Chapter 14: Class Time

Chapter 14: Class Time

After the goblin tribe was defeated, Jack lay on the grass, struggling to take in his rewards. He couldnt sleep here. He needed to move.

Hed gotten four Levels at once. This was a massive bonus, and it indicated that there was something else at play besides the experience from individual monsters. Maybe the monster group counted as a big monster itself?

Hed also gotten the High Speed Bush, the resource guarded by the goblin tribe. Finally, the System had informed him that he could now choose a Classand, knowing video games, this should be a bonus even greater than the four Levels.

Jack lay on the grass for a while, letting his tension die down before he stood. Pivoting around himself, he made way for the High Speed Bush.

From up-close, this bush looked pretty natural. It was a short, wide one, with a multitude of branches extending from a barely-visible trunk in its center. The leaves were laid on thick, and they were long, thin, and seemingly soft. When he reached out to touch one, it bent easily under his fingers and graced them with a thin, slippery coating.

This coating was the bushs excrement, which apparently made the goblins high. Jack looked at his finger for a moment, then licked it.

It didnt taste like much; it was similar to thin oil. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened. This quantity obviously wasnt enough for someone of his sizeand stats.

Sighing in resignation, Jack plucked a few leaves off the bush and licked them one-by-one. It was a weird thing to do, but he couldnt just sit around. His battle against the tribe hadnt been discreet, and there was no telling what manner of creature was already galloping this way.

Just as Jack considered that maybe he had misunderstood something, a blue screen appeared with a ding.

High Speed Bush bonus acquired!

He frowned. Well, what is it?

He opened his status screen but saw no changes besides those he already knew.

Name: Jack Rust

Species: Human, Earth-387

Faction: -

Grade: F

Level: 15

Physical: 38

Mental: 9

Will: 7

Skills: Fist Fighting (II)

His Physical was still climbing to the heavens, but these were just the points from the four level-ups. Where did the bushs bonus go?

He considered it, still chewing on a leaf.

Maybe the bonus was too small to count as a full point? Like, 0.4 Physical or something? But thats so little It cant be right. All this for a quarter of a levels worth? The ice pond has given me seven points already, and it can provide at least double overall. I know its E-Grade, while the bush is F-Grade, but I refuse to believe the difference is that large.

Maybe it compounds as I consume more leaves? Im not the slightest bit high yet.

He licked a couple more leaves, then sucked on a few more. No more status screens came, but he didnt mind that much. Points were just numbers; he had a fist, and the fist was always stronger than math. The professor might disagree, but if so, she should go fight a goblin tribe.

Jack giggled at the thought of the elderly lady lecturing the goblins.

Right. Its okay, my bushy friend. You can keep your extra points. Maybe you need them more than I do. I mean, licking any more leaves would be inappropriate, right?

Giggling again, Jack decided to explore his Class choices. Hed planned to retreat and do this at the cave, but why? If there was a reason, he couldnt remember it, so it didnt matter.

Level 15 reached. Congratulations! Class System unlocked. Please choose your Class:

Jack took in the wall of text and giggled. He liked reading. He squinted as he approached the screens, his nose almost touching them, and he tried to make out the letters.

He struggled to focus, for some reason, but it didnt matter. Why hurry?

Goblin Fighter: Goblins are genetically engineered lifeforms that make for great first enemies. They are usually slain by the native species during a planets Integration, but when they arent, they proliferate rapidly. If left unattended, goblins can span planet-wide empires, with peak specimens even reaching the D-Grade in power.

Jack paled further. He couldnt even see its level, but C-Grade now felt so far beyond him. Just how wide were the gulfs between Grades!?

The massive beast was tall like a mountain. However, why was it growling? Jack squinted, and there, before its feet, stood a human. He was tinynormal-sized, but tiny compared to the beast.

Jack quickly scanned him as well.

Human (Earth-4), Level ??? (C-Grade)

Faction: Exploding Sun

Title: Eighth Ring Conqueror

Exploding Sun? Eighth Ring Conqueror?

Jack didnt understand anything.

This man was bald with plain features, donned elegant yellow clothes, and wore a red cape. However, his simple face seemed chiseled in stone as he looked up. Facing the full brunt of the beasts fury, he only clenched his fist. He opened his mouth, and his words fell on Jacks ears like thunder.

Fist means power.

He jumped up, hundreds of feet into the air. Sand and rock crumbled below his feet, and from the distance, Jack could only stare.

The man reached the height of the beasts chest and punched out. It was just a simple punch. Yet, the moment his arm completed its motion, a storm of violence erupted. The sky shook and the earth rumbled from the momentum of this one punch, and as it met the beasts colossal, scaly chest, both exploded.

One punch drilled through the beast, mincing scales, flesh, and bones alike. It wasnt merely a fist, but an irresistible force of nature.

This is a real punch.

The scene replayed itself in Jacks mind, ten times, a hundred times. He saw this ideal punch stab through the air and drill into the beasts body, saw how everything worked. It wasnt just a punch; there was something more, something so much more.

At some indeterminate point, it clicked.

Jack had a sudden realization. Understanding dawned on him, and the next moment, it receded, as if he wasnt able to utilize it yet. It retreated into the depths of his mind and locked itself there, waiting, slumbering.

The essence of what a fist was, and what it could be. An insight greater than anything hed ever comprehended before, an understanding so gigantic and world-breaking it should have been impossible. He couldnt fathom it yet, but when he could, it would already be inside him, shining like a beacon.

When he exited his own mind and returned to the purple desert, time seemed frozen still.

A large hole had been punched clean through the beasts chest, wide enough to fit a house, perfectly round, and completely empty. As the large body began to collapse, the man looked at his fist and shook his head.

Still not enough, he muttered.

The vision disappeared. Jack was back in the forest, but all vestiges of highness had evaporated from his system. He was covered in cold sweat, shivering, and his eyes were wide as saucers.

What the fuck was that he whispered.

C-Grade Holy hell, those guys are gods.

It was nothing like the movies. Hed felt the mans power in his soul, comprehended the seeming invincibility of the giant beast. Seeing superheroes on-screen was completely different than experiencing their power first-hand.

Jack sat on his butt, then looked at his own fist. He managed to clench it.

Is thata pugilist? he wondered aloud. The shock in his voice turned to awe. Such power If I can have it too, how amazing would that be?

His feelings wavered. He was overtaken by childish excitement and equally childish fear. He had no doubt that the vision hed seen was real. Those things existed. The monsters in the dark were part of his world now, and he had the strength to fight themno, he didnt have it yet, but he could earn it.

The Class hadnt given him extra muscles but something so much better.

Now shivering from excitement, Jack regained his bearings. He stared at the bush accusingly.

I must be careful Even with 38 Physical, I still lost my mind a bit. Oh, right! My Physical was broken into Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. I wonder how much I have.

He opened his status screen and immediately gasped.

What? That high? This is impossible!