5 – Warden

After reading the messages from the System, Andy quietly moved from window to window in his little trailer, peering out into the park. He wanted to know where the other gorilla-dog went, but he also wanted to know what else he was up against. It was still drizzling out there, and the thick and black clouds made it hard to see much of anything.

Even so, he caught glimpses of darker shadows moving around, and he could hear weird noises echoing distantly—barks, howls, and shouts and screams. They were distant and muffled by the weather and his trailer’s walls, but Andy was sure there were people noises mixed in with the monster ones. He felt dumb thinking the word, but there was no other way to explain what he’d been dealing with. These things were monsters.

He looked at his status report again, and, sure enough, he saw three improvement points waiting to be spent. Theoretically, he could give himself a fifty percent boost to his “speed” or “strength.” Would it really be linear like that? He wasn’t a weak guy; if he suddenly got fifty percent stronger, he’d be a damn beast. Would that be the right move? How much better would “Spears” be with a rank of four versus one?

He didn’t want to dump all his points into one of his attribute points only to learn it wasn’t anything close to a linear bump. What if he went from a two-hundred-pound bench press to two-twenty? It wouldn’t exactly make survival a lot easier. If he went to three hundred, though…

“Come on, System! Can’t I get a frickin’ owner’s manual or something?” He stared into the dark interior of his trailer for several seconds, hoping against hope that the System would answer him, but nothing happened.

Frowning, he pulled up his status page again, but only the part with his attributes:

Perception: 5

Will: 4

Strength: 6

Vitality: 8

Speed: 6

What about perception? Would it affect his eyes and ears, or only how good he was at noticing things he heard and saw? While his other attributes might be hard to measure, at least without a set of weights handy, he might be able to measure that one more easily. It might give him some indication of how important these improvement points were.

Andy walked through the trailer to the back, where his bed was. It was dark there because the only window, at the very back of the trailer, had a dark curtain over it. He crawled onto the bed, leaning on the built-in headboard, and pulled the curtain open a few inches. Peering through the window, he tried to focus on the distant gate to the Sleepy Saguaro Trailer Park.

Typically, there would be several very bright floodlights there, illuminating the sign and the roadway. Now, though, in the near dark of the freakish storm, he could barely make out the high, chain-link fence and the darker shapes in the shadows that had to be cars and trailers between him and the exit. He stared for several minutes, memorizing what he saw, and while he was at it, he noticed several shapes moving around in the shadows.

When he was sure he’d be able to make a valid comparison, he quickly opened his status page and moved one of his improvement points into perception. Before he could think twice about it, he closed the status page. Warmth flooded through his head like someone was slowly drizzling a cup of warm water over his hair. It tingled in all the right ways, sending shivers up and down the nape of his neck.

When it faded, and he peered into the darkness again, he was sure the shapes of the trailers and cars were more distinct. In fact, he could make out the slight gleam of Mr. Wilson’s windows and, peering out of them, two faintly glowing red eyes. Were they staring his way? Andy would have frozen if he hadn’t already been as still as a statue. He stared at those red eyes—something close to a hundred yards away—until they disappeared. Whatever had been looking out the window had moved.

He continued to scan the darkness, and while doing so, he heard the distant yell of a man’s voice. It sounded like he was saying, “Get in! Hurry!” Andy felt like he should go and investigate. Maybe people needed help! Something held him back, though. This stuff was important, and he had to be smart about it. It was evident to him that the attribute points were significant.

There was a noticeable difference between five points in perception and six. He thought he could see a little better, and it seemed like his ears were working better, too. Well, he wasn’t sure that was it; maybe he was just better at discerning things from what he saw and heard. However it worked, it was noticeable. “So, do I dump my other two points into strength? Speed?”

He knew the answer wouldn’t be handed to him, and he knew that wasn’t the right move. Not yet. He had to get an idea of how significant skill ranks were. When the System gave him the first rank in “Spears,” he’d learned a lot about what made a good spear and the basics of fighting with one. What would another point do? Arguably, he’d killed the gorilla-dog thanks to his spear skill. Maybe another point would make the difference between life and death out there among those…things moving around in the dark.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Nodding, convinced he was making the right move, Andy opened his status page again and moved an improvement point onto his “Spears” skill. As soon as he closed the status page, several things happened simultaneously. First, he felt a sharp pain right behind his eyes. It only lasted a second, but he winced and squeezed his eyes shut, only opening them when the pain transitioned to a numb, tingling sensation that did weird things like making his tongue itch.

At the same time, a very wordy System message appeared in his vision. As the weird tingling and itching sensations faded, he focused on the message:

***Congratulations, Andy! Your actions, attributes, and skills have combined to unlock the Umbral Warden class!***

***Umbral Warden: A silent guardian who watches from the darkness, striking swiftly and fading from view. Umbral Wardens rely on keen senses and precise spear techniques to eliminate threats before they can strike.***

***As a level 1 Umbral Warden, you gain access to both innate and bound abilities:

Shadow Vigil – innate: Your senses adapt to the darkness, granting heightened awareness in low-light or shadowed environments. Hidden enemies and subtle movements are easier to detect.

Piercing Dusk – bound: By channeling mana into your spear, you unleash a swift, penetrating thrust that ignores a portion of the target’s armor or natural resistance. This attack costs mana and briefly staggers enemies on impact. Mana cost: 8.***

***Welcome to the class system, Andy! As a System-integrated being, you have unlocked access to classes and their features. Here’s what you need to know:

1. You can have more than one class! You may acquire and switch between multiple classes as you progress. Only one class can be active at any given time. Only your active class will gain experience. Switching your active class requires focus and time—be strategic!

2. There are different types of abilities. Innate abilities are those that are permanently available to you. They represent foundational skills and traits that stay with you, even if you change your active class. Bound abilities are those that are exclusive to your currently active class. They represent specialized techniques and powers tied to the class’s unique nature.

3. Any improvement points you spend on bound abilities will stay with that ability when the parent class is inactive.

4. As you level up within a class, you will unlock more powerful abilities, both innate and bound. Mastering multiple classes may unlock special advanced classes with unique skills.

5. To select or change your active class, simply think or say “Class Select” and choose from the available options. Note: This will incapacitate you for a short time.

You’re receiving this instructional message because you’ve unlocked your first class. Would you like to activate your new class, Umbral Warden, now? YES/NO.***

Andy read the lengthy message breathlessly, his eyes unblinking. When he finished, he reached up to rub his eyes, blinking rapidly, and then, to ensure he really understood, he read it again. He couldn’t see a downside to accepting the new class. No, he wasn’t accepting it; he already had it. He was just making it active. With that thought, he shrugged and said, “Yes.”

Another sharp pain erupted behind his eyes, and Andy’s vision tunneled down to a pinpoint. He was suddenly grateful that he’d been kneeling on his bed, peering out the window, because he was dimly aware that he fell backward, his numb body bouncing on the saggy, uncomfortable mattress. He felt tingles running through his body, and, in the darkness of his limited vision, he discerned starbursts and other strange light effects.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay like that, but it felt like ten or twenty minutes, and then his vision expanded, and he felt…normal. Grunting, he rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. “Huh,” he said, trying to gather some saliva to dampen his dry tongue. While he gathered his senses, he pulled up his status sheet:

STATUS:

Name: Andrew “Andy” West

Species: Human

Active Class: Umbral Warden

Level: 1

Inactive Classes:

Unclassed (2)

Experience toward next level: 1%

Mana: 10/10

Perception: 6

Will: 4

Strength: 6

Vitality: 8

Speed: 6

Improvement Points: 1

Notable Skills or Spells:

(* denotes active bound abilities)

Spears: 2

Shadow Vigil: 1

*Piercing Dusk – Bound: 1

Andy thought about “piercing dusk” and realized he knew how to use it. He knew that he could empower a spear strike with mana and that it would make his weapon semi-ethereal, allowing it to slip by or through some armor to inflict greater damage. He didn’t know how it worked or why he knew he could do it, but the knowledge was there. “So frickin’ weird!” he hissed, holding his hands before his face and flexing his fingers open and closed. He felt different.

He stood up, grabbed his spear from where it rested against the wall, and started toward the door. He wasn’t happy with the System and the way it had so crudely inserted itself into the world. He didn’t like that so many people were changing or dying without the slightest say in the matter. He was angry about his mom and the fact that she was probably in danger, or hurt, or maybe already dead. It pissed him off that he couldn’t even call her.

Despite all of that anger and irritation, he couldn’t deny an underlying excitement. Something wild was going on. Something that had turned his idea of reality, his view on life, and especially his role in it, upside down. He couldn’t solve all of his problems at that moment, but he could solve one of them. “Time to clean up this trailer park.”