[Choice accepted. Please note that this is irreversible.]
[Your body will now undergo a transformation to accommodate the class' abilities.]
[Beginning procedure…]
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
An indescribable pain suddenly assaulted Derrick's body, as he felt the fabric of his very self being destroyed and remade in real time.
He, who had just suffered from the backlash of obtaining said new body, realized he'd made a terrible mistake: he was still far too weak to undergo something like that again.
Still, he could only grit his teeth in agony and endure.
One second… Two seconds… Three…
But, in a twisted sense of déjà vu, it became too much, and he felt his consciousness drift away into nothingness…
⁂
"Ugh…"
He groggily and slowly woke up, intense dizziness assaulting his senses. He had never expected the process to be so violent and immediate.
"That's what happens when you don't think things through… Fucking dumbass! Oh well, everything's done now. Let's see what I got! System, show me."
[Derrick Tarlin, 16 (Body) & 37 (Mind) — Human]
[Class: Necromancer]
[Strength: 2.0]
[Agility: 0.8]
[Endurance: 1.2]
[Vitality: 1.8]
[Magic Power: 5.0]
[Traits: Enhanced Body, Enhanced Vision, Death's Valet]
[Skills: Appraisal, Contract (0/2), Summoning (0/1)]
[New trait!
[New skill!
[New skill!
"Shit! I knew it… I injured myself quite a bit. Still, I gained a lot in return."
After resting and comprehensively reading through everything, it was time to truly explore his location.
"All of this is nice, but I still need to leave this cave."
After poking around in the dark for the better part of an hour, he finally found a small hole in which he could barely fit through, although not without a few curses.
What he saw on the other side, however, was unbelievable: he had just come into an enormous cave, its center dominated by a water fall-fed lake, its age and presence explained by its large and imposing stalactites.
But the best change, at least for him, was the increase in ambient light. It was simply incomparable to before, which allowed him to see much farther.
"So big… This definitely has to lead outside. I just have to find the exit, and we're all set."
But despite his desire to leave as soon as possible, he was in no rush. Derrick had realized, following his transformation, that his new body, or class for that matter, had little need for food. In fact, he still felt no hunger despite hours of intense physical stress. He couldn't help but wonder how long that'd remain true.
As if a tourist, his gaze then began to explore the new surroundings. He was just mesmerized and taking it all in, his fascination clearly getting the best of him... But that was until he saw dark red eyes looking in his direction, their maliciousness sending shivers down his spine.
"What… what is that?!"
For the lack of better terms, it looked like an evil mutation between a bat and an eagle. Its body, covered in glistening black feathers, was Derrick's size while also sporting a wingspan of more than 8 meters. Its fangs, long and sharp, gave him even more goosebumps, although not more than the ridiculously horrifying meter-long beak.
"System, what the fuck is this!???"
In the face of such monstrosity, Derrick was panicking. His fighting prowess was laughable, on top of his only two skills being currently useless.
His options, he immediately realized, were to either run or improvise a fight to the death.
[Using
[This is a Nightmare Bat. Thought to be extinct. Here are its stats…]
[Nightmare Bat]
[Strength: 4.0]
[Agility: 2.5]
[Endurance: 3.0]
[Vitality: 1.0]
[Magic Power: 1.0]
[Trait: Echolocation (Allows it to locate prey without using its vision)]
[Weakness: Afraid of water]
"Are you kidding me?! What am I supposed to do with a weakness like that???"
[The skill
"That's one passive-aggressive answer right there… Looks like I'm fucked…"
After seeing his opponent's strength, Derrick's remaining confidence had gone down the drain, his retreat already being planned in the back of his mind.
This fight was already over…
But just as he settled on a plan of action, an idea slowly crept into his brain, and the more he thought about it, the crazier it seemed.
"High risk, high reward as they say…"
With his gaze not leaving the mutant, he started inching ever so closer to the lake. He had about 100 meters to go before reaching its shore which, he thought, would take him 10 seconds in a mad dash.
This meant that every inch he gained right now would drastically increase his chances of success and, more importantly, survival.
*SCREECH*
Out of nowhere, the Nightmare Bat hissed loudly, seemingly uncovering his little scheme. Of course, this also resulted in it taking flight while darting in his direction.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH! WHY THE HELL DID I DO THAT!!!"
While screaming at the top of his lungs, Derrick dashed like a mad cheetah towards the body of water, his earlier gambit half successful, as he had managed to place himself between his destination and the creature, giving him a head start.
What he hadn't anticipated, though, was the demonic speed at which it closed down on him, quickly erasing the gap with its huge talons now pointed at his back, ready to mince him into bits.
But just as they both reached the edge of the lake, he jumped while doing an aerial 180, leading him to face the now surprised creature.
"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME FOR A SWIM HAHAHAHA!"
When the bat realized his true aim, it was already too late.
Before his timely maneuver and their collision, Derrick had positioned himself to aim for one of its wings, which he now firmly held with no chance in hell of letting go.
Realizing its mistake, the monster howled in regret as it fell from the sky, its lift gone.
*SPLASH*
With the beast's inhuman velocity, they both smashed in the water, their entanglement further increasing.
What followed was a fierce, but short-lived, struggle. In its panic, the bat had opened its mouth and thus flooded its lungs, leading it, a minute later, to rapidly sink. This was what Derrick had been waiting for, allowing him to let go and swim to shore, where he dragged himself before breathing heavily on his back.
"This was insane… Why did I do that…"
But just as he began questioning his sanity, a window suddenly appeared.
[Would you like to use the skill