Watcher of Fate

Elara woke in absolute darkness. The sound of dripping water nearby and the feel of dried and partially decayed pine needles had cushioned her fall. She tried moving her hand in front of her face and, despite it being at her nose, she could not see it. Normally, this would have frightened her, and she would be a crying mess, but compared to the death and destruction she had just witnessed, even the prospect of being blind or stuck in the dark seemed blase.

She pulled up her notifications to see if anything had changed.

Now Entering the Halls of Barrowdeep.

Elara reread the line. "Okay, that is semi-bad," she muttered, her voice echoing in the oppressive darkness. "Barrowdeep... the dungeon the town was built around. The lifeblood of the town, where adventurers came to test their mettle. Where Dad's shop thrived, selling supplies to those brave enough to face its depths."

She felt a lump form in her throat as she thought about her father and the explosion. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she let out a choked sob. "Why did this have to happen? Why did they have to die? I should have been there. I should have done something." Her voice wavered, trembling with despair.

"How am I supposed to survive this?" she asked the darkness around her, her voice rising in pitch. "I don't have a class, I don't have a weapon, and I don't even have any food! Am I supposed to navigate this dungeon with nothing? It's impossible!"

Elara took a shaky breath, her tears flowing freely. "Dad, I miss you so much. And Mom, if you're out there... please, be safe. I don't know what to do. I'm scared and alone and don't know where to start."

She hugged her knees to her chest, rocking slightly as she spoke to the void. "This isn't fair. None of this is fair. I didn't ask for this. I just wanted a normal life, to help in the shop, and maybe to become a traveling merchant like you were, Dad. Not this... not this nightmare."

For a moment, she allowed herself to wallow in her grief and fear, feeling the weight of her despair pressing down on her. But slowly, she forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "I can't stay like this," she whispered. "I have to move. I have to find a way out."

Elara focused on the task, trying to remember all the facts about the dungeon. It was a layered dungeon with seven layers. Levels 1-3 were for iron-ranked adventurers, and levels 5-15. At the end of the third level was a portal out if you could beat the iron-ranked floor boss. That was the first available exit once you entered the dungeon. You could normally wait for another party if you got stuck and follow them once they beat the boss. He would not respawn for an entire day once defeated.

The next three levels repeated the pattern but for copper-ranked adventurers (16-25). The seventh level was just a silver-ranked boss. Few people killed it since you needed a decent party of silver-ranked adventurers to kill it, and all the mobs before it would not net the silver party any rewards worth the hassle. That was beside the point because, as a levelless, classless, and weaponless individual, even the first mobs would kill her, let alone the boss mob. The problem was no food, and she was sure there would be no adventurers delving into the dungeon anytime soon.

Elara took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. She needed to think and find a way to survive. Despite the overwhelming fear, she clung to the hope that there might still be a way out. She had to find a way to navigate this darkness and somehow make it through the dungeon, or at least survive until help arrived.

Elara pulled up the next notifications.

Your race has been augmented due to your circumstances. You are now a Human (Shattered Soul).

Elara was stunned by the revelation, not knowing what it even meant. "How do you even change a race?" she muttered. "That's something you're born with." She clicked on Shattered Soul to find out more.

Shattered Soul: A person who has endured severe trauma, resulting in their very spirit being affected by grief. This alteration manifests in both physical and mental attributes.

Features of Shattered Soul:

Resolve reduced by 25%

Constitution reduced by 10%

Reduced food consumption

Elara looked at it in shock. "At least it comes with reduced food consumption. That should help in the short term," she said aloud, trying to find a silver lining in the bleak situation.

She wondered how many more world-changing events her notifications held. She pulled up the next notifications.

You have completed the "Survive the Night" quest and the reward is suspended pending class selection.

You have completed "Remain Free," please select a class when ready.

Elara laughed hysterically to herself, the sound echoing eerily in the darkness. "Guess I shouldn't tempt fate anymore," she muttered, her laughter trailing into a choked sob. "How long have I been out? Hours? Days? What if it's been too long? What if there's no one left to save?" Her voice cracked, the weight of her situation pressing down on her.

She was perplexed by how long she must have been asleep after the fall. "I've lost so much time," she whispered, her hands trembling. "What if the orcs have taken everything? What if there's nothing left for me to go back to?"

She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. "No, I can't think like that. I have to stay focused. I have to believe there's still a chance."

With determination mingled with fear, she pulled up her current status. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the screen, her mind reeling from the cascade of changes and revelations.

---

Name: Elara Crowhurst

Race: Human(Shattered Soul)

Age: Child

Class: Pending

Level: -

Exp: -

Resources:

HP: 2 of 6 (4/day)

Mana: 0 of 0 (0/day)

Sta: 10 of 10 (5/day)

Attributes:

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 10

Constitution: 7 > 6

Perception: 9

Intelligence: 14

Resolve: 11 > 8

General Skills:

Calligraphy (Uncommon): 10

Gift of Gab (Common): 4

Cooking (Common): 3

Parkour (Uncommon): 10

Blunt Weapons (Common): 1

---

Elara verified she had no more notifications before selecting the "Get Class Pending" option.

Starting Class Selection Processing…

No Selection Temple is present.

Only able to show inherited class. For a greater selection of classes, cancel the class selection and retry while in a Selection Temple. Do you wish to proceed (yes/no)?

Elara chuckled to herself. "More choices would be good, but being stuck in the dark with at least three levels of mobs and a boss between me and a temple, assuming it wasn't already exploded or burned to slag by magical fire, isn't exactly practical." She selected yes.

The world brightened, and she stood on a center platform, surrounded by rings on the ground. The sudden change in scenery was almost disorienting, but Elara took a moment to steady herself. She gazed at the rings, each containing figures, most greyed-out, blank people.

Elara wished she had learned more about class selection. "Mom, Dad, you always said there was time. You promised you'd teach me when it was closer to my selection day." Her voice wavered, filled with sorrow and longing. "Now, I have to figure this out alone, and I don’t even know if you’re still alive."

She started to cry again, her body shaking with the sobs that wracked her. "I miss you so much, Dad. Your guidance, your stories about being a traveling merchant, everything." She hugged herself, feeling the ache of loss deep within her. "And Mom, your strength, your wisdom, I need it now more than ever."

Eventually, she stopped and wiped her tears, forcing herself to focus on the task. She looked at the first gray person. When she focused on them, text appeared above their head.

This selection is unavailable without Selection Temple.

Elara looked at several more, realizing all the gray figures were unavailable. Spinning around, she found a non-gray figure in the first ring. Looking closely, the figure reminded her of her father, bringing another wave of tears.

Merchant (Common): Merchants are adept at negotiation, trade, and logistics. They excel in managing resources and can leverage their skills to gain advantages. Their expertise in commerce allows them to accumulate wealth and form beneficial relationships, making them valuable assets in both peaceful and perilous times.

Provides 2 skill slots, +1 to STR, CON, and INT, and +2 free points per level.

Elara read the entire description several times before unfocusing. "Dad always said not to accept the first deal before looking at all offers," she reminded herself. She looked at the second ring of options, finding a figure resembling her mother with a mace and shield. Focusing on the figure brought up the description.

Escort Guard (Uncommon): Guards specializing in escorting individuals and caravans, gaining bonuses for completing escort quests and increased strength while protecting official charges at the expense of combat prowess when not protecting offical charges. They excel in defense and protection, ensuring the safety of those under their charge.

Provides 3 skill slots, +2 STR, DEX, CON, PER, and +2 free points per level.

Elara looked at it and whistled. "One more skill slot and +10 stat points compared to +5," she marveled. "I didn’t realize Mom had an uncommon class. That also explains why she leveled slowly since Dad and her stopped traveling. She must have missed a lot of experience because she couldn't complete escort quests."

She felt a deep pang of respect for her mother. "Mom must have been such a badass," she thought, her eyes filling with tears again. "All those stats, especially with +2 Perception per level. No wonder I could never do anything without her seeing me. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head."

Elara's mind raced back to all the times she tried to sneak out or hide something from her mother, only to be caught every single time. "I always thought she was just naturally sharp, but this explains everything. She must have sacrificed so much for us," Elara whispered, feeling renewed admiration for her mother’s strength and dedication.

As Elara pondered her situation, comments her mother said surfaced in her mind. She recalled how her mother used to speak about the strict rules of her class, and how she wasn’t allowed to use her weapons when not on duty. Her mother had always emphasized the importance of discipline and respect for the laws that governed their world. At the time, Elara had admired her mother’s dedication, but now, in the depths of this perilous dungeon, she realized how devastating such restrictions would be for her.

Elara searched the rest of ring two and found no more options. Talking out loud, she said, "That was as expected, Mom and Dad's classes. I wonder who the third person I inherited from in the third ring is." Looking at the figure, they were in a worn travel cloak with the hood drawn over their head but the front open. No weapons were visible, similar to her Dad's merchant class. She focused on the figure.

Watcher of Fate (Rare): an ancient historian class revered for its ability to chronicle the world's pivotal moments. Members of this class gain experience by recording significant events, such as births, deaths, notable locations, and historical shifts. As keepers of history, they possess a unique strength: the ability to foresee where important events will occur before they happen. While not designed for combat and suffering penalties when wielding weapons, their profound foresight allows them to guide and inform others, shaping future events with their unparalleled knowledge.

Provides 5 skill slots, +5 PER, +2 DEX, CON, RES, and +4 free points per level.

Elara reread the description, her eyes widening in shock. The Watcher of Fate class felt ancient, like it resonated with something deep within her ancestral line. The idea of being able to foresee important events, recording history as it unfolded, filled her with both awe and trepidation.

"Could this be the key to my survival?" she pondered, feeling a strange connection to the class, as if it was calling out to a part of her that she didn't fully understand.

Her mind raced with questions. "Why this class? What makes it so vital for my survival?" She felt the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Despite her frustration and the lack of answers, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was the right path.

Elara’s thoughts shifted as she reflected on the Guard class and the potential penalties associated with it. The description mentioned a "loss of prowess" when not actively guarding, but she remembered her mother speaking more starkly about it, a complete loss of effectiveness. Her mother had always warned of how devastating that penalty could be, recounting stories of those who found themselves helpless the moment they weren’t on duty, their abilities fading to nothing. Elara couldn’t risk that kind of vulnerability in a place like this, where every step could lead to a deadly encounter.

Then there was the Watcher class. It came with its own limitations, unable to use weapons or combat magic under certain conditions. On the surface, that sounded just as crippling, but something nagged at her, urging her to dig deeper. What if there was more to it? What if there was a catch that made it more versatile than it seemed? A vague sense of intuition told her that while the penalties sounded severe, there might be ways around them, loopholes or unique opportunities that weren’t immediately obvious.

“If the Watcher class allows for flexibility in unexpected ways, maybe it’s worth considering,” she thought, weighing her options carefully. “Losing access to certain types of combat could be bad, but if there’s a way to turn that limitation into a strength, it might be the smarter choice. Better that than being stuck with a class that leaves me powerless unless I’m guarding something.” This realization added another layer of complexity to her decision-making. The Watcher of Fate might not be straightforward, but it could offer a kind of adaptability that could be invaluable in the ever-shifting dangers of the dungeon.

The thought of traveling had always been a goal for her, a way to connect with her father's past as a traveling merchant. The travel cloak worn by the figure piqued her interest. "Travel," she thought, a spark of excitement mixing with her fear. "I've always wanted to travel, to see the world beyond Barrowbridge. That's why I go to the library to read about foreign places."

As she mulled over the possibilities, a sense of adventure began to overshadow her initial hesitation. The idea of stepping into the unknown resonated deeply within her. Despite the risks, a part of her longed for the freedom and discovery that traveling promised. The Watcher of Fate class, with its potential for foresight and historical significance, seemed to align perfectly with her dreams of exploration.

With this new perspective, Elara felt a bit more confident. The class offered the best statistical advantages and aligned with her dreams of seeing the world. The potential for travel and adventure, coupled with the deep, almost instinctual pull she felt towards this path, tipped the scales in favor of making the decision.

Elara knew she had to decide soon. The dungeon was dangerous, and every moment she spent in indecision was a moment she wasn't preparing herself for what lay ahead. Summoning her courage, she chose the Watcher of Fate class, hoping it would give her the strength and skills to navigate the dangers of Barrowdeep and beyond.

The Watcher of Fate class was selected. Preparing the user for class integration.

The Watcher of Fate (Rare): an ancient historian class revered for its ability to chronicle the world's pivotal moments. Members of this class gain experience by recording significant events, such as births, deaths, notable locations, and historical shifts. As keepers of history, they possess a unique strength: the ability to foresee where important events will occur before they happen. While not designed for combat and suffering penalties when wielding weapons, their profound foresight allows them to guide and inform others, shaping future events with their unparalleled knowledge.

Class Features:

You cannot learn offensive or defensive spells or combat skills.

Combat spells or skills provided by equipment cost significantly more energy to use.

Gain no experience from killing monsters.

Gain experience from witnessing important events such as births, deaths, locations, and historical shifts.

20% bonus to Perception Stat.

You are fate-touched.