When I woke up the next morning, I couldn't shake the feeling that Rose looked slightly larger than she had the night before. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if it was just my imagination or the product of some overnight evolution.
"Time to see where we stand," I muttered, pulling up my status.
[Status Window: Silver Crowshadow]
Class: Mage
Secondary Class: Monster Tamer (1/3)
Level: 3 (Exp: 236/400)
HP: 225/225
MP: 300/300
Attributes:
Strength: 12 (+1 Free Point)
Constitution: 13 (+1 Free Point)
Vitality: 14 (+2 Free Points)
Agility: 19 (Base)
Spirit: 12 (+1 Free Point)
Intelligence: 13 (+2 Free Points)
Wisdom: 13 (+1 Free Point)
I decided to spread my eight free points across the board to stay balanced. The appearance of the Monster Tamer class didn't surprise me—it made sense after the contract. But when I toggled the screen to look at Rose's stats, my heart nearly stopped.
[Familiar Window: Rose]
Class: Shadow Spider / Young Arachne
Level: 3 (Exp: 236/400)
Attributes:
Strength: 21 | Constitution: 19 | Vitality: 18
Agility: 28 | Spirit: 10 | Intelligence: 10 | Wisdom: 11
Skills:
Union (Passive): Master and Familiar share Exp. Master gains +1 to all stats per level.
Multi-Strike: Rapidly strikes a target 2–4 times for 70% Physical Damage.
Poisonous Bite (Passive): Chance to paralyze the target.
Her Agility was 28?! She was significantly faster and stronger than I was. It made me wonder if the spiders I had fought yesterday were really that strong. If they were, I was incredibly lucky to be alive. And if Roselyn said I needed to be Level 50 just to chance a duel with her... just how monstrous was the mother?
As I stood up, Rose stretched her long legs and looked at me expectantly.
"Hungry again, Rose?" I sighed, looking at my dwindling supplies. "I really need to find more food. I have more mouths to feed now."
I cooked our last portion of rabbit meat, managing to keep it from burning this time. We shared a warm breakfast before heading to find Roselyn. I was dying to see what this "Spider Silk Armor" looked like.
Roselyn was already waiting for us in her main chamber. "You took your sweet time waking up, didn't you, dear?" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
She handed me a bundle of fabric. It was the most interesting armor I had ever seen—made of fine, shimmering silk, but dyed a deep, earthy Forest Green.
"I made it that color to help you blend in," she stated, noticing my surprise. "If you plan on wandering these woods, you don't need to be spotted easily. You're a mage, not a target."
I nodded, impressed by the logic, and checked the stats.
[Spider Silk Set (Rare)]
Robes: (+90 P-DEF, +130 M-DEF | +25 INT, +25 WIS, +25 SPI)
Pants: (+50 P-DEF, +65 M-DEF | +15 INT, +15 WIS, +15 SPI)
Shirt: (+15 P-DEF, +20 M-DEF | +7 INT, +7 WIS, +7 SPI)
Gloves: (+10 P-DEF, +15 M-DEF | +7 INT, +7 WIS, +7 SPI)
Boots: (+30 P-DEF, +40 M-DEF | +10 AGI, +10 CON, +10 VIT)
"Wow... thank you so much, Roselyn!" The stat boosts were astronomical. I felt like a completely different person the moment I donned the green robes.
"You're welcome. It's the most I can do," she replied. "This gear is customized for your class and should last you until Level 10. After that, you'll find most gear has level restrictions you'll need to meet."
Her expression became serious. "You'll likely want to investigate the site of the battle I mentioned. Be careful. That area is filled with wolves, ants, and other group-type enemies. I look forward to your return."
I adjusted my new green gear and gripped my wand, Rose clicking her legs at my side. I was glad she mentioned the wolves—beast types usually dropped meat, and we were definitely going to need it.
"Ready, Rose?"
She hissed a sharp, eager affirmation. We turned away from the sanctuary of the cave and headed deeper into the dark, whispering trees.