New World Day 26

I stood there over the dead body of the hobgoblin panting like a runner who had just finished a marathon. I was covered in blood from over a dozen cuts of varying depth and seriousness. My shoulders slumped and my legs bent and quivered as if I might collapse at any moment. But there was no collapse. I forced my legs to straighten and rolled my shoulders back. I raised my head to the sky and roared. It was a roar of challenge and threat to the world at large, and for that moment nothing dared to challenge me. Not the python in the barn, the frog in the lake, or the hawk in the sky. In that moment, I was the undisputed ruler. A dragon claiming his territory.

I was elated and riding a high unlike any I had ever felt before. This was the high that people sought for all of their lives. A high that was like a wild mustang. If you held on through the kicking and bucking you could seize your dreams, but if you let go or were thrown off then it might just leave you broken and dying beneath its hooves.

I stood there on the roof savoring that feeling until the sun began to set. I could have stood there all night like that, but there was work to be done. Success was fleeting and if I wanted to feel that sensation again, I would have to put in the work.

I scoured the roof and gathered all of the weapons scattered about and tossed them in my parent’s bedroom. I moved on from there to pry out the mana stones from the corpses on the roof and around the house. The rune axe that once belonged to the hobgoblin made that a much simpler affair. The axe was heavier than it appeared and there was a static shock each time I touched it, but that incredible edge that had given me such a headache let me carve out mana stones with ease. My interactions with the goblins and hobgoblin drove my squeamishness far enough away that I took the mana stones from them as well. The hobgoblin’s was of a similar size to the mana stones I pulled from the goblins, but the inner glow was four times as strong.

I threw all of those in my parent’s bedroom as well before I moved on to disposing of the bodies. I dragged the two goblin corpses out of the second floor and rolled everything over the hill towards the Little Lake. I have to say that it was a disgusting affair prying the goblins off of the stakes. I did manage to find the wayward pistol while I was moving the corpses. It was muddy and nicked up, but it seemed to still be in working order. The only thing I kept from the corpses aside from the weapons and mana stones were a few slabs of meat from the forest coyotes. It wasn’t the most appetizing meat, but I intended to make some steaks for a celebration dinner.

The moon was beginning to peek out by the time I finished cleaning up everything outside. After I completed all of the outside chores, I closed all of the windows and doors and worked on the barriers. I did a few quick repairs to the first and second floor barriers. It took a little less than an hour to fix the damaged runes. I replaced the dull broken ones mana stones with the newly acquired mana ones and everything was back to working order. My last action before I settled down to cook some coyote steaks for dinner was to drag all of the weapons and remaining mana stones into the basement.

Safely ensconced in the basement, I broke out some of my favorite spices for the night’s dinner and sat down in front of the fire. My eyes were on the steaks sizzling away on the grate in the fire, but my mind focused on the System. I reached and passed by level 10 which allowed me to select a Job. There were four Jobs available to me with a brief summary for each Job.

4 Jobs are available!

Promising Adventurer (B) **: The user has shown all of the traits necessary to become an excellent adventurer. To become an adventurer, you need not only strength, fearlessness, and caution but also a certain amount of recklessness. The key to being a great adventurer is knowing how balance the recklessness with the cautiousness. Those who possess this Job gain extra Job experience by exploring the world.

Job Skills: Heavy Strike, Danger Sense

Job Stats: Endurance, Strength, Speed

Fool © **: The user has shown all of the traits necessary to become a true fool. A fool is not only someone who does foolish things, but also someone who can fool others. Accomplished fools can even fool themselves into believing things that aren’t true. Those who possess this Job gain extra Job experience by tricking others.

Job Skills: Trick, Camouflage

Job Stats: Endurance, Strength, Speed, Agility

Aspiring Mana Warrior (UC) ***: The user has shown all of the traits necessary to walk the path of a mana warrior. Mana warriors manipulate mana as easily as breathing and mix that mana into every action and attack. As their skills grow, they become capable of astonishing feats of magic. Those who possess this Job gain extra Job experience by using mana while in combat.

Job Skills: Mana Shield, Mana Strike, Weapon Enhancement

Job Stats: Endurance, Strength, Speed, Agility, Spirit

Amateur Chronicler (B) *****: The user has shown all of the traits necessary to walk the path of a Chronicler. Chroniclers are those who record the tales of the world around them including all of the creatures and people within that world. Chroniclers of the highest rank are known as walking libraries, and that vast knowledge gives them access to a myriad of different and powerful abilities. Depending on how they use their knowledge, they are feared and/or respected across the universe. Those who possess this Job gain extra Job experience by recording their knowledge and experiences in some form that allows them to be passed on to others.

Job Skills: Flawless Memory, Quick Thinking

Job Stats: Endurance, Spirit, Mind (Mind Stat unlocked for users who haven’t yet unlocked it.)

I examined the four jobs and didn’t make a quick decision on which one I would choose. Each of them were interesting in their own way, and I made sure to write down everything about them in my journals. I couldn’t be sure if the information for all of the Jobs would still be available once I picked one of them. A strong spicy aroma drifted through the garage as I thought over the best Job to take. I crossed off the Promising Adventurer and the Fool Jobs from the list first. I liked the idea of the Danger Sense and Camouflage skills, but the Aspiring Mana Warrior Job gave multiple skills that I needed and boosted more stats. The only thing that made me hesitate in picking the Aspiring Mana Warrior Job was the description for the Amateur Chronicler. That Job was of the highest rarity and the description was longer and more detailed than any of the other three. The second to last sentence stuck in my mind. Feared and/or respected across the universe. That was a heavy line. That line and the five star rarity implied to me that it was a Job of incredible power and potential. I couldn’t decide between it and the Aspiring Mana Warrior Job. Should I choose immediate strength or long term potential?

I was still debating which Job was the right choice even as I devoured the coyote steaks. They were delicious though not as good as the crayfish tails, but my mind was occupied by the war over which Job I should pick. After I ate, I retired to the bedroom and updated all of my journals. That habit was undoubtedly responsible for the Amateur Chronicler Job appearing for me. I had never thought about taking such a path in my life, but I found that I enjoyed it. I loved encountering and learning new things, and the actual writing relaxed and centered me. As those thoughts floated through my mind, I made my decision.

Name: Jason Silver

Job Name: Amateur Chronicler

LVL:11 27%

Job LVL: 1 0%

Job Points:

N/A

*****

0

Titles:

Survivor © LVL 3 13%

Fool © LVL 1 82%

Horde Killer © LVL 1 79%

Beast Killer © LVL 1 85%

Risk Taker © LVL 1 44%

Repeated Risk Taker © LVL 9 92%

Compassionate Fool © LVL 5 26%

Curious Fool © LVL 5 97%

Stupid Fool © LVL 7 96%

Extremely Stubborn Fool © LVL 5 22%

Greater Mana Wielder ® LVL N/A

Title Points:

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*****

16

Stats:

HP:

MP:

Mana Regen:

Endurance:

Strength:

Speed:

Agility:

Spirit:

Mind:

Bonus Points:

42/170

126/126

22 per min (-2.75)

21

18

18

10

40

1

15

Status Effects:

Regen, Spirit Regen, Disease Resist, Parasite Resist,

Poison Resist, Wounds x18

Skills:

Beginner Axe Mastery © LVL 1 76%

Basic Gun Mastery (B) LVL 7 63%

Lesser Regen (Passive) (UC) LVL 1 91%

Basic Regen (Active) (B) LVL 1 0%

Minor Spirit Regen (Passive) © LVL 9 85%

Minor Disease Resist (Passive) © LVL 1 73%

Minor Parasite Resist (Passive) © LVL 1 79%

Minor Poison Resist (Passive) © LVL 1 45%

Lesser Mana Control (UC) LVL 1 75%

Greater Mana Vein (Passive) ® LVL 1 0%

Flexible Mana Lake (Passive) (B) LVL 6 91%

Pain Control (B) LVL 6 18%

Fear Control (B) LVL 5 63%

Beginner Close Combat Footwork (Active) © LVL 3 8%

Beginner Ranged Combat Footwork (Active) © LVL 2 96%

Beginner Barrier Runes (Active) © LVL 4 14%

Minor Mana Enhancement (Active) © LVL 4 61%

Minor Mana Vision (Active) © LVL 3 87%

Flawless Memory (Passive) (B)

Quick Thinking (Active) (B)

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