Chapter 4 – Level 1: Survivor Class Unlocked
"Power is nothing without precision. And you're starting to choose your stats."
—
Harry didn't know what woke him that morning.
Not the sound of a cupboard door. Not a kick to the ribs. Just a feeling — like a thread being tugged behind his eyes.
He blinked. Light filtered in through the cupboard slats, but it wasn't bright. Just dull grey.
Something hovered in the air above him, pale blue and waiting.
Ding.
[Level Up: You have reached Level 2]
Stat Points to Distribute: 3
Perk Slot Available: Choose One
He blinked again, just to be sure he was awake.
Level 2.
It had taken weeks. Dozens of tasks. Pain. Focus. Tricks. Training. More pain.
And now… a reward.
He sat up slowly and pulled the screen closer with his mind's focus — he didn't know how else to describe it. The blue glow responded, shifting to reveal:
[STAT POINTS AVAILABLE – 3]
Distribute carefully. Stats influence success chance, conversation options, skill gains, and quest outcomes.
Current Stats:
Strength: 3
Endurance: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 4
Willpower: 5
Charisma: 2
Luck: ???
Harry frowned.
Charisma wasn't worth investing in. Not in this house. Luck was a mystery. And Strength still felt... shallow. Useful, but not where he shined.
After several long minutes, he made his choices:
+1 Endurance → Survivability
+1 Intelligence → More info, better skill synergy
+1 Willpower → The core of his playstyle
[STAT UPDATE]
Endurance → 5
Intelligence → 5
Willpower → 6
Another window appeared below:
[Choose One: Level 2 Perk]
1. Pain-for-Gain – +10% XP when injured
2. Efficient Learner – +5% XP to Intelligence-based skills
3. Low Profile – -10% Detection from adults
[Recommended: Pain-for-Gain]
He stared at it.
Perks. Permanent bonuses.
"Efficient Learner" was safe. But Harry didn't win by playing safe.
Pain was a resource. He knew it better than most.
He chose.
[Perk Acquired: Pain-for-Gain]
XP from physical damage increased by 10%
(Passive ability – always active)
He exhaled. Not relief. Confirmation.
He was building something now. Piece by piece.
—
After the Perk selection, the air in the cupboard shifted. The System shimmered again — not an alert this time. A kind of reveal.
The screen pulled back, organizing itself into something new:
[Class Tree Unlocked]
Root Class: Survivor
Branches: ??? (3 Locked)
Confirm Class Selection?
Warning: Class trees determine long-term bonuses and skill affinities.
He scanned the description under "Survivor."
You endure where others collapse. XP bonuses to Endure, Stealth, Observation, Survival, and Crafting. Unique passives unlocked through hardship. You gain power from persistence, not privilege.
That sounded like him.
Still, he hesitated. What if there was a better option later? What if he locked himself out of something bigger?
Then again… better to have something earned than nothing imagined.
Confirm.
[Class Confirmed: Survivor]
Trait Gained: Adaptable (Passive)
- XP bonus for first-time actions
- 5% resistance to environmental debuffs (Cold, Hunger, Fatigue)
Skill Tree Adjusted to Survivor-Affinity Growth.
"Adaptable," he murmured aloud. "I'll take that."
He checked his Quest Log — no changes yet. But something new shimmered faintly in the corner of the screen. A faded tab labeled:
[Class Perks – 0/3 Discovered]
He touched it. Locked for now.
But not forever.
He leaned back against the shelf, pulled the sock of tools onto his lap, and whispered to himself:
"One class down."
—
That night, the sky cracked open with thunder.
Harry was dreaming of map fragments and invisible doors when the bang on the front door shook the house.
"Who's that at this hour?" Petunia's shriek bounced off the walls.
Harry's breath caught. Something tingled in his bones. Not magic. Not fear. Something… Systemic.
Then came the voice. Loud. Familiar. Wrong.
"Harry Potter? Got somethin' for yeh!"
Hagrid.
Harry sat bolt upright.
He opened the System reflexively.
[Faction Detected: Hogwarts – Alignment Available]
[Major Questline Triggered: The Magical World]
The letters shimmered gold instead of blue.
Gold meant importance. Or danger.
He crept from the cupboard door, listened to the words exchanged — Hagrid growling about letters, Petunia screeching, Vernon shouting.
And all the while, message after message began to queue in the background:
[Main Questline Branch Added: Magical Education – Hogwarts]
[Sub-Quest Available: Acquire Wand]
[Sub-Quest Available: Learn First Spell]
[Sub-Quest Available: Hogwarts Resource Prep (0/2)]
By the time Hagrid ducked his way into the hallway — eyes locked on Harry — the System offered one final message:
[Cutscene Event – Limited Player Choice]
Observe Recommended
—
After Hagrid's departure — and Vernon's near-fainting rage — the house went eerily quiet.
Harry sat in the cupboard with a thick envelope in his hand, a glowing new interface tab pulsing at the top of his screen.
[Inventory – Unlocked]
Inside:
- Hogwarts Letter (Key Item)
- Permission Slip (Bound to Questline)
- 7 XP from Dialogue Observation
- Hidden Perk Progress: "Magical Theory – 4%"
He scrolled slowly.
The cupboard was still cold. But his world had already changed.
He checked his tools — now a stash in the System's "Inventory (Local Only)." He could hide items here — for now, only five slots.
He set aside everything but the wand diagram Hagrid had shown him.
He focused.
Observe.
[Wand Blueprint – Ollivanders Original]
Use: Key to Spellcasting
Core Traits: Synchronicity, Focus, Feedback
Note: Wand selection will directly affect skill growth tree.
Bonus: First Wand = Permanent Magical Affinity Link
His fingers trembled slightly.
He wasn't scared. Not anymore.
He was preparing.
The cupboard wasn't his world now. It was just base camp.
And Hogwarts?
That was the next dungeon.
—
End of Chapter 4.