The morning after Twig's return from that strange journey to another time and place, life seemed to move as usual — yet everything felt different.
After getting used to the rhythm of King's Landing, returning to the simple, quiet life of the countryside felt oddly disorienting.
He decided to head out early, right after a quick breakfast, to the dungeon alone. His plan was simple: grind a few levels in his new class, then meet up with his friends later for a full party run.
He left the inn quietly so as not to draw Saul's attention — or anyone else's.
When he teleported to the dungeon, Twig found his mind drifting toward the sword he had left behind with his squire, Madrik.
"Well... I no longer have my Stardust Blade. I'll have to equip something else for now. I'll use the Tsurugi from my inventory — it should do until I find something better. Or maybe I should start using spears, like I planned."
He sighed, letting his thoughts wander.
"I wonder how Madrik's life was. Did he become a good knight? Did he put the sword to good use? What name did he give it, I wonder?"
Lost in thought, Twig finally turned his focus back to the dungeon ahead. After greeting the Kafra staff member, Aliane, he stepped toward the entrance of the fortress. Even without his old weapon, he felt confident — the Tsurugi was a solid, trustworthy blade.
Still, something felt off. His body was lighter than before. His strikes faster and sharper. And the monsters — they seemed slower, clumsier even.
"What's happening here…?"
[Ding!]
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
Since his new class had reset to Level 1, the high-level monsters were granting huge amounts of experience, letting him climb rapidly through the early levels.
After slaying a few groups of monsters, Twig decided to allocate his newly gained skill points and test his new Knight techniques.
He exhaled deeply, raised his hand, and commanded:
"System! Stats."
[Ding!]
[— USER STATUS —]
Name: Robert Nilig (Twig)
Age: 12 (+21)
Race: Human
Job: Knight – LVL [18/70] | EXP: 4,256 / 10,642
Level: 57 | EXP: 82,568 / 523,945
HP: 13,642 | MP: 423
Attributes:
STR: 64 | VIT: 70 | AGI: 57 | DEX: 60 | INT: 38 | LUK: 38
Resources:
Stat Points: 0 | Skill Points: 17 | Zeny: 72,148
Equipment:
Tsurugi [2], Chain Mail [1], Buckler [1], Gloves, Boots [1], Ulfhedinn [1]
Skills:
Sword Mastery Lv.10, Increased Recuperative Power Lv.10, Bash Lv.10, Provoke Shout Lv.6, Endure Lv.6, Magnum Break Lv.7
"Seventeen points to spend… nice. Let's see…" he murmured. "Wait a second, System? These attributes are higher than before — way higher — and I didn't even level up. What's going on?"
[Ding!]
"Host, your base stats have increased compared to your previous class because you reached the maximum level as a Swordsman. The system applies the official Ragnarok Online bonus-per-class rule:
Swordsman Class Bonus → STR +7, AGI +2, VIT +4, INT +0, DEX +3, LUK +2."
"Incredible, System... that's absurdly good! So that means I'll get these passive bonuses every time I max a class?" he said, excited.
[Ding!]
"Correct. Keep pushing your limits — greater effort brings greater reward."
Thrilled, Twig checked the Knight skill tree and started assigning points.
"Let's put one point into Riding Skill — that'll unlock the mounts. Then, five points into Cavalry Mastery, which boosts combat speed while mounted. Finally, ten points into Spear Mastery. That should make me unstoppable."
[Ding!]
"Congratulations! You have unlocked the Peco-Peco Rental Service at the Kafra Services."
"Perfect," he said, grinning. "Time to test my riding skills — and try out my new spears."
He browsed his inventory.
"Alright, let's see… I've got a Pike [4] for one-hand use, and two great two-hand spears I picked up earlier — Halberd [2] and Partizan [2]."
Thinking for a moment, he decided, "I'll start with the Pike. I don't want to give up my shield yet. I'll test the two-handers later to see what fits my style."
Back at the dungeon's entrance, Twig approached Kafra Aliane to rent his mount.
"Each Peco-Peco rental costs 500 Zeny," she explained politely. "The duration is unlimited, but once you return it, you'll need to pay again for the next summon."
"Hmm, got it," he thought. "It's not bad short-term, but long-term that'll add up. If I rent dozens of times... that's like 50,000 Zeny gone. Damn."
"Would you like to rent a Peco-Peco now, young master?"
"Yes," Twig replied with a confident nod.
"Very well. Summoning a Peco-Peco now."
A bright circle of light formed beside Aliane, rising nearly three meters high. The glow gradually shaped into the form of a giant bird — and then, with a flash, the light faded, revealing the creature in full.
"Whoa… a Peco-Peco," Twig whispered, eyes wide. "Just like in the game."
It stood tall — a massive, yellow-orange bird with strong legs, a broad chest, and keen eyes. Its short beak was protected by a leather harness, with reins, saddle, and chestplate perfectly fitted for a rider. Its plumage gleamed under the light; its claws looked sharp enough to crush stone.
Docile when trained, swift and tireless — truly the ideal mount for a knight.
Twig reached out, gently stroking its beak.
"Easy there, buddy... calm down."
He placed one foot on the stirrup and, with a smooth motion, mounted. From up high, his view stretched over to the fortress walls.
"Alright, let's test mounted combat, shall we?"
He gave a slight nudge with his heel, and the Peco-Peco started moving.
"Easy... easy..." he said, controlling the pace. Soon, the bird picked up speed — faster and faster — until the sheer acceleration forced him to tighten his grip.
The wind roared past him. The speed was unbelievable.
"Whoa! Okay, that's... faster than expected!"
He guided the Peco-Peco toward the fortress wall. "We need an opening big enough to fit you, big guy."
As if understanding his intent, the bird dashed forward, charging straight at the wall — a towering structure of more than ten meters.
Before Twig could even think, the Peco-Peco leapt, soaring high above the wall and landing on the ramparts.
"Holy—!"
A Tamruan guard stood nearby, startled. Twig reacted instantly — he lowered his Pike and thrust. The creature was pierced clean through, vanishing into a burst of energy.
He kept going, striking down several more enemies across the wall's top, each swing fluid and precise as the Peco-Peco raced along the fortress edge.
But there was one problem — he was moving too fast.
The drops were scattered behind him, too far to collect.
"Damn it… I'll have to go back later to loot everything."
Still, he pressed on, clearing wave after wave of enemies.
[Ding!]
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
He reined in his mount, catching his breath. "Alright... let's allocate the new points. Time to test the next combo."
"System, assign remaining skill points to Brandish Spear."
[Ding!]
"Congratulations! You have learned [Brandish Spear Skill] – Level 7."
"Now we're talking," Twig grinned. "Let's test this power."
He didn't strike immediately. Instead, he began riding in wide circles across the fortress walls, rounding up groups of Tamruans and Raydrics patrolling the ramparts.
Once enough enemies gathered behind him, he slowed his pace — then turned sharply to face them head-on.
At the center of the crowd, he raised his spear and shouted:
"Brandish Spear!"
He swung with immense force, the weapon cutting through the air. A vortex of wind formed around the spearhead, pulling all nearby enemies into its deadly radius — a spinning storm of steel and fury that shredded everything within reach.
When the whirlwind settled, the rampart was silent. Every monster around him had been obliterated.
"Incredible… this skill is insanely powerful," he said, awestruck.
[Ding!]
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
JOB LEVEL UP +1!
"Perfect. More points to max it out. System, allocate 3 more points to Brandish Spear."
[Ding!]
"Brandish Spear – Level 10 achieved. Range, area, and control enhanced."
"Alright, Peco-Peco... let's test your landing skills now." Twig grinned. "You can jump higher than the wall — but can you go down just as smoothly?"
The Peco-Peco tilted its head, almost offended by the challenge.
It turned toward the courtyard below, sprinted to the wall's edge, and — defying all logic — began running along the side of the wall before leaping off into the open air.
"Whoa—!" Twig barely had time to brace himself.
They landed perfectly in the courtyard below, where another group of monsters waited.
The wind rushed past his face as adrenaline surged through his veins. With a triumphant shout, Twig charged straight into the fray, pulling enemies together before activating Brandish Spear once more.
A massive tornado of steel and fire erupted around him, consuming everything in sight.
When the dust finally settled, the courtyard was littered with shimmering drops.
Twig exhaled. "Damn... now I've got another problem — picking all this up."
He laughed to himself, patting the Peco-Peco's neck.
"Good job, Birdy. You're terrifyingly fast... and I love it."