Eli - Lvl 0 (No Class)

Strength-3

Dexterity-3

Perception-2

Vitality-4

Spirit-4

Willpower-3

I closed my Status and focused back on the empty streets of the market district ahead of me. After I unlocked my status this morning I had said my farewell to my parents; hopefully, they wouldn’t worry too much. Now that I had my status screen, I was going to the adventurers guild. I couldn't wait to finally get a monster core and be Awakened.

I set off at a quick pace through the gently sloping and paved streets of Brightswell City. After a half-hour of steadily heading downhill from my parents’ house and shop by the merchants’ district, I reached the large southern wall. It towered high over my head, but the building next to it was only slightly shorter than it. The Adventurers Guild.

I walked up to the open doorway in the large, tavern-like building and walked inside after I took a deep breath. When I entered I could hear dozens of separate conversations happening all along the massive hall. Some people sat in small groups at tables near the center of the hall, while a small crowd studied the notice boards spread across one of the walls. After a few moments of looking around, I saw an area with three receptionists sitting behind desks with a short line behind each of them. I wandered over and took a spot in one of the lines while I continued to study the room and the various odd-looking people spread around. A glance over towards the large oak wall across from me I saw what looked like a blue half-giant talking to another few adventurers quietly while gesturing at one of the notices. I stared for a few seconds before one of the women talking to the giant turned to look back at me. The woman had a small short bow that looked to be made of some sort of horn held in one hand and was extremely pretty with lightly tanned features and piercing green eyes. I immediately looked away and flushed slightly after I realized I had attracted her attention. I saw the line had moved closer to the receptionist and there was only one person left in front of me a few feet away. I quickly made my way closer to the receptionist and looked towards the last remaining side of the hall. A row of portals guarded by members of the adventurers guild and more receptionists to take payment spanned the entire wall. I studied a man as he started walking towards the portal and jerked in surprise when one of the receptionists behind me cleared her throat.

“Coming!” I stammered out as I jogged up to the window I had been facing away from. An older woman with her hair tied up looked at me with mild annoyance and boredom on her face.

“A newly Awakened? Here to register? Very well, very well. Let me get a badge, just tell me your full name,” the woman said as soon as she looked me over and seemed to analyze me instantly after only a brief look. I nodded immediately back, but she didn’t notice as she was already looking around in one of the drawers.

“Eli Verhelm, ma’am. Yes, I’m here to register,” I replied up as she pushed a bronze amulet around a leather cord towards me across the wooden counter. I looked at the adventurers’ medallion with wide eyes for a second before I quickly pulled it towards myself and put it around my neck. I noticed the heavy, odd feeling of it hanging against my chest. The receptionist pushed over a form for me to sign along with a pen, and then a slightly dull brown monster core. I stared at the core in interest since it was the first time I had ever seen one before I grabbed the quill and signed my name on the standard adventurer's membership form. After I pushed the form back towards the woman I swallowed my suddenly dry mouth. It felt almost like I was having an out-of-body experience as I grabbed the monster core and saw the receptionist looking past me impatiently, already putting me out of her mind. I walked over towards the center of the hall to an empty corner with a small table.

That was the reason the adventurers guild was so popular despite the danger that comes with it. You join the adventurers guild and they sponsor your class choice with a monster core, with your only duty being to defend against the monster hordes when they attack every year. Hundreds of adventurers die during the hordes that assault all the cities in Satar, but some of them survive and grow stronger. The horde had just ended one month ago today, and the adventurers guild had likely been packed with newly awakened young men and women streaming in constantly since then to apply. Getting a monster core, or the essence to gain a class naturally if you're not a noble is extremely dangerous. Gaining enough essence from killing monsters can allow you to naturally awaken, but the danger was so high that most didn't risk it unless they could afford magical equipment or guards.

I looked up from the monster core that sat on the wooden table in front of me and slowly panned my gaze across the room. I noticed the scattered groups of commoners with no weapons or armor to the few groups of nobles with enchanted equipment and their guards. I looked forward to this moment all my life but now it doesn’t even seem real while it’s happening. My eyes pinched together as I gazed determinedly at the monster core and placed my hands on each side of it.

Absorb Monster Core?

A message appeared in front of me and I immediately agreed. I felt the Essence slowly drain out of the core and spread into my body with an oddly burning sensation.

Level 1 Acquired! Class choice available.

The message disappeared and a large leather book appeared in its place. The book of classes. I swallowed in shock, I had only heard stories from my father of what he had heard throughout his life as a merchant. My father told me that inside the book of classes there was everything imaginable, from knights to wizards to beast tamers, although if you passed on something once it would not be offered again. I slowly flipped from one page to the next as I studied the choices I was offered.

Slayer

Spellbinder

Cartographer

Berserker

Runecrafter

I stopped for a moment on the leather page. Like all of the pages before it, I could only see the name of the class, written in a different style for each class. Although it sounded powerful, and I felt myself being drawn to it in a way, I turned to the next page to look for something better suited to what I had planned.

Dragonslayer

I spent a moment staring in awe at the page. I had spent a lot of time growing up, planning how I would survive and thrive once I Awakened. I decided over the years that I would look for a class that would make me the most valuable to a team. Only with a strong team would I be able to gain enough strength to survive my first horde. I dismissed the Dragonslayer page with a sigh. Hydromancer came next but it was nothing that would make me stand out from the crowd. Pyromancer. Cleric. I looked at the page with distaste, I didn't want to depend on the power of someone else, even if they were a God. I looked through what felt like hundreds of classes, flipping from page to page in the endless book before I stopped on a page with interest.

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Druid

I knew the word had something to do with nature, and I felt a sense of vigor just from looking at the page. This was the first time I had a physical reaction to looking at one of the classes and I decided it must be a sign that I had a strong connection to this class. Immediately my body spasmed between pain and constant relief as an odd feeling went through my body and mind. After a few seconds, I blinked my eyes open and slowly moved around to see that my body and mind felt alright, if slightly different than before.

“Status,” I said after I gave myself a shake, immediately forgetting the pain and discomfort as I looked at my first choice. When someone is Awakened they earn one skill point and when they level afterward, they would earn an additional statistic point.

Eli - Lvl 1 Druid

Strength-3

Dexterity-3

Perception-2

Vitality-4

Spirit-4

Willpower-3

Unlock one Class Skill

I spent a few seconds going over the information again on my class page before I looked in satisfaction at the bottom. I had been wondering for years over what the choice I would be facing upon my awakening. I focused on the only option and studied the leather page that appeared in front of me again.

1 Skill Point Available

Barkskin

Thornbolt

I thought Barkskin was a way of increasing my defense and thornbolt was a way of attacking monsters from a distance. I found myself leaning towards thornbolt, but if Barkskin was a way of increasing my teams' defense as well as my own, that would be exactly what I needed. One ranged attack wasn't anything special in the realm of newly awakened adventurers, but something to increase your survivability would be very helpful. I grimaced in hesitation as I thought over the benefits of each skill, but everyone who grew up in Brightswell knew that less than half of newly awakened adventurers lived through their first horde. Having the ability to protect others would be incredibly valuable to people like me with only one other ability and no increased statistics.

As soon as I focused on Barkskin I felt an odd sensation in my head and my core. It felt like the essence I absorbed into my core was spreading throughout my body. In an instant, the essence had pooled in my head and imprinted a formation. Just like that, the feeling was gone, but I knew I could immediately cast that specific form of essence.

“Barkskin” I spoke clearly and with confidence. I used the knowledge that my class had gifted me to understand that I used the incantation as a focus while I channeled energy from my core into the essence formation. I felt my skin grow tight and I noticed a hardness and toughness to my skin that felt both unnerving and powerful at the same time. I smiled and clenched my fist. I felt stronger than I ever had before.

“Dispel,” I said while focusing on releasing another formation of energy from my core, and I immediately felt the hard feeling of my skin return to normal. I slowly smiled as I stood up feeling pleased and more confident than before. I saw a large gathering of people sitting at tables next to the path that led to an orange portal. All newly Awakened would be heading to Gorok, the city closest to the bloodfields, an area of land famous for spawning a large concentration of F-rank dungeons. I walked over towards the tables and the spread-out groups of people who looked to be around my age. A group of three boys and a girl were sitting at a table talking casually where I was walking and I saw them all studying me and falling silent once I got close.

“Hello. We’re searching for a fifth. Specialization?” A tall boy who towered about a foot over my somewhat average height spoke up in a deep voice as I got close to their table.

“I’m a support type, I can strengthen mine and my allies' skin,” I spoke up while I looked over the rest of the group curiously. The tall brown-haired boy I was talking to had a long spear leaning next to the chair he was standing by. Another brown-haired boy sat at the table watching with interest clear on his face and a bow leaned against his chair. The last boy was impressively muscular for our age and had a large wooden shield and mace under the table next to him. A girl sat on the opposite side of the table from the three boys and was pretty with straight brown hair and green eyes, but I noticed she didn’t have any weapons like me. Maybe someone else who used some form of spell casting? I watched the boy who asked me the question look surprised, and then extremely interested as he digested the information.

“Interesting, that could be useful. Do you have any skill with fighting? A weapon?” the large boy who sat next to the shield and hammer asked. This was the problem with choosing barkskin instead of the Thorn Bolt option I thought immediately with some nervousness.

“No, but after I receive my next level I will have a ranged attack as well,” I said after a second of thought, trying to put it in the best light possible. I noticed a frown come over the boy sitting near the bow and some interest showing on the girl's face still.

“So nothing besides defense for now.” The boy who had first asked me about my specialization said, although he looked like he was still considering it. “I think increased defense is just what we need for our first dungeon dives. We all know how few adventurers survive their first fights, having someone who can increase all of our defense is just what we need,” he said to the other newly minted adventurers sitting at the table. He sat down and gestured for me to take a seat next to him, which I did with some hope and relief filling me at possibly finding a viable team almost as soon as I started looking. A good omen for my new life as an adventurer, I thought hopefully.

“I vote yes, I’m ready to get moving anyway, I don’t want to spend half the day just trying to find one more person.” the girl spoke up impatiently. “My name is Gabrielle, and I specialize in fire magic. Welcome to the team.” Gabrielle nodded towards me with a slight smile on her face.

“Gary, nice to have you join us. I’m the team leader and I specialize in using my spear here,” he said from the chair to my right while gesturing towards the tall wooden spear next to him.

“Aaron, and I’m an archer. Unlike the rest of you, I’ve spent the past month leveling my bow skill so I know I’ll be able to hold my own. I hope the rest of you aren't too disappointing,” the skinny, brown-haired boy looked like he was the same age as the rest of us, but he was wearing slightly nicer clothing that made him look a bit like a merchant. Probably the son of a fairly successful merchant, hopefully, he didn’t just learn how to shoot that bow a month ago I thought.

“And I’m Zack, good to meet you. I specialize in holding the attention of the monsters while the rest of you make sure they end up dead. Can you show me your ability? It sounds impressive. From what my older brother told me, all the Gorok dungeons are full of weak goblins that only manage to kill so many adventurers because new adventurers are so under-geared and weak.” Zack spoke up in a loud voice, booming out with enough volume to make another dozen or so of the nearby adventurers look over for a moment. He gave me the impression of someone tough and reliable, not to mention it sounded like he had more information about what we’ll be facing than I did.

“My name is Eli, it’s nice to meet all of you and I’m glad I was able to find a team so quickly,” I said with a bit of a smile as I tried to make a decent impression on the rest of the group. I stood up and walked next to Zack, placed my hand a few inches over his arm, and focused on the formation of energy from earlier as I cast Barkskin. I used the word to focus the energy in my core like I had a couple of minutes ago and felt like I could tell how much energy I used this time. I figured I could cast Barkskin 4 times at most before I would need to spend some time waiting for my core to refill with Essence.

“Wow! This feels so strange, it’s like my entire body became extremely tight and dry all at once.” Zack said while flexing his hands and testing out his flexibility.

“Tight and dry? That doesn’t sound like much of a defensive boost. Is that it?” Aaron asked Zack, a grimace showing on his face. Zack pulled a knife out of a sheathe on one of his boots and tried to cut himself with the edge across his forearm with no success. He flipped the knife in his hand so the edge was pointing at his forearm and hardened his face, before stabbing down with force.

“Gah! Damn!” Zack yelled immediately, seeing the small knife stuck in his skin about half an inch. He yanked it out with another grunt and set it on the table before his face instantly switched to a grin as he saw the wide-eyed looks of the rest of us staring at him in shock. “What? We had to test how powerful the ability is before we needed to depend on it in battle. That’s one impressive spell! Damn am I glad to have you with us, Eli!” Zack grinned as he pulled out a bandage to wrap around the small wound. I stared at the small cut that the knife had produced with a stab and realized barkskin was much more powerful than I had expected.

“Well, now that that’s over,” Gabrielle said with an eyebrow raised towards Zack. “Is there anything the rest of you need before we head to Gorok? Zack told us we’ll have a long walk ahead of us once we leave, so the sooner we set out the better.” Gary looked at each of us and after we gave him a nod to signal that we were ready, he led the rest of us in standing up and grabbing our gear. Each of them had a small pack sitting near them, filled with what I assumed to be extra clothes and bandages. I have a small brown pack that my father had helped me pack over the past few weeks in preparation for joining the Guild. Inside I have a variety of essential equipment that I'll need over the coming weeks. I followed behind Gary as he walked towards the large orange portal and the two guards and attendants that stood in front of it.