- Chapter 5 - First Job Class

~ A Few Days Later ~

- 28th of April, 418 A.W. -

~ Evelyn's POV ~

It's been a few days since Evelyn left the City of Prontera to train her skills & abilities, to level up, and to explore the forests west and northwest of Prontera. And at the same time, she gathered a decent collection of items from the monsters that she's encountered and killed.

The afternoon sky was cloudy today while the wind was constantly blowing across the forest trees. With the light of the sun being blocked out by the gray clouds, the shadows of the forest were more prominent. To Evelyn, it has been a great training opportunity to fight in an uneven terrain like this while the weather worked against her. She noticed how her scent, and her presence was easier for the monsters to detect due to the winds.

As she traversed the woods, Evelyn made it a point to avoid the Thief Bugs due to their willingness to swarm their opponents, which she saw from afar when a Gray Wolf wandered into their area and attacked one of them. This gave the Thief Bugs, who heard the cries of one of their own, free reigns to swarm the poor Gray Wolf. It went from being a 1-on-1 fight to a 15-on-1 in less than 10 seconds. The Gray Wolf was able to take out 5 Thief Bugs before it was overwhelmed by the other 10; and as this occurred, even more of those giant cockroaches came out of the ground and sewer systems to have their fill of the violence and a tasty wolf snack.

Evelyn chose to quietly leave the nearby scene while she held her breath since the collective smell of so many giant cockroaches were simply too disgusting for her sense of smell. She witnessed this happening yesterday and applauded herself in her wise decision to leave those things alone for now since she had no reliable area of effect attacks, and she just really didn't want to be around so many giant cockroaches that smelled like raw sewage. She didn't have a way to reliably confront them let alone not be affected by their scent alone.

At this very moment, she was fighting a Willow. This one was called a Red Willow...

[Red Willow]

[Level: 8]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [195/195]

[SP] [0/0]

[More Info...]

>> This Red Willow is a tree that absorbed the ambient magical energy of a forest and gained a simple sentience about it. It is very aggressive and will attack first without provocation. This one is one of the young ones that roam about looking for targets. The red splotches all over it's dark brown bark marks it as violent and it's been known to kill people and animals.

>> [Monster Primary Stats]

[STR: 7]

[AGI: 10]

[VIT: 15]

[INT: 45]

[DEX: 14]

[LUK: 20]

>> [Monster Sub-Stats]

[Property: Low-Tier Earth Elemental]

[ATK: 18 ~ 24]

[DEF: 20]

[MATK: 0]

[MDEF: 25]

[HIT: 48]

[FLEE: 102]

...and it was a very annoying monster to deal with for Evelyn. At this moment, Evelyn has reached Level 9 and her stats were nothing to scoff at, but the Red Willows that she's been dealing with in this part of the forest shouldn't be underestimated.

Evelyn's current [FLEE] [Sub-Stat] is 63 while the Red Willow had 102 in comparison. Her [DEX] [Stat] is 25 and her [HIT] [Sub-Stat] is 43.6 while the violent brown and red moving tree that she's been fighting has a 14 [DEX] [Stat] and a [HIT] [Sub-Stat] of 48.

What this really meant in the essence of combat is that Evelyn has to rely a lot on counter attacks, dodges, and feints because each of the Red Willows that she fought knew how to use their unique body structure, innate abilities, and their aggressive nature in order to deflect, parry, and counter Evelyn's movements, attacks, and her tactics at first until she figured out how to take them down.

With a dodge to the left, the raven-haired young woman deflected two swiping branches from the Red Willow with her buckler while she parried another three swiping branches with her dagger. As she dodged, she made sure to take the necessary steps backwards to duck and weave under another three swiping branches.

She knew what it felt like to have those branches take a whack at her face. She's grateful that she has the [Basic First Aid - Skill] since she found out that it can fix a broken nose, deal with lacerations, and other such injuries, but it took a lot of SP for her to rejuvenate from those wounds the other day.

It's still a hassle trying to get a few hits in while she bobbed and weaved for all she was worth. After a feint swipe with her dagger and a shield bash to disorient it, she was able to land a snap kick while the numerous branches of the Red Willow were slightly occupied. She figured out yesterday that these monsters' instincts and reactions can be used against them, but it took her a hell of a time trying to get the timing down. The one that she's currently occupied with has been trying to claw her eyes out for the last few minutes.

[Red Willow]

[Level: 8]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [43.5/195]

[SP] [0/0]

[ - 51.75 HP]

After her kick landed, the Red Willow expired and its body turned into different pieces of lumber, a couple of red orbs of light that fell onto the forest floor, and a few bits and bobs that Evelyn quickly shoved into her inventory. In total, she gained (x3 Red Timber), (4x Red Branches), (2x Minor Orbs of Monstrous Essence), and (4x Gatherings of Red Willow Leaves).

(Red Timber) - A piece of timber with slightly glowing red veins that still contained the violent essence of the Red Willow.

(Red Branch) - A branch from a Red Willow. It may be useful for something.

(Minor Orb of Monstrous Essence) - A small spark of monster essence that can be used as reagents for all sorts of things.

(Gatherings of Red Willow Leaves) - It's self-explanatory... Whatever their used for, we don't know...

The raven-haired young woman quickly caught her breath, sheathed her dagger, and she quickly made sure that the area around her was clear before she slowly took her right hand off of the hilt of her sheathed blade. She learned her lesson a long time ago about constant vigilance in the field of battle, and she made sure to maintain that way of life in this new world of hers.

'Thank goodness I told you to hold off on any skills & abilities notifications when I'm in hostile territory,' she inwardly noted while she walked away from the border of the Red Willows' territory within the forest.

[ +250 Level Exp]

[ +250 Job Exp]

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Title(s): None]

[Level: 9 (17,919/25,600 exp)]

[HP] [90/190] (3 HP/10 Sec Regen)

[SP] [143/200] (8.3 SP/10 Sec Regen)

[Job: Novice - Level: 9/10 (17,919/25,600 exp)]

[You would've been swamped by constant notifications like last time. The aggressive monsters in this forest don't hesitate to attack when they notice that you're distracted. After the last few close calls, it was wise to reduce the number of notifications.]

Evelyn quietly crouched down against some tall berry bushes to avoid a wandering pack of Level 7 Lunatics that were hopping around for some reason. And at the same time, she activated her [Basic First Aid - Skill] on her right hand; thus, resulting in a soft blue light appearing at her palm, which she placed against the areas of her body that were wounded. The soft and tingly sensation of the healing process was refreshing, and it made her *sigh* in relief.

'I don't fancy getting deep lacerations on my forearms again because of a sudden bit of distraction.' Her eyes roamed over the areas on her body that were wounded, and she bore witness to her body rejuvenating from the nicks, scratches, bruises, and the minor lacerations that she gained from fighting another Red Willow.

'How was my time? How long did it take me to kill this Red Willow this time?', she asked her System while her eyes wandered the clearings that she passed. She's very wary of tall bushes, the wild undergrowth, and the shaded areas of the forest.

As she walked, she made sure to activate her [Enhance Sight - Advanced Skill], [Enhance Hearing - Advanced Skill], and her [Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability] to aid her in her goal to avoid any hidden monster she wasn't aware of in her general vicinity.

[It took you 4 minutes and 49 seconds this time. It's better than your last one, which was 5 minutes and 3 seconds.]

[Update: A few of your skills are on the verge of Leveling up. I calculate that in the process of taking down 15 more Red Willows, then they'll be on the cusp of growing stronger. It's an excellent find that through constant usage of your skills; even if only against a single opponent, then they'll grow more rapidly. My theory of it being due to a constant need of defying death in your struggles against these monsters is proving more and more to be valid.]

[Reminder: I've taken the liberty of updating a few things for your Status tab among other things. And just like you told me yesterday, I'll make sure to appraise you of the details later tonight.]

As she jumped over a large section of roots, she cut off her [Basic First Aid - Skill] due to having only 25 SP left out of 200. 'Yeah, it's great to have found that out. How many more Red Willows do I have to take down until I reach Level 10? And thank you for that.'

[If you only fight Red Willows, then that would be 35 left to hunt and takedown. However, you've been taking down any other lone monster within your level or lower due to your looting tendencies that I've noted. Reminder: It would be wise to spread the sale off of any of your loot that you don't want to keep across different merchants, traders, and vendors. It's best to be cautious since you've been adventuring by your lonesome and you've been pretty successful so far. So, I'd rather you not get mugged since you would take umbrage of that, and they'll be 6 feet under...]

*Sigh* 'I've only ever beaten up and made the bodies of a few idiots disappear for trying to even steal my stuff as well as stalking me in my past life. Unless some idiots want to be unalive, then I'll make sure to be careful. You don't have to remind me, but it's appreciated. It's not my fault that some people can't take a hint. I just make sure I finish what they started...', she inwardly replied with a small scowl.

[I have yet to imply or state it today, but your former experience makes you very formidable.]

Evelyn shakes her head in fond acceptance while she climbed up a tall oak tree to get a vantage point as well as to rest up against the sturdy tree while sitting down on the steady and stable branches.

She quickly deactivates her sight and hearing enhancement skills as well as her monster detection ability. She then took out a (Fine Red Apple) from her inventory to snack on while she replied with a whisper, "You've been saying it the last few days and I don't really mind. I'm just glad I get to use my training and former experience in this new world. I miss working with reliable people as a unit. I miss my friends and family. I'll miss them dearly..."

"If I can use what I've learned and gained in my past life... both the good and the bad, then I'll make sure to live a fruitful life with no regrets. I want to explore, learn more, and I want to travel to exotic places. That was one of the best things about being in the military for me... I got to go to so many different places... meet different people... It's just terrible that I had to take part in so many different conflicts..."

With absent-minded movements, she stuffed the leftover core of the eaten fruit into her inventory before she laid up against the tree to relax for half an hour, recover the rest of her HP and SP, and to unwind for a bit. Evelyn made sure to take a breather after a few hours of monster hunting and traveling. It helped her balance her mood, to unwind, and it helped her enjoy nature.

[You couldn't help choosing where you were needed. From your memories, I witnessed how you and the other enlisted personnel were deployed to the heaviest conflicts, aiding your allied countries, and many such engagements. The conflicts that began from the start of World War III have already been at its height... and at its 4th year was when you were first deployed. From there, it spiraled... You were a patriot; Evelyn, but you and every enlisted personnel from then on were just cycled through the gauntlet of war...]

A dark scowl appeared on Evelyn's face before she took deep breaths to calm down. The mentions of WWIII opened up flashes of visions in her mind's eye. A heart-rending scream of pain... explosions from near and far... the sound of shells flying through the air... the whizz and streams of bullets... that and much more appeared in her mind.

It took a few minutes for her to calm down and get her breathing, mind, and body under control. "Shit... I hate when that happens... I'm in a forest, not in a city... There's birdsong, no bullets... There's wind in the air and the smell of nature, it's not stale and the only scent of blood is mine..."

After her grounding techniques and deep breaths, she calmed down... 'If I never experience another war, then that would be a blessing... I'm going to be an Acolyte... a healer... a healer...'

[Evelyn... that's right. You'll be a healer. What kinds of hobbies are you interested in pursuing besides healing? I suggest herbalism and the art of potion creation. It could help in your pursuits...]

'I could get into it... That's a great idea. I need to work with my hands... I wonder how effective I'll be as an Acolyte...'

[You became a nurse after you finished up with your military service, so I'm sure that you'll be a great Acolyte in this new world. If you dedicate yourself as much as you did in the past, then you'll be alright.]

'Thanks for that vote of confidence...', after that thought, Evelyn looked at the transparent mini-map on the top right-hand corner of her vision, which acts like a heads up display just like her name, HP & SP bar, and her level and job exp bar on her top left-hand side, and she mentally tapped it to enhance the coloration as well as the zoom function on it. She reviewed the areas where she's been and took notice of the fogged-up areas of the map where she hasn't been.

She knew the forest that's to the northwest of the City of Prontera was huge, but with the mini-map as her reference, she noticed how she barely explored a fraction of the chunk of the forest in this region. According to the map and the compass that came with the mini-map, she's still directly northwest of Prontera; however, she's only been able to thoroughly explore 15 miles of it and the edge of the northwest forest that's nearest to Prontera's walls is 10 or so miles away.

'That makes a decent 25 or so miles of the northwestern region mapped out. The monsters I've come across and the ones I've avoided for my own survival make it difficult to speed up the exploration. Thank goodness that the areas that I've been to before shows that it's been mapped; including the areas of Prontera that I've walked through. This mapping function is very convenient... The downside is that this map only detects me... it doesn't detect any nearby hostiles... Of course, that would've made it too easy...', she thought with a huff and an annoyed shake of her head.

Evelyn mentally commanded for the mini-map to go back to its default miniaturized and transparent form and she took a quick glance at the clock that her System set up below the transparent mini-map. The tiny digital holographic clock with light blue; almost transparent, borders and white digitized numbers told her that it was now... [03:47 PM].

'I've got until 6 PM or so until I need to find a good place to hole up, eat dinner, and sleep. I think I can get to level 10 before then, what do you think?'

[You've got a fair shot if no complications arise. Best get to it... It was wise of you to cook a few meals beforehand, plate them on several plates, and to stuff them into your inventory. It's a good thing that we found out that it can store cold and hot things and that the temperature it enters your inventory with stays consistent as if they were time-locked... It's truly and utterly fascinating...]

'Yeah, it makes eating my dinner while I tie myself up against a tree for extra security more bearable,' she replied with a shrug. 'I still can't believe I was attacked by a small group of aggressive Porings a couple of days ago while I was making dinner at my camp...'

[My theory could still be valid... that the deeper you go into the forest, then the more aggressive behaviors we'll witness done by these higher-leveled monsters. We've witnessed several anomalous acts and the need for some of these monsters to form small packs or groups is pretty disconcerting.]

'On the bright side, we've got plenty of fresh opponents wandering around and ready to be taken down. It makes gaining exp a bit easier yet also more dangerous... Once I level up, I'd like a sitrep; I mean a summarized report, on the skills and abilities I've obtained, leveled up, and any other possible changes that occurs... I'm pretty excited...', she told her System with a small smile as she watched a blue bird perch itself on a tree branch nearby.

After a few more minutes, she checked over her gear out of habit. Her buckler is still in decent condition and so is her dagger. A few days ago, she obtained the [Basic Dagger Throwing - Sub-Skill] and the [Basic Dagger Retrieval - Sub-Skill]; which resulted in her strapping a secondary dagger on her left thigh while a third dagger was strapped to her right. The only reason why she had these extra (2x Knife [4] [+10 ATK]) was due to her need to always have an extra weapon on hand; just in case, and she didn't want to sell off the assortment of knives and daggers that she has in her inventory.

She could've kept placing more on her person, but she didn't really have the proper throwing dagger harnesses and sheathes to make it more seamless for her, so she's been using this basic two extra daggers setup for now. It has been helpful so far, but Evelyn is looking forward to finding a skilled leatherworker to make a custom fitted one for her to use.

In the meantime, the daggers that are strapped and sheathed at her side are in great working condition. Her outfit and boots are also in great working condition, so she was glad. She ignored the built-up dirt and grass stains as well as the blood, scratches, minor nicks, and such on her equipment since it was mostly her own blood that have mostly dried up on it. She's glad that she makes sure to wash them off every night before she went to bed with a (1x Scrap of Cloth) and some water from her (1x Minor Enchanted Leather Water Bottle of Refreshment; Self-Refilling).

It's a monotous task; maintaining her equipment, but she finds cleaning up and inspecting her gear every night soothing and relaxing. For her clothes, she's decided to replace them if they were badly damaged, but so far they've held up well for the past few days.

With her quick check over and done with, Evelyn slowly climbed down from the oak tree and went to find herself more monsters to fight. It took her less than a minute to find another wandering Red Willow with her enhanced senses and monster detection ability.

[Red Willow]

[Level: 8]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [195/195]

[SP] [0/0]

'Alright, here we go again,' she inwardly psyched herself up before she sprinted towards it while she unsheathed her throwing knives and launched them at the brown and red barked monstrosity; thus, activating her [Basic Dagger Throwing - Sub-Skill].

[ - 23.5 HP (×2)] >> [ - 47 HP]

The rapid *thud* *thud* of her two thrown daggers hitting their mark was music to her ears as she unsheathed her main weapon. Before she could swipe at the red menace, she had to backpedal real quick or else she would've been skewered by half a dozen sharp branches that the Red Willow formed out of its body in response to her attacks.

[Red Willow]

[Level: 8]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [148/195]

[SP] [0/0]

Evelyn and the Red Willow danced around each other. The raven-haired Novice ducked and weaved away from another set of attacks while she inwardly activated her [Basic Dagger Retrieval - Sub-Skill]; however, in doing so, she had to sheathe her main weapon in order to grab the daggers that suddenly appeared in both of her hands in a soft blue light.

With her throwing weapons retrieved, she rolled away from another attack that was aimed at her legs while she threw her knives in retaliation, but this time the Red Willow was ready for it.

The ent-like creature deflected her throwing daggers away from its wooden body with ease; it's whip-like branches moving back and forth in hypnotic patterns. A few days ago, Evelyn was slightly shocked that it could do this, but as of this moment, she barely raised a brow while she unsheathed her main weapon.

She's seen so many Red Willows able to do the same thing for a couple of days now, so it's absurd flexible wooden branches and it's ludicrous reaction times weren't a surprise to her. 'I'll have to retrieve those knives later,' she thought while she glanced at her HP & SP bars.

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Title(s): None]

[Level: 9 (17,919/25,600)]

[HP] [190/190] (3 HP/10 Sec Regen)

[SP] [170/200] (8.3 SP/10 Sec Regen)

[Job: Novice - Level: 9/10 (17,919/25,600 exp)]

'It took 10 SP each to use my [Basic Dagger Throwing - Sub-Skill] while using my [Basic Dagger Retrieval - Sub-Skill] took 5 SP each. I'll have to save my SP for emergency uses of my [Basic First Aid - Skill] like last time,' she inwardly noted while she ducked and weaved away from a plethora of branches trying to cut her neck, puncture her shoulder, and cause her all other manner of injuries.

'Well then, time to kick some ass...'

With a quick lunge, a grin appeared on her lips as she got ready to perform a combo of feints, slashes, and a shield bash for good measure...

~ 2 Hours Later ~

~ Evelyn's POV ~

Like a woman possessed, she kept on finding and taking down one Red Willow after another until she felt a sudden onrush of energy after taking down another one and pocketing the items it dropped into her inventory.

When the coast was clear, her System told her, [Evelyn, you've just leveled up... that energy you felt throughout your body... it's slowly building up. You need to get to a safe area or else you'll collapse! Move!]

With that warning delivered to her, Evelyn quickly gazed at her mini-map to get a good orientation of her location, and then she promptly booked it away from Red Willow territory.

It took her less than 23 minutes to find a small clearing within the forest that was a decent distance away from the violent red tree monsters. The only things in the clearing were Level 3 Porings just bouncing around, but Evelyn didn't take a second to glance at them. All she could see in her vision was a sort of whitish fog that slowly blinded the edges of her sight until she reached the clearing. She didn't know how she knew to head in this direction, but she felt compelled to by an unseen force.

As soon as she reached the center of the area, she felt her body fall down and she felt grass touching her skin. And with that, she let out a wordless scream and thrashed across the ground while her body's nerves felt like they were on fire.

If there was an outside observer, they would've bore witness to a raven-haired young woman being saturated by a tide of fractal orbs of green and golden lights the size and shape of marbles that were emerging from the very ground. Her soft beige skin had what looked like spiraling veins of sparkling colors appearing and disappearing at random all over her body. And her eyes, they were radiating a sort of green and gold-flecked light.

As this was happening, the Porings within the clearing left and bounced away; as if sensing that something beyond their own understanding was occurring and the enegy output was enough to scare them away from Evelyn.

While this happened, Evelyn Snowbright's [Job & Rebirth Evolution System] could do nothing but witness the young woman's first ever [Job & Rebirth Evolutionary Awakening]; of which it suddenly gained the barebones knowledge of as it was happening.

[You'll be alright, Evelyn... you'll be alright...], the System voiced out to her; however, the System suspects that Evelyn was in too much pain to notice.

It felt like a lifetime and yet it also felt too short for the System, but with Evelyn undergoing a change; the System couldn't detect anything outside of her host's body. As a System that became a part of Evelyn's soul, it experienced how the unknown Energies that were saturating the young woman's body was changing her body and her soul in ways that were slowly becoming clear to the System.

Once it became clear enough, the System started updating itself thanks to the information it was being given by the unknown Energies.

[Job & Rebirth Evolution System Updating...]

[Nature's Mana & Divine Mana saturation occurring via Midgard affecting Evelyn Snowbright...]

[Evelyn Snowbright has reached Level 10 and has maxed out at Level 10 as a Novice... unknown interaction with the Realm of Midgard as well as host's great need to be a healer; an Acolyte, as well as the Job & Rebirth Evolution System being saturated with Mana of both Nature and Divine Origin have awakened interesting results...]

[Job(s)]

[Current Locked In Job: Novice - Level: (10/10) (Maxed)] > {Changed to...} > [Acolyte of Midgard - Level: (1/50) (0/100 exp)]

[Rebirth]

>> [2,900 Rebirth Points] > {Changed to...} > [2,800 Rebirth Points]

>> [100 Rebirth Points earned after each year of Soul Growth & Body Age]

>> [Saturation of Nature's Mana & Divine Mana have Unlocked and triggered an Awakening and have Used 100 Rebirth Points]

>> [The Soul of Evelyn Snowbright is now experiencing a Rebirth...]

[Evolution]

>> [Through the saturation of Nature's Mana & Divine Mana as well as the Rebirth of Evelyn Snowbright's Soul... the Evolution of her Body was triggered in response...]

>> [Race: Human Midgardian] > {Evolved into...} > [Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin]

[Job & Rebirth Evolution System undergoing change...]

~ After 24 Hours... ~

~ Evelyn's POV ~

With a soft exhale, Evelyn woke up from whatever it was that happened to her and she felt pretty energized. She felt as if a weight was lifted off of her mind, body, and soul.

As she stayed laying down on the ground with her body facing the sky, she saw the clear night sky; at least a sliver of it, thanks to her being in a forest clearing and she marveled at the stars. With the grass cushioning her back, she turned her face and saw a few dozen or so Porings just bouncing around both near and far from her.

They were either bouncing and play tackling each other or sleeping against each other in piles of blobs. She had to blink her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was indeed correct. 'Huh... Poring sleep piles... okay then...,' she thought to herself.

With a shake of her head, she faced the night sky once again and internally communicated with her System. 'Hey, how are you? What's new? What exactly happened since I don't really remember what occurred the moment I appeared here?'

[Well... for one thing, I'm doing just fine. The moment you reached Level 10 and maxed out the Job Levels of Novice... was the exact moment that you started experiencing the beginnings of a Job & Rebirth Evolutionary Awakening...]

[From the information I was given by the being that saturated you with both Nature & Divine Mana... it was watching, waiting, and deemed you worthy enough to become an Acolyte. You're now an Acolyte of Midgard. Congrats!]

[Your Soul experienced a Rebirth and your Body evolved into that of a Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin. From what I've seen, your Primary Stats now affect your Sub-Stats, your HP, and your SP differently. And also, you've now gained access to Midgardian Nature Magic. You only have a few spells so far, but it looks and feels like it can branch out from there...]

[...it depends on what you choose to do with it and how you use it. It seems like creativity is a factor as well as visualization...]

[Once you look at your Status as well as your other tabs, then you'll truly appreciate the scope of what happened...]

'Thanks, System...,' she intoned with widened eyes and a sense of wonderment and curiosity about her.

[Before you do though, I've got a message for you from... well... just listen to it first...]

'Sure System, play the message...'

[...It's been a long time since I've blessed a mortal... hmmmmm... you're not the first... nor will you be the last... Acolyte of Mine... Daughter of Man... With a Mind of a Soldier... A Heart of a Healer... And a Soul of a... hmmmmm... You have a long road ahead of you... Beware... as an Acolyte... a sliver of my Presence was near you... You now carry my Blessing and an Aura of being my Acolyte...]

[This carries risks... I am Midgard... one of the Nine Realms of this World... The moment your Soul touched upon this World... I sensed you... I am the ground you walk upon... I am Nature... I am not the only one who sensed you... Beware... You were never going to live a quiet life the moment you appeared here... It's life... I only hope... that you use what I've given you properly...]

[I will not give you a quest... I only hope that you use what I've given you wisely... I am Midgard... I have lived for eons beyond counting... I chose you for my own reasons... I will be watching... You are now... my Acolyte... May Yggdrasil Watch Over You... Acolyte of Mine...]

'That was a lot to take in...', was her initial thought as she ruminated over what she learned. 'So, it looks like we've got a benefactor that blessed me... it's going to take me a while to wrap my head around this. A part of me feels honored while I also feel kind of confused... Any thoughts?'

[This being... from what the scans I was able to perform of it's Energies, is pretty ancient. He; or she, felt like a slumbering titan that only used a fraction of a fraction of it's vast consciousness to interact with us. I have no reason to believe that it lied or is a being we can distrust out of hand or paranoia. I believe it wise for us to wait, see, and learn more until we pass judgement on whom we encountered.]

With a thoughtful look on her face, Evelyn replied with, 'I agree, thanks, System. We'll wait and see... And I'm curious, how long was I indisposed?'

[You were indisposed for 24 hours. The current date is the 29th of April, 418 A.W. And it's currently 10:37 PM...]

'Well damn... thanks for letting me know. Funny thing is, I don't feel all that tired. I feel pretty energized. It's as if I just drank a cup of coffee and an energy drink, but better...', she noted with a small smile.

After a few minutes of silence, she brought up her new [Status] page and looked at all of her tabs to look at the changes that were wrought due to what happened to her.

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Race: Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin] > {Gained Passive Effects: [+5 STR] [+5 AGI] [+3 VIT] [+5 INT] [+3 DEX] [+5 LUK] [Each 1 point in VIT = 30 HP & 5 HP Regen] [Each 1 point in INT = 50 SP & 8 SP Regen]}

[Age: 17 Years Old (Formerly 29)]

[Title(s): Acolyte of Midgard] > {Unknown Effect...}

[Level: 10 (0/51,200 exp)]

[HP] [540/540] (90 HP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat)

[SP] [2,750/2,750] (440 SP/30 Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat)

[Job: Acolyte of Midgard - Level: (1/50) (0/100 exp)]

[Primary Stats:]

> [Unlocked Features - Primary Status Tier - Any Stat that have reached 50 allocated points now require 2 Stat Points to advance that respective Stat to 51 and onwards to 60. From 61 ~ 70 requires 3 Stat Points... etc.]

> [Unlocked Features - Gained Passive Effects - Any Additive Stat Points gained through a Job & Rebirth Evolutionary Awakening will appear in {?}]

[STR] 10 + {5} = 15

[AGI] 22 + {5} = 27

[VIT] 15 + {3} = 18

[INT] 50 + {5} = 55

[DEX] 25 + {3} = 28

[LUK] 50 + {5} = 55

[Available Primary Stat Points: 6]

[Update: Level to 10 ~ 19 = 6 Primary Stat Points earned...]

[Sub-Stats:]

[ATK] 15 (Total STR) + 17 (Total Weapon ATK) = 32 + (Total LUK 55 ÷ 3 = 18.3) = 50.3 ~ 66.8

[MATK] 55 (Total INT) × 1.5 = 82.5 + (+1 MATK for every 5 points in DEX = [5]) + (Total LUK 55 ÷ 3 = 18.3) = 105.8 ~ 122.3

[DEF] (+1 DEF for every 5 points in AGI = [5]) + (+1 DEF for every 2 points in VIT = [9]) + 13 (Total Equipment DEF) = 27

[MDEF] 55 (Total INT) x 2 = 110 + (+1 MDEF for every 5 points in VIT = [3]) + (1 MDEF for every 5 points in DEX = [5]) = 118

[HIT] 2 + 28 (Total DEX) = 30 + (Total LUK 55 ÷ 3 = 18.3) = 48.3

[CRIT] 55 (Total LUK) × 0.3 = 16.5

[FLEE] 2 ((× 27) Total AGI)) = 54 + ((Total LUK) 55 ÷ 5 = [11]) = 65 + 11 (Advanced Dodging Skill) = 76

[ASPD] (1 Physical ATK Action performed every 2.6 seconds) (Current calculated speed that the System has clocked Evelyn's actions at during combat...)

[MS] (+1 mph while walking every 4 or less points in AGI) = (6.75 mph walking) x 2 = (13.5 mph jogging/run/sprint)

[Job(s)]

> [Current Job: Acolyte of Midgard - Level: (1/50) (0/100 exp)]

>> [As a new Acolyte of Midgard, Evelyn Snowbright does not know what she's capable of, but she's excited to find out...]

> [Former Job: Novice - Level: (10/10) (Maxed)]

>> [More Info...]

[Skills]

> [Unlocked Features - Skill Upgrade Slots - The Tiers for them are as follows: Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master, Legend, and Divine - The advancement of your skills to certain tiers gives them a lot more flexibility to grow, have more of an impact in later levels, and the later benefits for your skills are unknown, but it shows incredible promise.]

>> [Available Skill Points: 1]

[Expert Dagger Mastery - Skill - (2/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (11/50) (58,721/102,400 exp)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Damage with Daggers and Knife-like Weapons are increased by 33%. Weapons handling and techniques with these kinds of weapons are easier to perform.]

>> [More info...]

{[Basic Dagger Throwing - Sub-Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]}

>> [Level: (6/10) (432/3,200 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active Sub-Skill]

>> [Costs: 20 SP for every activation; No Cast Time or Casting Delay]

>> [Deals (Total DEX) 28 ÷ 2 = 14 points of (Phys. DMG) + 10 points of (Total Weapon ATK) = 24 ~ 40.5 total points of (Phys. DMG)]

>> [Accuracy = 48.3 (Total HIT Sub-Stat) at 30 feet of distance. Her aim is 48.3% combat effective at 30 feet of distance. It increases by 5% each foot closer to Evelyn that her target is. It drops by 5% every additional foot farther her target is from 30 feet.]

>> [After having reached Level 10 with her Dagger Mastery - Skill, it came as no surprise that Evelyn gained the skill to throw Daggers. It needs some work though...]

{[Basic Dagger Retrieval - Sub-Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]}

>> [Level: (5/10) (525/1,600 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active Sub-Skill]

>> [Costs: 10 SP for every activation; No Cast Time or Casting Delay]

>> [Effective Dagger Retrieval Range = 25 feet]

>> [As a budding expert in Daggers, Evelyn learned how to magically retrieve her thrown Daggers back to her hands. It takes some practice to make it seamless, but Evelyn isn't doing too bad at using it.]

[Advanced Shield Mastery - Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (10/25) (11,132/51,200 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active Skill]

>> [Physical damage that's blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with Shields and similar like equipment are 30% likely to be easier to perform.]

>> [30% of Physical Damage received can be blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with enough effort and timing.]

>> [More info...]

{[Advanced Shield Bash - Sub-Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]}

>> [Level: (9/25) (350/25,600 exp)]

>> [Active/Passive Sub-Skill]

>> [Costs: 30 SP for every activation; No Cast Time or Casting Delay]

>> [Deals (27 ATK) amount of damage via; (Total DEF) ÷ 2 = 13.5 total points of (Phys. DMG). Has a 18% chance to stun a target for 18 seconds.]

>> [When Evelyn's Shield Mastery - Skill reached Level 5, she Unlocked this Sub-Skill. After a decent amount of field time with using one's Shield in combat, it was only natural for one to learn how to deal damage and/or stun one's own opponents with the use of said Shield.]

[Basic Camping Survival Mastery - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (2/10) (20/200 exp)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Setting up a camp, starting a fire, cooking food over a fire properly, boiling water properly, and other such necessary skills are made easier and more efficient by 10%.]

>> [After a successful setup and a good night's sleep, Evelyn receives an increase in exp gain by 10%, which will last for 8 hours.]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic First Aid - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (7/10) (2,350/6,400 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Self-Cast, and Single Target Type Cast Through Touch]

>> [Costs: 25 SP per Cast to regain 35 HP]

>> [More Info...]

[Advanced Dodging Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (11/25) (37,592/102,400 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Instinctive/Intuitive Survival Skill]

>> [Level 11 gives Evelyn a +11 Flee Rate]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic Human Midgardian Written & Spoken Language Comprehension - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (3/5) (25/400 exp)]

>> [Passive]

>> [Any self-respecting Human Midgardian should know how to speak and read the written word of the most prevalent language of their people.]

>> [Update: Unknown Passive Effects at Level 2 and higher... Will discover as it's used...]

[Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (9/25) (12,329/25,600 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active]

>> [Attacks and actions performed via unarmed and/or with your body are 27% more effective, more accurate, and more damaging. (ATK and HIT Sub-Stat gains 27% increase when done with your physical body)]

>> [More Info...]

[Enhance Hearing - Advanced Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (8/10) (11,311/12,800 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Passive/Active Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 8 SP/every 2 minutes of usage]

>> [The art of enhancing one of your senses via SP can both be a blessing and a curse. Through the careful infusion of SP to your ears, you can now hear and detect sounds as far as 45 meters away while being able to accurately tell which direction you're hearing it from.]

[Enhance Sight - Advanced Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: (6/10) (1,398/3,200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Passive/Active Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: 4 SP/ every 1 minute and 30 seconds of usage]

>> [The art of enhancing one of your senses via SP can both be a blessing and a curse. Through the careful infusion of SP to your eyes, you can now see things as far as 30 meters away and be able to discern them with good accuracy. It's as if your 20/20 vision were magnified... Caution: Side effects might include minor headaches, dizziness, small migraines...]

[Abilities]

[Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability]

>> [Level: (7/?) (902/6,400 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 1 SP/every 2 minutes and 30 seconds of usage]

>> [You have gained a passive aura that can't reach past 35 feet in every direction from where you are located that detects, observes, and can give you the basic information on low and similar leveled monsters. Your line of sight and your mental need for it will unlock the basic information that's been scanned on the monsters as necessary. When not needed, then it'll only show the name, level, race, HP, and SP of said monster.]

>> [From what has been observed, Higher-leveled beings with highly attuned and/or trained senses can detect the usage of this ability. Use with caution...]

>> [Update: Evelyn can now control the general size of the aura of her ability from the diameter of a single foot minimum to a maximum of 35 feet.]

[Monster Encyclopedia Ability]

>> [Level: (N/A)]

>> [Supportive & Information Compendium]

>> [Costs: Takes Time, Effort, and Studiousness to slog through the pages and pages of the scanned, observed, and/or killed monsters' information.]

>> [So far, you've only got information on Porings, Lunatics, Willows, Red Willows, Gray Wolves, and Thief Bugs. You have observed & scanned a lot of each though. You also have a single Unknown initial scan of an Elder Poring.]

>> [Click this Tab in order to scroll through the information that we've gathered on the monsters that we've come across so far...]

>> [I'm still working on an Encyclopedia Ability for Non-Monsters... More Information Is Needed...]

[Fortune's Favored Blade - Ability]

>> [Level: (3/5) (1,931/4,000 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: 25 SP per Cast]

>> [There's a 1 out 12 chance that any physical melee strike you perform will be doubled in damage. When successful, then it'll consume 25 SP; however, if there's no SP available, then it won't work.]

>> [This is a Random Ability that you've gained when your LUK reached 50.]

[Nature's Shrine Maiden - Ability]

>> [Level: (4/?) (0/8,000 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Improvement]

>> [Costs: Evelyn needs to have 1 SP constantly drained from her every 4 hours...]

>> [After having come across an ancient and unknown relic from a different Age, Evelyn has been gifted with this ability... only time will tell how it'll change her...]

>> [Passive Effects - (20% HP Regen in & out of Combat), (20% SP Regen in & out of Combat), and a (20% Increase to Exp gain in forested environments)]

>> [System and Evelyn found out that this Passive Ability gains 1 exp an hour when they're in a forested environment. When not within the specified environment, 1 exp is gained every 4 hours. A sort of timer that only Evelyn's System can see helps keep track of the 1-hr forest timer until exp is gained; as well as the 2nd timer that tracks the 4-hr non-forested environment timer until exp is gained...]

>> [The Passive Effects will be active as long as 1 SP is drained from Evelyn every 4 hours.]

>> [More Info... Not Available As Of Now... It's Effects on you will be observed over time...]

>> [Update: As an Acolyte of Midgard, it's unknown how this will affect Evelyn with this Ability working in tandem with what she gained through her Awakening...]

[Mindful Thoughts of an Intellectual - Ability]

>> [Level: (1/5) (640/1,000 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Improvement]

>> [Costs: Meditation & 25 SP every second of usage]

>> [Evelyn and her System discovered that this ability can only be improved upon when she's standing/sitting still and relaxed while draining her SP to use it.]

>> [Passive Effects - (The SP Cost of other Spells, Skills, and Abilities are reduced by 5 SP of their original cost.)]

>> [This is a Random Ability that you've gained when your INT reached 50.]

[Magic]

> [As an Acolyte of Midgard, Evelyn has been blessed with the knowledge of how to perform Midgardian Nature Magic. She gained a spark of how to access this and it is yet unknown as to how using this will affect Evelyn...]

[Midgardian Nature Magic]

> {Spells}

> [Heal - Level: (1/?) (0/100 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Active Casting, Selective Target Type, and Selective Distance Type]

>> [Costs: 20 SP to Heal 100 HP + (Total MATK Sub-Stat) = 205.8 HP ~ 222.3 HP Healed]

>> [Casting Time = 5 Minutes - (Total DEX [28]) = 4 Minutes 32 Seconds]

>> [Effective Range: 5 Feet + (Total HIT Sub-Stat [48.3]); any additional feet farther and there's a 1 in 20 chance or greater that it'll miss its mark. = 53.3 Feet]

>> [Through ages long past, learning how to Heal was and still is a very essential Spell to learn for any Healer worth their salt. To aid, is to care. To Heal, is to rejuvenate... to reawaken life and help it flourish from once what could have been fatal injury... It is a Blessing and a Gift, to be able to Heal...]

> [Blessing of Vitality - Level: (1/?) (0/100 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Active Casting, Selective Target Type, and Selective Distance Type]

>> [Costs: 20 SP to Increase (Total VIT) by 5 for 30 Seconds]

>> [Casting Time: 5 Minutes - (Total DEX [28]) = 4 Minutes 32 Seconds]

>> [Effective Range: 5 Feet + (Total HIT Sub-Stat [48.3]); any additional feet farther and there's a 1 in 20 chance or greater that it'll miss its mark. = 53.3 Feet]

>> [This Blessing was created to aid warriors in their endeavors. There's a sort of... hidden steel about it. It bolsters defense, but there's something more...]

> [Blessing of Swiftness - Level: (1/?) (0/100 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Active Casting, Selective Target Type, and Selective Distance Type]

>> [Costs: 20 SP to Increase (Total AGI) by 5 for 30 Seconds]

>> [Casting Time: 5 Minutes - (Total DEX [28]) = 4 Minutes 32 Seconds]

>> [Effective Range: 5 Feet + (Total HIT Sub-Stat [48.3]); any additional feet farther and there's a 1 in 20 chance or greater that it'll miss its mark. = 53.3 Feet]

>> [This Blessing was created to help messengers traverse the lands all the more swiftly. The calling of the wind... You can feel it's whispers...]

> [Teleport - Level: (1/?) (0/100 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Active Self-Cast & User-Only, Selective Distance Type, and Line Of Sight Type]

>> [Costs: 20 SP]

>> [Casting Time: 5 Minutes - (Total DEX [28]) = 4 Minutes 32 Seconds]

>> [Effective Range: 5 Feet + (Total HIT Sub-Stat [48.3]) = 53.3 Feet]

>> [This Spell is a unique yet effective way to travel for any Healer that can't keep up with their group. However, a certain feeling fills one's gut after each Teleport...]

> [Grasping Roots - Level: (1/?) (0/100 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Active Casting, Restraining Type, Selective Target Type, and Selective Distance Type]

>> [Costs: 20 SP]

>> [Casting Time: 5 Minutes - (Total DEX [28]) = 4 Minutes 32 Seconds]

>> [Effective Range: 5 Feet + (Total HIT Sub-Stat [48.3]) = 53.3 Feet]

>> [A minor connection with Nature was established... you can feel it, can't you? It's that niggling feeling in the back of your neck... You can feel someone or something vast watching you... It would be wise to use this connection with respect...]

[Inventory]

>> [Click To Scroll Through...]

[Rebirth]

>> [2,900 Rebirth Points] > {Changed to...} > [2,800 Rebirth Points]

>> [100 Rebirth Points earned after each year of Soul Growth & Body Age]

>> [Saturation of Nature's Mana & Divine Mana have Unlocked and triggered an Awakening and have Used 100 Rebirth Points]

>> [The Soul of Evelyn Snowbright has experienced a Rebirth as she became an Acolyte of Midgard...]

[Evolution]

>> [Through the saturation of Nature's Mana & Divine Mana as well as the Rebirth of Evelyn Snowbright's Soul... the Evolution of her Body was triggered in response...]

>> [Race: Human Midgardian] > {Evolved into...} > [Blessed Midgardian of Human Origin]

>> {Gained Passive Effects: [+5 STR] [+5 AGI] [+3 VIT] [+5 INT] [+3 DEX] [+5 LUK] [Each 1 point in VIT = 30 HP & 5 HP Regen] [Each 1 point in INT = 50 SP & 8 SP Regen]}

>> [Only time will tell what else is in store for Evelyn...]

As Evelyn scrolled through and read all of the changes that occurred to all of her tabs, she was shocked and awed at what she saw. For a long time, she laid down on the grass and took in everything that was shown to her and she silently laughed to herself in glee...

'System, oh my goodness... System... this changes everything. I didn't realize that this big of a change could happen. Oh my...'

Her thoughts were all a whirl and a feeling of contentment, happiness, and excitement spread through her while she kept on scrolling through all of the information, soaking it all in. She felt just a tad bit safer, more secure, and the happiness she felt helped her forget that she was still alone and only had her System for company.

'This is just fantastic... Also, it seems like my Nature's Shrine Maiden Ability was also affected...'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Author's Note:}

Hello everyone,

I'm back with another chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll be adding a little something to make sure the calculations, stats, and other stuff like it won't clutter the future chapters too much.

If I made any mistakes, then please feel free to tell me. I'll fix it as soon as I can. I've gone and edited some of my earlier chapters because I noticed a few embarrassing errors I made. Thanks for reading.