After that point, my memories were extremely fuzzy over what happened. For the most part, I thought I was asleep for a long time. I remembered waking up in different places, confused as to what happened each time.

At one point I was in a carriage, being jumbled about as the horses pulled it along. The inside was nice, I think, but it had a weird smoky scent in it. After that, I was in a castle of some kind. It had a lot of stone work, but I couldn’t remember any more about it. A while after the castle, I awoke to find myself lying in Princess Illway's lap as she stroked my hair. She was quietly humming a tune that lulled me back to rest.

I finally fully awoke sometime later. I woke up to find myself inside a large room that was like the ship's room, but not. It was alike since the room I was in was made entirely of wood, but the wood wasn't planks. The walls of the room seemed to be an extremely smooth bark of some kind, though I didn’t know what tree they came from. The floor and ceiling were really odd for a room. They were both wood, like everything else, but the wood had large rings oddly placed around.

In the room, there was a large bed, a couple of couches, a table and chair, a mirror, an armoire, and even a large grandfather clock ticking quietly in the corner. The furniture of the room, to no surprise, was also made out of fine wood and had artistic markings all over them. However, the furniture was a darker shade of wood than the rest of the room. I had no idea what wood it was, but if I was pressed I would hazard a guess that the wood was some kind of walnut wood.

I tried to remember what happened and where I was, confused as I looked around the odd room. The last thing I remembered was coming back from the Shadow Realm… My memories came back and hit me like an f178 laser cannon. I wish I didn’t remember, but the memories of the never-ending pain and the seething hatred became fresh in my mind.

Noticing I had a few notifications from the Records, I opened them up.

[Skill: [Shift] has reacted to race change! [Shift] has changed to [Shadow Shift]!]

[Skill: [Rage of the Abyss] had reacted to [Abnormal Effects Resistance]! [Rage of the Abyss] has had its effects permanently reduced by 90%!]

[Item: [Mask of the Wolf Pup(purple)] has reacted with race change! Item has been changed to [Mask of the Shadow Wolf]!]

I pulled up my status to see what all has changed.

[Kali Vexia- Wolfkin(Shadow Dire Wolf) - Level: 10(Pick!)

Mana- 60/60

Titles:

[Rescuer]

8 free points

Strength- 20

Intelligence- 12

Dexterity- 20 (+45)

Endurance- 20

Charisma- 27

( () = gear boosts)

Unique:

[Gambler]

Racial:

[Luna], [Shadow Shift], [Rage of the Abyss(tamed)], [Shadow Manipulation 1]

Charisma:

[Animal Handling 1], [Overload 1], [Fleet Foot], [Toughen Up 1], [Abnormal Status Resistance], [Shadow Realm], [Dead Eye’s Sight]

Other:

[Falsification 1]

Time- 2 years]

Well, a couple of my skills changed, I had some free attribute points left over, and I still had to pick a class, but otherwise? Nothing really changed all that much. Of course, I was curious about my new skill, so I pulled up the descriptions of all of my new abilities.

{Ability: Shadow Shift(Racial): Changes forms to that of a humanoid wolfkin if in Shadow Wolf form, or changes to Shadow Wolf form if in a humanoid form.}

It didn’t look like [Shift] had changed all that much, just that I no longer turned into a normal Dire Wolf like I did previously.

{Ability: Rage of the Abyss(Racial): As a creature from the Shadow Realm, it is in your blood to absolutely despise those not of your realm and relish in their misery. (Reduced effects due to [Abnormal Affect Resistance]) As a creature from the Shadow Realm, you have a lower tolerance for those not of your realm. Also, you may or may not be prone to slight sadistic tendencies from time to time.}

Wow... this seems more like a curse than an ability. This was probably what was driving me to want to kill Princess Illway. Man am I glad that I have [Abnormal Affect Resistance] now. I can’t believe that I thought the skill was useless. What was I thinking?! The resistance skill just saved my tail from going on an attempted murder spree of everything around me!

{Ability: Shadow Manipulation 1: The user can slightly control the shadows around them.}

I didn't really know what to think of this skill yet. It sounded like it could be powerful. The ability to wield shadows would benefit an assassin immensely. Just imagine an assassin or a thief that could never be seen because the shadows constantly wrapped around them. It definitely seemed impressive.

Also, I can finally pick a class! I didn’t beforehand since I was busy bleeding everywhere, but now I could. I mentally selected the (Pick!) and a menu showed up.

[Select Type:

Combat

Non-combat]

I obviously selected Combat. This entire second life would have been a waste otherwise. Sure there were powerful non-combat classed people, but it took longer and wasn’t near as easy for a non-combat classed person to become proficient in combat.

[Select Archetype:

Warrior

Barbarian

Monk

Bard

Paladin

Druid

Cleric

Warlock

Mage

Ranger

Rogue]

Those were the three same archetypes that everyone on this planet started from. The list of available class options was heavily dependent upon the environment and the Records of a person. For example, magic terrestrial planets such as this one would show almost the same list as mine. Tech galactic planets, however, would show things more along the lines of [Esper], [Gunslinger], [Technomancer], [Pugilist], and many more depending on the circumstances of a person.

Once a person goes to their first class evolutions at level 20, the class would become more personalized, but for now I would have to pick a normal archetype and work my way up. This choice was extremely important since it would decide the entirety of my future. Depending on what class I picked, I would have different options and skills further down the line.

[Select Archetype:

Warrior

-The masters of arms and armors, Warriors are frontline fighters heavily focused on mastery with their chosen weaponry. The Warrior is a close-combat fighter that can really mess up your day.

Barbarian

-The rage filled fighters, Barbarians are frontline fighters like the Warrior, but they rely less on weaponry and armor and more on their rage. By channeling their rage, the barbarian can take a hundred more hits and deal a hundred times more damage before they are taken down. The Barbarian is a rageful contestant that would just as soon axe a question than ask it.

Monk

-The masters of martial arts, Monks are melee fighters that can channel their spiritual perfection into each and every fight. Although their spirit is a strong ally, a monk’s true weapon is their very body typically trained near religiously in the pursuit of perfection. The Monk is a perfect example of “killing with kindness’ as they gift punch and knuckle sandwiches to their foes.

Bard

-The master of music, Bards are a mixture of skillful combat and powerful support. Bards usually focus on playing music that can boost their allies strengths while confounding their enemies. The Bard is an inspirational mage who uses the music of creation or destruction to manipulate the battlefield.

Paladin

-The holy warrior, Paladins are known for their stalwart belief in their faith. They are frontline attackers that can boost their allies with supportive magic. They are devout believers in what they believe in, whether that be a deity or an ideal. The Paladin is a slayer of heretics and a beacon of belief to all those nearby.

Druid

-The tree hugger, Druids are worshippers of all things natural. They are typically spellcasters, friends with natures, and are able to adopt the attributes of nature in combat. The Druid is a strong wielder of the powers of nature and are ready to smite those who harm it.

Cleric

-The priestly champion, Clerics take to the battlefield with their strong beliefs of higher powers. They are devout followers of deities and could do anything from raise the dead to calling down the wrath of the gods. The Cleric is a strong champion of a deity ready to enforce their god’s will at any moment.

Warlock

-The bargainer, Warlocks are strong magic users. They receive and keep their magic through the will of a higher power. As long as they follow their contract, warlocks are powerful magic casters that can take down the toughest of foes. The Warlocks are the hound dogs to higher magic, eager to please their masters.

Mage

-The powerful magic caster, Mages control the battlefield through powerful spells and magic. With their magic derived through either intensive studies or innate talent, mages are a foe to be reckoned with. The Mage is the ruler of all things magic.

Ranger

-The trackers and hunters, Rangers are known for combating the threats that lay on the edges of civilization. With their ability to track down their foes, Rangers are dominant stalkers that can take down a threat. The Ranger is a hunter of the highest caliber.

Rogue

-The thieves and scouts, Rogues are well known for their opportunistic attacks on unsuspecting foes. By using trickery and stealth, the rogue could sneak up behind their enemy before they even realize what is happening. The Rogue is a ruthless fighter capable of dealing horribly brutal blows.

]

There were quite a few options, but I could already see at least three that I wouldn’t pick no matter what. They were [Cleric], [Paladin], and [Warlock]. I wouldn’t pick them because they all relied heavily on higher powers or deities to follow. If I was just a follower, then how could I expect to be at my peak when the Cataclysm of the Gods started?

The next two to be dropped off of my list were [Bard] and [Druid]. Being either would force me to take a more supportive role in a situation, which was something that I definitely didn’t want to happen. I wanted to be free with how I acted without having to rely on anyone else.

That just left the [Warrior], [Barbarian], [Monk], [Mage], [Ranger], and [Rogue] in the running. As I stared at my choices, I decided to eliminate the first three from the running. This was due to the fact that they would require me to be up close and personal. While that wasn’t a problem here, guns existed in the galaxy that could destroy me before I got close. Sure there were probably skills that would help me in the situation that guns were involved, but I would rather not take that chance.

I had a hard time with the last three, but I eventually decided to eliminate [Ranger]. This was due to me having heard that they were heavily focused on hunting down a specific prey that they had an advantage in attacking. While this wasn't necessarily bad, it meant that I would be weaker against any enemy not of the specific type.

Between the last two, I finally decided to pick [Mage]. The problem with all of the classes except for mage was that they would lose a lot of their effectiveness when I reached space, which was unfortunate. The classes would still work, for instance Ranger would become Marksman or something along those lines, but they wouldn’t be near as good. For the most part, they would lose out on their beginning perks and skills since they just weren’t as viable anymore.

The Mage, however, would hopefully allow me to adapt to nearly any situation since the skills from the class could be used all the way up the ladder. I would never not need the skills as they were fairly important.

[Class Pick Complete! New class: Mage]

[Skill Obtained: Mana Manipulation 1: The ability to manipulate mana.]

[Skill Obtained: Mana Sense 1: The ability to sense mana.]

These two typically came together and they were a hard requirement for doing anything with magic while not being regulated strictly by a skill. It was nice to have them and they would benefit me immediately.

[Skill Obtained: Research 1: Topics researched are more likely to be helpful.]

Well that was informative. As much as I want to call it a useless skill, my run in with [Abnormal Effects Resistance] had changed my mind about labeling anything as useless. Who knows, maybe this could save my life someday!

[Detecting Race…]

[Race Detected! Additional Skill Obtained: Shadow Magic 1: Controlling shadows through magic]

This was… useless. I know that I said I changed my mind about labeling, but this seemed like it was just a worse skill than [Shadow Manipulation 1]. I hope it isn’t useless...

[Kali Vexia- Wolfkin(Shadow Dire Wolf) - Mage - Level: 10

80/80

Titles:

[Rescuer]

Strength- 20

Intelligence- 20

Dexterity- 20 (+45)

Endurance- 20

Charisma- 27

( () = gear boosts)

Unique:

[Gambler]

Racial:

[Luna], [Shadow Shift], [Rage of the Abyss(tamed)], [Shadow Manipulation 1]

Skills:

[Animal Handling 1], [Overload 1], [Fleet Foot], [Toughen Up 1], [Abnormal Status Resistance], [Shadow Realm], [Dead Eye’s Sight], [Mana Manipulation 1], [Mana Sense 1], [Research], [Shadow Magic 1], [Mana Pool]

Other:

[Falsification 1]

Time- 2 years]

As I looked at my class, I decided to finally bump up my intelligence to twenty with my eight points since mana was about to become extremely important in my life as a mage.

[Skill Obtained: Mana Pool: Intelligence has two times the effect on mana(80>160)]

At long last, I was nearing the end of the notifications. I just had two left.

[Leveled up!(10>13) Received 12 attribute points, 3 Charisma]

Dang, I was hoping that my race change would also change my attribute distribution, but it seemed that my attributes were tied to my Wolfkin race and not actually my Shadow Dire Wolf race. Unfortunate, but expected.

I put five into intelligence to get even more mana, five into strength for increased power in case I needed to defend myself, and two into endurance so I wouldn’t be a glass cannon. I had seen some people who never put anything into endurance, and they never ended up being alive at the end of a fight. Even if they weren’t hit directly, all it took was one area attack anywhere nearby to snuff out those idiots’ lives.

[Item: [Mask of the Wolf Pup(purple)] has reacted with race change and class change! Item has been changed to [Mask of the Shadow Wolf]!]

[Mask of the Shadow Wolf(Purple)

Skill: Wolf’s Growth: This mask will grow with the owner and their actions.

Skill: Wolf’s Blindness: Gives the skill [Falsification] to the owner. Additionally, the mask will be unable to be inspected unless the owner gives express permission.

Skill: Wolf’s Agility: Increase the owner’s dexterity by five per level.

Skill: Wolf's Howl: All lupine creatures that can hear your howl will submit to your authority. The creatures still have their free will and can decide not to listen, but they will be likely to listen. The command can be anything, but if it is against the creature’s common sense, the command will be ignored.

Bound Owner: Kali Vexia]

Not going to lie, I kinda forgot about the mask. It wasn’t because of anything major, but I just hadn’t been in the right situation to wear it. Maybe I would if it gained some skills that could only be used while wearing the mask, but I probably wouldn’t wear it until then unless I was trying to hide my face.

Now that I had cleared all of the notifications, I sagged down onto the bed as I began to wonder where exactly I was. The last thing I remembered was that carriage ride, but I wasn’t sure where I was currently.

I stood up from the bed, limping slightly as I did since my legs were sore for some reason, and made my way to the mirror. I was very interested in the effects of my evolution, especially since I remembered nearly if not all of my skin falling off at one point or another.

The mirror was fairly simple. It was the normal reflective glass in the middle, but the outer frame was molded from silver. The silver was forged in such a way that it looked like a tree trunk. It had silver leaves spurting out of the sides in weird intervals, further showing off the point of the frame being a tree trunk.

Shock was the dominant emotion in me as I looked at myself. As I looked at the person- me, there were nearly no similarities between the new me and the old me other than my tail and ears.

Whereas I previously had had vibrant emerald green eyes that seemed to brighten the closer the color got to the pupil, my eyes had entirely changed. They were now a black color, but closer to the pupil they changed into a amethyst violet color. My hair, like what I had before, dropped down to about the middle of my back. It was the same color, void black, but it had streaks of violet, the same color as my eyes, running throughout. There also seemed to be wispy shadows wafting off of it. I couldn’t really tell since every time I tried to watch for them, they would disappear, but I saw the wispy shadows out of the corner of my eye. They were kind of like a ghost, constantly hiding from my direct sight. My skin color stayed mostly the same, but there were barely discernible black dots that looked almost scattered onto me.

My face still looked young, but I was definitely older looking. If I had to guess, I would say I looked around seventeen or eighteen. My skin was still porcelain like white, but my nose had definitely changed. It was button-like, but it had a slightly more prominent bridge and the nostrils flared out a little more.

I smiled at the mirror to see my teeth. My two canines were a little bigger, and they would definitely be noticed if I opened my mouth. My molars were completely gone leaving only sharp teeth behind. I guess vegetables are out of my diet now. Each tooth had a small violet shade at the tip, which was a little bit weird.

As I looked at my teeth, I realized I would have to be more careful with my tongue. It would be a breaze to accidentally cut myself on one of them. Speaking of tongues, mine was… different. It was the same spade shaped pink flesh, but as I moved it out of my mouth, it kept coming. It was long enough that I could lick the bottom of my chin. I would definitely have to be careful with my new tongue.

My ears were still two wolf-like ears perked up on top of my head, but they were larger than previously and they also had the same shadow wafting effect. This time, however, I could definitely see the wispy shadows floating off of them. I looked at my tail and saw the same shadow wisps floating into oblivion. Both my tail and ears were still void black, but they had violet stripes in them just like my hair.

Now onto the most important part of my appearance that I noticed. I was taller. Not freakishly tall, but I was definitely at least as tall as an average human. On top of my height changes, I finally had a bust! Not very big, but it was there! That was a huge step up from previously and an even bigger step up from my first life.

As I looked at the mirror, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. It came from right around my kidney, but I wasn’t sure where exactly.

I faintly heard the padding of footsteps a minute before there was a knock on my door. Before I had time to react, a person entered. The person was a female elf, but she looked old. That was a surprise since every elf I had seen looked like they were still in their twenties. She had grandmotherly wrinkles creasing her forehead and smile marks around her eyes. Her face dropped a bit, but otherwise kept up with the sharp features of the elves. Her ears pointed sharply out of her long grey hair.

She had a long white skirt with a blue dress shirt. On top of the dress shirt, a white scarf hung down with red crosses embossed onto it. I used [Dead Eye’s Sight] as I looked at her. I felt a drain in my mana and checked to see that only five left me. I still had 195 mana left, which I could use to escape using [Shadow Realm] in the worst case scenario.

{Lucrain Yorg- Elf - Grand Healer - Level: 57

Skill: [Healing Hands MAX]

Skill: [Light's Shield 5]

Skill: [Flash Bang 2]

Skill: [Healer’s Recuperation 9]

Title: [The Royal Saviour]}

She was definitely higher than me, but that wouldn’t stop me from trying to take her down in a fight. Just because she was higher didn’t mean she would win, especially since she was a healer. Healers were focused on healing, not attacking. I had a slim chance if I played my cards right.

She looked at the bed in confusion for a second before noticing me near the mirror. A delighted expression overcame her wrinkles before she pointed at the bed and ordered gently, “I’m glad you’re up deary, but you should really be laying down. Why don’t you go back so I can do a checkup real quick?”

At her words, I was instantly put on guard. What she said sounded a lot like how the scientists would talk to me before subjecting me to long “check-ups” that ended with me being left beaten and bloody for “science”.

“Who are you and where am I?” I asked as I backed up towards the mirror. In the worst case scenario, I could break it for a glass shard and use the shard as an improvised weapon to slice into her sweat elven flesh.

The old elf, seemingly having noticed my defensiveness, raised her hands and backed towards the door as she answered me, “I am the Royal Healer Lucrain. The Princess brought you to me in the Royal Capitol of Walpist. You were extremely injured internally and your body wasn’t accepting any healing magic, so she brought you to me in hopes I could help.”

At hearing that I was in the Royal Capital and that Illway brought me here, I relaxed slightly as it confirmed some of my memories. I wasn’t entirely relaxed, however, since this could all just be an elaborate ploy to get me to lower my guard. You could never be too safe in the galaxy or anywhere, really.

“Where is Princess Illway then?” I asked. The only way to be a hundred percent sure of what was happening was to see a familiar face.

“She is probably speaking with her mother, the Queen. I would take you to them, but I’m worried about internal rupturing. You were only just starting to heal when I got back.” Lucrain tried to placate me.

“I’m fine.” I was definitely not fine. I thought my kidney was bleeding. “Just take me to them.”

Lucrain approached once more, “Deary, I don’t think that is such a good idea. Why don’t you just lay back do-”

“Lucrain,” I cut her off with a deep guttural growl that seemed to come from my wolf side, “Take. Me. To. Them. I will be fine.” She was a higher level than me, but that didn’t stop me from trying to give her an order. She could probably snap me like a twig, but I would put up a good fight to hear her sweat succulent screams.

She looked like she wanted to argue more, but she dropped her head and just sighed, “Fine. Follow me to the Queen’s office. They should be there, but they might also be in the throne room along with the rest of the nobles.” The way she said nobles was like she was sick just thinking about them.

She walked out the large wooden door without a second glance at me. Occasionally she would mumble her distaste over the nobles, but otherwise left me to my own devices. I, of course, followed her out instead of just sitting around in my room. If worst comes to come, I was confident in my ability to escape using [Shadow Realm].