NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Bastard Option
He was still there, staring at the seven floating options before him.
"Seven options. One choice. And only one chance to get it right."
---
1. Valorians – Highland warriors
(B rank)
Karma Cost: 400,000
2. Almarites – Arcane-blooded scholars
(A rank)
Karma Cost: 1,000,000
3. Sunari – Desert survivalists
(C rank)
Karma Cost: 300,000
4. Duskborn – Shadow-touched mystics
(S rank)
Karma Cost: 2,000,000
5. Meridians – Versatile commonfolk
(D rank)
Karma Cost: 100,000
6. Varrgardians – Viking-like seafarers and warriors
(SS rank)
Karma Cost: 5,000,000
7. Vaylun – Forgotten Origin
(SSS rank)
Karma Cost: 9,000,000
"Yeah… this is going to be harder than I thought."
Or maybe not.
He scowled. The sheer range of options didn't make the decision easier. If anything, it made it paralysing. Each race had something special, but with limited Karma, he had to choose wisely.
"Time to start eliminating the less beneficial options."
"Meridian's out, definitely out."
Too… average. Sure, they were humans, the baseline but that was exactly the problem. If he had the chance to be something more, why settle for default? He wanted power, not normalcy.
Meridians did not offer that option, not nearly enough at least. The choice of being one among the many was not an option, not in a game that requires exclusiveness to stand out among the others.
Especially when he is a late bloomer.
"Sunari... tempting, but no."
Fire resistance and enhanced stamina regeneration? Cool, sure. But desert survivalists? The idea of living in endless sandstorms and blistering heat was a firm no. That environment alone turned him off.
"Valorians... yeah, nah."
Highland warriors sounded badass, but again, it was the setting. Mountains, freezing cold, rough terrain. Not his thing. Another one scratched off the list.
Three gone. Four remained.
Almarites. Duskborn. Varrgardians. Vaylun.
Now it was getting difficult.
"Almarites… arcane-blooded. High magic potential. Very tempting."
They offered access to strong magical growth and opportunity for easier growth in the line of being a mage. He'd always liked the idea of being a mage, unstoppable, wise, and powerful.
Mages offered a chance for expertise in long distance attack sequence, leaving the user at a safe distance while he does unprecedented damage.
Who would say no to that? Certainly not him, that's who.
"Duskborn... shadow-touched necro weirdos. Dangerous and mysterious."
Necromancy? Curses? Forbidden magic? He wasn't sure if he should be scared or excited. But deep down, he liked the aesthetic. And the mystery.
"Varrgardians. Muscles, strength, enhanced physique. Basically Vikings on steroids."
Their homeland was cold and brutal, but he could probably overlook that in exchange for raw physical power. They'd likely be monsters in melee combat.
And then—Vaylun.
He clicked the entry open and stared.
"Descendants of the Forgotten Line. Rumoured ties to True Dragons. Possess a Core. Evolving bodies and unique magic affinity..."
His brows raised.
"Are these even human?"
Not to mention the rank it was categorised under. As far as he knew, SSS rank served as a peak ranking system in games used to classify something that broke boundaries of even the paranormal.
It sounded borderline mythological. Dragonblood? An evolvable core? Force-based powers instead of mana? The perks were stacked:
Immunity to ageing, disease, and mind control
A unique Magic Attribute linked to their Core
Evolvable body and Core
+20% resistance to magic
+10% Force regeneration
Access to exclusive 'Core Arts'
It felt unfair. Ridiculously overpowered. And yet, undeniably enticing.
"It's like Almarites and Varrgardians had a baby, and that baby trained under a god."
The price?
9,000,000 Karma.
It would burn through almost everything he had.
But it was worth it. The SSS rank made it all the more worth every penny it asked for.
"Screw it. I've made up my mind."
He was a gamer at heart, he knew the golden rule: If there's dragonblood involved, it's probably broken. And if it's broken, it's probably worth it.
"Vaylun, please."
He reached out and tapped the shimmering option.
---
[Sub-Race Chosen: Veylun]
[Karma Cost: 9,000,000]
[Remaining Karma: 900,000]
"Damn. That's a lot of Karma gone."
But he didn't regret it.
No, not even a little.
---
The next prompt appeared.
[Pick Starting Talent]
He blinked. Another list. But this time, it was even more overwhelming.
"To think there is even the choice to choose what talent you want? Someone tell me again why this game isn't popular?". He rhetoriced.
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🟫 F-Rank Talents (Commoner-tier) – 100,000 Karma
Mosskin Affinity – Accelerate moss growth.
Snail's Patience – Wait for long periods without fatigue.
Pebble Bounce – Skip stones perfectly.
Dust Sense – Detect when an area was last disturbed.
"Are you kidding me…?"
He nearly laughed. These were so bad they felt like a joke. F-tier was beyond useless unless you were roleplaying a janitor or forest hermit.
🟨 E-Rank Talents – 200,000 Karma
Minor Flame Touch
Keen Nose
Beast Tolerance
Softstep
Slightly better. At least you could do something with these. Softstep was decent for stealth; Keen Nose had tracking applications. But they still felt like scraps.
🟩 D-Rank Talents – 300,000 Karma
Stone Grip
Lesser Healing Pulse
Night Sight
Quick Draw
"Alright, now we're talking."
Quick Draw had synergy with weapons. Night Sight was practical for dungeon crawling. And Stone Grip meant not dropping your weapon in a fight. Solid starter options.
But he still had 900,000 Karma, a chance to opt for better options.
🟦 C-Rank Talents – 500,000 Karma
Flame Tongue
Minor Elemental Affinity
Blade Recall
Hawk's Gaze
Now these were real options. Blade Recall sounded awesome. Throw a blade, call it back? Instant anime vibes. Hawk's Gaze was great for tracking or ranged combat. He was tempted.
🟪 B-Rank Talents – 700,000 Karma
Body Reinforcement
Phantom Step
Blood Memory
Beast Whisperer
"Phantom Step... oh man."
That one almost made him drool. Brief invisibility via speed? That was the stuff of S-tier assassins. Body Reinforcement was tanky and durable. Either would cost most of what he had left… but worth every point.
If B ranked talent costs that much, he feared what the rest would bring.
🟥 A-Rank Talents – 1,000,000 Karma
Too expensive now. Just out of reach.
"Damn… Time Dilation or Soul Bond would've been insane."
He sighed, already mourning what could've been.
🟨 S-Rank Talents – 1,500,000 Karma
"Way out of budget". He lamented.
"World Echo? Voidwalk?! Eternal Embryo?!"
His jaw clenched.
"Why show me this shit if I can't afford it?!"
He swore under his breath, a blend of awe and bitter frustration starting to brew inside of him.