August 19th, 1763rd ME(Monster Era).
Within the town of Silentrock-
In the local temple, a father, mother, son, and daughter watched as a 7-year-old boy knelt before a priest, who placed a hand on top of his head.
"In the name of our benevolent Goddess, Urallias, protector of humans from the wretched monsters, unlock this boy's potential and grant him his Class!"
Hum*
Woosh*
A light shone on the boy as he felt a shackle within him breaking.
Undergoing Awakening Ritual...
You are now 7 years old... condition met.
Unlocking Primary Class... Done.
You awakened the Primary Class: Progressor lvl 0
You awakened the Progressor Class Ability: Progress Through Training lvl 0.
Since you have awakened your Class, you can now view your Status.
Good Luck, and follow your Class!
As the boy blankly stared at the words, the Priest proclaimed.
"Randall Welbek, you have awakened the Progressor Class and Progress Through Training Ability! Congratulations! You likely have a very rare class!" The Priest said, smiling.
"That's my boy! Hahahaha! Our Welbek family will surely rise!" The father from behind laughed out loud with joy.
"I'm so proud of you, son!" The mother happily smiled.
"Congratulations, brother!" The older sister, a 9-year-old, happily cheered.
"Congratulations, brother..." The older brother, who was 11, looked at Randall with jealousy, a hint of hostility concealed in his eyes.
Randall soon foolishly grinned.
"I have a rare Class!"
All people had a Primary Class, which was the basis for their future. It gave powerful Class Abilities and Power Growth, unlike the Secondary Classes. The Secondary Classes granted abilities and no attribute growth.
One could even say that the Primary Class dictated half of a person's future!
For example, most obtained the Primary Class, Commonor. This class allowed them to function better in society as Commonors. They would then take related side classes, such as Laborer, merchant, scholar, militia, and other things.
Some were born with rarer classes, such as Warrior, Ranger, or Rogue. These were considered the Uncommon classes, and only 1 in 10 was born with them. Like Commoners, they too could have secondary classes, making them even more formidable and specialized.
And then, there were Rare Classes, such as Magician, Cleric, Sword Master, Master Archer, Assassin, and the like, the ones who were 1 in 100.
Even rarer are those born with Ultra Rare classes, only found in 1 in 10,000, such as Sword Saint, Sage, High Priest, and the like.
The stronger the class, the more stat points you will receive when it levels up, and the stronger the abilities acquired.
That is to say, the more special-sounding the Class, the more promising it should be!
And to Randall, that meant-
"I'm special!" The 7-year-old gleefully thought.
.
.
.
Later in their well-to-do house, in Randall's room, Randall's father, Thurston Welbek, a well-off merchant, brought over a small pile of monster cores he purchased and gave one to Randall.
"Randall, these are Monster Cores. They should be able to help you quickly reach a higher level and become stronger. Take it and think about absorbing it."
"Yes!" Randall grinned and took the bag.
Eagerly opening it, he took out a thumbnail-sized round, red bead and attempted to absorb it.
However-
Due to the effect of the Primary Class, Progressor, you cannot absorb external exp sources.
Absorption Failed.
Randall's expression turned into confusion.
"Well, my boy?! What are you waiting for?! Absorb it!" The father urged.
Randall looked at his father and innocently spoke.
"It says my Class isn't allowing me to absorb external exp sources... what does that mean?"
Thurston was shocked.
"What?! How could this be?! Quick, check your status!"
And so, Randall checked his status.
Status:
Name: Randall Welbek
Age: 7
Primary Class: Progressor lvl 0(0/1,000)
Secondary Classes: -
AP: 0
Progressor Abilities: Progress Through Training lvl 0
Body: 4.52
Finesse: 5.11
Mind: 5.84
That was the standard status window everyone had. AP stood for Ability Points, gained upon leveling up and used to upgrade abilities.
Body stood for the physical body, covering raw physical strength, toughness, and health.
Finesse included speed, body coordination, and precision. Again, this could be affected by disabilities or growth.
Mind covered Intelligence, Awareness, Willpower, and Magic. It was the staple for magic casters.
It is said that the average for a lvl 50 adult Commoner without training is 20, but for young children, it was naturally much less. Naturally, adults also trained, and wealthy ones had access to attribute-enhancing items.
However...
"Why do I need 1,000 exp to level up?! Even for ultra-rare classes, it should be 100, right?!" Randall shook, turning pale.
Randall hurriedly checked his new Class, and what he saw left him dismayed.
Primary Class - Progressor:
A Progressor is an individual who progresses in life through hard work and opportunities.
Effects:
Grants no attributes upon leveling up.
You can only obtain attribute points through training.
You cannot obtain EXP from external sources.
You cannot obtain Secondary Classes through external sources.
You cannot obtain AP through external sources.
Experience Requirements x100
Grants 10 AP each level.
All progress is permanent.
"This is horrible!" Randall turned pale, feeling something inside breaking.
The only bright side is that AP was 10 instead of 1 for a Commoner, which showed how extraordinary this class was, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. If he couldn't level up, no matter how good a class was, it was practically trash!
And then, he hurriedly checked his ability, hoping for salvation.
Progress Through Training lvl 0:
Hard work is the mother of progress!
Effects:
Grants 1 Primary exp after every fruitful training day.
Hard work can improve attributes 0% faster.
Randall sighed in a mixture of relief and despair.
On the bright side, he could level up through hard work.
But on the other hand...
"I would need to train every day for close to 3 years, or I won't grow stronger..."
This was unlike many kids, who could become stronger very quickly by absorbing monster cores. They could also supplement it through their class abilities.
Wealthy kids could be easily force-leveled, and their only restriction was whether their body could take it. Better classes can typically absorb more Monster Cores, letting them level up faster.
That was the common knowledge Randall knew.
He then looked at his distraught father and told him the truth.
After Thurston heard what he said, his face trembled before giving an encouraging pat on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault, son. Make sure to work hard. I am sure it would pay off one day... I know it."
"Thanks, Dad..." Randall forced a smile, knowing hard times existed ahead of him.
Outside the room, Sewel, Randall's older brother, who was eavesdropping, narrowed his eyes and grinned.
"So you have a problematic super rare class... heh. And I thought you might risk my position as heir. But to be on the safe side, I should do my best to sabotage your growth until I can kick you out."
.
.
.
In the following three years, Randall diligently trained every day.
Push-ups, swordsmanship, archery, jumping, blocking, dodging, parrying, studying, etc, until he felt exhausted.
And every day gave a smallish gain which barely made it feel worth it.
Moreover, Sewel relentlessly bullied Randall in whatever way he could.
At first, he called him trash and told him that he couldn't advance no matter how hard he worked. Randall became bitter and worked even harder so he wouldn't be trash.
But then, it escalated to Sewel pinning blame on Randall for things he didn't do. For example, a book from his father's collection was ruined inside Randall's room, resulting in him being spanked and grounded despite his pleas. This, however, made Randall more paranoid and determined, so he trained even harder in his room, refusing to leave. He even urged his father to make a lock on the door, which prevented Sewel from incriminating him.
Later, Sewel also started physical bullying, making excuses that Randall was being too reclusive, so he dragged him out and forcibly started sparring with him, hitting him hard enough that he was black and blue, but not enough to kill or cripple him. Sometimes, he just used some random excuse to barge into his room and beat him up!
On some days, the bullying was so bad that Randall couldn't have a fruitful training day.
Unfortunately, whether it was his father, mother, or sister, their only aid was akin to slapping Sewel on the wrist. After all, Randall was considered a half-cripple, while Sewel was the eldest son and heir. They were obviously biased.
But despite all of this, Randall still endured.
Finally, his efforts paid off on his 10th birthday.
Level Up!
Progressor lvl 0 -> 1(0/2,020)
+10 AP
Randall couldn't help but shed a tear in his room after finishing his last rep.
"Finally, a level up... finally..."
He then looked at his status, the fruits of his relentless efforts.
Status:
Name: Randall Welbek
Age: 10
Primary Class: Progressor lvl 1(0/2,020)
Secondary Classes: -
AP: 10
Progressor Abilities: Progress Through Training lvl 0
Body: 4.52 -> 6.87
Finesse: 5.11 -> 7.25
Mind: 5.84 -> 8.82
Perhaps due to all the torture Randall was subjected to, his attributes increased significantly, especially his Willpower.
"Come on... please let it work..." Randall prayed.
And then, he poured all his AP into the Progress Through Training ability.
Progress Through Training lvl 0 -> 10
AP: 10 -> 0
Each AP could raise an ability by one level, after all.
And then, Randall checked his newly upgraded ability.
Progress Through Training lvl 10:
Hard work is the mother of progress!
Effects:
Grants 11 Primary exp after every fruitful training day.
Hard work can improve attributes 10% faster.
From 1 exp to 11 exp, and from 0% to 10%.
"That's it? That's all I get for three years of enduring hell?" Naturally, Randall felt like crying.
For a mere 10% improvement in training speed, he endured 3 whole years. Few could imagine just how horrible it felt for him.
But then, he quickly realized a point.
"Wait... each level improved the exp gain by 1?! Since that is the case... I can reach lvl 2 in half a year, right?! And then... I should be able to reach lvl 10 in a few years and unlock my second ability!"
Eyes lighting up, Randall became even more determined.
"I will grow stronger! Even stronger! So I won't get bullied! So I can stand on my own two feet like a man!"
And so, Randall's training continued...
.
.
.
Thanks to Randall's experience dealing with his older brother, and perhaps because his older brother needed to work more, Randall avoided getting bullied and could quietly train every day.
Additionally, he declared that he wanted to train and become an independent adventurer, so Thurston supported it and let him continue training.
And so, 1,196 days later-
November 19th, 1769th ME
By the time Randall was 13, he finally reached lvl 10.
Level Up!
Progressor lvl 9 -> 10(0/12,150)
+10 AP
Unlocked a new Ability: Progress Through Slaughter lvl 0
Status:
Name: Randall Welbek
Age: 13
Primary Class: Progressor lvl 10(0/12,150)
Secondary Classes: -
AP: 10
Progressor Abilities: Progress Through Training lvl 90, Progress Through Slaughter lvl 0
Body: 6.87 -> 10.98
Finesse: 7.25 -> 11.21
Mind: 8.82 -> 12.72
"... Hah?" Randall felt that he was slow to react.
Rubbing his eyes, he looked at it again and saw the same entry.
Progress Through Slaughter.
"Well... that looks... promising?" Randall warily thought as he checked the ability.
Progress Through Slaughter lvl 0:
Kill, Kill, and Kill Some More! The bodies will pile up, paving the path to your ascension!
Effects:
You pilfer the slain's Primary Class as your Secondary Class. Additionally, obtain Secondary exp and Secondary Ability Levels.
Gains are dependent on ability level and strength difference.
"By Urallias... Perhaps this class isn't that useless after all?"
Unfortunately, as much as he would have liked to go out and start his path of massacre, he had to face an absolute reality.
"I'm still too weak! At most, I might be able to hunt those weak slimes or giant rabbits outside the town walls and sell their cores for some pocket change. Ugh... this is humiliating. It is usually the younger kids that do it with slingshots... And do monsters even have a Primary Class? Would I gain a monster class, even if secondary?"
Not having a way to answer these questions, Randall sighed and resolutely poured everything into it.
"Screw it. Hunting slimes and rabbits, it is!"
.
.
.
August 19th, 1774th ME.
Randall, who had now turned 18, got officially kicked out of the house.
Finding himself on the streets, the young man sighed and counted his money and gear.
574 Silver Coins, which was barely enough to survive for a few months. A duffle bag filled with clothes and necessities. A sleeping bag. A steel sword and buckler. Fine leather armor and boots. And a compass.
"Alright, all is set..." Randall muttered before glancing at his status.
Status:
Name: Randall Welbek
Age: 18
Primary Class: Progressor lvl 24(31,464/31,753)
Secondary Classes: Slime lvl 82(358/1,876) | Rabbit lvl 57(98/1,022)
AP: 0
Progressor Abilities: Progress Through Training lvl 279, Progress Through Slaughter lvl 100
Slime Abilities: Digestion lvl 582, Shock Absorption lvl 206
Rabbit Abilities: Flee lvl 307, Strong Legs lvl 121
Body: 10.98 -> 24.93
Finesse: 11.21 -> 25.05
Mind: 12.72 -> 25.01
"Yep... all set. And... today I will reach lvl 25. According to convention, my 3rd Class Ability will appear!"