higher than the average! You can train and reach level 40 without issue!"

"...Then the goal is to have a plus 20? I see..." Don nodded.

"That's just for Commander. To reach level 50, you must have a Cardinal's potential. And that's up to 40 points higher! There are higher levels, but it's pointless to talk about it. By the way, I'm only five points short of reaching Commander Potential. So you guys need to catch up!" Emeros laughed.