The sun was a warm, familiar weight on my shoulders as we walked the beat. The street was quiet, the rhythmic squeak of Kira’s boots on the asphalt a comforting, normal sound. She turned to say something, a playful smile on her lips, but it dissolved into a sharp, high pitched scream. Her eyes were wide, her finger pointed at something just over my shoulder.
My training took over. My hand dropped to my hip, my fingers finding only the rough denim of a pair of jeans. No holster. No gun. The thought was a jolt of pure, cold panic. I spun, bringing my empty hands up as a reptilian head, all teeth and hateful yellow eyes, lunged directly at my face.
I threw myself backward, a raw cry ripping from my throat.
The world was a spinning vortex of soft cushions and the scent of old books and lemon polish. My swords snapped into my hands with a thought, their familiar weight a desperate anchor in the chaos. I landed in a crouch on a plush floral rug, my heart hammering against my ribs, my blades held ready to strike.
My mind took in the room with tactical quickness. Threat assessing in moments.
The room was silent. A grandfather clock ticked softly in the corner. Pale morning light filtered through lace curtains, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. There was no monster. No threat. Just a quiet, peaceful living room. Sweat dripped from my brow, stinging my eye. I was panting, my breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps as I scanned every shadow.
“Easy now.”
The voice, a low, calm baritone, came from the hallway. Jeff stood there, his 12 gauge held at a low ready, his expression not one of alarm, but of a deep, paternal concern. He did not move, did not raise the weapon, just let his presence be a grounding force.
“You are okay, son,” he said, his voice gentle. “You are safe. You are okay.”
The words, simple and true, were a balm on the raw terror. The frantic hammering in my chest began to subside. The quiet living room slowly stopped feeling like a trap. A hot flush of embarrassment washed over me. I let my swords dissolve, my empty hands feeling heavy and foolish.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, wiping the sweat from my face with a trembling hand. “Bad dream.”
He gave a slow, understanding nod. “You have earned a few.” He gestured with his head toward the kitchen. “It is about six in the morning. I was just putting on some coffee. Breakfast is almost ready.”
Six in the morning. The math hit me with a fresh jolt. We had arrived around noon yesterday. I had been asleep for eighteen hours. The exhaustion had been so absolute, my body had simply shut down.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Coffee sounds good.”
The rich, bitter aroma of fresh coffee and the sizzle of bacon filled the kitchen, a holy trinity of smells I thought I would never experience again. Jeff handed me a heavy ceramic mug. The warmth that seeped into my hands was as comforting as the liquid itself. We sat in a comfortable silence.
My menu appeared before me, bidden by a thought.
Name: Elias STORMSON
Age: 26
Class: Class Selection Available!
Title: New Titles Available!
Status Effect: Sliver of Divinity
Attributes:
Strength: 70
Health: 58
Agility: 72
Stamina: 56
Mana: 44
Level: 10
Available Stat Points: 15
Skills
Inventory
I opened the Title menu and browsed the new titles I earned.
First Dungeon Boss Kill
- First to kill a Dungeon Boss on your planet. Reward: +10 to all stats.
First Dungeon Clear
- First to clear a dungeon on your planet. Reward: extra experience when clearing a dungeon.
First to Level 10
- First to reach level 10 on your planet. Reward: Extra options for class selection.
Marked by a god
????????????????
What the hell. I could guess what Marked by a god meant but why is it all question marks.
I gave an exacerbated sigh as I remembered the Sliver of Divinity Status Effect, Growth in your power will reveal the seeds attributes. I guess I will find out in due time.
My eyes flashed to the First to reach level 10 title. Hmmmm class selection sounds exciting.
I opened the Class Selection tab. My menu flickered as if the System was measuring something in me, adjusting the list with mechanical precision.
Class Option: Guardian Initiate
Role: Defensive Fighter / Protector
Protectors who stand between danger and those who cannot defend themselves.
Guardian Initiates excel at intercepting attacks, holding chokepoints, and shielding
Their allies with sheer durability and resolve.
Starting Features:
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? Guard Stance (Passive)
Increase physical resistance when bracing.
? Shield Bash (Active)
Stun and knock enemies off balance.
? Bodyguard’s Focus (Passive)
Gain increased awareness of threats targeting nearby allies.
? Determined Heart (Passive)
When severely injured, Strength and Stamina rise temporarily.
Recommended for: Tanks, frontline defenders, group anchors.
Class Option: Skirmisher
Role: Fast Melee / Mobility Specialist
A light-footed fighter who hits hard and moves harder. Skirmishers weave in and out of
Danger, cutting enemies down with speed, agility, and relentless pressure.
Starting Features:
? Quickstep (Movement Skill)
A short evasive dash.
? Twin Strike (Active)
Two rapid attacks delivered at high speed.
? Momentum Flow (Passive)
Consecutive hits increase damage slightly.
? Opportunist’s Eye (Passive)
Increased damage against staggered or distracted targets.
Recommended for: Hit-and-run fighters, scouts, solo hunters.
Class Option: Precision Slayer
Role: Critical Hit / Weakpoint Striker
Assassination specialists who exploit anatomical weaknesses and structural flaws.
Slayers rely on accuracy, timing, and lethal precision.
Starting Features:
? Anatomical Insight (Passive)
Slightly increased damage to vital points.
? Bleeding Edge (Passive)
Slashing attacks may inflict a minor bleed.
? Lunge (Active)
A quick thrust designed for armor gaps.
? Stillness (Passive)
Increased strike accuracy after remaining stationary briefly.
Recommended for: Duelists, hunters, and ambushers.
Class Option: Mana Striker
Role: Physical–Mana Hybrid / Enhancement Fighter
A warrior who infuses their strikes with raw mana, augmenting power, speed, and
Control. Mana Strikers walk the line between martial combat and magic.
Starting Features:
? Mana-Infused Blow (Active)
A powerful strike enhanced by controlled mana.
? Channeling Basics (Passive)
Increases the stability of mana usage through weapons.
? Focus Pulse (Active)
A short-range burst of mana that pushes enemies back.
? Inner Flow (Passive)
Slight increases to Mana and Agility scaling.
Recommended for: Mixed fighters seeking early access to mana combat.
Class Option: Windrunner
Role: High Mobility / Evasive Fighter
A combatant who fights with fluid motion and air-enhanced agility. Windrunners use momentum, footwork, and constant repositioning to control the battlefield.
Starting Features:
? Breeze Step (Movement Skill)
A light, swift dash that leaves a faint afterimage.
? Gale Cut (Active)
Deliver a slash with increased reach enhanced by air pressure.
? Weightless Form (Passive)
Slightly reduces stamina consumption when moving or dodging.
? Peripheral Awareness (Passive)
Wider detection of movement in combat.
Recommended for: Evasive fighters, scouting roles, agile duelists.
Class Option: Arcane Duelist
Role: Technique-Based Mana-Enhanced Duelist
A warrior who combines disciplined blade work with the first steps of mana channeling.
Arcane Duelists strike with precision, flow, and controlled power.
Starting Features:
? Blade Channeling (Passive)
Your weapon conducts mana more sharply and efficiently.
? Mana Tether (Active)
Throw your weapon and maintain a mana link. Call it back at will.
? Wind Step (Movement Skill)
A short-range burst of movement fueled by compressed air and agility.
? Enhanced Perception (Passive)
Reaction time increases when danger is detected.
Recommended for: Precision fighters, mana-enhanced duelists, future elemental users.
If the player already has a skill that is offered by a class, that skill will be enhanced by a certain percentage upon class selection.
My mind whirled with all the different options each class offered. I let out a low whistle that made Jeff and Michelle look at me quizzically over their breakfast.
“Sorry” I said sheepishly. “I got some interesting offers on Class Selection in my Menu”
Which rewarded me with even further puzzlement from Kira’s parents.
“Did Kira explain the menu’s to you yesterday?”
“Yeah. Some kind of game thingy” Jeff replied.
“That’s right. Apparently at level ten you get to choose a class and the options are pretty interesting” I took a sip of coffee and felt the bitterness touch my soul. I had to resist the urge to let out a cliché Ahhhh. I hadn’t realized how much I would miss these things in the small time I was in the dungeon.
“Did you want to talk about it? Discuss the options?” Michelle asked “Not sure how much help we will be but we could be a sound board.”
“I think I need to make this decision alone. Just in case I regret my choice, I will only have myself to blame” I smiled apologetically at Michelle who smiled back.
“No worries dear, we will leave you to it. Let us know if you change your mind” Michelle returned to her cooking and started a conversation with Jeff about future plans.
“Thank you,” I said before returning to my menu, running over the options another time.
The Guardian is great for protecting people but I would have to use a shield. I really like two swords right now and I feel like a shield would affect my agility.
The Skirmisher is nice, ill put that at the top of my list for now.
The Precision Slayer is also good but it seems more prone to assassination with that Stillness ability. I like to be on the front lines or in the thick of things. Ill put it below Skirmisher.
Mana Striker, does seem quite useful and is definitely similar to my current combat style. I worry about mana resistant monsters though. How would this class fair against something like the Anklyosaurus.
The weightless form of the Windrunner class is VERY enticing but I’m not sure the class could deal a lot of damage.
Arcane duelist.
Some instinct deep inside me tugged when I hovered over Arcane Duelist.
A quiet certainty. Like the System knew something about me that I hadn’t figured out yet.
It was like a mix of Mana Striker and Skirmisher. That Mana Tether ability sounds extremely useful and that note about future elemental users is curious.
I imagined fighting in the dungeon as each class and after ten more minutes of going over the pros and cons of each class I finally made a decision.
If I chose wrong, I’d be stuck with it. No respec. No do-overs in the apocalypse.
I let out a heavy breath and mentally clicked on the class.
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