After defeating his first Skeleton Warrior, Aslan continued to wander the graveyard with enthusiasm, as this was his chance to earn some money and finish the unique quest.
[Lv. 10 Skeleton Warrior defeated]
[You have gained some experience]
[Lv. 12 Skeleton Warrior defeated]
[You have gained some experience]
Eventually, he encountered a different type of skeleton monster. Instead of wielding a sword, this skeleton wielded a wooden bow.
The Skeleton Archer possessed keener senses than its warrior counterparts, detecting Aslan's presence almost instantly.
It swiftly raised its bow, pulled back the string, and loosed an arrow with deadly precision, aimed directly between Aslan's brows.
Feeling an unusual surge of confidence, Aslan didn't dodge or deflect. Instead, he swung his sword in a clean vertical arc, splitting the arrow in half midair.
Before the Skeleton Archer could ready a second shot, Aslan closed the distance in a flash.
With a swift, decisive strike, he cut through the skeleton, killing it instantly.
[Lv. 13 Skeleton Archer defeated]
[You have gained some experience]
[You have reached level 9]
Marthel observed Aslan's fights with sharp focus, studying every subtle detail in his movements. It didn't take long for her to become convinced that Aslan wasn't just familiar with the sword; he was an expert.
At first, she assumed his proficiency came from his Warrior Class—after all, all Warriors learned the skill Basic Swordsmanship.
But Aslan had only recently awakened, and newly acquired Skills always started at the lowest level of mastery, requiring significant time and experience to develop.
This could only mean one thing: Aslan had trained in swordsmanship long before awakening his Class.
However, Sorin's family had conducted an extensive investigation into Aslan's background and found no evidence that he had the resources or opportunity to receive such training. This only deepened Marthel's confusion and curiosity.
'His Class Potential is only F-Rank, and he grew up as an orphan. Maybe he's just gifted with the sword?' she wondered.
Albeit rare, it was possible for people to suddenly acquire talents they never had before after their Class Awakening.
"What do you think, Granny? He's very skilled, right?" Sorin suddenly spoke.
"Well, he's not bad for someone who'd only recently awakened," she responded nonchalantly.
"Unfortunately, his Class Potential is only F-Rank. He won't get far in life, so don't get too attached to him."
An individual's Class Potential determines how powerful their Class can become in the future, particularly when they reach a certain level and qualify for advancement.
Those with low potential typically receive mediocre Class advancements, while those with high potential are granted powerful new Classes, often along with rare or unique skills.
Individuals with high-ranking Class Potential are treated like royalty and hailed as geniuses.
Some elite Clans even require a certain level of Class Potential as a condition for entry.
"That's…" Sorin fell silent.
Even someone as inexperienced as her understood how society looked down on those with low-ranking Class Potential.
Some time later, Aslan came to a halt when he noticed a floating crystal, gently glowing as it hovered a few feet above the ground.
"What's that?" Aslan pointed at it and asked.
"Oh! That's a Loot Crystal! It'll drop things if we destroy it!" she explained in excitement.
"Since you're doing most of the work, I'll let you destroy it."
Aslan nodded and approached it. Then, without hesitation, he smacked it with the Nameless Sword.
[Congratulations! You have destroyed your first Loot Crystal! You have received 5 Achievement Points as a reward!]
The crystal instantly shattered, revealing a white ring that appeared to be made out of bones.
"Wow! It's a ring-type artifact!" Sorin exclaimed. "They're one of the rarest kinds of treasures—right up there with necklace-types."
"How do we split this?" Aslan asked.
"We can decide that later," she said. "Just throw it in your inventory for now."
He nodded and tossed the ring into his inventory before continuing to clear the dungeon.
After defeating over 50 more monsters, Aslan finally reached level 10.
[You have reached level 10]
[You have completed 'Path of the All-Encompassing(2)']
[You have received 'Class Awakening Key' as a Quest Reward]
['Class Awakening Key' has been stored inside your private inventory]
[You have received the Skill Book 'Weapon Aura' as a Quest Reward]
[You have received the follow-up quest 'Path of the All-Encompassing(3)' as a Quest Reward]
[Quest: Path of the All-Encompassing(3)]
[Difficulty: Normal]
[Description: Continue your journey as the All-Encompassing. Acquire your second Class and reach level 30 for one Class.]
"Let's take a break," Sorin said suddenly, her voice gentle.
She had noticed the distant look in Aslan's eyes and grew concerned he might be pushing himself too hard.
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Once they found a suitable spot to rest, Sorin pulled three small chairs from her inventory and set them out for the group to sit.
"Sorry… I've been pretty useless," Sorin said suddenly after taking a seat.
With Aslan effortlessly defeating every monster without taking a single hit, there had been no need for her healing skills, leaving her feeling like all she'd done was tag along.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Aslan said with a slight smile.
"I guess that's true…"
Sorin pulled out a small glass vial filled with a light blue liquid and handed it to Aslan.
"Here—drink this. It's a stamina potion. It'll help you recover."
"A potion? Aren't these expensive? It'd be a waste. I'm not that tired, either."
"Stamina potions are the cheapest kind of potion, so it'll be fine. Also, it's better to be safe than sorry. We might run into the Dungeon Boss soon, after all."
"Okay. Thank you."
[Lesser Stamina Potion consumed]
[Your stamina recovery has been temporarily improved.]
[Duration: 29:59]
While he waited for his stamina to recover, Aslan turned his attention to the Skill Book he had acquired from the Quest Reward and opened his inventory.