2 The Cat
Otto gave the cat a long stare as it wandered around, the gate long gone as he stared around the lush plains. They were like some history book's description of 'before humans came around with phones' and that nonsense. There were some large trees that blew away green leaves and the weather was temperate. Ater looked around as if familiarizing himself with the area.
"Hmm, hasn't changed much, an extra tree here, one less tree there. Huh, so you, what's your name?" The cat didn't seem to be opening its mouth to speak, just sort of projecting its voice somewhere in his head. Otto glared at it, back arched like some wolf as he stared warily at it.
"Oi, answer me, what the hell's your name? I'm not gonna call you the-guy-that's-an-idiot for the rest of my life."
"I feel like you'd like to call me that," Otto replied, with some hesitancy, "Otto Kettering, but the ping thing called me Otto Bettering."
The cat made a sort of meow sound that rang through his head. It walked around Otto.
"Yours is Ater, Ater as in Altar or bad luck?"
"I'm a black cat, what do you think?" Otto blanched and nodded slowly as the cat walked further, "Anyways, you're in a new place, you have some events to do, yada yada yada. Just know you're in the first level of this shitty place." The cat walked around and Otto followed it with some distance.
"Say 'Open Status'. It's the magic word, eventually, you won't have to say it, but right now you should."
Otto gave the cat a long confused look that was replied with a small 'hurry up', "Open Status'," Suddenly a small rectangular screen appeared with some numbers on it, "What the heck?"
[Player #1001: Otto Bettering
Level 1
HP: 100
M: 10
S: 5
AG: 15
DEX: 20
RR: 10HP/min
Skills: Eye of the Devil]
"Hmm, you have shitty stats you know," Ater said out loud, "The shittiest stats I've ever seen in all the visitors I have seen coming from the earth. Those asses usually have like the best stats that people see in years and there are a thousand of them now. Say 'Close Status' when you're done ogling it."
Otto poked the light blue screen, it was solid. There was a little glow to it and Otto stared at his skill.
"It sounds like something some crazy Chuuni kid conjured up," Otto gave his skill a distasteful look, "What does it even do?"
Ater laughed a cat laugh, raspy.
"Seriously Ater, what does it do?"
Ater gave Otto a strange glance, "It doesn't say what it does on the blue screen."
"You're in a different world with no food and a cat, aren't you supposed to be panicking? Who cares what the screen does," Ater asked, eyes laughing in a catty way, "I may be a cat, but I sure can one-shot you here right now too, with these stats at least."
He looked around, looking for people.
"I am panicking, I'm just less up in your face about it. Besides, there wasn't much left for me anyway," Otto walked around and kicked a rock, "At least here there are trees and a sky, and can run wherever, whenever."
Otto looked up to the burning sun as it beat down on him, "What are you even supposed to do anyway?"
"I'm," The cat waved its tail with a flourish, "Your helper so you don't die in five minutes. Look over there, at the small red spot and focus on it,'"
Otto muttered his displeasure and looked at the small fading red figure in the distance.
Two small pings were heard and he could suddenly see the monster magnified, all hanging limbs and sloppy tongues. It was a mix of dark reds and purples and was just a dark blob in the distance. There appeared to be at least two heads on it and it was holding a huge rounded knife in its ugly hands.
[Arcensis Minor
Level 1
HP: 2000
MP: 500
S: 950
AG: 150
DEX: 750
RR: 10HP/sec
Skills: Swing, Vertical Shot, Past Time]
"What is that?" Otto asked, worried, "It's pretty strong, are we safe here?" Ater gave Otto a small smug smile as he pointed a cat claw at the monster from afar.
"That thing is the beginning task for all beginners, one of the weaker monsters. Now usually people would team up and their skills would even out to help fight the monster down, but because of your situation," Ater gave Otto an amused smile, "You might have to fight that thing on you- Oh shit I forgot it. You have to pick your class, no wonder you're so weak, though you'll probably still be pretty weak after this."
"Seriously? A class?" Otto asked, "Wait, this is like those weird games my sister played when she was in high school?! The, uh, shit... RPG games?" Ater nodded wickedly and gave two high hops into the air in triumph, "So what are my class choices? Are there a lot?"
"Forgot most of them."
"Are you sure you're a helper? You're more of a nuisance."
"Rude," Ater licked the back of his paws, "Lemme think for a minute, it's been a while since I was chosen." Otto picked up a loose rock and threw it at a nearby tree, suddenly a red line appeared and he watched as the rock hit right where there was a small thin red 'x'. He picked up another rock and threw it once more.
"Hey, Ater, what does my skill do anyways? 'Eye of the Devil' sounds like something horrible," Otto muttered the last part to himself. The red disappeared almost immediately the rock dropped.
"There are two matching skills, Eye of God and Eye of the Devil, they're like an appraisal thing but really accurate, You can say 'Skill'," Ater opened his eyes, "Ah! The classes are gun person, fist person, sword person, magic sword person, magic person, hiding person, and the weak one."
Ater plopped onto the ground pleased with himself, "I also have a human form, but it's hard to hold, I'll have to change into it for your class."
"The weak one? And you have a human form?" Otto asked, "How do I pick the class and what's magic sword person? Is it like a person that can use magic and a sword or a person who can put magic into their sword?"
Ater sighed and rolled his small yellow eyes; it was cute to see a cat do it.
"It's the latter, and weak ones are the people who, you know, go 'kya~ Senpai!!!', or at least the one I met was like that," Ater visibly shivered, "She called me 'Neko chan' instead of Ater, who the hell does that?!"
Otto smiled as looked up as the sky suddenly darkened with clouds and it started to pour, fat droplets falling on his head.
"It's raining, go under a tree, they can do some cool stuff."
Otto ran for a nearby oak tree, "Ater, can I ask you a question?" The cat shook himself dry and fluffy before he sat under the tree's shade. It was still temperate.
"If you're going to ask anyway, then ask," Ater stretched.
Otto noticed that he was wearing a grey loose cotton shirt and pants, "Where am I? You never bothered to tell me." Wide yellow eyes met his in slight irritancy and apology.
"You're in the Midway Plains for beginners," Ater grimaced, "I think I might have to go into human form to help you pick a class." Ater slowly winced as Otto watched with fervent interest; bones clicked and fur retracted.
Eventually, in a few moments, a slim body appeared with a black shirt and pants on, pale skin and hairs black enough it was impossible to see individual strands. Bright yellow eyes continued to stare at him.
"Doing stuff to this shirt will hurt as it's my fur so don't try anything funny," Ater growled out as he wrung his still slightly wet shirt, "Anyways, Class Change."
A light yellow screen appeared in front of Otto, listing more than a few classes.
"I forgot some."
[Classes (Please say the number to choose): Fighter (1), Mage (2), Swordsman/woman (3), Magic Swordsman/woman (4), Gunslinger, previously archer (5), Assassin (6), Healer (7), Priest (8), Spearman (9), Necromancer (10), and Summoner (11)]
"Ater, which one do you think is the best?" Otto asked, they all seemed useful, just in different situations, "I mean, which is the best for the skill I have?"
Ater was picking at his hands, obviously uncomfortable with his current state, "Would Gunslinger be good? My skill seems to be able to move around."
"Your skill is an 'S' grade skill, meaning it'll just adjust," Ater said, "All people from other places have 'S' level beginner skills to help them. I mean, you could just not pick a class and pick later, but it's not usually the best choice since classes bring more skills and you need to beat the red bastard over there to actually leave the area. Of course, there's another way, but I don't see how you'll do it in your current circumstance."
"Can't I just stay here?" Otto rubbed his hands into the grass as he sat on it comfortably, "It's rather nice here. Fields and all. I'll live on leaves and grass. I think it'll be fine; being vegetarian is awesome."
"No, there will be a monster sent here to exterminate anyone who planned to do th-," Ater held a hand over his mouth, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that. I wasn't supposed to tell you a lot of shit now that I think about it. Being a cat makes me forgetful."
Otto laughed as Ater panicked, "I don't think I was supposed to even tell you where you were?!"
"Ater is an error," Otto laughed, "As long as I don't tell it'll be fine right?" Ater nodded and bit his thumb, "Say, if people do find out you're a bug, what will they do?"
Ater shuddered and turned back into a cat, retracting the class frame.
"Kill me or lock me up, errors aren't accepted 'cause we're dangerous," Ater blinked, looking down into the ground, "Besides, you bastard, you're weak enough, me being an error is a good thing. Those other animals are literal shit shows you know. There are probably people who do know that I'm an error, but most people pick familiars like owls or hawks or lions, not a black cat whose name is bad luck."
"Well, you're a helpful error then," Otto patted Ater on the head and stood up as the rain continued to pour, "Is there a weapon anywhere? Or do we use our fists?"
Ater shook his head and frowned at Otto, at least as good as a cat could frown at someone.
"You need a class to get a weapon," Ater replied, "All drops are based on your class, so you have to pick a class basically. I wouldn't recommend Necromancer, those bastards go crazy after some time. And Healers and Priests are weak, you can't even attack normal type monsters with Priests 'cause they're God's property. Assassins are usually uptight depressed little asses and Fighters are perverts. But that's just my experience."
"Then which one do I pick? The ones left seem rather similar. Shouldn't there be a hidden class?" Ater ignored Otto, "You know something don't you, you definitely know something."
Ater looked down, trying hard not to burst out the answer. The small fluffy tail hidden as Ater walked away with a bastard on his tongue.
"Class 12, Twin Hitter," Ater answered, "It's a class that usually Level 50s try to get with a special side quest. Some do and they use it when they switch their familiars. It's basically a free for all, you can use any type of weapon you want and I get to level up with you. I then get to fight with you, the catch is that I'm a weak starter familiar, so levelling up with me is difficult since the EXP is shared and we both split it."
"You're the information decker guy," Otto stretched and walked around, "12."
A bright blue light engulfed Ater and Otto as strange symbols surrounded them. A slow flicker of heat went through him as he lifted his glowing blue hand to inspect it.
A soft glow encased Ater as the ends of his fur changed to a softer pale blue before changing back, yellow eyes wide in shock, "All the other familiars are dumb probably, an error gives me all the information I need."
"... Are you stupid? If you pick me it'll take double the time to get back home," Ater scolded, "Once you reach Level 1000, you'll be free to go back home! With no effect on your age too!"
Otto shrugged and looked at the greying sky, there were specks of blue peaking out and the rain seemed to be dispersing.
"I'm a life in prison inmate for a crime I didn't commit, either way, I won't be seeing my family as much as I would want to," Otto bent down to rub Ater on the head, "This way, at least I'm free to do what I want and I'll be able to move on. The worst thing about prison is the constant reminder of what you did or didn't do. Open Status."
[Player #1001: Otto Bettering
Level 1
HP: 500
M: 100
S: 50
AG: 150
DEX: 200
RR: 10HP/min
Skills: Eye of the Devil, Two Shots, Twin Teleportation
Class: Twin Hitter]
"Ater, am I a bit better?"
"Still weak as fuck."
"That's rude," Otto looked at the red monster in the distance, "We'll have to find a party or something like that or else I'll die in the field soon and you'll be in that glass case again. Is there an inventory for weapons or something?"
"Can't you use your own fucking brain for once?!"
