Ben shook his head in disbelief.
He had made the dangerous trek up the steep sloop of the largest dune he could find. Getting up was a battle, as his tires often lost traction, making him think he would get stuck. Through patience and precise steering, he managed to prevail.
Looking over its peak, he discovered an endless desert that resembled the Sahara. In some areas, the dunes became small, making the ground look flat; in others, they were so tall he couldn't see anything beyond them.
What was worse was that the sun had already started dropping and would soon shroud him in darkness. Scorpions were nocturnal creatures and preferred the darkness for hunting their prey. The thought of more appearing made his gut wrench.
The damn system could’ve taken me somewhere better, at least.
Ben’s head started to pulse, and his breath became heavy as a mountain of stress started to suffocate him. Closing his eyes, he held his head and took some deep breaths.
You can get through this!
Isn't there anywhere else?
He moved the van to face the other way, where a set of rocky mountains appeared near the horizon. The terrain looked greener there, alluding to the possibility of a nearby water source and maybe even food if he was lucky. But getting there would require him to travel through a large salt flat where other surprises could await him. No matter the risk, he knew his chances of survival depended on him getting across it. Putting the van into gear, he made a move.
The van started to tremble as small fissures appeared around him, causing the sand to start rolling down the slope. Dark chitin claws started appearing from within.
Not again!
Ben wasn't going to wait around. He steered towards the flats, got moving, and knew the salt there would act like grit, allowing him to travel faster and escape from the oversized arachnids. He used the downward slope to boost his momentum.
Near the peak, he nearly toppled over but managed to counter-steer in time to stay upright. He adjusted his course and stayed in low gear. Looking at the mirrors, the bodies of many scorpions hopped out and started chasing him.
No freaking way!
Distracted, Ben hit a rocky bump and flew through the air. The suspension rattled with a loud clang before the underbody scraped against something. The steep part finished, and he went along a valley between two dunes that led directly toward the flats. He couldn't even let out a breath of relief as their sand dispersed with more holes.
Before Ben knew it, an entire horde was behind him. Looking ahead, the golden sands started to meld with the chalky white of the flats.
Come on! I’m almost there!
His plan was thwarted when the ground on his path started to rattle.
Damn it! Not now!
It was too late. There was no time to slow down. Even if Ben had applied an emergency brake, too much momentum would cause him to spin out of control. There was no way he would lose his van to some stupid scorpions.
Ben’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Sweat poured down his face as he took a deep breath, and his foot on the gas started to tremble. The moment he drove into the ones blocking his path, two loud thuds shook the van. He could feel their chitin shells cracking as they were squished. A weird blue goo was splattered across the front of his hood, with some drops even landing on the windscreen.
[You killed Wasteland Scorpion Level 5: +5XP]
[You killed Wasteland Scorpion Level 4: +4XP]
[You will be rewarded with experience points (XP) when hostile creatures are killed. Other rewards will sometimes be gained if specific system parameters are met. Defeating higher-level enemies and more robust variants will provide you with more rewards. When an enemy is defeated but not killed, the system will still provide you with experience if you deal damage. You are currently Level 0. You must gain more experience points to level up.]
Ben noticed he had lost a couple of points off his vehicle condition. The front bumper remained intact, and the engine drove without hiccups. As much as he was thankful he made it to the flats, he wasn’t too proud of what he had been forced to do to achieve his goal. What made it worse was that the system rewarded him with experience points for it.
Shifting his attention to the chasing horde, he felt they wouldn't leave him alone, and his hand would be forced to indulge in Murderhobo tendencies. That way, he could gain enough experience to level up and gain the ability to repair the van, as he knew it wouldn't be able to do much more damage like that.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The van’s tires touched the salt. Instantly, he felt an increase in grip and tested it out by steering side to side. He shifted and hit the gas pedal when he noticed it wasn't sliding and swerving.
After some moments, the scorpion horde was still on his tail and starting to get on his nerves. It was like they didn’t know when to give up.
As much as I’ve tried, there’s no way they will leave me alone! I’ve had enough! If I kill enough of them, the others might turn tail and run away.
The seatbelt pushed against his chest as he pressed the brakes. He downshifted for better traction as he steered left before spinning the wheel the other way, causing his butt to slide on the seat. He adjusted the throttle to control the momentum and aligned the front of the van so it faced the horde. His heart beat faster than a rocket, pumping adrenaline to every corner of his body as he pressed on the gas.
Dirt flew into the air as his back was pressed into the seat. He could taste the salty sweat running down his face and mouth before dropping below. The urge to wipe it away was overwhelming as he neared the horde, but he persevered, as letting go could mean disaster.
Chase this, you overgrown freaks!
The shrieks of scorpions filled the air as countless knocks and thuds shook the van. The first ones to contact the fender were splattered instantly, with their dismembered appendages flying and crashing into other nearby ones.
The smaller ones were dragged beneath the van, with some finding their way beneath the tires, which caused the van to bounce like it was going over a speed bump. It didn’t take long before Val’s entire front end, including most of the windscreen, was covered in blue goo. Ben hit the switch to clean the windscreen and watched the water dilute it away before it was wiped.
A few had piled up on his fender, causing the van to drag along the dirt, slowing its momentum. Ben kept the pressure on the throttle as multiple kill notifications filled his screen. They appeared so fast that he didn’t even get a chance to look at them properly before the system collated everything into one.
He sighed in frustration as all he wanted to do was get away from them, but in the end, relentless hit and run was what he was left with. Suddenly, he heard a loud clang and a scraping sound that shook the entire van. The front fender had fallen off from one side. And when he hit another, it flew off, spinning and hitting another creature in the head.
[Warning: Vehicle condition critical at 24%. Front fender missing.]
[Total Experience Gained: +120XP]
[You are now level 1: +1 Skill Point Available.]
[Mechanical Mage Class has been unlocked. This is now your default Class. Please see the Class menu for more information.]
The fender had served him well and lasted much longer than he thought it would. With it gone, the radiator and engine bay were vulnerable to damage. Apart from escape, there was no other option. He went to a clear area when two scorpions hopped in his path.
Yanking the steering wheel, he narrowly missed them. Two loud clanks hit the roof, followed by smaller taps. Paranoia swept across his head like a tidal wave. It wouldn't be long till their needle-sharp telsons would start poking through the roof above his head.
Oh no, you don’t!
Kicking the brakes, he was jolted forward. Luckily, the seat belt had saved him from a concussion with the steering wheel before he bounced back into the seat. The scorpions had been dispatched like cannonballs before landing a dozen meters away. The urge to run them over was great, but it would cause unnecessary damage.
He changed his trajectory away from them and continued moving away. The engine ran a little jerky, and the drivetrain knocked like a hammer on an anvil. His plan had failed, and his van was borderline breaking down.
I’m not going to let you win that easily!
Shifting up, he continued to accelerate. His performance was sluggish, barely enough to create considerable distance, but it could buy him time to think.
Turning his attention to the system, he remembered the notification about the class he had unlocked. Around the same time, he felt a shift of energy resembling the crimson mist. A powerful sensation had rocked his body, buzzing like a hornet's nest. And it stayed with him as if it had become a part of him. Something had activated, but what?
Ben opened the menu.
Name: Benjamin Bailey
Level: 1 (29/200XP)
Skill Points: 1
HP: 29/50
SP: 28/50
MP: 50/50
Active Vehicle: Valkyrie, Level 0
Class: Mechanical Mage, Level 1
Class Skills: None
Tell me more about the class!
The class box glowed as if it had been pressed before another menu opened.
***
Class Menu:
Classes are roles that can be assigned to the system user. They allow the user to unlock special bonuses and skills specific to the role they are designed for. The class level is independent of the user's overall level and must be used to increase proficiency and unlock more class benefits and related skills.
***
Alright! Now, hurry up and tell me more about the class I unlocked!
***
Active Class: [Mechanical Mage, Level 1]
A blend of magic and mechanical engineering, this class seamlessly works with the vehicle subsystem, allowing the system user to unlock and allocate skills to their vehicles.
The available skills are relevant only to the active vehicle. Each vehicle has its unique skills that can be unlocked and allocated. Once a predetermined number of skill points have been allocated to a vehicle, it will level up.
Once skill points have been allocated, they cannot be unallocated. Caution is advised.
Class Benefits:
Mana Pool: +50MP.
Bonuses: +1 MP for every hostile enemy killed/defeated via a vehicle.
Level 1 skills for [Valkyrie Level 0] are now available to select.
***
Hell yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!