“Damon…? Damon!” Damon awoke to a foul liquid filling his mouth. He tried to cough it up but a hand clamped down on his nose and around his mouth. He was forced to swallow. The burning sensation as the fluid slid down his throat made him gag. He finally opened his eyes to see the shape of Diana above him.

“What was that?” Damon asked, his face screwed up in disgust.

“A healing potion.” The young woman replied. “It’s very rare in these parts but I figured you’d probably need one. Seeming as you just dropped to the floor and wouldn’t respond to me!” She at first sounded relieved, but then an admonishing tone came to her voice. “You should have let me come with you into the cave!”

“I know I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t expect… that thing!” At that, Damon sat up. There was little pain now and he realised his wounds had cleared. Except from the one on his chest, a long scar ran from his left pectoral down to just below the right side of his stomach. The scar appeared black, the colour clear even to him as his torn shirt moved with a faint breeze.

“That’s not good.” Diana said, as she looked down at the scar as well. “You’ll need to go see Fiona, she lives in the Lord’s village. She’ll be able to fix that for you, she’s a good healer.”

“OK, but I don’t feel the scar at the moment, I reckon I’ll be fine for now.” Damon looked around and spotted the dead alpha lying a pace or so away. “Jeez, how did we even stop that thing?”

“I don’t know. Something strange happened to your eyes though. For a moment there, they became the same colour as the wolf’s. The mist covered you both then, but it sounded like you were as vicious as the wolf! All I could hear was you two fighting and snarling at each other.” Dian replied, looking into Damon’s eyes to make sure they were back to their milky blue.

“Well I kinda just got mad. I just didn’t want to die. I refused to.” Damon said, still shocked he’d actually survived.

“Well, it saved our lives so I’m not complaining!” Chuckled Diana. She put a hand out and helped Damon to stand. The mist had dispersed and the night sky was once again visible, high above them.

Damon noticed the blinking icon for his notifications and, as he focused on it, a series of blue windows opened in front of him.

Congratulations you have slain Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 10)

+220 Exp

+25 Fame

Level Up!

Congratulations, you have gained an additional level!

You are now level 6

Please allocate any free stat points.

New Skill!

Axe Mastery (Beginner 1 - 76%)

You may not be using that axe for it's primary function, but you sure are effective with it.

15% Increase in physical damage when using an axe

5% Increase attack speed while using an axe

Skill Level Up!

Dagger Mastery (Beginner 2 - 9%)

New bonus:

16% Increase in physical damage while using a dagger or short blade

6% increased attack speed while using a dagger or short blade

New Trait!

Berserker I

Pain means nothing to you when rage consumes you.

Effects:

Pain is reduced by 50% when you are angry

You take 5% less damage when angry

Quest Complete!

Congratulations, you have killed all the wolves that had made the cave their den.

Rewards:

+100 Exp

+1000 Relationship points with Farcross Village

+150 Relationship points with Diana

Diana is now a Friend. Friends can always be trusted to come to your aid. Be wary you don't betray them though, as serious consequences can incur.

Corruption Warning

Your body is suffering from the touch of a corrupted being. Seek medical attention soon, before the corruption gets worse.

Damon stared at the messages before him. He was over the moon about completing the quest and gaining two levels in the space of an hour. But the berserker trait worried him slightly. Had he really gotten so angry it was worthy of a trait? What even was a trait in this game? And that corruption warning? What was that about? Should he be worried?

So many questions darted around Damon’s head but he pushed them down and focused on the present. Deep breaths. He thought, closing his eyes for a moment and focussing. Damon finally stood and walked over to the dead alpha, pausing for a moment before looting it.

Do you wish to loot Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 10)

x1 Black Forest Wolf pelt (great)

x1 Black Forest Wolf meat (corrupted)

Wow, that was some very nice loot. Damon gaped for a moment then turned back to the cave. He walked over to it, looting the other wolf as he went. As he reached the cave mouth, he realised there was no cut off anymore. The previous blackness had vanished and the entrance was faintly lit by the full moon above. Damon continued through and down the corridor, creeping slowly in case there were any more surprises waiting for him. Diana followed closely behind, her feet even quieter than Damon’s.

Upon reaching the doorway to the large room Damon had previously reached, he motioned for Diana to peek into the room and make sure everything was clear. She did so and confirmed the room was empty, except for a small pedestal that held an object emitting the strange ethereal blue light. The two entered the room and approached the strange object. Even Damon could make out it was some kind of cube floating slightly above the pedestal, revolving slowly in a lazy circle.

Hesitantly, Damon reached out a hand and faintly touched the glowing cube, knowing it was probably a bad idea.

Sentient Detected!

Do you wish to use this class cube?

Quality: Legendary

Durability: 1/1

Damon’s heart started to hammer in his chest. It was a class cube? A legendary one? What did that even mean? Damon held his breath and thought Yes.

Class Name: Description Stats per level Wraith Assassin Your steps will be as silent as the grave. Walls and barriers will never be able to obstruct you when you set your mind to killing.

+2 Strength

+2 Endurance

+3 agility

+2 Dexterity

Northern White Hunter The cold and bitter conditions have never bothered you in the North. You live and breath the hunt, silent and deadly.

+1 Strength

+2 Endurance

+3 Agility

+3 Dexterity

Blind Protector You help those that need protecting, no matter who they are. You may be blind, yet you see more than any other can possible hope to.

+2 Strength

+4 Endurance

+1 Agility

+1 Wisdom

+1 Charisma

Damon blinked, he seemed to be doing that a lot recently. He sat on the ground and Diana quickly approached him, concerned.

“Are you OK?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just this cube. It’s asking me to pick a class.” Damon replied, slightly bewildered at what to do.

“Oh, what classes did you get?” Diana asked curiously.

“Wait do you know about these cubes?” Damon asked, frowning as he turned to her.

“Of course, they’re really common. It’s the only way you can get a class. No one knows where they came. Some say they’re spawned from meteors crashing into the world thousands of years ago. Others believe the gods dropped them into the world as gifts to the races. Only sentient races can use them. My uncle tells me stories about them other creatures using them, but I don’t really believe him. Most of them are pretty wacky to be honest.” Diana laughed at the memory before turning back to Damon. “So, what class choices did you get?”

Damon told her and Diana let out a gasp of shock.

“How? What even are those classes? I’ve never heard of them!” The incredulity was clear in Diana’s voice. “What’s the durability of the cube?”

“One of one. Why?” Damon asked, puzzled.

“That explains why the classes are so good. Some cubes have a durability numbering in the billions. They usually give really common classes though, like swordsman or archer. I got lucky when I visited the Lord’s village and got my class – Huntress. He’d brought a slightly better one for his son and men to use and I sneaked in one night and used it without anyone knowing. Not all the classes are combat ones. Some, like my dad’s is a profession class instead. They don’t mean you have to do that profession, but they provide really good boosts for you.” Diana stopped then, seeming to think she was rambling and just looked at Damon. “Well, pick one already!”

Damon thought for a long time. He really wasn’t sure which one he should go for. The Wraith Assassin sounded really cool, he could just imagine himself ghosting around, killing whoever threatened him. The only problem with that was he wasn’t sure how it would be useful to him long term. He suspected it was a loner class and he really didn’t want to stay a loner like he was in the real world. He’d made two friends already in this new world and he didn’t want to lose that. It felt good to have someone there beside him.

His attention moved on to the Northern White Hunter. He had been doing a lot of hunting recently and he revelled in being able to hunt with a bow. There was a satisfaction to it he had never felt before. He felt almost normal in a world in which people still pitied him for his lack of eyesight. Still looking down on him and thinking he couldn’t do the same things they did. He seemed to have based himself in the north and knew he wanted to stay.

Damon eyed the last option, blind protector. What did that even mean? He guessed it was referring to how he’d wanted to protect Diana and the village from the corrupted wolf. The blind bit was obvious and Damon couldn’t help but feel that maybe this class would help him deal with his poor eyesight. Something niggled in the back of his mind and the more he thought about it, the more he began to realise he wanted to pick this last option. It just felt right. He wanted to protect what he’d gained so far in this world and he understood the power that this class could provide him. It seemed almost tailored for him.

Without any more doubt Damon made a decision and selected his class.

And the world went white.