William supported himself using the wooden staff in his hand. His clothes were dyed with blood and his breathing was ragged. The battle against the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor had just ended, and it was a very close call.
Floating not far from him was a golden Beast Core, which proved that he had slain the Class A Monster.
"Congratulations, William," David said via telepathy. "Now, touch the Beast Core and unlock the next stage of your Shepherd Job Class."
William forced himself to stand and used his wooden staff to walk towards the floating golden core.
"Finally," William muttered as he reached out his hand to touch it. Immediately, William was bathed with a golden light. The Half-Elf closed his eyes as he felt a new kind of power wash over his body.
It didn't take long before a system notification broke him out of his daze.
=====
\u003c Ding! \u003e
\u003c Congratulations! Your Shepherd Job Class has Ascended to its Next Stage! \u003e
\u003c New Job Class: Quick Shot Shepherd \u003e
-----
\u003c Quick Shot Shepherd \u003e
"... It hasn't even been five seconds."
-- In ancient times, when demons stirred and evil spread across the land… there wasn't enough time to… do things in a "proper manner". This was how the Quick Shot Shepherd was born…
-- He was the hero that many needed, but not the one they deserved. A shepherd who roamed the lands and shot "Pew Pew Pew" to girls and foes alike.
=====
William spat blood and collapsed on the ground as he read the introduction of his new Job Class. Tears streamed down the sides of his face as he raised his middle finger towards the heavens.
He cursed David in his heart as he wept bitter tears. He'd rather fight a dozen Goblin Witch Doctors at the same time than have this Job Class in his system.
'Fck... I should have chosen the Sugar Daddy Shepherd.' William wept bitterly. 'At least, I would be able to tolerate the name.
The Half-Elf was overcome with regret because he remembered David's words before he entered the portal.
-----
David grinned. "William the second stage of the Shepherd Job Class relates to your soul. It will automatically adjust itself to the most compatible setting for you. No matter what you get, know that this is the most appropriate Job Class that will ensure your growth. That's why, you can rest easy."
"Right! I knew that Sir David only thinks of my well being."
"Of course. I am the God of Shepherds. I can't possibly bring harm to you, right?"
------
William sighed and wiped the tears in his eyes. Fortunately, no one could see his Job Class, so this stain in his history would be safe from everyone. He would just ignore it and level up his other Job Classes when he got back to his world!
After making his decision, William read the rest of the information of his new Job Class.
=====
\u003c Quick Shot Shepherd \u003e
-- Increase Stamina by 200%
-- Receives +20 Enhancement to all stats
-- 50% Increased Resistance to Debuff Spells
-- 30% Increased Resistance to Nature Spells
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Quick Shot".
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Fast Reload".
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Strider".
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Favored Enemy".
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Wild Empathy [Mythic]'.
-- Host has learned Passive Skill "Ambidextrous".
-- Host has learned the skill "Heroic Avatar".
\u003c Quick Shot \u003e
-- The Quick Shot Shepherd is the fastest shooter in the world. After finishing a round, he just needs to wait "five seconds" before he can fire again.
-- This skill applies to any "Large" projectile weapon (eg: Ballista, Cannons). This skill also works with spells of any circle.
-----
\u003c Fast Reload \u003e
-- Receives +20 Enhancement bonus to Dexterity.
-- Allows the Shepherd to reload and shoot faster.
-- This passive skill works on anything including spells of any circle.
-----
\u003c Strider \u003e
-- Receives +20 Enhancement bonus to Agility.
-- Grants the Shepherd enhanced mobility on any kind of terrain.
-----
\u003c Favored Enemy \u003e
-- Increase Damage to an enemy of your choosing by 50%.
-- Current Favored Enemy: (None)
-----
\u003c Wild Empathy [Mythic] \u003e
-- Grants the Shepherd ability to communicate with any type of beasts including Mythical Type Beasts.
----
\u003c Ambidextrous \u003e
-- Allows the shepherd to have equal mastery with both of his hands.
----
\u003c Heroic Avatar \u003e
-- Allows the Shepherd to use the power of an Immortal Heroic Hero that protects the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.
-- This skill only lasts for fifteen minutes. During that time, the Shepherd will be able to wield ALL the abilities of his chosen Immortal Hero. This also includes the abilities of their Battle Regalia and Weapons.
-- This skill can only be used once every 24 hours.
-- This skill duration and overall performance of this skill is subject to change depending on how powerful the Immortal Hero is.
-- Current Heroic Avatar: (No Hero Chosen)
-----
William had a complicated expression on his face after reading the information of his new Job Class.
If he looked past the name of his Job Class, the skills he acquired weren't too shabby. In fact, they were pretty good.
According to his hypothesis, the "Quick Shot Shepherd" was a Job Class that specialized in ranged warfare. The "Favored Enemy" also allowed him to increase his damage against those whom he chose as his "Main Enemy".
It was quite unfortunate that he could only choose one kind of enemy in the list. After thinking long and hard, William decided to not designate an enemy for the time being.
The one that piqued his curiosity the most was the "Heroic Avatar" skill.
"Sir David, are you there?" William inquired.
"Congratulations, William!" David replied. "I was surprised to see the Job Class that you acquired. However, don't worry! I won't judge you. I don't really mind if you can only last for five seconds…"
William rubbed his face with both hands as he tried to calm himself from embarrassment. His injuries had already fully recovered after acquiring his new Job Class. Even his tattered clothes had been repaired and no bloodstains could be found anywhere.
After taking control of his emotions, William inquired about the skills that he had gained from his upgraded new profession.
"Sir David, how does the Heroic Avatar skill work?"
"Good question! Frankly, I didn't expect you to acquire this skill. You really got lucky this time, William."
David seemed to be in a very cheerful mood as he explained the "Heroic Avatar" skill to William.
"Just as the name suggests, the Heroic Avatar skill allows you to call upon the power of the Immortal Heroes that the Gods have recognized," David explained. "Some call them Heroic Spirits, Argonauts, Empyreans, and Einherjars.
"But, no matter what names they are called, one thing is certain. All of them created Epic Sagas that made their names resound from generation to generation. Now, to answer your question, you need one of these heroes to recognize you and deem you worthy to wield their powers."
"How will they deem me worthy?"
"You don't have to worry about that. The moment you ascended to your Advanced Class, all of these Immortal Heroes became aware of your existence." David chuckled. "Look up, William. All of them are now watching you."
William raised his head to look at the sky. There, he found countless stars shimmering even during the day. Somehow, he felt exposed under the scrutiny of countless gazes and it made him feel uncomfortable.
Seeing his discomfort, David assured him that he didn't need to pay attention to them. All he needed to do was fight his way towards the Gate of Heaven, and complete the trial that was assigned to him.