Getting up I packed the backpack I used to haul supplies back with, filling it with a few cans of food and a gallon of water. Can never go wrong with a few extra meals, just in case. I grabbed 2 more cans and made my way to Andy's, stopping at Lilly's door and inviting her to breakfast again. We made small talk, and reaffirmed our plan for us to go out once I had a class. I left after breakfast, heading downstairs and to the front door without encountering anything. When I came out into the lobby though I was surprised to find all of the monster bodies gone, there was some blood but that was it. I was surprised but not overly concerned, I just assumed some other monsters ate them during the night. Proceeding outside and down a few blocks I took down the only group of monsters I saw on the way, a group of saber wolves. Noticing that there were less monsters today than yesterday, I thought about why that might be. I came up with a few reasons as to why this was happening, first and what I thought to be the most likely explanation, was that there just weren't enough humans left in these areas for them to be grouped up like they were at first, and thus had spread out. Second, maybe they were being territorial now that they had eaten the abundance of food around. The last reason I could devise, was that something or someone was hunting them like I was, thought it would have to be many people, because I was hunting as fast as I could yesterday and didn't make a dent in the population. Realistically I assume it's some combination of the three.
Roaming through the streets searching for monsters, I started my day. Practicing my technique of dual wielding my energy sword and my launched knives on beetles, and saber wolves, I slowly improved, becoming more competent. I didn't dare to use my blade with the raptors, and especially not the barbed panthers, they were too fast for me right now. When I came across them, I worked on my footwork and keeping range. In between killing while I was regenerating, I focused on manipulating my energy, stretching and shrinking my blade, adding depth and texture to the form. It wasn't anything special, but I felt like it was a good idea to keep working on my energy manipulation. This continued for the better part of the morning, almost into afternoon.
I was regenerating, playing with a shrunken version of my energy blade that I used for my energy dagger attack, adding little details, making it thicker or smaller, a little longer, a sharper point, and keeping watch out for any monsters. Then I heard a sound a few blocks down. This didn't sound like monsters, and I wanted to check it out. Trying to be sneaky I made my way down the road, avoiding a group of beetles, and quickly disposing of a barbed panther hiding down an alley I passed by. Getting closer to where I heard the first sound I heard another sound, this time I could tell what it was, it sounded like wheezing. I had a decent idea of why someone would be making that kind of noise. Peering around the corner, I confirmed my suspicions.
A man was standing over two people, the first guy was laying on the ground with his head pulverized and a pool of blood forming around him. The other was on his knees bent over and coughing up blood onto the ground, his chest was partially caved in. The standing man was about six feet tall and looked like he was an accountant, he was fit, but "muscles" wasn't the first word that came to mind when someone looked at him. He was carrying a bat, which I assumed he had just used to beat both of these two to death. While the second wasn't technically dead, he would be soon enough.
Mr. bat ... man, as I decided to call him, uncapitalized of course raised his titular weapon over his head like he was trying to win one of those hammer games at the fair. I wasn't going to take the chance; I took aim with my right hand and launched an energy dagger into his chest. He staggered forward falling on top of the guy he was about to overkill. I walked over as they both took their final breaths, then staggered myself. I just got a major boost to my class energy well. Shit, no wonder he was brutally killing people, they give off class energy. This is not a good sign for the human race. Feeling my class energy hit another threshold, I was simply amazed at the amount I got from him, he must have had a class and at least a level or two on top of that. I made my way inside the closest store. I had enough patience and common sense to clear the building before I settled in to go over the words waiting for my attention.
Congratulations, you have reached a greater threshold for level 1.
You now have access to the [Class] system.
You may now choose a class.
Warrior:
A standard class for those that like to use their brawns as their primary asset.
Stat increases per level: +2 Strength +1 Vitality +1 Endurance +1 Free stat
Rogue:
A standard class for those that like to use their speed and stealth as their primary assets.
Stat increases per level: +2 Dexterity +2 Agility +1 Free Stat
Archer:
A standard class for those that like to use distance and accuracy as their primary assets.
Stat increases per level: +2 Dexterity +1 Agility +1 Intelligence +1 Free Stat
Tank:
A standard class for those that like to use their resilience as their primary asset.
Stat increases per level: +2 Vitality +2 Endurance +1 Free Stat
Cleric:
A standard class for those that like to heal from safety instead of fighting.
Stat increases per level: +2 Wisdom +2 Intelligence +1 Free stat
Mage:
A standard class for those that like to deal damage from afar.
Stat increases per level: +2 Intelligence +2 Wisdom +1 Free stat
Random:
A random class for those looking for something different, and willing to put their path in the hands of fate.
Achieved Class:
A class that has been earned and reflects what you have accomplished.
Mage Fighter:
You have shown a great proficiency for the mage arts, and you have shown an inclination to use these arts within close range of your enemies.
Stolen story; please report.
Stat increases per level: +5 Intelligence +3 Wisdom +2 Agility +1 Dexterity +2 Free stats
Note that it is possible to improve your class options by accomplishing feats and gathering more energy for your class.
Reading over the words, I noted first that all classes except for my Achieved Class had stayed the same. Secondly, I noticed the word "greater" added in front of threshold and assumed this was just confirmation there were different thresholds for classes, and that I had reached the next one. Finally taking a long look at my newly achieved class, I liked what I saw a lot more than a simple upgraded mage class. This class felt like not only an improved class, but its own, with its own style. It had nearly triple the stats of the common classes and 3 more stats than the Advanced Mage class. However, I wanted more, I knew that I could do better, not just because I could feel there was a higher class energy threshold, but because I knew I wasn't done refining my skills. Thinking through it fully, I reaffirmed my decision and willed the screen to disappear.
Taking time to think about what happened leading up to this new class selection, I thought about the man with the bat. I had killed someone again, but just like last time, they deserved it. I should probably still feel bad about it or something, but I just couldn't make myself feel bad about killing murderers and rapists. Moving past that I took some time to think about how the man caved in one guy's skull and another's chest. I'm pretty sure he had a class, and I'll bet it was the warrior class with the kind of strength he was showing. This also probably means that people with classes give out more energy than those without. Not a surprising discovery, but also a welcome one. This means that classed people probably won't find killing unclassed people worth it after a few levels.
Getting up I walked through the store picking up a few cans of food that I spotted on my first sweep, and another gallon of purified ionized water. I took the opportunity to eat lunch and then went back outside and checked the three guy's pockets in case they had anything important, they didn't. Then I got back to roaming the streets looking for monsters to kill. While hunting and refining my skills, I start to notice this weird feeling whenever I receive energy from killing monsters, it's like there's something else happening. It's such a small phenomenon that I can't figure out what's happening or truly if anything is actually happening at all. If I wasn't used to the feeling of class energy and wasn't bored out of my mind, I don't think I would have noticed anything. I'm still not entirely sure I'm not just crazy and making things up because of my boredom between fights.
Nothing interesting happens before it starts getting dark, and I make my way back to the apartment building. Night falls as I reach the lobby of my building, I notice that the streetlights didn't turn on tonight, none of them not even the ones that still had power at the beginning, I realize nothing has power anymore. Everything looks the same as I move through the stairway, at this point I don't think there are many people left in the building. Most have probably run for the police station or tried to get out and secure food and water for themselves. I doubt either of those went well for anyone, not after the monsters appeared. Gathering my companions in Andy's apartment I tell them about the man I killed.
"I found someone else today..." I start.
"The guy had just mutilated two people with a baseball bat when I found him. ... I put him down." My companions' faces went from horror, to shock, to understanding.
"The interesting part is that when I ended him, I received xp, as Andy calls it." Andy understood immediately but I explained further for Lilly.
"This means that people have an incentive to kill others now, instead of just monsters. Though I suppose people have been killing each other since the beginning." I could see on Lilly's face she understood now too.
"Thats horrible." Lilly whispered with her hand over her mouth.
"There is a small upside though, I received more "xp" for killing the man, who I'm pretty sure had a class. That means that people with classes will find that killing people without them provides less and less as they grow stronger." I was confident enough in my guess that I didn't think it was necessary to preface the statement, and I wanted to give them some hope that the world was a little less ruthless.
After I explained what happened today Andy and Lilly were contemplative and quiet during dinner. I left shortly after to get some sleep. I unpacked the extra food and water I recovered today, and laid down, I was exhausted after practicing my skills, both magical and physical. I was still terrible with my energy sword, it's not like I was some fencer before all this. It took most of my attention to stab or cut at whatever I was facing, nevertheless I felt like I was getting the hang of the distance I should keep between the monster and me. I know footwork will come into play with anything but a mindless beast, however I wasn't ready for anything more than keeping myself from tripping over my own feet. What I am confident in trying to add is my energy daggers, I want to be able to pick out targets and preserve my so far decent aim, while keeping a monster at bay in melee range. After contemplating what I had accomplished, and I have yet to do, I fell asleep.
----------------------------------------
Instantly upon descending into sleep he found himself in the dark, endless, all-encompassing Void. The thick viscous nothingness was vast, yet he could have been in a coffin buried six feet deep, for all that he could see. He felt the cold grip of entropy, the vast never-ending hunger of annihilation. Just like last time, it didn't take long for the roiling inky Void to notice him. Its gaze felt like oblivion touching upon his soul. It congealed, starting at a distance that was infinitely far and interminably close. He felt the Void racing across the distances of galaxies, of entire universes, to take hold of him and smother him into nonexistence. His consciousness battled against the mounting dread. He struggled, trying to flee, to claw his way back into the Prime Material, away from the all-consuming Void, locked onto and flooding towards him across distances beyond comprehension, to scour him from reality just for daring to look upon what should not be seen. The reality annihilating liquid darkness built upon itself until finally it lashed towards him at the speed of thought.
----------------------------------------
Waking up in a cold sweat I lay in my bed taking deep breaths, there was something at the edge of my mind that I couldn't quite wrap my head around. Trying to remember my dream was like trying to grab a hand full of smoke, it just ... dispersed, unable to be grasped. The only lingering feeling I had was of the dark. I hadn't been scared of the dark since I was five or six, but something about the dream I had must have rattled me considering the state I was currently in. After a solid 30 seconds of deep breathing, I finally got out of bed and prepared myself for the day to come.
Nothing of interest happened over breakfast with my companions, and I was outside hunting monsters within 15 minutes. Walking down the street in front of my apartment building, the first monsters I come across are a pack of saber wolves.
Moving towards them I start firing energy daggers with my right hand as soon as I'm in range. The first and second saber wolves drop before the rest of the pack even spots me, the third is dead as the remainder start moving towards me. With seven saber wolves running at me I manifest my energy blade into my right hand while switching to firing energy daggers with my left.
I leave the lead wolf alone for now and target the one behind it with my fourth energy dagger. As the lead wolf is preparing to launch itself at me, I put a fifth energy dagger into the next wolf in line. With half the pack down, and a saber wolf pouncing towards me, I dodge left and drag my energy blade across the wolf as it flies past me, scoring a six-inch-deep line through the right flank of the beast cutting through hide, muscle, tendons, and even partially cutting through bone.
Watching out of the corner of my eye as the saber wolf collapses unable to hold its weight with so much damage to its right side, I launch two more energy daggers piercing the furry chests of two of the remaining four uninjured wolves. With two upright and angry foes remaining I sprint towards the rightmost wolf angling myself for an easy dodge to the inevitable pounce. As expected, the wolf dives at me and I cut through the hind quarters of the beast with my energy blade. Having slowed the wolf, I turn and launch an energy dagger into the last undamaged wolf of the pack.
With my two remaining targets injured, one of them trying to crawl across the ground with only its left legs, I calmly take aim at the wolf with the damaged back leg as it turns to continue the fight and put it down with another energy dagger to the heart. Checking to make sure nothing moved to ambush me while I was fighting, I walk up to the final saber wolf and stab my energy blade into its skull, putting it out of its misery.
Out of combat and able to focus on the class energy flowing into me I notice something else flowing with it. I'm sure of it this time, there is some other type of energy flowing into me when I kill monsters, but It's not class energy, it almost feels like my personal energy, the energy I use to form my blade and daggers. Something about this energy feels different though. I can't tell what it is, but I know it feels different, almost cold. Unsure what this energy is or what it's doing I resign myself to watching the effects over the course of the day as I continue slaying monsters.
By the end of the day, I've noticed a few things. The first thing I observed was that the energy didn't always come with my earned class energy, but manifested any time I used my energy blades or daggers to injure an enemy, even if it was just a cut, and not a fatal strike I would receive some amount of this cold energy into my usable pool. The second observation I made came as I was trying to discern the difference between the two. I tried moving just the new energy into my palm, to see if I could manifest it as a dagger. However, what I found was that this energy wasn't separate from my usual energy but was integrated with it. My final observation came near the end of the day, when I realized the hue of my energy blade had turned from a cool lake blue, into the blue of an overcast ocean.
Unclear on how this new cold energy was affecting me and my energy, but determining that there didn't seem to be any issues, I reconciled myself to taking mental notes and continuing to observe this odd phenomenon.