SSS Grade Talent
"Oh, cool."
Val stood before the class selection screen, excitement bubbling within him.
Each time he tapped on a class, two figures―one male and one female, appeared side by side, showcasing their weapons and equipment tailored to their respective classes.
Closing his eyes, remembered many things happened in his life. He finally chose something that was in line with what he thought for these years.
And he chose a Cleric.
He then tapped the option.
[To ensure you choose the right option, here is the list of the "Eleven Basic Races" available, each intricately connected to these classes]
[Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Beastman, Elysian, Fairy, Gnome, Android (locked), Demon (Locked)]
- Warrior: Human, Orc, Beastman, Elysian, Dwarf.
- Mage: Elf, Fairy, Human, Orc, Elysian.
- Cleric: Elysian, Fairy, Human, Elf, Dwarf.
- Rogue: Human, Half-Elf, Elf, Beastman.
- Archer: Elf, Half-Elf, Human, Beastman.
- Pugilist: Human, Beastman.
- Mechanic: Gnome, Human, Android (Locked).
- Gunner: Gnome, Human, Dwarf, Beastman.
* * *
…
"Waa… so many…"
Like a child, Val excitedly swiped through the options.
He even clicked on the info of the races and read through all of them. Absorbing their brief history and traits.
Except for Android and Demon, Val could glimpse many of the details.
For example, Elysian was a humanoid race with celestial lineage, possessing features like striking white or golden hair, along with a small wing.
It would grow to its full size, granting them the capability of flight when they reached level 100.
The other races also had their unique traits and basic abilities.
"This is tough," Val rubbed his chin. He had it hard on this racial thing.
As a first-time gamer, this was something very new to him.
His first choice as a cleric was still unfazed, but he was stuck deciding what race he would play as.
Turning his head to the side, he looked at the goddess personification, Kaylessa, who, according to Eric, was the first mommy NPC of the game, puzzling him greatly.
He still had many questions about that mommy part.
Meanwhile, from the start he was here, she stayed motionless there with a faint smile and eyes that felt like a mother looking at her child.
Feeling weirded out, Val decided to ask her.
"Ummm, excuse me," he hesitated on what to call her.
He thought she was an important part of the game, so Val asked her politely.
Even if she were just an AI at the end, for a certain reason, Val had always treated them as if they were a human being.
"You can call me Kaylessa, Valentine. Asked away…"
Her smile deepened toward Val.
"Oh, okay, Kaylessa. Thanks. So, the question is, I still decided to choose cleric as my class. But I'm stuck at this race part. Can you give me a hint or tips on what to pick?"
"Alright," she gently swiped her hands, and the panel in front of Val flickered for a moment.
Then, the sign meant to check on all of the races glimmered. Tapping on that option, a lot more detail was shown to Val.
"Oh wow. Thanks, Kaylessa," responded in delight, Val browsed it. It even included the locked races information that earlier couldn't be glimpsed through. He wondered if this was a hidden perk in itself.
"You're welcome…" she kindly replied.
* * *
1. Human
- Base Attributes: +6 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Passive; Upgradable] Adaptability: Allows players to gain +2 additional Free Attributes.
2. Elf
- Base Attributes: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +1 Luck, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Passive; Upgradable] Nature Insight: Grants +2 Perception, enhancing awareness of surroundings.
3. Elysian
- Base Attributes: +2 Charisma, +4 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Healing Touch: Each second, restore +7 HP by touch for 10 seconds. CD: 60 seconds.
4. Fairy
- Base Attributes: +2 Agility, +2 Luck, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Pixie Dust: Increases Agility and Evasion by 20% for 5 seconds to self or allies, allowing for better dodging of attacks. CD: 45 seconds.
5. Half-Elf
- Base Attributes: +1 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +1 Agility, +3 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Passive; Upgradable] Dual Heritage: Gain half of the bonus from both Nature Insight and Adaptability, allowing for versatile gameplay.
6. Orc
- Base Attributes: +3 Strength, +2 Armor, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Berserker Rage: Temporarily increases Strength by +2, Armor and Resistance by +1 during combat for 5 seconds. CD: 90 seconds.
7. Dwarf
- Base Attributes: +2 Armor, +2 Resistance, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Stone Skin: Increases Armor by 5 for 10 seconds, reducing damage taken. CD: 60 seconds.
8. Beastman
- Base Attributes: +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Predator's Instinct: Grants a boost to Perception by +2 and Agility by +1 for 10 seconds, allowing for enhanced tracking of enemies. CD: 60 seconds.
9. Gnome
- Base Attributes: +2 Intelligence, +2 Luck, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Passive; Upgradable] Mechanical Mastery: Increases effectiveness of gadgets and traps, providing bonuses to crafting and engineering tasks by 10%.
10. Android
- Base Attributes: +2 Intelligence, +1 Armor, +1 Resistance, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] System Override: Boosts Armor and Resistance against attacks by +3 for 15 seconds. CD: 100 seconds.
11. Demon
- Base Attributes: +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, +2 Free Attributes
Special Skill: [F Grade; Active; Upgradable] Dark Pact: Allows the player to sacrifice 80 HP to gain +3 in Strength +2 in Intelligence. CD: 90 seconds.
* * *
By the end of the selection, Val had chosen the Cleric Class, with Human as his race.
After tapping on the "Yes" option, the statue that represented the Cleric profession in front of him erupted in an intense light, and Val needed to shield his eyes using his hand.
After three seconds, it's dimmed back.
Looking down, Val was amazed once again.
He was currently wearing basic clothes like what Eric had told him.
Normal brown clothes and pants.
The goddess personification then spoke, "May the glory of the Light and Order present in you."
A mystifying curved present on her lips. Her eyes glinted as she said in a more casual way, "I hope you are ready for everything by then, Valentine…"
She then floated closer to move in front of him.
At first, Val didn't think much of it.
That was, until she came to his view, so close he could even smell the fresh fragrance and the breath that originated from her. He also radiated a warmth that was hard to explain.
'Holy, I could even smell and feel her breath.'
But to his shock. She suddenly kissed him…
A kiss, to his temple.
Why was he so shocked just from that? Because this was the first time Val had ever felt this sensation.
He never was close to a woman.
This was something he had never experienced before.
Val started to get lightheaded from it.
Kaylessa giggled seeing Val's childish, innocent demeanor. A satisfied smile hung on her lips, whether from his reaction or something else.
"Alright, off you go!!!"
Below his feet, a swirling black portal opened, sucking him inside its depth.
But just before everything went black, Val heard a mechanical voice inside his head.
[Congratulations, you receive SSS Grade Talent: Connection]
"Huh…"
* * *