“Did your scroll give you an upgrade to your class selection?” Morgan asked Issa after he’d waved the notification away.

“It did! I’m only level eight, but I’m very excited. All the fighting we’ve done and challenges we’ve overcome, plus this upgrade reward? I should have some interesting selection options! At least a lot more than most of my people who just level up to ten by hunting or training with masters.” Issa was practically hopping with enthusiasm. “What about you? You must be ten by now! What options do you have?”

“I’ll check it out in a minute,” Morgan said. “Let’s make sure we aren’t going to get attacked again anytime soon, first.” They were about a quarter of a mile from the unexplored end of the cavern, and Morgan wanted to check it out before he settled in to go over his status sheet and notifications. Issa agreed that it was a smart idea, and they continued up the cobbled road and its gradual rise to the second set of wide, smooth, stone steps. When they got to the base of the steps, the incline made it hard to see the cavern exit, but Morgan could just see the top of it and confirm that the portcullis that had appeared during the ambush was gone. “I don’t remember hearing that portcullis open, did you?”

“No, but there was a lot of noise with the mother salamander exploding into a fountain of lava,” Issa said with that unique growling, purr of a giggle that she made when she thought she said something funny.

Morgan laughed. “Good point!”

They hiked up the steps, frequently looking behind them at the enormous cavern but never seeing any other movement than the sluggish flow of the lava river and the bubbling pops of steaming gasses. When they got to the top of the steps, the cavern opening was clear, and they could see another smaller cavern with a spiral staircase situated at its back. These stairs were carved in stone and ascended into an opening in the rocky ceiling. Morgan looked around and listened to the silence, only occasionally hearing a distant hissing sound as a magma bubble burst in the river. “This looks like a good spot to rest and take stock of things.” Issa nodded, sitting down and taking her usual meditation pose. She closed her eyes, and Morgan knew she was going over her attributes and using her cultivation technique to work on her Core. He knew he had to be close to finishing his quest to help her survive for a week, and he’d hopefully gain some sort of cultivation method to practice as well. He thought about it, and the System UI showed it to him again:

***Quest: Don’t let Issa die within 1 week (6/7). Reward: Energy Core Cultivation Manual (Improved), Improved Relations with Ardeni faction. Penalty for failure: Diminished Will efficacy - permanent.***

Morgan smiled, dismissed the quest page, and called up his status sheet:

Status

Name:

Morgan Hall

Race:

Human - Base 2

Class:

—

Level:

10

Core:

Vortex Class - Base 1

Energy Affinity:

9.2

Energy:

240/240

Strength:

10

Vitality:

15 (17)

Dexterity:

8

Agility:

13

Intelligence:

20

Will:

10

Points Available:

20

Titles & Feats:

Human Champion

Skills:

System Language Integration - Not Upgradeable, Spear Mastery - Basic, Dagger Mastery - Basic, Stealthy Maneuvers - Basic, Backstab - Basic, Energy Drain - Basic

All right, time to see what he’d been working for over the last nightmarish week. He thought about Class selection, and a UI window with an arrow to page forward appeared, filled with information:

***Level 10 Class selection. Class selection is permanent. Human Energy cultivators will next be offered a Class refinement selection at level 20. To view your options and make your selection, use the arrows to page through this interface.***

That seemed straightforward enough - he’d be sort of stuck with whatever decision he made but could refine his class in a certain direction at level 20. Morgan wondered if there would be more ‘refinement’ opportunities at even higher levels. He tapped the arrow, and the screen changed:

***Class selection option 1: Scout - Basic. You use stealth and wit to maneuver through dangerous areas, able to spot danger and overcome challenging obstacles. Class attributes: Agility and Intelligence.***

Morgan read the first selection and felt a little underwhelmed. On the one hand, he could see why the System was offering it to him; he’d been ‘scouting’ from the moment he arrived in this world. On the other hand, it seemed pretty plain. He hit the arrow to move to the next screen:

***Class selection option 2: Fighter - Basic. You use physical prowess to best your foes with remarkable feats of combat skill. Master weapons and your body to become a force that can change the tide of a battle. Class attributes: Strength, Agility, and Vitality.***

He had to admit, “changing the tide of a battle” sounded great, but Morgan wasn’t sure he liked pigeonholing himself into the role of something as mundane sounding as “Fighter.” Maybe he was being shallow, though. Still, the arrow indicated more options, so he touched it again:

***Class selection option 3: Spearmaster - Improved. Unparalleled grace with the spear is your hallmark; using the reach and versatility of the spear, you control the pace and tempo of the battle while perfecting your movements and strikes to deliver devastating strikes. Class attributes: Agility, Strength, and Dexterity.***

Morgan noticed a couple of things about this option. It was the first that was classified as improved and, though it had the same class attributes as Fighter, it had them in a different order. Did that mean that these classes awarded differing values of their class attributes? He still had an arrow, indicating at least one more option, but he wanted to understand this better before he kept looking. “Hey, Issa, sorry to interrupt you, but can you answer a couple of questions?”

“I can try, but I’ve never picked a class,” she smiled. “My instructors gave me some tips, though.”

“One of my options, so far, is ‘improved’ and the others are ‘basic.’ What’s the difference?”

“Oh, nice, an improved Class at level 10 isn’t very common. The System curates classes for people based on many factors, and most people think that the different rarity of the classes has to do with meeting certain, unknown prerequisites. At least, they’re unknown to us. I’m sure that on worlds with more experience with Energy and the System, there are factions that know what they need to do to be offered certain classes. Like, even my people know exactly how to get offered the Hunter class. Anyway, your improved Class probably has higher prerequisites than the Basic ones. I’ve heard that more highly ranked Classes offer you more skills and attributes, or maybe just better skills, but I’ve also heard that they are slower to advance.”

“And what about the ‘class attributes’? Does that have something to do with where I should put my points?”

“Not exactly. When you have a Class and gain a level, you might not get any, or as many, free attribute points to distribute. Your Class will determine where and how many points you get per level. Like how, every level, Hunters get three points of agility, one point in Intelligence, one point in Vitality, and two points in Dexterity.” Morgan nodded. “Oh, one more thing: you know how you have some skills, and they say that they are ‘basic’?”

“Yeah, like my Backstab skill.”

“Right, well, skills can only move past basic if you have a Class that supports them and the Class is higher than basic.”

“So, if I wanted to get better at Backstab, I’d need a Class that supports the skill, and it would need to be higher than basic?”

“Right, but keep in mind that even if you pick a basic Class now, you can refine it at level 20, and it will almost certainly become an improved class. You’ll also get chances to refine your class at higher level thresholds as well.”

“Huh, complicated. Alright, thanks,” Morgan muttered, thinking. He reached up and pushed the arrow:

***Class selection option 4: Assassin - Improved. You use stealth and deadly combat abilities to end fights before they can begin. Class attributes: Agility, Intelligence, and Dexterity.***

Speak of the devil, Morgan thought. He was pretty sure this was the class to choose if he wanted to keep working on his Backstab. He liked the class description, but he didn’t know how he felt about himself being an “Assassin” - something about it seemed out of character for him. Though he had to admit, he had made a habit of using his Backstab skill on a fairly regular basis. The arrow was still there, so he touched it:

***Class selection option 5: Vortex Mage - Advanced. You work on perfecting and cultivating your Vortex Core to develop understanding and control over Energy and Space. Class attributes: Intelligence, Will, and Vitality.***

Morgan couldn’t help thinking that this Class choice seemed tailored to him. The System must have offered it because of his Vortex Core. When he read the description, his interest in the earlier options waned, and he almost selected it, but then he noticed that the arrow indicating another screen was still present. He touched the arrow:

***Class selection option 6: Hollow Guard- Advanced. Protecting those weaker than you comes as second nature. You use your unique abilities to siphon the Energy of your foes while dominating them with your superior martial prowess. Class attributes: Strength, Will, Vitality, Intelligence, and Agility.***

Morgan’s mind raced with the possibilities he imagined after reading that description. The lack of an arrow indicated this was his final choice, making his decision a lot more difficult. He’d been sure that the Vortex Mage Class was the one for him, but now he was torn. Hollow Guard sounded very powerful, as well, and it seemed to award a lot more attribute points. He didn’t know that, though - Just because it listed more class attributes didn’t mean it awarded more points overall. What if Vortex Mage gave twice as many points for its three attributes as Hollow Guard gave for its five. “Um, Issa, I need some advice.”

“Oh? You must have some good choices, don’t you? How exciting! That reward we just got must have really helped! I can’t wait for my choices!” Issa blushed when she realized she was babbling, “Well, tell me about it!”

“Well, the System gave me two Advanced options, on top of the other ones, and they both seem great.”

“What?” Issa jumped up, “Two Advanced Classes!” She walked around in a little circle, then plopped down in front of Morgan, smiling hugely. “This is great, Morgan! Only one person in my village has an Advanced Class, and she didn’t get it until she completed her second refinement! Well, tell me about the options!”

“Well, they both seem to be pretty tailored to me. There’s a Vortex Mage that focuses on utilizing my Vortex Core to ‘understand and control Energy and Space.’ Then there’s the Hollow Guard, which says I can use my ‘unique abilities to siphon Energy from my foes while dominating them with martial prowess,’ but that’s not what really excites me about it. It also says that protecting those weaker than me comes naturally.”

“What are their Class attributes?” Issa asked, and Morgan told her. “Hmm, well, that is a tough choice.”

“That's all you got for me?” Morgan laughed.

“No, no, hah, give me a chance. So, think about the names of the two Classes. One is a ‘mage’ type, and one is a ‘guard’ type. I’m pretty sure if you want to keep getting better with weapons, like that lovely spear, you will want to choose the ‘guard’ type Class. On the other hand, if you want to learn a lot more spells, the ‘mage’ type is the way to go. Not that the Hollow Guard Class won’t come with interesting skills and spells, but I just know from the few ‘mage’ type cultivators in my village that they have a larger repertoire of spells than the Hunters and Soldiers, for instance.”

“That’s interesting,” Morgan said, “but it doesn’t mean I won’t still be able to use my spear, right? I just won’t be able to take my skill past basic.”

“That’s right, but it won’t be your focus. There’s no way your basic spear skill will ever hold up against a weapon user with improved, advanced, or even higher skill.”

“There’s higher than advanced?”

“Oh yes, if the rumors or legends are true. I’ve never met anyone like that, but the universe is a big place.”

“Damn, tough choice,” Morgan said, standing up and pacing around. What finally clinched it for him was the line about protecting others. He liked that idea. He liked it for lots of reasons, but the main one was that he’d always wished he’d been able to protect his sister when she got killed. Thinking about it, he realized it had become a part of his personality. He hadn’t hesitated to accept the quest to help Issa, and he hadn’t wanted to leave those people in the pit. It was the kind of person he was, and it might not always be wise, but he wanted to be that kind of person, regardless. Mind made up, he called up the Class selection menu again and scrolled to the Hollow Guard page, tapping on the “accept” button.

***Congratulations! You’ve gained your first Class: Hollow Guard. Class skill gained: Energy Drain - Improved. Class skill gained: Guard Ally***

***Congratulations! World-first Hollow Guard! Feat awarded.***

Morgan laughed and shouted, “Yes!” Issa looked at him quizzically, and he explained, “I guess I’m the first Hollow Guard on this world.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me! I have never heard of your kind of Core, let alone a Hollow Guard.” Morgan smiled and pulled up the information for his new skills:

***Energy Drain - Improved: Prerequisite: Vortex Class Core. You expend some Energy to forcefully pull the Energy from a foe you or your weapon is in physical contact with, using that Energy to restore your health and vitality. Energy cost: 75, Cooldown: Medium.***

***Guard Ally - Basic: You expend some Energy to create a barrier around a nearby ally for up to five minutes, transferring damage they take to yourself at a ratio of 2:1. Energy cost: 100, Cooldown: Long.***

Morgan was happy with those new skills. His Energy Drain skill had gone up in cost, but now he could use his weapon to initiate the drain, and he could do it more often. Guard Ally seemed great, also; he’d be able to protect Issa or anyone else and only receive half the damage they would have taken. Thinking about taking damage for someone else made Morgan realize he hadn’t been focusing on his vitality enough. He also needed more Energy to use his skills, and with that in mind, he took another look at his stats.

Status

Name:

Morgan Hall

Race:

Human - Base 2

Class:

Hollow Guard - Advanced

Level:

10

Core:

Vortex Class - Base 1

Energy Affinity:

9.2

Energy:

240/240

Strength:

10

Vitality:

15 (17)

Dexterity:

8

Agility:

13

Intelligence:

20

Will:

10

Points Available:

20

Titles & Feats:

Human Champion, First Hollow Guard

Skills:

System Language Integration - Not Upgradeable, Spear Mastery - Basic, Dagger Mastery - Basic, Stealthy Maneuvers - Basic, Backstab - Basic, Energy Drain - Improved, Guard Ally - Basic

Seeing his new feat listed, he pulled up his Titles & Feats page to see what it did:

***Human Champion: Transient title. Energy efficacy enhanced 1.5x. More frequent access to System generated Opportunities for Refinement.***

***First Hollow Guard: Feat granted: Guardian’s Senses - concentrate on an ally or ward to have an innate understanding of their direction and distance from you, so long as they are on the same world.***

Morgan could imagine endless possibilities for that ability to come in use, and, though he doubted the benevolence of the System, he once again silently celebrated being the first to get this Class. Looking over his stats, he decided to put three points into intelligence, five points into vitality, five points into will, two points into agility, and five points into strength. Feeling the almost imperceptible sensation of wellness flow through his body, he took a look at his new status:

Status

Name:

Morgan Hall

Race:

Human - Base 2

Class:

Hollow Guard - Advanced

Level:

10

Core:

Vortex Class - Base 1

Energy Affinity:

9.2

Energy:

240/299

Strength:

15

Vitality:

20 (22)

Dexterity:

8

Agility:

15

Intelligence:

23

Will:

15

Points Available:

0

Titles & Feats:

Human Champion, First Hollow Guard

Skills:

System Language Integration - Not Upgradeable, Spear Mastery - Basic, Dagger Mastery - Basic, Stealthy Maneuvers - Basic, Backstab - Basic, Energy Drain - Improved, Guard Ally - Basic

He felt a real sense of progress and was glad to see that his maximum Energy had improved when he increased his intelligence and will. “Well, do I look different?” Morgan laughed, striking a combat pose in front of Issa.

“Yes! You look like that big lizard hit you in the head one too many times!” Issa laughed, throwing a hunk of dry bread at him. “Let’s take a rest before we see what’s up those stairs.”