LIGHTNOVELONLINE 2. Class Selection
Level up!
There was a flash of blinding white light; when it faded, he felt nothing. A conspicuous nothing. No throbbing in his head, no pain lancing up his leg. He felt oddly, impossibly... fine. Healed.
Blinking, he got to his feet. His sweatpants had been shredded to bloody fluttering strips, but his leg was whole underneath. He touched the flesh. It felt fine. How? He took a couple of steps, shook out his leg, bent the knee, kicked the air.
"Fuck..." He breathed. Not just healed. Fully healed. For nearly all of the past two years, there had been a dull ache in his knee, courtesy of his injury. It flared especially hot when he squatted. Now he bent down all the way, and savored that beautiful nothing.
It was such a little thing, but he was stunned. He hadn't known how that pain had affected him until he was without it. It was like every moment was at least 10% worse, and eventually he'd gotten used to it, stopped noticing it; it was like a constant debuff. For two whole years, he hadn't felt like himself, not really.
…’constant debuff?’ Really? This game stuff was getting to him.
Zane Walker
Class: N/A
Spirit Weapon: N/A
Titles: N/A
Laws: N/A
Essence Level 2
Stats:
Vitality: 1.7
Regeneration: 1.1
Strength: 1.5
Dexterity: 1.2
Speed: 1.4
Unused points: 0->1
Huh. So the level-up brought a stat screen. The stats he could understand. The others—Titles, Law, Spirit Tool, meant nothing to him.
And what was with ‘essence’ in front of level? He’d assumed the bright stuff that goblin gave him was like experience points. Was that essence?
He shook his head. He'd really started taking this seriously, hadn’t he? Then again, why not? Might as well have some fun with it, whatever it was, while it lasted. He was having a good time.
Level 2 reached. Class system unlocked. Please select your foundational class. All known classes in the universe evolve from the following five foundational classes.
Oh?
Class: Warrior [Common]
Warriors are paragons of strength and martial prowess. They make for formidable frontline fighters, capable of absorbing significant damage. Ideal for those who enjoy the thrill of battle and a blunt approach to combat. Common first evolutions: Knight, Berserker, Gladiator, Martial Artist.
Class: Mage [Common]
Masters of the arcane, Mages harness the energies of the universe for use in their spells. They specialize in elemental magic, mystic enchantments, and strategic combat, leveraging intellect and magical prowess. Ideal for those who prefer a tactical and versatile approach. Common first evolutions: Elementalist, Sorcerer, Enchanter.
Class: Priest [Common]
Priests channel divine powers, often focused on healing, protection, and support. They may also wield holy magic against foes. Ideal for those who wish primarily to support their allies, serving as healers and buffers. They fight through divine intervention. Common first evolutions: Paladin, Exorcist, Healer.
Class: Rogue [Common]
Rogues are symbols of cunning, agility, and stealth. They excel in evasion, sneak attacks, and exploiting weaknesses. Ideal for those who favor a stealthy approach, enjoying outwitting opponents and operating from the shadows. Common first evolutions: Assassin, Thief, Shadow-Dancer.
Class: Ranger [Common]
Rangers are experts in survival, tracking, and ranged combat, skilled in using their environments to their advantage. They work well in solo and party scenarios. Ideal for those who enjoy a blend of stealth, archery, exploration, and tactical combat. Common first evolutions: Beastmaster, Scout, Sniper.
Even the classes were RPG-like. He didn't have to think twice. He always chose the bruisers. Sometimes he liked playing mage too, but there was nothing quite like getting up close and personal with it. Of course, Warrior.
He made the thought form the intent, and the screen faded away. Was it that simple?
Class gained! Warrior [Common]
Level-up stat bonus: Vitality +0.3, Regeneration +0.1, Strength +0.3, Dexterity +0.2, Speed +0.1
Skill learned!
Weapons Mastery I (Active) [Common]
Proficiency in melee weapons.
Skill learned!
Unarmed Striking I (Passive) [Common]
Proficiency in unarmed striking.
Skill learned!
Unarmed Grappling (Passive) [Common] I -> II
Proficiency in unarmed grappling.
Apparently so.
Mini-map unlocked!
In the top left corner of his vision, a tiny translucent map popped up. He found he could blink it away and summon it again at will. The title read, ‘Luminous Forest (F),’ and it was split into three regions—the ‘Emerald Woods,’ the ‘Crystalback Highlands,’ and the ‘Grove of Whispers.’
It was simply drawn, dashed with bare lines to mark out basic topography and boundaries. The white dot was him, he assumed—he was in the ‘Emerald Woods.’
Weren’t there three bosses? He frowned. What were they, again? He tried remembering, and the box popped back up—
1. Slay the Hobgoblin Chief
2. Slay the Crystalback Behemoth
3. Slay the Keeper of the Grove
Right—he thought the regions sounded familiar. The ‘Crystalback Behemoth,’ whatever it was, had to be in the ‘Crystalback Highlands.’ The ‘Keeper of the Grove,’ was in the ‘Grove of Whispers.’ Which probably left the ‘Hobgoblin Chief’ where Zane was. He’d just fought a goblin. Made sense.
It seemed he could only make out red dots within a certain radius of him, since the rest of the map was blank. They were moving. RPG logic said they were monsters. But there were yellow dots too, stationary, and those he was less sure of—save areas? Traps? Treasure boxes? He was guessing; he’d have to check them out. That, and all the skills he’d just been thrown.
First, though, he still had one free point from that level up. Again, the choice was pretty easy for him; he willed it into strength.
He didn't feel much stronger afterward either; other than a mild tingling, he didn't feel much of anything. On a whim he walked over to the nearest tree, cocked back a fist, and rammed it with a right hook.
His fist went a foot into the bark, and the whole tree wobbled, dirt rucking up at its roots. Pale, crystal blue fruit fell like giant raindrops, splattering against the ground, hissing as if there was acid in them. Zane looked at his fists in consternation. The knuckles were scraped bloody raw.
Either the trees here were made of tissue paper, or...
“Holy shit,” he breathed.
***
He wasn't sure when the transition had happened, but he was in. Whatever this was, he went along with it. Some part of him believed.
He set off deeper into the forest at a brisk pace, feeling pumped. By this time of day, he should have been so sleep-deprived he was barely functional, but he felt fresh, like he'd just woken up. His mind knew the fight was over, but his body was still running hot; he was fiending to get his hands on something, to play with his new toys.
On the way, he saw a white-furred mother monkey swinging from branch to branch, cradling a little one. It trailed a light mist as it went.
Frostmonkey (Creature)
Essence Level 2
It didn’t show up on his map.
They blinked at each other; it looked slightly spooked, like it thought Zane might come for it. He supposed he gave off that impression—he had strong features, and at rest, his expression was so flat his gaze was more intense than he meant.
“Go on. Shoo,” sighed Zane. It went.
He was no bully. He needed a worthy foe, a foe that deserved it. Another of those goblins, maybe, or some other monster. The system had said they were soul-less killing machines, or something, right? At the thought—
Warning! Monsters are corrupted beings, lacking souls. They are highly malevolent. For the safety of its subjects, the Imperium recommends their immediate extermination.
Right. His goblin run-in backed it up well enough. Sure, he’d play pest control.
He made for the nearest red dots—there were two of them.
He took in the Forest as he went. Little stone statues of what seemed like gnomes and gargoyles, fuzzed with moss, draped with vines, dotted the land. Their hollow eyes seemed to follow him as he went. He saw butterflies flitting about with wings like tiny mirrors, and vines sneaking around trees that seemed to whisper at him as he passed in some secret language.
The red dots were heading his way, so he crept around to get a closer look. Through a weave of vines and wood, he saw them—the backs of bobbing green heads. He crept closer, and the rest of them came into view.
Goblin (Monster)
Essence Level 2
Goblin (Monster)
Essence Level 2
He thought about sneaking up on them, taking them from behind, unawares. But where was the fun in that? He wanted a good fight—he wanted to see the whites of their eyes, to feel his heart beating so hard it might burst out of his chest. He wanted to feel alive.
So he dashed straight for them.
They whirled almost instantly. Yellow eyes widened. Then they let out shrill, spittle-flecked screeches, and their spears flashed up to greet him.
He ducked.
Then he ripped one of them to the belly, felt the satisfying squelch of knuckles digging deep into flesh, heard its strangled choke. Then the other one tried bringing its spear around to jab at him, but he got in too close. He tackled it, and they went tumbling over, clawing at each other. He ended up on top. Before it could get up, he rammed an elbow up its nose, heard it crunch. There was an awesome force in his hands, in his arms—it felt like he was dropping hammer blows. He slammed another, and another –
His back erupted in pain. He whirled and saw the other goblin circling. The tip of its spear was coated red.
He was starting to smile.
He picked up the fallen goblin's spear. It fit snug in the palm of his hand, and he tossed it from one hand to another; somehow, he knew just where to grip it to keep it balanced. Armed Combat I, eh?
The goblin launched itself at him. Its spear shot for his throat. But he had the same idea, and his arms were longer.
For a few moments, it gurgled, thrashing; then it went limp. Its body dissolved in a rush of white light, and its essence was released.
Zane turned back to the goblin on the ground. It was groaning, trying to scramble to its feet but couldn't see through all the blood leaking into its eyes. He put it out of its misery.
Level-up!
Essence Level 2 -> 3
A flash, and the pain in his back vanished.
His whole body tingled warm, and when he hopped around, he could feel a little extra spring in his step. At this level, it felt like he had a new body every single boost.
It wasn't enough.
He'd won, but he’d barely gotten warm. Coach was always on him about this. Zane cared less about winning than having a good fight. Winning was nice. But to Zane, a good fight was a different way of being alive. Those little moments, those beautiful moments when he was locked in a cage, and pouring out his soul and blood and sweat, pouring out all he had, win or lose—it made real life feel like sleepwalking.
In high school, he'd read a quote that’d stuck with him ever since. It was his favorite quote, from a famous tightrope walker—"Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting."
He was done waiting.
Even now, he could feel himself cooling, could feel the light leaking out of his world. No, no, he needed a hit of the stronger stuff. There was another dot nearby—a couple of hundred feet out, by the looks of it.
When he got there, he saw this one was no goblin.
It was much bigger, laden with cords of muscle like goblins gone through puberty. Its spear was a grown man's spear. It was at the bottom of a hill, half-hidden in the foliage—it hadn't seen him. But he could make it out just fine.
Hobgoblin (Monster)
Essence Level 5
Five? That gave him a bit of pause. If leveling worked for them like it worked for him, that thing could be a lot stronger than him. He probably shouldn't do this. He should probably run.
One problem. If it was level ten, he would’ve run. Maybe even eight.
He didn’t have a death wish—it was no fun getting mauled. But five was close enough he could just about convince himself he could bridge it. And if he couldn’t—well, he’d have fun on the way down, wouldn’t he?
Why was he so damned excited? He was shaking. It's been so long since he'd had a proper fight—then that goblin had given him a taste of it—it woke a hunger in him; he needed more.
…Jesus. He sounded like an addict relapsing.
It did kind of fit him, didn't it? After his knee gave out and he couldn't fight anymore, that huge depression…were those withdrawal symptoms?
Had he been addicted? It sounded kind of absurd.
He stopped thinking about it. Fuck it. Just this once. If it fucked him up, he'd be good and stick to Monsters his level. Just this once, then he'd stop, he swore it—
He blinked. He just had a startling realization about himself. “…Damn.”
Then, shrugging—“Eh.”
He put his unused level-up point into strength. He had a feeling he was about to need it.
Then, grinning, he charged.