Dammit! I can’t decide what to pick! I just had to be the fucking optimist. I hate this. So. Much.
Panfoma was awesome, and I could fly! But it didn’t bode well for strength. There could be strong people among the race, but it would be difficult for me to work around the natural barriers of the race.
Demon sapling was highly variable and ensured that no matter what, as long as others lived, I would have a way to progress. It also makes it easy to adapt my body to any job I want, whether it be combat oriented or not.
Next up, Druid. The most appealing option to me personally. A race highly attuned to the wild, where I am going, and can make the usually hard-to-survive terrain a boon for me. I already know how to survive in the woods, but thriving is a different story. Also, magic is apparently second nature to the Druids, so that helps make it more appealing.
The concept of magic is normally a lot to wrap your head around, but after talking to multiple deities, I think magic is pretty normal.
I only have ten minutes left, I’ve got to choose. Let's do the process of elimination. I don’t want to start as a little tree, so Demon Saplings aren’t a good choice. I don’t want to bar myself from strength early on, so Panfoma is out.
Druid. Done. Decided. I’m happy. Let’s get this show on the road. I reach to touch Druid with my mind, and then around me reality begins to distort. I… I can feel something changing inside me, but I can’t quite get my head around it. I’m about to get it… Almost… GAH! Dammit. The feeling stopped.
I open my eyes after I squinted them shut to concentrate. I now sit on a mossy floor covered in leaves. I look around. I’m surprised I didn’t sense leaving that white room. I feel strange, like my body suddenly grew a foot in height.
I look at my body, then surprise fills me. My body is different from earlier, but not by much. It looks like my body lost a little fat, so I’m shredded now, but I also look a little bit thinner. I grew a foot, so I must weigh more, otherwise, growing a foot would make me look down-right skinny.
I stand up, uncomfortable being on my back in a forest that is supposed to be filled with things stronger than me by a landslide, then I notice the itch in my peripheral vision. It’s blinking with a faint blue light, not distracting, but noticeable still.
I mentally touch it, like I’ve learned to do over the past couple of hours, and a bunch of letters form in front of me.
*Ding, Status sheet opened, pre-link experience acquired. Calculating… Calculating… Shepherd, Mark Plymouth, has gained approximately 14 levels. You have not yet selected a Class, therefore you will be given your stat points once you select your Class.
Why? Why does it want me to pick a Class first? I should see what is available to me. Judging by how everything seems to call me Shepherd, it must mean I’m a leader for the rest of earth. Whatever that means.
*Class selection panel: You have five options to choose from as a Druid.
Beast tamer
Natures Fang
Shepherd of the Earth
Prauma Master
???
Beast tamer, nature fang thingy, shepherd thingy, Prauma Master? Thats weir- What the hell? Question marks? If this wip is going to offer me things, it had better at least tell me what its name is, Jesus. Is there more information for these things?
*Class selection panel: You have five options to choose from as a Druid.
Beast tamer: You have shown remarkable affinity to the earth and nature around you, but you are especially close with all sorts of creatures and beasts. You are able to befriend and help the beasts around you, but you in turn require them to serve you. Be warned, beasts have natural pride and will likely not submit themselves to the rule of someone weaker than themselves.
Nature's Fang: You have embraced nature and nature has embraced you. You draw upon massive strength from Nature and life, but you, in turn, are bound to the land and protect it with gusto. You have the ability to manipulate and guide nature to defend itself.
Shepherd of the Earth: The Shepherd. The guiding light. The beacon of hope. The eyes and hopes of billions rest on your shoulders, and as the shepherd, you are the forefront of the entire New Link. You can draw power from the faith of people, and you gain the ability to rule the people in a way that no other class, skill, or person could. However, should you lead the people astray, you alone will carry the burden of billions.
Prama Master: Master of Self Sacrifice. You have become the aegis of earth, and you are connected to them in ways even gods could not comprehend. Your body cannot be killed unless your whole flock is killed.
???: Indeterminable. This “path” is no path at all. Not yet, at least. You pursue your individuality and your path can go anywhere. In the place of Class Evolutions, you will instead gain 10 skills of your choice. But, be wary, for this path could be either the best path for you, or a path to a swift death.
Indeterminable? Wait, does that mean I get to make my own class… kind of? No way. Hey, wip, what does the indeterminable path mean?
Inquiry ???: The indeterminable path. You have shown a unique fate to the Chain, which means you have been granted the right to create your own path. It is more difficult to walk down this path, but you have no limits either. You choose what your stats do, you choose the Class name, you choose all skills. But, you have to build your class’s reputation and earn all your abilities.
Hmmm… That sounds… good? It seems like the riskier of all my choices, but is also the most flexible. Also, none of the other classes are really good choices for me.
Well, I guess I’ll take the Indeterminable path. I’ve learned to take risks over the last couple of years, and it seems that I have another risk to take. My military training doesn’t really like the fact that I’m taking a selfish and possibly dangerous approach, but I’m still young. I’m to make some decisions that are for myself, right? Whatever, Indeterminable path, let’s go.
*Congratulations, Mark Plymouth, you have begun to carve your own path. You have redeemed your experience, you have gained 14 levels. 140 stat points, ready for distribution.
Name: Mark Plymouth
Alias: N/A
Race: Druid
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Class: Not Yet Named
HP: 30/30
MP: 60/60
SP: 30/30
Stats:9
Physical: 3
Strength: 1
Speed: 1
Coordination: 1
Mental: 6
Mind Strength: 2
Cognition: 2
Mental Capacity: 2
Free Points: 140
Titles: [Pathfinder], [Shepherd]
Skills: [Druidic Bond(lv.1)], [Beast Bond(lv.1)], [Call to Nature(lv.1)], [Infinite Paths(lv.1)]
Damn, I only have one point in my Physical stats? That’s sad. Well, I’m able to function pretty normally, so I’d say stat points are pretty big increases. I have 140 to distribute, so let’s see what one point in strength can do.
Name: Mark Plymouth
Alias: N/A
Race: Druid
Class: Not Yet Named
HP: 40/40
MP: 60/60
SP: 40/40
Stats:
Physical: 4
Strength: 2
Speed: 1
Coordination: 1
Mental: 6
Mind Strength: 2
Cognition: 2
Mental Capacity: 2
Free Points: 139
Titles: [Pathfinder], [Shepherd]
Skills: [Druidic Bond(lv.1)], [Beast Bond(lv.1)], [Call to Nature(lv.1)], [Infinite Paths(lv.1)]
HOLY CRAP! That feels so fuckin goooooooood!!! It feels like my very soul and every cell in my body is taking a nice hot shower after a long day of hard work and sweating. And that is only one point! I quickly shake my head so I don’t rashly dump all my points into strength for the feeling alone.
I walk over to a tree to throw a regular jab at the tree. I feel slightly hesitant, though. Why? Why would I hesitate to punch a tree? But I feel like the tree has a soul… a future. Huh, it must be my Race making me more aware of the tree.
Actually… I can feel it now. I was so focused on the changes to my body and my wip that I didn’t even notice this new sensation… It’s like seeing, but doesn’t quite interfere with my sight. Like I can see out of my soul. I “see” the life energy around me, coursing through the trees and the moss. There’s a lot of life energy in the sunlight, too. Faint vestiges of life energy swirl through the dead leaves, and the little energy in them is leaking to the ground beneath them, then being absorbed by the moss and tree roots.
It’s… beautiful in a strange kind of way. The way the life energy is swirling around is like a graceful ribbon dance. I shake my head, then walk over to a rock. “When did I get so soft I wouldn’t even harm a tree? Jesus.”
I take a quick jab at the rock with about a quarter of my strength. I’m not stupid, punching a rock was bound to hurt if you punched with full strength, especially full force.
Boom
What. How? I stare in a small amount of horror as I look at my fist with a bit of apprehension. This shouldn’t be possible. I only used a little strength, and a boulder the size of a toddler is cracked in half. That couldn’t be right. I should be in pain after delivering such a blow, but I’m not. Not at all.
I reach out to grab my fist, moving it around, then I think of something. Could it be…
“Inquiry Druid physical description.”
*Inquiry, valid. Druid physiology: A Druid, while looking like an elf, has many beastial traits. They possess remarkable bone and muscle density, akin to stone. But a Druid lacks in torque, so most of the strength stat is put into density, and a Druid is never able to have massive torque in their body. Almost all Druids choose to invest heavily in the Physical attributes Speed and Coordination as well as all the Mental stats, because the Strength stat only makes a Druid harder to hurt.
So, I don’t have very good steady strength, but I do have remarkably hard bones and muscles. I reach down to pick up the rock, and indeed, I struggle a little bit. Well, I guess I have remarkable explosive strength, but terrible steady strength.
I want to see what my Mental stats feel like when they increase. I open my status and put a point in Cognition, as that would be the easiest to tell how it increased.
Woah. I feel great. Even better than the increase in Strength. I feel like I’m coming off a hangover and the fog over the world that I didn’t even realize was there lifted. My vision sharpens and my thoughts clear. The pleasure is immense, but I’m able to handle it without reacting. Strange.
I am ripped from my distraction by a sudden russell in the leaves behind me. Without me turning around, I already “see” that behind me is a rabbit. My life sense is already saving my life, I would never have spotted it otherwise.. It was not a soft, fluffy bunny that wanted cuddles and carrots. No, this is a bloodthirsty little shit that has saliva dripping from its maw, staring at me like I’m a particularly tasty looking carrot.
I stand frozen, thinking about the words from the god. “You are unable to face even the weakest creature on Origin as you are now. You must use some stat points before being able to live in the world of Origin.”
My mind is racing, but I’m calm. Not just because of my training, but I can feel rational thought very clearly. I’m also thinking very quickly, like the world is slowing down. I quickly pull up my status and throw 20 points into all my stats, the rush a fleeting thought at the back of my mind. The world slows down more, and I quickly turn around, dashing straight towards the rabbit. The rabbit responds to my charge by jumping at me with its head tucked, and its horn protruding.
My body feels so… comfortable. As the rabbit’s horn is about to skewer my heart, I grab the horn with my left hand at a blinding speed, and my right hand grabs the base of its neck. I relax everything but my outstretched hands, the rabbit thrashing wildly to escape my grip, but I’ve immobilized it. I violently turn my hands, breaking its neck and putting it out of its misery.
*Ding, lv.1 Horned Hare defeated. XP gained.
*Ding, Gained skill [Grappling]
Damn, that was close. And Cognition is way more effective than I thought. My body felt smoother than ever when I moved, like water. And my speed, that was exhilarating! I moved so swiftly and fluidly! I also gained a skill, and grappling was always a good thing to be able to do.
I come down from my momentary high. I need to focus. I’m in the middle of a forest with no shelter, allies, or resources. I need to find them, in that order, too.
I jog over to the spot I came into Origin, and begin looking around. I look about for five minutes until I eventually find my big duffle bag that I stuffed full of things. I pick it up, the weight that was quite heavy to me earlier now feeling more like paper weight now. I open the bag and pull from it a combat knife and sword, along with my trusty old belt that I attached the sheaths for my blades to.
I don’t know how to use a sword that well against an animal, so I should probably grab my halberd too. The range will help against anything that has higher stats than me.
Speaking of stats, I still have 18 points, don’t I? Hmm. Cognition seems like the best choice, as it has proven to be a remarkable stat, but I should focus on survivability rather than thrivability. It looks like my HP and SP are just my total Physical stats times 10, and my MP is my total Mental stats times 10. Pretty simple. If that is true, then my HP and SP should be 640 and my MP 670.
Name: Mark Plymouth
Alias: N/A
Race: Druid
Class: Not Yet Named
HP: 640/640
MP: 670/670
SP: 636/640
Stats:131
Physical: 64
Strength: 22
Speed: 21
Coordination: 21
Mental: 67
Mind Strength: 22
Cognition: 23
Mental Capacity: 22
Free Points: 18
Titles: [Pathfinder], [Shepherd]
Skills: [Grappling(lv.1)], [Druidic Bond(lv.1)], [Beast Bond(lv.1)], [Call to Nature(lv.1)], [Infinite Paths(lv.1)]
All right, that’s good. Gained a skill, got a lot of stats, still have more to spend. Outstanding. I’m still flexible, so I’ll save those points for later down the line, in case I need them in a pinch. I acted slightly rash earlier, dumping twenty points into all stats. C’mon Franz, remember your training!
I strap the halberd onto my back, then sling the duffle over my shoulder. My stamina seems to be able to support me for a while, so let’s see what lies deeper in the forest!