“Are rare Classes any good?” I asked.
Cyril’s eye twitched, and he let out the loudest sigh I’d heard from him yet. “Please tell me you didn’t just spend ten seconds choosing your Class.”
I blinked at him, an embarrassed grin tugging at my lips.
“You did…” He sighed again, something he definitely did quite a lot. “Alright, it’s fine. You only have one level somehow, so you’ll switch to a different Class soon enough. Though I’m not sure how you managed to get yourself a rare Class that early. Uncommon isn’t unheard of, but I’ve never heard a legitimate case of someone with a rare class at level one.”
I shrugged. “It has something to do with having lost my memories due to some terrible event. It’s called Calamity Amnesiac.”
Cyril just barely kept himself from sighing again, though I could see the strain in his face. “Please, please, don’t go around telling people about your Class. Especially if it’s rare and has a fancy name like that.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Normally because it can just be dangerous to plainly reveal everything about yourself. If someone wishes you harm, they’ll know exactly how to get at you if they know all about your Class. Most people get a combat Class if they get to level 100. It’s good for protection, even if you don’t level it much. But for you specifically, talking about a rare Class could get you killed. A long time ago, the Empire outlawed us common folk from having any Classes ranked rare or above. If word gets out that you have one, they’ll send the Arbiters, and that never ends well.”
I felt a bit dizzy from all the information. I could remember vague details about two nations in particular, but nothing about some empire.
“Just be careful, okay? I won’t say anything, but if you tell the wrong person, they could sell that information. No reason to get yourself forced into slavery or killed.”
“Got it. But, now that I’m thinking about it, what should I do? If a rare Class is so dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to get rid of it and replace it with something else?” I asked.
Cyril shrugged. “You could, but as long as you don’t display a high amount of stats relative to your level, you should be fine. Plus, you’d have to level up to at least 25 if you wanted to get rid of your Class, so you’re stuck with it for a while no matter what.”
Lise stood up. “Let’s save the rest of this talk for tomorrow. It’s getting late tonight as it is.”
“Is it fine if I sleep here tonight?”
“Of course it is. We wouldn’t be so cruel as to send you to sleep outside,” Lise said. Cyril laughed at that.
“You’ve made me do that before.”
“But that’s because you deserved it, honey. Next time, don’t leave the gate open so that our sheep can all run away.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Cyril grumbled as he walked away.
“I’ll lead you back to your bedroom,” Lise said, as the two of us were now alone. I was sure I could’ve found my way on my own, but the company was nice to have.
“Hey, Lise. What should I, you know, do? I really really appreciate both of you for taking care of me here, but I don’t want to impose on you for too long.”
She shook her head. “I can’t answer that for you. What you do with your life is something you need to figure out on your own. But, I can say that you’re not imposing on us at all. Cyril and I aren’t rich by any means, but we also live very simply. Money hasn’t ever been a problem for us, so you can stay here for as long as you’d like.”
I gave her a weak smile. That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, but she was right about what she was saying regardless. I couldn’t leave something like that up to someone else. That would basically be putting my life in someone else’s hands.
I lay in bed, thoughts swirling around in my mind. One thing I hadn’t forgotten were all the various types of professions that were out there. Human life was complex, so naturally there was a job for almost all aspects of it. As I considered my future, sleep eventually took me.
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Luna pulled the bowstring back, holding her breath so that her hand would be more steady. She couldn’t miss this shot. If she did, the entire camp would be alerted of her presence. The small group of soldiers she was with wasn’t nearly enough to fight these bandits head on. She needed to pick off as many as she could before they noticed.
She released her arrow, and it whistled through the air until it suddenly found itself lodged in a bandit’s head. He died on the spot, and the only sound made was his lifeless body collapsing to the ground.
Another shot, another kill. And another. And one more. Luna was ruthless. She knew that it was either her or them, and the scales were always tilted in her favor. She no longer felt remorse for the lives she took, though she felt no satisfaction either. It was just another aspect of her existence.
One of the bodies was found, and the camp very quickly went on high alert. They were too late, though. Luna had done her job. Her allies could now rush in, and eliminate the rest of the threats.
A burly woman stepped out of a tent, her height dwarfing most of the men in the camp. “What’s going on out here!?” Rage filled her voice. Luna was close enough to use Identify.
(Warrior - Level ???)
She mentally cursed. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight after all.
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I woke to the sound of howling, and immediately jumped out of bed. As if I wasn’t even controlling them, my legs took me outside.
Wolves. Three of them were dragging the lifeless body of a sheep. Cyril was already there, with a sword in hand. One moment, he was still. The next, he suddenly burst into action, driving his sword straight through the skull of one of the wolves.
The other two didn’t take that lying down. They bared their fangs and swiped with their claws, cutting Cyril a few times. He was able to dodge the worst of the attacks, but couldn’t avoid them all. Without the element of surprise on his side anymore, the situation was rapidly worsening.
I looked to see where he had come from, and darted inside once I realized it had been a shed. The dream I’d had was still fresh in my mind. If there was a bow in there, I could help. I knew I could.
The shed was dark, but not completely. There was just enough light from the moon for me to take a look around. The first thing I saw was another sword, but I didn’t even think to pick it up. Cyril and the Wolves were much faster than I was. Not only that, but it looked heavy, and I seriously doubted I’d be able to pick it up without much trouble.
Next, some leather armor. Cyril clearly hadn’t had enough time to put it on, or else he wouldn’t have been fighting in just his clothes.
And… There! A bow. It didn’t look to be of as high quality as what I’d seen in the dream, but that was fine. I just needed to give Cyril a bit of a break, so that he could finish off the last two wolves.
I picked up the bow, along with a few arrows, and ran back outside the shed. Cyril was looking worse, bleeding from multiple wounds, and obviously slowing. He tried backing away, to get back inside the house, but the wolves took the opportunity to land another blow, damaging him further. At this rate, he’d be dead within a few minutes.
Luckily for Cyril, no one even knew I was here. I stalked around to the side, so that I could get a clearer shot on the wolves. I was useless here if I just ended up hurting the person I was trying to help after all.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Once I had a nice spot, I got down on one knee, and held up the bow. The feeling felt completely new, but familiar at the same time. I nocked an arrow, and took aim. The wolves were light on their feet. They jumped and pounced around, making it harder for Cyril to keep up. But they were defenseless while they were actually in the air. I just needed to wait for the perfect moment, and take the shot.
Now!
I loosed the arrow, and watched as it flew through the air. The wolf I was aiming at was hit in the side, and promptly fell over. It wasn’t dead, but it did knock the other one off balance. Cyril took the chance given to him, and quickly beheaded the healthy wolf. The one I’d shot was already dying, so it was even easier to finish off that one.
System Notification: You have assisted in killing a Wolf (Level 58)
System Notification: You have leveled up Calamity Amnesiac! (Level 1 → 7) (+1 to all stats per level! +15 Free stats per level for having a rare Class!)
System Notification: You have leveled up Skill Recall (Level 1 → 7)
System Notification: You have leveled up Heightened Learning (Level 1 → 3)
System Notification: Achievement unlocked: Archer: You have learned of the powers that a bow can bring. Rather than relying on your own skill to fire arrows at your enemies, rely on a Skill instead! (Granted Skill: Archery)
“Luna, is that you?” Cyril called out. I stood up quickly, and ran over to him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to get hurt any more, but I needed to wait for the right moment…” I apologized. If I’d been a higher level, he wouldn’t be nearly as hurt as he was.
“Nonsense, I’d have died soon enough if you weren’t there to save me. Thank you, Luna. I mean it.” He smiled and patted my head, just as Lise made it outside.
“Ah, I knew I heard something!” She stomped over to us, and scooped some cream out of a metal bowl. She began rubbing it onto Cyril’s wounds, though he winced each time she touched them. “And please tell me you didn’t make poor Luna fight anything.”
Cyril put his hands up defensively. “She fought, but I didn’t even know she was there until one of the wolves was shot with an arrow.”
“Is that true, Luna?” She asked, turning her attention to me.
I nodded my head. “I had a dream, or more like a memory, where I was using a bow. And when I came outside to see what was happening, I sort of just sprang into action.”
“Oh, does that mean you were a hunter in the past? Or maybe your father was?”
I shook my head. “No, I think…” I hesitated for a moment. How would Cyril and Lise react to the knowledge that I had killed people so easily? Sure, that wasn’t who I was anymore, but that didn’t change what I had done. Even if they were bandits, they were still people who would never see their family again.
“It’s fine, Luna. You don’t have to tell us,” Cyril said, noticing my indecision. “For now, I’m all healed up, so why don’t we all get back to bed? I’m sure you leveled up a bit from that, so I can give you some tips on stat allocation in the morning.”
“Sure!” I said, smiling. Though I did notice that all of his wounds were closed up, even if his clothes and body were still bloody. The cream hadn’t seemed like anything special, but it apparently had some magical properties. Part of me wanted to know more about the cream, but the adrenaline of the fight was wearing off. I hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep yet.
With the bow back in the shed, Cyril got to work on doing something with the carcasses. I was too tired to stick around and watch, but I was pretty sure we’d all be eating our fill of meat the next day.
This time, as I slept, I didn’t have any revealing dreams. I simply rested, and woke up feeling energized the next day. I got out of bed, yawning and scratching my head. My hair felt like a mess. I seriously needed to take a bath or something, and deeply clean myself. There hadn’t been much time yesterday, but there was a full day ahead of me today.
Cyril and Lise were already up, sitting around a table. “Ah, morning Luna. I was just about to come get you,” Lisa motioned to one of the chairs for me to sit. I sat down, and was greeted with another bowl of stew. There were hefty chunks of meat floating around in it, and I quickly got to eating. I was starting to become a bit more self-conscious about my looks, now that I wasn’t just constantly confused, so I made sure not to look like a mess as I ate.
“Oh, I got to level 7 by the way!” I said, suddenly remembering what had happened last night.
“That’s good! If you have a rare Class, that means you should have around 90 free stats, right?”
“Um, let me check.” I mentally willed only the stats part of my Status to show.
STATS
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 7
Speed: 7
Vitality: 7
Perception: 7
Mana: 7
Magic Power: 7
Free Stats: 90
I nodded. “And all my stats are currently at 7 as well.”
“Right, well all Classes will give you a point in every stat, each time you get a level. How many free stats you get depends on the rarity of your Class. A common will give you 5 every level. Uncommon will give 10. And rare will give 15. I’m not sure about epic and above, though.”
“Oh, so is that why rare and higher are banned? Because they give too many stats?”
Cyril grunted in agreement, as he ate another spoonful of his food. “Empire doesn’t want any of us common folk getting too powerful and starting another civil war.”
“Oh.” Well, it made sense, at least. Still, it was annoying that a rule like that was in place. “Where should I put my free stats then?”
Cyril thought for a moment. “Normally, I’d say it depends on your Class. You seem to have a knack for archery, though. If you decide that you want to be a hunter, then I’d recommend putting most of those into dexterity, vitality, speed, and perception. Really, every stat will be useful for you, especially if you can pick up some magic-scaling Skills for yourself later on, but those four are the most important for an archer.”
“Well, I was thinking that using a bow might be nice. I think that if I do, I might be able to unlock more memories about myself, and hopefully figure out where I’m from.”
Lise smiled. “That’s fine, but is it what you want to do? I’m sure you’ll figure out where you’re from eventually. If you don’t want to take a combat class, even if it’s for hunting, you don’t need to if you’d rather pursue something else.”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but I do like using the bow. I felt… whole, I guess. It was like I was missing a part of myself, and only realized once I finally had a bow in my hands again.”
“In that case, Cyril never uses the one in the shed. You can have it if you’d like.”
“Is that really fine?” I asked, turning to Cyril.
“Go for it! It wasn’t ever mine, anyway. It was our son’s, before he left home.”
“You have a son? Where is he?”
Lise and Cyril suddenly had a grim look on their face, and I could tell I had accidentally struck a soft spot. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Oh it’s fine, you didn’t know,” Lise said, giving a soft smile. “He went off to join the army. Then, we got a letter a few years later saying that he was killed in a rebel attack.” I still felt terrible for bringing up bad memories, but didn’t say anything further about it.
“Anyway, let’s talk about your stats a bit more,” Cyril said, trying to change the mood. “Most important thing to know is what you’re gonna be shooting. If you’re hunting for food, you’ll want to be real sneaky. If you’re hunting predators to protect your own animals, then you’ll want to invest a bit more in power, since they’ll be coming to you anyway.”
“In my dream, I think I was a soldier,” I blurted out.
The other two shared a look, before turning their attention back to me.
“Do you want to be a soldier again?” Cyril asked.
I thought about it for a while, but eventually shook my head. “No, I don’t think I do. I seemed… cold, I think. I killed so many people, but barely even cared. I don’t want to become that type of person again.”
Cyril and Lise both looked a bit relieved at that. “Then what would you like to do?”
“I think I’d like to help you two, if that’s fine. I could go out into the forest, and hunt animals so that you can start having meat more regularly! Oh, and I can also help when wolves attack like last night. And I can also-”
Lise smiled, and motioned for me to stop before I rambled on too long. “You can stay as long as you want to, Luna. Plus, I wouldn’t say no to a steady stream of meat coming in.”
Cyril nodded along with that. “You’re definitely going to want to invest most of your points in dexterity then. You’ll be able to take more precise shots. Plus, you don’t look like you have that much muscle on you, so anything in strength would probably be a bit of a waste. Stat points just multiply what you already have. And for you, even if your strength was doubled, that still probably wouldn’t be much.”
Cyril was right. I’d notice that my body was much less muscled than even Lise’s, and she was only a seamstress. At the same time, I was pretty sure any increase to dexterity would be much more beneficial to me than it would to either of them.
I brought up the stats screen again, and put half of my free points in dexterity. I split the rest up between vitality, speed, and perception like Cyril said I should, since I didn’t have any better ideas for my stats. Mana and Magic Power could have potentially been useful, but I didn’t have any Skills that would utilize them at the moment. If I got any in the future, I would just put points into those stats then.
STATS
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 52
Speed: 22
Vitality: 22
Perception: 22
Mana: 7
Magic Power: 7
Free Stats: 0