The Holy Land Page 4

  [you have used your allocatable stat point to increase your stamina to level 8]

  Almost instantaneously, Wilhelm felt his body becoming soothed and more powerful. His withered body felt reinvigorated. Unfortunately, this feeling only lasted for a few moments until everything was relatively normal again. His body undoubtfully felt better than before, but he couldn't determine if he was becoming younger just by one placed point. Thinking to here, Wilhelm really craved for a mirror or some water.

  Although leveling up seemed to sate his hunger and thirst, his body still needed such resources to live. Wilhelm had not drunk any water for an entire day. As such, his tongue was parched. Hunting for food and gaining experience had distracted him from one of his major problems at the moment; finding a water source!

  With this in mind, Wilhelm placed the dead rabbit close to the fire and decided to use it as a pillow. It didn't look very appetizing at the moment, so he decided to just sleep. He inwardly chose to find a lake or river tomorrow morning. To mainly drink, but to also see his current appearance.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next morning, a cold wind assaulted Wilhelm's face and abruptly awoke him from his deep slumber. His dry mouth and rumbling stomach then attacked him soon after, as if refusing him any more sleep.

  Wilhelm tossed and turned for a few seconds before begrudgingly waking up; his dirty blonde hair was messily scattered on his shoulders, and his scraggly, unshaven beard was now about one inch long.

  He stood up from the ground and brushed off his dirty clothes before scratching his head in puzzlement, "how did it get so cold?" he whispered under his breath and couldn't help but rub his palms together.

  The forest was covered in a cold and ominous mist, vastly different from its appearance yesterday. The ordinarily loud and rambunctious birds were deathly quiet, and the whole atmosphere felt somewhat surreal to Wilhelm. It was strange for such a lively place become so desolate.

  However, his stomach and bodily needs didn't seem to care about the strange situation, as his stomach growled loudly and broke Wilhelm from his contemplation. In response, he smiled wryly and picked up one of his wooden 'spears' from the ground. In reality, they were just dainty planks of wood.

  Under normal circumstances, Wilhelm wouldn't leave so early in the morning, but he didn't have much of an option. Thus, Wilhelm tightened his shoes and headed south. He figured that since there was a large abundance of mammals in the foresty location, there had to be a significant body of water nearby. Otherwise, how would they still be alive?

  Wilhelm traveled through the now misty forest in search of water. The small branches creaked with every step, and his strides crushed the flattering blades of grass. More strange than the mist, however, were the little shadows that seemed to be running through the fog every now and then.

  The sight caused chills to run down his spine. However, he didn't cower in fear. Instead, he raised his spear and continued onwards. He was unaware of what type of phenomenon was occurring at the moment, but the nearby beasts had certainly evacuated. He could count himself lucky that the mist wasn't too cold yet, lest he would have already been frozen to death.

  Thankfully, the abnormal shadows weren't aggressive; in fact, they merely ran passed Wilhelm, as if leading him somewhere.

  Upon some deliberation, Wilhelm decided to follow them.

  'I'm starting to agree with the populace back on earth, I may just be one hell of a crazy bastard' Wilhelm inwardly thought as he followed the shadows. A wry smile was plastered on his lips. Life was a big gamble and Wilhelm was surprisingly good at poker.

  Within the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee, Wilhelm felt the ground he was stepping on sink, ever so slightly. He could feel a cold liquid enter his cheap shoes and touch his bare feet.

  Shocked, Wilhelm took a few steps back.

  The shadows that once surrounded him vanished and the thick fog began evaporating. Soon, Wilhelm could finally see his surroundings.

  He was standing at the edge of a sparkling, blue lake. An assortment of unusual beasts were resting on the sides of the lake drinking water with their tongues.

  Wilhelm drew in a breath of cold air and looked over his shoulder, only to be more shellshocked. Dozens of small monkeys surrounded him. They possessed golden fur and red eyes, but the giant smile on their faces dissipated any form of aggression.

  They made strange sounds similar to a laugh as they looked at Wilhelm. Unfortunately, Wilhelm wasn't capable of enjoying this comical sight as he kneeled down and quickly drank from the lake.

  He put his hands in the unusually blue lake and cupped some water. He then proceeded to bring his hands to his mouth and take a large gulp. Immediately, a burning sensation entered into his mouth and traveled down his throat.

  He felt as though a hundred ants were biting down, and his eyes opened wide in shock. He clutched his stomach and soon fell on his back, slightly convulsing. Whatever he drank, was undoubtedly not water, but more like acid.

  Wilhelms convulsed on the ground for a total of five minutes before he gradually got ahold of himself. He then stood up from the ground, albeit shakily, and surveyed his surroundings once again. The animals by the side of the lake were still leisurely drinking the "fire water"as if it was delicious.

  "There's simply no logical way these small monkeys can handle this… perhaps, it was only this spot that contains acid" Wilhelm comforted himself and moved to a spot where a small monkey was drinking from.

  He once again obtained a handful of water. He smelled it first, and it didn't appear to smell like acid. Thus, he once again tested the water. Unfortunately, the same thing happened once again. The burning sensation entered into his mouth, and he couldn't help but feel like he was being bitten by millions of ants.

  After convulsing on the ground for another few minutes, Wilhelm stood up once again. But this time, he warily tip-toed out of the lake and looked at the monkeys as if they were monsters. Such pain was unbearable, even to him, who was a trained soldier!

  But, when almost all hope was lost and before Wilhelm could leave the "flame lake," a loud bang sounded out, and the ground seemed to quake. It happened again, and again as if some sort of massive creature was walking. The strange beasts at the side of the lake quickly scurried away from the sound, and only the monkeys stayed.

  Curious, Wilhelm walked towards a nearby tree and poked his head out. If there was one thing he had learned in his long and grand life; it was that you must be patient if you want to harvest great rewards. As such, he was looking forward to whatever was generating the miniature earthquakes.

  Fortunately, Wilhelm was not disappointed, and the monster soon presented itself. It was at the very least, ten meters tall, and 3 meters thick. It had brown fur, stood on two feet, sported four arms, brandished two horns on top of its head, and possessed one eyeball. Overall, it was a monster that Wilhelm had never seen, heard, nor even dreamt about. Not even in the many books, or mythology, was such a thing present.

  The other monsters that he had encountered thus far had some sort of resemblance to the animals back on earth. However, this particular beast was like nothing he had ever seen before. The sheer amount of aura and killing intent that naturally permeated from the monster made even Wilhelm almost quake in his boots.

  He gulped down a mouthful of saliva and silently regretted his decision to stay. He turned around and decided to quietly walk away. However, the loud hoots and grunts emanating from behind, causing him to look over his shoulders and reluctantly stay.

  The army of golden monkeys, seemingly not affected by the colossal monster's appearance, approached it. They moved in unison, and an almost indiscernible flame appeared on the tips of their tails.

  The monkeys growled at the one-eyed behemoth as if they were defending their territory, and in response, the things eye radiated a deep, vibrant purple hue. As if some sort of energy was being pulled to a distinct point, a ball of light that was just a few inches away from the monsters eye start
ed getting bigger and bigger. Presumably some sort of mana attack Wilhelm thought.

  In retaliation, small balls of flame appeared on tippy tops of the monkeys' tails, and both forces suddenly shot their attacks towards the other. They streaked across the air, and as if time stopped, the facial expression on Wilhelm's face froze.

  Boom! A loud bang erupted and temporarily blinded Wilhelm, causing him to cover his eyes and hide behind the tree. The forced caused the trees to blow within the wind and the nearby "flame water" to shoot up into the sky.

  After a few moments of waiting, the blinding light finally dissipated and Wilhelm gazed upon the aftermath. The hulking one-eyed beast possessed a few more burn marks that weren't their previously, but no further injuries were present. As for the monkeys, most of them were blasted into bits, and a few lucky ones were writhing on the ground, seemingly going to die within the next hour.

  The monster, as if the current result was expected, leisurely put its head in the water and drank a few mouthfuls before turning around and leaving. Not sparing another glance at the dead and dying monkeys.

  Wilhelm wasn't even capable of understanding the turn of events that he had just witnessed, so the only thing he could do was curse that damned fairy once again. How could humans ever hope to survive in such a place?

  As these thoughts depressed Wilhelm, his face suddenly lit up. He rushed towards the few dying monkeys with a spear in hand. Since the cyclops-like monster didn't want to reap the benefits, Wilhelm would gladly take the scraps.

  Wilhelm was a man whose emotions could change on a whim. Thus, the complicated and self-deprecating self-reflections were long gone, leaving only greed for levels. He quickly approached the last few monkeys and pointed his spear at the hopeless creatures.

  "It's nothing personal… I don't want your death to go to waste, okay?" Wilhelm whispered as he shoved the spear into the monkey's throat, delivering a quick and painless death. He continued this action three times until finally, the four monkeys died.

  [Golden Flame Ape has been slain]

  [Golden Flame Ape has been slain]

  [Golden Flame Ape has been slain]

  [2000 experience has been acquired]

  [you have leveled up and gained one free allocatable stat point]

  [you have leveled up and gained one free allocatable stat point]

  [Level 5 has been reached, class selection shall now commence]

  A dozen robotic messaged echoed out inside of Wilhelm's head, slightly dazing him. Before checking his status, he decided to quickly run away from the lake back to his temporary camp.

  He heaved one of the fallen monkeys over his shoulder and ran as quickly as possible. He wanted to secure dinner and make sure he didn't sleep hungry for another night. As such, Wilhelm's waddling figure could be seen running across the shallow lake and once again entering into the forest.

  *****

  After about thirty minutes of following his tracks, he finally arrived back at his camp. His bonfire was unlit, and only a few embers were present. Thus, he quickly rekindled the flame, and a warm temperature finally resurfaced.

  Once his preparations were complete, Wilhelm calmed himself, sat down, and took a look at his status.

  ---------------

  [Character Information]

  Name: Wilhelm Siegfried

  Race: Human

  Gender: Male

  Level: 5, [800/1600 EXP]

  Class: None

  Strength: 11

  Agility: 10

  Intelligence: 15

  Stamina: 8

  Magic Power: 0

  HP: 100/100

  MP: 0/0

  Skills: Krav Maga (level 10), indomitable will (level 1), superior intellect (level 2), Gun proficiency (level 10),

  Items: None

  Allocatable stat points: 2

  Evolution points: 0

  Coins: 0

  [using hosts data and current achievements, the system shall provide you with classes you have unlocked, or are capable of becoming]

  [please choose one of the options below, this will significantly affect your future strength, advancements, and life]

  [Warrior]

  [Marksman]

  [Survivalist]

  [pugilist]

  [secret class: Undertaker, one who walks a thin line between life and death, the one who reaps the most lives. Extremely bitter]

  [secret class: Pirate, one who plunders others and sates their own greed. Extremely selfish]

  CHAPTER SIX

  After acknowledging the class selections pop up on his status, Wilhelm felt his blood boil in anticipation. As a long-time RPG and MMO fan, Wilhelm knew that choosing your class was one of the most critical steps to progression.

  However, he was quite reluctant to simply choose a class without any prior knowledge of them first. This was especially so for the secret classes. He had no idea if they were strong or incredibly weak.

  Thus, Wilhelm decided to test out his luck, "hey system, what does the pugilist class do?" he whispered, hoping for a reaction.

  [Pugilist: A fighter who uses their bare hands to fight and generally applies the mana within their body to amplify their combat prowess and unleash energy attacks. Relies on strength, agility, intelligence, and stamina. A hybrid class]

  After receiving a lengthy and informative answer, Wilhelm asked about the other classes he was curious about.

  [Survivalist: Someone who doesn't focus on combat, but rather on their own survival. They strengthen their bodies and are generally great at escaping. Relies heavily on stamina and intelligence]

  Wilhelm stroked his beard in contemplation; he didn't feel compelled to pick the first two classes. Although he treasured his life, he wasn't someone who ran away from a fun fight, unless victory was absolutely impossible. Not to mention the pugilist, which would require him to spread his stat points far too thin.

  As such, he directed his attention elsewhere. He was saving the best two for last because who wouldn't be excited when a "secret class" sprang up? In many RPG's, secret classes were often much more powerful in comparison to regular classes, granted they usually came with a catch.

  Thinking to here, the system, as if reading his mind, supplied him with the necessary information.

  [Secret class: there are over 2500 secret classes hidden throughout the holy land, each blocked with different requirements. Once a human obtains a hidden class, that class is no longer obtainable. Therefore supplying the first 1% of humanity an advantage]

  "Tsk, an advantage my ass… most of us are going to die before we can even get a chance to choose a class" Wilhelm scoffed at the words of the system. He felt that in theory, it was an advantage. However, he figured that once a secret class user died, that class would then, once again, become obtainable.

  [Pirate: a hybrid fighter that uses whatever means necessary to win; possess a strong constitution and 'plunders' opponents. Relies on strength and agility]

  [Special conditions/requirements: You must always work for your own benefit and never pledge to anyone else]

  [Gains bonus experience when stealing from the innocent]

  Wilhelms's expression darkened at the description of the pirate. Such an evil and selfish sounding class was not suited for him. He preferred complicated and intricate classes; a glorified thief class didn't cater to his fancy.

  With this in mind, he focused his attention on the 'undertaker' class. If it wasn't satisfactory, he would settle for one of the more normal classes. At the very least, they seemed powerful in their own right.

  [Undertaker: A nutjob that uses speed to fight efficiently. Possess a strange infatuation with the dead and intensely studies deceased bodies; resulting in the vast knowledge of the weaknesses and strengths of many creatures. Relies on agility and skillful hands]

  [Special conditions/requirements: required to bury those that you kill and briefly study the dead]

  [Gains bonus experience for burying the dead]

  Wil
helm stared blankly at the lines of words that appeared in the middle of his line of sight. He simply couldn't comprehend why the 'secret classes' were so strange. However, the Undertaker seemed much more interesting than the pirate.

  Unfortunately, Wilhelm didn't have any particular interest in the dead. None the less, he figured that gaining bonus experience by merely burying bodies seemed worth his while. However, completing the same task over and over again could become quite tedious after a while, making it somewhat understandable that they were extremely bitter folk.