Spearbound

Arcana Level 1—>Arcana Level 2

Free used Points: 0—>1

Kade’s first reaction was to think about which attribute to use the point on. The issue was that he was shit at remembering how those RPGs worked and which one needed to be boosted first. The interface interrupted any mistakes he could make.

You have reached Arcana Level 2 and are eligible to choose a Class. Once selected, you will have access to the Wisdom attribute.

Make your choice carefully. Once you select a Class, it is permanent.

You have five options to choose from. These are the base classes that all sentient species in the universe select. The evolutions of each class are available on an individual and planetary basis.

Warrior:

A melee-focused class that excels in close combat with high defense and physical strength. This is the most common combat class in the universe. Below are the listed evolutions that will be the most common for this planet.

Example Evolutions – Knight, Berserker, Blademaster, and Paladin.

Level-up bonus – +1 Constitution, +0.5 Endurance, +1 Strength

Mage:

A spellcaster requiring significant mana to cast spells. A class that prefers range over close combat. The second most common combat class in the universe. Below are the listed evolutions that will be the most common for this planet.

Example Evolutions – Elementalist, Summoner, Necromancer, and Arcanist.

Level-up bonus – +0.5 Dexterity, +0.5 Speed, +1.5 Wisdom

Healer:

A class that focuses on support with specialization abilities on healing and boosting others in combat. Below are the listed evolutions that will be the most common for this planet.

Example Evolutions – Cleric, Druid, Alchemist, and Shaman.

Level-up bonus – +0.5 Endurance, +0.5 Dexterity, +0.5 Speed, +1 Wisdom

Rogue:

A stealthy class that excels in evasion, ambush, and traps. Below are the listed evolutions that will be the most common for this planet.

Example Evolutions – Assassin, Shadowblade, Trapmaster, and Nightstalker.

Level-up bonus – +0.5 Endurance, +1 Dexterity, +1 Speed

Scholar:

A versatile class that does not focus on combat. Instead, it is knowledge-based, focusing on research, rooms, and artifacts. Below are the listed evolutions that will be the most common for this planet.

Example Evolutions – Runemaster, Enchanter, Archivist, and Tactician.

Level-up bonus – +1 Constitution, +1 Endurance, +0.5 Wisdom

Kade scanned the list. Only two stood out to him. [Warrior] and [Mage].

It was every teenager’s dream to use magic, and he had been no different. He usually chose mage-related classes when he used to play games a decade ago, but those were just games. This was now his life.

Kade recalled the long text he had seen before the system brought him to this forest.

The system was forcibly uplifting humans’ combat potential, and there was no fighting it.

He excelled at physical tasks out of sheer necessity, and although it felt odd to acknowledge, he reveled in the sensation of driving that spear into the ugly creature’s temple. It felt good to get rid of the monster up close and personal.

That liking might have been a concern before this mess, the goal now was to survive and grow strong enough to face whatever the system was preparing Earth for.

Kade loved being alive. Like, really, really loved it.

He didn’t hustle through his teen years and work like a dog after becoming an adult just to kill himself because of some childhood wish of hocus pocus.

Another powerful attraction was the level-up bonus for [Warrior], specifically [Constitution] and [Strength]. [Constitution] directly affected his health, and [Strength] was self-explanatory.

Kade wanted to tank hits and shrug it off while pummeling his enemies. He wanted to make these monsters fear him.

He wanted to be their monster. He needed to pick [Warrior].

You have chosen [Warrior].

[Wisdom] attribute set at 0.5.

MP capacity set at 1.

MP Recovery set at 1% per minute.

Level-up bonus applied.

Constitution: 3—>4

Endurance: 2.5—>3

Strength: 2—>3

He eyed the interface before dismissing it. The [Wisdom] attribute was for magic, and [MP] was obviously how much magic he had. It was pathetically low, as was [MP Recovery], but it was something he could ignore for now since he was a [Warrior].

Before fantasizing about being a wizard, he still had nine monsters and a corrupted lifeform to kill.

Kade picked up a second spear for backup and immediately noticed a change. It was easier for him to deal with the spears.

That single [Strength] point was this effective?

He used his free point and added it to [Strength] to test it out.

Free Points: 1—>0

Strength: 3—>4

Kade had a grin as he effortlessly moved the spears around in each hand. It was like playing with a child’s toy compared to before.

He saw a tree about fifty feet away and decided to test his throwing power. He mimicked the throw he made against the goblin.

Kade grunted as he launched the spear with every bit of power in his body. His face quickly fell when it completely missed the tree. It wasn’t even close as it slammed into the trunk of a completely different tree twenty feet to the right.

He winced as the sound of the spear shattering filled the quiet forest.

Well, my aim still sucks.

At the very least, he confirmed that his strength was beyond comparison to before. He was now a superhuman.

Skill learned!

Spear Throw (Level 1) - A versatile ability that transforms the spear from a close-combat weapon into a deadly ranged projectile.

He glanced at the interface before dismissing it. He thought it was generous that his attempt was called a skill.

Kade went back to get the other spear that the goblin had thrown at him at the start when his ears perked up. He heard a chitter.

Another goblin.

He smiled, almost beamed. His objective delivered itself to him.

Kade held a spear in each hand as his eyes searched for the goblin. With his increased stats, it should be trivial to destroy this one.

He a chitter again.

Fuck! There’s more than one.

He moved to have a better cover. He heard something impact the place he had just left, but didn’t look back. There were two of them. If they were smart enough to split his attention, he needed to take out one as quickly as possible.

Kade stormed toward where he thought one goblin was. He did his best to keep a tree as cover to prevent an ambush from behind, but he had to admit that his priority was getting rid of the goblin he was hunting.

Skill learned!

Footwork (Level 1) - Improves your movement techniques, allowing for better balance, speed, and tactical positioning during combat.

He dismissed the interface with a harsh frown. It was distracting him.

His eyes caught a piercing yellow gaze, and he made the decision to sacrifice one of his spears. He launched the one in his right hand. It still missed—though less horribly—but he accomplished his goal.

Kade shot toward the ugly squawk he heard with murderous intent. The goblin he discovered seemed to blend in far better with the surroundings than the first he destroyed, but it met the same fate.

His spear thrust through the goblin’s head, and he quickly pulled back for cover as it crumbled into white powder.

Skill learned!

Spear Thrust (Level 1) - A swift and forceful forward attack with the spear with the aim to pierce the enemy with precision.

You have destroyed a Spear Goblin (Arcana Level 2)!

Kill 10 Monsters (1/10)—>(2/10)

Level-up!

Arcana Level 2—>Arcana Level 3

Free Points: 0—>1

Level-up bonus applied.

Constitution: 4—>5

Endurance: 3—>3.5

Strength: 3—>4

Kade flinched when something glanced off the tree he was hiding behind. He clenched his teeth and said, “Show me details when I’m not in the middle of the fight.”

Preferences updated. Interface elements will remain hidden inside of combat. Vital information will continue to be displayed as necessary.

He ignored the interface and strained his ears to try to find the second goblin. He wasn’t sure if it learned from the mistake of its dead brethren, but the second goblin made no sound whatsoever.

Kade resorted to listening for the faint whistling of a spear cutting through the air. It was silent for a few long seconds before he heard a sharp twang.

This time, he wasn’t able to escape.

“Fuck!” An arrow pierced his left arm. Strangely, he didn’t yell out of pain but more from the anger that he had gotten hit.

His eyes reddened as his senses became hyperaware. He caught a glimpse of the goblin pulling back the bow again before it noticed his attention and quickly disappeared from his sight.

It’s faster than me.

Kade used his free point.

Free points: 1—>0

Speed: 1.5—>2.5

Kade heard another sharp twang but had been expecting it this time. He twisted his body to avoid the arrow before launching himself where the arrow shot from.

He had become almost twice as fast as he had been before, and that was more than enough to catch the archer goblin by surprise.

Kade had to switch the run from a straight line into a zigzag to avoid the frantic deterrence attacks the goblin shot at him. It didn’t lessen his desire to erase this thing from existence. The dull throb of the arrow sticking through his arm was a constant reminder.

The archer goblin opened its mouth, showing its rotten, knife-like teeth as it tried to make a sound, but it didn’t have the chance. Kade’s spear pierced its forehead and ended its existence.

You have destroyed an Archer Goblin (Arcana Level 5)!

Kill 10 Monsters (2/10)—>(3/10)

Level-up! (x2)

Arcana Level 3—>Arcana Level 5

Free Points: 0—>2

Level-up bonuses applied.

Constitution: 5—>7

Endurance: 3.5—>4.5

Strength: 4—>6

Kade grimaced as the distraction from focusing on eliminating the goblin disappeared. He could feel the arrow in his arm far too clearly. It was far less painful than he would’ve assumed something like this would be, but he wasn’t a masochist to say it was pleasant.

However, it was getting worse. Exponentially by the second.

He dropped the spear when the wound started to feel like it was on fire. He saw that his flesh was trying to grow over the shaft that was piercing his arm and quickly acted.

Kade snapped off the arrowhead before quickly pulling out the shaft despite his instance telling him not to. He had seen others get stabbed and knew pulling out the weapon was the last thing someone should do.

He stared with wide eyes when the flesh regenerated and stitched itself back together. It looked like an arrow had never pierced his arm.

“System, you said I could ask you questions, right?”

You now have a Class. I will answer your queries within reason.

“What healed me? The increase in Constitution or the increase in level?”

Your level-up healed you. It is a byproduct of absorbing the energy of a destroyed life form.

Kade accepted that as he played with the bow the goblin left behind after destruction. He would have liked to use it as a backup, but he knew little about using a bow. It would be useless in his hands.

He tossed it aside and returned to the ash of the other goblin to get replacement spears. “Where am I? You say it’s a Rift Zone, but that means nothing to me. Who created it?”

The answer to that is complex. All you need to know is that each Rift Zone can be regarded as a separate world. It is necessary to destroy all Rift Zones.

Kade didn’t have many qualms about that. He didn’t mind knowing he would destroy a world with goblins and freakishly sterile forests.

“And what about the others? I was on the freeway with hundreds of other humans. Are they in this Rift Zone too?”

No. You are the only human here. We have selected examples of your species across the planet that we feel would do well in showcasing how Rift Zones operate. We have sent the others to different Class F Rift Zones.

He had been trying unsuccessfully to create a temporary sling to carry more spears when he read the reply.

“I’m being recorded?” Kade asked in shock.

If you can help other humans better understand Rift Zones, yes, we will record you.

His blood should have boiled with anger at the thought of being used, but strangely, he experienced a sense of glee. The thought of humans all over Earth studying him to see how Rift Zones worked brought him a sense of pride. No one had ever looked up to him before.

“Hey, system, since this is technically a world, does that mean I can expect goblin villages?”

That is a possibility if they have reached that level of civilization.

Kade grinned and took off his shirt. He ripped it into multiple strips and tied four spears together, leaving a loop to act as a strap. He hung the spear bundle over his shoulder.

Time to put on a good show.