The New Bond

["Classes are the fundamental way of life. In order to do anything to a high degree, you have to have a class in that field. However, there are a few common misconceptions that must be noted.

The most common misconception is that skills and attribute points are the only way a class operates.

When you gain a class, race, second, you also gain knowledge inherent to that class, like how to plow a field for a farmer-type class or swing a sword for a warrior-type class. When that class evolves, you keep that knowledge regardless of the advancement.

The second misconception is to gain a class, a person must do something in that field that applies to said class.

While it is one way to do so, dungeons, world events, and sometimes quests offered by the system offer a class/class advancement as a reward and this doesn't require advancing in a grade to change.”

-Excerpt from A Fundamental Working of Classes]

Aster

Opening my eyes, I found myself surrounded by blackness, creepy but expected from what I’d read. From what I knew, the system was in the process of creating classes and forming a list of them, and all I had to do was wait. I tried to wave my arms around in front of my face, and while I felt the movement, I didn’t see anything. It was a weird sensation that had my eyes crossed until a screen appeared in front of me.

[Advancement to grade 1 has started]

[Multiple class advancements have been made. Please pick a class to advance first.]

[Race Class / Second Class]

I picked the race class, the standard, and the expected route when advancing both classes while moving up a grade at the same time. One reason was because of the limited options race classes had, usually around only one to three. It was also done so that your second class had more knowledge to go off of, and so they mixed better.

Kluni and I had no idea what race options I’d have because of my blood-related parents and Kulni. The first was unknown to me. All Kulni ever said about them was that they hadn’t wanted to leave me, and they had died shortly after they had left the forest against Kulni's wishes, not that I didn’t prod for any other information, but she was impossible to get info out of.

The second reason was the time I had spent with Kluni. She was strong and had raised me partly like her own race, wolves, in her own domain. It had affected my first race class, so it was expected to affect my second. I wanted it to. I looked up to Kulni, and I'd take any chance I had to be like her. Not that I’d ever tell her. I looked at the several screens that appeared in front of me and started to read, a tinge of excitement bubbling up.

[Three Options Available]

[Option One]

[Class: Daughter Of The Claw Woods]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Granted Skills: Forest Walk, Growth, Bark Skin]

[Alterations: class holder’s skin will take on a slightly green color as well as the ability to photosynthesize. Skills and class abilities will be severely limited outside of the Claw Wood forest.]

[Attributes Per Level: 19]

[Free Points + 2]

[Constitution + 7]

[Strength + 3]

[Endurance + 1]

[Dexterity + 2]

[Charisma + 1]

[Intelligence + 1]

[Wisdom + 2]

[You have grown up in the forest, learned every tree and how to adapt to the woods, taking more than a minor part in its ecosystem. This class morphs the body to suit the forest and can lead to becoming royalty set by the system.][Note: Class is not a current Race Class advancement and may alter or replace existing skills.]

Well, the first one could have been better. The class skill Forest Walk piqued my interest, and the alterations were unique, but it wasn’t anything I wanted. It didn’t feel right for me. Maybe Kulni had been right to tell me to avoid classes that had me stuck in one place. I looked to the next one, a bit more hopeful.

[Option Two]

[Class: Grove Warden]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Granted Skills: Miniature Domain, Root Multiplication, Healing Leaves, Grove Formation]

[Alterations: Allows the class holder to create mana-like creatures based on the environment inside of the grove once set.]

[Attributes Per Level: 24]

[Free Points + 3]

[Constitution + 4]

[Strength + 4]

[Endurance + 5]

[Dexterity + 1]

[Charisma + 1]

[Intelligence + 2]

[Wisdom + 4]

[Growing up in the forest has given you respect for the laws of nature, and now you strive to uphold them at any cost. This class has allowed you to create the start of a new grove. This class will grant the ability to understand the needs of the land as long as it is set in your domain and will slowly alter it to your preference. This class will grant a path quest that can lead to a Grove Lord class.][Note: Class is not a current Race Class advancement and may alter or replace existing skills.]

Aster would have hummed if she could have made a noise. It was a class that was similar to the first but allowed access to an advanced race class later. Something she had read was rare. Still, it didn't feel like it suited her or would be flexible enough outside of its area. The legendary tag was enticing, though, and the ability to create creatures did give her a few ideas. Still, it wasn't her. She looked at the third and final option, a little nervous that it was also going to be forest-related.

[Option Three]

[Class: Daughter Of Kulni]

[Rarity: Unique/Epic]

[Granted Skills: Pack Bond, Pack Formation]

[Alterations: This Class alters the body, giving the class holder a more wolf-like appearance and altering the senses granted by the change.]

[Attributes Per Level: 20 ]

[Free Points + 2]

[Constitution + 1]

[Strength + 3]

[Endurance + 2]

[Dexterity + 6]

[Charisma + 2]

[Intelligence + 1]

[Wisdom + 3]

[You have proven to be the daughter of the Mother of Wolves Kulni in more than one way. This class can grant lesser skills similar to the Mother of Wolves Kulni. This class will continue to grant the ability to understand any wolf and for any wolf to understand you.][Note: Class is a current Race Class advancement and will merge existing skills if applicable.]

I was quivering with excitement if it was possible without having a body. I didn't have to look through each class in detail. The choice was obvious. The other first two options were nothing compared to this. Forget that the second option was legendary; this one should have been! I selected the third class option, mentally mashing on it. A slight fear, I knew, was unfounded that it might change in front of me.

[Select Race Class Option Three?]

[Yes/No]

Yes, yes, yes! Hurry up and give it!

[Notice: You have selected the class Daughter Of Kulni]

[Notice: You have skills that have been merged.]

[Notice: Hunting Sense, Hunting Dash, and Pack Hunter have merged into Stalker’s Movement]

I didn’t feel any different, but I knew I had gotten what I wanted, and now I wanted to give a little dance or celebrate somehow, but it was time for the second class unlock. Shaking off my excitement, I promised myself that I would look into the skills later as I dismissed the notifications.

[Notice: A class advancements have been made]

[Second class available for advancement begin?]

[Yes/No]

I took a moment to calm down before I selected yes. I needed to be focused on this. It wouldn’t be as easy for my second class. I’d have more choices and options. I selected yes.

[Three Options Available]

[Notice: Limit of available classes limited from 5 to 3 because of the current title, Bonded]

Or it could be the same as limited as the race class options. I wanted to thump the screen until it gave me more options, but I couldn't. I had no hands, and I’d been the one to keep the bond, even with the system telling me it would alter the second-class options. I crossed my fingers that the choices were good as I started to read through the first one.

[Option One]

[Class: Bonded Mage ]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Starting Skills: Bond Speech, Frost Bolt, Ice casting]

[Attributes Per Level: 15]

[Constitution +3]

[Strength + 1]

[Endurance + 2]

[Dexterity + 1]

[Charisma + 2]

[Intelligence + 4]

[Wisdom + 2]

[You have bonded to a magical creature and are able to use part of its magic as your own to fight as you will. This class grants the ability to learn frost-related spells more easily.]

[Note: Bonded to one of the stronger forms of life, a dragon, you have been given the maximum number of attribute points available at the current stage.]

Being a mage did sound enticing, and always having access to a ranged weapon was a good thing to have access to. It was, overall, a good class I could use.

Knowing not to expect free attribute points still didn't keep me from being disappointed. Second classes, early in their advancement, usually lacked any depth. It was a starting point, but only that. The skills and magic being mostly frost-related did make sense, and I kept the class in mind as I read the next option.

[Option Two]

[Class: Bonded Ranger]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Starting Skills: Bond Speech, Frosted Arrow, Rangers aim]

[Attributes Per Level: 15]

[Constitution +1]

[Strength + 2]

[Endurance + 3]

[Dexterity + 4]

[Charisma + 2]

[Intelligence + 1]

[Wisdom + 2]

[With a bond at your side, you can keep your distance from the enemy and hunt at range. This class grants the ability to integrate frost-related skills with the use of a bow.]

[Note: Bonded to one of the stronger forms of life, a dragon, you have been given the maximum number of attribute points available at the current stage.]

This was a good class, not stronger than the mage one in power, but it fit more and was suited to what I already knew, so there wouldn't be as many things I had to learn from scratch. I enjoyed using a bow, so a class focused on it was promising, not to mention the advancement options it could provide in that field.

I placed it on top as a class option and moved on to the last option.

[Option Three]

[Class: Bonded Warrior]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Starting Skills: Bond Speech, Frost coating, Warriors will]

[Attributes Per Level: 15]

[Constitution +4]

[Strength + 3]

[Endurance + 3]

[Dexterity + 1]

[Charisma + 2]

[Intelligence + 1]

[Wisdom + 1]

[With a weapon at your side, be it a spear or sword, you fight with a spirit that can only be matched by your bond. This class grants the ability to use frost-related skills with the use of hand weapons]

[Note: Bonded to one of the stronger forms of life, a dragon, you have been given the maximum number of attribute points available at the current stage.]

There was no way I would use a sword if I had other options, as a last resort, possibly but not as a first, and I had a dagger for that.

Being that close to a beast who weighed over ten times what I did was a bad idea, no matter how you put it when you had what amounted to a toothpick in your hand.

I looked at the three classes, inspecting them, wishing for a second I could Identify skills in this place to see what the Bonded Mage had on offer, but I couldn't. It sucked making choices without all the information. I knew which one I wanted, though. While the magic class was enticing, I felt like I’d read enough books as it was in my future, and reading more to understand magic sounded boring. I selected option two with a thought.

[Select Race Class Option Two?]

[Yes/No]

I selected yes after another second of deliberation. While it wasn't the most powerful, I just knew that I’d do better with it, and I could still use frost skill as long as it was with the bow.

[Notice: All class selections have been made, and grade advancement has been completed. Leaving the grade advancement will happen in 60 seconds.][60..59..58]

As I watched the time count down, I thought about both of my classes. I was happy with them. They were good choices. Two epic classes when I’d expected only rare and maybe uncommon was a win in my book. I wanted to see what I could do now, though. With all of the experience I’d built up already, I was bound to gain some levels, and maybe I could gain some more before I had to leave the forest. It was a sad thought, but I reminded myself that I would be coming back after only two years, and I’d see all the wolves. A thought crossed my mind as I tried to change what I was thinking about, and I felt a tiny bit of excitement. There was no way I was going to lose to Sandath now.

[4..3..2..]

I let the area around me fade, all of the screen of the class options and choices that were made fading away.