When I had viewed my memories through the codex before, it had always been a little disorienting. Trying to view a stranger’s memories was far, far worse.
Almost everything was blurry shades of gray. Pretty much the only things with color were a collection of large, lizard-like creatures happily grazing. The creatures were wispy and faded, so it was hard to make out very much beyond that they were green and stocky.
I was unsure what the creatures had to do with anything, up until they all started fleeing from something. One of the beasts stumbled and was left behind. As a dark shadow passed over the creature, a bone chilling moan echoed through the memory.
The lizard creature thrashed about wildly as a shadowy figure wrapped around it. It wasn’t clear, but it looked like the shadows were forcing their way into the helpless beast.
After a few moments, the shadows were gone, and the beast lay still. When the beast’s eyes reopened, they were the color of blood.
Time raced forwards, and I once more saw the herd of lizard things fleeing in terror. Racing behind them was a twisted mockery of one of the peaceful creatures. This one was about twice the size of the others, with darkened flesh, elongated limbs, and sharpened teeth.
As the monstrous creature caught up to its more mundane kin, it made full use of its sharper teeth. The way it tore into the smaller creatures was brutal and messy. The sheer hunger with which the beast devoured its kills was frightening.
Time surged forwards again. Even larger and more twisted than before, the monster had grown an extra set of limbs and eyes. Atop its head were a curving set of horns. Indistinct warriors with unusual weapons and apparel tried to fight the beast, but to little effect. The memory took on a greenish tint as weapons corroded on contact with the monster’s darkened flesh.
The warriors turned to flee before time shifted forwards again. This time, the scenery was much clearer. It looked like dozens of images from slightly different angles were overlapping, giving a strange, yet understandable picture. Trying to make sense of this odd overlapping, I realized that it was some sort of composite from the memories of many different people.
I was in the village prior to its ruin. I didn’t have time to appreciate the bright colors the buildings had once been painted, because chaos ruled the streets. The individual people were oddly blurred and transparent, but it was clear that everyone was fleeing. The village’s large lizard creatures were all gathered in a wide paved area in front of the large building in the center of the village.
Everyone was rushing to get inside. Some chose to hide in the nearby structures, but most fled for the stone doorway.
After quite a few had made it inside, I got a look at what everyone was fleeing from. Looming almost as tall as the surrounding buildings was the twisted form of the monster.
Somehow, it had grown even more repulsive. A thin green haze flowed around the horrific beast. The monster’s teeth poked out from its jaw as though they no longer fit and its flesh was a mess of twisted purples and reds.
The last sight shown before the stone doors slammed closed was the haze spreading like a fog over those unfortunate enough to have been left outside.
With a jolt, I found myself back in my own body. I had to sit down until the room stopped spinning.
That was not a particularly pleasant experience, but at least I knew what happened to the village. The same monster that now hunted me had been the downfall of these people.
As the dizziness from the disjointed memory slowly faded, I noticed a flashing purple symbol at the side of my vision. In my distress, I had forgotten about my impending class change.
Glad for the diversion, I pulled up my interface.
Name: Kyo —-----
Class: System Initiate
(10/10, 100%)
Class change available
Mana Pool: 94/100
Codex: 72.47%
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Boons: 10
Environmental Conditions: Unchanged
MR:242
TPEL:10
I only took a brief look at my interface before focusing on my available classes
Classes available:
Class selection limited without communal computation. Rejoin society to create new classes.
Novice Warrior
Main Focus: combat
A class focused on improving physical combat abilities.
Requirements: Demonstrate some combat proficiency.
Novice Craftsman
Main Focus: Crafting
A class focused on the production of tools and artifacts.
Requirements: Demonstrate some crafting capabilities.
Novice Ranger
Main Focus: Wilderness Survival
A class focused on thriving in the wilds.
Requirements: Survive with limited assistance far from settlements for an extended period of time.
Novice Magician
Main Focus: Magic
A class focused on the creation and usage of spells and enchantments.
Requirements: Demonstrate the capability to manipulate mana.
I already knew which class I wanted, but I needed to be sure. Was it possible to get more details about the classes?
Novice Warrior
Main Focus: combat
A class focused on improving physical combat abilities.
Requirements: Demonstrate some combat proficiency.
Boons: Primarily physical enhancement, with some technique related codex enhancements
Novice Craftsman
Main Focus: Crafting
A class focused on the production of tools and artifacts.
Requirements: Demonstrate some crafting capabilities.
Boons: A mix of physical enhancements and technique related codex enhancements
Novice Ranger
Main Focus: Wilderness Survival
A class focused on thriving in the wilds.
Requirements: Survive with limited assistance far from settlements for an extended period of time.
Boons: Primarily physical enhancement, with some identification related codex enhancements
Novice Magician
Main Focus: Magic
A class focused on the creation and usage of spells and enchantments.
Requirements: Demonstrate capability to manipulate mana.
Boons: A mix of physical enhancements related to mana manipulation, codex enhancements related to mana forms, and mana pool enhancements
I considered each class one by one.
While I didn’t particularly want to be a warrior, I did end up fighting for my life far more often than I would have liked. The one physical enhancement I had received had proven invaluable, so I would have certainly appreciated more.
Under more pleasant circumstances, I would have been at least a little tempted to become a craftsman. I had always enjoyed the act of creation. Regrettably, I didn’t have the necessary time or resources to pursue such a path.
The ranger held a similar appeal to the warrior. Without a place to call my own, anything which would increase my survivability in the wild would be of great benefit to me. Unfortunately, I likely needed to escape the ruined village before it would do me much good.
After one more quick glance at the other three classes, I made up my mind. The only thing that could feasibly save me would be magic. The fact that my magic had been my greatest asset over the past few days was certainly not overlooked.
Without any further hesitation, I made my first class selection.