Subclass

After completing the contract, Solomon returned to Hotel Snark at once through one of the ‘doors’ in District 8.

Like a Salvador Dalí painting, it was a door floating alone in the dark predawn street, a door hanging in midair with no pillar, or wall.

When Solomon turned the knob and opened it, behind it was not the night streets of District 8, but the inside of Hotel Snark. When he stepped through, the hotel’s interior greeted him with a faint sense of wrongness.

“Welcome, Mr. Solomon.”

It was just as Solomon was about to head straight for his room, Room 104.

“Excuse me, Mr. Solomon.”

One of Hotel Snark’s undead called out to him.

It was not a rotting corpse, nor a skeleton, but a ghost drifting faintly in the air. Even so, its hotel uniform and name tag looked perfectly intact..

“You have completed the contract. Thank you for your hard work.”

It sounded as if it had been watching Solomon’s every move.

“In addition, based on your contract performance, an appropriate adjustment has been made to your room grade.”

“Room grade….”

“Yes. Please relocate from Room 104 to Room 117.”

From 104 to 117.

‘If there are forty-four rooms per floor, I still have a long way to go.’

Even so, considering how he gambled his life back and forth on a single contract, it didn’t feel like a drastic jump. The floor hadn’t even changed.

“Fine. I’ll pack and move right away.”

“Ah, that won’t be necessary.”

The ghost hotelier shook its head.

“Please proceed directly to Room 117.”

“Did you move my things without my permission?”

“Oh… I apologize for the late explanation.”

When Solomon asked sharply, the ghost gave a businesslike bow and continued.

“When a room grade upgrade occurs, your room itself is moved to the new location.”

“…The room moves by itself?”

“Yes. This hotel was built from the start so each room’s location can be moved to any floor and number. The architect, V. Natali, called that structure the ‘Cube.’”

The Cube. Putting that oddly ominous name aside, Solomon nodded.

From top to bottom, it was a hotel suspicious in every possible way.

That said, Solomon wasn’t in a position to be picky.

He had drunk a healing potion and his upper body itself was healed, but separately, the aftereffects of the fight remained. His body felt heavy like lead.

“I’ll do that.”

“Then, have a good night.”

As told, Solomon passed Room 104 and stood before 117. The door was unfamiliar.

But when he opened it and stepped in, the inside was undeniably the same as his old room.

Even the crystal shot glass and vodka he had left half-drunk were still there.

So Solomon poured the remaining liquid down his throat and lay on the bed. The moment he thought he had lain down, his consciousness sank into deep darkness.

[Congratulations, Mr. Solomon. Your level has increased.]

“…….”

A voice spoke. Solomon opened his eyes without panicking.

[With this, you’re at Level 4. The bonuses provided are as follows.]

The being before him, the narrator in his head and… the Game Master, spoke. Right in front of his eyes.

───
· Two Aptitude Points you can use freely.
· Available Level 1 spell slots increase from 4 to 5 (⚀⚀⚀⚀⚀)
· Available Level 2 spell slots increase from 1 to 2 (⚁⚁).
· Subclass selection available.
───

What Solomon was due to receive.

[Mr. Solomon, you may now choose one of the general rogue-type subclasses.]

Basically, the 「Spell Assassin」 Solomon had chosen fell under the rogue category in the broad sense. It wasn’t surprising.

[There are four rogue-type subclasses.
Reaper, Stealth, Sharpshooter, Predator—
By taking one subclass as your focus, whenever you level up, you may learn a Perk along its path.]

The subclasses, in order, focused on close-range ambush, stealth and infiltration, crossbow marksmanship, and survival skills.

“…….”

[For your reference, the subclass itself can be freely changed whenever you level up, and even if you switch to another subclass, Perks you have already learned remain as they are.]

In the long run, the structure lets you learn all four subclasses evenly.

Quickly learning and taking the key perks from each subclass. That was the whole point.

But no matter how many rabbits you wanted, the first rabbit you had to catch was only one.

“Reaper.”

[Then I will show you the perks and paths available to Reaper.]

When the GM gestured, a sheet with a distinctly medieval parchment texture slid into Solomon’s view.

On it were nodes and points branching countless times from a single point like a constellation. It was like a skill tree from a video game.

[Subclasses have separate levels and experience pools, and each time you level up, you are given points that can be spent on perks.]

‘This is goddamn complicated.’

All kinds of boosts getting slapped on every time he leveled up.

Solomon already had spells and traits to learn as a Spell Assassin, and now, as if that weren’t enough, he had to worry about subclasses and perks too.

Even so, he couldn’t afford to treat any of it lightly.

───
Reaper:

Starting Perk — 「Inevitable Fate」
: Acquire 1 <Fate Die ⚅>
───

When he had first read the rulebook, he had roughly decided what he needed to gain at each level. It was the same now.

───
<Fate Die ⚅>
Tag — Special Die, Consumable Die
: If an ambush die roll results in a critical failure (fumble), you may consume this die to attempt a reroll.
: This die is classified as special and consumable, and up to 1 can be replenished on a rest.
───

Among the countless points embroidered like constellations, the words ‘Inevitable Fate’ shone brightly.

And beneath it, the branches of stars that spread from it took on faint iridescence, blinking as they caught the light.

Of course, he had only just learned a subclass. He couldn’t learn anything beyond the starting perk yet.

For now, they were nothing more than starlight of possibility.

[What will you do with your 4 Aptitude Points (AP)?]

“I’ll save them as they are.”

[Understood. Then we will keep your 4 Aptitude Points preserved.]

Solomon answered calmly.

It was still too early.

To learn a trait he could truly call core, he would have to invest at least 6 points.

For that, he had to save at Level 3, and now as well, for the next level.

───
Level-up Bonus:
Gained 2 Aptitude Points (AP)
Level 1 spell slots increased by 1 (⚀), Level 2 spell slots increased by 1 (⚁)
Acquired Subclass 「Reaper」
Acquired 1 <Fate Die ⚅>
───

Lastly, Solomon organized his character sheet and carved the information into his head.

“I have something I want to ask.”

[Go ahead.]

“…The Fate Die.”

And in the process, he spoke the name of the die he could never simply pass over.

“You said if an ambush is a critical failure, I can consume that die to attempt a reroll.”

[That is correct.]

“How do I even know I got a critical failure… I mean, that the die came up 1?”

Solomon asked.

No, to begin with, how does a ‘physical act of stabbing a blade into someone’s back by your own will’ produce a die failure?

[You will know.]

“How, specifically?”

[I cannot tell you right now.]

Hearing that, Solomon answered coldly, as if he would never let it slide.

“Don’t try to brush it off. You told me, didn’t you? That interfering with fair and enjoyable gameplay is punishable.”

[I did.]

“You’re not planning to force on rules you won’t follow yourself, are you?”

[I said you will know.]

“Is there some reason you can’t say it now?”

[…….]

The shadow beneath the hood fell silent. After the silence, the shadow writhed like a living creature.

[Fine.]

After writhing, the shadow shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped.

[Then I will let you know right now.]

Then, before Solomon’s eyes, a single die was already sitting there.

Shining in rainbow colors… a die with colors unlike anything in this world. It felt strangely familiar. Then he realized.

‘That radiance of the Geas back then…!’

The rainbow-colored nosebleed and vomit the dwarf had spewed when he tried to break the Geas at Deadlock Workshop. It was the same.

[As you can see, that is your fate die. One is active.]

“…….”

[To show you an example in this situation… try an ‘ambush’ on me.]

“Sure, let’s say I did.”

[No, what I mean is…]

The robed shadow answered the Solomon who was already accepting it.

[Really do it.]

“What….”

Before he could even respond,

Solomon was already standing on some street in Guild City.

He couldn’t say exactly where, only that it was somewhere in Downtown.

Right there, someone was walking ahead of him.

‘Game Master!’

It was that robed being, just as it said, telling him to attempt an ambush for an example.

‘Stay calm.’

So Solomon swallowed his breath more than usual and killed his presence.

He closed the distance, then drove down the Ghost Whale bone blade in his hand.

Just as always, to deliver a fatal strike from behind the being ahead.

And then—

He felt a force like someone pushing his back. Like that time. A current of invisible power pushing Solomon from behind.

But it felt a little different. Rather than adding its strength, it gave off an unsettling sense of being shoved forward by force, as if to get in the way.

‘What the hell…!’

His hand slipped without him realizing it.

The moment he thought it had slipped, the robed being turned around at once.

“!”

Where a human face should have been, there was only writhing darkness.

[Just now, the roll came up 1. A critical failure.]

The narrator’s voice rang out before his eyes. An unseen die. Even so, he could feel it.

[Will you consume 1 fate die to attempt a reroll?]

“…What?”

[Since this is to show you an example, we should use it.]

The robed being continued without caring.

[Because the die came up 1, you can consume a fate die and attempt a reroll.]

The Game Master and narrator’s voice rang out.

Not in front of his eyes, but in his head, as usual.

“!”

Before he could even say anything.

Solomon was already standing on some street in Guild City again. He couldn’t say exactly where, only that it was somewhere in Downtown.

—And right there, someone was walking ahead of him.

‘…!’

It was that robed being. He realized at once. This wasn’t déjà vu.

‘I… came back.’

To the very instant he was about to attempt an ambush on that being.

As if rewinding a clock hand into the past. It wasn’t a metaphor.

—To correct failure, it gave him the chance to try again from the start.

Inevitable Fate, Fate Die, just like its name.

‘This is… a die reroll?’

[I believe this example has made the point sufficiently clear.]

Once again, the voice rang out.

Before he knew it, Solomon was seated in the tabletop room again.

The rainbow-colored fate die that should have been on the table… was already gone.

Even so, he understood.

The die definitely existed. It didn’t stop at existing. It exerted influence throughout this world.

It wasn’t a metaphor or anything.

[As I said, this is purely for fair and enjoyable play.]

Fair and enjoyable play. Before he could even notice that the word ‘game’ was missing from it, the shadow beneath the hood continued.

[Then, have a good night.]

Like a candle trembling before the wind, the unseen darkness beneath the hood writhed like a flame.

“Wait…!”

He jolted upright as if talking in his sleep, and he was already back in his Hotel Snark room.

‘Was that a dream?’

For an instant he thought so, then shook his head. No way. It wasn’t a dream.

[Job trait 「Blade in the Dark」 is active.]

[You currently possess 1 <Fate Die ⚅>.]

A new die was in his hand.

A fate die that could correct failure, to carve in an inescapable death.