William Shaffold, a seasoned cybersecurity engineer at Safeguard, was heading home late one night after sharing a few drinks with a colleague. His thoughts were clouded by alcohol, and his steps wavered with dizziness. But when his vision cleared, the world around him had changed. Instead of standing in front of his house, he found himself in a strange open clearing, surrounded by dozens of bewildered faces. Some clutched children, others held loved ones close, and a few, like him, stood utterly alone. At the center of the crowd, a lone figure cloaked in shadow watched them silently.
The figure wore a fantastical black coat with silver embroidery forming a circular emblem, seemingly floating mid-air while he hovered above the ground. No wings or machines supported him, just his presence suspended in the air. Finally, he spoke.
"Hello, chosen people of Earth. I am the Game-Master, Guiline. Today, you have been selected for a test or perhaps a tutorial. I am unsure of how capable you Earthlings truly are, but the test will be fair. Before I begin explaining the test, if you have any questions, feel free to ask now."
"Who the hell are you? Why did you kidnap us?"
"Please, let me go. I have children at home who need me..."
"Are you pranking us for your stupid OurTube channel, you bastard?"
"Call the cops!"
"I don't have my phone with me..."
"Mommy..."
"Daddy..."
The figure waved his hand, and the first man to speak suddenly had his head blown off. A satisfied smile spread across his face, perhaps he had anticipated it, and when it happened, he seemed genuinely pleased.
"Silence! It seems you are either very brave or incredibly foolish. Time will reveal the truth."
"Your tutorial is simple: kill. Defeat the one-eyed Orc of Mount Obelisk to complete the tutorial. Beware, monsters lurk in the forest, and some may be far more dangerous than a wounded Orc."
The figure gazed at William and the others, a smile of accomplishment spreading across his face. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, deep in contemplation.
After a prolonged moment of silence, his voice echoed once more.
"There is a status window that shows your abilities and assigned classes. However, you won't have any classes yet; they can only be earned after the first kill in the tutorial. For now, you can still access the inventory and use the weapon provided for the tutorial. With that said, good luck, I hope you can be entertaining."
After providing some basic information, the figure departed.
People murmured didn't stop...
The dead man's body lay on the forest floor, blood seeping into the earth, as if the forest rejoiced, eagerly drinking the fallen human's life.
William was a gamer in his free time and could easily connect to the RPG games he played. While others were slowly adjusting and trying to make sense of what was happening, some, like William, compared it to the games they played on their computers.
Some were already attempting to manifest the status mentioned by the dark figure, others had drawn swords from their inventories, and some had already donned their armor.
William wasn't the first to figure it out, nor would he be the last.
He muttered "Status," and a block of window displayed in front of his eyes.
Name: William Shaffold
Level: 1
Class: ???
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 5
AGI: 6
END: 8
INT: 14
WIS: 12
DEX: 7
LUK: 3
Skills: Locked (unlocks after the first kill)
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HP: 100 / 100
MP: 120 / 120
'Oh... It's like an RPG game. It seems my starting level is one, and I can gain skills by defeating something.'
Lost in the forest.
The goblin was swift to dodge and threw its dagger at William. The blade narrowly missed his shoulder, grazing him, but the real danger was the poison coating the weapon. Now the goblin only had to wait. However, being unarmed, it was vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, William lunged forward. The goblin tried to evade but was knocked down as William threw his weight against it. Before the goblin could rise again, William stood over it and drove his sword into its chest. At that moment, the sound of the system announcing his first kill echoed around him.
Bleeding from his shoulder, William muttered softly, "Status."
Name: William Shaffold
Level: 2
Class: Exploit Engineer
Equipment: Basic leather amour, long sword.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 7 (+3)
AGI: 7
END: 10
INT: 14
WIS: 12
DEX: 8
LUK: 3
Skills: Reconnaissance, Vulnerability Scanner, Social Engineering.
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"Exploit Engineer? Why does this sound like my job...let's check the skills."
What thrilled William the most were the skills. He eagerly speculated about what his own skill might be after witnessing one of his teammates awaken as a Warrior class, or so he deduced.
The Warrior class, a traditional and common one at that, enhances physical prowess and strength. Its skills revolve around weapon handling and temporarily boosting power through a unique stat called Aura that comes with this class.
William clicked on the skill description:
Reconnaissance (Active): Allows the user to gather information about their target more effectively.
"Great, information is key. The more I know, the better my chances of survival."
Vulnerability Scanner (Passive): Enables the user to identify vulnerabilities in the target.
"Vulnerabilities... I can use this to better prepare... Come on, I didn't get an offensive skill."
Social Engineering: Grants the user the ability to extract more information with minimal conversation and manipulate the target into carrying out tasks on their behalf.
"Again, another useless skill... What am I supposed to do with this? I need to focus on surviving here, not checking a company's security," he sighed.
Frustrated, he was even more surprised to realize that the skills were linked to his real-life profession. It seemed the system that granted powers provided abilities based on what individuals excelled at in their own lives.
"That gym enthusiast got a special class, so why am I stuck with this weird one? What's up with the favoritism?"
Few moments ago....
"Status"
The command echoed through the clearing, and in response, glowing panels shimmered into existence before every person. One by one, they began pulling weapons from thin air, swords clanged into hand, bows strung with arrows appeared, and a few, to their dismay, were granted nothing more than fragile-looking staffs.
William pulled his sword from his inventory and donned the leather armor he had obtained. A few people had already ventured into the forest to hunt, and when they returned, they shocked everyone.
One man came back with his appearance transformed, upgraded as a human. Something about him radiated power and might. He was the first to awaken, and the rest soon followed.
Name: Jonathan Swartz
Level: 2
Class: Paladin
Equipment: Basic leather amour, long sword, brass shield.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 10 (+3)
AGI: 11
END: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 13
DEX: 12
LUK: 10
Skills: Holy Shield, Heal, Divine judgement.
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"That's awesome! What class did he awaken?"
"Why not ask him directly?"
"Do you think he'd tell us?"
"I want to awaken as well..."
"Anyone interested in forming a group with me?"
Groups began to form, and William joined one of them.
"You scrawny kid, what are your stats?" a gym rat asked him. The guy was tall, about 6 feet 2 inches, packed with muscle, and looked like an already awakened warrior.
The team he was part of decided against sharing too much information with each other; either they weren't very social, or they believed their fellow humans weren't trustworthy.
"And why would he tell you?" a girl with red hair and blue eyes shot back. She carried a bow on her shoulder with a quiver strapped to her back, looking strong and capable, ready to take on a man in a fight if needed.
"Alright, I will back off." The monster chose not to provoke the lady, for reasons unknown. Maybe he knew her or had plans involving her. William was scrawny and small, but he wasn't a coward. He could stand up for himself, but now he decided not to. It was better to stick with the pack until he got what he wanted from them. After that, when he no longer needed them, he could simply go his own way.
Though he had plans to leave the group, he had no intention of going on a solo hunt—that would be foolish. Instead, he planned to join Jonathan's group, one of the strongest since they were the first awakened and were likely still leveling up like crazy. If this were a web novel, they might even be the heroes, William thought.
Soon, the group encountered a pack of four wolves. William's team consisted of five members, including himself: a gym rat, a blonde archer girl, and two men who seemed to know each other well by their conversation. The gym rat wielded a greatsword instead of a longsword, and his armor stood out with a lion carving on his chest plate and pauldrons resembling a lion's mane. Despite his attitude, the group tolerated him as long as he delivered results. The others wore armor similar to William's, except for the blonde girl, whose armor was shorter and lighter, giving her better mobility and agility.
Encountering the wolfs, the girl moved backward, searching for a tree to gain a better elevation advantage. She eventually found a suitable vantage point and climbed it.
The gym rat and the other try to surround the wolf, William and the duo were trying flank them at right, while the gym rat alone was trying to flank left, two of the wolves jumped on the three on right and two on gym rat alone.
Gym Rat swung his great sword to cleave them both, but one of the wolves ducked just in time and lunged forward. Fortunately, it was a bit too slow. As its partner was sliced in half, an arrow shot forward and pierced its head, killing it instantly.
On the other side, the duo were battling a wolf. One of them tanked its attacks, drawing its attention, while the other attempted to skewer it. Unfortunately, he slipped, and the wolf that had been focused on William noticed and lunged at the fallen man. Before it could strike, an arrow shot forward, pinning its leg to the ground right in front of the fallen duo. Acting quickly, he used his sword to skewer the wolf through its open mouth.
William changed his target to the last wolf that was trying to bite the armor off the tanking duo, the wolf has now successfully, bitten at his arm, unarming him as in pain he let go of the sword, he screamed, his screamed echoing in the forest.
"Is that bastard stupid?! He wants to alert the rest of the monsters!" Gym Rat lunged toward the last wolf. An arrow shot from the canopy, reaching the wolf before Gym Rat could. It lodged into the wolf's eye. William was already there, slashing forward and gutting the wolf, its intestines spilling out. Slowly, the light faded from the wolf's eye. It was dead, its body collapsing to the ground.
The archer rushed down to check on her injured teammate. The tanking duo's arm was bleeding heavily, with gaping holes around it. The leather gauntlets hadn't stopped the teeth from sinking into the bone. His friend tore his shirt to create a makeshift bandage to stem the bleeding.
"We need to get him treated! Is anyone here a doctor?" the friend cried.
"I'm not," Gym Rat muttered.
Archer shook his head, claiming no to the question.
William too shook his head.
Tears filled his eyes as he watched his friend on the brink of death. William interjected, "There might be a healer among the others, someone who can use healing magic. Your friend can be saved; we just need to get to the clearing."
"Why would a healer be at the clearing?" the gym rat questioned, raising his brow.
William sensed something unusual around the gym rat and the others, an aura, some unnatural power, but he chose not to ask for now. Instead, he said, "Healers are able to heal wounds that might be life-threatening here, but they are powerless on their own. Any group with a healer gains leverage, or the healer alone holds the leverage for negotiating entry into Jonathan's group. They might have been waiting in the clearing, treating injured humans to spread word of the healer and gain support, while also waiting for Jonathan to strike a deal with them. This way, we can be sure to find some there."
Archer nodded in agreement. "That makes sense."
Gym Rat then glanced at everyone and asked, "So, what classes did you guys' got? I got a Leonine Champion. I don't know what that is, but it sure sounds powerful."
Name: Bran Smith
Level: 2
Class: Leonine Champion
Equipment: Lionheart amour, Greatsword.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 22 (+10)
AGI: 6
END: 19
INT: 6
WIS: 6
DEX: 13
LUK: 5
Skills: Lion's Roar, Predatory gaze, Track.
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Archer muttered under her breath as an interface materialized, visible only to her.
Name: Elisa Hart
Level: 2
Class: Ghost archer
Equipment: Bow, Quiver, Phantom skin.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 6
AGI: 25 (+10)
END: 3
INT: 16
WIS: 15
DEX: 19
LUK: 10
Skills: Silence, Eagle eye, Track.
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The weeping friend and the struggling friend both spoke quietly.
Name: Eric Worth
Level: 2
Class: Guardian
Equipment: Leather amour, long sword.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 16 (+3)
AGI: 8
END: 15
INT: 10
WIS: 7
DEX: 10
LUK: 17
Skills: Boulder head, Stone heart, Greater Vitality.
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Name: Eren Walker
Level: 2
Class: Warrior of Doom
Equipment: leather amour, long sword.
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 20 (+3)
AGI: 16
END: 19
INT: 5
WIS: 3
DEX: 9
LUK: 1
Skills: Plotter, Murderer gaze, Troublemaker.
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Each member examined the interface suspended in the air, scrolling through the skills. Even the gym rat, who had silently checked before even looking at his fallen comrade's condition, was now paying close attention to the skill descriptions. Only William was left out.
"I didn't get the class," William exclaimed, as the rest of the members' gazes fell on him.
The gym rat frowned, "Didn't you just kill the wolf?"
The tank interrupted, "I might have taken its kill. I got the class."
There was a burst of laughter as the gym rat laughed hysterically, "Don't tell me he took it from you!"
Archer turned her head away, the tank man wearing a saddened expression. "Sorry, lad. I am sorry." His friend tried to stop him from straining himself further. "It's alright, you don't have to be. It was all an accident."
The gym rat finally stopped his manic laughter and said, "Anyway, it's time to move. Let's get back to the clearing." With that, he gestured for them to follow. The tank, with the support of his friends, managed to stand up, but then they heard it—a dreadful scream so bone-chilling it felt like it could tear them apart.
The team turned to the back, where it had originated. The abomination, whatever it was, was now moving toward them. Perhaps the tank's scream during its fight with the wolf had drawn the forest monster in their direction, and now it was coming to hunt them down.
They ran towards the opposite side, the demon's footsteps echoing behind them as it drew closer. Just as it was about to catch up, William fell—but he hadn't just tripped; he was kicked down by a giant man, the gym rat. The archer, already ahead, didn't see what happened, but the duo did, and they moved on without hesitation. They were fine with sacrificing William.
He heard the words then, "A classless fool, better use your life to save us."
The group fled, abandoning William, as the monster crept closer and closer with each passing second.
"Damn it, damn it all! Didn't I save you from being devoured by the wolf?!"
The footsteps gradually slowed, thudding behind William. He didn't turn around; he couldn't—he was too scared.
Heavy breaths brushed against his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
William prayed to all the gods he knew, shivering as he closed his eyes, his breath uneven.
But nothing happened. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours, yet still nothing. Slowly, William opened his eyes. Darkness surrounded him; night had already fallen. He turned slowly, trying to see what was behind him, but there was nothing...
'What the hell! Wasn't something breathing down my neck?' he thought.
Slowly, he stood up and saw it hidden in the darkness of the night, near the bushes by the trees—a body, unmoving. It was so dark that at first glance William couldn't spot it, but now, looking closer, he could see it. It had scales all over its body, a lizard-like mouth full of fangs, two horns on its head, and wings on its back. It was a baby dragon, injured, possibly dead. Seeing the motionless corpse, William approached cautiously to examine it. Within the forest's shadows, he carefully made his way closer. Now standing before the body, he crouched to touch the dragon's carcass. But as soon as his hand made contact with its scales, a notification alert sounded. William jerked back immediately, startled by the system announcement.
"Whoa... Why now? Nearly gave me a heart attack," he muttered under his breath.
The dragon's blood was slowly disintegrating, melting into the darkness of the forest itself. Everything unfolded before William, and too scared to act, he could only watch. When it was finally over, he regained his composure. It was dark, and the strongest monsters would soon begin their hunt. He couldn't just wander aimlessly through the forest looking for a clearing. His best and only chance to survive was to take shelter on higher ground, where most predators avoided hunting. There might still be some hunters using the tree canopy to stalk their prey, but whether on the ground or in the trees, he wasn't safe anywhere. This was his best gamble.
William was never an athlete; he spent most of his time on computers. His job revolved around them, and so did his hobbies. Now, he suffered from the lack of physical activity his body needed. However, not everything was against him. He received a boost when he was chosen by the system. Although he wasn't significantly stronger than the awakened of the same level, he was just slightly weaker, and maybe this would now give him the edge to climb.
Climbing the tree was utterly exhausting, and by the time he reached the top, he was beyond tired, teetering on the edge of collapse. Yet, the view from the top was breathtaking—the stars were shimmering brilliantly above him.
"Beautiful..." His eyes sparkled with the brilliance of the stars.
After taking in the beautiful view, he now has to figure out how to get out of here. "In the morning, I should take the route to the clearing and inform the others about them. They would already be at the clearing by now; they must have met the healer."
William didn't want to admit it, but there was a high chance his former teammate, Gym Rat, might join Jonathan in his venture. As for the rest, he wasn't sure. Even when the first Awaken came back to the clearing after a kill and unlocked their class, most of them didn't reveal their class, except for a few.
But that wasn't his concern for now; he could think about it later. First, he needed to reach the clearing, maybe finding a lone, weak monster along the way to kill.
With that settled, he turned to his status to check what had changed.
Name: William Shaffold
Level: 1
Class: ???
Tutorial Status: Active
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STR: 5
AGI: 6
END: 8
INT: 14
WIS: 12
DEX: 7
LUK: 3
Skills: Locked (unlocks after the first kill)
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"What? There's nothing... then what was that sound?"
William checked his inventory to see if something had been added, and there it was—a grimoire. It was a blackened book with markings depicting a dragon devouring other dragons. The book looked ominous, but William brushed it off and went straight to its description: The Grimoire of the Shadow Dragon. A single-use item, it grants the user shadow dragon-related skills upon use. Requirement: Class related to Dragon.
"Isn't this the best? I could use shadow magic! But it requires a dragon-related class—perhaps a dragon knight, slayer, or rider. Classes are randomly assigned on the first kill, though. Maybe there's a clue: that gym rat's armor had a lion depiction, and he became a Leonine Champion, I believe. Well, thanks to his loudmouth, at least I can deduce the pattern of class assignment. In a way, our classes are already determined even before the first kill, and our starting equipment might hint at what they are. My leather armor didn't have any markings; its material might be buffalo hide for toughness and resistance—it can't be goat. Would I become a Buffalo Knight?"
No matter how much he thought about the possibility, there was nothing to suggest he would awaken as a dragon-related class. He understood now that the grimoire was useless to him. Maybe he could sell it to someone else, but for him, its value was gone.
Saddened by his discovery, he tried to rest. There was nothing left to contemplate; he simply needed to find his way back and avoid provoking Gym Rat, especially if he had already become a permanent member of the Jonathan cohort. If he wanted revenge, it would have to wait. Without a legendary class of his own, he was now powerless.
"Let's think about this tomorrow. Good night, William." William closed his eyes and mumbled. Today, he was tired and exhausted. The thing he needed more than anything was sleep, and he slept like a log.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the leaves, glinting like silver as it touched his eyes. He woke up, momentarily startled—he had slept so well that he forgot he was perched in a tree, deep in a forest teeming with monsters.
"Ahhh, morning came..." He was still drowsy. "Today I have to reach the clearing... let's see how far it is." He leapt through the branches, climbing to the top for a better view. Then he saw it—the large field at the center of the forest. People had made camp there, with fires burning and smoke rising into the air. He could make out dark figures moving around, some gathering wood, others heading into the forest. Those were people. In just a few days, they had formed a community there. The clearing had become the campsite.
William slowly climbed down from the tree, his eyes fixed on the west. He carefully summoned his sword, secured his armor, and set off on his journey. Along the way, he came across numerous monsters—some in groups, others wandering alone. The solitary ones emitted terrifying screams, and their mere presence was enough to convince William to keep his distance. Some were so frightening that he shut his eyes tightly and hid, trembling with fear. Fortunately, none of them noticed the easy prey.
He was almost at the clearing when he spotted it—a lone goblin wandering aimlessly. It might have been separated from its group. At first, William suspected a trap, but after stalking it for an hour, he realized the creature was truly alone. It was the perfect target, the easiest to kill. Determined to seek revenge, William made up his mind—he had to do it.
He leapt at the goblin from behind, catching it off guard. His surprise attack landed, but the wound was shallow. The goblin quickly regained its composure and began to fight back.
And now...
"Argh... that little shit poisoned me. I hope there's a healer in the camp," William muttered as he slowly moved toward the clearing. Light filtered through the leaves, falling on his face. Ahead of him stood a group of people.