The room beyond the labyrinth did not react.
After everything they had gone through, that was almost uncomfortable. No walls moved. No sound came from the world around them. There was no constant pressure that the space was ready to punish a wrong step.
The Safe Zone remained active.
The silver-haired man observed the group calmly, as if he were more interested in the path they had taken than in them themselves.
– You crossed the Labyrinth of Attention – he said, at last. – That did not make you stronger. Only… prepared.
Jay rested the shield on the ground and exhaled.
– Prepared to pay a high price, it seems.
The Master of Skills did not deny it.
He raised his hand, and the air in front of them seemed to bend. Invisible layers revealed themselves, organizing geometric symbols into clear and stable structures.
– Class Sigils – he explained. – Everything you faced on this floor was recorded. Every battle. Every risk. Every mistake.
The interfaces opened.
A new tab, one that had never existed before.
[CLASS SIGILS]Current balance: 9
Marcus frowned.
– That's it?
– Exactly that – the Master replied. – The Fourth Floor does not reward volume. It rewards persistence.
Sienna scrolled through the interface.
– So these points are the cost.
– They are the beginning of the cost – the old man corrected.
Ethan analyzed everything in silence.
– They don't choose for us – he said. – They don't grow on their own.
– No – the Master confirmed. – Here, growth is deliberate.
The air in front of Ethan reorganized first, forming a branching tree.
Class: Strategic ConjurerSkill Tree — Rank E(Low-Class Advanced Spells)
Two options stood out:
• Directed Arcane Reinforcement (E)Drastically increases the efficiency of spells applied to specific targets.Cost: 120 Sigils
• Mana Condensation (E)Compresses mana before casting, reducing cost and increasing stability.Cost: 140 Sigils
Ethan took a deep breath.
– It's not raw power… it's control.
– Choices shape style – the Master confirmed.
Jay's interface opened next.
Even before the new branches appeared, one ability was already marked.
Class: TankSkill Tree — Rank E
• Retaliation Impulse (E) — ACTIVE
The Master frowned.
– Wait… – he said, stepping closer. – That shouldn't be here.
Jay blinked.
– It shouldn't?
The old man analyzed the seal carefully.
– Retaliation Impulse is an advanced class ability, even within Rank E – he explained. – It usually only awakens after the first complete Sigil cycle.
He looked directly at Jay.
– How did you get this before reaching here?
– It wasn't me – Jay replied. – It was Taiga.
The name seemed to spark immediate interest.
– A crafter – Ethan explained. – Experienced.
– She dismantled the shield, rebuilt the core, and integrated a system for absorbing and releasing impact – Jay added. – It wasn't direct learning. It was engineering.
The Master remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded slowly.
– I understand now. She forced the awakening of the ability through external structure.
He observed the active seal once more.
– Something rare. Difficult. Risky.
Jay gave a half smile.
– She said something like that.
– Then give her credit – the Master said. – Few can anticipate a class ability without breaking the user in the process.
Below the active seal, two new options appeared.
• Steel Wall (E)The user's body enters a state of increased resistance, reducing physical damage received.Cost: 140 Sigils
• Impact Anchoring (E)Increases stability, preventing forced knockback and interruptions.Cost: 130 Sigils
– What she did does not replace growth – the Master concluded. – But it proves you did not arrive here unprepared.
Marcus's interface appeared next.
Class: SwordsmanSkill Tree — Rank E
• Rupture Slash (E)A concentrated strike that breaks defenses and amplifies damage against resistant targets.Cost: 150 Sigils
• Phantom Riposte (E)Effect: After a perfect dodge (Perfect Dodge), the next basic attack or offensive skill receives 150% physical damage and a 50% critical chance.Buff duration: 2 seconds after the dodge.Cost: 195 Sigils
Marcus smiled instinctively.
Sienna didn't miss the chance.
– Look at that… the brute will now have to think before attacking everything on impulse.
– I think – Marcus replied.
– Now the system agrees – she shot back.
Sienna's interface opened next.
Class: SummonerSkill Tree — Rank E
• Enhanced Pack (E)Wolf summons gain resistance and coordination.Cost: 130 Sigils
• Lesser Phoenix (E)Short-duration offensive summon with continuous damage.Cost: 160 Sigils
– Finally – she murmured. – Something that doesn't fall in the first hit.
Elenya was next.
Class: ArcherSkill Tree — Rank E
• Guided Penetration (E)Shots ignore part of the target's defense.Cost: 120 Sigils
• Rupture Shot (E)A concentrated shot with high impact on a single point.Cost: 135 Sigils
– Precision or impact – she commented. – A real choice.
Finally, the Master turned to Emanueru.
– And you – he said. – What is your class?
Emanueru blinked.
– It never appeared.
The Master tried to access it.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Silence spread.
– Strange… – he murmured. – The system records his Sigils… but does not recognize any structure.
Sienna tilted her head.
– So he walks with us, fights, earns points… but doesn't enter the normal design?
– Correct – the Master replied. – There is no class. There is no tree. There is no path.
– Which means – Sienna smiled slightly – he operates outside the standard.
– I don't understand – Emanueru said, genuinely confused.
– Everyone grows by climbing steps – she explained. – You just appear in places no one knows how you reached.
The Master observed Emanueru with unusual attention.
– Light-based ability… projected blades… restoration that doesn't follow known seals – he murmured. – I've never seen anything like it.
– So is he a problem? – Jay asked.
– No – the Master replied. – He is a mystery.
A new panel appeared.
SIGIL TRANSFER — ACTIVE GROUPSigils can be redistributed among membersTransfers are permanent
Below that:
GROUP BONUS (CONDITIONAL):When all members possess at least 1 Rank E ability,Sigil acquisition rate increases.
Jay took a deep breath.
– So the system wants balance.
– It wants sustainable decisions – the Master confirmed.
A passage opened in the wall.
– The Fourth Floor does not want haste – he concluded. – It wants choices you can sustain.
As they walked out, Ethan was certain of one thing:
Growth now had a price.
And the anomaly walking beside them… might be the most dangerous piece of all.