The system chime echoed in Ray's mind, a sound that was becoming a familiar and welcome herald of growth. A translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes, its text glowing with promise.
System Notification: Congratulations, Ray. You have gained three levels and a new ability called Creation.
A grin spread across Ray's face. Three levels in one go was a significant leap, a testament to the danger and difficulty of the Purple Poison Lizard he'd defeated. But this new ability… "Creation." The name alone sent a thrill through him.
"Let's check out this new ability," he said aloud, his voice bouncing off the trees of the quiet forest.
He pulled up his status screen, the data a comforting testament to his progress.
Name: Ray "Thorzen" Silver
Age: 16
Level: 5
HP: 500/500
MP: 150/150
Race: Changeling (Unique)
Class: None
Job: None
XP: 10,900/14,000
Skill Points: 10
Attribute Points: 10
His eyes scanned down to his attributes, all sitting at a balanced and formidable 30. He was no longer the scrawny kid who had woken up in this world. He was a force. And now, he had a tool that could change everything.
"Athena, how does Creation work?" he asked, his mind already racing with possibilities.
The familiar, soothing voice of his guide responded in his mind. "Creation: You can create inanimate objects with the material you have assimilated. Such as weapons, armor, buildings, etc. As long as you have the right amount of material, you can produce a said object."
"Buildings?" Ray breathed, the implication hitting him like a physical blow. A home. A fortress. A base of operations. "How do I know if I have enough material to create an object?"
"Your void is your storage system; it holds everything you assimilate," Athena explained patiently. "The void system will separate and categorize all the material, and it also purifies the material."
"So the rusty iron I assimilated from those broken goblin weapons is plain iron now?"
"No. The rusty iron you assimilated is now pure. It's purer and stronger than regular iron. The quantity may have decreased due to the removal of impurities, but the quality is twice as good."
"Wow," Ray whispered, his grin widening. "That is a nice ability; it's so OP. Athena, how do I use the blueprints? Do I need to find them, or…?"
"The knowledge of basic forms is inherent to the ability. For a simple wall, a door, a sword, the blueprint is instinctual. For more complex structures, your imagination and will are the primary drivers, guided by the materials at hand. To begin, you must have the required material: wood, stone, iron, etc. Then you pick a location and will the creation into existence."
"Okay, I get it, Athena," Ray said, his decision made. "I'll go and assimilate material for my buildings. A cave is a good start, but it needs… improvements."
He approached a towering oak tree, its bark thick and gnarled. Placing his hands against its rough surface, he focused. "Assimilate."
A familiar sensation, like a reverse flow of energy, coursed from his palms. The area under his hands shimmered and vanished, the matter disintegrating into nothingness that flowed into his personal void. He watched the progress in his mind's eye, a percentage ticker climbing steadily. He took in 2,200 pounds of pure, high-quality wood, the system categorizing it neatly in his storage.
Crack!
The sound was deafening in the forest's silence. With a core section of its trunk missing, the great oak could no longer support its own weight. It groaned, a deep, wooden lament, then tilted and fell. The crash was a booming thunderclap that shook the ground, sending a shockwave through the undergrowth. Birds erupted from the canopy in a panicked flurry of wings, and smaller creatures could be heard scurrying away through the brush.
Ray stood frozen for a second, wincing. "Okay, note to self: don't assimilate load-bearing parts of trees while they're still standing."
The echoes of the crash faded, replaced by a new, more immediate sound. A high-pitched chittering, growing into a frantic squeaking, poured from the mouth of the cave he had claimed. A dark cloud of bats streamed out, swirling into the sky. And then, following the bats, came a roar. It was a deep, guttural sound of pure fury, the roar of a creature violently awakened.
From the cave's dark entrance, a massive shape emerged. It was a black bear, but it was larger than any Ray had seen on Earth. Its fur was a shaggy, jet-black mantle, and its eyes, still bleary with sleep, quickly focused on him with predatory rage. It stood on its hind legs, towering, and beat its chest with fists that could shatter stone.
Ray took a quick step back, his fighter's instincts kicking in. "Analyze!" he commanded.
A screen popped up.
Black Bear
Level: 7
HP: 200/200
Strength: 25
Constitution: 30
Dexterity: 20
Wisdom: 12
Intelligence: 6
Charisma: 7
Abilities:
Slumber: While resting, regenerate 5% of health per hour.
Skills:
Swipe: Hits multiple targets, causing 100% weapon damage. 10% chance to stun targets for 3 seconds.
Roar: 50% chance for fear effect. Lasts 3 seconds.
"This bear is two levels higher than me, but I'm stronger than it!" Ray said, a surge of confidence washing away his initial alarm. His attributes were superior across the board. This was a test, not a threat.
Without hesitation, Ray triggered his Transformation. His form blurred and shifted, scales erupting across his skin, his body contorting into the low, powerful shape of the Purple Poison Lizard. He let out a challenging hiss and charged.
The bear, seeing this scaled intruder dare to attack, dropped to all fours and charged back, a living battering ram of muscle and fury. They closed the distance in a heartbeat. When he was ten feet away, Ray gathered his powerful hind legs and leaped, claws extended, aiming for the bear's face.
The bear was surprisingly fast, reacting with a wild swipe of its left claw. Slash! Bam!
Both attacks landed simultaneously. Ray's claws raked across the bear's muzzle, tearing deep, bloody gashes and, with a sickening pop, gouging out its left eye. At the same moment, the bear's powerful paw, like a sack of rocks, smashed into Ray's side. The force was immense, sending him spinning sideways through the air.
He landed five feet away with a grunt, skidding on the leaf litter. He braced for searing pain, but it never came. A quick check of his HP showed a minimal drop. "Dang! My defense is greater than its attack power," he realized with a triumphant laugh. His high Constitution and Dexterity, combined with the Lizard's natural armor, had made him incredibly resilient.
As Ray set himself for his next attack, the black bear let out a different kind of roar. This one was not of rage, but of pure, agonizing pain. It staggered, shaking its massive head, blood pouring from its ruined eye socket.
Seeing his opening, Ray inhaled deeply, feeling the toxic energy build within his gullet. He spewed out a cloud of violet, corrosive gas—his Poison Breath. The cloud enveloped the bear's head. The beast roared again, this time choking and gagging as it took 60 points of damage. It staggered backward, disoriented and in agony.
Ray didn't let up. He charged again, a purple streak of vengeance. This time, he was a blur. His left claw flashed out, and the bear's other eye was torn away, plunging it into absolute darkness. His right claw followed in the same motion, slashing across the bear's exposed throat in a spray of crimson.
The bear's roar became a wet, gurgling whine. It took two stumbling steps, its massive body swaying, before its legs gave out. It collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, its body convulsing violently for a few seconds before falling still.
Ray transformed back, his human form feeling strangely light after the Lizard's bulk. He took a deep, shuddering breath, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He looked at the slain beast, then at the cave behind it. A fierce, primal pride swelled in his chest. He threw his head back and yelled at the top of his lungs, "This is my base! That's my cave!"
The declaration echoed through the trees, a statement of ownership to the world. He sighed, catching his breath, the silence of the forest returning, now feeling more like respect than emptiness.
"I'm unable to assimilate the bear yet," he muttered, looking at the large carcass. His Assimilation mass limit was still only 2,200 lbs, and the bear was likely pushing that. "I'll drag it back inside the cave and rest for a while."
He grabbed the bear by its thick hind legs and, with a grunt of effort, began to haul it across the ground and into the cool, dark interior of the cave. The exertion was minimal thanks to his 30 Strength. Once inside, he laid the bear against the cave wall and, with a satisfied groan, plopped down onto its furry carcass as if it were a couch, using it as a macabre resting spot.
"Athena," he thought, "is there any way to improve the mass I can assimilate at once?"
"Yes, Ray, it is possible," her voice replied instantly.
"How?"
"It is simple: level the Assimilation ability to the next level. At level 2, you will be able to assimilate 4,000 lbs."
Ray did the math in his head. "So 4,200 lbs with my innate growth. That's not bad at all. And it doubles each level? 4,000 lbs at level 2, 8,000 lbs at level 3… Athena, how many skill points do I need to level Assimilation?"
"Ten skill points. You have ten skill points available."
A perfect coincidence, or was the system rewarding his progress? "Sweet! Put all ten of my skill points into leveling Assimilation."
"Affirmative. Leveling Assimilation." A warm, powerful sensation flowed through him, like a internal dam had been breached. "You are now able to assimilate 4,200 lbs of matter."
Ray stood up, energy buzzing within him. He placed his hand on the still-warm bear. "Now, let's see. Assimilate!"
This time, the process was smooth and incredibly fast. There was no strain, no feeling of pushing against a limit. The massive carcass shimmered and dissolved from nose to tail, flowing into his void in a continuous stream. 10%... 40%... 70%... 100%. Assimilation complete.
"Sweet!" Ray exclaimed, his voice full of wonder. "So much better now that I can assimilate more mass." He checked his void storage. The system had categorized the new materials: Bear Hide (High Quality), Bear Bone (High Quality), Bear Meat (High Quality), Life Seed (Black Bear). The last one was a surprise, but he tucked that knowledge away for later.
He was now standing in an empty, quiet cave. It was his. He walked to the entrance and looked out at the clearing, his mind no longer on simple survival, but on construction.
"Alright, Athena. Let's build a door. A strong one."
He focused on the cave entrance, envisioning a solid barrier of wood and iron, reinforced with a crossbar. He willed the materials from his void—the pure oak he had just taken and the refined iron from the goblin weapons. The energy flowed out of him, a visible shimmer in the air. Particles of wood and metal swirled like dust motes in a sunbeam, coalescing, weaving together, and solidifying.
In moments, a formidable door stood where there had been empty space. It was thick, banded with iron, and fitted with a heavy iron bar that slid into sockets carved from the living rock of the cave entrance itself. It was seamless, as if it had always been there.
Ray ran his hand over the smooth, polished wood. He had created this. From nothing, he had made something real, solid, and protective. A profound sense of accomplishment settled over him, deeper than any he had felt from leveling up. This was the power of creation.
He slid the heavy bar into place, sealing himself inside his new home. The cave was dark, but his Night Vision activated, rendering everything in shades of cool grey and green. It was secure. It was his.
He had a base. He had power. And as he looked around the empty cavern, his mind already began drafting blueprints for a forge, for storage, for a proper bed. The game had changed completely. Ray "Thorzen" Silver was no longer just a survivor in the world of Azeroc. He was a shaper. A creator.
And he was just getting started.