A New Path

In a crudely constructed wooden altar, the body of a young man lay motionless. He appeared to be in his late teens, and at this moment, his body was consumed by intense heat. After a whole day of tossing and turning in the altar, the young boy suddenly jolted awake with a hoarse scream.

"What the fuck!" Chester struggled to sit up, his body feeling unnaturally heavy, and his head throbbing with a relentless headache. Thoughts raced through his mind as he surveyed his surroundings. "I don't recognize this area. Did a new patch roll in? I should try the calibration in case it wasn't automatic. I didn't finish what... Shit, did I mess up and end up in heaven?"

Unable to focus his mind, Chester took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. He closed his eyes and visualized the sensation of the system during calibration. At first, nothing happened, but then he felt it—a refreshing wave of energy, far stronger than anything he had experienced during calibration, enveloped his body, easing the throbbing pain in his head.

As the soothing energy coursed through him, Chester felt his sense of self dissipating, merging with the encompassing mantle of energy. However, before he could fully immerse himself in that state, he was jolted back to awareness. "Scary. I'm not sure why, but I somehow know that if I hadn't been startled, I could've easily died. Focus," he urged himself. With determination, he condensed the mantle of energy into a single spot and guided it along the paths he remembered from previous awakenings.

Chester had always been fascinated by magic systems, finding joy in their intricate frameworks. Brave Quest Online, in particular, held an intriguing mechanic for acquiring spells, classes, skills, and knowledge. Some players theorized that class selection wasn't necessary to learn skills, as long as one could replicate the path of a skill during the awakening calibration.

Ever since the announcement of the Berserker legendary skill, a persistent idea had taken hold of Chester's mind. "Next time I awaken..." He spent nearly a year away from raiding, meticulously studying and conversing with players who possessed the skills and passives he desired. After gathering enough information, he meticulously compared the various paths and patterns, determined to attempt something new.

"I'll finish what I started this morning," Chester declared, setting the energy he referred to as the system in motion within his body. "I'll use the Healer as the base." With precision, he circulated the energy in a specific pattern, drawing upon the techniques he had mastered and those he had attempted to learn by observing others' paths.

"Frame of the Healer, styled after the Battle Mage, forged as an Alchemist, refined as a Runemaster, and embracing the potential of being classless. Connecting the five paths I've enjoyed with the dreams and quirks of a community of weebs." Chester felt the energy complete the intricate circuitry of the path, and he sensed the calibration smoothly following the route. The rotation gained momentum, causing his body to overheat until exhaustion overwhelmed him, plunging him into a deep sleep.

As Chester gradually regained consciousness, he couldn't help but note the frequency with which he had lost consciousness. "I've never experienced this so often. Hopefully, I won't suffer any lasting brain damage," he mused. Swinging his legs over the side of the wooden altar, he sat up, taking in his surroundings. "Okay, calibration worked." He activated a spark of energy in the system's designated spot within the path he had created, expecting to access his status, skills, and inventory.

[Status] Chester yelled in his mind, but nothing happened. after attempting to access all the menus he started to despair. panic set in when nothing responded. His attempts to access his status, skills, and inventory proved fruitless.

[Heal!]

Only a faint resonance of mana indicated that his mp had been consumed, but the healing value of the aura was negligible. "A third of my mana heals this much! This wouldn't even count as 1 HP!" Chester exclaimed in frustration, realizing he must have made a mistake in his path.

Confirming that his skill, though poorly functioning, did indeed work, and that the calibration had been successful, Chester turned his attention to his surroundings. "It's too quiet to be a starter village. I doubt I was the only one sent here by the patch." He continued searching for signs of other people. "It looks like a small fishing village, and those mountains are enormous." Chester made his way toward the small port, contemplating the possibility that only those who completed an original class were sent to this location. "Not a single NPC in sight, and no boats either. These houses don't even have fridges. Am I supposed to go up the mountains? Thankfully, I've learned how to cook. I should prepare myself in case no other players arrive, and I have to explore alone." With determination, Chester picked up a fishing pole from outside one of the houses and settled down by the pier, ready to secure his dinner.