Peerless Warlord

"Fine, I'll just play it by ear," Ares muttered, shaking off his frustration. He knew that the most important thing right now was to complete his class change.

Without hesitation, he pulled the "Mysterious Class Transfer Tome" from his bag, a spark of anticipation lighting his eyes. 

As a soft glow spread from the tome, the system prompt sounded in his ear: 

"You have accepted the Mysterious Class-Change Quest!"

[Peerless Warlord Class-Change Quest 1: A Mysterious Guiding Hand.] 

[According to the system's instructions, head to an ancient battlefield and find someone named "Apollo," who will guide you.]

"Peerless Warlord... pretty badass name," Ares remarked with a slight grin. Then, following the system's guidance, he set out on his journey.

After five hours of traveling, Ares arrived on a desolate old battleground. The very air was tense with the remnants of ancient strife, and the battered ruins hinted at the intensity of fights that had occurred there long ago. 

While he surveyed the area, a man swathed entirely in white robes—his features completely obscured—appeared before him.

"Are you Apollo?" Ares asked respectfully, stepping forward. 

The robed figure gave a brief nod. "Yes. My projection has been waiting here for ten thousand years. You've finally arrived. But becoming a Peerless Warlord isn't easy—you must first pass two trials within these ruins."

"I can handle anything you throw at me," Ares said, thumping his chest confidently. With his newly gained EX-grade talent, he felt unstoppable.

[You have accepted the class-change quest: "Apollo's Trial."]

"The first trial," Apollo began, pointing to a mysterious-looking maze not too far away, "is to enter that trap-laden labyrinth and retrieve the Banner of Courage."

Ares didn't bother making small talk. He drew a deep breath and strode into the labyrinth. 

No sooner did he set foot inside than a barrage of whistling arrows rained down from every possible angle. Within seconds, half a dozen arrows had slammed into his thighs and shoulders.

"-500" "-500" "-500" 

A string of red damage numbers appeared above his head, slashing his HP by more than half.

"This definitely won't cut it."

He thought quickly, then remembered something. 

From the bottom of his inventory, he pulled out a skill book:

[Stone Skin]: Increases Defense by 10 for 30 seconds. Costs 10 MP. Cooldown: 100 minutes.

"So you're finally useful for something," he joked. He'd once dismissed the skill as total junk, but now it was a lifeline.

Under normal circumstances, a meager +10 Defense would be laughable. But with the EX-grade talent multiplying everything by his level squared—and with the duration extended accordingly—this meager buff turned into a downright broken advantage. 

Ten extra defense effectively ballooned into hundreds of billions, and thirty seconds soared to well over 9,500 years' worth of effect.

"Sometimes I really have to admire my own luck," he said, shaking his head and chuckling as he learned the skill and activated Stone Skin.

Immediately, the Defense stat on his character panel leapt from 334 to a giant string of question marks, overflowed beyond the game's readable limit.

"Wow, maybe they should increase the UI space… I've got so many digits, they're not even fitting anymore!"

With billions of points of Defense, he didn't even bother dodging the streams of arrows. 

"-1" "-1" "-1" … 

All that pitiful damage couldn't outpace his natural HP regeneration. So Ares strolled on, casually picking his way through the labyrinth in search of the so-called "Banner of Courage."

It took him a full thirty minutes, but eventually he reached the deepest part of the maze. There, he spotted a vivid war banner embroidered with the image of an eagle. Despite the countless years that must have passed, the colors were as bright as ever—free from decay.

He stepped up to it, gently resting his hand on the banner's pole. Instantly, the entire labyrinth quaked, lights flaring from every direction. In the blink of an eye, the maze disappeared into thin air, and Ares found himself back beside Apollo.

A flicker of surprise crossed Apollo's previously stoic face. His gaze roamed over Ares, brimming with approval. "Impressive. You found the banner in just half an hour. With you around, humanity may finally see a sliver of hope."

Ares paid little attention to Apollo's grand words. He handed over the banner with an easy grin, saying, "It was really just luck."

Apollo accepted it, letting his features settle back into a serene composure. "In that case," he said, "it's time for the second trial. You must defeat a group of warriors who've been corrupted by dark energy."

No sooner had Apollo finished speaking than Ares was enveloped by a shaft of light. An instant later, he found himself on an ancient battlefield. Clad in obsidian armor, dozens of warriors charged him from every side. Their eyes gleamed with a cold, vicious aura, steeped in dark power.

"What a waste," Ares muttered quietly. "They were once honorable fighters, and now look at them."

He sighed softly, lifting his sword. 

"Let me grant you peace."

His figure blurred, a black whirlwind zipping across the battlefield. The Judgment Sword cut arcs of cold light through the air—each swing felling another corrupted warrior. 

In only ten seconds, the clamor died. The battlefield fell silent, littered with dissipating black smoke where the warriors had stood.

Bright light washed over him, and once again he found himself face-to-face with Apollo. 

Apollo studied Ares—unharmed and calm—and gave him a relaxed, gratified smile.