Kael was deeply frustrated with how things were unfolding. This ti, they had managed to locate the undead, but the information seed almost useless. Around the massive black castle, every beast had been turned into an undead creature, and the few vampires or other undead they had spotted coming and going were extraordinarily powerful. Kael wasn’t even sure if he could defeat one of them in a duel.
The undead had a nurical advantage and the elite forces of the vampires, also might be even stronger. Judging strength based solely on aura was always tricky, as it could be manipulated, but either way, an attack didn’t seem feasible. The only silver lining was that Kael was now certain the catacombs were located in the desert, given the undead's steady movent in that direction. It wasn't actionable intel for now, but it was still good to know.
Since arriving on the fifth stage, Kael and Kai had beco remarkably skilled in stealth. This was far from how Kael had imagined the fifth stage would be. They were beaten down, unable to participate in the special quest, and hadn’t encountered any other humans or survivors aside from undead. Still, their progress hadn't been entirely stagnant.
Both had evolved to E-grade to stand a chance against the undead. Their evolution hadn't been ideal, with both receiving ancient classes rather than the superior ones they had hoped for. It was frustrating, but according to the gods, they had actually been lucky. Their F-grade classes had been unusually strong, and the system judged people more harshly if they failed to et those expectations.
Despite the setback, they were now level eighty-seven and had already acquired an E-grade skill. Along the way, they had also learned about the variation in class rewards. So classes granted only a few skills, but those skills were exceptionally powerful. Others provided more skills, but each was relatively weaker.
Regardless, an E-grade skill was still significant, and the extra stats that ca with the levels after the evolution were valuable. Both Kael and Kai had heavily invested in body tempering, but there was a limit to how much one could push their body. Eventually, the resources required beca astronomical for diminishing returns.
This limitation was one of the reasons they had evolved to E-grade earlier than planned. Ideally, Kael would have preferred to remain in F-grade throughout the tutorial, but the sheer number and strength of the undead forced their hand. They needed every possible power boost.
Kai was in an even more precarious position than Kael. Kael still had one last potential power-up: Thalion's Sanguine Thorn. With it, he would undoubtedly secure a high-ranking position within the faction led by the chosen of his patron. Kael could bring Kai along, but even with his help, Kai wouldn’t get the sa rank. That, however, was a concern for the new world. There would be many more system events, making it manageable in the long run. The most pressing concern now was ensuring they took their ti before advancing to D-grade. They would have to spend a lot of ti in E grade but it should be nothing compared to the ti they would be in D grade.
The transition from D to C-grade could easily take thousands of years, and only a rare few managed to rush through those levels. Having a powerful class during that prolonged period was crucial for anyone aspiring to beco a god. Without a strong foundation, even reaching B-grade was rare, let alone ascending further.
But Kael didn’t just want to beco one of the strongest. He had no intention of stopping at S-grade. He wanted to beco a god. His patron had told him that so S-grades had reached a level close to divinity, allowing them to live through multiple eras. That, too, was sothing Kael would accept if true godhood eluded him. Achieving such heights, however, required relentless effort and a fair share of lucky encounters.
For now, Kael was in a solid position. His early evolution would turn out as setback in the long run but a necessary one, and his patron would help him recover. His training had also gone well, making him an expert with the dagger, shortsword, and bow. He had even experinted with dual blades, though they proved too fast for his fighting style. Kai, however, excelled with them.
They had also succeeded in rallying the remaining fighters at the base to their cause, leaving them with a few hundred combatants to stand against the undead. Attempts to find the elves had so far yielded nothing, and locating the catacombs remained difficult. Any approach toward the desert would result in imdiate detection. There were still a few days left until the catacombs could be entered. Perhaps they could send one of the few shapeshifters left to fly over the desert and search for the entrance. The risk, however, was significant—the shapeshifters were not particularly strong, and if a vampire decided to attack, the scout would likely die. Even so, they remained their best hope, aside from deploying a scouting vessel when ti grew short.
Everything would depend on the coming week and how many more would join their cause. Kael could only hope that Thalion would attempt to enter the catacombs as well. If that happened, it would be the perfect opportunity to finally kill him.
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