A squeaking sound followed the footsteps that walked the tunnels of the cave. They came from monsters that resembled rats with beady eyes and pointed teeths, adapted for gnawing. They were 4 feet in length and had black fur coats. They travelled in groups of 4 and unbeknownst to them, Seth watched them.
Cave Rat - ???
He hid behind a large boulder and kept watching the Cave Rats as they passed. After they were gone, he sighed in relief.
"Just how many monsters inhabit this place?" he muttered in a whisper, not wanting to alert anything of his hiding place.
Taking another peek, he first ensured that there was no other monster around.
Finally, he opened up his screen, getting the time to look over his class. Until now, Seth had been simply running away from one monster to another and hadn’t had a chance to go over the options he had been provided with.
Here are your options:
Warrior: A basic class focused on fighting in close combat and dealing damage. It is strength heavy, giving +2 points to Strength and +1 point to constitution every level with 1 free stat point to assign. Can use weapons such as swords, axes and spears.
Archer: A basic class focused on ranged combat and handling a lot of enemies at the same time. It is Agility heavy, giving +2 points to Agility and +1 point to Constitution every level with 1 free stat point to assign. Can use weapons such as bow, slingshots, guns.
Caster: A basic class focused on magical ranged combat and can adapt in battle based on learned spells. It is Wisdom heavy, giving +2 points to Wisdom every level and +1 point to Agility with 1 free stat point to assign. Doesn't require a weapon, but one can use wands and staffs to enhance spellcasting.
Rogue: A basic class focused on ambushing opponents and stealth. It is Agility heavy, giving +2 points to Agility every level and +1 point to Strength with 1 free stat point to assign. Can use weapons such as daggers, short swords and knives.
"These are pretty basic classes," he muttered, reading through the paragraphs of text. The information was similar to making a new character in a video game. The only difference was that he was in the game now, for better or worse.
He had to choose one of them. Taking a deep breath, he contemplated for a while. Warrior and Archer looked cool, but those two classes clearly needed weapons to be effective. Weapons he wouldn't find anywhere in the cave and without them, he would mostly be useless.
So, they were ruled out.
Caster was next. Truthfully, it was the class that attracted his attention the most. Seth had often hurled spells at his enemies from a distance behind his computer screen, but this was real life. Magic was cool, but going by what he knew of video game classes, it was a class that needed to be carried at the back of a party. Especially at the start when they didn't really have a lot of spells.
They had low physical stats and the monsters around him were clearly too powerful. He couldn't even see their levels. If the Giant Centry returned and was hungry again, would his spells be able to save him? He wasn't sure.
Caster might be good, but I don't know if I’d be able to survive with it. What about a rogue?
His eyes went to the last class that was presented to him. Rogue — a class designed for solo play and something that could let him sneak. Would it help him hide from the monsters? That approach had indeed worked out till now.
Seth eyed the class, his eyes flickering like he was contemplating something. Finally, he looked down at the dagger in his hands. His Identify skill couldn't inspect the item beyond the name, but it could still be used as a dagger. Wouldn’t that be a perfect weapon for a Rogue?
His eyes moved between Caster and Rogue before he made his decision.
He clicked on one of them without wasting any time. A notification rang out in his head and new screens appeared.
You have acquired the basic class — Rogue. You have taken your first step on the path of a Rogue!
You have gained two basic skills:
Backstab (Level 1): A basic attack that Inflicts critical damage if executed from a blind spot.
Passive sneak (Level 1): A passive skill that effectively conceals you within your surroundings. Whether you’re navigating treacherous terrain, evading enemies, or observing unnoticed, this skill allows you to blend seamlessly into the environment.
"I don't feel anything different," he muttered, examining his body. His pyjamas were unrecognisable from before, smeared with dirt.
Have I really gotten these skills?
He wondered and right then, a noise rang out. His head snapped in its direction and he quickly hid behind the boulder, this time with a precise movement that hadn't been present before.
He eyed the corner the noise had come from. A large group of monsters walked into the tunnel, oblivious to Seth who watched them with shocked eyes.
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Cave Lizard - Level 8
It was the first group of monsters that had levels to their names. Could he identify them because of their lower level? Maybe. He didn't get any other answers as he continued to watch them.
As their names suggested, the monsters were Lizards, though they were four feet long with earthy coloured scales and eyes that looked creepy in the darkness. They walked on two legs and the group was rather large, heading towards a fork in the tunnel.
As Seth observed the group, he saw a taller one that seemed to be the leader. It was the highest level monster in the group at Level 15. The lowest level was Level 5 and tailed the group.
He kept watching them as they passed, eyes checking the level of every Cave Lizard. Suddenly, one member of the group, one of the smallest, strayed off the group and walked into the wrong tunnel. His eyes twinkled with excitement.
Cave Lizard - Level 6
It was at a higher level than him, but Seth was confident in his skills and wasn't that the point of a Rogue class? Sneaking around and killing higher levelled enemies? He didn't know if he would get a better chance with most monsters being too high level for him.
So, he strode off, chasing after the Cave Lizard.
Immediately, he realised that his steps were lighter, his body crouched on the floor with an ease and each step he took felt coordinated — obviously due to his skill. He had an on and off relationship with exercise, but even when he was at his peak, he had never felt so dexterous.
He shifted with a grin, trying to use the darkness of the tunnel to better conceal himself.
You have concealed yourself in the surroundings!
Seth followed the path, making sure to make as little sound as possible. He soon spotted the Cave Lizard that was slowly walking in the distance. His grip on the hilt of his dagger tightened.
I need to stab its neck to finish it off in one attack. If it gets the time to attack, then I might not survive, he told himself.
His muscles coiled with tension. Now that he was close to the Cave Lizard, his eyes trembled a little. Fear rose in his heart as he prepared himself to attack. This was the first time he would be attacking something and killing it. It could go wrong in a hundred ways, but if he managed to kill it, then he would have made progress.
Just trust yourself. Just trust yourself.
He took deep breaths and slowly inched closer to the Cave Lizard. It suddenly stopped and Seth's heart almost dropped. Did it hear me?
Its slit-like eyes looked around before it picked a rock to examine. It dropped it with disappointment and made its way forward again. The whole sequence took merely a few seconds, but Seth felt like he had aged a lot in those seconds.
I can't waste too much time.
He got closer to the monster. However, this time, his steps were a bit more impatient. Holding the Dark Blade in his hands, he pointed the tip of it towards the Cave Lizard. It was then that it stopped in its tracks, turning around. But it was already too late.
Seth thrust the knife into its neck, growling as he slammed the Lizard on the ground. Blood splattered as the Cave Lizard shrieked, its tail whipping around wildly. Its claws tried to make their way towards Seth's arms, but they were barely able to scratch his skin.
"Die! Why won't you die?" he demanded.
The skin of the Lizard was too thick for his blade to inflict any real damage. Grounding his teeth, he got up and plucked a large stone off the ground.
The Cave Lizard tried to rise and pull the Dark Blade from its neck. The next thing it knew, Seth had smashed its head with the stone, bashing it repeatedly until the screeches of the Lizard died down. He finished it off with one more slam, blood and dirt spraying on his clothes.
You have defeated a Cave Lizard!
You have received experience!
You have killed a monster that's 5 times higher than your current level. You have gained the Title 'Bane of Monsters'.
You have levelled up to Level 2! You have received +2 points in Agility, +1 points in Strength, and 1 free stat point to assign.
A warm feeling washed over his body as he read the notifications. The dead body of the Cave Lizard lay in front of him and he slowly pulled his blade out of its neck, shaking it to clear the blood and innards off it.
Flashes of the fight appeared in his mind, but he shook his head.
"I can do this. I can survive if I just keep up with killing monsters,” he told himself with a nod. He was still scared, but he simply knew that the only way to survive here would be to level up. Being a Rogue, he just might be able to do it without anyone noticing him.
A smile appeared on his lips as he heard another noise, quickly concealing himself before another group of monsters passed through.
***
The next few days were filled with constant fighting and hiding for Seth. A part of him still hoped that he would wake up back on his bed, but everyday, he had been focusing less and less on returning home.
Most of his attention was on hiding and perfecting his posture as he chased after any monsters that were either alone or had separated from their groups. He mostly kept his focus on Cave Lizards, as they were close in level and one of the only monsters that he could kill.
Keeping an eye on their groups and chasing after any low levelled stragglers became a daily routine. They were easy to kill for the most part as Seth simply attacked their skulls and neck area after realising those were their weak spots. The other areas just had too many scales protecting the body.
It wasn't like there were no mishaps.
Once, a Cave Lizard had nearly managed to claw his face off, and he only survived by quickly ducking, an effect of his increased Agility. Another time, he hadn't seen a rock and nearly slipped, attracting the attention of the Cave Lizard he was chasing.
Thankfully, he had managed to kill it on time, having gotten used to their attack patterns.
The more he continued sneaking around and backstabbing monsters, the more he realised how much the class suited him. His steps being so light and the ability to backflip easily was amazing. He had also gotten better in using his environment to conceal his presence.
You have received experience!
You have levelled up to Level 3! You have received +2 points in Agility, +1 points in Strength, and 1 free stat point to assign.
You have received experience!
You have levelled up to Level 5! You have received +2 points in Agility, +1 points in Strength and 1 free stat point to assign.
You have defeated a Cave Lizard!
You have levelled up to Level 6! You have received +2 points in Agility, +1 points in Strength and 1 free stat point to assign.
Seth didn't know if his levelling speed was high or not, but he was quite pleased with himself.
Although he didn't gain any more titles, he did receive two new skills:
Double Slash (Level 1): An attack skill that lets you attack twice in a row, twice as quickly.
Nocturnal (Level 1): A passive skill that lets you see better in the darkness, like the creatures of the night.
Seth smiled at his new skills. Was there a limit to the skills he could get? Or were there any other ways to get skills other than levelling up and fighting monsters? There were a lot of questions on his mind.
Sadly, there was no one to answer in the endless caves. There were only monsters to kill, and kill he did as he explored the caves.