James walked into the room and sat down at the table, placing the backpack on the floor. Rocko moved to the other chair, but instead of climbing into it, he walked up the wall and stepped onto the table.

"Neat trick," James said with a smile.

Rocko sat down and watched James, "I know I keep asking this, but are you alright?"

James nodded, "I will be. I just need a bit of downtime. In my previous job, we were specially trained to deal with combat stress and the stress of captivity and torture. But it still requires a bit of time to process."

Rocko nodded sagely and used a clawed hand to rub his face. "I am going to get some rest and something to eat. I recommend you do the same. If it is alright with you, we can deal with choosing your class when you get up."

James looked over at the bed and agreed. "I just realized that I have been in this hybrid Weretiger form the entire time I have been here. How do I shift to a different form?"

"All you need to do is concentrate on the form you want to take. The magic should do the rest."

"Magic? How does that work if I am immune." James asked.

"I may have used the wrong word. There are many different types of magic. You could argue that getting levels and increasing your Attributes is like magic. But the immunity you have is geared towards spells and spell-like effects. I also remember reading somewhere that the 'magic' within your body is not the same 'magic' that affects the world around you. It is your internal magic that is facilitating the change to your body. If you want, I can do some research on it while I am away and let you know.?"

James shrugged, "Reminds me of 'handwavium.' It doesn't matter how it works, just so long as it does."

"I disagree with that, James, and I would advise against you thinking that way too. If you have any chance to win, you need to know exactly your limitations and how to maximize your advantages."

James smiled and stood up, "You're right. I guess I am just tired." James pictures himself in his human shape. The only form he was familiar with was his body for his entire life. James focused on his hands, starting small, but nothing seemed to change. He did notice that there was a tug in his gut. But he could not figure out what it was or what it meant.

"I can't change. Not even my hands." James complained.

"I don't think you can do the change a piece at a time. It is all or nothing," Rocko offered.

James pictured his old body and focused on that image, willing his body to change. The feeling in his gut intensified before he felt it release. Suddenly, his body spasmed. Stumbling, he took a step to regain his balance and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Looking down at these hands, he noticed that they were the same hands he had had. He even had the scar on his knuckle from a wound years ago.

Walking over to the bed, he lay down. It was then that he noticed that he was still only wearing the loincloth. Not caring, he pulled the blanket over himself and shut his eyes, "Night."

Rocko watched James for a few minutes and was pleased when James fell asleep. With a tired sigh, he faded away.

*****************

James woke with a start. Normally, he would have jumped out of bed, but he seemed to realize where he was this time. Looking around the room, he noted that nothing had changed. The room was dark, but this Darkvision appeared to give him enough ability to see everything in the room. Getting out of bed, he looked around for the chamber pot.

As soon as he stood up, the lights in the room came on. They started dim and brightened over 30 seconds. Under the bed, James found what he was looking for and spent a few minutes taking care of his bodily needs. After washing up at the basin, he moved to the table and grabbed the last ration from the backpack. James wanted to eat it all, but he knew that it was the last ration, and he was unsure when he would find more food. He thought about the rats and wondered if he could eat them in his feline form. The thought of eating rat guts and fur didn't help his appetite. He had eaten a lot of gross food in his time outside of the wire but never rats.

When he finished half the ration, he wrapped up the remainder and put it back in the backpack. Rocko faded into view right where he had been sitting the night before.

"How was your sleep," Rocko asked.

"Better than expected," James said. "I can sense something different about this room. A sense of serenity or calm."

"That is why it is called a safe room. It has a soothing effect on the body and the mind." Rocko explained.

"How was your sleep?"

Rocko smiled, "I slept like a rock."

James chuckled at that. "So, Classes."

"Yes," Rocko started, "There are three things that you need to remember about classes. The first thing is the rarity. They go from Common, Uncommon, Rare, Ultra Rare and Unique. The second thing is the order that you are going to get is with the most compatible class first. That may not be the rarest, but the one that the system feels you are most compatible with."

"The system?" James interrupted.

"Yes, the system. It is what governs the rules that are used during the competition."

James just blinked a few times. This was a little more than he could fathom, so he decided to move on, "And the third thing to remember?"

"You will see some classes that are greyed out. If you need 10 luck and only have 8, it will show that you are missing 2 luck. You will need to add the missing points to your Attributes in order to meet the class requirements."

"Makes sense, Select Class," James said aloud. A list of classes appeared before him. The list was long and went on for a while. Most of the classes are stupid. There was Farmer, Labourer, Guard, Rogue, etc. The classes were also different colours. Moving back to the top, James looked at the top four classes. The first one was Andian Skirmisher (Back Attack 2) in red, Doombringer (Willpower 4) in white, Etherian Warrior (Dexterity 4, Intelligence 2, Melee - Unarmed 3) in purple, Power Brawler (Strength 8) in blue. All four were greyed out.

James conveyed this information to Rocko.

"The colour refers to the rarity. Blue is Uncommon, red is Rare, purple is Ultra Rare, and white is Unique. Selecting the class will give you a description, prerequisites, bonuses, and advancement details. Can you read them to me?"

James looked at the first one and started reading the details to Rocko.

Name:

Andian Skirmisher

Rarity:

Rare

Description:

The Andians are nomadic Weretigers who lived on the Escot Plains. They are excellent hunter and the skirmishers of their race excel in ambush tactics.

Prerequisite:

Race: Weretiger, Agility 10, Dexterity 10, Back Attack 5, Dodge 5, Stealth 5, Unarmed Combat 5

Bonuses:

Detect Traps 1

Back Attack may exceed Intelligence Limit by 50%

Dodge may exceed Intelligence Limit by 50%

Stealth may exceed Intelligence Limit by 50%

Advancement:

Agility +1

Dexterity +1

+2 Free Attribute Points

+1 Skill Point

Name:

Doombringer

Rarity:

Unique

Description:

There is a prophecy that says that a being from another world will bring death and destruction down from the sky while riding a bolt of lightning. This being will reshape the world to his will and it will be forever changed.

Prerequisite:

Otherworlder, Magic Immunity 5,

Bonuses:

None

Advancement:

All Attributes +1

+2 Skill Point

Name:

Power Brawler

Rarity:

Uncommon

Description:

Power Brawlers kill their enemies with their bare hands and brute strength. They have no fear and willing battle creatures that are more than 10 level above them.

Prerequisite:

Strength 20, Endurance 20, Melee – Unarmed 5, Kill more than one creature (solo), that is more than 10 levels higher than themselves.

Bonuses:

Toughness 1

Melee - Unarmed may exceed Intelligence Limit by 50%

Advancement:

Strength +1

Endurance +1

+2 Free Attribute Points

+1 Skill Point

Name:

Etherian Warrior

Rarity:

Ultra Rare

Description:

The Etherians were a race of nomadic people who lived in the harsh environment of the Eldar Steepes. Their Empire fell to ruin long ago and with it, their vast knowledge of Unarmed Combat.

Prerequisite:

Strength 10, Agility 15, Dexterity 10, Endurance 10, Dodge 5, Melee – Unarmed 10,

Bonuses:

Deflection 1

Meditation 1

Melee – Unarmed may exceed Intelligence Limit by 100%

Dodge may exceed Intelligence Limit by 50%

Advancement:

Strength +1

Dexterity +1

Willpower +1

+2 Free Attribute Points

+1 Skill Point

"It is interesting that Doombringer is Unique," Rocko commented.

"Not something I am interested in. The Advancement is nice, but I have enough to worry about without adding some prophecy."

"It looks like the first one and the third one are similar, but one appears more direct, the other more Stealth orientated.

"The job I had before was like that. We worked as a team to strike at targets from Ambush and Stealth. It explains why the skirmisher is definitely at the top of the list. But I keep looking at the warrior. I am not sure, but it is interesting.

"Why?" Rocko asked.

"Not sure. It reminds me of something from back home called Eastern Martial Arts. They are considered to be the elite of unarmed combat.

"Did you not mention that you were part of an elite team?" Rocko inquired.

"Yes, but we did not attack from close unless we had to. Most of our attacks were from range. Killing the enemy before they had a chance to notice we were there." James explained.

"I see. The skirmisher does not have a melee bonus. This is primarily because they may rely on a variety of weapons other than the unarmed skill.

"I figured that unarmed combat would be the Weretiger's go-to skill. Why rely on weapons when your body is a weapon.

"That is true at lower levels, but you must understand that your hands will not be able to convey special attacks or effect creatures, like yourself, who are immune to physical damage. How would you do against a group of weretigers?" Rocko asked.

"Not well. I think that we would just hit each other and have no effect."

"That is why they use magical weapons more than unarmed."

"Do you think I should be shifting my focus to a weapon? I do have daggers, a staff and swords.

"I can not offer you any advice. I can only explain your options." Rocko reiterated.

James sighed, "I think that the skirmisher is the safer bet because the class is not restricted to a specific weapon, but the Warrior allows Melee - Unarmed to be up to 100% higher. And, even if I need to use a magic dagger or something, my skill in that weapon would be no higher than the skill with skirmisher. The Warrior class offers more Attributes, but the skirmisher may have higher survivability due to their skill in Stealth and Back Attack. The last thing that I find interesting is the bonus to Willpower. Why do you think that is?"

"Willpower gives bonuses to resistance and your total Mana, which you can't access."

"What if I picked up an Advantage that allowed me to use my Mana, regardless of having Magic Immunity."

"I would have to look to see if such an Advantage exists, but I have not heard of such a thing.

"So, specialize or generalize?" James asked.

Rocko just smiled.

"What do you know about the Etherians?

"The description that you read to me is the sum of my knowledge. If they walked this world, it was thousands of years ago.

"If it was thousands of years ago, why would their name still be associated with a class? Would it not change to something else?

"The naming of the classes is the providence of the gods. They have a method, or so I am told." Rocko explained.

James stared at the table, his mind racing. The two options seemed comparable, but the skirmisher had similarities with his previous job. He did tell Ignatius to let him do his job and for him to rely on his skills. That said, there was no reason why he could not take the bonuses from one and have the skills of the other. The question was, which bonuses would help him the most.

"Before you decide," Rocko said, "I will get more information on the Etherians."

"Is this you offering advice?" James said with a smirk.

"Not really. I am just reminding you that I said I would get information the Etherians earlier."

"Do you think that would make a difference?" James asked, confused.

Rocko just shrugged, " I think it is unreasonable to decide your class without all the information available."

"Then do you think we should get more information on the Prophecy?"

"You seemed rather intent in not being involved with the Prophecy."

"I am currently tied to a Deity who does not want to fall below the threshold of 500. I think that adding some Prophecy to my troubles will make me fail both goals."

"Give me an hour," Rocko said as he faded.

************

James spent the hour doing some exercises. He still had problems with his body. James was not able to move as smoothly as he used to. Fortunately, instinct seemed to take over in combat, and his actions were more precise. He also decided to try out his tiger form. James had to admit that the tiger form was his favourite. The pure grace and power that the form held was intoxicating.

James was sure that it was more than an hour later that Rocko reappeared, but he would not quibble over it if he had some helpful information.

"I did some research on several different topics of concern. The first is with regards to the Prophecy." Rocko started.

James had shifted into his human form and sat down at the table.

"There have been three Champions who were said to have had a Prophecy in the past. Each one died soon after, and none lasted long enough to get an Amulet. From what I read, selecting the Class with the Prophecy starts several events which quickly overwhelm the Champion and cause them to fail. Both the in regards to the Prophecy and regards to the challenge."

"Not a big surprise there. It would be like painting a bullseye on my back," James said.

"That is a reference I got," Rocko said with a smile. "Regarding the Andian Skirmishers, I found that there were many references as it is a class that is still popular and used often. The Class has a few branches at the 20th level. They can Specialize in Assassin, Night Blade or Dark Blade. I think Dark Blade will be excluded because it grants you magic. "

"Why is the class so popular?" James asked.

"Many of the Champions who are bound to the Lesser Deities tend to take a Race that has physical immunity. Many of those like Weretiger because of how successful they are at levelling and survivability at the start of the challenge."

"I am confused," James said, "I thought you said that my progress was unusual."

"It is. Not as many of the Champions do it anymore," Rocko explained.

"Why is that?"

"The Race is perfect for getting a quick start. You can see for yourself that you got 5 levels in one day. You will most likely reach level 10 in two more days and level 15 in about a month. Depending on your determination, you may be able to do it quicker."

"What is wrong with the Race at the higher levels?" James asked.

"It is an advantage that goes away at level 20 when they are forced to use a magical weapon like everyone else, and the creatures they fight start damaging them."

"I am sorry, I don't understand. Why are creatures now doing damage to them?" James asked.

"Most creatures over level 20 start having an ability which allows them to do damage to creatures that are immune to physical damage."

"I am still not seeing the disadvantage. A quicker start at the beginning is great. What am I missing?"

Rocko frowned, "I guess it was not explained to you when we were in the Avatar Creation room, but Races get a set number of Attribute points based on their Rarity. Weretigers are listed as Uncommon. As such, they only get three Attribute points per level. Then after level 5, the get 1 bonus Attribute point per level. The Raksasha Race got 5 free Attribute points per level and 3 bonus Attribute points per level added to their Class after level 5."

"Wow. I might have gone with them if I had known about the difference in free Attributes." James was not pleased. He supposed that it was inevitable, considering his lack of knowledge. This type of error James had hoped to avoid. His next major decision was regarding Class, and he needed to be informed. "What else did you find out?"

"Most of the Classes are uncommon, but the Skirmisher is Rare because of the number of bonuses," Rocko concluded.

"What about the Etherians?" James asked, reaching into the backpack for his canteen of water.

"This was more limited. I did find a couple of references to the culture, but not much regarding the specifics to the Class. Something that I did find that was interesting was that many of the Etherian Classes used something called Nen."

"Which is?"

"Not sure. I read several different descriptions of what it is, and from what I can gather, it has to do with internal energy."

"Where I am from, we have something similar. We call it many names; Chi, Ki, and Chakra are the most common. If the Class Etherian Warrior opens up into being able to use this Nen, then perhaps it would be worth taking instead of the Skirmisher."

"As it stands now, you still have the limitation on using magic. If you can use internal energy and your Magic Immunity does not restrict it, this may be a huge boon. If it is restricted, then it may be a waste."

James shook his head, "Because the Class is Ultra Rare and it has the Skill Meditation and the Attribute bonus to Willpower every level, I think it may be leaning that way. If Nen is considered to be magic and I cannot use it, is there an Advantage I can get that would allow me to have access?"

"I did look into that, as promised. Just so you know, starting at level 6, you will start getting 10 Advantage points. These points can be spent at any time to buy Advantages. It would be best if you were very careful because they can not be refunded, and it is easy to get lost in the hundreds of options that would become available to you," Rocko explained.

"Okay, what did you find out?"

"You have the option to allow certain spells through the Immunity. You may spend points to allow Potions, Scrolls, friendly Enchanted Items, your Spells, or ally's Spells through the Immunity. Each one is 20 points or 100 points for all five, per tier."

"Son of a bitch, that's expensive," James exclaimed. He had spent 100 points per tier for his Magic Immunity. This would double the cost!

"Yes."

"How do the tiers of magic work? What would be considered a tier 1 magic?" James asked.

"Magic is broken down into Common, Uncommon, Rare, Ultra Rare, Celestial and Divine. The first four Tiers also reflect the level of the magic."

"If I have a chance at getting magic, even if it is weaker than most, and remain Magic Immune, I need to take it. I want to select Etherian Warrior."

Rocko nodded.

James used 6 of his Unspent Attribute Points increase his Dexterity by 4 and Intelligence by 2, and 3 of his Unspent Skill Points to increase his Melee - Unarmed, and then selected Etherian Warrior.

**********

Dexterity +2

Intelligence +2

Melee - Unarmed +3

**********

With that done, he examined his new Status Screen.

* Attributes Modified by form shown as [ ]:

Name: James Gleason Race: Weretiger Class: Etherian Warrior Specialization: Level: 5 XP to next level: 60.00% Armour Rating: 8 Age: 42 Health: 285 Unarmed Damage: 23 [22] Stamina: 110 Claw Damage: 26 Mana: 210 Bite Damage: 24 Attributes: Unspent Attribute Pts: 2 Strength 13 [12] Agility 16 [14] Dexterity 17 [15] Endurance 17 Willpower 16 [17] Intelligence 10 [11] Charm 4 [5] Luck 10 Skills: Unspent Skill Pts: 1 Analyze 5 Back Attack 3 Detect Traps 1 Deflection 1 Dodge 6 Inspect 2 Meditation 1 Melee- Unarmed 10 Stealth 6 Unspent Advantage Pts 0