"Will you please give me a fucking moment to process this shit!?" I roared out to the unthinking screen.

It was too much for my small brain to take in, who thought it was a good idea to dump all this information on us all at once!? and from the groaning and frustrated grunts I can hear off in the distance, I wasn't the only one fed up with the screen.

"Can you at least explain to me what the hell a species trait is!?" I screamed out at the screen once again.

PROCESSING INQUIRY......

Species traits are the quantified, and categorized specialties of all system incorporated species.

They are inherent in the host species even before the gift of the heavens has integrated into them, but are "coloured" by it. This results in a diverse range of passive effects that all members of the species will benefit from for eons to come.

most species have two traits and are based on two separate criteria.

the biological evolutionary path of the species.

and

the cultural evolutionary path of the species

*exceptions occur when a notable quirk of a species doesn't fall under these two categories, or if said notable quirk requires an additional trait*

Well

That's embarrassing.

Feeling thoroughly stupid for not even thinking to just ask the system for more information. I take a discrete look around to see if anyone noticed my blunder before looking back at the screen.

can I see the specifics of my species traits?

I say in my head in an attempt to feel out the capabilities of this system.

Of course, I wouldn't have had the idea if I hadn't been such a huge closet weeb and read a bunch of manga and jrpg's in my free time back in high school. Not that I stopped after I moved out of my dad's house, I just had to move to.... less savoury methods to entertain that particular hobby on account of being dirt poor and all.

But let's pretend I don't know what an isekai is okay? Okay.

Anyways it seems that my little experiment actually worked!

ruthless cunning (common) unrelenting endurance (rare) twinned destinies (ancient) trait type - cultural trait type - biological trait type - biological/cultural

Due to the presence of weaponry on the scale of global destruction during the time of integration, as well as an overall species-wide inclination towards violence.

Humanity is granted a permanent +2 bonus to MIND.

secondly

all deception-based actions being 2% more effective

due to the rather novel nature of how your species has evolved to hunt - namely, endurance hunting - as well as an exceptional natural resilience and ability to heal.

Humanity is granted a permanent 10% bonus to CONSTITUTION

secondly

natural regeneration and natural resistances are 20% more effective

due to the unprecedented union of the two integrated species

(humans) and (dogs)

all beings descended from the (hominids) evolutionary branch has a chance to forge a SOUL BOND with a member of the (canids) evolutionary branch

secondly

all members of the (hominids) evolutionary branch receive an 8% increase in gathering the gift of the heavens in the presence of a member of the (canids) evolutionary branch.

*this trait is mirrored by the (canids') own trait*

Okay, that sounds awesome.

but why the hell is it that for every 1 answer I get, 3 more questions take their place?

seriously who designed this shit?

it is like they deliberately made it as obtuse as possible.

reaching up to wipe away sweat from my brow, I notice that my hands don't hurt as much as they did earlier. In fact, I didn't hurt at all now that I think about it. Quickly scanning myself I find that most of my wounds are already healing as well.

ok, that is neat and all but let's put that on the back burner and focus on Caleb.

Admonishing myself for getting distracted once again I return my focus to the screen in front of me.

From the looks of things, it seems that we humans hit the jackpot. I am not entirely sure how good ruthless cunning is considering how broad concept deceit is, but the bonus regeneration and resistances were a godsend in my books! The fact that I am already recovering from that gruelling slaughter, and that I had the stamina at all to even make it through it is only thanks to this trait!

Although, I am not sure how I feel about the system deeming all of humanity as violent, and deceitful.

Then again, I have no right to complain.

I also have no idea what to make of this last trait. For one: I have no idea what this "gift of the heavens" bullshit is, but logic dictates that an 8% increase to gathering it is nothing to sneeze at. And you don't give out an orange-coloured rarity lightly if my endless nights playing a certain diabolical dungeon crawler have anything to say about it.

Also, for some odd reason, I feel an odd sort of 'rightness' when I stare at this last trait. I am not sure how to describe this feeling exactly, but unlike the other traits where I was surprised - and anxious as in the case of 'ruthless cunning' - it felt like I had always known about 'twinned destinies'. As I stare at the screen an inexplicable swell of pride fills my chest confusing me further.

This is so weird. I haven't ever even owned a dog, so why do I feel so vindicated?

Looking out to the rest of the survivors I see a myriad of reactions among my compatriots.

The young Japanese woman had moved to what looked like a rather uncomfortable sitting position. She was sitting in a kneeling position with her heels propped up and her back ramrod straight, her katana resting horizontally across her lap. My legs hurt just looking at her, but I won't deny that it gave her a more regal and prim air about her. her delicate face was scrunched up in a display of quietly frustrated confusion. Looking very much like a teacher fed up with a very troublesome student.

Taking this moment I decide to inspect the girl a little more closely.

She seemed to be around my age and I pegged her around 21, her perfect porcelain white skin peeked out from under her ruined beige cardigan. her expensive-looking high-waisted jeans were completely shredded and covered in muck, but did little to take away from her natural grace and only served to accentuate the luscious stocks that were her legs. From this angle, it was hard to see what she had underneath her cardigan, but I could tell that it had a modest v-shaped cut and at least used to be white. Naturally, my eyes flowed up from that point to momentarily pause to take a glance at the cleavage of her well-endowed chest before climbing up her swan-like neck to her delicate and heart-shaped face. her lightly glossed pink lips were pursed under a cute nose and her large sharp black eyes were-

Were staring accusingly right at me.

My eyes quickly bolt away from her's in an all too familiar manner as the shame of being caught in the act flushes my cheeks red.

Yeah, that's right. I still have trouble looking a girl in her eyes at nearly 20 years old, sue me.

Quickly looking around to seem less suspicious I look at the others, my sight lands back on the brick shit house sitting atop his throne of corpses.

He looked more bored than anything else with his elbows resting on his knees and his huge blood-soaked mitts framing the sides of his strong jaw. The man had to be clearing the 7-foot mark, and was less body-builder strong and more life-long industrial labour strong - imagine a giant square with legs -. I had seen that body type often enough back in my hometown, but no one was nearly as huge as this guy. his hair was cropped short and peppered with grey because of course, it was. His skin was a natural bronze turned leathery from doubtlessly spending countless hours out in the sun. I couldn't quite place where he was from but I'm pretty sure he was aboriginal of some sort. And lastly, he was wearing thick industrial over-alls that seemed to be on the verge of falling apart even before the Greshins got to it, as well as a pair of steel-toed boots that were soaked threw with blood and heavily dented.

all-and-all, he looked like a man to not be fucked with.

When my eye's roamed away in search of the psycho with the scythe I had spotted earlier I saw that he was making his way further away from me and could no longer see his face. The monstrosity of a farming tool turned weapon was draped across his shoulders making his swaggering gait even more obnoxious than it already was. His arms and legs were wafer-thin which made it a mystery how he managed to swing around that scythe of his. Annoyingly he had his medium bright blonde hair slicked back similar to me, but where my long hair drew back in wavy black locks giving me a slightly messy and wild look. His hair was plastered to his skull with what must have been way too much pomade. Juxtaposed to his prim and orderly hair were his ruined clothes, which looked expensive and gave him that perfect spoiled rich kid look that made me want to knock out a few of his teeth.

Feeling my disgust and anger building up I decide to move my sight past the prick and make an attempt to make out the details of those further beyond.

Straining my sight I manage to make out a few more individuals.

What looked like some douche with a huge spear - perhaps a glaive? - resting on his shoulder, he was posing like he was some Greek hero and I quickly looked away before I got second-hand embarrassment. The next person I noticed was just close enough for me to make out that they had a rifle of some sort, and they were on the small side I think.

NOW HANDING OUT REWARDS FOR CLEARING THE BLACK-LISTED TRIAL.

Notice!

-all surviving initiates will have their starting class options upgraded one rarity.

-all surviving initiates will receive a rare grade or higher gift of the heavens gathering technique that most suits each individual.

list of potential starting classes Slayer(rare) Reaver(rare) knight(uncommon) Prmary: PWR Secondary: CON,AWR Primary: PWR Secondary: SPD,CON Primary: CON Secondary: AWR,PWR

Unbreakable, incorruptible, unyielding. You revel in the glory of the kill, the exaltation of surviving against impossible odds. But not just any kill will do. No, only the strongest, most fearsome of foe will do. Only when you are pushed to your very limits and on the cusp of dying will you find the meaning of your life.

You are a brutal instrument of death, a plundering raiding savage. anathema to all those who consider themselves civilized, you know that peace is a lie and that one can only come alive in the crucible of battle.

In your heart, you know that one must live their life through a strict code that dictates their actions. Violence may be a constant in your life, but you can at least dictate the terms by which you may raise your sword.

And once again I find myself extremely worried about the state of my psyche. Every single one of these 'classes' makes it abundantly clear that I am a psychopath who loves to kill things.

God, even the knight class description mentions my apathy for violence!

ok, focus. You can cry about it later, it's time to make probably the most important choice of my life.

Reading over my choices wants more I immediately remove the knight class as a possible choice. As nice as it would be to feel like I am not a psycho, giving up a rarity tier just to feel better about myself would just be plain stupid.

And as much as it pains me to admit it, the two other classes do speak to me in different ways.

The Slayer class leans more into that part of me that awakened after I survived that initial fight with those 3 Greshins. The feeling of surviving in a situation where most others would have perished is intoxicating, not to mention the shier ego trip that is dominating a foe that had all the advantages and still lost.

The Raider class on the other hand leans into that darker part of me that just plainly loves to kill shit, and if I am being honest with myself I absolutely love it. The adrenaline pumping in my veins, the thrill that at any moment it could be me lying on the ground breathing my last breathe, it is the ultimate adrenaline junky high!

Also, both of the classes meet the only criteria that truly matters - namely being metal as fuck! -.

That just leaves whether or not I want to be a violent Viking raider wannabe or a suicidal Viking raider wannabe.

Taking one last second to mull over my options I make my decision.

Congratulations!

you have taken your first true step on the path of ascension.

YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE CLASS

Slayer(rare)

Slayer is one of my favourite bands anyway, if I have to choose between two similar but equally bad choices I might as well let my aesthetics choose for me.

Immediately after I press the prompt, I feel liquid fire begin to flow through my veins and coalesce into a red hot fireball just below my abdomen that explodes upward through my whole nervous system, rendering me incessant on the ground. Next, I feel an alien presence begin to invade my mind and begin to pick apart everything that makes me who I am one piece at a time before putting me back together slightly differently.

I feel as new concepts and ideas begin to flood my mind, new completely foreign instincts meld with my own.

I suddenly know the basics of how to hunt and prepare game animals. How to properly grip a sword without it getting easily knocked out of my hands. I suddenly know how terrible my posture and breathing during the last 17 hours have been and how to improve them.

All this and more fill my being and I am distinctly aware that there is still so much left for me to learn.

I feel small.

I don't know how long I laid there in the muck, but eventually, the entity deems that it has finished whatever it has done and I find my senses slowly returning to me.

Violated, is a word that could describe what I feel at this moment. But oh how it lacks to describe the jagged edges and cold dark bite of it, the manic visceral disgust that threatens to tear threw my throat in a desperate scream.

No, Violation does not do it justice at all.

even after I am once again fully aware of myself I continue to lay there in the dirt with my eyes squeezed shut as tears begin to flow from my eyes.

But this cruel, unthinking eldritch machine refuses to give me even the slightest moment to grieve as once again I hear the chyme of the larger screen demanding the attention of all of us.

All participants have chosen their classes

beginning transfer back to reality...

Notice: all subjects will be transferred to the environment that best promotes their continued growth

good luck. and may the heavens smile upon your journey.

And with that, a pale blue light begins to envelop me and presumably everyone else. Fear, grief, despair, these were the most prominent emotions I was feeling at this moment and as I begrudgingly climbed to my feet I got one last glimpse at the beautiful young woman from earlier, and what I see on her face I will remember for the rest of my life.

the sheer force of will displayed on her face is awe-inspiring, I can still catch hints of the same fear and despair that plagues me. But where I let those darker emotions fill me up until spite is all that keeps me moving forward.

She confronts them and moves despite them.

The distinction might be lost on others.

But for me, at this moment.

It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.

slowly, as this stranger that I will likely never meet again begins to fade within the light, A fire begins to fill my chest.

And for the first time since this nightmare began I look to my future, not with a mounting feeling of dread.

But with the resolution to take whatever horrors cross my path.

And cut their fucking throats.

That is right up until the blue light fades and I find myself standing near a cliff face overlooking over a desolate, frozen landscape that vaguely resembles what I imagine if you took northern Canada and the Himalayas and combined them with the ninth circle of hell from Dante's inferno.

hey, do you ever feel like you are cursed?