Soon enough, the pain of his wounds began to fade, leaving him to grapple with the emotional trauma of what he had done. When he had killed the hyena-like creature, he hadn’t really felt much other than relief. Maybe that was kind of racist, or was that specist? But killing these two men had been totally different. He had still been fighting for his life but these were people that he had just killed. Sure, it was in self defense, but their blood was still on his hands. Was he a murderer now? Had this harsh world changed him in some way that he hadn’t even let the second bandit live after he was effectively neutralized? Despair and regret overtook him and he simply wept.

  An unknowable amount of time later, Xander finally uncurled from his ball and shakily got to his feet. He felt wrung out by the experience, but it was unsafe to just lie there all day. A quick check of his body revealed that once again his wounds had been totally erased, not even leaving a scar on his pale green skin. Two dead bodies, multiple system windows, and a now overgrown vine bulging out of a gnoll skeleton all waited patiently for his attention after that. Wanting a distraction, he focused on the windows first.

  

  You have killed a Human Thug (Level 13). For defeating an enemy 9 levels higher than yourself you receive an experience multiplier.

  You have killed a Human Farmer (Level 9). For defeating an enemy 5 levels higher than yourself you receive an experience multiplier.

  You have reached level 5. Two stat points awarded, one class choice awarded.

  You have reached level 6. Two stat points awarded, one advancement awarded.

  New Achievement: Underleveled, Not Underpowered.

  You proved that numbers aren’t everything by defeating two or more opponents at the same time who each had higher levels than you without assistance.

  Reward: Two stat points and one advancement.

  Xander gawked at the windows for a moment, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. “Are you kidding me? That guy was level 13?” he said with surprise written all over his face. He wasn’t a fighter, but the bandit hadn’t seemed particularly skilled or anything. The man had seemed fairly accurate with his bow, and his downward chop had been enough to cut deeply into bone, but then he had been killed in a single blow. Xander remembered how he had also been stabbed in the chest with the exact same spear and had lived through it.

  And that was when it struck him. Yes, he had lived through a similar hit, but he wasn’t actually human anymore, he had become a dryad through the process of reincarnation. That thought nearly caused him to shut down again, but he shook his head and forced himself to stay focused. He needed to know more about dryads, because clearly there was something strange going on with how his body functioned. He had been pierced right through his center of mass and hadn’t died immediately, could even still breathe and function. He hadn’t eaten in days… well… months actually, yet he wasn’t hungry. And he figured the stress and blood would have made him throw up, but he hadn’t felt the slight bit nauseated. Hopefully he could find some more reasonable people to talk to and figure out what the hell was going on.

  Xander had a sudden pang of loss, wishing that he could just take out his phone and look up the information in a matter of seconds. The ache wasn’t only from the loss of the internet though, it was also because the desire reminded him of the world that he had lost. He had died accidentally to a vending machine of all things, and his parents and siblings would have to go through terrible grief. Well, his father would be upset anyways, his mother probably wouldn’t give a damn. Josie and Nate though, he already missed them. Xander had thought that getting away from the brats and his parents by going to college was amazing, but now that he was stuck in another world the only thing he really wanted was to see them again. He also wanted to see his friends from college for that matter.

  Tears prickled at his eyes, and he wiped at them with a grimace. He still was just standing in the middle of nowhere off to the side of a road, so for now he needed to figure out how to survive in this ludicrous world. And to do that he needed to get stronger. This was the second time in as many days that he had been brutally attacked and nearly killed.

  Looking back at his status disk, he had six stat points, two advancements, and a class to pick. If the system behaved anything like the games he had played back on Earth, then it might be better to see what the available classes were like before he spent his stat points or advancements. Thinking about the class selection brought up another information disk.

  

  Congratulations on reaching level 5! You are now eligible to select a class. Class availability is determined by your race, soul affinity, skills, knowledge, and achievements. Additional classes or class evolutions may become available at higher levels depending on the previous factors. Would you like to select your class now?

  Xander really hadn’t expected the system to be so forthcoming with its information, though he supposed it didn’t really get into the specifics either. He thought at the question and a bevy of new windows opened in a cascade across his vision.

  

  Grove Tender:

  Requirements: Be a dryad.

  Grove Tenders are the most common class of Dryad. Very protective of their trees, these dryads work alone or in small groups to nurture their forests and make sure that their grove is healthy and safe.

  Class Features: One new spell selection, one bonus advancement to Nurture Vegetation.

  Xander shook his head. It sounded like this class would be pretty tied down and restricted, neither of which was something he wanted. Luckily there were more options available.

  

  Druid Initiate:

  Requirements: Nature Affinity (50+), Knowledge related to nature.

  Druid Initiates have studied information on plants, animals, and have started building a working knowledge of natural phenomena. Their studies and desires often increasingly align their souls with the magnificent workings of life and the elements as time goes on.

  Class Features: Bonus to Magic Resonance, One new spell selection, Animal Companion feature.

  The availability of the Druid Initiate class was a bit confusing to him considering how much it talked about needing to study nature. He had gone walking in the woods looking for bones for his projects a few times, but he certainly hadn’t been in school for anything related to the environment. Maybe watching the Discovery channel as a kid had something to do with it? He was unsure, but it didn’t sound much more appealing than Grove Tender did.

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  Osteomancer Initiate:

  Requirements: Knowledge related to bones, Create an implement from bones.

  Sometimes mistaken for Necromancers, Osteomancer Initiates are drawn to bones like moths to flame. They can begin bending bones to their various needs from making them into tools to modifying their own skeletons.

  Class Features: One new spell selection, Reinforced Bones feature.

  Xander had to admit that this one sounded really cool. He had always loved the dark and gothic, and this world seemed determined to give him the requisite supplies. Unfortunately, the bones he would be using for the class would most likely come from creatures… and people… that he would kill personally. It took a bit of effort not to spiral down into another negative headspace again at that idea, but he managed it. Still, if nothing better came along, then this would definitely be his choice, even if it might make people uncomfortable. He also had a growing suspicion that his knowledge from Earth was satisfying these class requirements with a lot more ease than someone born here would find normal. Television and the Internet were OP, but he had a couple more options to look over.

  

  Apprentice Artisan:

  Requirements: In depth knowledge about one or more arts, have created 10 or more art objects.

  Elegant and beautiful, or evocative and thought provoking, the works of artisans can be seen all over the world. If they find the right patron their days can be devoted to their passion and their name might eventually be known across the lands.

  Class Features: Bonuses to Insight and Intellect, Skill specialization in one field of art.

  Well, he really shouldn’t have been too surprised to see this option here. This class was the first option that didn’t seem to have any type of magic associated with it, but it certainly did fit in with his past life. He shook his head. There was nothing saying that he couldn’t do some art on the side, but if he wanted to survive and possibly make it home one day, this probably wouldn’t help very much. There were only two more options to go, and the next one already sounded interesting.

  

  Gaellus’s Avenger:

  Requirements: Kill two or more creatures trying to do harm to a natural entity while outmatched.

  Many view those with a nature affinity as being peaceful and weak, but the same can not be said of an Avenger. No mercy will be given to those who would abuse nature for their own gain, and their souls will be returned to the Cycle by your hand.

  Class Features: One new spell selection, Bonuses to Strength, Agility, Resilience, and Regeneration.

  “Daammnnnnn…” Xander breathed in appreciation. The class sounded kind of violent, but the bonuses to every physical aspect were simply mouthwatering, and it even came with a spell selection as well! If he was looking for a class to help him survive combat, this one seemed almost tailor made. He nearly picked it on the spot, but there was only one more class to go, and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at that one first.

  

  Reclamation Mage (Unique):

  Requirements: Be Alexander Petrov, Have memories from your previous life, Overcome unusual adversity.

  Xander felt like he had just been punched in the gut. “Wh… wh… what the actual fuck…” he whispered, reading the words over and over again. Chills went up and down his spine, and he wrapped his arms around himself, heedless of the odd shape of his new body as his mind reeled. He had assumed that the system was totally impersonal, just some kind of automatic program or magic or whatever that governed things here. Now… now he wasn’t so sure. It called this class ‘Unique’ and referred to him by name, as if it had crafted this option for him and him alone. The floating information disk kept rotating back to the beginning over and over like a broken record as he re-read the words again and again. “Get it together man…” he mumbled to himself eventually, before straightening up and reading the whole thing again.

  

  Reclamation Mage (Unique):

  Requirements: Be Alexander Petrov, Have memories from your previous life, Overcome unusual adversity.

  Finding yourself reincarnated in a new world, you resolved to do whatever was necessary to survive. Facing down woodsmen, gnolls, and bandits, you persevered by using abilities new and old; fusing them together into something uniquely your own style. This class is likewise a unique combination of other classes with a focus on using nature and discarded remnants, whether that be weapons, bones, or memories.

  Class Features: One new Druid spell, One new Osteomancer spell, Reclamation feature.

  At a complete loss for words, Xander sat down heavily on the ground and stared at the screen. His thoughts churned as he tried, and failed, to fathom just what was going on here. Going back to his arrival in this world, he replayed everything the system had told him. What he kept coming back to was the notion that there were beings of unfathomable power here. The system itself was the most obvious example of this, but it had mentioned that he didn’t have a sponsor so his reincarnation had been more or less at random. Follow the logic backwards and that meant there were people, or beings that could guide and perhaps manipulate souls. Even the Avenger class had mentioned returning souls to ‘the Cycle’, which he assumed meant the cycle of reincarnation.

  A small smile tweaked the corner of his lips. He had never been one to believe in such things as God or life after death in any form, but here he was, experiencing his second life in a world that had magic. His eyes drifted over the corpses of the two men he had killed to survive, and something else clicked for him. Yes, they were dead at his hands, but he now knew that they would be born again. Probably without their memories, but it still made him feel just a little bit better to think of their spirits being reclaimed and renewed. Hopefully Idiot and Asshat would make better decisions in their next lives.

  That half a smile became a smirk, and a weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders all at once. “Yeah, okay Gaellus,” he told the world “I’ll take what you’re offering. I’m going out on a limb and trusting you here, so don’t fuck me over.” He would have to be an absolute moron to turn down a class crafted specifically for him, so with a mental command he accepted Reclamation Mage as his new way forward. More windows popped up to explain his new spells and his new class feature.

  

  Toxic Spore Colony [Druid]: Create a small patch of mushrooms that release a cloud of poisonous fungal spores when sufficiently disturbed.

  Sculpt Bone [Osteomancer]: Use mana to contour and form bone into new shapes. Total bone mass is preserved. Cannot be used on unwilling targets.

  Reclamation: Return dead matter to Gaellus in exchange for recovering MP.

  After some consideration, Xander decided he was pleased with the class overall. He hadn’t gotten to pick his spells like the other classes would have allowed, but Sculpt Bone was exactly what he would have wanted out of the Osteomancer class. He could now make the skeletal armor for his vine both simpler and better by tweaking a few things. Toxic Spore Colony was sort of interesting, but seemed like it would be more of a defensive spell than an offensive one. It could be used to set up traps to protect him while he was sleeping, or to encircle an area. He wasn’t exactly sure how much mana he would need to use either spell, but that was apparently where Reclamation came in.

  He had already noticed that with his plant minion active, his mana recovered extremely slowly. It had been a couple hours since the fight and he was only back up to about half thanks to Control Plant’s drain on his mana generation. Looking over at the dead men that he had been trying to avoid thinking about, he sighed and got to his feet. It was time to see what his new class could do.