Chapter 392 The Classes Temple, 5 Remain
The air was thick with a kind of holy energy that made his skin tingle.
It wasn\'t just the atmosphere, it was the entire place.
The space resembled an ancient temple, the kind you\'d expect to see at the start of a game to pick your class.
Pillars surrounded him, towering high into a ceiling that disappeared into a golden glow.
Soft light illuminated everything, but there were no torches or clear sources of the glow. It was as if the place itself was alive, radiating energy.
At the center of the room, Stark stood on a polished marble floor.
"What the fuck..."
Around him, a red carpet spread out in all directions like the wheel of the [Class Wheel].
Each path led to a statue, ten in total, arranged in a circle.
For a moment, Stark simply stood there, trying to understand where he was.
His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, and finally, he approached one of the statues.
It was made of stone but didn\'t look lifeless.
Crimson energy pulsed through cracks all over it, but these weren\'t cracks of destruction.
Instead, light spilled out from them, as if the statue was barely containing some immense power.
Stark tilted his head, stepping back to take in the full figure.
The statue looked just like him.
Its features were unmistakable—his face, his stance.
It had one leg raised, as if mid-step, and its arms were stretched forward.
Strings ran from its fingers to a heart hovering in front of its chest.
The heart wasn\'t just a shape; it had a smiley face etched into its surface, almost mocking him.
"Soul Wielder…?" Stark muttered, his voice echoing in the temple.
He stepped back and turned to another statue.
This one also resembled him, but it was different.
It wore a priest\'s outfit, complete with flowing robes and a serene expression.
In its hands were two crosses, raised as if in prayer. Golden light leaked out of the cracks on this statue, giving it a holy aura.
Stark\'s eyes widened. "The classes…"
A panel appeared in front of him to confirm what he thought.
[Classes Temple]
Each statue represented one of his classes. The Soul Wielder was clear, and so was the priestly figure, his Exorcist class.
Curious, Stark walked around, examining the other statues.
Each one was unique but shared a single theme: they all looked like him.
The Succubus statue had horns and a tail, its face twisted in a mischievous grin.
The Magus held a staff with a glowing crimson orb at the tip.
The Alchemist wore a lab coat, holding two bubbling potions that seemed almost real.
Each statue pulsed with energy, except for a few.
Stark frowned as he noticed the difference.
The statues that represented his current classes—Domination, Alchemist, Exorcist, Soul Wielder, and Incubus—all had cracks glowing with light.
But the ones representing classes he didn\'t have—Magus, Beast Tamer, Assassin, Warrior, and Archer—were untouched.
They stood there, solid and silent, with no energy radiating from them.
"Something\'s not right," Stark muttered.
Usually, when he encountered something tied to his classes, his class doppelgängers would appear.
They were the mischievous manifestations of his powers, always mocking him or giving cryptic advice.
But now? The temple was eerily quiet. Stark realized just how much he\'d grown used to their presence.
"Guess it\'s fine," he said with a shrug, trying to shake off the unease.
As he turned back to the center of the room, a familiar sound rang in his ears.
Ding!
A notification panel appeared in front of him, its bright light almost blinding in the dim temple.
[Domination Expansion] Explore more at empire
"What the…?" Stark\'s eyes widened as he read the words.
[Unlock all of your classes to gain your Domination Expansion.]
[It will be the most devastating one out of them all.]
"How am I supposed to do that?" Stark groaned.
He\'d removed Archer, Assassin, and Warrior, thinking they weren\'t worth it. But now it seemed like a huge mistake.
If he couldn\'t get them all, then did it mean that his [Domination Expansion] would be unachievable?
In response, the panel flickered again.
[You will figure it out in due time, but for now, just live long enough to do it.]
The moment the words faded, the temple began to shake.
Cracks formed along the walls, spreading rapidly like spiderwebs.
One by one, the statues began to crumble, their glowing energy disappearing into the air.
Stark stepped back as the entire space started to collapse.
"..."
Within seconds, the walls, the statues, and even the ceiling vanished, leaving Stark standing in the usual black void.
Or at least, that\'s what he thought, because once he looked around, he noticed something: the only thing left was a single door, standing in the distance.
It was massive, its surface made of dark, ancient wood. Carved into it were ominous letters that glowed faintly.
[5 remain.]
"Five remain… Are you talking about the apostles? Or the classes?"
He asked the question aloud, but no answer came.
The silence was deafening, more unsettling than anything else.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Even his doppelgängers weren\'t here to give their usual annoying commentary.
For a moment, Stark just stood there, staring at the door.
The emptiness around him was oppressive. He couldn\'t help but miss the chaotic energy his doppelgängers usually brought.
At least they made things lively. Now, all he had was the door and its cryptic message.
With a sigh, he sat down on the invisible floor.
There was no point in rushing. Whatever this place was, it wasn\'t going to let him leave until he woke up in the real world.
A new panel appeared in front of him, breaking the silence.
[You can check your panels in here.]
"Wait, really?" Stark\'s eyes lit up.
If that was true, it meant he could do more than just sit around.
He\'d never tried accessing his panels while asleep, but this could change everything.
If he could train or upgrade his skills in this space, it would be a huge advantage.
Normally, he used the [Memories Museum] for training in the real world, but this was different.
Gaining hours of practice while his body rested would be game-changing.
Excited, Stark stood up. "Panels, come," he said, holding out his hand.
Instantly, a cascade of panels appeared before him, each one representing a different aspect of his progress.
There were seven in total—a record for him.
He\'d gained several new options after reaching level 150, but he hadn\'t had the chance to fully explore them yet.
Stark grinned. "Let\'s see what we\'ve got."