All was quiet around Kane as he whispered the magical words.
“Status Screen” he echoed under his breath so the girls wouldn’t hear. The magical screen appeared in front of his eyes.
Name: Kane Newman
Race: Human (Common)
Class: N/A - (Class Available for Selection)
Title: Origin Race
Level: 1 (0.00%)
-
Health (/regen per hour): 94 / 172 (8.6)
Stamina (/regen per hour): 122 / 185 (18.5)
Mana (/regen per hour): 11 / 198 (19.8)
-
Vitality: 13
Fortitude: 14
Resiliency: 15
Strength: 13
Agility: 11
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Perception: 9
Control: 14
Charisma: 9
Tenacity: 12
-
General Skills: Athleticism* (C) lvl 1, Scholastics* (C) lvl 1, Pain Resistance (I) lvl 14, Meditation (I) lvl 1, Cooking (I) Lvl 1, Animal Taming (I) Lvl 1, Wrestling (I) lvl 1, Split Minded (U) lvl 1, Cleaning (I) Lvl 1, Coaching (C) Lvl 1
Racial Skills: Analyze (I) lvl 1
Class Skills: N/A
Kane’s eyes roved the screen as he took in the information. Such a simple outline. As large as a piece of paper that floated in front of his eyes. Yet it wasn’t the fact he could conjure the magical screen on command that concerned Kane. It was the information. Years of his life condensed into a single page of achievements and statistics. It was like an unholy job resume that laid him bare to the world.
The analogy of a job resume tugged a smile at his lips before he wiped it away. It was fitting though, since his eyes focused on the Class section of the Status Screen. A job was a narrow focus of skills and knowledge. Based on his experience in games, a Class would be the same. Only far more intimate and likely permanent.
To say he was wary of the entire Status Screen and situation was an understatement. But he needed information and this was all they had. Yet even he couldn’t deny the small flame of desire that burned in his chest and demanded to know more. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back after all.
Open Class options, Kane voiced his will in his mind as he stared at the screen.
Class Selection - advancement threshold met. Select a Class from the available list to progress.
Labourer (Inferior): Performers of trades and professions of all categories.
* Requirements: None
* Class Attributes: +1 Vitality, +2 Distributable Attribute Points
* Class Bonus: None
Militaman (Inferior): A soldier of the frontlines to defend those in need.
* Requirements: None
* Class Attributes: +1 Vitality, +2 Distributable Attribute Points
* Class Bonus: None
Fighter (Common): Generalists balanced in offense, defense, and utility, Fighters are skilled to serve as defenders, enforcers, and attackers with their skill in martial combat.
* Requirements: Slay a monster of equal or higher level, have one Common ranked combat Skill
* Class Attributes: +1 Strength, +1 Vitality, +2 Distributable Attribute Points
* Class Bonus: None
Aether Initiate (Rare): Touched by Aether. Initiates are raw but filled with potential. They excel at shaping their future through honed growth in any area of development they desire.
* Requirements: Hold the title [Origin Race]
* Class Attributes: +6 Distributable Attribute Points
* Class Bonus: +10% affinity to all elements, +10% chance to form a new Skill, +10% Skill growth.
Four notifications appeared to Kane as they listed what the options he had for a Class. He devoured the information they stated. A class name and ranking. A vague but general description. What benefits he gained from picking each Class.
It was similar to the games he played in the past, but instead of excitement or uncertainty he felt one overwhelming emotion. Disappointment.
In every game he played, a Class was the source of a player’s power. It granted the strength and Skills to fight monsters that could turn over kingdoms. It allowed you to become a hero or superhuman or even godlike. But all he had were four options and two of which even the System deemed lacking.
Yet there was salvation to be had even in the muck and mire he was gifted. [Fighter] and [Aether Initiate]. [Fighter] sounded similar to a Warrior class and would no doubt give him tools needed to fight against any monsters they may run into. The other though, [Aether Initiate], was more intriguing and Kane’s eyes kept getting drawn to it.
It was a Rare Class. The highest rank and granting the most attributes. It even gave a bonus to Skills the others didn’t. But it was the wording of the Class, and the information unsaid in the rest that had his mind racing.
It looks like a Class is unlocked based on your achievements. I bet the better the achievements the more powerful a Class you can get, Kane speculated to himself as he analyzed the information more.
The more he read through the messages the more he was able to identify.
The Class options were based on achievements, like him defeating that monster, the [CoreHound Cub], but that was just the start. It looked like Skills he had also determined the Class since he had the wrestling Skill from when he played the sport in high school. Which meant the more Skills, or even more likely, the higher level the Skill, the more options he would have for a Class.
Would that mean if I had archery at like level 100 I would get legendary Class like ‘Divine Archer’? What attributes or bonuses or even powerful Skills would that give? And where are the Skills for the Class? Do I have to pick a Class to find out what Skills I get? Do monsters give Skills like loot? I have mana which means there should be magic but there aren’t any Classes like Mage or Wizard?
His mind spiraled as he kept asking questions he had no answers to.
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“Kane,” he heard someone call his name in the background.
He couldn’t pull his focus from the messages. He felt so close yet so far. Information on what was happening was at his fingertips through the System’s notifications but it was too bare. A book of knowledge was before him but all he could view was the first page. He needed to know more.
“Kane!” He felt a hand shake his shoulder as he was pulled away from his thoughts. Miranda was next to him. Her concern grabbed his attention back to reality.
“What is it?”
“I’ve called your name four times and you were zoned out.”
“Ah, yeah. I mean sorry. I was looking at the Status Screen. Have you looked into it? It’s like I was saying before, with the game mechanics, but I’m missing too much information. Oh, wait. You must have gotten similar messages too about a Class? Can you tell me what Skills your screen is showing and what Classes you have? It would help to figure this out. Then we can-”
“Wait, what? No, just no. I need you to listen.” She interrupted his ramblings. Her voice was tight and low as she motioned down with her hand. “Do you hear it?”
He stopped and listened. Nothing.
“I don’t hear anything.”
Miranda pursed her lips and frowned while looking around at the empty street. They had made decent progress so far and were on the main road surrounded by forest of the San Bernardino Mountain Range on one side and empty homes sparsely lined on the other.
“It’s okay Mom. Duke heard it too.”
Faith’s soft spoken voice rang in the wind. She had engulfed Duke in a hug, fully hanging on his body as she gave them a smile. Duke though was hyper focused with his ears pulled back and body low and ready to defend. A hot pink ribbon tied to his head ruined the image of a guard dog but Kane knew that look from Duke and felt his tension rise as he focused again.
Everyone remained still and listened. Silence. Then he heard it.
“That sounds like a scream,” Miranda voiced his thoughts. Her breathing hitched. Eyes flickered as Kane almost saw her mind race through what to do. She glanced at Faith who cocked her head and gave a gap-tooth smile.
Miranda’s head darted between her daughter, the sound coming from down the road, and Kane. Then the scream came again, louder and with more voices tied together. Her resolve firmed.
“There’s people out there that need help,” was all she said.
“Wait, let’s think this through. It may be another monster. We need a plan Miranda.”
“No, we need to help them. I need to help them if they are injured. But...,” she bit her lip and looked at Faith then back to Kane.
God damnit, Kane huffed out a breath as he closed his eyes. When he opened them he found Miranda waiting for his response. He nodded.
She crushed him in a hug, wrapping him tight as the world stood still to give them peace. Then the scream came again and the moment was gone.
“I’ll take the supplies,” Miranda said.
“I’ll protect Faith,” Kane finished for her.
It was all she needed to hear. She removed Faith’s backpack and took off running to the nearby street the screams came from. Kane scooped up Faith in a princess carry and ran after her. Duke lopped alongside him.
“Duke. Guard Miranda.” he huffed with a hand-signal down then to Miranda as they ran. His dog darted forward, low and in front of the woman. Then it was just him and Faith as he huffed and puffed with a surprisingly heavy girl in his arms.
“I can run too ya’know.”
“Ya. I. Know. Sweetie.” Kane choked out as he sucked down air.
“Are you supposed to turn red when you run? I run all the time but I don’t.”
“Not. Red. Just. Protecting. You. Like. A. Princess.”
“Ohhhh,” she cooed with her eyes going large as she wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled.
Like that, a middling out of shape man princess carried his neighbor’s daughter through the empty road of the apocalypse. They chased after Miranda and Duke. The duo reached the end of the side-street and turned right into a small neighborhood. Moments later Kane joined them and nearly bowled over Miranda. She had come to a dead stop, frozen.
At the end of a cul-de-sac a family was being attacked.
Atop an SUV a woman clutched a child tight while an elderly couple pleaded with them to remain calm. On the ground, a trio of men were armed and faced off against their foes. Two [CoreHound Cubs] had come to seek their victims.
As he watched though, Kane realized the situation was not as it seemed. One of the monsters was on the ground and could only raise its upper body. The other hissed and yipped while covering its brethren an in attempt to scare away the attackers. I did little good. The men advanced.
Two of them held weapons, an axe and a metal bat. The third though was a teenager that held...glowing cards? Kane did a double-take and sure enough the kid had a deck of cards he was tossing around that glowed in rainbow hues.
“What the hell is that?” he asked to no one.
He had his answer soon enough as he watched the men attack. The axe-wielder darted in. The uninjured [CoreHound Cub] pounced forward. The man tried to dodge but a claw drew blood. Then the second man’s bat connected and the monster’s front leg snapped at an odd angle
The three recovered then began their dance again. The men were methodical and took turns in wearing down the beast. One would draw its attention while the second struck and slowly whittled away at the creature. In only moments it was a crippled mess and the beast seemed to realize the fight was lost. It backed away, teeth bared at the two men as it joined its kin.
Only the other beast was already dead. Glowing cards were embedded in the thing's body. Kane couldn’t see the remaining monster’s face but he felt its confusion as it nudged the lifeless monster. Then it was dealt the same card as the last monster. A glowing red card carved into its body..
Kane saw it this time as the teenager cheered and threw out another card. It glowed yellow from his hand as it flew true. Another two, green and yellow, followed it. Then the two men took their vengeance. Brutal swings turned the monster silent until it lay still on the ground. They must have beat the beast since the teenager again gave a little cheer and a mini dance before he was slapped in the head by the axe-wielder.
The other man helped the woman and child down from the car as the elders spilled out of the house and the fivesome went down in a tangled group hug. Watching from his vantage point, Kane almost felt embarrassed seeing such an intimate moment, but it didn’t seem Miranda was affected.
She had already moved down the road at a job and approached the group. Kane was quick to follow, and as they approached he saw the axe-wielder stand in front of the group with his weapon in front.
“Who goes there?” he grumbled through pain.
“David Tanner, you put that axe down right now! I’ve patched you up too many times at the hospital for you to not recognize me.”
“Ah, Nurse Moore,” the man greeted in shock. He had a look of embarrassment with the axe in hand as he tried to hide it behind his back, as if he was a child with a hand in the cookie jar. It was almost comical considering the man towered over Miranda with his massive lumberjack frame and bloody weapon.
“Just Miranda when I’m not at the hospital,” she chided gently as she stepped up to him and took him in. “Now let me see that arm. How bad are you injured?”
“Just a scratch,” he said and tried to wave her off.
She wasn’t having any of it and forced the man to sit down while she unpacked the medical supplies and began her work. By now the rest of the group had calmed down and joined around the big man while Miranda got to work cleaning up the wound for stitches. They spoke while she worked and Kane overheard their story.
They were enjoying a family lunch after returning from town when the blackout happened. Everyone received the same notifications. At first they hunkered down but after half an hour of nothing happening George, the bat-wielding man who was David’s brother, wanted to return to town with his wife and kid who were getting ready when the monsters attacked. They had no idea where they came from or what they were, but after the beasts tried to attack the woman and child they fought back.
“Like I said, shit’s like a video game pops.”
“Language Billy. And enough of that bullshit”
“Sure, you can cuss but I can’t. So stupid,” the teenager rolled his eyes before he pointed a glowing card at the dead monsters. “I’m just saying this is just like my games. Monsters attack and we become hyped people that can fight them off. I even have magic!”
He waved the glowing card in front of everyone as if it was enough of an explanation.
“Those card tricks aren’t real magic no matter what you done to get those colors.”
“Those colors helped save-”
“Enough. We aren't discussing this.”
The kid threw his hands in the air in defeat at the dismissal and walked off as he kicked rocks.
“And don’t you go running off anywhere. We ain’t knowing what’s out there.”
“Monsters and magic is what’s out there,” the kid grumbled under his breath just loud enough for his father’s ire to find him.
“I hate to interject but this isn’t helping,” Miranda stated as she finished her work on David. “I did what I could to patch you up for now but you’re going to need more help, and soon..”
Her words put a damper on the celebrations around her, but she sped through. “I know this is scary and we don’t know what is going on either, but here is what I do know. We are in an emergency town blackout and that requires everyone to head to one of the safety points in town as we get organized. We were on our way to the hospital, one of the three safety points. I want you all to come with us. I can have that wound looked over more closely and everyone can be in a safe area while we wait for further instructions.”
After her speech the rest of the group looked at each other and began discussing the idea, but in the end they came to the same conclusion Kane did.
“Let’s go,” David agreed.