Upon my awakening, I am met with the familiar sight of the old, spruce ceiling of the barrack I sleep in with lamps lighting up the room. There is a human boy my (physical) age sleeping sitting in a chair next to me. Seeing the blond hair, I know immediately who it is, Tom. It is unfortunate that he was abandoned and given to the church since his type will more often than not meet their end in the cutthroat nature of this environment. While he is certainly talented and strong in comparison to his peers, his trusting personality will get him bitten, which is why I have taken to befriending him to look after him. It is every man for himself here, if any other of the children found me, they might have killed me to get rid of competition and gain level horrifyingly enough. So is the way of the church.

Creeping out of my bed, I notice that my burned arm is covered with cloth bandages. It is quite painful still, though not as terrible when I first got injured. My roommates are all fast asleep like Tom. He must of stayed by my side all day to prevent the other children from taking my life. Smiling gently, I creep out of the barracks into the hallway. Strolling through the hallway, the large windows throughout the hallway remind me of the beauty of this world. The sky is filled with countless stars with two moons illuminating the night a tad. The only place you could see something like this in my old world was out in the countryside.

I take a few steps outside upon my arrival to the entrance of the children's building to admire the sky even more. A few figures move about in the forest. Must be the trio playing out there once again. The trio comprises three kids: Bruno, Lilith, and Charles. All three are some of the only cat people here. They made a pact between them to protect each other. They do not interact with anyone else except the nuns and priests that overlook us since they harbor deep distrusts of everyone else, rightfully so. They get how this works. We are all competing for a better future. The majority of our peers have taken the concept of survival of the fittest to heart from sermons of the church. They are taught to be monsters.

With their vision more accustomed to the night as beastmen, they see me and retreat farther away from me, but not go too far into the forest. The wilderness here at night is much, much worse than it is in the day. The powerful nocturnal monsters come out to hunt and could turn any of us children into a fine red mist if they so wanted.

Sitting on the ground, I mumble 'Open status.'

Personal info -

Name: Nicolas

Level: 2

Race: Human

Occupation: Child servant

Stats -

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 4

Toughness: 2

Stamina: 2

Agility: 1

Mana: 1

UNSPENT POINTS: 10

Skills -

Cleaning (lvl 6) - Farming (lvl 2) - Dagger proficiency (lvl 1)

Titles -

Unlucky - Clumsy

Thinking for a bit, I decide to spend five points in strength, two in toughness, and three in agility. I need strength critically right now. Though I cannot ignore that I need to invest in being able to take or avoid hits. Plus, agility is useful for maneuvering, which is paramount with my weakness.

Personal info -

Name: Nicolas

Level: 2

Race: Human

Occupation: Child servant

Stats -

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 4

Toughness: 4

Stamina: 2

Agility: 4

Mana: 1

Skills -

Cleaning (lvl 6) - Farming (lvl 2) - Dagger proficiency (lvl 1)

Titles -

Unlucky - Clumsy

Going inside to return, I overhear a woman talking. I hide behind a corner to listen to it. "Excuse me Father Vlad, I apologize for we have been working on the Trial of Rites all night and hit a snag in preparations. We may need to... delay it."

Father Vlad, the priest who is in charge of raising the kids of the order into loyal servants of the church. He is known as a powder keg ready to blow at any time. A lanky, balding old man with an ego as large as the continent itself, his temper is infamous among the children and staff, both of which are defenseless against it due to his authority. Although I am just overhearing it, a chill goes up my spine on instinct as that snapping turtle of a man begins to speak, "Delay it? Are you fucking mad! Get out there and work harder then you bitch! Delaying the trial is not a fucking option. It separates the prey from the predators! Do you want to church full of frail prey you braindead... uh... let me find the word... hm... twat." After a moment to recover from his embarrassment of faltering with his words, he would walk up to the poor nun to get in her face and say in a low tone like a growl. "My mind is being affected by the mere proximity of your subpar intelligence. If you dare laugh, then you'll be executed on the spot. Now finish it or I will have your head."

Although I could not see the nun, I could tell how frightful she was just based on the sound of her running off. The snapping turtle slowly closed the door, engulfing the area back into darkness.

Deciding not to linger, I speed off back to my barracks. Getting to my bed, but not before retrieving Tom's blanket to drape over him, I drift off to sleep once more.