Where do I even begin unpacking... THAT? First of all, there was definitely no such option here earlier. And what is up with that text, all red and smudged as if it was written in... NO, that is blood!!! A faint metallic scent invades my nostrils as I lean closer to inspect the gruesome message. That description looks like an eldritch horror had sex with an excerpt from a cryptic poetry book, and the result was vomited back into reality after the God of Madness looked it over for a quick review. I swear I feel my brain melting while trying to read it...
Okay, let’s move on from the ominous form of the message and focus on the content. That’s right, Alice, don’t think about how a normal status screen somehow gained the ability to leak, umm, liquids onto itself. And definitely don’t think about who the fluid might belong to or where it came from. Absolutely ignore the implications of... nope! Not gonna think about it! Focus.
Starting from the very top, we have the class type. Or at least we are supposed to have it there if the System was working as intended. I can guess from the description and skills that this is some weird hybrid of warrior and mage, rare but not unheard of. Usually the higher the rarity, the more the class diverges from its base.
This brings me to the second point: the class rarity - divine! I have never heard of anything being given that classification. A myth is already so rare... If my tribe gets one in a generation, that’s considered a huge blessing from the God of the Hunt. At the same time, it doesn’t seem as useless as a unique class. So is this a rarity between those two? Something that goes against the grain and pushes the bounds, yet not to the point of absurdity. Let’s go with that. It’s not like someone will grace me with an answer if I don’t make up my own, anyway.
Next up are the key skills. Mixing flameweaving and bloodthreading with heavy armor and weapon mastery sounds like an extremely complicated style to develop. If I had to guess, taking the description into account, the class sacrifices precise control for brute strength and volume, relying on sheer destructive potential to overwhelm the opponents. With the unique skill allowing me to fuel my powers with the blood spilled, I could become a true one-man army. Imagine me in ten years, clad from head to toe in thick, gleaming metal, crushing all who dare stand before me with massive axes in each hand, explosions of fire and blood roaring around me as I plow through enemy ranks like a force of nature.
Obviously, this class is a no-go. Where would I even find enough enemies to fully show the abilities of a queen of a battlefield? How am I supposed to go hunting, wearing heavy plate armor? The clanking of my every move will scare off all the beasts for miles! And it’s just so damn angsty and pretentious, isn’t it? It gives off a ‘look at me I’m so powerful’ vibe and reeks of arrogance. Definitely not something I can see myself choosing. And most importantly, I am not comfortable picking something with corrupted, illegible, bloody, disgusting, and frankly disturbing-to-read text.
Back to bladedancer then? Yes, still not a bad choice. Though I gotta admit it doesn’t seem as exciting as now. Oh well, no helping it. If that’s the only sensible one, then so be it. Time to officially awaken. With a determined nod, I click on the prompt, “I choose to become the bladedancer!”.
The moment I touch the confirmation button, nothing happens... Uh, what now? Isn’t that supposed to be the part where I get the class and receive my skills and stuff? Have I missed something? Why isn’t it working?
The interface seems to flicker a bit, before red lines spread across its surface, running down the edges, painting the screen completely scarlet. It thumps as if trying to imitate a heartbeat, pulsating with an intense crimson glow. Then, as if someone cut it with a knife, the screen rips apart, red blood dripping down from it, pooling in front of me. I try to crawl backward to escape, but the light cocoon separating me from the world doesn’t allow me to retreat even an inch from the disgusting spectacle unfolding in front of me. As the gore continues to seep out of the ruined status screen, the smudges left behind on the sides rearrange themselves to create a familiar text.
<< The Hunt has blessed thee and thou shall obey: Red Queen. Go forth and conquer! >>
<< Red Queen - Type: @^@^@^@^ - Rarity: Divine >>
Shit, it really is this class! What happened?! I’ve already confirmed my selection! Why is it still showing up?! No! No no no no! I reject you! I won’t pick you! You’re gross and terrifying! Your weird aura creeps me out! Disappear already! Just... stop doing whatever that is!
Hesitantly, I reach out to the screen with a shaking hand, checking if it still works. It does! The controls are responding! Nice. I should be able to select another class and confirm the change! I need to scroll up to the bladedancer fast, before something weird happens again...
It’s not there! A surge of panic shoots through me as I frantically search for the choice again, but to no avail. All the other options are still here, but the Red Queen now appears twice at the top of the list! This is bad... Very bad! Okay, calm down, Alice! I can handle this! Maybe I just wasn’t meant to follow in my mother’s footsteps. Nightstalker isn’t that bad, right? Better than a scholar or a merchant, anyway!
“Nightstalker!” I shout in panic as I move to highlight the option with a trembling finger, but the screen turns bright red the moment the words leave my mouth before I can even touch it.
Blood! There’s so much blood everywhere! Thick, hot, sticky, reeking liquid spreads from the screen, splashing over my body, enveloping me in its horrible embrace. It’s inside my nose! In my ears! Drowning me! I cough it out, spitting, wheezing, fighting for air, choking on the endless flood of ichor rushing into my mouth.
Finally, when I think I’m about to suffocate, it ends as abruptly as it started. I collapse onto the ground, heaving and retching, feeling utterly exhausted. Tears stream down my face, mixing with the gore. It takes all of my remaining strength just to force open my eyes to peek at my tormentor, at the vicious harbinger of my impending doom, to witness what fresh horrors it has conjured to break my will and bring me to my knees.
<< SUBMIT >>
<< OBEY >>
<< Red Queen - Type: @^@^@^@^ - Rarity: Divine >>
Thick, dark-red words stare at me with malicious intensity, demanding absolute submission, leaving no room for any further resistance. An immense pressure weighs on me from all sides, forcing me down, breaking me, stripping away my dignity and resolve. Who am I to reject the opportunity my God has given me? Who am I to rebel against Its will? It’s foolish. Ridiculous, even. I was clearly destined for this path ever since my birth. Who would I be to resist this gift, this blessing from the Hunt? To deny Its guidance, to challenge Its wisdom and judgement. I was such a fool. An ungrateful, naive girl that dared raise my voice against the one that rules us all, that guides and protects my people, my home. I must obey! I have to submit to my God, to offer It my servitude! How could I ever refuse!?
Tears of shame roll down my cheeks. I can feel my last threads of resolve snap as I fall deeper and deeper into the spiral of guilt. How could I disappoint my Lord? After everything It has done for me, how could I fail Its expectations so profoundly?
A sob shakes my body as I give in, surrendering myself fully to Its demands, “I choose to become Red...”
<< ERROR >>
<< OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE DETECTED >>
<< SAFE MODE ACTIVATED >>
<< PLEASE CHOOSE A CLASS >>
<< REMAINING TIME 05:59:59 >>
Golden letters appear again on the broken interface floating in front of me, interrupting the spiraling madness threatening to engulf my mind. Since when does the class selection have a time limit? I heard of people spending days in here, agonizing over every detail before coming to a decision. Does it matter? My only option is still to become...
<< REMAINING TIME 00:00:01 >>
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
WHAT? But the six hours?! What happens when the time runs out?! Okay, it’s fine I can still...
<< Timeout >>
<< User exceeded the time allotted by safe mode >>
<< Assigning the class via fitness proportionate selection >>
What does that even mean? I don’t even get to choose my class? But God wishes for me to become the Red Queen! It gave me a second chance, and I failed It once more!
But maybe like this I will become a bladedancer?
No, perish the thought. Its plan is clearly more important than my wants or desires.
But I think that despite my complaints, I actually really liked that choice. It combines a lot of my favorite things: mobility, grace, and raw power. Watching my mother execute moves that seemed impossible just from the sheer precision of footwork and perfect timing of her blade movements never ceases to mesmerize me. She is so swift and elegant, every strike and spin timed just perfectly to hit the opponent.
More heretical thoughts of a defiant traitor! May my insides be torn out for daring to doubt the God of Hunt and Its vision for my life.
Amidst my mental breakdown, my status window flashes in front of me again, but I ignore it. Nothing on this thing matters anymore. My life is no longer my own, so why should I care about it? Denied even such a basic choice of what I do with my existence. Pathetic.
Yet, a small sliver of hope still lives somewhere deep within my soul, refusing to acknowledge that this is the end and that I failed beyond all repair. Even if the class I’ll be forced into is some weird variant of scholar, I want to cling to this meager dream until the very end. I will grind twice as hard to keep my skills on a par with any pure warrior. I will not be defined by what was thrust upon me!
After what seemed like ages, I finally calm down a bit, my sobs dying down to faint sniffles. The screen keeps blinking furiously at me, the message clear as day: Read! Eventually, my curiosity about the class assignment gets the better of me, and I can’t help but take a quick look at the message.
<< Congratulations! >>
<< You’ve received a new class >>
<< Dawnbreaker >>
The golden letters, making up the class name, shine so brightly, I have to squint my eyes to take a better look at the screen. Dawnbreaker? Another class I have never heard of? Doesn’t sound too scholarly, maybe there is still some hope.
<< Type: Guardian >>
Guardian? Not at all what I expected. Don’t guardians usually wear plate armor? Will I have to carry a huge tower shield everywhere and protect allies in the thick of battle? Not exactly what I imagined for myself, with all my training going into improving speed, precision, and maneuverability, but at least it’s a combat class. And we don’t have too many tanks in the village, anyway. They’re always in high demand for the hunts for larger prey or swarming enemies. That’s right, Alice, keep thinking happy thoughts. There are so many upsides in this situation! You really shouldn’t worry so much about your life being stripped away from you and the entirety of your past being meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Really, it’s practically an honor to be singled out and forced to undergo such a sudden and drastic change!
Okay, the sarcasm isn’t helping me right now. It’s fine, Alice. It will all work out for the best. I promise. I try my best to convince myself of that fact, but the results are lackluster. With a sigh, I squint my eyes again, trying to make out the next line.
<< Rarity: Unique >>
NOOOO! That’s so bad! The worst-case scenario! My legs give out under me, and I sink to my knees, the weight of reality too much for me to bear. I am screwed. Utterly, hopelessly, and unequivocally screwed. I cover my eyes, not wanting to look at the display with the depressing words that announce my doom.
Unique means useless. A class that has diverged so much from the base archetype, it no longer keeps any of its value or functionality. Unique means a mistake, a failure, a dead-end road that leads to nowhere. A complete and utter waste of time and resources.
We only ever got a single unique class in the history of my tribe. A warrior powered by mana instead of her own body, so ridiculously powerful, she could split mountains with a single swing of her blade. And she did, once, about a hundred and fifty years ago... But when I visit her house sometimes, to bring her food and medicine, there’s nothing left but an empty husk, that still hasn’t recovered from mana exhaustion in all those years. A hollow shell of what once used to be the pride and joy of our tribe.
Am I just some kind of cosmic plaything? Being given hope, only to have it snatched away in the cruelest of fashions? Are my struggles some twisted form of entertainment that I don’t know about?
I don’t want to look at the damned thing, but my mind is restless, plagued by images of my bleak future. I grit my teeth, scrunching up my eyes as tightly as I can, before finally deciding that it won’t leave me alone until I look at it. Summoning what little remains of my resolve, I take a deep breath and cautiously peek at the screen from the corner of my eye, my heart pounding.
<< Description: Behold, the Dawnbreaker, a phoenix arisen from the ashes of convention, where traditional defense yields to the dance of embers and the shimmering allure of mirages. As the embodiment of dawn’s embrace, every step resonates with the promise of a new beginning, where old order shatters in the wake of a rising sun, bringing the world into the light. As adversaries swing at illusions and shadows, the Dawnbreaker dances on the edge of danger, a specter of the sun’s first light, elusive and untouchable. >>
Oh, that doesn’t sound that bad. Not that this description tells me much of anything. Illusions and mirages and dancing in the light? Is this some heavily armored version of bladedancer? My interest slowly increases again as I picture myself donning a suit of steel, coated with fiery runes glowing gold against the shining surface. Winding swirls of patterns reflecting my movements and accentuating each fluid motion as I glide on the battlefield like a beam of light. Yes, I can work with this! Now I’m getting excited! Maybe not all unique classes are useless after all.
<< Key skills: Flameweaving, Dreamspinning, Damage Avoidance, Light Weapons, Coordination, Perception >>
No vitality? No heavy armor? Not even a medium one? Neither strength nor resistance? Wait, even worse - no regeneration?? What kind of tank has no way to heal or survive damage?!! That’s ridiculous! Maybe that damage avoidance is some kind of super overpowered passive skill? “System, what is Damage Avoidance?”
<< Damage Avoidance - Type: Skill Group - Description: Group for all skills that allow to negate damage from incoming attacks and other harmful effects. Current skills: Dodge, Parry, Block, Misdirect >>
So damage avoidance is a group of skills that allow me to avoid damage. Who could have possibly guessed? Not me, clearly.
I admit, I wanted to be a graceful warrior, fragile but powerful, using tricks, maneuvers, and wits to overcome the enemy and deliver overwhelming bursts of damage. But it doesn’t work when I need to keep the attention of multiple enemies on me to protect my party!
Before I give in to despair, I should probably read the unique skill. Maybe it magically fixes all the issues? Maybe a cocoon of light, like the one protecting me now, that will encase me on demand? That would be neat.
<< Unique skill: Solar Flare - The Solar Flare is a radiant veil of the dawn that blazes like the first rays of sunlight on the horizon, an extension of the Dawnbreaker’s elusive nature, for it exacts a toll on those who seek to pierce the veil of dawn. As adversaries attempt to lock onto the guardian, their vision is seared by the intensity of the Solar Flare, an ephemeral blaze that mirrors the sun’s ferocity. The burning radiance not only blinds but sows confusion, making it difficult for foes to distinguish between the illusion and the reality of the Dawnbreaker’s movements. >>
I was stupid for having any hopes for that class. Not only does it not help me survive a hit, but how am I supposed to keep enemies’ attention on me when I burn their eyes out the moment they lay them on me? You know what? Whatever! I don’t care anymore! I am physically incapable of caring about this! Lay it all on me, System!
<< Effects: Doubled growth rate in the key skills. Growth rate reduced by 50% for other non-utility skills. Flameweaving affinity unlocked. Dreamspinning affinity unlocked. >>
Yeah, no surprises here. Let’s wrap it up and be done with it!
<< Congratulations, Dawnbreaker! >>
Congratulations? Yeah, sure. You must be happy that you tricked the naive girl into taking a useless class, aren’t you? Bastards!
The interface pulses red in front of me, something trying to rip it open, but the golden letters only glimmer brighter, holding the scarlet storm at bay, containing its raging fury. For a moment, I think the inscriptions are about to be crushed, and a massive flood of blood is about to drown me again, but at the very last second, the corrupted status screen crumbles and disappears.
Blinding light assaults me the moment it vanishes, as the radiant cocoon unfurls, the thick walls of gold folding up in intricate layers like flowers opening to the morning sun. The crimson ichor, covering my body and clothes, is immediately washed away, leaving no traces of its prior presence, evaporating in the unforgiving light as if it never existed. Colors return to the world around me as time starts to move again, the noises from outside filtering in, the bustle of the crowd cheering and shouting.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The sun feels really pleasant on my skin, soaking it in its warmth and rejuvenating my exhausted body. I savor the sensation, basking in the gentle heat of the morning star for a moment longer. Finally, it’s over.
But the first sight that greets me when I open my eyes isn’t the familiar face of Mother or the awe-inspiring appearance of Father. It isn’t my friends or a friendly acquaintance, even though there’s quite a crowd gathered around the dais, watching me expectantly. Not even Orion‘s towering figure comes into view.
Instead, a single interface screen awaits me. Blinking madly in the air just a few inches from my face as if impatiently demanding my undivided attention. A familiar crimson font, spelling my doom.
<< You have strayed from the path of the quest: Kill the Rabbit >>
<< Punishment will be meted out >>