It’s been 3 months since Leo left. And 3 days ago was my class awakening.
I am officially 10 years old.
I couldn’t sleep the whole night before my birthday. Just constantly checking my window to see when it changed.
Nervous about what would happen with my class, seemingly vanished. But eventually the change occurred. My window lengthened to accommodate new writings. Simple and clean. No theatrics.
And my Class…
---
[[LEVEL-01]]
//Name: Liore Perro
//Age: 10
//Class: [Farmer]
//Status: Healthy
[[STATS]]
//Strength: 1
//Dexterity: 1
//Intelligence: 2
//Perception: 2
//Stamina: 1
//Resilience: 3
[[PASSIVE]]
[???]
[??? ???]
[Favored]
[Battle Theory]
[[SKILLS]]
[???-???]
[[CLASS QUESTS]]
[Plant A Seed]
---
Seems I had nothing to worry about. What was wrong with it seems to have been fixed during my awakening. Or at least somewhat. The blanked out Skills and Passives I got are still there. And I still have [Battle Theory], which I have been trying to ignore.
All that matters is that I am back on track with what god has bestowed on me. My class. My purpose in life. As much as I still resent it somewhat, I’d much rather have it than be some strange, broken oddity. I guess I’ve learned my lesson with wishing away what I was born to be.
My birthday was pleasant. We had several of our neighbors and friends from the village in the cottage. The [Cook] brought in tons of food, and I was presented with a cherry pie, which was delicious.
The conversations were a bit awkward as I was asked what my stats were. Most stats start off at 1 after the awakening. But usually everyone has at least one or two stats at 2, depending on how they spent their childhood. Which, after hearing me say that my intelligence and perception were both at 2, the other villagers didn’t seem surprised. A couple of them even exchanged money, so I guess they had a bet on what my stats would be.
Of course, the most surprising to them was my Resilience stat. Just like Dorian said, it is at 3 thanks to the passive skill I got after my cleansing succeeded. But most of the adults in the village have had a 1 in Resilience since they were kids. The exception being none other than Mr. Thorpe, who has a 4, but he didn’t elaborate on how he raised it. It is the hardest stat to raise for pretty much anyone, so however he did it, it must have been brutal.
Mama told me she was proud of me and was excited to help me start collecting farming skills. But then she also said that I need to start weight training as soon as possible. My work will require some muscle and stamina to do properly. Which the prospect of that sounds awful. But I guess I can’t really complain, it is very useful. I don’t want to be frail all my life.
She says the average strength stat for a farmer is 2 or 3. Although she said getting to 3 in strength will likely take a decade at the least, and it won’t likely ever get higher than that. But 2 is plenty enough, as the stat number is basically a multiplier. So at 2 in strength, I would be 2 times stronger. No wonder Dorian said my 3 in Resilience was really good. It basically means my immune system is 3 times stronger.
But to help with my strength and stamina training, Mama and Mr. Thorpe have been getting me to do runs around the village while carrying various farming equipment and other heavy items. I’ve collapsed twice in the last 3 days doing so, but Mama always gives me something sweet if that happens.
What she doesn’t know is that I’ve been doing more training before bed. Taking Leo’s suggestion into account with his old training sword. Although I think he just meant doing curls with it or something. But I’ve been doing full swings and strikes with it in my room for a good half hour every night. Which makes my arms feel like pudding by the time I crawl into bed. But even though it’s utterly exhausting, especially after doing runs around the village just hours before. Somehow, it always feels like I have the energy to get a few hundred swings of the sword in. Shifting between basic stances that feel natural in my mind.
It still sort of terrifies me how I even know this stuff. But Mr. Thorpe says it is pretty normal for someone with the [Battle Theory] passive. It imprints the basic groundwork of combat in most forms into you so you can practice around to find your specialization. It’s a passive that appears for most combat classes at level 1. But what fighting styles can be specialized in are usually limited based on the class. An example being [Guards], who are limited to specializing in short swords, spears, short bows, and shields. But there are some classes like [Knight] that are not restricted at all. Which begs the question as to what I am limited to? Mr. Thorpe said we’ll have to train more to find out.
Which I am not going to lie. I am way more excited for that now than the prospect of learning farming skills. But we haven’t told Mama any of this stuff yet, so we have held off for now.
As for this morning, it's bright and sunny outside. A bit of chill in the air, giving an early warning of the breezier season upon us. And Mama wants to help me get through my level 1 class quests before winter. Which she says we can likely complete within a month. I mean, all I really have to do is plant my first seed and nurture it until it grows. Easy stuff.
Mama heated up some porridge, rolls, and bacon this morning that the village cook delivered to us this week. We ate pretty quickly. She was pretty excited to get out in the field with me today. This nice smile on her face that I’ve really appreciated seeing more of. All the stress 3 months ago is behind us. And although Leo is gone for now, we are back to stability, and I can finally be of some use to the village.
After breakfast, we both put on some light tunics, trousers, leather boots, and some rough farming gloves. I followed Mama outside and through the village to the north gate. The north side of the village being where most of the big fields are situated. Instead of heading through the north gate, we turn right past it and down the dirt road inside the village. Passing by several other families as they are breaking out this morning to do their own work. Most of them give us waves and good mornings.
We eventually arrive at a long wooden building that is built half into the Northeast parts of the palisades. This building leads directly out into the main fields and acts as a storehouse for tools, equipment, seeds, and our harvested crops.
Mama walks up to the wooden door and pulls it open. The immediate musk of thousands of vegetables smacks me right in the face as we enter. Which causes me to shudder a little, but I power through to keep up with her pace. The floor of the building is just dirt, and the whole outside part of the building just opens up wide into the fields, but there are big metal gates that the [Farmer]'s close at night to keep monsters out.
We stop by a small cabinet that Mama quickly rifles through before grabbing a small fabric pouch that she hands to me. “Here you go, dove. Those are radish seeds. They grow quite quickly. Only about 3 or so weeks. So we can get your first class quest out of the way within a month or a little over, I’d say.” She says with a smile as she tussles a gloved hand through my black cloud of hair. Which causes her to stop for a moment, pursing her lips. “Mmmm…we should braid your hair tonight. Maybe even trim it down a bit. It’s almost reaching the ground…”
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My face immediately grimaces as I shake my head. “I…I don’t want to braid it. I like it like this…” Stepping back a bit away from my mother. “And you know how much I hate sitting there while you braid it. It takes hours!”
Mama narrows her eyes before she sucks in a breath and sighs. “Okay, okay…but at least let me cut it shorter. You are going to be working out in the field now with the rest of us. So I don’t want you tripping over it. It’ll get so dirty…” She suggests. Mother's own cloud of long black hair, as usual, has been formed into large braids and tied up into a bun on her head.
Although I am not too pleased with the idea of still sitting down to let her mess with my hair. She does have a point. A frown forms on my face as I look up at her. “Fine. You can cut it short, but not too short!” I love my hair a lot, and I don’t want to get rid of it.
Mama places a hand over her heart. “Trust dove. I won’t go too short. Now come along, let’s get you through your first few steps!” She says with a bit more excitement as she reaches out and grabs my hand to pull me along.
We leave the inside of the storehouse and out into the field. Walking past a dozen or so of the other [Farmers] in town who are doing routine maintenance of the crops. Finding an empty corner of the field that doesn’t have any crop currently growing there. Mama sets down a few tools she had grabbed from the storehouse and gestures for me to come over as she kneels down in the dirt.
Following suit, I lower myself to my knees across from her. “Soooo…do I just…shove the seeds in the ground?”
Mama chuckles and hands me a simple trowel that I gently take from her. The tool feels comfortable in my hands. Not as much as Leo’s training sword, though. But enough to still notice.
“Open your Window, then open the details of your Class quest. The instructions will be there. Simple as, Dove.” She says with such a warm smile that I can’t help but smile back at her.
“Ooookay…May the Blinded See”
My window opens effortlessly as usual. I use my free hand to poke the name of the Class Quest to see the details, as she said.
---
[Plant A Seed]: To plant fields, you must first plant your first seed. This first seed will become the first plant that you will nurture. Its life will test your patience and resolve. Teaching you the fundamentals of your work.
Find a seed of any plant, open a hole in tilled earth, plant your seed, cover it in soil, and give your seed its first drink of water.
---
Okay. That is pretty straightforward.
Honestly, I don’t know why I am feeling so nervous about this all of a sudden. But this is nothing. Just plant the seed and water it, and bam…first quest of my life done.
“Okay…here I go then,” I mutter with an all too nervous smile on my face that she chuckles at. Jabbing the trowel into the soft tilled dirt deep enough for a strong hold for the roots later. Setting the tool aside and taking out the little bag of seeds she gave me earlier. Shaking out the small brown pellets and simply dropping one into the hole.
I take a deep breath and use my hands to cover the hole back up with the surrounding soil. Mama hands me the watering can, and I take it from her graciously. Then, I just simply give a generous sprinkling of water over the top of the soil.
Mama gives a little clap as if I’ve done something incredible, my cheeks getting warm. Likely looking pretty awkward, but I smile all the same. “Uh…okay…what next then?”
Mama comes over and pets my head again. “Well, just go ahead and plant a few more. Spread them out a bit. Give you some better chances of completing the second quest rather than just hedging your bets on just one.” She would answer, stepping back to give me some space.
Right, life can be pretty cruel to plants. Between monsters, bugs, bad soil, and weather, it could all make me have to start over. So, taking her advice, I spend a few minutes planting about a dozen or so radish seeds just to give me some more insurance.
“That should be enough, right? So do I just water them every day then?” I ask, patting the dirt from my trousers while Mama collects the handful of tools we used.
“You don’t need me to tell you. Your window will guide you through it. You’ve got the second quest now.” She answers back with a smile as she starts to move back towards the village. “Now come on, you’ll be watching me and the others doing the dailies.”
My brows furrow at her. “You said you brought me out here to help explain things, and you just pass it all off to my Window. Very helpful of you!” I yell back, pouting my cheeks. Sighing as I speak the phrase, my window pops back up and I poke the quest title again.
---
[Plant A Seed]: To plant fiedlds you musst first plant your first seed. This first sered will becoame the first plant that you will nurture. Its life will tefst your patience and resolve. Teafching you the fundadentals of your work.
Find a seed of any plant, open a hole in tilled earth, plant yofur seed, cover it in soil, and give your sdeed its first drink of water.
---
My eyes squint at the description.
Isn’t this the same quest? What’s wrong with the writing?
“Uh…Mama!” I call out to her. The tall farmer stops to look over her shoulder at me with a raised brow.
“What’s wrong, dove?”
I put my hands on my hips and turn towards her. “You said I should have the second quest already, but it's still the same. It’s just telling me to plant seeds still.”
Her face scrunches up in confusion, taking what I said in before she walks back over. “Its still Plant A Seed?”
I nod up at her and look at it again, reading it over again. “Yeah its still the same…and the…words in the description are weird…like misspelled and stuff.”
Mama folds her arms over her chest. “I guess you…Did it wrong? Perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention enough to give pointers.” She surmises, forming an awkward smile. “Lets just try again…and I’ll keep a close watch and make sure you do it right this time!”
I watch my mother's face for a moment, unsure if she actually believes I did something wrong or not. But I just nod and take back the trowel and seeds. Finding an empty spot and just doing what I did 12 times already.
Dig. Plant. Cover. Water.
All the while, Mama keeps her eyes on my movements. And when I’m done, she smiles and gives a thumbs up. “Good! That was great. That should have done it.” She assures, patting my back and appearing relaxed.
I take a deep breath again. But my nervousness is definitely more warranted now as I speak the phrase and bring up my window. Touch the title of the quest.
---
[Plant A Seed]: To pnt fiedlds you musst first pnt yr fst seed. This fst sered will becoe the first plant thatou will nurture. Its life will tefst yo patieeand reolve. Teafching you the fundadentals of your work.
Find aeed oany plant,pen a hole itilled earth, plant yofur seed, cover it in il, and gi your sdeed its fir drink of watr.
---
My face likely says it all. I can feel the color drain from it. I swallow hard. Mama’s smile fades while watching me.
But before she can say anything, I move to another spot. Repeat the process. Dig. Plant. Cover. Water. Window.
---
[Plant A Seed]: To pnt fiedlds you musst firstt yr fst seed. This fst sered will becoee first pnt thatou wilurture. Itse will tefst yo patieeand reolve. Teahingou the funtals of youork.
Fi aeed ny plant,pen a he itilled eth, plant yofur seed, ver it in il, and gi your sdeed its firrinkf watr.
---
My stomach is doing somersaults. My heart beat punching against my eardrums.
Dig. Plant. Cover. Water. Window.
Dig. Plant. Cover. Water. Window.
Dig. Plant. Cover. Water. Window.
Dig. Plant. Cover. Water. Window.
…
The bag had over 100 seeds in it. I planted all of them.
Halfway through, Mama asked me if I was lying. Which made me cry. She didn’t ask again.
I wish I were lying. But it just kept getting worse. The quest did not progress. The description became more and more distorted and illegible. Losing most of its letters.
But it did finally become readable again.
But what it says now is not helping the deep dread that I have fallen into.
---
[Plant A Seed]: You have strayed.
---
Those words. Are haunting.
A weight on my soul, it feels like.
I haven’t gotten up off my knees, feeling like I am being swallowed by the soil. Covered in dirt and drenched in my own sweat.
My mother's arms wrap around me from behind as she sits down with me. I can’t bring myself to look at her. But her hand cups my cheek to turn me to face her anyway.
Her expression pains me even more. Wracked with emotions I didn’t want her to feel again. Fear, anxiety, and worry.
“We’ll…we’ll figure this out.” My kind mother tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
She has no idea what to do for me. And neither do I. But I at least have a pretty strong idea as to what is causing this. And I don’t think I can just forget about it anymore.
“Mama…we need to talk…”
My sweet mothers brows furrow in concern. “Do you…know something about this?”
She is sharp, of course. I get that from her. But my throat still locks up as she says that.
“I might…” I answer quietly. “There is something you don’t know…about when I fell that night in the forest with Leo.”
Her eyes focus hard on me.
“There was a book…on an altar…”
