Opening her eyes, Alex grimaces, taking in the room and remembering the events of the previous day. The room is cramped, the floorboards stained. She cringes as she realizes how stained the mattress probably is.
"I kind of thought that was all a terrible dream and I'd just wake up in my bed. Or, worst case scenario, in a hospital," she mutters to herself, lying there, not wanting to force herself to start moving yet.
"Okay, let's do what we've trained to do when we're lost. Let's figure out what we have, what we need, and..." She pauses in her muttering.
"Waiting for rescue won't really work."
What had Harold said? World walker? So this is potentially another world. There was the ring, the different kinds of people, the screens. It’s possible that was all hypoxia. She shakes her head, dismissing the idea. No way that was hypoxia; she's too critical and it's been too long. This room and bed are definitely not modern.
"Okay, Alex, you had most of your personal gear. No money, no food, and you're wanted for existing." She takes a deep breath after listing it all.
"First things first, let’s see if Ishara will let me work for some breakfast." She gets up with a groan, her muscles protesting every movement.
Standing, she starts stretching on the floor, trying to get her muscles moving just enough to function for the day. She picks up her bag and heads down to the bar. Ishara is there, chatting with another woman at the bar.
Alex moves to one side and sits down, deciding to wait. She catches part of their conversation.
"... yeah, swears some creature in armor just carried someone out of a fire on the other end of town. Guards have been looking everywhere for a world breaker."
Alex feels her throat tighten but controls her face, stifling a yawn to hide how she is feeling. Ishara holds up a finger to pause the woman and moves over.
"Breakfast, love? If you'd do some dishes again, I can do breakfast and send a few coins in your pocket."
Alex smiles. "Ishara, I could kiss you. That sounds perfect."
Ishara laughs and gives Alex a look. "I'll bring you some breakfast in just a minute."
A plate of eggs and some type of oatmeal comes out to her at the bar. Ishara returns to the far end of the bar, resuming her conversation with the other woman.
"Who's the flirty girl?" the woman asks as Ishara comes back with a smirk on her face.
Alex tries to ignore the conversation and focuses on her food, digging in. To her surprise, it becomes pretty easy when her stomach reminds her how hungry she is.
She finishes her food and carries the dishes to the back, washing them up with the remaining dishes in the sink before heading back out to the bar.
Ishara is waving goodbye to the woman who is heading out, having evidently just come in to gossip.
"Dishes are done," Alex says.
Ishara moves her head, stretching her neck. "I swear that woman is bored. Now, love, dishes are done?"
Alex just nods in response.
Ishara reaches into her apron and pulls out a few coins, placing them down in front of Alex. They are the same color as a penny but thicker and heavier. Over the small handful, she sees a man's stern face with a crown on one side and a web on the other.
She scoops up the five coins with a nod. "Thanks, Ishara. I couldn't help but overhear the woman who just left. What was that about the guards?"
Ishara shrugs. "Center district drama. It's probably just an excuse to come out and rough up some poor people. I highly doubt some world whatever just walked out of a burning building."
Alex nods. "Yeah, pretty crazy... Hey, I'm new to the city. Any recommendations on where to go for some work?"
Ishara thinks for a moment, glancing over Alex's head as if reading something.
"I mean, you have no class or levels, so delving the Node is out. You could maybe be a laborer. I assume you're waiting for some traveling condition to get a class, so maybe helping the guard or other taverns until you have the funds to finish meeting the specifications for your class?"
Alex absorbs this, watching Ishara's eyes.
Is she reading my class or lack of?
"Yeah, traveling requirement is what I was going for. Suppose to be a useful class."
Ishara just nods as though this is what she expected. "Guard might give you a hard time if the drama is real, but like I said, it's probably just to rough up poor people."
"Of course. Do you know a business locally that might pay me a bit so I can resume my training?"
Ishara shrugs. "If you're looking for a merchant class, Miria's Mercantile Coompany might hire you."
Alex just nods along. "Right, anywhere else?"
Ishara shrugs. "Most people have something that needs doing, but they might not have the coin to pay for it."
Alex thinks for a moment. "Thanks, Ishara. You need anything else?"
Ishara shakes her head, starting to wipe down the bar. "Nope, I won't have to do dishes for at least a day, so that was perfect."
Alex laughs as she gets up. While she had been talking, a few more people have filtered into the common room. She looks them over, seeing mostly tired faces.
Taking a deep breath, Alex regrets it almost instantly as she smells the mixture of body odor, wood smoke, and old fish. She heads upstairs for her bag.
Once upstairs, she collects her bag and stops for a minute, throwing the coins she has into the bag since she doesn’t have anywhere else to store them.
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Okay, this system seems like it's a core part of their society. Ishara could tell I didn't have a class; whatever that is. I guess I should figure out how to fix that.
As Alex finishes thinking that, a screen appears.
Available classes:
Laborer
Complete 4 hours of strenuous manual labor under the direction of another. Maintain a steady pace without collapsing. The backbone of any civilization. Laborers focus on physical endurance, the efficient use of simple tools, and the ability to work through exhaustion.
Field Medic
Stabilize a dying or injured person using only mundane (non-magical) supplies. Successfully move a casualty to a safe zone. Before there were healers, there were medics. This class focuses on triage, anatomy, and "battlefield" medicine. It emphasizes quick thinking and manual dexterity over divine favor.
Sapper
Use a tool to bypass a structural obstacle or create a path where none existed. Identify a structural weakness in a building. Part engineer, part demolitionist. Sappers understand how things are built; and more importantly, how they fall. This class offers perks for using axes, hammers, and levers to manipulate the environment.
Vagrant
Successfully evade notice by local authorities for 24 hours while in an urban environment. Secure a place to sleep without paying for it or owning it. Those who exist in the cracks of society. This class focuses on Stealth, Urban Navigation, and "Street Smarts."
"What the fuck is with these popups," Alex hisses before starting to read the screen.
Seriously, should I be insulted by these? I mean, only two of these use skills I actually have.
As she thinks about skills, another window appears, and she forces down more swearing.
General Skills
Axe Mastery Rank 10
Your strikes carry the weight of purpose, biting deeper into wood and bone alike.
Passive scaling: Increases physical damage and armor penetration with axe-type weapons by 5% per rank.
Class Skills
N/A
Unlocked Class Skills:
N/A
"Seriously? All the years of doing things, and this is the only skill you can see?" Alex grumbles under her breath, closing the skill window and looking at the classes again.
She picks up her bag, heading out of the tavern and back to the street, still talking to herself under her breath as she looks at the screens.
"What would my little brother do? He loves this kind of stuff. Fuck, what was he telling me about over Christmas; some rogue magic caster thing? Maybe I need to just look at what is going to help me right now."
Alex, lost in thought, doesn't notice the looks she gets from people going about their lives. Mothers pull their kids in as they pass, and beggars watch her walk down the dirt road. She doesn't even notice when a pickpocket tries to steal coins from her pocket and finds nothing, giving her a look of pity as she keeps walking.
She starts looking at other people trying to focus on what she can control. The roads are filling the dirt a sludge in some areas making her already heavy boots heavier.
Beggars sit with cups out in front of them hopelessness in their eyes.
Alex grits her teeth but keeps walking. The pack digging into her shoulders as she looks at run down houses sagging roofs and walls.
"Wait, what are other people's classes..."
Alex starts looking at people as she passes them, trying to figure out what their classes might be. She eventually stops, ducking into an alley to lean against a crate, watching people move up and down the road, trying to understand anything about them as they walk past.
Okay, maybe Mom is a class? Laborer is a class, so maybe there are a bunch of laborers or maids or beggars. Is it just based on what you do every day?
Alex stands musing, her eyes scanning the crowd. She catches the gaze of a woman walking past and offers a reflexive, confident smile. The woman blushes deeply, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she quickens her pace.
Damn it, Alex thinks, a smirk tugging at her mouth.
If this thing is based on vibes, I’m going to end up with a 'Hey Mama' or 'U-Haul Expert' class if I’m not careful.
Details start standing out as she focuses on the people walking past:
Tired people with calloused hands and shuffling feet.
Threadbare and worn Clothing.
The kids seem happy enough though skinny.
This city is depressing. These people are struggling every day, and yesterday, people just stood and watched a house burning down.
As she watches people moving past, a notification breaks her train of thought.
Investigation has reached Rank 1
Classes available.
As the notification comes into view she suddenly starts seeing information above people as she focuses.
Identified: Laborer
Condition: Adult
Level: ?
Identified: Begger
Condition: Adult
Level: 2
Identified: Merchant
Condition: Adult
Level: ?
Okay, I have to pick a class. I don't see any adults without a class, so that's making me stand out.
As she has this thought, the same screen displaying classes from earlier reappears.
"Okay, Alex, what would Rowan pick if he was staring at these? Your little brother seemed to know this shit..."
She looks over the options. Laborer? Please, she thinks, leaning back against the crate. If the system was accurate, it would just label me: Handy Woman who can fix your sink and look good in flannel. Vagrant is right out. And Field Medic... She winces. I've done my time riding in the box. I’m not spending this life doing paperwork and checking vitals. Sapper though...
Alex reads over the class again.
Sapper
Use a tool to bypass a structural obstacle or create a path where none existed. Identify a structural weakness in a building. Part engineer, part demolitionist. Sappers understand how things are built; and more importantly, how they fall. This class offers perks for using axes, hammers, and levers to manipulate the environment.
"This is basically just riding truck," she mutters, a smirk moving across her lips. "I can do this. No problem."
She selects Sapper, and a new string of notifications runs through the corner of her vision. She groans as she watches them.
Congratulations!
You have chosen the class: Sapper
You are now Level 1
+1 Strength
+1 Focus
+2 free points
New skills available.
Demolitions has reached Rank 1
Engineering has reached Rank 1
Hammer Mastery has reached Rank 1
I have to make more choices? Skills.
The window appears again.
General Skills
Axe Mastery Rank 10
Your strikes carry the weight of purpose, biting deeper into wood and bone alike.
Passive scaling: Increases physical damage and armor penetration with axe-type weapons by 5% per rank.
Hammer Mastery Rank 1
You understand the transfer of momentum.
Passive scaling: Increases physical damage and impact force with hammer-type weapons by 5% per rank.
Demolitions Rank 1
Why dismantle when you can destroy?
Passive scaling: Increases damage dealt to inanimate objects and fortified structures by 2% per rank.
Engineering Rank 1
Geometry, tension, and weight.
Passive scaling: Increases the efficiency and durability of makeshift repairs or structural reinforcements by 5% per rank.
Class Skills
N/A
Unlocked Class Skills:
Eyes Weakness Rank 1
Type: Passive
Enhances ability to see structural weaknesses
Effect: Structural weaknesses become more obvious within 30m.
Alex rolls her eyes. Why do I need a skill for that? She slots it in and looks around at the walls of the surrounding buildings. The details that stood out to her before are still there, but now they seem more apparent, like someone had marked them with a highlighter.
A sagging wall promising a rotting beam. The exact spot she would go through to enter a building.
"Actually, that would have been useful for probies."
Alex moves into the crowd, blending in until she makes it to a side street where beggars and vagrants line either side of the road. She approaches a woman huddled up against the wall and crouches down.
"Hey, there. Mind giving me some directions?"
"I guess"
"Great. Where is Miria's Mercantile Company is?"
The woman looks around a bit bleary. "Three streets that way."
Alex smiles nodding.
"Just one more question. You hear anything about the trouble with the guard?"
The woman shrugs. "Someone burned a building or somethin' and they are looking for who done it."
Alex just nods, standing up and heading to the mercantile.
Witch of the Cycle, my standalone (and first) novel set in this same world, right here on Royal Road!