Looking at the class selection screen, John let out a dejected sigh. Every time he found a semblance of hope that he just might be able to escape, it got crushed down shortly after by any random thing in this forest. Downhearted and depressed, John picked the only class he still hadn’t selected, Artificer. It just sounded like a crafting one, and he didn’t think it would be useful out here, but he might as well complete the collection.
[Enchanting(Novice) added to skill list.]
[Light enchantment added to Enchantment list.]
[Fire Bolt added to spell list.]
[Arcana(Novice) added to skill list.]
‘Nooo! I refuse to believe this! I picked so many magical classes before this, and I got only a single damaging spell. I choose the crafting class and it gives me one immediately?!’ John really felt punching someone, and the wolf was his only option. While waiting for the beast to find him, he quickly looked over at his status.
‘So the levels and stats don’t carry over.’ He frowned. That would’ve made it very easy for him. John just had to farm the wolf until he was strong enough to fight off the pack, and then whatever else there was in this forest.
‘But skills and spells do. I just have to figure if they will carry over if I raise the rank of a skill and gather as many spells as I can.’ John made his short and simple plan, not that he had any other options, or at least he couldn’t think of them. Looking at his pretty long list of skills, he didn’t have to think long about which one he would try to raise. He had only a couple choices after all. It was either Martial Arts or All-Spellcasting. He will try to raise both, but his focus was going to be on the magical skill since it also boosted his stats.
The second John heard the growl, he spun around, facing the wolf with confidence. The ones mighty demon that killed him so many times… still looked mighty, but he knew he could take it down. He’d done it before once, and he will do it again. This time he even had another damaging spell as well!
Wasting no time at all, John cast Chill Touch twice, conjuring two skeletal hands around the wolf’s neck, which grasped onto it tightly. The beast let out a pained cry and tried pulling away from them, but he gave it no chance. John fired his new spell, Fire Bolt, sending a mote of flame at the wolf’s head and burning its fur. He then rushed the beast, punching and kicking it to his heart content.
‘It feels so good to be on the other side.’ John thought, enjoying being the one doing the killing, rather than the one being killed. ‘How the turns have tabled.’
The wolf whimpered as it fell, with John sending one last Fire Bolt in pettiness. He didn’t even look bothered by the gory scene or the blood dripping from his knuckles, not after experiencing his death so many times, two of which were very disturbing. His focus was on the floating screen that informed him of his level up and new spell
[Artificer has leveled up.]
[+1 INT and DEX]
[Cure Wounds added to spell list.]
[Infuse Weapon added to enchantment list.]
The enchantment infused a weapon with his magic, increasing its damage, but it was useless to him. The spell, however. ‘Oh, my. A damaging spell and a healing one? Is Artificer the best class? Or have I been getting super unlucky with the other magical classes? It also gives me enchantments, which I can’t really use right now, but it’s the thought that counts.’
John didn’t get to ponder on that much longer, as the pack shortly arrived, drawn by the pained cries of the wolf he slew. There was no hesitation as he began casting all of his damaging spells at the beasts. Skeletal hands latched onto the wolves’ fur while he fired Fire Bolts like a machine gun at them. That lasted for no more than a dozen seconds, and John fell down, not from the wolves, but from the splitting headache, caused by him using so many spells. It felt like someone took a hot knife, pierced him through the head, and left it there to fry his brain.
For the next few attempts, John picked Artificer every time since it had been so good to him right from the get go. He got two more damaging cantrip spells in Acid Splash and Frostbite, and two more support ones, Light and Prestidigitation. For level one spells, he got only support ones, but they looked useful as long as he managed to escape the starting location, Alarm, Feather Fall, Purify Food and Drink, Detect Magic.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
However, the most important thing that happened was that All-Spellcasting leveled up on his last death. And even more importantly, John found out that skill levels do carry over after each death. Raising all of his skills as high as possible seemed like his way out of this madness, and hopefully, they would be as useful as All-Spellcasting, though he doubted that. That skill was op, and he loved it.
[All-Spellcasting(Apprentice): You can learn and cast any non-divine spell up to the third level. +2 WIS, INT, and CHA per class level.]
Class levels didn’t carry over after his death, and he couldn’t raise his stats the normal way, but he could do it with this skill. Escaping didn’t seem impossible if he leveled it up enough alongside All-Weapon Proficiency.
‘First focus on All-Spellcasting until I could find a way out of the starting zone, and then find a weapon to work on All-Weapon Proficiency.’ John formed his plan quickly. ‘I can do this. I can do this.’ He repeated a few times, pumping himself up and chose a class, picking up Druid this time.
[Animal Friendship added to spell list.]
“I’m sorry what now?” John exclaimed. “Why didn’t you give me this spell the first time?!?!”
He was mad, but as went to check the spell description, even if the name made it pretty obvious, he was surprised to see that it was first level spell. This was the first time he didn’t get a cantrip as his first spell. ‘Is this due to my skill leveling up? Or have I been getting super unlucky until now? It has to be the first, right?’ Shaking his head, John quickly read the description.
[Animal Friendship: Convince a beast you mean it no harm. Spell effect is doubled if a morsel of food is presented to the beast at the same time.]
John didn’t have a morsel, but that wouldn’t stop him from at least trying to use the spell on the wolf. Just as the beast appeared, he immediately cast his new spell on it. However, the wolf hesitated only for a moment before letting out a growl and rushing at him.
“I should’ve expected as much.” John complained and quickly fired his damaging spells, hurling a bubble of acid with his left hand while freezing the wolf’s joints with his right. Using his new spells, gave him a sensation of power. With magic at his fingertips, he felt unstoppable, even though he got lightheaded after casting a few spells. It still felt wonderful, though.
The wolf was quickly taken care off with practiced ease at this point since he had done it quite a few times already. He knew what would happen next, but John was eagerly looking at his level screen, hoping for something good. And oh, boy, did he get something good.
[Druid has leveled up.]
[+1 WIS and CON]
[Wild Shape added to Spell list.]
[Wild Shape: A druid’s signature ability of magically assuming the shape of a beast. You can only take the appearance of beasts that you’ve seen, and your level determines in which ones you can transform into.
Currently available transformations: Wolf]
An idea struck him the moment he saw the description of the spell. Casting it immediately, John felt his entire body readjust itself, taking the appearance of a wolf. The transformation was quick and simple, and it happened without any pain. Moving around in this form was… uncomfortable, but he could get used to it with enough tries. Now, he had an important moment awaiting, one that could determine his future.
The pack of wolves arrived, with the Dire Wolf Alpha leading the way. Standing as big as a horse, he was a fearsome beast and there was no doubt about it. John could potentially find a way to deal with the normal wolves. Killing one leveled up him, so he assumed killing a few more would do the same. Leveling up regained his strength, and he could use that to his advantage during the fight with the wolves, but he stood absolutely no chance against the Dire Wolf. The beast could decimate him on his own even if he was a few levels higher. At least his Animal Handling, Insight, and Perception skills told him so.
“Woof?” John had the form of a wolf, but he had no clue how one was supposed to act. The pack and the Alpha easily picked up on that. Especially after seeing the corpse of the other wolf, they knew there was something fishy about John. Without any hesitation, they rushed at him, and he couldn’t even put up a fight as he wasn’t used to this form yet.
“Motherfucker.” John stood up from the ground, hearing the bestial roar in the distance. He wasn’t sure if he was cursing it or the pack of wolves, but he was surely cursing one of them.
Shaking his head, he focused on the floating screen and was about to select Druid, but stopped himself. He had to test out if he could use his Wild Shape with another class or if he would be stuck using Druid for the foreseeable future, trying his best to gain the trust of the pack. Picking Sorcerer, he was about to dismiss the notifications before he blinked a few times and looked at one in particular.
[Magic Missile added to Spell list.]
John got another Level 1 spell, and it was a damaging one at that. “Is this my lucky day?” It was definitely not, considering where he woke up and how many times he died, but thing were starting to look better for him. If he gathered enough higher leveled spells, he just might get strong enough to fight the pack on his own. He didn’t think that would happen, but it was possible.
“And now for the test.” John activated Wild Shape, and his body transformed into that of a wolf.
‘It worked!’ He exclaimed in his mind in happiness. Now, he just needed to befriend the other wolf and the pack afterward.
John moved around a bit, getting used to this form and walking on four legs. He was starting to get better at it when the other wolf arrived. The beast stared at John with its yellow eyes in confusion. After sniffing the air a few times, the wolf suddenly let out a growl and got prepared for a fight.
‘Not good. It doesn’t recognize my scent.’ John didn’t even realize how that thought was something that would’ve never crossed his mind before. However, the skills he had acquired were already part of him and making his life… somewhat easier.
‘Can I use my spells in this form?’ John suddenly thought and quickly tried that. He cast Animal Friendship at the wolf that was about to jump him. The beast stopped in its tracks and looked at him with a tilt of its head.
‘It worked!’ Exclaimed John and on whim used Comprehend Languages. Suddenly, he started understating the expression and small movements of the wolf even better.
[Animal Handling increased to Apprentice.]
[Insight increased to Apprentice.]
John communicated back to the wolf and saw the beast ease up. It came over to him and started sniffing his butt, which was super uncomfortable. He never thought he would experience something like that in his life. At least he had his plan for the future. Since he couldn’t beat the pack, he would just join them. Simple as that.
When the wolf finished sniffing, it turned around, parking its butt right in front of his nose. ‘Oh, no. It wants me to sniff him.’ John cried in his mind as he sniffed the wolf’s butt reluctantly. ‘I hate my life! I fucking hate my life!!!!’