Leo lay sprawled on the ground, with Fiona and the wolves also on the ground beside him. His body aching in ways he hadn't thought possible.
The air was thick with the scent of burnt flesh and scorched earth, a testant to the relentless battle he had just endured.
Around him, the remains of the mutant fire ants littered the ground in grotesque piles, their charred exoskeletons cracked and shattered.
His breaths ca in slow, asured gasps as he fought to steady himself. His muscles burned, his stamina depleted, but despite it all, a sense of triumph coursed through him.
He had done it. He had fought through an unending horde of mutant fire ants, pushing his body to its absolute limits. And in return, he had reached the threshold he had been working toward.
The system's notification still hovered in his vision.
[You have reached Level 20. You have received three stat points.]
[You have t the required level for your first evolution and class selection. You won't be able to increase your level until you have completed your evolution and chosen your class. Life force gained during this period will be stored.]
Leo exhaled deeply, his mind reeling from the weight of the words.
He was aware that this wasn't just another level-up. This was the next step in his journey. His evolution, his class selection—everything that would define his future and his survival in the tournant.
Closing his eyes briefly, he allowed himself a mont of silence. He didn't imdiately move on to the next thing as he allowed himself to go down mory lane.
He thought back to the beginning, to the day the world changed. The first ti he had seen a zombie, the first ti he had fought for his life, the battle with the mutant boar and the mutant ape that nearly killed him. Every of those battle, every decision, every sacrifice had led him to this mont.
Then there were the people he had t along the way—Ves, Miguel, Mia, Tatiana, and his beast companion, Fiona.
Each of them had played a role in his journey, so more than others. He was very much aware that he was no longer the sa person he had been at the start.
He had grown, adapted, survived. But was it enough? Could he keep going? Could he continue to carry the weight of responsibility that seed to increase with every passing day?
With the tournant looming over everything like a storm on the horizon, its presence an ever-present reminder of the battles yet to co.
The off-worlders were already here, preparing, gathering strength. And here he was, lying on the ground, exhausted beyond belief.
But he wasn't done yet.
With a groan, Leo pushed himself up to a sitting position. His body protested, every movent sending jolts of pain through his limbs, but he ignored it. He had no ti to rest. He needed to move forward.
Bringing up his system window, a new prompt appeared before him.
[Choose Your Class.]
A list of available classes materialized, each one tailored to the combat style he had developed so far. He scrolled through the options, reading each description carefully.
[Warrior: A balanced lee fighter, focusing on swordplay, endurance, and defense. Warriors excel in close combat, relying on a mix of strength and technique to overpower their enemies.]
[Berserker – A relentless fighter who thrives in the heat of battle. Berserkers gain increased power the longer they fight, trading defense for sheer aggression. Their strength grows as their stamina depletes.]
[Monk – A disciplined martial artist who uses agility, reflexes, and precise strikes to disable opponents. Monks rely on hand-to-hand combat and specialized techniques that enhance their body's natural abilities.]
[Rogue– A swift and cunning combatant who relies on speed, stealth, and critical strikes. Rogues specialize in hit-and-run tactics, making them deadly in one-on-one fights but vulnerable in prolonged battles.]
[Paladin – A warrior of resilience, wielding both physical might and protective abilities. Paladins can reinforce their bodies, heal wounds, and bolster their allies in combat.]
[Beast Tar– A warrior bound by an innate connection to the creatures of the world, the Beastmaster is a hybrid combatant who fights alongside summoned or tad beasts.]
....
....
....
....
Leo frowned slightly as he read through the almost never-ending options.
Each class had its strengths, but they all carried limitations that he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with.
The Warrior class would lock him into a straightforward lee combat role, which was effective but too restrictive.
The Berserker class was tempting, but its reliance on stamina drain and reckless aggression ant he would have trouble in prolonged fights without constant regeneration.
Though he has skills that can help him to regenerate Stamina, their effects weren't exactly perfect, as tested from his battle against the mutant fire ants.
As for Monk and Rogue, both seed intriguing, but they leaned too much into specialized combat styles that didn't fully suit his current abilities.
There was also Paladin, which offered defense and support capabilities, but it was too dependent on reinforcing others.
And Leo had no intentions of becoming a shield for soone else—he needed to carve his own path. It's also the sa reason why he doesn't want to go with the beast tar class.
Though he has the [Beasmaster's Bond] skill and Fiona is bonded to him, Leo doesn't exactly want to follow that path.
To him, Fiona is more like a beast companion, like a dog to man, rather than a best used for fighting.
Also, Leo wants to be the one to fight his own battles. Sure, he will need help along the way but it doesn't an that he has to be dependent on the strength of another party.
Just as he was about to resign himself to picking the least restrictive class, he noticed sothing at the very bottom of the list.
A single word.
[Warden.]
Unlike the other class nas, this one was marked as [Unique], and next to it, a faint, glowing star.
His instincts imdiately latched onto it. Sothing about this class called to him.
Focusing on it, he attempted to bring up more details, but the system remained silent. No descriptions, no abilities listed—nothing.
Leo narrowed his eyes. The fact that the system wasn't providing him with any information was strange. Every other class had clear-cut paths, but this one? It was a complete mystery.
But maybe that was exactly what he needed.
He didn't want to be tied to a single rigid combat style. He didn't want to be forced down a path that limited his growth. The tournant was unpredictable, and if he was going to survive, he needed versatility.
His mind was made up.
"I choose Warden," Leo said, his voice steady.
The system responded instantly.
[You have selected the Warden class. Are you sure? This decision is irreversible.]
Leo took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was stepping into, but he wasn't backing down now.
"Yes."
The mont the word left his lips, the system reacted.
[Class selection confird. Warden has been chosen.]
A final system notification appeared.
[Your evolution requirents have been revealed.]
Leo steadied himself and opened the prompt.
[Evolution Requirents for Warden]
[Defeat enemies without using skill or weapon. (0/100)]
[Defeat An Evolved Rank creature.]
[Raise Your beast companion to the Evolved Rank.]
[Defeat An Off-worlder.]
Leo read the list carefully, his mind already working through the implications.
"Without skills or weapons… that ans pure hand-to-hand combat. No Nightshade. No abilities. Just my fists, my instincts, and my body."
He clenched his fingers into a fist, feeling the raw strain and soreness in his muscles from the fight with the fire ants.
Now that he thought of it, he hasn't trained his body. He felt that this was probably the reason for the first requirent.
Instead of relying on the incredible sharpness of Nightshade's blade, he has to co up with a way to take down a hundred enemies with nothing but brute force?
"This is going to be painful."
He knew that this wasn't just about strength—it was about endurance, about knowing how to move, how to dodge, how to break down an enemy without relying on power boosts or skill-based precision. This would push his adaptability to its absolute limits.
The second requirent caused him to tighten his jaw.
The second requirent was a clear-cut challenge. He was still in the Awakened Rank, aning that anything in the Evolved Rank would completely overpower him in raw stats alone. And also with what Tatiana said about the impossibility of fighting across rank.
"So I have to find a way to outthink, outmaneuver, or just outright survive long enough to kill sothing stronger than ."
The fire ant nest had already drained him, and those were just low-level creatures.
He would have to find an Evolved Rank enemy and win against sothing that, by all logic, should kill him the mont the fight starts. Or even before the fight starts.
"I need to start preparing now. If I don't… I'm dead before I even get the chance to evolve," He muttered to himself.
Leo's gaze flicked toward Fiona, who was resting nearby, licking her wounds, as he thought of the third requirent.
He was aware of the pack's loyalty and their bond growing stronger with each battle. But he had neglected one thing: Fiona was still too weak to survive what was coming.
"It's not just about getting stronger… If she stays at this level, she's going to die in the tournant. I won't let that happen."
His hand instinctively found Fiona's fur, running through it. She let out a soft growl, nudging into his palm.
This wasn't just another requirent. This was about making sure that when the battlefield turned to hell, she wouldn't be a liability—she would be a force of nature standing beside him.
*"I have to push her… make sure she reaches Evolved Rank, no matter what."
Out of all the requirents, the last one was what scares Leo the most as he felt a chill run down his spine.
"An Off-Worlder… not just a monster, not just a mindless beast. A trained warrior. Soone from another realm, soone who's already prepared to fight and win this tournant."
His mind flashed to Tatiana, to her overwhelming presence, to the sheer aura of strength she carried.
And she wasn't even the strongest. There were others—beings from across the Multiverse, beings who had trained their entire lives for battle.
"I have to defeat one of them."
The reality of it sank in like a lead weight in his gut. This wasn't just about monsters anymore. He had to fight against soone with intelligence, skills, and a will to survive just like his own.
Not just that, but soone who is extrely privileged and way stronger than him. From what Tatiana said, he knew that the lowest rank of the off-worlders on Earth is at the Evolved Rank.
Tatiana had warned him before. "You won't just be fighting to win, Leo. You'll be fighting to live."
His fingers curled around Nightshade's hilt, his grip tightening.
"Then I better make damn sure I'm ready."
Leo let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he absorbed everything. The road ahead was brutal. There was no shortcut, no easy power-up.
This was going to be the hardest two weeks of his life.
But as he looked at Fiona, at his blade, at the path stretching before him, he couldn't help but smile.
"Fine then,"he thought. "Let's get to work."
Reviews
All reviews (0)