With the quarters for young goblins destroyed, and the rest of their spawning group dead, Corek was moved into the Shaman's residence with Andrew, the two of them sharing a room, and Corek… wasn't taking things well. "Corek, you have to eat something." Andrew pleaded, shaking a meat stick at him.

"Why bother." Corek muttered, lying on his bed, staring blankly off into space. "Food won't bring Vinek back. It won't bring Drinek back. It won't bring anyone back. So why? So I can keep living? To do what? Die like the rest of them?"

"Corek, you can't just give up!" Andrew protested. "Do you think Vinek would want that? No! He'd tell you to get your ass up, eat this meat, and go out and become the best goblin you can be! Become a Goblin Champion, or the next Chief! Become strong so you can keep something like this from ever happening again!"

"You're right. Too bad he's dead." Corek replied. Yeah, Corek wasn't taking things well. Not that Andrew didn't get it. For him, he'd lost some friends. For Corek, he'd lost his family. All those goblins had been his brothers, as well as his friends. It was the closest thing to family a goblin got, and it'd been ripped from him out of nowhere. Andrew had no idea how to help someone deal with something like that.

"Okay buddy, I'm going to leave this here if you decide you want it." Andrew sighed, placing the meat stick on a nearby table. "I need to go deal with my Class Advancement, but I'll be back soon, okay?" Corek just grunted and rolled over, causing Andrew to let out another sigh. This was going to take some time.

"How's he doing?" The Shaman asked as Andrew walked into the secluded chamber below the house. Apparently Class Advancement was a bigger deal than skills (obviously) and it put you in a vulnerable state, so you needed to find someplace safe before you attempted it.

"He's still not eating." Andrew sighed.

The Shaman shook his head. "I pity the poor boy. Losing everyone close to you like that… just give him time. Eventually he'll find his way. Just be there, ready to help him when he does."

Andrew nodded, though he still frowned. "It just feels wrong to just watch him give up like that… I feel like I need to do something to motivate him, but I have no idea what."

The Shaman sighed. "I understand, but unfortunately, this isn't something you can force. He has to want to be motivated before anything you say will have an effect. Until then, no matter how persuasive your words are, he won't hear them, because he doesn't want to hear them."

Andrew scowled. "That is… incredibly frustrating."

The Shaman snorted. "Indeed. But that is an issue for later. Now, we must focus on your Class Advancement. Do you have your skills ready?"

"I do." Andrew nodded, opening his status just to make sure.

[Observant Goblin: 10 [+]

Strength: 25 > 34

Agility: 31 > 40

Will: 32 > 41

Intellect: 34 > 43

Energy: 36 > 48

Sensitivity: 456 > 462

Class Skill - Restful Self Examination: 22 > 24

Class Skill - Counter Kick: 35 > 38

Class Skill - Precise Navigation: 13

Skill Points: 0

Free Points: 0]

"Though, my navigation skill is only level thirteen…" Andrew muttered. "Is that going to be a problem?"

The Shaman shook his head. "No. Class Advancement doesn't take levels into account, only tier and quality."

"Tier and quality?" Andrew asked with a frown.

"Yes, tier and quality. The tier of a skill is based on the number of skills used to form it and the quality is based on the percentage boost per level." The Shaman explained.

“And how do those affect your Class?” Andrew prodded for more information, not wanting to miss anything before he started.

“Certain Classes have tier and quality requirements.” The Shaman shrugged. “The higher you can get them, the better options you'll have available to you. It also helps to have some accomplishments under your belt, but before your first advancement, there's not much available for you to actually do. At least, not if you want to have a reasonable chance of survival.”

Andrew frowned slightly at that. He was pretty sure he could have shot for some sort of accomplishment before all this. He sighed, shaking his head. It was too late now. Well, no, it wasn't, but he wasn't about to run off into the forest and try to fight some level twenty monster or something. He'd settle for having three presumably high quality skills. His inner sight skill was tier four at 2.74, his combat skill was tier two at 2.14, and his navigation skill was tier three at 2.44. If all that wasn't good enough for something incredible, then… “You know, we don't need to do this now.” Andrew began.

“Sit.” The Shaman snapped, giving Andrew a firm glare. “A better Class isn't worth risking your life over. Now come on, get going.”

Andrew groaned slightly as he plopped down. “Fine. How do I do this?”

"Just focus on the option to advance and you'll be taken to your inner world where you'll be presented with your Advancement options. In the meantime, I will guard your body." The Shaman explained. Andrew nodded, taking a seat and a deep breath as he prepared himself. "Good luck." The Shaman added with a small smile, which Andrew returned, before he focused on the plus and the world went dark.

*

Andrew woke up in a small clearing in the middle of the woods. He sat up, blinking in confusion as he looked around. This- this was his domain! "What the-" Suddenly a loud *CAW* rang out and a crow flew out of the large tree in the center of the clearing, circling around before coming to land on a stunned Andrew's shoulder. "Gr-Gregory?!?" He stammered in shock.

*No, child. I am not your friend, but a simple guide, taken from your memories to ensure your comfort and acceptance.* The crow replied in a soothing voice that echoed through Andrew's mind.

"Oh." Andrew's expression fell. Right, he was in the middle of his Class Advancement. Of course Gregory wouldn't be here. This- this was his inner world. He let out a weary sigh. Damn it, now he was sad! "Let's just get this over with." He grumbled.

*As you wish.* The crow nodded, before waving a wing. As they did, a line of different goblins appeared before them, all clearly Andrew just… altered slightly. The first one was clearly the mage, complete with long, flowing robes, a large staff, and a big floppy hat, all of which looked utterly ridiculous on a tiny goblin. You needed to be at least six feet tall to pull that crap off and goblins topped out at about four and a half.

Andrew looked down the line and they were all like that. A warrior decked out like some action hero, a scout in a full ghillie suit, the pathfinder looking like some kind of survival expert, complete with the stupid little cargo shorts, and so on. Andrew frowned at the warrior, who seemed… faded, almost like a ghost. "What's up with him?" He asked the crow.

*That is a path you qualify for, but would not be suited to.* The crow explained. *You may still choose it if you wish, but it would not make the best use of your skills and your skills would not qualify for its better traits.*

Andrew frowned. "What do you mean?"

*A Class is not simply given to an individual, it is molded to them, granting them abilities based on the skills they've developed. The more suited your skills are to the Class, the better the abilities you gain will be. A warrior has little use for navigation, therefore your skill would only grant you something along the lines of situational awareness, which is a far cry from what you could get in another, more suitable class.* The crow explained.

"Huh… So then, in your opinion, which class would make the most of all my skills?" Andrew asked. He was pretty set on the pathfinder already, but it wouldn't hurt to see what this guy thought, right? The crow waved its wing again, and the goblins spun like a roulette wheel, until one stood in front of them, a goblin with gray skin, covered in black lines, eyes as dark- no, he didn't even have eyes! Just empty pits, like holes in reality! "What the fuck!?!" Andrew exclaimed, taking a step back. Why- why would he qualify for something like this?!?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

*The Goblin Voidwalker.* The crow stated. *It requires you to have an inner sight skill at tier four or higher with a quality over two, a navigation skill at tier three or higher with a quality over two, a combat skill at tier two with a quality over two, and the memories of another World.* The crow waved its wing again and another void goblin appeared. *The Goblin Voidmage would also do well, but it wouldn't make as much use of your navigation or kicking skill, instead focusing purely on void magic.*

Andrew blinked as he looked between the two goblins. "So… I qualify for these because I remember another world?"

*Correct.* The crow nodded. *To have died in another World and been reborn in this one without losing your self is an admirable accomplishment, and the system sees fit to grant you a suitable reward. Access to Void, reminiscent of the nothingness you traveled through to arrive here, seemed fitting. Do you object?*

Andrew frowned. "I- no? I mean, I didn't expect the system would even know about that, let alone want to reward it… but, does it have to look so… monstrous?"

The crow cocked its head. *The class is merely echoing your perception of a void creature, much as you have your other classes. Your appearance will experience some alteration, but nothing as drastic as this.*

"Oh… well, good." Andrew coughed awkwardly. He really should have realized that… "Can I compare this one with the pathfinder class? See what traits they both have to offer before I choose?"

The crow nodded. *Certainly.* It waved a wing, and all the other classes disappeared, leaving just the pathfinder and voidwalker standing side by side, menus appearing in front of both.

Andrew focused on Goblin Pathfinder first. The stats were… decent? There wasn't much of a change, just one extra point per level in Agility, Intellect, Energy, and Sensitivity, plus another two free points per level. Not exactly an impressive jump. Then Andrew turned his focus to the traits. The first was his inner sight skill, which, based on its quality, allowed him to choose one advanced affinity, two intermediate, or four basic, which meant he was taking Space, because obviously. What could be better for Pathfinding than space magic? Navigation gave him a trait called Lay of the Land, which gave him awareness of 'the land' around him within Will meters, his Intellect determining the level of detail, for one energy per minute. As for Counter Kick, he got a trait called Powerful Legs, which multiplied his Strength by one and a half when it came to his legs. All in all, it'd be a good Class and a solid boost to his capabilities.

Andrew then turned to the Goblin Voidwalker. The first difference was the stats, giving him an extra point in all of them, plus three more free points. Then he checked the traits. His memories of another world just straight up gave him the Void affinity, and his inner sight skill gave him the same options as before. He was about to pick Space again, when he paused and turned to the crow. “Does the Void affinity overlap with Space at all?”

*Void is the intersection of Space and Destruction. If your interest in space involves travel, then it is better in almost every way. However, it is incapable of forming spatial constructs, as the Void is the essence of nothingness and it erases anything it touches.* The crow replied.

Andrew frowned, considering his options for a moment. His main interest was travel, but the other aspects of Space were useful too. In particular, he wanted to recreate his storage ring from Beast world. Not worrying about carrying around a backpack or anything was amazing. But was it worth giving up some other affinity for? Andrew sighed, deciding to come back to it after looking at the rest of the traits. For navigation he got Void Path, which allowed him to open a portal between two previously visited points, regardless of the distance between them… Okay, maybe he didn't need a storage ring. He could just open a portal back to his house whenever he wanted! Well, it still cost him Energy based on the size of the portal and how long he held it open, Will divided by ten meters for size, Intellect divided by ten seconds for time, so he couldn't do it whenever he wanted, but still. Andrew chuckled slightly as he moved on to Counter Kick, which gave him Void Evasion, a short range teleport that allowed him to move Intellect divided by ten meters and carry Will kilograms in the process for one energy per jump. He then went back to his inner sight skill, thinking it over for a bit before deciding to take the intermediate affinities Shadow and Lightning. Shadow because he wanted to be able to hide if necessary, and Lightning because it seemed like a good nonlethal option. He didn't want his only option to be erasing someone. Also it was cool.

Andrew stepped back from the screen, letting out a sigh. After seeing what Goblin Voidwalker offered, he knew he wasn't going for Goblin Pathfinder anymore. Voidwalker was just too good! Andrew nodded. "Okay, I've made my decision. Goblin Voidwalker."

*A wise decision.* The crow nodded. *Now, let us see to your evolution options.*

Andrew blinked. “My what now?”

The crow gave him a look. *Were you not told your advancement would be physical as well? Your race and Class are intertwined. You cannot advance one without the other.*

“Right.” Andrew muttered, remembering the Shaman saying something along those lines back when he first explained the system. “Okay, what are my options?”

The crow waved its wing again and a model of Andrew appeared before them. *First there is your basic enhancement for advancing from Rank one to Rank four.* The crow began as the model began to grow, shifting from an adolescent around four feet tall to a mature goblin closing in on five feet tall. *Now, do you wish to focus on power, flexibility, natural weaponry, your affinities, or some mixture of them all? Power would increase your mass, flexibility would grant you a wider range of movement, natural weaponry would enhance your teeth and claws, and your affinities would alter your biology to match their nature.*

Andrew frowned. “I don't think I need better claws or teeth and I'm already pretty flexible… some extra mass might be nice, but-” He cut off, realizing the choice was obvious. He could adjust all his physical properties using his cores, so only the affinities would give him something he couldn't pick up on his own. “Uh, okay, I'll adjust my biology using my affinities.”

*Which ones?* The crow asked.

Andrew paused. “Can I see all of them? Every combination, I mean.” The crow nodded and the model split into seven different versions, menus appearing in front of them. The first was the Shadow Goblin, which was entirely dedicated to going unnoticed, capable of becoming practically invisible by changing his skin to act like a chameleon's on steroids, real Predator type shit. The Lighting Goblin, on the other hand, would give Andrew a new organ that could produce electricity, which could then be used to attack or strengthen his body. Finally, the Void Goblin would make him more resilient by flat out erasing a portion of any damage he took. The mixed versions were all the same, just with reduced effectiveness. Basically, each Rank advancement gave him a slot and the more of a slot he dedicated to an ability, the more effective it was. For example, if he gave a slot to the lightning organ, it'd produce an amount of electricity equal to his Energy stat per day and it'd be powered by his Will, but if he gave it two slots, that all would double.

Since the shadow skin was based on Sensitivity Andrew decided to give it a slot, mostly because his Sensitivity was ridiculous, so even with a single slot he'd still be able to turn practically invisible. As for the other two… as much as he liked the idea of the lightning organ, the idea of reducing all damage by an amount equal to twice his Will was too tempting to ignore. Particularly if it took his other cores stats into account as well. Ultimately he could do what the lightning organ could do with Energy. “Alright, I'm done.” Andrew announced as he finalized his decision.

*Are you satisfied with your choices?* The crow asked.

"I am." Andrew nodded firmly.

*Then so be it.* The crow replied, and the world went dark.

*

Andrew opened his eyes, finding himself back in the Shaman's house, the Shaman looking at him expectantly. Andrew got up, stretching slightly as he took in the changes to his body and a growing awareness of his new traits, feeling their presence. Unlike skills, the traits were simply there. They did what they did, and that was that. Which, he supposed, was the difference between a skill and a trait. Traits were absolute. Skills required… Well, skill. He glanced at the Shaman, pausing as he noticed they were almost the same height now. He looked down at his clothes, noting that they were a lot tighter than they had been… he'd need to visit the tailor.

"Well? How did it go? Did you get the Space affinity?" The Shaman asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"I didn't." Andrew replied, shaking his head.

The Shaman frowned. "You didn't? Why not?"

Andrew hesitated. How was he going to explain his Void affinity? It wasn't like he could hide it. While it did share similarities with Space, it clearly wasn't. But there was no way he should have gotten it normally… and the explanation involved explaining his memories from another world. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell the Shaman about that. But he had to say something, right? "I was offered a special class. It's rank four, and… it gave me the Void affinity."

The Shaman blinked. "That- well, that would work."

Andrew nodded. "It gave me Void traits, in particular a portal trait and a short range teleport trait, so it was pretty much the only option. I could have gone for Goblin Pathfinder, but… it would have just been doing the same things, only worse."

The Shaman nodded. "Yes, yes, I understand… it's just- Void! That's one of the major affinities! And to have it as a part of your class… How was such a class even available to you?!?" Andrew sighed. That was the question he didn't want to answer. "But I don't suppose you would know that." The Shaman continued, causing Andrew to freeze. "Hmmm… having such a high quality in all your skills is definitely rare, plus that ungodly Sensitivity of yours. Is Void related to Sensitivity?" The Shaman paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "Ah, but it doesn't really matter. It isn't something anyone else could exactly emulate, now is it? Simply a matter of luck." He turned to smile at Andrew. "Congratulations! You've taken a large step towards becoming a valued pillar of our community! I can only imagine how far you'll go with the opportunities you've obtained!"

Andrew blinked, before smiling back, relief flowing over him. "Thank you. I'll be sure to make you proud."

The Shaman placed a hand on Andrew's shoulder, gripping it tightly. "I'll always be proud of you, just as I am proud of every goblin who does their best for the tribe. No matter how you end up, I know you'll have done your best." The Shaman assured him in a serious tone. "Don't break yourself trying to be more than you are."

Andrew paused, before giving him a nod back. He felt like there was a story behind that. Did the Shaman know someone who pushed themselves too hard and ended up hurt because of it? From the level of intensity he'd shown, it was probably something personal… maybe he'd ask him about it later.

The Shaman pulled back, clapping his hands together. "Now then, shall we test your new traits?"