Pray tell, child. The terrifyingly powerful being, who'd indentified itself as Volos, began.

The...thing called itself the God of Bears, and I didn't know what any of those words meant when put together. What was a god and why was it a god of bears? I was a bear and so was the mother and its cub, who seemed to follow us as we walked. This...thing was not a bear. It almost felt and smelled like one, but its presence was unlike any I've felt before. Still, it wasn't hostile and I felt a strange calmness around it for some odd reason and so I stayed my claws - not that they'd do me much good in a fight with this thing.

With all your gifts and powers - just what do you intend to do with them?

I paused immediately, the question taking me off-guard. Now that it was suddenly brought to my attention, I would have to admit that I didn't think that far ahead - really. Aside from eating and sleeping in my den, I haven't really thought much about what I'd actually do with my powers, aside from using them to make my life better and easier. Thinking back, all of that seemed oddly...hollow. I could do more, right? I was a beast for nearly all the years of my life; now, I was so much more than a simple, dumb animal, whose only instinct was to eat and breed.

I was more - and I could do so much more.

I do not know...I answered honestly. I...desire to do more, I suppose. The simplistic, bestial life of hunting, eating, mating, and sleeping seems all so...dull and hollow.

Ambition...Volos seemed genuinely surprised, but also apprehensive. You are the first of my children to have ever had such a thing, Ursus. Ambition is a trait reserved for men and gods, and now you have breached into their realm, my child.

What do you mean? I asked, flicking away a random piece of rock that just happened to be in the way. If this kept up, I might just stop trying to chase prey altogther since I could probably just pull them towards me and all I'd have to do is chomp down. Still, I'd really like to explore Nuokinesis and Cosmokinesis and their uses in....my life.

I sense no mana in you, no qi either. Volos gestured towards him with its human forearms. What you have is something else altogether, an amalgamation of both. Such a thing should've been impossible if not for the Eye of the Watchers - an artifact from the age of heroes that you just so happened to have digested not so long ago.

I couldn't recall any such artifact - not that I even knew what an 'artifact' was. But I did recall the first sweetness that came to me as I ate that wandering, wounded human and everything else it had on its person. That had been the first time I felt the warmth that came with the sweetness. I suppose, it was likely because of that strange meal that my I evolved into something else entirely - something more.

With the power of the Eye, your potential is practically limitless. Volos continued, bending down to ruffle the cub, who'd begun to climb up his leg. Given time, you will become something even more than what you are now. And yet...there is much for you to learn.

We continued walking onwards for a time, wandering around in circles near my den. We never strayed too far, and it was a rather pleasant thing to do - walking with no real direction. Do you know what classes are, my child?

Classes...the word was alien to me, but I was curious all the same. No, what are they?

Think of it as a focus for your powers. Volos answered. Right now, your powers are growing, but they are wild and untamed - spreading outwards at random, instead of growing at a steady, forward direction. With classes, your powers will grow faster and you will even unlock new powers as you ascend your chosen class, though you'll be more specialized.

More power was always welcome, I suppose. Though, from what I understand of Volos' explanation, these "classes" would channel my growing power into something specific, which also meant it'd be a narrow and rigid sort of growth. But that was probably better than simply growing at random, walking through pitch darkness and hoping I'd end up somewhere I want to be in. A class would allow me to hone my powers, to help me control it better, which - in itself - meant having more power. And more power was always a good thing. How do I choose a class?

And that's the challenge - having lived as a beast for nearly all your life, you would have no knowledge as to how it'd work. But then Volos had a thoughtful look flash across his features. Then again, perhaps you don't need that knowledge. You are a predator, are you not? You are a hunter of beasts and men alike. That, in itself, is the class best suited to you.

Huh? Sure, I was - and am - an apex predator. There were very few creatures that could stand against me, before, and there were even fewer now. But, how does that translate to more power? I'd been a hunter for most of my existence - I did forage sometimes, but meat was far more nourishing than berries and honey, and far more exciting. The rush of stalking prey for hours, carefully walking between the trees, keeping myself out of sight, and bursting out of the woods at the last possible second to rip my prey apart; all of that was so much better than merely searching for nuts, berries, and the occassional carcass.

But I am, and always will be a hunter; how was that supposed to funnel the growth of my powers?

Something stirred deep inside me, and a strange clicking noise echoed through my head.

Class Unlocked: Rogue

Critical Hit chance +25%

Critical Hit Modifier +100%

New Perk Unlocked: Unseen Predator

What?

What the heck is a rogue?

What the heck were all the other things?

Volos seemed to do something with its mouth as it curved upwards slightly from the sides. How strange; I figured that, given your size and strength, you'd be in the warrior class. But, I suppose, it is you, who has decided upon this, yes? The Rogue class will serve you well, my child.

At that point I had absolutely no idea what he was even talking about.

What do you want?

Volos whistled, the shrill sound echoing and reverberating across the woods. It had a certain power to it, a presence that belied this being's true power. It seemed harmless for now; its presence was that of a friend or a parent - caring and calming. But something within me screamed caution. This thing, whatever it was, was most definitely a bear - though the human form was confusing - but most definitely something else as well, which, in that regard, we weren't so different. Volos, it called itself, the God of Bears; is there really such a thing?

Volos' whistling became a chuckle. I want you to do more with your power, Ursus. I want you to venture out of this wilderness and leave your mark upon the world. Whether purposely or no, you have become my avatar - a truly sapient bear, one, who has conquered his bestial urges to become something more.

I want you to be more. Volos gestured towards me with human tiny human forearms. The world is far bigger than the woodlands that you call home. And I know for a fact that your heart burns for more, child of mine.

I looked out and only then did I notice that we had stopped at the peak of a hill that overlooked much of the verdant woodlands. The trees seemed to stretch endlessly and beyond them lay tall mountains that touched the clouds. The world was far bigger than this? Something resonated within me, a strange calling that came as my eyes settled upon the distant horizon. There was so much more to all of this - so much more to see. I was no longer content with just hunting and eating till the sun dips under the mountains and the darkness rolls in. I wanted more.

I needed more.

The cub and its mother rested on a patch of wet grass behind us, utterly oblivious to what was going on. Why were they here, again?

You're right...my heart does yearn for more than this. I agreed and turned towards the supposed God of Bears. And yet I do not know where or how I'm to begin. There is so much I'm yet to understand...so much.

Volos smiled and gestured forth - to the distance. Then learn all of it, my child. Go forth and learn everything for yourself. Go forth until you pass the Grey Mountains and its myriad of horrors. I shall return to you once you've passed its peaks. Do not turn back; there is nothing for you here, not anymore. Use your powers and grow stronger; the waking world will not take kindly to one of my children and it is up to you to defend yourself, Ursus.

"Go forth and claim your destiny, my avatar."

"There was no sign of him anymore, lord-magos." Prince-magos Tevan reported, speaking into an Orb of Tones. On the other side was lord-magos Alfaer. Well, with the Arch-magos gone, Alfaer wouldn't be lord-magos for long; there were only a handful of Mages, who qualified for the office and Alfaer was second only to the Arch-magos in power and knowledge. Who else would dare take the title but him? "We found a few traces of his blood, scattered all over the forest floor, but they were flaked at that point."

The aged man on the other side of orb nodded grimly. "He is dead then - good work on your investigation, prince-magos. You may return to your University whenever you deem fit. Do not underestimate the dangers of that blasted forest."

The link was cut immediately. Tevan wasn't surprised, though. The lord-magos was a busy man and an even busier scholar. If the Arch-magos was dead then that was that; there was no need for ceremony - not that they could do that even if they wanted to, considering the fact that there was no corpse to bring back. The beasts of the Eternal Glade have likely scavenged the old rascal, even his clothes were eaten.

'But what the hell was he doing out here?' Only the barbaric cultivators ever came to this place and that mostly due to their inability to not kill things. Mages had no business in the forest, unless said mage was a Beastmaster or some other variant, but even they didn't come alone. There were simply too many threats in the Eternal Glade, not even factoring in the magical beast population, that even walking alone at the edges of the woodlands was foolish - cultivators were an exception, because their brains likely didn't work correctly with all the concussions they received on the daily.

And yet the biggest mystery, Tevan wondered, was what could've possibly killed an Arch-magos. 'That man was a fool and a miscreant, but his power was undoubtable. No mere magical beast could defeat him. A dragon probably could, but there are no dragons in the Eternal Glade....'

Sighing, the prince-magos turned to this team and gestured for them come hither. "Alright, let's get the hell out of this gods-forsaken place."

They were most of them trained mages and veterans, but not even they could shake off the shear dread that seemed to resonate within this place. The air itself was thick with death and the ground was permeated with dark magic - everything in the forest was permeated with dark magic. Tevan didn't want to stay any longer than he had to - no one did.

Just as he raised a hand to activate a teleportation spell, however, his eyes caught something dried and matted on the ground, encrusted with blood. Curious, the prince-magos bent down and grabbed the thing that looked to be fur - reddish brown fur. 'A brown bear?'

Did the arch-fucking-magos get killed by a brown bear?

He shook his head.

No, that seems flatout impossible. The animal must've arrived after something much stronger had killed the Arch-magos. No mere beast could've defeated the most powerful mage of the University of the Emerald Rose.

"Let's go..." A flash of green light engulfed them and the party of fifty mages disappeared.

In the far distance, across hundreds of kilometers' worth of trees, rivers, bogs, and grasslands, a lone bear sets off to a new life of adventure. Far above the clouds, in the realm eternal, divine entities look onwards, laughing to themselves as the fates shift to accomodate this new and intriguing piece. Among them, Volos, the God of Bears, shares in the laughter.

Basic Status:

Name: Ursus

Race: Ursine Sapien

Title/s: The First

Class: Rogue

Level: 2

HP: 1020

MP: 105

SP: 1010

Strength: 560

Speed: 205

Agility: 145

Intelligence: 90

Wisdom: 7

Luck: 11

Critical Hit chance: 25%

Critical Hit modifier: 100%

XP: 0/200

Perks:

Gaze of the Watcher: Illusions have no effect on you. At all times, you are able to perceive only the true nature of things.

Mind of the Beast: Your intelligence is not like those of humans, and so the concept of Karma does not affect your soul in the same manner as it does humans. Good and Evil has no claim over you.

Eldritch Soul: Your soul is a twisted amalgam that has never truly been witnessed before in all of creation. Given enough time, it may evolve into something more. You are able to communicate with other Eldritch beings.

True Name: By having a true name, human mages and cultivators will not be able to bind you to their will.

Blood Rush: You move 2x faster when chasing down or moving towards injured prey.

Qi hunter: You can track down Qi users without having to rely on your basic senses.

Psychic Speech: You can bypass the need for language by speaking directly into a living entity's mind.

Unseen Predator: When stalking prey, you remain unseen until you are within 15 meters of their current position.

Skills:

Scan level 2: You are able to discern an entity's given name, alongside their total HP and SP. Costs no MP.

Telekineses level 3: You are able to move objects, weighing 150 kilograms or less, with your thoughts. Costs 5 MP per second.

Nuokinesis level 1: You are able to control the minds of small insects for 24 hours. Costs 5 MP per entity.

Cosmokinesis level 1: Alter 1 Cubic Meter of reality for a period of five seconds. Costs 100 MP.