The next day, Ethan sat cross-legged on the rough wooden floor of the small inn room, fingers drumming against his sword hilt. Think, Ethan. What’s the best move?


    Then it hit him. His eyes widened as the word surfaced.


    “Farming.”


    The idea was ridiculous on the surface, laughable to anyone with a more aggressive mindset. “But not just any farming,” he muttered to himself, a small smile forming. “Vegetable farming.”


    To anyone else, that meant days of pointless work in the dirt for meaningless rewards. For Ethan, it meant Research—the hidden skill that no other player bothered to touch.


    “It’s true. It’s the best skill for a run like this,” he murmured, standing. He clenched his fists as if grounding himself. A no-class player has no choice. I’m already weak... so I’ll play smart.


    Estithae Online relied heavily on classes to guide players. Everyone followed the system’s unspoken rule: choose a class early, boost your stats, and specialize. Swordsmen gained Strength and mastery with a blade. Mages earned boosted Intelligence and access to combat spells like Fireball.


    But Research was different. A hidden early-game skill that let a player learn any ability from any class. Mage fireballs? Swordsman strikes? Archer tricks? Ethan could take it all—at a price.


    “It scares off the others,” Ethan muttered, a bitter laugh in his chest. “Because to get it, you can’t choose a class. Not ever. No stats, no bonuses, no easy path.”


    He opened his map with a sharp command. The window blinked into existence—a pale, half-finished view of the starting town. Most zones were faded into obscurity, only the beginner areas marked:


    <ul>


    <li>Training Yard: Stats raised at a snail’s pace. Helpful, but useless when you knew better.</li>


    <li>Quarters: Shelter—if you could pay.</li>


    <li>Cafe: Overpriced, just like everything else.</li>


    <li>Farm: Ethan’s gaze locked on the word, his grin sharp. There. Ignored by everyone, home to “useless” quests. For them, maybe—but not for him.</li>


    </ul>


    Pulling on his ragged starter gear, he made his way to the far edge of town. The wooden farmstead loomed ahead, weathered and forgotten... except not quite.


    Three figures stood in the field when Ethan arrived, their presence catching him off guard. He slowed his steps, narrowing his eyes as he scanned them. What are they doing here?


    “Check status,” he murmured, activating his skill. The information lit up instantly.


    The first was a woman. Her long, jet-black hair flowed down her back, a streak of white wrapped through like a scar. Her dark mercenary outfit looked worn yet functional, her body balanced in the poised stillness of someone used to combat.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Name: Astrid Roseworth


    Rank: A


    Class: Mercenary


    Weapon: B-Rank Daggers


    <ul>


    <li>Quickstep [C] Lv1: Short burst of speed to reposition quickly.</li>


    <li>Basic Dagger Proficiency [D] Lv1: Fundamental combat knowledge for daggers.</li>


    <li>Stealth [A] Lv1: Turn invisible for 3 seconds.</li>


    </ul>


    Ethan grunted to himself. “She’s fast. Stealth? She could be a problem in the future.”


    The next figure was the complete opposite—clumsy and jittery. A young man with short, snow-white hair fumbled awkwardly with a glowing tome strapped to his side. Small potion bottles clinked together as he adjusted his belt, giving the distinct impression he’d fall over if you so much as bumped him.


    Name: Philip Hyckman


    Rank: B


    Class: Mage


    Weapon: C-Rank Staff


    <ul>


    <li>Basic Mana Control [C] Lv1: Redistribute a portion of your mana to an ally or weapon.</li>


    <li>Basic Enchanting [C] Lv1: Use basic enhancement spells for gear or surroundings.</li>


    <li>Magical Research [A] Lv1: Learn spells by studying magic tomes.</li>


    </ul>


    Ethan tilted his head, brows raising slightly. “That Magical Research skill... Hm. Better than it looks if he survives long enough to use it.”


    And then his eyes landed on the third player.


    At first glance, he looked unassuming—plain, worn clothes matching Ethan’s, as though the game had mocked both their luck. But the dark blue hair, casually tousled, the strong posture, and the twin swords strapped to his back suggested otherwise. Something about him carried an air of calm confidence—like someone who knew he was special.


    “Who’s this guy?” Ethan muttered warily.


    The stats appeared.


    Name: Jack Hawkfire


    Rank: S


    Class: None


    Weapon: A-Rank Enchantable Sword


    <ul>


    <li>Basic Sword Proficiency [D] Lv1</li>


    <li>Weakness Detection [A] Lv1: Reveal the enemy’s weakest point.</li>


    <li>Lie Detection [A] Lv1: Detect lies three times per day.</li>


    <li>Quickstep [C] Lv1</li>


    <li>Mental Barrier [S] Lv1: Resist mental attacks or influence.</li>


    <li>...</li>


    </ul>


    The list went on.


    Ethan’s jaw tightened. His grip around his blade hilt trembled as he reread the window, each line mocking him. An S-rank character. An A-rank weapon. Rare skills—Mental Barrier...


    “Blessed by RNG...” he whispered bitterly. He glanced at his own window. D-Rank. A single combat-useless skill. The words blurred together. He blinked hard, fists clenched as an embarrassing sting hit his eyes.


    For just a second, the resentment crept through—fiery and real. He couldn’t hold it back. His face contorted into something ugly.


    Ethan slapped his cheeks, the sting jarring him back to focus. “Relax. Stick to the plan.” He straightened his posture and inhaled sharply.


    Still, as he passed Jack Hawkfire on the way to the farmer NPC, his eyes darted to Jack’s stats one final time. His lips twitched bitterly, and an unspoken thought rang through his mind.


    I hate you already.


    He goes to talk to the farmer NPC and start doing basic quests like, collecting vegetables, and terrain cleaning. The reward for those missions are some vegetables, farming exp and a bit of money.


    In this game u can insta sell every item in the market or u can put them for auction. The items given as rewards on these farming quests may look like shitty items, who would ever keep carrots, lettuce and other vegetables.


    “I just need to collect and keep the correct items for the hidden quest to appear. This will be easy, i have already finished this game once”