Jasper burst into the forest, his speed still boosted by Berserk. In minutes, he was at the village.
At the gate stood Sable Kestrel and Skyhawk, talking urgently with Garrick Forge. The moment the Berserk timer ran out, Jasper's vision swam—then everything went black.
Sable heard the movement first. She turned and saw him collapse, sprinting over as her voice cracked. "Boss—Jasper! Are you okay?!"
Skyhawk and Garrick rushed in as well. Garrick knelt, checked Jasper's condition, then exhaled. "He's fine. Just drained himself with a skill and passed out. Get him inside."
Skyhawk hauled Jasper onto his back and carried him into the house. The moment they were in, Skyhawk spun and grabbed Sable by the collar, rage spilling out of him.
"You said he'd get out safely! Look at him—he's barely breathing! If you hadn't dragged me away, I could've stayed and helped. He wouldn't be like this because of those damned skeletons!"
Skyhawk's voice shook as he snarled closer. "What happens if that piece of trash Tomas Trell comes for him? Can you protect Jasper? Can you?! My life is his—if he dies, what am I supposed to do?!"
Sable stared at him, jaw tight. "With Elder Rowan here, Tomas can't—"
Skyhawk's fist cut her off.
Sable went down hard, breath knocked out of her.
Skyhawk pointed at her, shaking with fury. "Elder Rowan, Elder Rowan—do you think Tomas is stupid? The Elder can protect Jasper in the open. What about the shadows? Did you even think for one second?"
His words came faster, darker. "Jasper's this weak right now, a Bronze Tier, Rank 4 could kill him. Tomas has five Bronze Tier, Rank 5 under him, and he's Bronze Tier, Rank 7 himself. What are you going to do—fight all of them alone? You're strong, sure, but can you beat five at once? And that includes one Bronze Tier, Rank 6."
Sable didn't argue. She listened, face pale, then pushed herself up and walked out.
Skyhawk didn't stop her. He dropped into the chair by Jasper's bed and stayed there, staring like he was holding Jasper in place by sheer will.
Somewhere along the way, Jasper had become family to him.
He hated Sable for what happened—more than that, he felt cold and empty about it, like something had snapped. He'd thought the three of them had become a unit.
Now Jasper lay unconscious, and Skyhawk could only replay the moment he'd been dragged away.
If I'd stayed… he wouldn't be like this.
If Tomas sends people now… we're finished.
Skyhawk's eyes blurred. Tears slipped down his face without him noticing.
He had talent, but no resources. Still Bronze Tier, Rank 4. Too weak to matter when it counted.
If he were stronger, he could protect Jasper.
If he'd stayed behind, even if he died to skeletons—he would've chosen it, if it meant Jasper didn't end up like this.
Outside the room, Garrick watched Skyhawk, sighed, and quietly stepped away.
Out in the yard, Sable sat in a chair, staring into nothing.
Did I really just use him to get out?
Did I honestly think he'd be fine?
Why didn't I think it through?
Normally, she would've. In any other situation, she would've asked the exact questions Skyhawk had just thrown at her.
So why hadn't she this time?
That question kept grinding in her chest, sharper every time she tried to answer it.
In Jasper's consciousness, everything was gray.
A space filled with fog that didn't move no matter how far he walked.
Then a system screen appeared—different from the usual.
Two large words sat at the top:
"Sub-System Class."
The system voice spoke.
"Sub-System Class unlocked. Host may grant unlocked classes to others. Recipient gains a 32-slot system space. Host may view it directly. Granted classes can be upgraded. Unlocked classes are gained through non-fixed conditions. Recipient class upgrades may be done through Host's Sub-System Class, or through the recipient's own strength and resources."
Jasper stared.
Two slots glowed white—unlocked classes.
The first slot blazed red.
Shadow Assassin.
His class.
So the Crimson Energy really did have something to do with his profession.
He slid the interface.
The second class appeared.
Watchwarden KnightAttribute: Light
Three skills only, but the descriptions hit like a hammer.
Faraway Ideal HavenEffect: Creates a ten-meter Light Dome. Allies inside regenerate. Enemies inside deal 90% less damage. Attacks that strike the caster are reduced by 99%.Trigger weapon: Watchwarden Knight Shield
Windward BarrierEffect: Creates a ten-meter cyclone zone made of light energy. Enemies inside are continuously cut by light-wind blades. The caster's speed increases by 30%.
Contract Victory BladeEffect: Releases a straight-line attack zone ten meters long. Enemies suffer continuous damage and have their speed reduced by 30%.Trigger weapon: Watchwarden Knight Sword
Jasper finished reading and immediately thought of Skyhawk.
Sable was an archer. Skyhawk was a swordsman—reckless, front-line, always taking hits meant for someone else.
A knight class that didn't even require a mount?
It fit Skyhawk almost too well.
This one goes to him.
If the next class suited Sable, he'd give it to her. If not, maybe Garrick—or even Elder Rowan.
Jasper was about to scroll again—
A system alert cut in.
"Berserk side-effect weakness period ended. Skill proficiency gained. Host body awakening."
Jasper blinked. That fast? Fine. He'd check the rest later.
First priority was still the same.
Tomas Trell.
Just thinking the name made a thin, cold pressure rise around him—Crimson killing intent, faint but sharp, like a blade that hadn't decided whether to cut yet.
Jasper opened his eyes.
Skyhawk was in the chair beside the bed.
The instant he saw Jasper awake, Skyhawk surged up like he'd been holding his breath for hours. "Boss! You're awake—thank god. Are you hurt? What happened?"
Jasper frowned, confused by how shaken he looked. "I'm not hurt. I just burned out and passed out. Why are you acting like the world ended? I ran into a nasty skeleton and got forced into using Berserk, that's all."
He sat up slightly. "Where's Sable?"
Skyhawk's gaze flickered away. "Sable… she's outside. Sitting."
Jasper didn't press it. He just smiled, the kind of smile that meant trouble for everyone else. "Don't worry about her yet. I've got something for you."
He opened the system screen, slid to Sub-System Class, and selected Watchwarden Knight.
Then he granted it to Skyhawk.
A beam of light rose from Jasper's chest and flowed straight into Skyhawk like a brand being stamped into his bones.
Skyhawk froze, eyes empty and wide—clearly hearing a full cascade of system prompts.
Jasper nodded to himself. "Good."
Then he stood, rolling his shoulders as the last of the weakness faded from his limbs.
Now go see Sable.
And after that—
Tomas Trell.