A wave of relief struck him as he was finally able to look at his character page again. The way he pushed himself had paid off; Dane almost maxed out his Axe proficiency. It was a small reward, but it reminded him that the past two years weren't a complete waste of time.
"Please select a class."
He was met with the familiar blue screen.
"Due to your unique race achieved before race evolution, your basic class options have been upgraded by two rarity levels. Please select from the list of options below."
Four class options were blinking on the screen. Dane decided to read each class description so that even if he didn't like the name or the stat point distribution, he could make an informed decision; he wasn't someone who could make a decision based solely on vibes.
It must have been his overthinking nature, but he didn't want to wait until the next race evolution to undo any mistakes. He wouldn't have the security blanket of a platoon; he would be on his own. Not to mention that he would be branded a runaway slave, and there would be no safe place.
Mining Slave (Epic): The Mining Slave has few things he enjoys more than digging. He cares not for things like prestige, money, or power. Finding solace in the dirt, he strips the earth of her priceless gems.
The class receives +1 constitution, +1 str, + 2 dex, and +25 unassigned points.
'Absolutely not, fuck that. There is no way I will specialize in digging slaves. I'm not eating any onions or dodging yellow spotted lizards.' He thought.
Frenzied Axeman (Epic): The Axeman is simple but not bovine. He enjoys swinging and chopping his axe into wood or flesh. This class receives a bonus skill: "May your path always be berserk."
This class receives +1 str, +1 dex, and +5 unassigned points
'Well, that's better, but the unassigned points aren't that great.'
Magi (Legendary): The Mage is well-versed in the Arcane. Using nothing but their intelligence and willpower, these spellcasters make great scholars and fearsome foes. The Magi, a unique variation, find bliss in the guidance and journey. This class receives 15% loot drops while in a party.
The class receives +5 Int, +5 willpower, and +5 Unassigned points.
'I have spent my whole life training to wield an ax. If I choose this class, I would have to give up everything I love about combat.'
Big Dick Arcane Warrior of Space and Time (Mythical) - The wand and sword are long and mighty; however, they typically end up shaking them too much.
This class receives -2 Int, -1 Wil, and +25 unassigned points. Choosing this class changes the Character's name to Richard.
'The system could not have given me a Mythical class, which was utter garbage. I had to sit, sulking because I had no choice; I knew what to do.'
"What's wrong, Dane?" Dia said from the recesses of my mind.
"I have to pick a class now that I have magic, but my best option is a slave class," he said dejectedly after finally telling someone else about his situation. He wasn't sure if this still counted as talking to someone else, since they had technically become one. Was he just a crazy hobo who spoke to himself now?
"Well, it's not all bad, you get a class change when you evolve to E rank, so we will just need to get you to level 100 fast so you can choose something else." Dia comforted him.
Dane accepted the class Mining Slave.
Are you sure Y/N
"Yes"
Warning: Selecting a class will lock you in until your next class evolution at E rank. Do you still want to continue? Y/N.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"Yes"
Congratulations on your new class, Mining Slave (Epic).
A red box appeared instead of the familiar blue one.
System Error: Slave classes capped at common rarity. System Error: Contacting administrator.
Resolution: Mining Slave (Epic) upgraded to Master Prospector (Epic)
Congratulations on reaching LVL 2 +1 con, +1str, +2dex, +25 unassigned points.
"Dane, are we leaving the dungeon?" The spirit asked with a feeling of remorse behind those words.
"We have to eventually, but I need to start leveling up. The commanders of the mining operations will most likely be in their mid-40s. If I am gonna bust out of here, I need to be able to sneak by or take them out in combat. But the first thing on my list is I need to find water and a place of shelter," Dane said through their bond link.
He walked the increasingly narrow and winding tunnels, feeling the smooth stone edge on the palm of his hand and fingertips. He saw mushrooms that gave off a green bioluminescence, which he promptly picked up as a makeshift torch.
Status Effect: Paralysis (5mins)
Dane could move slightly, but his body was fighting against each motion he tried, like trying to run in water or scream in a dream. His stamina was draining alarmingly, so he took a deep breath and stopped fighting it.
He sat down, trying to conserve his resources. While he waited, he decided that he might as well distribute his stat points. His best bet was to put all the unassigned points into Constitution. He wouldn't have access to a medic or health potions unless he learned how to make them. That was a ridiculous thought. Who learns how to be an alchemist in a cave, let alone a dungeon?
Of course, He could always pick them up from drops, but health potions were rare. He had killed 37 monsters while surviving in the wilds before the elves took him in, and he only saw one during that time. The monsters in this dungeon were most likely much stronger than what he faced back home; he probably wouldn't be farming them unless the drop rate improved.
Upgrade constitution from 8 to 33. Y/N
Dane was getting tired of saying yes out loud, so he acknowledged it in his mind and was pleasantly surprised that it worked.
HP increased from 10 to 42
While he sat on the cold stone floor, Dane began to hear clacking. It sounded like a dog on hardwood. There were too many distinct clacks; it was either something with many legs or a group of monsters making their way to him.
Most monsters down here would have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of hearing or smell. He knew it was only a matter of time before they discovered him. Afterall he was a sitting duck waiting for whatever monster was fumbling around in the dark to come and make dinner out of him.
He looked at the timer for the paralysis. He still had three and a half minutes until he could move again; the sound of heavy panting kicked up dirt and tiny rocks, the sound echoed off the floor. The pack of what looked like blind wolves was finally within range for his identification skill to take effect.
Wolf of the Abyss level 42. HP error. MP error. Alert: Threat level Monumental. Recommended course of action: Run.
"Dane, we can't move, but I prefer not to be puppy food," Dia said
"I'll think of something, but can you walk me through how to use mana?"
All at once, everything that Dia had known about magic flooded into his head. Dane's brain felt like it split in half with the centuries of mana practice that the little spirit went through with Khronos. Then the information stopped, and the pain subsided.
Dane drew his hands to the air, but none of the images that he saw showed him what to do. Probably because a ball of light made out of energy didn't need to do anything special. He felt the mana rip and tear as it made mana channels. He knew from his time in school that there was an optimal way to burn the mana channels in and a way to optimize it so he could more efficiently cast magic.
It felt so distant, so he was on a time crunch; he let the mana follow the path of least resistance and decided that it was probably good enough.
Mana manipulation was complicated to describe; it almost felt like the relief a deep breath would cause. He felt the tingling move from his core to his arms and hands. Once the energy was gathered, he was left to shape the power using his will.
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be somewhere safe. The ground beneath him began to flicker in and out of existence. It reminded him of the cave-in, but instead of crumbling like the one he had witnessed, this was as if the ground had disappeared.
MP lost 100 points.
Dane fell back on top of the platform where he met Dia, and when I looked up, I saw one of the Abyss wolves leap through the portal that I must have opened up. I stopped channeling my mana and put my hands up to protect my face in anticipation of the blow the savage wolf would land, but it never came.
Congratulations on defeating an opponent over 30 levels above you; you have gained additional EXP.
Level 2 changed to Level 10
Title earned: It's not cheating if it was an accident, right? Willpower +15. May you have better control and not lose your spells in the future.
Dane acknowledged the prompt and looked around. He should be dead or at least well on his way, but as he searched the purpled hued area, it dawned on him. The Abyss wolf had been bisected into two parts because he closed the portal on the beast mid-jump.
"Fuck looks like it might be easier to level up than I thought," He exclaimed with excitement.
Just then, he began to feel lightheaded and fell to the ground lucid and aware but trapped inside a body that wouldn't move.
Status effect: Mana Starved (3 days)
