When Nue woke up she was greeted with a message from the system that occasionally guided her with words that she knew all too well. The moment her eyes saw the words and her brain connected the dots, her entire body leapt up and sprung to life.
Level Up.
The two most treasured words of any gamer.
Her teeth formed a wall of shimmering white daggers within the dark blue night.
She got up, practically leaping out of her fallen position.
There was a note on the ground held down by a rock and by its side was a small woven basket and sticking out of it were the two tomahawks that Fika had made.
She gave the note a cursory glance.
“You’re crazy and absolutely terrifying but you’re the best chance I have.
"I need to do things so I’m leaving you like this, I’m sure you’ll be okay.
"Don’t you dare use that in the actual fight. I don’t want him dead. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.
"Here’s some food.”
Nue opened the basket up and grabbed a large piece of bread and chewed on it, it was fluffy and sweet and had a hint of maple or perhaps honey to it that her sensitive tongue quite enjoyed.
She then addressed the floating blue menu with Level Up on it and tapped it.
Revert Base Race Obtained.
You may select a base race and change into it from other races with no penalties or delays.
Revert Base Class Obtained.
You may select a base class and change into it from other races with no penalties or delays.
Cross Change - Race Obtained.
You may perform a change where you mix the attributes of two races together. This may be done once a day.
Cross Change - Class Obtained
You may perform a change where you mix the attributes of two classes together. This may be done once a day.
The Nue was overjoyed. What an amazing set of abilities to obtain.
She ignored the fact that none of her races or classes had levelled up however.
“Alright set my Base Race to Nue and my Base Class to… eh I’ll wait for that.”
The screens flashed to affirm the change before fading away.
Now with some new toys at her command she didn’t wait even a minute before trying them out.
She stretched out her hands as if she was going to start doing star jumps and then brought her hands together, fist into open palm.
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“Cross Change - Class! Ninja and Archer!”
She was fairly dedicated to a certain idea in her head. For fans of a game series which is known for its rolling combat and murky settings, she’d most certainly by a cosplay build player.
The moment her soul underwent the change she picked up the tomahawks and began twirling them between her fingers again, forming blurring, spinning circles of sharp metal.
She just had to know if she could pull it off and this was likely the best set up for it.
Finally she had a good idea.
“Can you tell me what my Class abilities are?”
The system flashed back to life and revealed itself.
“Ninja LV1 abilities are Silent Step, Scroll Use and Throw, I can give more information about these if you desire, if you want the ability of a class just perform it or state what you want, please pick-”
“Throw, please.”
Nue could have swore the system lagged for a moment before affirming the choice and began talking again.
“Archer LV1 abilities are Bonus Hit Rate, Bonus Critical Rate and Aim Trajectory-”
“Aim Trajectory!”
Like a child seeing the highly desired game they want was the last stock at the store.
Despite the fact the system was something crafted by the doctor to assist the formerly Lost Soul and that it shouldn’t have consciousness, for a small fraction of a moment it almost found itself gaining awareness and asking what it had done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment of a life.
Nue arched her back and pulled her arms with them, winding up like a jack in a box.
“Aimed Throw!” She flung her body forward as if she was a living sling and then threw her weapons at the same time at the furthest point!
The two tomahawks flew forward as shining disks of death into the distance!
They were like shooting stars in the midst of the night sky… and then they twisted.
The thrown axe from the right hand curved left and the axe from the left hand curved to the right.
With a whirring howl they travelled through the air and ripped the atmosphere.
Nue closed her eyes, stretched out and gripped both of her hands.
They both forced a snagging sound as they closed. She opened her eyes and saw both tomahawks had returned to where they once were.
“Yes! I made them into boomerangs!”
She began to jump up and down, giddy with her achievement, her tail hammered the land and caused small cracks, her body began to slightly float in the air as her wings beat together to create the smallest of updrafts. Her eyes sparkled with the innocence of a child playing the simplest of games…
“Alright. Revert Nue!”
Her body instantly transformed to her base form without any of the usual inconvenient body morphing. She threw her weapons into the sky again, guiding their paths in her head, making loops of steel through the air, they danced like dragons locked in battle.
She looked down at the destruction she caused as she continued to eat the various meats and breads within the basket she had been given.
“I sure hope I didn’t kill anything harmless.”
Then she turned her gaze towards the full moon.
She was satisfied with this. Being able to mess around without a care in the world.
Nothing would stand in her way of enjoying this new adventure.
Meanwhile…
Lincoe was half naked and covered in blood and sweat.
His armory room was now filled with dark metal mannequins… that had been battered to bits yet were still twitching like a dying animal.
Weightlifting bars were discarded in the corners.
Shattered blades were embedded in the walls.
Scorch marks still singed from the harsh, life threatening training.
His breath was ragged, his body felt like it was on the brink of total collapse, his blood pumped furiously with the rage of a bull stung by a hive or hornets.
His eyes were looking straight forward at what seemed to be nothing.
He had been throwing armies of metal dolls at himself everyday since he devised a plan to earn his freedom three years ago. The presence of the dragon had both frightened and inspired him.
Today he had likely overdone it, he had doubled the usual load of work that he forced his body to undergo… but right now, for him.. It wasn’t nearly enough.
He wasn’t going to mess around.
He wasn’t going to allow himself a lull or a rest.
To gain the wings of freedom, he would need to clip the wings of others.
He would need to take and earn them with fresh blood and tears.
He can’t afford to play. He had to learn to kill his heart.
The joys of life were for after he took them back from the jaws of oppression.