Day 3
There wasn't a cloud in the deep blue sky only the harsh sun bearing down on me. Sweat poured from my brow down onto to cracked, dry ground. Every swipe of my hoe did little more than tear a small groove into the ground. My hands were already covered in painful blisters as I poured my hate into the soil. Cracks appeared in the hard ground, and I quickly measured but was left dissatisfied. I needed a few more inches before seeds could be planted.
After exhausting myself, I returned to my tent to cool down and opened my journal. The start of my terrible adventure as a farmer.
Day 1
My life was over. I went from a promising future as a monster tamer to a farmer in less than an hour. A deal was made, and I had little time remaining to create an opportunity.
The Summer family promised their daughter to marry my older brother, Thaddeus. I thought it was strange before, but little hints fell into place as my world shattered. She was beautiful, and I thought it was weird when she gave me 20,000W for my journey. Little did I know it was guilt money and not worth it.
She smiled, knowing I was screwed out of life in the ruling class so my brother could marry an aristocrat. Blue blood like hers follows the female line; it was only a matter of time until a family took an offer to trade assigned classes.
I remember reading about the scandal. The Titan Training board had made a decision. The Summer family was too soft from generations of successful Monster Tamers. Many of them from my generation were given the farmer class. Still, none had set out of any East Weston Metropolises from All Bright to Star City. There were no reports of Summer family nobles making a claim and taming wild territory in the first steps of bringing it into the fold.
That mystery had been answered for me in the worst way possible. I checked my status because I had to see it. I was only three generations from a mage-class great-grandfather. This shouldn't have happened. I had a 0% chance of being given the farmer class at birth.
Status
Atom Walker lvl1
Class: Farmer +3 END +2 VIT per LEVEL
Attributes
Physical:
Vitality 4
Constitution 2
Endurance 6
Strength 3
Dexterity 2
Agility 2
Mental:
Perception 2
Willpower 9
Focus 3
Intelligence 5
Wisdom 4
Charisma 4
Skills
Farming:
Plow lvl1
Plant lvl1
Harvest lvl1
Monster Tamer was the ruling class; the other classes available were meant for support. Classes determined the skills learned naturally, skill growth, and items that can be purchased. So, no fireballs, controlling monsters or brewing stat-enhancing potions. I could, at most, grow better potion ingredients or breed stronger monsters. But I would still need an alchemist to brew them and a tamer to control them. Its why I trained my willpower every day. It was the most important stat for a Monster Tamer.
Skills that required willpower weren't out, but the offense was.
I gripped my skull, trying to force out any idea that could help. This was Nightmare Liches leading undead hordes attacking frontier towns bad. Except I wasn't safe in my home waiting for the new microprocessors to cross through the territory. There was so much about the farmer class I either forgot or never bothered to learn.
Soft caps: I forgot about all the soft caps that came with the farmer class. Offensive and defensive skills levels 1/10th the speed of any other class. Utility skills, on the other hand, had a growth rate of 10 times when it came to growing or mana exercises. Other utility skills only had a 1.5 times increase in leveling speed.
How a farmer leveled was also important. I could only make gains through growing crops and selling them. An alchemist could make a potion, sell it for 5000W, and earn 20 levels potentially. A farmer sold bushels of pees for 100 and might not see a level in a year. There might have been rankings or levels with crops I didn't remember.
I checked my online credentials and they hadn't been changed from a prospective tamer. That meant I could still buy skill shards. My bank account currently sat at 60,832W and I had no time to plan. Any second, I could be kicked out.
Someone pounded on my bedroom door. "Son, wake up; we have something to talk to you about. Don't check your status yet." Her usual musical tone was gone, which was a bad sign.
That was my mother, she knew. I had to think of something, anything to buy time. My mind swam for a second as plans were born and died until I found the perfect excuse.
"Don't come in. I'm masturbating to monster porn," I said.
I heard a sigh like the last gasp of a dying man. "Just come out here when you're done and delete your browser history. I don't want to see any ads." Mother said.
The time was 6:50AM there were three minutes until privileges were updated. My bookmarks saved me time. I had already searched this part of Monmart before.
The skill shard window opened up, and I applied filters to only utility skills. Famers had the worst parameters for leveling offensive and defensive skills imaginable but the best for utility. It's why they could grow mana-dense crops in even the most barren soil.
I watched the screen appear and added Adapt to my cart. Before I went to bed, I watched a pro match. Adapt was considered a trash skill in the low levels because all it did was slightly increase skill gains. For the Runic Behemoth in Chad Thundercock's party, it allowed the wall of muscle and claws to grow stronger mid-battle. Against Lance Shield's Magma Troll, it turned a predicted loss into a drawn-out slog. Fire Resistance kept leveling mid-battle, and I was sure Chad's Behemoth finished out two skill trees from it. That was the kind of power I needed.
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10,000W later, I was the proud owner of the Adapt skill. Unfortunately, it was a passive skill and wouldn't level quickly; I needed more support. I was in shock and slowly cobbling together a plan to feel like I did something instead of letting my future slip through my fingers.
Farmers can't enter national dungeons, purchase skills, or leave their farms for extended periods. Farmers were the first to step in barren frontiers they toiled and filled the soil with mana and hard work. Generations later, a town might appear around the farm where a few people would be given the Monster Tamer class. These people born from nothing would fight and claw their way to the top or die trying. Normally these people would be the scions of multiple generations of Monster Tamers. It was a harsh program, but it produced powerful results.
This wasn't an unknown happening. One of my parents sold my future so my brother could marry up. I was fucked, and the only way forward was through. I knew they were going to send me to the ass end of nowhere, put monitors on my system, and all the shit I heard about. It was all for the status of noble blood in our republic.
"Son, your mother just told me you're masturbating to monster porn. Why don't you save it for a monster of your own." My father said through the door.
Either he didn't know or wanted this experience to be as terrible as it could possibly be.
"I heard that's a good way to get my dick ripped off. Give me a little more time; I'm almost done; this is the money shot."
My next skill was Berserk; it was a utility that increased strength at the cost of lots of stamina. I didn't have an offensive class, so my only choice was to cobble one together with purchased skills meant for monsters. There was an open secret that humans could learn monster skills. Why bother when monsters were far more capable with skills?
Classes that could use them couldn't be at the same prices as a Monster Tamer. Government subsidies were powerful tools.
15,000W later, the Berserk skill appeared in the transporter.
35k Westons left, and I had two skills that would hopefully see me through what was going to be a terrible time in my life. It wasn't unheard of to sleep through the initial skill gains. I told my parents I was going to bed instead of staying up to get my class. Waiting would have ended badly.
I grabbed the adapt skill shard, a large green crystal with two points, held it to my forehead, and quickly absorbed it. Flashes of images appeared in my vision. I saw monsters shivering in the snow, slowly turning blue and becoming snow variants. A water dragon dove into a lake of magma and came out a steam drake. These images appeared faster and faster until I received a notification.
Ping!
New Skill
Adapt lvl1
What I wanted to accomplish before my parents knocked on my door down was simple. I needed to create a skill block. Four skills that fed into each other boosting skill gains endlessly.
I purchased Regeneration for 20,000W. Skill blocks for tamers were heavily regulated. Every tamer worth their stats would already have a plan for a skill block for themselves and their first partner. Most of my time was spent looking up skill blocks that would work fast and dirty for any monster, no matter what skills they may already have. Doing it for myself like I was the monster was sobering.
Training for 10,000W was my short-term answer to a massive problem. The Training skill allowed stat growth through hard work and exercise. Rumor had it that even studying could see results like increased intelligence. Leveling was far more effective and powerful with skill trees; few used the Training skill unless they needed certain attributes for a rank up. After the transporter ran a fourth time, the website kicked me back to the home screen with several tabs removed. I grabbed the skill shards and absorbed them one after the other.
Images of battle, pain, and rage resonated with me. My birthright was taken. I was born to be a tamer; all the signs pointed to it, and my future was traded without my knowledge. Those born to the former noble houses like Summer, Winter, Fall, and Thundercock no longer had the power to ensure their children were tamers. At birth, classes were decided but only activated at 16. Lourie Summers and I were born on the same day, which allowed this swap to happen seamlessly.
Any family eager to add some blue blood to their own from the former regime wouldn't hesitate if they had a spare son. I was one of 4 sons and 8 daughters. The Walker family had plenty of money, monsters, and powerful tamers, but our bloodline wasn't noble. Thaddeus would be able to point at his wife and children and say they were from Summer stock. My parents could happily say their grandchildren would have blue blood from the former regime and access to Summer family training techniques.
They only had to give me the short end of the stick to get all they could want. I gave the convenient transporter and my expensive rig a final heartfelt goodbye. At least they didn't betray me.
"Kato, get my son out of his room. We need to have a family conversation." I picked up a shirt and blew my nose as my door shattered. I had allergies; no, I wasn't crying. My father's big red Oni stepped into the room. I remember riding on his back when I was a kid and playing with his daughters. Mai would probably hate me when she found out. I wouldn't be her tamer after all.
"Boy, why are you crying?" Kato asked.
"The love between a tamer and their monster is a beautiful thing, you know," I said.
I felt so weak I wanted to hide in my room. The shame wouldn't leave me. Making a block had distracted me at the time, but what good would it really do me. It was the last gasp of a drowning man.
"Dry your tears and hold your head high. Tears are only helpful to women. You are a man, aren't you?" Kato said.
I felt small and weak before the monster that always made me feel safe. A social divide that hadn't been there yesterday had already made me feel like an intruder in my own home. Only by focusing on things I could control could I manage to stay somewhat sane.
Ping!
Berserk lvl2
1 Skill Point
The skill block I created was an engine to increase not only my skill levels for skill points but my attributes as well. Skills required lvl20 to unlock their first skill tree most of the time. Those skill trees often end with skills.
"Let me see your class; it's ok if you're a mage it isn't the end of the world."
When a class reached level 100, it was possible to multiclass if the classes didn't clash. A mage had a chance to reach level 100 with time and dungeons. As a farmer class, I was doomed. Farmer couldn't combine with Monster Tamer, but Monster Tamer could combine with Farmer. The new class was subordinate to the original. The Farmer class was the lowest class in the hierarchy and could not suborn Monster Tamer.
Day 3
I closed the book; reading further was something I wasn't ready to do yet. The memories were still raw. I didn't want to go through them again. As a beginner farmer, I was given my lot of land, nearly 300 acres of hard mana dry land to the North at the edge of Weston Territory. A few patches of forest greedily sucked mana from the ground, probably harboring low-tier monsters.
In my survival pack was roughly a month's worth of monster repellent. That repellent would only last until my crops came in and started attracting monsters on their own. By that point, I needed to build a fence capable of keeping out low-tier monsters.
Focusing on what I needed to do to survive made it easier to stomach this terrible situation. Farmers needed to sell their crops and purchase the protection of a warrior or, if possible, a knight. Once that happened, settlers would come. Carpenters, merchants, and other tradesmen would come thanks to government subsidies. Once that happened, all I would need to do was toil for the rest of my life.
I bit down on a protein bar and spat the disgusting mix of nuts and chalky chocolate on the ground. This was the worst. Standing up from my folding chair, I moved through my tent. I bought a massive, rugged military tent for its space and durability instead of a portable house. In the corner of the tent, I had a heavy bag ready and waiting.
There had to be a way out of this; I had to figure it out. My gloved fists connected with the bag, one punch then another as I pictured everyone who put me in this situation. To them, it was the right move, and I hated that more than anything. I knew that morally, for the greater good, I needed to be shafted, but that didn't make it any better.
Ping!
Training lvl2
+1 Skill Point
Regeneration lvl2
+1 Skill Point
Adapt lvl2
+1 Skill Point
+1 Focus
Focus 4
So, it was possible to raise stats that weren't physical with the training skill. If I was a Monster Tamer, that would be article-worthy. I could write a paper and earn tons of Weston dollars for it. As a farmer, I had no credibility and would either be ignored or have my paper plagiarized. If willpower could be increased with the Training skill, that would be a game-changer for Monster Tamers.
I hated this situation; I felt trapped and used.
Ping!
Beserk lvl5
+1 Skill Point
That put me at 9 skill points, only 1 away from finishing off my first skill tree.
Farming For Beginners 0/10
It was also my only skill tree. Until I leveled up or my other skills reached lvl20, I was stuck with the tools I had. On the bright side, Adapt would increase my skill gains a little with each level.
The ground was hard, and the steel of my hoe wasn't cutting it. I needed more strength, and punching a bag wasn't giving strength, or I wasn't hitting enough for it.
Attributes for most classes were entirely lopsided. Farmers could potentially grow items that gave permanent percentage gains, but only dungeons produced items for flat gains. Those items went on the market and sold to the highest bidder for hundreds of thousands of Weston dollars. That may be why skill shards are regulated and subsidized to Monster Tamers.
I continued hitting the bag, working on my anger instead of going outside and battling the hard ground.
Ping!
+1 Focus
Focus 5
Training lvl3
+1 Skill Point
It was good luck that skills were easy to level early on. A bolt of excitement flashed through me. I was about to get my first skill tree. Sure, it might not be what I wanted, but skill trees were incredibly valuable. From free attribute points to an additional skill, they were all worth it. Some even gave percentage boosts on skills.
Ping!
Farming For Beginners 10/10
+1 Endurance
New Skill
Furrows lvl1
A brief flash of images of how to dig out little trenches to help water irrigation and germination of seeds flashed through my brain. It wouldn't be long until endurance surpassed willpower, and I would truly be a farmer. I knew I already was once, but it felt like that was the point of no return.
I dug a row for hours under the watchful gaze of the hot sun and beat against mana-starved ground. There was a line of credit from the government for mana rich water for the use of farmers. Once I finished my rows and planted, I would add water. My seeds were nothing special, only Rainbow corn, a rare-tier corn variant that sold well. I had buck beans and gold peanuts for my other rows.
As I worked, I still poured sweat like a leaking faucet, but I was getting through it. My blisters were mostly healed thanks to Regeneration.
I took a step back and stared at my work.
Ping!
Furrows lvl5
+4 Skill Points.
I hadn't noticed the time fly as much as the uneven rows. Mai and I could be training right now, finding monsters to join our team, or battling other tamers. As I felt my anger bleed through, I toiled to even out the rows. My progress wasn't anything worth writing home about; I needed a way to increase my strength. Since I didn't have any weights, I would need to use my body. I remembered hearing about body exercises knights used to get a jump on their class.