My legs were shaking, my heart was trembling, each beat threatening to sink . My thoughts were tangled, confused and chaotic. My body, crushed under the unbearable weight of anxiety, was flinching. My knees gave way, I will be my chest with such force that every breath beca a tornt. An excruciating pain was unleashed, gnawing at my entrails, paralyzing from the inside. My breath was breaking off intermittently, while a persistent nausea overwheld , heavy and suffocating. As I tried to get up, my vision blurred, and my trembling limbs refused to obey . My body, exhausted, threatened to break, and my spirit, trapped in a whirlwind of terror, could no longer grasp the slightest shred of reality. The sll of iron, heavy and persistent, seed still impregnated in my nose, pernicious illusion of a massacre too recent to erase. The images of horror were constantly running through my mind, like a poison clinging to my soul. Under the overwhelming pressure of panic, I lost consciousness, engulfed by darkness.
Ding! My disconnected mind resurfaced, each sound brutally bringing back to reality. Ding! Ding!Ding! After several rings, I finally erge, the sensations still blurred, unreal. Still in shock, my body betrayed , unable to regain control. I was trying to calm down, to hold on to sothing, anything, to find so semblance of serenity. I used to deal with my anxiety, but never at that level. This fear was different. Deeper. More overwhelming.
I kept saying to myself, "It's okay, Anthony, it's okay." Inhale. Exhale. Slowly. Repeat again and again, until the ringing cos back, more violent, more threatening. DING!
I turned my head to the source of that unbearable noise. There, several bright orange windows were floating in the air, like video ga notifications, but much more disturbing. They wobbled, suspended in space, like a signal from which I could not escape. Trying not to fall into panic, I forced myself to fix these windows, hoping to find an explanation.
[Select your starting class]
[Ti remaining: 30 minutes]
My face turned pale, emptied of colour. Little by little, my mind made a connection between the ringtones and the notifications floating before . The number of rings corresponded to the number of notifications, and the more this awareness was necessary, the more my breath was cut off. Each light seed to mark a point of no return, and a cold wave ca down on with every new appearance. Reality was distorted, mixed with this waking nightmare.
[Ti remaining: 15 minutes]
[Ti remaining: 10 minutes]
[Ti remaining: 5 minutes]
Damn! A silent swear choked in my throat while a devastating migraine settled in my skull, a hamr striking with unbearable violence. Each pulsation amplified my panic.
"How long since the last ringing?" My voice trembled, lost in silence. I had always been talking to myself. A bad habit, an idiotic reflex to break the oppression of the void, a sickly need to hear a voice, even if it was only mine. But the ti was not to think. The invisible chronoter was freezing my blood, each second fading like a cold blade ready to sink into my flesh.
I was a coward, yes. But my rationality was my strength. It guided my trembling fingers to the notification. The fear held , but I knew that every second mattered.
[Select your starting class]
The notification unfolded, revealing a list of seven classes. My mind, already overwheld, drowned in these choices. The terror intensified, but a strange curiosity forced to examine each option. My fate rested on this simple choice.
1.Heavy Warrior – A massive fighter, designed to take the blows. Focused on strength, vitality and endurance, he excels in long-term battles. Its robust mind supports its resistance, but this power is paid by an increased slowness. Equipped with a one-handed weapon and massive shield, he becos an implacable bulwark for his training. Nothing breaks his will. Statistics per level: 2 Vitality, 2 Strength, 1 ntal, 1 Stamina, 1 Free Point.
2.dium Warrior – A versatile fighter, master of the art of adaptation. Able to wield a wide range of weapons with formidable ease, he is often compared to a gladiator. Neither too heavy to be slow, nor too light to be vulnerable, he knows how to juggle between fast and powerful attacks. Ready to face any adversity, it is a strategic asset, as comfortable to defend as to attack. Statistics per level: 1 Vitality, 1 Strength, 1 Speed, 1 Endurance, 1 ntal, 2 Free Points.
3.Light Warrior – A sneaky, quick and strategic threat. Master of rapid movent, he strikes before the enemy even reacts. His lightning speed allows him to sneak through enemy lines, attacking with deadly accuracy. Ard with daggers, swords, jet weapons and poisons, he becos an implacable assassin. Like a spectre in the shadows, it is an invisible threat that strikes where the defense is weakest. Statistics per level: 3 Speed, 2 Intelligence, 1 Perception, 1 Free Point.
4.Martial Artist – A master of the human body, he pushes his limits beyond the imaginable. Fighting with bare hands, each movent becos a formidable weapon. This path requires iron discipline, exceptional endurance and an implacable ntality. Like the dium Warrior, it adapts to all situations on the battlefield, its versatility being its strength. His art combines power, grace and efficiency, a true product of an unwavering will. Statistics per level: 2 Endurance, 2 ntality, 1 Strength, 1 Vitality, 1 Free Points.
5.Archer – A hunter of formidable precision, master of concealnt and observation. In combat, he strikes from a distance with surgical precision while providing strategic cover. Its agility and perception allow it to adapt to all situations, whether to spot enemies or respond to a threat. Outside of combat, his survival skills and tactics are essential to training. Even in close combat, he defends himself effectively with a fighting knife. Statistics per level: 3 Perception, 2 Speed, 1 Intelligence, 1 Free Point.
6.Mage – Master of Arcana, the Mage casts powerful offensive spells using mana. It can reverse the course of a battle, but is vulnerable during casting, the ti needed increasing with the power of the spell. Proper protection is crucial, as any interruption can ruin the incantation. Once the spell is cast, it can change the outco of the fight, even with few reinforcents. The Mage's intelligence is essential to reduce the casting ti and improve his reactions. His main equipnt is a magic book, source of his mastery. Statistics per level: 3 Mana, 2 Intelligence, 1 ntality, 1 Free Point.
7.Healer – Master of life, the Healer uses mana and his own vitality to heal, erect barriers and improve the stats of his allies. Its increased regeneration allows it to compensate for the exhaustion due to the use of its vitality for care. With great vitality, it strengthens its endurance and efficiency, being the cornerstone of any training. In critical monts, he performs miracles, healing fatal wounds and bringing allies back to life. Ard with his magic scepter, he embodies hope. Stats by level: 2 Mana, 2 Vitality, 2 Intelligence, 1 Free Point.
[It is advisable to look at your own statistics before making a choice]
I grasp my temples, the pain of my skull intensifying abruptly.
— AAAAH, damn it! Why is there so much information?!
I understood why I was given so much ti. I cursed myself for being so weak, for fainting like an incapable at the worst possible ti. This choice... was going to decide everything.
In a last effort of will, I made the decision to open my status window. As soon as I had reached out, a sound resounded in my mind, freezing . That sound... the one I feared most. A crushing, unrelenting hamr:
DING!
[Ti remaining: 1 minute]
My whole body froze. A monstrous pressure fell on , as if the weight of the world had just crushed upon my shoulders. In a mont, I gave up all hope of opening my status window. It was too late. My brain was running at full speed, frantically looking for an escape, a solution, anything to lighten this overwhelming load. It was too much. My saturated mind threatened to fall again, wavering at the edge of the abyss.
And then, this voice. Venomous. Mocking. Sharp as a blade.
—I pity you. You're a coward.
Everything exploded inside .
A raw, visceral, uncontrollable rage. Sothing snapped in my mind, a point of no return was reached. All the fatigue, the accumulated tension, the two sleepless nights, the weight of that oppressive hallucination... Everything erupted in an instant, unleashing a mad fury. My jaw clenched so hard that my teeth cut through my lip. The tallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. My fists, clenched so tightly that my palms bled, trembled under the strain.
I gritted my teeth, choking under the weight of hate and exhaustion.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I scread, my throat on fire. "You don't have the right! Not now, NOT YOU! I don't want to hear you, I DON'T NEED YOU!"
My breath was ragged, my body wracked with uncontrollable spasms.
"Get out... get out of my head..."
My voice strangled under the weight of emotion. But this ti, I wouldn't flee.
Not yet.
Not this ti.
I gathered my last remaining strength, my thoughts a chaotic ss. No more ti to think. I had to choose. QUICKLY.
In the final monts I had to choose my fate, I summoned every ounce of willpower left, forcing myself to draw from every scrap of ntal strength that still lingered. My thoughts were a whirlwind.
"I don't have ti to read everything, fast, fast, FAST!"
My breath was erratic, my temples throbbing under unbearable pressure. A torrent of thoughts collided in my mind, each choice screaming for my attention. It was impossible to focus. Impossible to think clearly. Everything was moving too fast, too loud.
My gaze fixed on the statistics per level at the end of each class. I gritted my teeth, my jaw clenched so tightly that my enal almost groaned. Every second was pulling closer to the abyss.
"7 per level and class, no class statistically offers an advantage... FUCK!"
My body trembled, an electric tension coursing through . A low growl rose from my throat, like a beast caged inside .
"Why not mage?! BUT WHAT IF I HAVE NO MANA?!"
With a sharp, almost violent motion, I dismissed the mage option. My fingers twitched under the rage that consud . My vision blurred, my breath quickened.
"Next. Warrior? Too predictable. Martial Artist? Too exhausting. Healer? Heavy Warrior?! Too DEPENDENT ON OTHERS!"
My head pounded, my skull felt like it was about to explode under the pressure. My paralyzed muscles made feel like I was about to snap.
"ARCHER?! Why not?! I could stay back, safe..."
But my own mind stabbed with doubt.
"But I've never shot a bow?! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
A cold, burning rage spread through my veins, a devouring fire. I felt like I was suffocating under my own mind, trapped in this infernal spiral.
My gaze finally stopped on the only class left.
"Speed, stealth, perception... I can flee if things go wrong, I can hide to save my skin."
A nervous laugh, twisted by the madness threatening to engulf , escaped.
Yes... Yes! It was the only option. THE ONLY ONE!
My trembling hand, covered in dried blood, reached toward the window. Every movent was agony, a struggle against the ti slipping away beneath . It felt like the entire universe was screaming at to hurry, that sothing would crush if I hesitated for even a second longer. It was a cruel paradox. Trapped between paralyzing fear and unbearable urgency.
And then...
DING!
That sound I had feared so much. That sound that had terrified .
This ti... it almost felt soothing. A release.
[You have selected the Light Warrior class]
Barely a breath of relief escaped my lips before I was suddenly struck by a blinding, piercing light, cutting through like a thunderclap in the darkness. Before I could even react, an authoritative, sharp, and icy voice imposed itself in my mind, slicing through the silence like a razor. It seed to carve its way directly into my thoughts.
[Selection of the twelve chosen ones]
And as the world around froze, one thing remained: the heavy, persistent scent of iron. A dark intuition crept into , relentless. This scent would not leave . It would haunt every step I took.
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