With a grin, Jack slammed the hilt of his machete into the heart, causing the core to shatter in his hand. The crystal-like structure ruptured, releasing a blinding surge of energy that washed over both of them like a thunderclap. It wasn’t just a light or sound -it was weight, heat, and an overwhelming pulse of raw power that sank into his bones.

For a moment, he was suspended in the torrent, his senses swept away in a flood of potential. He felt it flood through his veins, a rush of power that left him momentarily breathless. It was far more than he had spent during the entire run -a final reward for their perseverance and triumph.

He had a theory -one that he’d proven out time and again in the Otherworld. Unlike the dungeon that he had conquered with Little Red and her crew, this time the dungeon experience was being shared by only two people. The difficulty of conquering a dungeon with fewer party members increased the rewards by orders of magnitude.

If he had conquered it solo, he knew he would have gained a far larger payout. But, now -as it was then- he didn’t have the chance to go it alone.

Susie staggered slightly as the energy enveloped her. “That... feels intense,” she muttered, blinking as if trying to clear her vision.

“You get used to it,” Jack said, flexing his fingers as the residual energy settled into his core. He felt stronger, sharper, more alive. And then it came -the moment he’d been waiting for.

System Notification: Class Path Selection Active.

Advanced Class Path Unlocked: Reborn of the Ashes.

Class choices are determined by the experiences you have gained.

Choose your primary class:

Pathfinder

Survivalist

Feral Warden

Jack’s breath hitched. The choices pulsed in the air before him, each one a direct reflection of the life he’d lived since his return to Earth. Gone were the standard nodes from his youth -Thief, Alchemist, Mage. This time, the options weren’t a beginner’s stepping stones; they were the culmination of years of struggle, grit, and growth.

“Finally,” Jack murmured, his lips curving into a satisfied smile.

But the system wasn’t done.

In addition to the normal class choices, he had several that were obviously based on his more recent achievements.

Jack exhaled slowly, his heart hammering as he considered the glowing list. Each option shimmered with its own promise, yet all carried the weight of his journey -the battles against dungeon horrors, the lessons forged in the crucible of the Otherworld, and the sacrifices that had stripped him of everything he once held dear. This wasn’t just a choice; it was a declaration of the man he’d become.

He felt a rush of nostalgia at seeing the Survivalist path there. It was the purist choice. No frills, no flair -just raw survival instinct and an unyielding will to endure. It was the same thread that had bound him to the Sylvan Forager class in his youth. He could feel the pull of familiarity, the echo of lessons learned long ago in the Otherworld’s wilds.

And yet, Jack’s attention lingered on the advanced option. It was… not what he was expecting. But the thrill of lightning that raced through him at the sight could not be denied.

He had heard of Hero Classes in the Otherworld. There had been whispers, legends -and even footnotes in some of the texts he had read. But he had never encountered one.

Not until now that is.

System Message: Forge your own unique class.

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Jack: Mind giving me a heads up here, Sys?

Sys: Of course, Jack. What do you think?

Jack: I think you’re messing with me, or someone is. Why is this option available?

Sys: …I’m sorry, our connection appears to be rather weak. Please try back again later -beep, urr, gshhhh.

She faded into silence, but Jack was having none of it.

Jack: I’m not kidding, Sys. What’s the deal?

He waited for several long moments before he heard her mental sigh.

Sys: Fine. Let’s just say, you have a benefactor who has been looking after you for quite some time.

Jack didn’t answer, letting the silence speak for itself.

Sys: Ugh, I honestly cannot say anything beyond that -they prefer to remain anonymous. But I can guarantee that they’re not bad -mostly. And they have your best interests at heart.

Jack sighed in frustration, but finally relented.

Jack: Okay, so then, what are you able to tell me? How about giving me an idea of exactly what these options mean, yeah?

Sys: What are we, 13 again?

Jack: Treat me like I’m a total noob at this and spill it.

Sys: Okay, let big sis teach you the way.

Jack grimaced at the choice of words, but remained silent.

Sys: Class Creation -is available only to those who have already reached S-Rank or higher in their current class. The options to craft your class follow the same systems as prior advancement criteria. Experience gained; shards collected; bonds formed -and broken; Etc.

A series of options appeared, and it reminded Jack of the title reforging option that his bard friend had used.

Sys: Your class name has as much value as the details of the class itself. Remember -Names have power. And as a Namegiver, you have the unique opportunity to create something unique with the name you choose.

Jack immediately began thinking through ideas for names. And then another window appeared.

Sys: But the details do matter, they’re the intention you hold when forging your new class. The purpose that binds the class to the name.

Jack was already playing with a few key elements, and then a thought struck him.

Jack: What about the fact that it says, Hero Class? How can it be a Hero Class if I haven’t even created one yet?

Sys: Ah, yes. That’s the result of your benefactor, and your own unique circumstances. Rare is it for someone to not only find themselves in another world, conquer that world, and return home. On top of that, when given the opportunity to reclaim their prior path of power -they instead choose to renounce it in favor of the chance to forge a new destiny.

Jack: It can’t be that rare.

Sys: You’d be surprised. Now, back to the lesson.

Having a system -like me!- to assist you gives you a leg up on the forging step. But even I cannot guarantee what your final result will be. But I can help narrow the odds.

Jack knew that to be true. He would not have survived in the Otherworld without the system. Sys had given him the certainty of advancement. With a system, he had known -beyond a shadow of a doubt- that everything he did would eventually lead to something. If the system was available on Earth, he knew that the world would be forever changed.

Imagining how a System would affect the world’s population gave Jack a chuckle. People would have no more excuses not to try -for anything. It was like having a personal ‘Man in the Chair’, guiding you and helping you to reach whatever goals you might have.

He thought of a pizza delivery quest -deliver the pie within 30 minutes and receive a reward. His musings were interrupted by the impatient buzz of the system.

Sys: If you’re done day dreaming, I’d like to finish.

Jack waved her on and she sighed in frustration.

Sys: As I was saying -clearly formulate the intention and purpose of your new class, decide on its name, and invest it with your accumulated experience and energy.

Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Jack: That’s it? Seems pretty simple.

Sys: I told you so.

Jack’s eyeroll wasn’t missed by the system.

He looked at the options and weighed his decisions, and finally -after much consideration- he made his choices.

Dungeon Stalker (Hero Class)

A hybrid survivalist path focused on hunting and surviving dungeon rifts and incursions.

Holding that class firmly in mind, Jack unleashed his acquired energy and poured everything he had into the image of the heroic class. He had a sudden thought as he was doing so, and he hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass as his new class was forged.

He felt his energy reserves being drained alarmingly fast, and within moments he was bordering on empty. As he watched the final trickle of experience pour into his new class, there was a point where the draw against his core was inverted. And suddenly the pull increased, what it was pulling from he had no idea, but it was impossible to stop. He felt as if something were consuming his soul, devouring his core -grinding it down to filaments. And rebuilding it -forging it into something new.

When he knew he couldn’t take anymore, a renewed surge of pressure yanked at him -and he was tossed into a maelstrom of chaos and power.

He could hear the sound of dice rattling around in his head. Each collision a supernova of power reverberating through his core.

How, was all he could think, as he realized the Dice of Chaos had been thrown.

Oh shit, the thought came an eternity later. And then the darkness of change consumed him.

----------------------------------------

Title Unlocked: Fatebound

Class Forged: Nexus Breaker (Unique Hero Class)

Heroic Path: Scion of the Unchained Phoenix

He awoke to discover that he did not exactly get the class he was trying for. But he wasn’t disappointed in the results. Far from it.