I get to my feet and rush to one of the living room windows. It’s dark outside, seeing as the street lamps are out as well. But even though it's eleven at night, there's enough light from the moon and the stars to see.
I survey the street, eyes searching for the source of the scream, and I see my neighbors from across the road. They're an older couple, Barry and Jenna Moore, both in their mid sixties. The front door of their house is wide open, and Barry is slapping Jenna, who is on the ground in their front lawn.
It doesn't seem right. I know them, they're kind people that love each other. Is this whole system and mana thing mutating humans as well, turning us into monsters?
Whatever the case, I have to help. I can't just stand by and watch.
I leave the window and rush to the door. Forgetting to unlock it first, I bounce off of it as I try to throw it open and dash outside at the same time. I take a deep breath, unlock it, and I open it more gently this time.
I'm not one step through the threshold when pain shoots up my leg.
“Ahhh!” I scream and jump back.
I look down to find a beetle the size of my fist biting my ankle. Its jaws are like a pair of ragged scissors, easily piercing my jeans and skin to draw blood.
Mutated Beetle - Level 1.
I kick at the air to throw the beetle off, but it holds on tight. More of them are coming in through the door, a tidal wave of black chitin and chittering legs. They're not fast, but the sheer number of them will eat me like a swarm of piranhas if they catch me.
I back away, still kicking to no avail. With no other choice, I bend down and grab the beetle with both hands. Another deep breath, and I yank it away. Its jaws take a chunk of jeans, skin, and flesh with them.
Damage to my health pool is minimal, thankfully. One point from the bite itself, and two more from removing the beetle. I bleed for a few seconds, but I feel the flesh reforming, severed veins and arteries looking for each other to meld back together and stem the flow.
The beetle in my hands makes pitiful noises, trying and failing to snap its oversized jaws at the fingers holding it steady. I throw my arms back, then forward, smashing the beetle into the floor as hard as I can.
It doesn't explode into a puddle of insect guts and juice like I expect it to, but it dies all the same. My notification folder flashes briefly, but I don't have time for kill notifications. As the other beetles grab the dead one and tear it to pieces, I turn and limp away.
I need some weapons and a pair of sturdy boots.
----------------------------------------
The attached garage slash workshop has what I need, and reaching it isn't hard. I go through the interior door, slamming it shut and locking it behind me to buy myself some thinking time. The mutated beetles assault my flimsy barricade right away. I hear them on the other side, bunching up against the door as they try to bite it to pieces.
Without electricity, the space is pitch black. I can’t see anything, but I know the layout well enough to fumble my way around in search of things. My car is here, but the keys are back in the house. No speedy get-away for me, but I'm not even sure I'd want that. Here I am, surrounded by low level monsters that are relatively easy to kill, so I need to capitalize on that for some much needed experience.
First things first, though, I open the notification folder to see what I got.
Monster defeated: You have killed a Mutated Beetle - Level 1
Rewards: +16 Experience (Bonuses apply).
Notice: Experience has been banked until class selection is made. All experience is banked during a Monster Siege (this limitation has been temporarily overwritten as part of the First Siege Protocol).
Bonuses? I'll have to look into those at some point, but for now, I have to get a class.
Bringing back the selection screens again, I give the order.
“Show me the list of master classes.”
The system complies, though not without another warning that master classes aren't recommended. The list it provides is very long, it would take too much time to look at all of the options.
“Filter out the artisan, utility, and support type classes,” I try.
A lot of the options vanish, but the list is still plenty long. I think for a bit, and I give another order.
“Filter out all of the tank classes.”
More of them disappear, but the dent is minimal. I need to whittle it down further if I don't want to be here all night, but I don't know how. I already excluded a ton of options. I mull it over for a bit, and I get an idea. The very first notification made it sound like Earth isn’t unique or alone in the universe, that other planets with sentient life exist. Which means that the system might have classes designed for some of those aliens.
“Only show me the classes that have high compatibility with humans.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
That does the trick, bringing the list down into triple digits. There are still three hundred something classes to choose from, but it’s much more manageable. And this way, I can be sure that I'll be able to make the most out of whatever I pick. No weird classes designed for aliens with different body plans, like more or fewer limbs, or organs I don’t have.
I look through the selection for a few minutes, and I like what I see. I don't read much further than the name for most of them, only delving into details when something catches my eye. After a while, I pin one of the classes for further consideration.
Solar Mage
Description: Solar mages can harness the raw power of the stars themselves. They are masters of plasma and solar winds, able to command and manipulate the essence of solar energy to unleash devastating attacks and awe-inspiring effects.
Class difficulty: master.
It's a magic focused class, and the prospect excites me. Why go with guns or swords when magic is a thing now? It gives 4 free points per level, along with 6 set points that are distributed equally between Essence and Spirit. I’m not sure what either one is or what they do, but switching back to the Attributes tab clears up the confusion. I focus on the two attributes and I get my answers.
Essence regulates the size of my mana pool, and spirit determines how fast that mana pool replenishes.
The solar mage's set point distribution makes sense, the system is making sure that the user will get the bigger mana pool and mana regeneration that their class will need.
As for skills, the class starts out with three of them: Plasma Bolt, Solar Flare, and Coronal Shield. A powerful single target attack, a less powerful area of effect attack, and a defensive spell.
The more I read, the more the class is growing on me. But I know better than to jump on the first good thing I see, so I keep digging.
“Show me the list of expert classes.”
The system complies again, but not without another warning. I apply the same filters as before, and this list is only fifty something entries long. Still, the fact that it's much shorter doesn't make my task any easier. The expert classes are all phenomenal.
Some, like Supernova Mage, are clear evolutions of master classes. That gets me thinking, wondering whether I'll be able to evolve the easier classes. It sure as hell looks like it, but I can't be certain. Not until I get my hands on one of those guides, so I try that next.
“Shop. Store. Buy. Sell.”
I try a bunch of commands, but none of them do anything. I don’t get an explanation of how this system shop is supposed to work, or even how to see my credits. But then again, I doubt I have any. None of the system messages so far have mentioned me gaining credits.
A few possibilities cross my mind. The shop could be a physical location I have to visit, or I might need to gain access to it somehow. But since I don’t have any credits, I quit wasting time on this train of thought. Better to focus on what I can actually do. Another five minutes go by, and I settle on one of the options.
Wavebreaker
Description: Wavebreakers are formidable frontline warriors, specializing in disrupting formations and decimating large groups of enemies. Their skills are designed to weaken, scatter, and obliterate clusters of foes, making them sought after in any large-scale battle or defense.
Class difficulty: expert.
It's one of the few classes that gives the full 16 possible attribute points per level. Eight of them are free, and the other eight are set ones that are divided between strength, agility, perception, and weirdly enough, charisma. Four of the points go into strength, two into agility, and one each for perception and charisma.
“What the hell would I need charisma for as a frontliner?”
I decide that it doesn’t matter. No point in complaining about extra points, even if I don’t see a use for the attribute yet. But that distribution, along with the class description, paints a pretty clear picture. I’d be a hard hitting glass cannon, or possibly a harasser. The annoying fucker that jumps in, deals a bunch of area of effect damage, and dashes right back out.
The starting skills also support that assumption, with the three skills being Battle Frenzy, Ground Pound, and Dash. Ground Pound and Dash are pretty self-explanatory, an area of effect damage skill and a movement skill, but Battle Frenzy is a bit weird. It’s this thing that will build up as I’ll damage enemies, and it will give me attribute bonuses the higher I’ll get it to go.
I’d need to put some of the free points into constitution to increase my survivability, as well as some into essence and spirit depending on my needs, but I like the class overall. It doesn’t sound as good as Solar Mage, but I feel like it’s the better choice. For one, it won’t force me to learn magic while the world is burning down around me, and that Frenzy skill might give me a much needed edge in the attribute department.
Having made up my mind, I give the command to the system.
Warning: The Wavebreaker class is categorized as Expert Difficulty. It is recommended for experienced users with advanced knowledge of the System. New users are advised to consider novice or adept classes, which are more suitable for their skill level.
Do you wish to proceed anyway?
“Yes.”
Alert: You have selected the Wavebreaker class. This class presents a high level of difficulty and risk. Inexperienced users may face severe challenges and potential failure. It is strongly advised to evaluate alternative classes before proceeding.
Are you sure you wish to proceed?
Now this is interesting. Not just one, but two warnings? The logical part of me knows that this is a very bad idea. That the System is trying to keep us away from master and expert classes for a good reason. But deep down, I get this feeling that it’s some form of noob trap. That, while the warnings might be well intentioned, they do more damage than good in the long run. The expert classes obviously have more potential overall, even if that potential is harder to reach.
It’s the age old choice between instant and delayed gratification, except this time, it might cost me my life.
“Proceed,” I give the command.
While the present is pressing, I can’t not think about the long term. Not doing that before is how I got stuck in this small town in the middle of nowhere, working a job that I love but that has zero upwards mobility. I might get through this first siege with a weaker class, but I’ll also have to get through the next siege, and the one after that.
I don’t want to die a week, a month, hell maybe a year from now, all because I was too chickenshit to commit to a more difficult class. I don’t want my family to die because of that. Better to rip that band-aid off here and now, to risk it all tonight and be safer in the long term.
Final Caution: You are about to confirm Wavebreaker — an expert difficulty class with exceptionally high risk — as your class selection. This decision may lead to insurmountable challenges and irreversible consequences. Only proceed if you are fully prepared for the significant trials ahead.
Are you certain about taking this risk?
“Yes.”
Class selected: Wavebreaker (expert).
Notice: You now have access to the class skills tab. Any banked experience will be applied.
Title unlocked: Power Hungry.
Secret Quest added: Origins of Mana.
Check your “quests” tab for more details.