[ Level up ]
A semi-transparent dark blue screen with sharp white text materializes in front of Ethan.
[ Select Your Class To Proceed ]
[ Adventurer]
[ Alchemist ]
[ Mage ]
[ Merchant ]
[ Magic Engineer ]
Ethan: "What the hell is this?"
Ethan reaches for the screen, as the skin tugged and the pain from his injury came rushing back.
Ethan: "Ahhh!"
Dylan notices Ethan's wounds.
Dylan: "Wait here.I'll get the first aid kit!"
Dylan sprints to the living room.
Ethan leans on the table unable to take the pain.
He takes out a handkerchief to use as a makeshift bandage for his wound.
Ethan: "DID YOU FIND IT?"
Dylan comes rushing back with the first aid kit.
Dylan: "Ya. Show me your wound."
Dylan opens the first aid kit and takes a look at all of Ethan's injuries then tears open the antiseptic wipe and started to wipe the wounds on his face and hand.
Ethan stumbled back due to the pain.
Dylan: "Normally you are the one who does this..."
Ethan: "Yeah.."
Dylan starts wrapping bandages around his arm and wipes off the green blood.
Ethan looks at the screen in front of him.
Dylan: "Is something wrong?"
Ethan: "Huh?"
Dylan: "You seem distracted."
Ethan: "Weelll. There is a video game like screen in front of me. Can't you see?"
Dylan: "Nope."
Ethan: (So only I can see it)
Dylan: "Is it telling you to pick a class?"
Ethan: "Ya... How did you know?"
Dylan: "I have the same thing in front of me. It appeared after I killed the creature."
Ethan: "What?! You are telling me this now? And here I was thinking that I was the MC."
Dylan finishes bandaging all of Ethan's wounds.
Ethan stands back up and walks towards the dead creatures.
Ethan:"There is no way that blood is of a regular human. These creatures kind of resemble a goblin. I didn't notice this but their eyes are red."
Dylan: "Maybe these creatures just naturally have red eyes."
Ethan: "Well it's dead. Let's hope there aren't any more."
Ethan: "Now that I said that, there are probably like twenty more goblins waiting outside"
Ethan: "We should first deal with this screen. It's telling us to pick a class. Systems like these are usually to help out the MC sooo we should give it a try, what class options did you get?"
Dylan: "If you say so, my options are adventurer, monk, assasin and fighter."
Ethan: "I think I will go with mage, i don't know what adventurer even does and the others don't sound like combat classes. You can honestly go with either fighter or monk. It just comes down wether you want to beat up opponens with your fists or a weapon."
Dylan: "Why not assasin?"
Ethan: "I fucking hate assasins, always rushing in, trying to solo the entire enemy team and blame the healers when they die. Meanwhile when they are in the enemy team they turn on their ultra instinct and become impossible to hit and whe-"
Dylan: "Ok ok I get it, I won't pick assasin. I will go with fighter."
Ethan took a slow breath to steady himself.
Ethan: "Sure."
Ethan reaches out with his right hand to the screen and selects the 'mage' class.
Dylan reaches out with his hand and selects the 'fighter' class.
[ Are you sure you want the 'Mage' class ]
[ Yes ] [ No ]
Ethan reaches out with his hand and selects 'yes'. He closes his eyes, bracing himself.
As he slowly opens his eyes he looks at the screen.
[ Name: Ethan
Class: Mage
Race: Human
Level: 1
Exp: 0/100
Hp : 72/100
Strength : 7
Defence : 7
Intelligence : 15
Mana. : 11
Speed. : 9
Bonus points : 0
Skills: Mana blast
Race Skills: Stat distribution ]
Ethan: "Well.... that was anticlimactic."
Dylan: "What did you expect was gonna happen?"
Ethan: "...Forget it. According to the system my intelligence and mana is 15 and 11 and the others are below 10, what bout you?"
Dylan: "My attack and speed are 12 and 15, and defence, intelligence and mana are 10, 7 and 6."
Ethan: (Both of our stats add up to 50. Is it a coincidence?)
Dylan: "And I have this skill called 'Strike' and 'stat distribution'."
Ethan: "Let's try out our skills, it will probably come in handy if we run into more goblins. I'll go first"
Ethan turns towards the system, extends his hand and taps on 'Mana blast'. A new screen materializes instantly.
[ Mana blast:
Allows the user to shoot a focused burst
of condensed mana, which detonates on
impact. ]
Ethan:"On second thought, we should try this outside. I would rather risk fighting more goblins than blowing up our house."
Dylan nodded in approval.
Dylan stepped out of the kitchen, pushing aside the splintered remains of what had once been a sturdy door, letting the cold island air spill inside.
The hill around their house was covered in thick, uneven grass, swaying every time the ocean wind pushed through. Old stone paths broke apart under the moss, showing how long this part of the island had been forgotten. The air tasted like salt and damp earth. Without any other houses, the silence stretched far, broken only by gulls and crashing waves.
Dylan turned around to study the broken door, clicking his tongue in annoyance as the frame hangs crookedly in silence.
Dylan: (Now I'll have to buy a new door)
Meanwhile, Ethan moved towards the doorway but paused, looking back.
Ethan: (I should probably take this)
Ethan walked back and yanks the knife out of the goblin. He inspects the knife, turning it slightly in his hand.
Ethan: (I am never using this knife for cooking again)
Ethan walks towards the sink, keeps the knife in it and turns on the tap.
The water starts gushing out of the tap washing away the goblin blood.
Ethan turns off the tap, picks up his knife and follows Dylan out.
Ethan scanned the nearby area for a target. He spots a rock about 3 feet tall right next to the road.
Ethan points his hand towards the rock.
Ethan: "I'll use that rock as a target."
Ethan turns towards the system.
Ethan: "Now how do I activate this?"
Ethan reaches out with his hand and clicks on 'Mana blast'.
The screen which showed the spell description disappears.
Ethan: (Not that)
Ethan press the down on 'Mana blast' ...
and releases it.
The screen which showed the spell description pops up.
Ethan quickly double taps 'Mana blast'.
The spell description instantly disappears and pops back up.
Ethan clenched his fist and punched the system.
Ethan: "This system is FUCKING USELESS! If you can't activate ONE skill then just close"
The system instantly disappears.
Ethan: "Shit!"