James sat on the edge of their neatly made bed, the dim light from the bedside lamp casting soft shadows across the room. The lotus position he assumed gave him an air of concentration unusual for his age. When the noisy bedroom door shut behind Derek, James opened his eyes.

“Sorry, Mr. Irisson,” James said, shifting slightly on the bed. “This was the quietest place in the house.”

The bottom floor was noisy causing the to reverberate throughout the house. The quiet conversation between Marie and Jenny was faint, but still audible. Indeed, this was the most quiet room in the house. “It’s fine, James, and you can just call me Derek. We’re family now.”

James hesitated, then asked as Derek moved to the bathroom, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure." Derek replied, starting to brush his teeth.

“Why did you risk your life for Phil yesterday, and again today for both Phil and Dad?”

Derek paused, toothbrush in hand, not expecting such a direct question. “Honestly, I think it’s because I’m the best equipped to handle getting hurt. It’s part of being the protector, I guess.”

“But you were really hurt, like almost dead. Mrs. Irisson and Dad had to save you. Why always jump into danger?”

“Huh…” Derek placed his toothbrush on the sink with a thoughtful tap and turned to face James, his eyebrows slightly raised in contemplation. “I think by accepting your family into our home, I’ve become responsible for your protection. If I die, Carson can support the family. But if Carson dies, you, Candace, and Leroy will lose a father, and Jenny will lose a husband.

James pondered, then said seriously, “But you have Mrs. Irisson and a baby coming, too. Why can’t Phil do it instead?”

“That’s true,” Derek acknowledged. “But Phil, he’s not a fighter like me, he doesn’t have the temperament for it. Plus, I can do things he can’t.”

“So, you’re protecting everyone because are the strongest?” James asked, a note of understanding in his voice.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s right.”

James’s expression softened. “I’m sorry you have to do that. And thank you.”

Derek felt the sincerity from him. “Your welcome, James. I hope that you become a powerful wizard so that you can protect me someday.”

“I’ll try.” He replied with a serious look. “Marie told me I should be a mage.”

“Is that the same thing as a wizard?”

“Pretty much. A mage is kind of like a mix between a sorcerer and a wizard. I think their magic is instinctual, I dunno.”

“I think I get,” Derek replied. “So, are you going to follow the mage path?”

“Yeah, I think so, but Marie said it wouldn’t be too hard to change since the paths are so similar if I don’t like it. What path are you taking?” James asked, sliding several books on the shelf in their appropriate place.

“Elemental Berserker.”

“Like a magical Conan?”

“I think so, but Leroy will be more like Conan than me. I’ll have magic, but only elemental based spells.”

“Do you find it interesting that Marie is limiting your scope?” James asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You could be a Berserker Mage or something.”

“Yeah, I could be, but I would rather have bigger muscles than magic. I want to feel my enemies break against my fists. Killing enemies with guns feels like a hallow victory. Yeah, I killed them, but the gun did more of the work. I’m not sure about magic, but I’ll find out soon. I don’t want to stand at the back casting spells. I want to be on the frontline.”

“You could still be a Berserker Mage.” James pointed out.

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“Yeah, but I have a feeling that any serious magic needs to be done by a serious mage. I’ll use magic to help in a fight, probably the simpler stuff. The complicated magic, like bending time and space, that’s not for me.”

“So, what you’re saying is that for every type of magic you learn, you will have to study it, and elemental magic is going to be easier for you to focus on than complex magic?”

“Bingo.” Derek responded with a nod. “I have practical things to take care of and I can’t study magic if I’m busy with everything else and training my martial skills.”

James nodded in understanding. “Makes sense. You focus on fighting while others handle complex magic.”

“That’s the plan,” Derek agreed.

James stood up, his demeanor reflecting a newfound understanding. “I should get to bed. Good night, Derek.”

“Good night, Mr. James,” Derek replied, watching the young boy leave with a thoughtful expression.

He watched James exit, his thoughts lingering on their conversation. Derek continued with his routine, the weight of their discussion echoing in his mind, the minty taste of toothpaste lingering in his mouth and the coolness of the bathroom tiles beneath his feet. Once alone, he paced the room briefly, processing the day’s events. Eventually, he sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers tapping on his knee. He opened his interface, considering his next steps and the responsibilities that lay ahead.

Derek Irisson

Level:

15

Titles:

Goblin Slayer (rank 4)

Orc Slayer (rank 2)

Race:

Human

Classes:

None

Physical Ability:

26

Mental Ability:

13

Emotional Capacity:

7

Magical Capacity:

14

Passive Abilities:

None

Abilities:

Ravager’s Resolve

Experience:

1,691 XP / 5,705 XP

Unused Stat Points: 13

Unused Milestone Points: 1

“How do I gain a class?”

System Query

Question: How does one obtain a class?

Honestly, did you even read the welcome guide? You can obtain a class in multiple ways. First, find a trainer that can teach you the class. Second, find a book that teaches the class. Third, discover the class on your own. When you are eligible for a class, you will receive a notification.

“Snarky.” Derek complained. "Can you list the classes?"

System Query

Question: Can you list the classes?

Yes, but the list is extremely exhaustive, and it will take you nearly a dozen hours to read them all. They work exactly like you think they do. The culture shapes the class; the classes are based on tropes from your world’s media and culture. If you follow your wife’s instruction, then you should obtain one.

“Thanks interface.”

System Query

No problem.

Derek relaxed back into the bed, the stitches itching as his enhanced body worked to heal the injuries. With his status window opened, he considered where he should put his points. The conversation from dinner replayed in his mind as Marie explaining about the ratio of stats. He debated. Should he bump his emotional capacity to 10 like she suggested? If he felt more emotions, then he would have more empathy. Empathy for the bastards trying to kill him, both human and monsters, but he would also be able to connect more with Marie and their baby. Those three points would better be served by being used on his strength. Right now, emotions were only a liability.

Decision made, he dumped six points into his magical capacity moving it to 20, then he used the remainder of his point on physical ability. As it reached 30, it stopped, unwilling to move higher. He could add it to any other of the stats but his physical ability wouldn’t increase. Was this the cap? Was 30 the maximum that humanity could reach?

With four points remaining, he accepted the changes. Immediately, pain rolled through his already aching body as his muscles and mana sense started going haywire. As his body jerked and muscles rippled from the physical changes, that sense of mana he experienced last time he added points to his magical capacity increased. He could practically grab the energy as it flowed through his system. As quick as the pain arrived it was gone, leaving his body feeling much better despite leaving him feeling weak and hungry. He pulled up his status, but received an unexpected message.

Alert:

You have reached the maximum human limit for Physical Ability.

To reach beyond your current limits, you must go through an evolution.

Would you like to proceed?

yes / no

An evolution? This was the first he heard of it. Why would he have to go through an evolution? What did this mean for the human race? Derek selected 'yes' and his vision faded to black.