I stare at the cascade of windows. Or rather, into empty space while my mind ‘sees’ the windows. I look around for a moment; the only living creatures I see are the wolves. I take a deep breath, the turn my focus to the windows.

Okay, so I learned 5 skill and got two classes, and in the process unlocked the system, first partially, then fully. The first message implied that it was fully unlocked, but it was not? Also, there’s actually a [System], capital S and brackets and all? Ahh well.

I dismiss the [System] and ability messages. The class unlocks… I have so many questions: What does class stats mean? What’s the deal with the ‘core’ class abilities? Prerequisites? Why does [Pack Leader(non-beast)] have things in parentheses before the core class abilities? Why is [Aspectian] listed as [Aspectian: Aspect of the Pack]?

The results of my unrestrained thoughts are more notifications, which I open.

In short: From a game perspective, class stats are the stats you’d put into a character playing a given class and the class abilities are unlock requirements. Both the stats and abilities enhance the class and in turn are improved by the class(or so it claims). As for [Aspectian], it’s a weird ability with sub-abilities.

Ability: [Aspectian] Power level: 1 Skill level: Dabbling The ability to perceive and manipulate the Aspects of things. Aspectians can not only recognize aspects, but make take on their attributes, and even the aspect itself.

Stats: Varies Known aspects: [Aspect of the Wolf] Pitiful affinity [Aspect of Mist] Weak affinity [Aspect of the Pack] Pitiful affinity

I’m not very sure of what to say… It’s interesting that the Mist affinity is higher, but why? Maybe because I’ve used it? As for the power level, that didn’t show up when I learned the skills. I think of the other skills, and the windows pop up on cue.

Hmm, power level 1 all around, but [Mana Manipulation] and [Beast Empathy] are both skill level ‘Novice’. Presumably the one above dabbling. The next is adequate, isn’t it? And then competent, skilled and proficient? If it is…

Ignoring that for now, can I see my status now that I got the [System] unlocked?

Name: Lars Eikeli Power level: 5(equivalent) Primary class: [Proto-mage] Secondary class: [Pack Leader(non-beast)] Tertiary class: Current Abilities [Inspect] [Aspectian] - - - -

Hold on, that's not all my abilities- no wait, the other abilities are under the classes. Only one of the aspects are under [Pack Leader(non-beast)], though. What's the deal with the classes?

More popups! They ask nicely though. Or at least sit in the back of my head, giving me a nagging feeling. Better than certain others.

So the primary and secondary classes lets you use their abilities and gives a stat boost, while the tertiary only gives a stat boost. The abilities also gives stat boosts, but only to one stat. Of course, as abilities they also do something, passively or actively.

And it’s an equippable skill-system, so you can switch things around. And speaking of stats:

Stats STR: Low INT: High VIT: Average DEX: Average WIS: Very High END: Average AGI: Low CHA: Average RES: Very Low

I seem to currently have a mental-stat build. RES? Information window says resilience, used for magic defence. It doesn’t give me any nifty numeric values. Well, it does makes sense…

I scratch my head and look around. The wolves seem to be bored, I think we’re missing some. If they are out grabbing magic stones, too bad, since I’m out of food. It’s not like I’m their boss, I’m their leader at best. And only Tåke seems to really care.

Back to business. I suppose I should call mom and tell her my situation. Scratch that, let’s NOT tell her my situation. Instead, let’s just say I’m fine. In fact, let’s send a message instead. Yeah.

So now I’ve packed up my things and put them in or on the backpack. I glance over the area, in case I dropped something, but it seems fine. With that I set off while whistling the Road to Viridian City theme.

The pack communicates with small barks while half following, half leading me, always a few fanned out in front and on the sides. I thought them to be relatively unintelligent, but they are using tactics. Simple tactics, for sure, and I think regular wolves do that as well. Might be instinctual.

I’m carving another stick, well, sharpening it and stripping it of bark. Don’t wanna cut myself, so I do the safest possible thing.

About fifteen minutes after I started walking I get to the small lake. It should’ve taken shorter, but I guess the crazy stuff tonight moved more than just my campfire. I find one of the places where the water gradually deepens and sit down a fair distance from the water, eyeing it cautiously.

Now that I’m no longer moving I do some finer work on the stick, and after a couple minutes I’ve carved a pattern of magic channels on it. All they do is make mana flow a more complex route from one end to the other, but my hope is that it’ll give me an ability, since that’s a thing now...

It doesn’t, however. The wolves have drank from the water, so I head over and refill my flasks. The water is quite safe to drink; it was designated as drinking water until a decade or so ago, and is still an emergency water supply. Hydration is key!

I sit and stare into the water in an attempt to get an aspect, but no success. Gotta find out how that works... At least I haven’t been attacked by some unholy water-monster. I glance to the deeper parts of the water. The whole lake seems bigger than I remember it.

I break into a quick jog away from the water, just in case I raised a flag. I continue my uneventful trip while playing around with magic and the stick. At some point I got a strange sensation, and when I checked [Mana Manipulation]’s skill level was adequate. It seems it uses that grading system. Maybe I should learn to make cheese?

Having walked for about forty minutes in total, I would usually be at a cafe/farm that sells great waffles, as well as other snacks to people walking/skiing in this part of the forest. Beyond that is wilderness! Hah, only city folk would think that to be wilderness. Strictly speaking I am one of them, I guess.

I don’t recognize' most of the route, so I’m getting more and more worried the thing tonight made some big changes. For magic and now magical changes. I should probably avoid tall grass.

I checked on my phone though, and everything seems to be business as usual. Granted, the entire world experienced the event in one way or another, though cities and other densely populated areas were barely affected. On the other hand, areas near but not quite in such areas were hit hard.

The forums for that kinda stuff have multiple reports of being able to do more with magic and even learning skills. With some digging I find out I’m hardly the only one to unlock the system, though most people don’t seem to have fully unlocked it, and how it is experienced seem to vary from person to person.

I post my experience, adding a (crappily) downsized and cropped image of Tåke, with an apology and excuse(mobile network) for the quality. Not long after putting the phone into my pocket, the pack become alert and gather.

I somehow gather that one of the scouts found something, and they want me to come with them. I signal my agreement and turn in the indicated direction.

“I’m not running out there! Path, path- ahh, here.” I half yell, half mutter while I find a more human-traversable way.

I follow the wolves as best I can, and soon after I find a small camp of very scared teenagers. Some are injured. There’s also a dead something on the ground, covered in purple… blood? There is some red mixed in.

Battered Insectile Corpse Whatever this was, it’s dead now.

And Inspect is useful as always. My attention snaps back to the people.

“Don’t hurt them!” I yell, as one of the boys are about to swing a large branch at one of the wolves. “They’re with me.”

The teenagers exchange looks, but seem to accept it. I head over to the nearest wounded. It smells alcohol… There, a bag of empty bottles. Which means at least some of these kids are hungover or drunk. I take a deep breath.

“Okay, how many are hurt? Gather wounded near me, I have a first aid kit.” I start ordering them. It’d be better if I never had to use it, though…

“Not all of you!” I frown.

“But you-”

“No buts! Heard about triage? Those with the worst injuries to me, those with light scratches and such keep your distance.” There is some clear displeasure, but no-one complains. Not to me, anyway.

A short minute later I am treating people to the best of my abilities, having enlisted the help of two seemingly sober people who say they know a little about first aid. I have another person call for an air ambulance.

Minute by minute pass while we bandage people’s wounds. Only one have what I would classify as critical damage; we have to apply a tourniquet since her entire leg is messed up. In addition her back is covered in large scratches.

Next up is the two brave men who apparently shielded the rest from the creature. They have cuts and bites on their arms and legs, some going pretty deep. I rinse the wounds with my water; they cringe but bear with it. I experimentally apply magic to the wounds.

Primarily I use it to clean the wound, pulling out things that shouldn’t be there, but I also try to make the wounds heal faster, leaving some mana for the spell to use. No idea whether it’d work, but I don’t wanna do any more. An unskilled hand kills faster than many injuries left unchecked.

At this point I ask for clothes to scrap for bandages, and have someone run to fetch water, noting that they should be wary for water-based monsters. I order a couple wolves to follow them, they seem to get the point.

With everyone cooperating, any potentially fatal(within a day) injuries are quickly treated, and I move on to look over the rest of the group.