Meeting my owner was one part exciting and one part disappointing. I thought maybe there was some grand reason I’d been brought here and reborn as the goodest boy. It appeared I was mistaken, as the farmer was just a normal guy.
Despite the small let-down, I’d made my way back to the barn where my mother and brother were hiding out. Apples, my mother, was lounging in the hay at the back of the sanctuary while my unnamed brother was wrecking havoc among the bales.
It was finally time to figure out this whole Class thing. Maybe the System would be helpful for once and guide me through the process? I doubted it.
Pulling up the menu, I found the new entry: [Class Selection].
>> Class Selection
>> Would you like to see a brief description of how classes work? [Y/N]
Dear lord, yes. A hundred times, yes. Please, just tell me how it works for once!
>> Class Selection Tutorial
>> Welcome to the Class Selection Tutorial! Here you will learn what it means to have a Class, how they function, and what the future as in store. If you would like to learn more about a specific Class at anytime, just think Help.
>> What is a Class? A Class is a designated role you fulfill for your owner. Different Classes provide you with different [Stats] and [Skills].
>> How does a Class function? Classes add permanent stat increases and skills at certain level milestones. Which [Stats] and [Skills] you receive is based on the Class that is assigned. These are not removed, even if your Class should change.
>> How does my Class change? Classes can be replaced or evolved at Level 10. Each level in your Class increases the Adoration required to level up. This number DOES NOT reset after you change or evolve your class.
Well, the System was fairly straightforward for once. This must be a fairly important choice if it was just telling me the information outright and not making me figure it out for myself. Nothing to do but proceed. Show the Classes, System!
>> Class Selection: You have (3) Classes to choose from!
>> Pet: You are a pet. You provide comfort and an emotional connection to your owner. This Class was earned by your mere existence. Anything can be a pet, even a rock.
>>Stats:
* +1 Loyalty every level
* +1 Charm every two levels
* +1 Agility every five levels
>>Skills:
* Fetch: You gain the inherent ability to track and retrieve a thrown object. Level 1 required.
* Bark: You gain the ability to project your voice, driving off or injuring opponents. Level 1 required. [Due to already possessing the Bark skill, Bark will be upgraded to Warning Bark.]
* Warning Bark: Increase the volume of your bark two-fold when danger is sensed.
* Slumber: You posses the unique ability to sleep on command. Sleeping past the normal 8 hours per day yields an increase in maximum Stamina for the next 6 hours after waking. Level 5 required.
>>Showdog: Through your body flows the blood of Champions. You can prance and pose with the best of them. [Requirements: 80%+ purity Bloodline]
>>Stats:
* +1 Charm every level
* +1 Agility every two levels
* +1 Loyalty every two levels
* +1 Free Point every five levels
>>Skills:
* Pose: You gain the ability to always show your best side. Strike a pose and hold it for a boost to Charm. Level 3 required.
* Catwalk: You gain increased balance and poise. Level 1 required.
* Showtime!: Gain a temporary increase to maximum stamina when in a competition of any kind. Level 5 required.
* Sit, Stay: Gain an increase in muscle memory and memory retention. Level 9 required.
>>Farmdog: You are the Guardian of the Farm, the last bastion of hope who stands before all foes. Protect your owner and yourself, because no one else will. [Requirements: Mark Territory Skill, Have an owner, Spend over 80% of current lifecycle on farmland]
>>Stats:
* +1 Loyalty every level
* +1 Agility every two levels
* +1 Intimidation every two levels
* +1 Stamina every three levels
* +1 Free Point every five levels
>>Skills:
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
* Track: Hunt down lost or missing people, animals, or items. Level 1 required.
* Zoomies!: Due to your increased activity level, Stamina regenerates at twice the normal rate. Any Stamina over the maximum will make it difficult to sleep. Level 5 required.
* Bark: You gain the ability to project your voice, driving off or injuring opponents. Level 1 required. [Due to already possessing the Bark skill, Bark will be upgraded to Herding Bark.]
* Herding Bark: Infuse emotion into your voice, making the target more likely to respond how you wish.
* Good Boy: The bond with your owner is stronger than normal. You and your owner will share a portion of [Stats] as long as you are within 50 feet of each other. Level 10 required.
Wow, that was a lot. Three options, three different paths.
Pet was out. It offered the least amount of stats and skills, and even the System seemed to mock it. I was better than a rock, thank you very much! That left only two options, [Showdog] and [Farmdog].
[Showdog] offered safety and comfort. If I could earn prestige for the owner and Talia, they would be more accepting of a pup in the house. It also offered an increase in physical ability, which would help me protect the family. While it didn’t offer any direct offensive choices, it didn’t need to. I was a dog, I had teeth and claws of my own.
[Farmdog] was certainly interesting. It offered more [Stats] overall, but lacked any sort of [Charm] bonus. I could only assume, based on the names and the fact that [Showdog] gained a point every level, that [Charm] was linked to my appearance. Perhaps there was also some sort of mystical factor that would allow people to trust me on first impression. Also, we lived on a farm, the [Skills] offered would certainly help with the day to day work.
While [Zoomies!] would be annoying, it would be something I could manage. Despite being the Class with the most [Stats] offered, [Farmdog] was also the only Class with a drawback.
In the end, the decision came down to a single [Skill]. [Good Boy]. [Good Boy] offered something that none of the other Classes did.
A connection.
Solidifying my choice was as easy as thinking, the System acknowledging it with a message.
<< Class Selected: Farmdog>>
<
<
<
<
<
A trickle of energy flowed into me, almost like a shot of adrenaline. The effects were not drastic immediately. I wasn’t suddenly able to run faster. It seemed [Stats] were more of a development guide. As I grew, my body would adjust to the Classes attributes and trend in the direction outlined in my [Stats].
Satisfied with my progress, I looked at my full [Status] for the first time since waking in this new body.
>> Status
>> Name: Charlie
>> Breed: Border Collie Mix
>> Age: Newborn
>> Class: Farmdog
>> Adoration: 210/350
>> Level: 2
>> Statistics
* Agility - 2
* Stamina - 1
* Charm - 1
* Intimidation - 2
* Loyalty - 3
>> Skills
* Mark Territory
* Herding Bark
* Track
It appeared that [Stats] gains started counting from level zero, or counted the first level of an unclassed dog as a placeholder. I was level 2, which means I should have only gained 1 [Loyalty].
Instead, I gained a point in [Agility] and a point in [Intimidation], and TWO points in [Loyalty]. If the System wanted to give out free points, who was I to complain? It was not as generous with [Skills]. While I had gained a skill, I still did not know how to use it.
Leaving the confines of the barn once more, I did some experimenting. How would a dog normally go about tracking something?
Smell, duh. Man, I was really dumb sometimes. It had been less than a week and I was already forgetting about my newfound senses. I put my nose to the grindstone and worked it out. Literally.
Making my way along the well-traveled path was slightly easier than it had been a few days prior. A combination of my increased [Agility] and getting used to my new body. Walking on four legs was really hard when you are only used to two.
The rickety fence hadn’t since I was here last, not that I expected it to. My territory was still marked, glowing a light amber hue to my new ability to smell colors. Not all was right in the world, however.
Even while I approached, there was a conspicuously large gray squirrel running along the topmost fence pole. I dashed to the side, crouching low as to not give away my position. No rodent was going to get one over on me!
I watched with fascination as the squirrel stopped at my marked post and sniffed the ground. Nothing happened for a few moments, then the squirrel shook its entire body. It clawed at the flaking wood a few times before leaving its mark again. This was a perfect opportunity to test out [Track].
Once the squirrel has left the scene of the crime, I made my way over to the post and used [Scan], just like last time.
<
<
<
This time, when I scanned the post, a new alert popped up. Territory could only be reclaimed after a 24 hour wait period. We’ll see about that. Damn squirrels. My tail was wagging at the mere thought of hunting down that perky rodent and showing it who’s in charge.
The same deep crimson aura emanated from the mark, but I wasn’t sure if it was the same squirrel or if all squirrels had a similar scent. Either way, it was time to try out my new skill. Concentrating on the scent, I focused on the subtle breeze blowing from the east. The same direction the squirrel ran off to. The same direction as the forest at the border of the wheat field.
The world around me fell away as I focused on the scent. Faint red lines drifted in my vision, giving me a vague direction in which to look. As I sniffed around the ground to the east, blood red footprints materialized. Gotcha!
Racing off toward the forest, I followed the footprints highlighted by scent. The path made for easy running. I wasn’t even winded as I passed the first set of silos. Steering clear of all the heavy machinery, I passed the rows of wheat in a flash.
Up ahead was the tree line, towering above my minute form. The glowing footprints stopped just before a tall oak that must have been three feet wide. Stopping to reorient myself, I focused on the scent again. As I sniffed, the glowing footprint multiplied, casting the entire area in a sea of crimson.
Realizing what was happening, I backed away slowly. This area was rife with squirrels. There must have been dozens of them to produce so many scent trails. As I turned to leave, a new notification flashed into my sight.
<
Turning to run, I made a beeline for the wheat field and the fence surrounding it. Behind me, dozens of yellow eyes looked on in mocking silence.