The group arrived back at camp just before sunset. Settling down, the first thing they tried to do of course was evolve.

TUTORIAL RESTRICTION IN EFFECT. CLASS EVOLUTION UNAVAILABLE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT BASE OF OPERATIONS.

Questioning the system, Calvin asked how they would go about designating a permanent base.

WHILE IN THE TUTORIAL, YOU MAY DESIGNATE A SINGLE BASE RUNE. THIS RUNE WILL IDENTIFY A LOCATION AS YOUR PARTY’S SPECIFIC BASE OF OPERATIONS. THIS RUNE GRANTS ACCESS TO SYSTEM FUNCTIONS OTHERWISE LIMITED WITHIN THE TUTORIAL. A BASE RUNE HAS MANY FUNCTIONS, CLASS EVOLUTION, SKILL EVOLUTION AND INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN SYSTEM FUNCTIONS BEING SOME OF THEM.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ESTABLISH THIS AREA AS A PERMANENT BASE?

Looking around at their desperate camp, Calvin thought Might as well. This place is as good as any.

Immediately the power in the area grew tenfold. The group glanced nervously around feeling the abrupt change in the atmosphere. Green lines began etching themselves into the ground beneath their feet, the group scrambling away while the system did its work. The process continued for nearly 5 minutes, creating an incredibly complex circle spanning approximately 20 feet in diameter.

Tentatively the group inched closer to the circle, eventually stepping into it with determination. They were immediately beset by a myriad of new system menus.

CLASS EVOLUTION
SKILL EVOLUTION (LOCKED)
BASE MANAGEMENT (LOCKED)
INFORMATION (LOCKED)

Stepping out again Calvin spoke up. “Sweet. Looks like we’ll have quite a few options here. Shame they’re all locked. I suggest one of us does our class evolution first. That way we can pass notes and maybe help each other along in the process.”

A murmur of agreement passed through the group.

Calvin stood before the rune with determination. The last several days had been a horrible, chaotic mess. He was an office worker, with a regular life, a regular apartment and a relatively boring existence. Now, he’s in a mysterious jungle, living under the rules of some system tutorial, fighting for his life at every turn.

This is all so fucked up He thought. But today, things change.

Looking towards the runic circle Calvin knew the only way was forward. With a mix of uncertainty and determination he stepped into the circle and willed it to begin his class evolution.

CLASS EVOLUTION AVAILABLE

As a newcomer to system seed 4913. You have already faced a nearly insurmountable challenge. Level 5 in the unforgiving jungle of the tutorial. Most do not even make it this far. Your courage and determination are an asset. You now make the first choice on your path to power.

While your selection is final, you will have the opportunity to influence the path of your choice as you grow in power.

CLASS OPTIONS

1. Shieldbearer (Iron): As a staunch defender of their allies, a shieldbearer stands between their party and ultimate danger. A shieldbearer refuses to back down, no matter the torrent they face. A shieldbearer has a nearly spiritual affinity with their shield and is proficient in numerous one-handed weapons. (+1 Power, +2 Toughness per level)

2. Glitch Blade (Gold): A glitch blade is specially attuned to the nanites around them, however they do not wield magic in the traditional sense. A Glitch Blade favors daggers and spatial manipulation to alter their enemy’s perception. Their attunement to the nanite field allows them to incorporate energy disruption into their attacks. (+2 power, +3 Speed, +1 Control per level)

3. Techweaver Saboteur (Silver): A techweaver taps into the nanites within the environment around them, wielding the innate power of objects to create traps for their unsuspecting foes. A techweaver is proficient in the usage of ranged weaponry, however they prefer to be far away from the enemy when the fight kicks off. (+3 Speed, +2 Control per level.)

4. Lupine Techlancer (Gold): The lupine techlancer is never alone in battle. This class shares a special synergy with other synergistic classes. Once bonded via synergy, the techlancer and their companion fight as one in battle. Techlancers are masters of the spear and are able to employ nanite attunement to deliver additional lethal damage to their foes. Synergistic classes develop unique skill-sets in concert with their bonded ally. (+3 Speed, +2 Power, +1 Control per level.)

5. Pulseweaver (Silver): A pulseweaver is an expert with combustion and energy based simple ranged weaponry. Pulseweavers advancing in their craft will gain a level of control over the nanite fabric, being able to infuse their shots with additional effects. (+2 Speed. +3 Control)

Calvin looked over the options with both awe and confusion. This has to be a dream. He fell asleep on his couch, and now he’s dreamed up some sort of scenario placing him smack dab in the middle of some truly screwed-up game.

He looked back at the options, baffled by their descriptions. These classes feel really science fiction. Glitch Blade? He wondered.

The descriptions reminded him of an old sci-fi MMO he used to play as a kid, but taking a look at the world around him, this did not feel very tech-heavy at all.

Well, except for that weird ass ship that gobbled us all up.

Giving up on trying to find reason and logic with the messages in his display he moved back to examining the choices.

If this is a dream. I’m going to be one hell of a badass. He decided resolutely.

Shieldbearer was right out. Not only did Calvin feel absolutely zero desire to carry a huge sturdy plank and stand in front of the danger…it was Iron rank. Judging by the descriptions of the other skills, this sounded like it had to be pretty low. This was further confirmed by the stat points granted per level. He wasn’t really sure what this meant just yet but he felt that more numbers had to be better.

Glitch Blade sounded cool as hell. If he really were playing a game, he’d probably pick this one immediately. It was Gold rank, had an edgy name and the description made it seem seriously powerful…but daggers? He has had no experience with daggers, ever. Not in real life, not in this weird ass fantasy. Honestly…to him this sounded like a perfect fit for Amy, who not only found the courage, but an unusual aptitude for dispatching those damned raptors.

Techweaver saboteur sounded safe. He liked safe. The idea of setting traps and staying well out of harm’s way did feel like a pretty solid choice. But the more he thought about it, the more he soured on the idea. That would put his friends closer to the danger while he hung back. If it was just him out here, this would probably be the choice for him.

Lupine Techlancer. Reading through the description Calvin was immediately drawn to everything about it. It was a spear class, which he has some familiarity with now. It had nanite attunement which, while he knew nothing about that, figured it had to be pretty damn good in a system controlled by nanites. It also mentioned this synergy. He tried to inquire more about that, however the system neglected to respond. Asshole he thought.

He scanned over the pulseweaver, which also sounded pretty rad, and gave him clues about what sort of weapons they could expect to see in this system…such as energy weapons. But ultimately, he wasn’t a marksman, never was and didn’t see that happening here in the system either.

He went back to Lupine Techlancer, scanned it over once more and prepared himself to choose.

Was this the right choice? What if I pick something that gets me or my friends killed? He hesitated.

It was a Gold rank class, and judging by the games he’s played, that was the highest rank he could see. The system message did indicate he’d have the ability to influence the direction of his choice in the future, so it wasn’t totally locked in he guessed.

With resolve, he mentally selected Lupine Techlancer.

He felt the change immediately. His blood felt like it was on fire, a scream forced its way out of his clenched lips as he dropped to his knees. His party scrambled over to help, worried that something was happening.

Calvin held up his hand to signify he was alright. The pain already beginning to recede and his situation became much clearer to him. He felt an incredible surge of power. He truly felt like he’d been born all over again with a fresh adult body. His muscles more responsive, his brain working at super speed. This….was damned awesome.

Willing his system screen to appear he understood the source of his newfound power.

CALVIN HAWKINS
Level: 5
Race: Human
Class: Lupine Techlancer
Grade: F

ATTRIBUTES:
Health Points (HP): 720/720
Mana Points (MP): 320/320
Stamina: 640/640

STATS:
Power: 55
Toughness: 40
Speed: 80
Control: 40

SKILLS OBTAINED
Resonant Charge: Build up electrical energy through movement and strikes, creating visual crackling around the spear and increasing the potency of subsequent abilities.

Chain Reaction: Upon landing a successful attack, transfer residual energy to nearby enemies, causing secondary jolts of damage.

Nanite Energy Barrier (minor): Raise a temporary shield of crackling energy that absorbs incoming attacks and redirects them as jolts of electricity toward nearby enemies. Scales with Resonant Charge.

Appraise: Gain additional insights into your target. This skill will identify additional features of entities and objects. This is the basic version of this skill granted to all at their first-class evolution. Some classes will gain upgrades to this skill.

“Well, holy shit.” Calvin said mostly to himself, although everyone around him stared expectantly his direction.

“So?” Asked Marshall. “Spill the beans man.”

He explained the lupine techlancer to the wide-eyed group, detailing the massive leap in stats he’d gained and his thoughts on the skills he’d received.

Although he knew nothing of what awaited them in the dungeon, he certainly knew this power-up would go a long way towards their success.