After I found a safe place out of town, I sat down. I walked for about twenty minutes. Once again, I was glad I lived in a small town. I didn’t need a long time to get out past the houses. The walk was surprising non-eventful. If you count the fires burning in the distance and the people running all over the place.
The town appeared to be fully engulfed in fire at this point. And there was a surprising lack of people. I felt like there should have been more people.
I checked my status.
Name: Gavrin
Level: 2 (↑1)
Experience Points (XP): 150/200
Health: 85% (↓15%)
Mana: 90%
Strength: 12 (↑2)
Agility: 14 (↑3)
Stamina: 13 (↑1)
Intelligence: 10
Skills Unlocked:
Basic Combat: Level 2 (↑1)
Survival Instincts: Level 1 (New)
Active Effects:
Minor Fatigue: Recovery speed decreased by 10%
Recent Achievements:
First Battle Victory: Defeated a group of giant ants.
Level Up: Reached Level 2.
Inventory:
Garden Hoe (improvised weapon)
Basic Healing Potion x 1
“Neat.” I thought to myself. I leveled up. I was almost to the next level too. “Where did I get a healing potion?” I asked myself.
I thought ‘inventory’ and a gray floating screen appeared before me. “Just like a video game.” I mumbled to myself.
Thor and Loki both looked at me at my words but both quickly laid their heads back down.
“I wonder.” I thought. “Do I get a class? How do I get more skills? How do I get rid of minor fatigue? Do I just need to rest?”
As if in response to my thoughts a new screen appeared.
[CLASS SELECTION AVAILABLE]
Gavrin, you have reached a pivotal point in your journey. You may now choose a class that aligns with your strengths and desired path. Each class offers unique skills and abilities. Choose wisely, as your class will greatly influence your journey ahead.
Warrior: Masters of physical combat. Excel in melee attacks and have high endurance. Ideal for those who want to be at the forefront of battle.
Special Skills: Enhanced Strength, Weapon Mastery, Battle Endurance.
Ranger: Skilled in ranged combat and survival. Experts in archery and navigating natural environments.
Special Skills: Marksmanship, Stealth, Animal Kinship.
Mage: Wielders of arcane magic. Capable of casting powerful spells, but physically weaker.
Special Skills: Elemental Magic, Spell craft, Mana Regeneration.
Rogue: Masters of stealth and cunning. Skilled in agility, lockpicking, and evasion.
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Special Skills: Stealth, Acrobatics, Critical Hits.
Paladin: Holy warriors who balance combat skills with magical abilities. Strong against dark forces.
Special Skills: Divine Magic, Enhanced Defense, Healing.
Alchemist: Experts in potion making and chemical-based abilities. Capable of creating powerful elixirs and explosives.
Special Skills: Potion Brewing, Poison Resistance, Chemical Warfare.
Druid: Guardians of nature. Capable of harnessing natural energies and shapeshifting.
Special Skills: Nature Magic, Shapeshifting, Environmental Adaptation.
[Select a class to view more detailed information. Once a class is chosen, you will gain access to its initial skills and abilities. This choice is final, so choose the path that best suits your journey.]
“Oh. I do get classes.” I said. “This is pretty cool.” I leaned back and began to go over my options.
A warrior would be nice. I did like hitting things. And I did have Basic Combat as a skill. I wondered what that did. But I felt a twinge. Fighting is always nice, but I couldn’t always be hitting things. Or I could, but it would get boring. This was a new magical world. I wanted to shoot lightning from my hands. I put warrior down as a maybe.
Ranger was interesting. I thought I might be able to buff Thor and Loki. I basically already had familiars. But I didn’t want to just become a stealth archer. I knew if I took this class, that would be my future. Nothing wrong with it, but it felt limiting. But I did want to be able to have my friends with me.
Mage said it was for wielders of arcane magic. I liked that. This was the path if I wanted to use magic. But again, I wanted something that included Thor and Loki. They were more than pets, they were family. I needed to consider something that benefited all of us.
Rogue seemed like a path to stealth archer with extra steps. That was off the list pretty quick.
Paladin sounded cool. Who didn’t want divine magic, enhanced defense and healing abilities. This might work. I could heal myself and my companions.
Alchemist also went on the maybe list. I didn’t know where I was going to be getting resources and I didn’t want to be trapped in a class I couldn’t advance. So I gave this one a miss as well.
I felt drawn to Druid. I knew this was the one for me. My extra attention on druid caused another screen to pop up. I was pleasantly surprised.
Druid Specializations
Beastmaster Mage: This class would blend the traditional elements of a mage (spellcasting, mana usage, etc.) with the ability to communicate, control, and enhance animals. A druid can cast spells to summon animals, communicate with them, or even merge their abilities temporarily with his own.
Special Skills:
Animal Conjuration: Summon animals for assistance in battle or tasks.
Spiritual Bond: Establish a deep connection with an animal, allowing shared senses or thoughts.
Enchanted Beast Mastery: Enhance the abilities of animals, such as increasing their strength, speed, or granting them magical properties.
Druidic Summoner: As a druid, you would have a natural affinity with animals and the environment, coupled with the ability to use nature-based magic. This class could allow him to summon mythical or natural creatures and wield elemental magic.
Special Skills:
Mythical Familiar: Summon a mythical creature as a companion that can assist in various ways.
Nature’s Boon: Cast spells that heal or empower animals and use nature-based magic for offense or defense.
Shapechanging: Ability to temporarily take on aspects or forms of different animals.
Enchanter of the Wild: This concept combines the ability to enchant or magically influence animals with more traditional magic skills. Gavrin could use spells to tame or control animals, or even create magical bonds with them.
Special Skills:
Wild Enchantment: Cast spells that tame or control wild creatures.
Animal Empathy: Communicate with animals and understand their emotions and needs.
Guardian Beasts: Enchant animals to act as guardians or protectors, granting them enhanced abilities or magical auras.
I read through the specializations for the druid class and determined it was for me. I selected ‘druid.’
The blue screen asked me if I was sure. I selected yes.
The world seemed to pause around me for a moment. A verdant, emerald light began to swirl around me, a tangible manifestation of the ancient and mystical energies of nature responding to my decision. The green light danced like leaves in a gentle breeze, enveloping me in a cocoon of magical power.
The air was charged with a primal energy, the essence of the natural world itself. I could feel the power flowing through me and around me, intertwining with my very being. It was as if the earth, the sky, and all living things were extending their blessings, recognizing me as one of their guardians.
Then came the blast of knowledge. A sudden, overwhelming rush of information that flooded my mind. It was as if centuries of wisdom, secrets of the natural world, and understanding of the Druidic arts were being poured into my consciousness. I saw visions of ancient trees, heard the whispers of the winds, felt the pulse of rivers and understood the language of animals. The knowledge of how to harness the energies of nature, to heal and to harm, to transform and to protect, all became clear to me.
This torrent of information was intense. I had to steady myself as I absorbed it. It was more than just learning; it was an awakening. I now had an intrinsic understanding of the balance of nature, the interconnectedness of all life, and the responsibilities that came with this new power.
As the green light faded, I was left standing, transformed. I felt a new found sense of power and connection to the world. I was no long just a man. I was a Druid, a protector of the natural order, with the powers of nature at my fingertips. Lightning crackled across my fingertips.
I could sense a presence from Thor and Loki. I could tell they had been changed as well. They had been imbued with their own magic. Thor now channeled the power of shadow and Loki channeled the power of wind and ice. The world was still waiting, full of mysteries to unravel and challenges to overcome. And I was prepared to meet them.
But right now, I was tired. Too much had happened today. The sky was still dark and ominous. There were occasional flashes of light as thunder boomed. The ground rumbled as the night wore on. It was a restless slumber I found myself in. Eventually, I fell asleep.