With the radiance bathing them unimpededly, they drifted and laughed, leaving bellows upon their trails. They were passing, unremembered yet never forgotten. Sometimes, they shifted to bring the dusk a memory of yesterday. On other times, they were thin and misted, bringing the undefined hope of morrow. But oftentimes, when the empyrean skies were painted blue, one would see them just drifting off scattered and asleep. Free and unhindered.
However, it was not the joy nor the torpor that they have brought today.
For now, they were anguishing, and they brought friends. Terrible but reliable friends. Friends of whom are ready to enkindle the battle-cry that their anguishing friend would soon make. But if that wasn't enough, another buddy of theirs was invited, one who would croon the sadness and anger that their companion couldn't voice.
So they set sail, and they will not have a voyage that men and women alike will easily forget. For they come with a doom-laden figure from afar that will have everyone saving their cloaked skins. The hidden spears they've geared themselves were what remains of their battle against the unnatural deep blue. And they were aiming it down, ready to screech and desolate.
Soon, the rain would fall, and the storm will ravage.
***
On a particular forest bursting with burgeoning hues, multiple pairs of red-colored glints came alive. And these pairs of orbs were shimmering with intelligence. Their furs were likewise hued with a dark crimson color that made them look ferocious. Although they were short of three-foot in height, everyone would run upon the sight of these dangerous mutant creatures.
The Redrabbits stood with ease as they smelled their newfound habitation, examining the familiar but essenceless grove surrounding them. They turned and shifted quickly, sniffing all the time as if in search of something. Then, one by one, they turned to the direction of the blinding golden orb over the east. And they ran with their nose leading them to their destination, hundreds of paws galloping the flourishing forest.
What they found was a large, transparent crystal boulder resting beside a young Japanese maple tree. Uniformly, they halted their steps and turned their shimmering eyes towards the much bigger Redrabbit in front of them. This Redrabbit took a pawstep and sniffed the surrounding, specifically the air that was encircling the crystal. Sensing that it was safe, the Redrabbit took another pawstep and slowly crept towards the tree. As the Redrabbit neared, it uttered a squeak over the transparent stone and waited for something to occur.
In response, the crystal suddenly glowed fervently with a blinding white light. Most of the Redrabbits in the vicinity of the gleam squeaked with surprise and jerked a jump. But the leader of the pack remained still as it observed. The glimmering white light then gradually turned to a shade of pink, until minutes later, a beautiful boulder of pure ruby replaced the dull crystal. On its middle, a symbol that resembled the shape of fire was etched.
Some of the Redrabbits uttered a squeak of delight over this color. But most of them were waiting for something else. They waited for the confirmation of this crystal brimming with the Essence that resonates to their very core.
The crystal proved its promises to them as it gleamed slightly, blanketing all of the Redrabbits with its fiery rose color. Their dark crimson furs slightly turned lighter until it was the color of the ruby itself. And on their chests, the symbol that the ruby has were engraved with its promise to them.
Upon the initiation of their leader, the Redrabbits echoed squeaks with one another. Delightful over their success. However, it lasted only for a moment as they have to keep the deal they made. So the Redrabbits dispersed in search of materials to build their residence.
Only twelve of them remained as they each stared at the white paper in front of them that the crystal produced. After reading the words written on it, the note then turned to an arrow shimmering with dangerous sharpness. Each had names carved to them, and in a particular silver arrow, Advers's name was engraved.
The Redrabbits chimed another set of delightful squeaks as they took the bows the ruby has gifted to them. They gently strapped the quiver that carried a single arrow before they began to hop and sniff for their targets, happy with the first job the great one has given them.
***
> Status: Class activation required
>
> Important note: Mindbox vulnerable. Targeted. Note, targeted.
Advers wasted no time as he swiftly pulled the last letter, and along with that action came the slow fade of the white letter that was lolling on his backhand. Though, he never came to witness as his attention was on the screen and the events that would consequently follow.
***
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Class Letter
[Activation Commencing]
***
The sphere gradually formed to form the familiar text, and as if on cue, light shot out from it that formed a white circle that encompassed a meter around him. It rapidly formed a barrier that encased all the possible corners his eyes can see. Everything, including the flowers below him and the blue skies above, were all replaced by this shimmer. It was lightning-fast that the silver screen surfaced again just seconds later.
> NPC Class now in the process of assimilation.
>
> Please bear the repercussions that may ensue to both in mind and body during the procedure.
>
> In
>
> 3...
>
> 2...
>
> 1...
>
> Class process, activating.
>
>
Advers was in the middle of thinking over what magic might come next when a tingling sensation suddenly crawled all over his entirety. He widened his eyes as the regurgitating pain of last night came after, but this time, on a massive scale. It was the horror of feeling every muscle be needled then scraped apart. One Advers would have given a restrained scream if he could. But he couldn't, not when a particular invisible slash edged its way from his neck towards his head. Incapacitating his ability to do so. But even with that, he kept his stiff body stilled as he sat, trying to even the torture with paper-thin determination he knew would flame out soon.
Thus, what came amidst his battle was another terrorizing passion that finally broke it. This time, it directly tormented his mind in the form of throbbing veins. Drilling hard that it was worse than the migraines he always had over sleepless nights and lost days. In the end, he couldn't help but thrash his body around, no longer capable of restraining it. He didn't know how long it would take, but as seconds and minutes passed by, he was dreading its increasing narrative.
Three hours had passed when the screen appeared again. And it was half an hour ago that Advers finally had his agony ended. But Advers couldn't have known any of that.
Right now, he was just wholly heaving with great effort to take in a breath, and neither had time to assess what has just occurred nor peek over the screen that may or may not be speaking of casual but hazardous words again. In his mind, this was not how he saw the class letter would be like, nor was this his expectations of what the notes suggested by repercussions.
The good news was, a cold feeling emanated from his chest by the time a few more minutes passed, traveling the whole of his body with a soothing touch. And when it reached his head and cleared the lingering throbs, Advers knew something had changed within. Even within his body, he knew that a distinct alteration happened. It, however, and by no means, was not a change that left him feeling unsettled. And he could say, weirdly enough for him to think of, that somewhat it fitted him in an unseemingly way.
He hopingly examined the new screen after he drew a couple of stable breaths. Relieved to find none of the implications he otherwise expected.
> Body: Trigerred Awakening.
>
> Mind: Trigerred Awakening.
>
> Physical Vessel now capable of Class Assimilation.
>
> NPC Class, assimilating.
>
>
>
> Ding Dong!
>
> Ding Dong!
>
> Ding Dong!
Three consecutive rings echoed within the space of white as the screen curtly flickered out of existence. And Advers felt the cold sensation coursing his veins finally halted. After that came a silver screen that held a confirmation and a systematic display of his name, class, and some oddly categorized words he was not familiar with.
> NPC Class assimilated.
>
> Generating Interface...
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
> NAME: Advers Triden
>
> AGE: 24
>
> CLASS: NPC
>
> TYPE: Ability-Type
>
> LEVEL: 1
>
>
>
> ABILITIES:
>
> [1] Occupation(Active)
>
> [2] Questgiver(Active)
>
> [3] Locked
>
> [4] Locked
>
>
>
> ATTRIBUTES:
>
> [1] (Unlocked as Class-necessary Attribute)
>
> Wisdom - 7
>
> [2] None
>
> [3] None
>
>
>
> GENERAL CLASS SKILLS:
>
> None
>
>
>
> SPECIFIC CLASS SKILLS:
>
> None
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Advers was genuinely interested in what the screen displayed, even if most of it was new to him. Though that was much of a stretch for him to set aside what had just occurred, it didn't stop him from thinking that, finally, he might be able to use magic now. Appropriating to himself that it was an equivalent exchange that was worthy of the trial he underwent.
The return of the new screen proved his hopes. With a bit of leeway compared to the somewhat vain letters he read for chapters, it showed truncated info that Advers made sense of.
General Remarks:
1. Depending on the awakened state of each human, one may receive either the Ability type or the Essence type. Ability-Type refers to individuals that don't require essences to hone their skills. Generally, they are disadvantaged to the Essence-type individuals as they are not fully capable of utilizing Essences. Essence-Type refers to those who are capable to acclimatize Essences to their skills and use it for leveling purposes.
2. Class by itself is what was given to each individual based on their Dreamscape assessment. Each completely varies from one another and is especially-dependent on their triggering state. After opening class, full use of magical equipment, Essences, and system usage are now enabled.
3. Essences refer to the elements of the planet. To name a few are the following: Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Water, and Wood. They are commonly used to level up skills of Essence-Type individuals, and sometimes to revise skills that may not be operating under Essences. However, there are more varied ways that they can be used for.
It was useful. Though, it didn't help Advers but to ponder more on certain things as he read along the lines. Essence-Type, Ability-Type... an intriguing categorization that led him to wonder just what had transpired in the world. He has no deep recollection of why he was suddenly transported here except for a penetrating voice waking him in the middle of the night. And suddenly, voila! Here he is. He looked above even if he was unable to gaze the skies, thinking what will happen now.
He let out a puff of laugh-- the first in a long while-- as he just realized he had only pondered the reality when something along the lines made him remember it. The white space has still not faded, and the blue skies he needed was still beyond sight. Nevertheless, he hummed out a broken melody that seemed befitting to his situation now. Unfamiliar yet euphonious.