My Skills Can Evolve Infinitely in a Game-Like World

Chapter 46: Mastermind Aurelius

True to their reputation, TheoryMaster69 skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

In the past, it was this Player who had introduced the Alchemist Sub-Class, thus helping Aurelius obtain power far beyond what his apparent Level would suggest.

Now, they were still analyzing a Class. But unlike the Alchemists of the past, this time, they were focused on the analysis of the so-called Taboo Arcanist.

"I believe that everyone has seen the trailer and is already familiar with the Nova Roma Game’s basic information."

"In this game, Classes are the most important aspect. It can be said that the Class one chooses when they first embark on the path of an Awakener will directly decide their future."

"This is why I’m paying such close attention to the "Taboo Arcanist" title!"

Although it was a mere text, the image of the TheoryMaster69 pausing after typing this appeared in Aurelius’ mind.

"In my view, this is not a mere title, but a powerful hidden Class! We’ve all witnessed this NPC’s unusual and mysterious methods."

"Whether it is as a spellcaster or as a warrior, NPC Aurelius has fully displayed that he is worthy of being one of the game’s Protagonists!"

"I suspect this all stems from his Class!"

After saying that, TheoryMaster69 went on to vividly describe every skill and Talent Aurelius had displayed throughout his journey.

Reading through the analysis, Aurelius felt a chill creep down his spine, as though an invisible pair of eyes had been watching his every move.

TheoryMaster9’s analysis... was simply too accurate!

They had catalogued every single skill he had used and written down every one of his actions.

For a moment, Aurelius had to wonder whether this Player had hacked the game’s server to obtain this information.

Of course, TheoryMaster69 did not know that the "Hidden NPC" Aurelius was reading their comment.

After a brief introduction, they stated their conclusion:

"As Players, we will also have to obtain a Class once we enter the game. By now, it’s relatively clear that not all Classes are the same."

"Personally, I advise all Players with some ambition to make Dawn Kingdom their starting point! Only then can we get close to Aurelius!"

"He is the key for us to obtain this mysterious and all-powerful Class!"

Aurelius had known for a long time that Players had some way of obtaining information regarding Nova Roma.

Now, piecing all the clues together, TheoryMaster69 had unknowingly gotten closer to the truth.

They had not only guessed that not all Classes were equal, but had also discovered Arcanist’s peculiarities.

’It seems that Players are not stupid,’ Aurelius nodded, having known for a long time that they would eventually realize.

Even so, the way TheoryMaster69 utilized this information surprised him.

Rather than praising how powerful he, the Protagonist, was in the trailer, TheoryMaster69’s first instinct was to think about how to profit from this information.

’Sure enough, in the minds of Players, I’m still an NPC, albeit a slightly cooler one...’ Aurelius shook his head.

As for whether the Players would be able to obtain the Arcanist Class through him, Aurelius couldn’t be certain.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have been possible.

However, recalling his NPC Template, which had so far played almost no role despite clearly having hidden functions, and his recent advancement, he decided to wait and see.

Perhaps there was indeed a way for him to "teach" Players the Arcanist Class or, at least, his skills.

With that thought, Aurelius upvoted TheoryMaster69’s comment and briefly looked through the comments attached to it.

Seeing that most of them were praising them for their ingenuity and expressing gratitude for their help, Aurelius understood this person had become quite popular.

They had become a leader-like figure among Players, worthy of their abilities.

Aurelius continued scrolling.

Just like most of the comments before this one, the next ones also praised the graphics or Aurelius’ aura farming abilities.

It was only a while later, when he got near the bottom of the post, that something caught Aurelius’ attention again.

He noticed another familiar name.

TheoryMaster69’s archenemy—World_Builder.

Just like their opponent, World_Builder didn’t mince their words, but went straight to the topic.

Unlike TheoryMaster69, who focused on the "game’s" mechanics, World_Builder remained true to their name and commented on the storyline.

"From this day onward, no one shall doubt my position as the number one researcher of the Nova Roma Game."

"Not long ago, I said that Aurelius was special and unlike other NPCs. Some useless bastards downvoted me back then and mocked my intelligence!"

"Now, my theory is confirmed! You bastards better kneel down and beg for my forgiveness!"

A proud emoji was attached next to this sentence, and World_Builder’s contempt toward the other Players was apparent. They soon continued,

"I know none of you recognize the ’Lost Sun’ name, but I do. According to my studies, this being is a God, similar to the God of Sun and Goddess of Night worshipped by the Dawn Kingdom."

"To be able to fight head-on with such a being, Aurelius’ power is unimaginable! Moreover, his change near the end opens the door to another possibility!"

"I strongly suspect that everything that happened was his own doing! He is the mastermind behind everything!"

"The ceremony and the descent of the Lost Sun were both his master plan! All in order to help his Rank advance!"

World_Builder provided several more clues.

The Player went through the entire story, pointing to the various coincidences and claiming that they couldn’t be just coincidences.

By the end, they had painted a perfect picture.

The Hidden NPC Aurelius had outsmarted everyone, including an omnipotent deity, all in order to achieve his ambitious goal of gaining strength.

Almost instantly, the image of an extremely smart NPC emerged in the minds of the readers, planning every move ahead meticulously.

Even Aurelius had the urge to nod, finding himself in agreement with World_Builder’s analysis.

It was only halfway through that motion that he realized what he was doing.

The so-called mastermind was actually him?!

Seeing World_Builder’s serious words, Aurelius didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He had to admit that this guy truly had a great imagination.

If Aurelius was a Player who didn’t know any better, he would have most likely believed World_Builder’s analysis and thought of himself as some type of brilliant mind.

’Being thought of as a mastermind... is somewhat interesting,’ Aurelius thought as he looked at the thousands of downvotes World_Builder had gotten and responsibly contributed one more downvote.

’... Especially since such a reputation is accompanied by material benefits.’

At that thought, Aurelius confirmed that there was nothing else worthy of his attention on the forum and finally shifted his focus back to the Player Panel.

Due to yesterday’s chaotic events, he had no time to review changes that had occurred, falling asleep immediately after returning home.

Now that the trailer was out of the way, it was finally time for him to take stock of the harvest.

Recalling the torrent of notifications that had appeared during the battle, Aurelius rubbed his hands together unconsciously, his eyes shining with anticipation.