Running First Class

[Prerequisites met to gain access to the Ranger Class. Would you like to select this as your Primary Class? Y/N]

Aston looked at the screen with a faint smile despite how exhausted he currently was. His chest burned with each inhale and his legs felt like they were going to snap at any moment but he couldn't care less. "Kyu can you believe it? I completed my first quest," cheered the reincarnator still out of breath. He expected Kyu to chime in like she had been up until then but her voice never came. He was still getting used to everything around him, especially the whole someone being inside his head thing. Ashton could feel his guide's anger in the back of his mind there was also something else. He felt her worry. She was worried about him. "Kyu I know what I did was stupid I'm sorry."

(You do realize you could have died right? I know you were excited, but that doesn't excuse you for not thinking ahead when you should have.)

Ashton flinched at the sudden outburst. Kyu's voice echoed through his head causing him a slight headache. It felt like he was being scolded by his older sister. Thoughts of the time he got caught with stolen food bubbled to the surface of his mind. He remembered trying to explain that they needed it so he just grabbed it. But all he could do was hang his head in shame and let Mariah finish scolding him in front of a very angry store owner. That's what he did then and it was what he was doing now.

(I'll go easy on you this time but please be more careful will you?)

"I hereby promise to think ahead and be more careful," declared Ashton in a half-serious half-joking tone.

(You better promise.)

The two of them laughed for a bit until Ashton's chuckles turned into pained coughs. "This isn't going to get any earlier is it?" Kyu answered his question by pulling up his status board.

(Just check your health.)

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Name: Ashton Ikushina (Age: 16)

Title: None

Class 1: None

Class 2: None

Available Classes: Ranger

Previous Classes:

General Skills:

- Language Comprehension

- Identify Lvl 1

Status: Heavily Injured

Vitality: 5

Endurance: 8

Strength 5

Dexterity 5

Intelligence 5

Wisdom 5

Health: 17/50

Stamina: 15/80

Mana: 50/50

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Ashton got excited at the thought of having mana but immediately paled when he finally saw the amount of health those spiders left him with. 'And those were just adolescent spiders,' Ashton shuddered at the thought of larger spiders as he read his status. He looked at his stamina, his mana, and finally his class list. "Kyu, this thing says I can pick the ranger class. I know a little but do you have any more info about that?"

(There should be some information about the class in the description, just click it and there you go.)

"Makes enough sense." Ashton clicked the Ranger tab and was met with a separate screen and a wave of information.

[The ranger is a fighter who uses a combination of stealth tactics, nature magic, and weapon proficiency to slay great beasts as well as any foe within their sights.

If you choose the Ranger class you gain the following:

Vitality +5

Endurance + 5

Dexterity + 10

Intelligence +5

Wisdom +10

You gain the general skill Tracker.

Your mana regeneration is increased by 25% in heavily forested areas.

Skills gained in Ranger:

(Passive): Pass without Trace Lvl 1 - Your connection to nature allows you to traverse through areas without leaving any signs of you being there. You no longer leave footprints behind and adversaries will have a 5% chance to lose track of you.

(Active): Swift Wind Arrow Lvl 1 - You coalesce your mana combining it with the natural winds around you and shaping it into a projectile that does substantial damage on impact.

Would you like to pick the Ranger as your primary class? Y/N]

Ashton read all the abilities he gained and struggled not to immediately press the yes button. He would have probably squealed and jumped around but he was already drained. "Kyu this is…"

(Just like one of those RPGs from the world you came from. Our connection gave me some time to look through a few of your memories and my guess is that it was done intentionally. You were an avid fan of video games, so most of these things should be recognizable.)

Indeed, they were. The concepts, the numbers, and the skills. It all reminded him of the games he used to watch his friends play at school. "Ranger wouldn't have been my first choice but who am I to complain about free superpowers." Ashton clicked yes and was instantly wrapped in foreign energies that soak into him. He felt better, faster, stronger; he felt powerful. "Let's try my new attack out," Ashton mused, extending his right hand.

(I would suggest exiting the cave.)

He paused for a moment. "You're probably right," he agreed, prompting a few giggles from Kyu. Ashton stowed his dagger in the belt of his new pants and made his way to where he thought the entrance of the cavern would be. It took a few minutes of stumbling over stalagmite clusters but Ashton eventually found his initial sleeping area in a state of disarray. Most of his stuff had been rifled through by the spiders and his sleeping bag was a bit ripped. "I'll have to get that repaired at some point," he grumbled, lifting bits of torn fabric from the floor. He walked outside. The area adjacent to the cave was littered with overturned rocks and fallen tree branches. His outfit didn't include shoes for some odd reason so damp mud clung to Ashton's feet as he walked through the grass.

This looks like a decent enough place to practice. But where do I start?" Ashton thought of a few things and ultimately went with one of the most basic approaches to this kind of situation. Say it and hope something happens. "Swift Wind Arrow." As soon as the words left his lips, every ounce of ambient mana within Ashton began moving. His arm vibrated ever so slightly with an unknown power as the somewhat gentle wind around him picked up. All the trees around Ashton swayed, throwing any remaining rainwater every which way. The wind continued rising in speed as it started being pulled toward the center of Ashton's palm. Faster, faster, faster he now watched the air rotate along with the mana flowing through his arm until it coalesced into one solid shape. A translucent green arrow sprouted from the center of Ashton's palm before his astonished eyes. "W-What do I-I do with it now," stuttered as the arrow spun.

(Just shoot it in a random direction. Your mana is getting dangerously low and mana exhaustion is just as bad as regular.)

Heeding the warning Ashton pushed his hand forward launching the projectile. The arrow flew with breakneck speed. So fast in fact that the only way he could maintain a decent view was by the faint glow it gave off. "I hope it doesn't hit anything." Ashton's hands practically flew to cover his mouth when the gravity of what he just said dawned on him. "We need to get going." Ashton tried his best not to trip over his own feet as he scrambled to gather his belongings.

(Why are you running?)

The guide's question statement met with a pained roar that shook the very forest itself. Trees shuddered and loose stone crumbled into dust as whatever Ashton just shot lashed out in anger. He was still dashing when he saw a sizable chunk of soil fly in his general direction which only gave him ample reason to run harder.

[Quest Activated!]

[Quest: Escape The Forest - Due to some rather unfortunate aiming you have drawn the attention of a great beast known as the Earth-Dragon. This creature is known for its ability to control and shape the earth at will. You cannot possibly hope to defeat this monster as you are now. Your best chance of surviving is to run like your life depended on it because it does.

Task: Escape Marilah Forest

Rewards: A long life (Not Guaranteed), 1x Common Item Ticket, and 1x Endurance Recovery Potion.

Penalty on Failure: Death by Stoning]

- - -

It hadn't been long since the chase between Ashton and the thing running after him began. He didn't know what it looked like and frankly, he didn't want to. Hearing something called a dragon roar was one thing but having it launch stones bigger than your head was another. "I need to find a place to hide or at least someone who could distract it while I escape." That right he was going to run. He didn't have to be a hero and even if he did, most smart ones knew when to retreat. Another volley of rocks flew past Ashton's head narrowly missing thank whatever gods were out there. "Kyu, is there anything I could do to potentially lose this thing?"

(A majority of your limbs are still injured so I'd suggest not trying anything too athletic. The best thing you can do right now is run.)

'I don't know if I could even keep running at this pace let alone anything more.' Ashton's thoughts raced in his head as stones sailed through the air. The young man tried his best to jump out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. Ashton was sent tumbling to the ground with a gash in his left leg. "Shit," he spat out through gritted teeth.

(Ashton I know it hurts but you need to get back up if you don't want to die again.)

Ashton ripped a piece of cloth from his bedroll and wrapped his wound. The makeshift tourniquet would have to do for the time being. After taking as many breaths as he could Ashton began running again.

[Congratulations! By pushing yourself past your limits and then some you have gained 2 points of Endurance.]

The exhausted boy didn't even register the notification as he was too busy focusing on the path ahead of him. He ran until he came to an edge sitting above a paved dirt road. Ashton looked to the left but saw nothing. Then he looked to his right and saw multiple pairs of furred legs being followed by a set of wooden wheels. "A wagon!" He cried out in a mixture of relief and fear. But how was he going to get there?

(Ashton I don't know any other way to say it so I'll get it simple. Jump.)

Kyu's words alongside the sound of the Earth Dragon's footsteps seemed to rekindle the wavering flame within Ashton. He took a few steps back, looked at the road, and then lept.