"Ow... my eyes..." I muttered as I was awoken by my mother. She had opened up the window letting in the piercing sun.
"Wakey, wakey, Mar. I made some breakfast for you, so come and eat, it's almost noon!" She reprimanded me.
"Oh yeah.. I got told about the system yesterday at Ren's birthday!" I excitedly shared.
"Oh? I'll have to have a talk with them for not telling me about it..." Her eyes sparkling make me shiver every time.
"Ehh, mom, they probably just forgot! Don't be too hard on them!" Pleadingly to mom I tried to save my friends from utter doom.
"Alright." My mom chuckled as she messed up my hair.
"Leave my hair alone too!" I said annoyed, but knew it probably just looked like a child pouting to her... And she just patted my head a bit more before stopping and signaling me over to have some delicious breakfast. I quickly ate it up, knowing the day ahead was going to be long as we tested the system in our super secret base. We were going to find all the secrets! I couldn't wait.
"Bye, mom! I want to test the system with Ren and Sor" I ran off before mom could order me otherwise, but looked back only to see her... smiling? Huh. Well no use lingering on it, let's get today started! Then I remembered the long run to our base. *sigh*
So I started to hum about the nature around and kept my footfalls to a beat so I would be distracted. The trees and bushes seemed a little more vibrant today, but the sky was still cloudy, hopefully it doesn't rain. My little song went like this...
"One step,♩two steps♩! Four trees♫ passing♪..."
"Another bush♫, and♪ a♩rock♫ to trip♫!"
"The clouds♫ thunder♩, breaking♫ with♪ lightning♩!"
"My steps♫ become♩ quick♩, they♪ fear♩ being♫ struck♩."
"And the♫ fort♩ on the♫ horizon♩, just in♫ sight♩"
"*BANG*" Lightning struck nearby.
"I♩would♪ be there♫ before♩ the rain♫!" I dived for shelter in the fort, I'd made it just in time.
"You okay Mar?" Sorrel helped me up from the mud.
"Of course! I made it just in time." I puffed my chest up in pride of this great accomplishment.
"If you say so, me and sis explored the system a little while we were waiting for you here at the fort!" Clearly excited about sharing what they found.
"Well? What'd you guys find that you're so excited about?" I said while drying myself off, this mud was going to make a stain sadly.
"Ren got a new skill! It's best I go get her, dry up here." He ran deeper into our fort searching for his sister as I relentlessly clawed off the mud, praying to the gods that it wouldn't stain too badly. Maybe Ren got a cooking skill this time. I laughed to myself, maybe she would get the [Legendary Maid] class soon enough! *COUGH* I felt the air slapped out of me through my back.
"What are you laughing about? Did Sor tell you about the skill already?! I told him not to." A vein popped out for some reason... She must be really irritated, maybe it really is cooking! I started laughing again even though I knew it would only get me punched again.
"Wait! Don't punch me, I was just thinking about the chance you got the cooking skill. Ow!" I still got punched sadly even with my truthful words.
"*sigh* Guess Sor DIDN'T tell you, good job bro!"
"Thank you?" Sor seemed happy to not be hit.
"So, uh, what skill did you get Ren?" I still wanted to know.
"...Reading."
"*pfff*" I couldn't keep it in, she didn't take the time to learn reading before? I tensed up instinctively ready for the punch that was likely to be coming for me, only to feel nothing.
"Yes, I didn't know how to read, so what?"
"uh, well, at least we know the system actively tracks new skills right?"
"Right. So we were waiting for you to see if she can get a skill like sparring? Worth a try, right?" Sorrel came to my rescue!
"So, let's fight!" Ren grinned madly as she cracked her knuckles loudly.
"Uh, let me prepare a bit first? I don't usually fight with my fists..." I stared betrayed at Sor.
"C'mon let's do this!" Ren looked a bit too excited for my liking.
"Well. Please be gentle with me...?" I brought my fists up to defend my face and stomach.
Ren started out with a punch aimed at my right arm, trying to disable me. I quickly dodged to the left only for her to kick out trying to trip me over my own momentum. I knew if I tried to dodge back it'd only tire me out and let her get more hits in, so I charged in and tackled her. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to counter but it was too late.
"I win!" I gloated to Sorrel as I looked away from Ren for a second. Only to have a hurt jawbone.
"Owww, not my fault you can't seem to react fast enough..." I mumbled.
"Get off of me."
"Alright! So, did you get any new skills?" We both looked at her in excitement.
"Here you go"
Name: Rene
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Species: Wolf-kin
Class: None*
Level:0
Skills
Attributes*
Cleaning
Level 2
CHA
6
STR
8(11)
PER
7
Running
Level 6
LUK
9
AGI
7
INT
7
Unarmed
Level 4
VIT
8
DEX
7(12)
WIS
7
Reading
Level 1
Traits
Child, Brute
Titles
None
Virtues/Sins
None
"Ooo, you can almost get unarmed fighter!" I wanted to know about all the bonuses to classes.
"Did you get any new classes from the reading skill, sis?" Sor asked quietly.
"Lemme check"
Class
None
Expanded:
Classes Available
Runner*
Unarmed Fighter*
Maid*
Librarian*-LOCKED-
Librarian
Specialize in the study of books!
Rarity: Low-Common
Requirements
Reading Level 5, Intelligence 7+ (Can not have Trait: Brute)
"Doesn't matter anyway! I'm going to get the Unarmed Fighter class." Ren ignored the insulting matter of the system like a pro.
"Then, you need to level up Unarmed again right? *sigh* Let's fight." I was excited in my own way, because after all of the pain, I would get to see the wondrous Class. So as the storm thundered outside we were sparring till it ended, both of us had manic grins and bruises all over our bodies. After hours Ren had a thought, why wasn't she just using her entire body? Why only just her feet and hands. She quickly learned how to use the rest of her body in new ways she hadn't thought of before and easily beat me up.
"YES! Level 5 Unarmed!" She shouted out to the storm outside.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
"So are you going to choose your class?" I questioned.
"Wait... what is that?" Her face contorted in confusion.
"What?"
Name: Rene
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Species: Wolf-kin
Class: None*
Level:0
Skills
Attributes*
Cleaning
Level 2
CHA
6
STR
8>9 (11)
PER
7
Running
Level 6
LUK
9
AGI
7>8
INT
7
Unarmed
Level 4
VIT
7
DEX
7(12)
WIS
7
Reading
Level 1
Traits
Child, Brute
Titles
None
Virtues/Sins
None
Attributes*
Expanded:
Charisma
6
Strength
11(8>9(One Week)[Base] + 3 from Brute)
Perception
7
Luck
9
Agility
7>8 (One Week)
Intelligence
7
Vitality
8
Dexterity
12(7[Base] + 5 from Child)
Wisdom
7
"Huh, guess you can increase stats naturally still then?" Sor pointed out the obvious.
"Let's ask mom when we get back then, I want to pick up Unarmed Fighter!" And Ren was hyper.
"Wait... how do you level up your class anyway? Shouldn't we ask your mom before picking it?" I tried to be cautious.
"Oh, well, too late, I picked Unarmed Fighter!"
""*sigh*""
"Update us?"
"'Kay."
Name: Rene
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Species: Wolf-kin
Class:Unarmed Fighter*
Level: 0/10, EXP: 0/100
Skills
Attributes*
Cleaning
Level 2
CHA
6
STR
8>9 (11)
PER
7
Running
Level 6
LUK
9
AGI
7>8
INT
7
Unarmed
Level 4
VIT
7
DEX
7(12)
WIS
7
Reading
Level 1
Traits
Child, Brute
Titles
None
Virtues/Sins
None
"Well, the status changed a bit, expanding time again!" I said as I watched Ren get back to drawing it.
Unarmed Fighter
Fight your enemies with your body!
Rarity: Low-Common
Bonuses:
+1 Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Vitality per level in a Cycle, +10% Skill: Unarmed Power
Requirements:
Unarmed Level 5, All Physical Attributes 7+
"...In a cycle?" Ren asked her brother.
"I think it means that level 1 would give strength, then level 2 agility, etc."
"Oh. Yeah, I knew that"
"So, are we going home or not?" I had been watching the dark rolling clouds through the window as we waited.
"Suppose so, better get going now before we're late." We close the door of out secret fort behind us, and start our journey back home. The epic, long journey that actually only took a few minutes that felt like hours for us as we walked in awkward silence. We got home eventually as I tried to hide my bruises from sparring with Ren.
"Welcome back!" Her mom opened the door wide for us. We all headed to the dining table to talk and actually get some food.
"We're starving..." I pleaded.
"That was quite the storm, were you guys okay in your fort?" She asked the oldest of us, Ren, as she started to cook some deer meat over the fire.
"Our fort protected us, of course!" Ren said in pride.
"Good, now tell me about those bruises." We all started to fidget as we thought of excuses to get out of being punished.
"*sigh* Just tell me the truth."
"Well... We were exploring the system and wanted to get Ren's Unarmed to level 5 to try out the Unarmed Fighter class, so we sparred for a few hours. Then Ren immediately chose the class and showed us the bonuses, also... How do you get EXP?" I volunteered while my friends were fidgeting.
"Alright. I'll forgive you two for coming back with bruises, but remember to explain them to your own mother, Mar. EXP is attained from Experience with your class, as an Unarmed Fighter that would mean fighting with your body against others. EXP is short for Experience Points if you were wondering, the system likes to shorten the status when it can so it's compact." She grabbed a few wooden plates out of the pantry for us all so we could cut some of the meat for ourselves.
I grabbed a plate first and cut off a good bit for myself.
We all sat down and started to eat our dinner quietly. At least we did before Ren started to ask questions about her status.
"Mom! My attributes are increasing for some reason, and it takes a week?"
"Exercising increases your attributes still of course, that includes mental attributes, so make sure to try and read some books!"
"Oh. Do I have to read books though? Aren't the mental stats for Mages? Also why does it take a week?"
"Yes, you're going to read a couple books at the very least. Mental stats help with everything not just magic, you need to be able to analyze what to do in a battle right? That's wisdom. Attributes take a while to set in, the only exception to this are class attributes, and traits."
"Huh, guess I do need wisdom then, Mar kept beating me when we were sparring at the start after surprising me with the unexpected." She ate up some deer meat quickly before thinking of another question.
"What does the '10% Skill: Unarmed Power' mean in the bonuses of my class?"
"It increases the strength of whatever the skill does, in this case Unarmed lets you use your body better in combat, so I'd say it increases the power of that."
"What are the conditions to get skills?? I got Reading today" Ren quietly said the last part mostly to herself.
"Well they're all a do something well and get rewarded with a skill for it." That cheered Ren up about her reading skill since it meant she did a good job.
"What about the attributes in cycles? I assumed it was something like Level 1: +1 STR, Level 2: +1 AGI, etc. Is that right?" Sorrel brought his own question after finishing up his food.
"That's right! Good job." His mom ruined his hair by patting it.
"""Leave our hair alone!"""
"Well, Mar if you're ready to go home you probably should before your mom goes on a crusade looking for you." Ren chuckled.
"Alright! Bye Sor, Ren!" So I start my long two minute journey home... I quickly arrived before our front door and unlocked the house with my key before locking it behind me.
"Where'd all the bruises come from? Welcome home honey" Mom inquired about my bruises.
"oh, I was sparring with Ren to test the system in our fort!" I quickly gave my excuse.
"Alright, guess I won't have to go visit again. Any questions you have about the system Cinder hasn't answered?"
"Why doesn't the system show the class bonuses before choosing?"
"Every class is at least a little personalized for the user meaning for one person they may only get skill benefits from a class while for another person they'd only get attribute bonuses."
"Makes sense. What about why it doesn't show what the skills give?"
"Those are your skills not the system's. They are your understanding of something. So when a class helps your skills it's usually very good."
"Alright, thanks mom!"
"Did you already have dinner with your friends?"
"Yeah, goodnight mom." I ran off to my room and jumped in bed, my body still hurt all over from our sparring but it was getting better. I closed my eyes and fell into the embrace of sleep.