A blue box instantly appeared.

You have reached Tier 0, Level 0! Select a class to proceed to Tier 1, Level 1!

Classes available:

Uncommon Classes:

Battle Trucker (++)

Malediction Bard

Shotgun Slayer

Common Classes:

Gunsmith

Huntress

Mechanic

Riflewoman

Trucker

...

“Hey Babu,” Jill said, looking away from the blue box. “Uncommon classes are better than Common right?” That was what her System granted knowledge from earlier was telling her, but she wanted to check. He had studied this a lot more than she had after all, even if it had only been a few hours since integration.

“Yeah, if you get one that does what you want. They give better stat gains at least, but I don’t know about Class Powers. Hey, tell me what you get, ok? I’m going to put a database together.”

If she was being honest with herself she already knew which Class she’d be taking, but she decided to look at Malediction Bard anyways, just in case.

Malediction Bard (Uncommon)

The art of self expression can be a beautiful thing. Or, in your case, very much not. Your invectives have gained a supernatural power to harm and intimidate your foes. Perhaps you study the ancient blasphemies of the Lower Realms, or you simply delight in loudly breaking taboos, but your searing words spare no one. Your Class Powers improve your spellcasting, your performances, and your ability to insult others.

Requirements:

Have an extensive knowledge of and frequently use obscenities.

Use the power of your obscenities to help defeat an enemy above your Tier.

Body per level: 1

Mind per level: 2

Spirit per level: 3

“No fucking way!” Jill said. “You’ve got to see this.” She almost commanded the System out loud again, but caught herself. ‘System’ she thought ‘send this Class to Babu and Ras.’

There was a moment of silence. “It’s official,” Ras said, eyes forward and hands in the ten and two position. “As dictated by the System, you swear way too much.”

“Or just enough,” Jill cackled.

“‘Defeat an enemy above your Tier’,” Babu quoted. “Aw schnookers, we should have waited before picking our Classes shouldn’t we have?”

“If we had we’d be dead,” Ras said. “Lemming swarm.”

“Jill survived.”

“I had a shotgun,” Jill said, “and the first monster that jumped me was a fire breathing wolf the size of a horse that I only killed because this metal lady” she thumped the wall “weighs forty tons.”

“Ok,” Babu admitted, “maybe we would have been in trouble. But, shit you’d have gotten an Uncommon class and I might have not needed to spend my Perk Point! We missed a lot of optimization.”

“Lemming. Swarm.”

Jill interrupted yet another fight before it could begin. “Hey Babu, I’m sending you over all my Commons and Basics. I’m not going to bother looking at them.” She gave the command to the System, including sending over Battle Trucker and Shotgun Slayer, then opened up the obvious choice to read for herself.

Battle Trucker (Uncommon ++)

Most cargo drivers never see combat; you relish it. Perhaps you are a member of a military logistics battalion with a heroic streak, or a star trader chasing pirates, but you pilot your cargo vehicle bravely into the fray against overwhelming enemies. Your Class Powers improve vehicles you drive, your business dealings, and your combat power.

Requirements:

Extensively pilot a vehicle whose primary focus is transporting goods or personel.

Defeat an enemy above your Tier while piloting a cargo vehicle.

(+) Enhancement Requirement: Fulfil base requirements 10 times over.

Bonus to Class Power effectiveness.

(+) Enhancement Requirement: Have a Soulbound cargo vehicle.

Bonus to Spirit points gained per level.

Class Powers which boost vehicles are restricted to Soulbound vehicle and modified.

Bonus to Class Powers which boost Soulbound vehicle.

Body per level: 2

Mind per level: 2

Spirit per level: 2+1

“Well, yeah, that's obviously me. Has bonuses too,” Jill said. “I’m going to pick Battle Trucker.”

“Wait! Just wait a second!” Babu said. “You could totally change who you are! You have options for almost anything here. You could be a crafter, or a caster, or Doomguy with a shotgun!”

Jill raised an eyebrow at the man. “Why would I want to change who I am? Something wrong with hauling freight?”

“N-No, but - I just,” he said. “I just thought you’d want to give it more thought.”

“Sure.” She paused for half a second. “Thinking done. Time for magic trucker powers.”

Class Upgraded to Battle Trucker!

You are now Level 1!

Applying deferred experience.

You are now Level 5!

Heat rushed through Jill’s body, filling every inch of her from head to toe. Her muscles grew firmer, her back pain disappeared, all the aches that a woman in her late thirties in a hard job had collected gone in an instant. Her senses sharpened and an awareness of the world around her exploded into her mind, but rather than be overwhelmed she simply absorbed it all without trouble. The slight heavy feeling in the air that she’d been noticing all night she suddenly understood to be the presence of Mana. It swirled and flowed and pressed against her as if she were underwater in a current, but at the same time it didn’t, because that was but a poor metaphor of a much greater truth that her still nascent soul couldn’t comprehend. In the center of that flow was a channel connecting her to Bertha, who in her soul’s eye was a part of her, but at the same time not. An object, but also a Soul.

“That is fucking trippy as shit,” Jill said. “So much better than LSD, and I feel wicked awesome instead of just hungry. Was it the same for you?”

“Not for me,” Ras said. “But I only gain 1 in Mind and Spirit each level dont’cha know, so it was more like instant workout gains. Babu got weird.”

Surprisingly this didn’t start an argument. “Yup,” Babu said. “4 Spirit per level for me is a rush!”

Jill decided to check her status and see exactly what she’d gained.

Jill MacLeod

HP: 170/170

Class: Battle Trucker

Tier: 1

MP: 240/240

XP: 12892/15000

Level: 5

Body: 17

Mind: 14

Spirit: 24

Conditions: None

Class Powers: None

5 points available to assign.

(+) Bonus to Class Power effectiveness.

(+) Bonus to Class Powers which boost Soulbound vehicle.

“Heh,” she said, eyes flickering back and forth as she read her status. “Lightweights. Try 5 levels all at one-”

Jill was interrupted by a loud crash and a jolt, followed by the distinct feeling of something large passing under the wheels. “What the fuck, Ras?” She said, closing her status. “I told you not to hit shit!”

“It was a monster smaller than an elephant,” Ras said. A few crinkling pops sounded from the front bumper and hood as they repaired themselves, the mana consumption gauge creeping up.

Fear Deer defeated.

Your contribution: 10%

50 Experience Gained!

“I guess it was,” Jill said. She grinned. “Nice kill, I hate those fucking things.”

Babu tilted his head. “You got a notice about it? What were the numbers?”

Jill told him. “I used to get bonuses, I think? None here though.”

“Huh. Ras, how about you?”

“Ninety percent, plus a point 3 boost from the level difference. Five hundred eighty five.”

Babu nodded in excitement. “Cool cool cool!” He said, tapping his fingers together rapidly. He started muttering to himself under his breath, phrases like ‘optimal grinding strategy’, ‘aggro tank’, and ‘buff the striker while kiting?’ escaping from his mouth in irregular intervals.

Even with her now exceptional Mind Jill couldn’t understand what he was saying. “What's he talking about?” She asked Ras.

He shrugged. “He’s trying to figure the whole thing out, treating it like one of his games. It's a coping mechanism to divorce himself from reality instead of accepting what's really going on.”

Jill glanced back, expecting Babu to explode at Ras again, but the Enchanter was so wrapped up in his thinking that he didn’t seem to have heard. “Little harsh there?” She asked Ras.

He shrugged again. “Am I wrong?”

Jill didn’t answer. She was self aware enough to know that she was doing something similar, stubbornly refusing to think about whether her family and friends were doing alright or if they’d been killed. But If Babu’s theorizing was akin to her focus on acting, on pushing forward to the next step on her journey back home, well, was that really so wrong? Figuring out how to game the System could help them all survive.

She shook her head. Enough with the introspection. Time to open up her Class Powers and see how they would help.