Callum soared through the slipstream, his eyes wide and breaths coming in ragged gasps. The rush of adrenaline was both exhilarating and terrifying, the last moments of the pocket dimension would be etched into his memory forever. His heart thundered in his chest as he hurtled towards the end of the tunnel, a shimmering golden portal that matched the one he had entered in his family’s estate.
Without warning or sensation, the portal collided with him, and Callum felt the weight of gravity returning. He struggled to keep his balance, feeling disoriented and unsteady. The sudden change in momentum left him feeling weightless and dizzy, a sensation he had never experienced before.
The combination of near-death experience, portal travel, and overwhelming sensory input proved too much for Callum’s body to handle. He fell to his knees, gasping for air as he clutched his stomach. Waves of nausea washed over him as he tried to steady himself, but was unable to keep the contents of his stomach down as he wretched.
After several deep breaths and attempts to stretch his tight jaw muscles, he managed to regain some control. Sitting back on his heels he closed his eyes and rolled his head back, pointing up toward the sky. Though he knew he should assess his new surroundings, he felt too overwhelmed to do so. He knew he was supposed to appear near his family’s encampment and hoped that help would arrive soon.
As time ticked by in silence, Callum took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He opened his eyes with a groan, sniffing heavily and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He furrowed his brow, wondering what awaited him in this new place.
This- this is not where I’m supposed to be.
Callum’s chest tightened as he surveyed the undeveloped forest, feeling the icy grip of panic wrap around him once more. Where were the people, the towns? Surely, with access to a System Node, they should have erected at least a small village by now. And this forest - it’s alien to the homeland. More akin to the woodlands we encountered on missions against the elusive wood elves.
A flicker caught his attention, drawing his gaze to the top right of his vision, where a series of blinking notifications clamored for his attention. With a deft mental command, he summoned the messages, the foremost of which was the standard System greeting for those undergoing planetary integration.
Welcome to Arcadia, Challenger! - Error-
Something’s different about you!
-Enabling: Sponsor Entertainment Mode.
-Assigning “You’re late!” penalty…
The big bosses upstairs want to make this interesting.
You have been granted a title!
[The Late] - You’re late to the party! While people on Arcadia have been struggling for their lives, you were relaxing at home. They’ll find it slightly harder to relate with you. (-1 to Charisma)
You have been granted a title!
[Unflinching] - You’ve been bathed, for better or for worse, in the aura of a god. You gain [Suppression Resistance Rank I]
You’re off to a rocky start Challenger! The ladder has already begun to be established, and catching up will be no mean feat. Does this young dark elf have what it takes?! Doubt it. Welcome to the Dark E -Error- oh my, it looks like there’s been a little tampering with your entry into Arcadia. How exciting! You weren’t supposed to be here, but hey, we’ll roll with it. Welcome to the Laidrian Forest, starting area for the Human race! Better hold on tight; it looks like you’re going to have a wild ride!
Callum’s eyes widened, his surprise mounting as a flood of personalized messages inundated his vision. Despite a lifetime of using the System, he had never witnessed anything like it before. The messages seemed to belittle him, and Callum found it a peculiar and unsettling development.
The long message was complex, and he struggled to unravel its many pieces. It had spoken and then had its entire tone and message change in the middle of developing the prompt. Not to mention he now had two titles and he’d only just touched down on the new planet.
Titles were a coveted achievement in the multiverse, and he’d stumbled upon two of them. They were one of the main reasons his siblings had sent him and his sister to the planetary integration. While planetary integrations were dangerous, the System was reputed to be balanced, and its risks were offset by bountiful rewards. Callum knew he needed to scrutinize these titles more closely in the future, especially the one that seemed to have a negative effect.
His heartbeat descended from its thunderous peak and steadied once more, as he continued to read the messages and tried to understand why he wasn’t seeing his people. He had been unceremoniously dumped into a different starter area, which was a worrisome development. Callum had never encountered humans before, and he didn’t know how they would react to his kind. Furthermore, he didn’t know how far he was from his sister and their retinue. The only plausible explanation for his bizarre entry into the integration was the unexpected ordeal he had experienced in the pocket dimension.
As Callum gazed upon the strange artifact clenched in his hand, a sudden urge to scrutinize it took hold. He lifted the amulet up to eye level, concentrating on the intricacies of its design, and summoned forth his [Analyze] skill. However, to his chagrin, the skill failed to activate. A jolt of realization shot through him like lightning - his class had been reset.
A rush of excitement and anxiety flooded Callum’s mind as he recalled the irreversible decision he had made. The moment he had mentally assented to the Yes option, he had sealed his fate. He gritted his teeth, hoping that he had not made a grave mistake.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
With a swift mental command, he summoned his Class Menu and Class Description, eager to discover what new possibilities lay before him.
Ooh, that’s an interesting choice, Challenger. I hope you like surprises.
Class Menu
Class Name: Arcane Tinkerer
Class Rarity: Legendary
Class Description: The masters of magical machines, the kings and queens of contraptions, the...well, you get the idea. With your trusty wrench and a set of tools that would make even a Swiss Army Knife jealous, you’re ready to take on any challenge that comes your way. Whether you’re a gearhead, a gizmo enthusiast, or just someone who likes to tinker with things until they work (or explode), the tinkerer is the class for you. So buckle up, buttercup - it’s time to start building and breaking things in style!
Branches of study: Engineering, mechanics, and metallurgy, as well as knowledge of arcane symbols, mana energies Starting abilities: [Repair], [Scrap Collector], [Tinkerer’s Tools], [Wrench Strike], [Mana Imbue]
Callum found the odd tone of the System to be completely and utterly jarring. It had always been an indifferent voice. He decided to look at his System Settings and see if he could fix whatever had happened when he settled in for the night.
In the meantime, Callum pulled up his Stat Sheet:
Location: Ladrian Forest Name: Callumir Venor Class: Arcane Tinkerer (Locked) Level: 1 Profession: Locked Mana Gates: 0 Titles: The Late, Unflinching Passives: N/A
Health: 10/10 0.02 / second Mana: 30/30 1.9 / second
Stats: Strength: 6 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 13 Endurance: 9 Intelligence: 15 Wisdom: 9 Charisma: 7
Callum delved into the statistical and informational depths of his System generated Heads Up Display (HUD), only to be interrupted by a faint rustling from a nearby bush. His attention was diverted to a brown blur that streaked through the illusionary floating parchment with startling speed. It caused the illusion to warp and distort in bizarre ways as the physical object passed through.
Reacting with reflexes honed from years of combat training, Callum attempted to dodge the oncoming attack, but his movements were too slow. Sharp claws lacerated his face and ears, producing a deafening screech that reverberated through the air. With lightning speed, Callum countered by flinging the creature aside, inflicting deeper wounds from cheek to nose.
As the beast slammed onto the ground, Callum scrambled away to create distance. Drawing his wand, he inspected his assailant. The creature was tiny, no bigger than his hand, but its bushy tail was twice the length of its body. It scurried on all fours, its hind legs a great deal more muscular than its forelegs. Its red, beady eyes and jagged teeth were caked in fresh blood, creating a gruesome image.
Appalled and taken aback, Callum let out a string of curses under his breath, desperately attempting to employ his [Analyze] Skill to discern the monster’s name and level. To his dismay, the creature retaliated by spitting something at him, striking his chest and causing a considerable loss of health. At that moment, Callum was reminded, yet again, that his current class did not grant him access to the [Analyze] skill. Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised his wand and intoned his activation spell.
Much to his chagrin, nothing happened. Not even the sparks or fizzle of spell energy that would mark a failed activation. Just… nothing. The creature seemed to chatter at him in fury.
Is it mocking me?
With an exasperated groan, Callum charged at the beast. He was impressed by his newfound agility and dexterity at such a low level. Drawing upon his heightened coordination, he evaded the next projectile and delivered a forceful kick to the monster. Regrettably, the blow lacked the desired effect, proving to be feeble and ineffective due to his remarkably low strength.
The creature latched onto Callum’s leg with ferocity, its sharp claws digging into his flesh. He let out a cry of pain as he stumbled backward, his free foot thrashing at the monster’s head with all his might. The creature’s grip remained unrelenting until Callum’s final blow caused it to release him and crumple to the ground.
Panting, Callum clambered away from the corpse, his mind racing with questions about the strange beast. “What manner of devilry is this?” he muttered, his hand shaking as he reached for his spatial pouch.
He fumbled for a moment before retrieving a vial of Low-Grade Healing Potion, grateful for Lirion’s foresight in providing him with such an essential tool. He downed the potion in one gulp and collapsed onto the ground, his body wracked with pain as he willed the healing magic to work faster.
Confused and frustrated, Callum reached for his wand, his most prized possession as the most gifted Enchanter in the Venor line. He had purposefully enchanted it to work with low-level spells and mana, yet it had failed him in his moment of need. With a sense of mounting dread, Callum pulled up his System Combat Log, desperate to understand what had gone wrong.
Squirrel: Successful Ambush - Deals 2 points of damage
Callum snorted. “Squirrel? That’s a stupid name for a fluffy tailed devil. That monstrous thing almost killed me!” he said to himself before continuing.
Combat Log:
Callum: Deals 1 points of impact damage
Squirrel: Deals 1 point of projectile damage
Callum: Attempts to Cast: Wand Activation - Spell fails. This Combat Class is unable to cast spells.
Squirrel: Deals 2 points of grapple damage
Callum: Deals 2 points of blunt damage
Squirrel: Deals 1 points of grapple damage
Callum: Deals 2 points of blunt damage
All of his good humor for the ordeal dropped away in an instant. Callum stared in mind-numbing horror at the extended line of text hovering before him.