Once again, the characters on the prompt blinked, its content still stunning him.
Was he dreaming? Had his hatred, his regret, his... yearning, caused this?
But although confused, he was nonetheless intrigued. Plus, he had already died, so what more could he lose?
"Well, it can't be any worse, can it? Yes, I want to take revenge!"
[Selection accepted.]
[Hosts' transfer has begun. 10%...33%...71%...94%...100%.]
[Success!]
[Moving 'Host' to a new location on the continent...]
[Success!]
A vortex of light suddenly materialized around him, cleansing the darkness previously shrouding everything.
But the after, despite him remaining conscious, was all but a blur, since before he could even make sense of anything was he already opening his eyes, although now with an aching body and a brain that had seemingly been torn apart.
"What the hell? Have I really moved somewhere else? And this...? This isn't my body... No... This feels different."
His breathing was rough, and the pain was nigh unbearable.
In an attempt to mitigate the severity, he remained on the ground and closed back his eyes, shutting down as many senses as possible to relax.
Only after a couple of hours did the pain finally become tolerable, his mind now clear to think again. It was time to try moving around.
"So I was reborn. And... Uh? I'm naked?! Well, it does seem to be a new body, so it would've been weird to already have clothes..."
During his 'meditation' period, he had brutishly come to terms with his new and extraordinary situation, even if it defied all logic.
After all, who was he to complain? He had wished for a new start, and despite said demand being completely unrealistic, it had been granted.
Overthinking such a miraculous second chance would clearly accomplish nothing.
There was a bit of a problem, however: his new location was a complete mystery, since this… God? System?... had sent him to a place almost devoid of light.
But in spite of the challenging conditions, he deduced that he was in a small cave. Surprisingly, his vision was still quite good in this heavy darkness, and so he was able to make sense of most of his surroundings.
"This new body... It's amazing!"
He had luckily found a small puddle of water next to one of the rocky walls, allowing him to catch a glimpse of his new self.
His body, or new body for that matter, was that of a 16-year-old teenager. He was quite handsome, had a sturdy physique and was quite tall. His previously dark hair had also turned golden, with unfathomably deep green eyes replacing his pale brown ones.
This was quite the replacement indeed.
Once satisfied with his little inspection, Derrick's expression grew serious.
"I remember seeing a system of sorts... Where is it now? Has it vanished?"
As soon as he finished his sentence, a window appeared in the depth of his consciousness.
[
[Welcome, Derrick Tarlin! You have been granted the opportunity to take revenge. Here are the characteristics of your body:]
[Derrick Tarlin, 16 (Body) & 37 (Mind) — Human]
[Class: None]
[Strength: 1.5]
[Agility: 1.0]
[Endurance: 1.0]
[Vitality: 2.0]
[Magic Power: 1.0]
[Traits: Enhanced body, Enhanced vision.]
[Skills: Appraisal.]
"This is unbelievable! I never thought I'd get a second chance like this! But what do those numbers mean? What's a class?"
[The numbers are based on the measure of a common entity. A value of 1 means a multiple of 1, meaning you are on par with said entity, with higher values also following this principle. For example, your vitality of 2 means it's twice as good.]
[Classes, meanwhile, will grant you related skills and traits. You may even create unique skills if your mastery reaches the necessary levels.]
Derrick was flabbergasted. He'd be able to learn skills by just choosing a class?! This was so much better than simply being brought back to life!
"How do I choose a class?"
[The system can show you a list to choose from. Would you like to see it?]
"Yes! Show me their descriptions as well."
[The system's list only has 4 classes: Necromancer, Sorcerer, Spartan, and Berserker.]
[Necromancer: A magician that specializes in the practice of dark magic. It also involves communicating with the dead – either by summoning their spirits or by raising their corpses. This class allows you to summon, or tame, more entities as you grow. It's a rare and powerful class, but it is also despised and shunned by all. Certain side effects may also be observed over a long period of time.]
[Sorcerer: A magician that uses knowledge to further the concepts of magic. In the magical realm, they are jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. It's an uncommon class, and they are well-educated scholars that are viewed favorably wherever they go.]
[Spartan: A warrior class that excels in the military field. They are able to master all weapons and have a keen sense of fighting tactics. Their body strength is second to none, while also possessing unparalleled agility. They are common throughout the general populace, but the mastery shown is very low.]
[Berserker: A tank-type class that specializes in unrestrained brute strength. Its might is incomparable, and its vitality, frightening. The backlash of such a class is that their inhuman bloodlust makes them lose all rationality for a short period of time. Berserkers are usually used as trump cards to turn the tides during wars. It's a rare, but terrifying class.]
After reading thoroughly, Derrick pondered. Right now, he was in an unfamiliar environment, devoid of anything but rocks and soil.
This decision would have to rely on a process of elimination, and so he began.
Naturally, the first class he got rid of was the Spartan one, since he was dead in the water without weapons. Next came the Sorcerer's, but not completely. Sure, he didn't have immediate access to books nor knowledge, but it was still a viable option, especially with the remaining choices.
"Berserker, uh…"
Despite its rough appeal, this was a quick no-go, especially with the side effect mentioned. Losing his head in a place unknown to him, he thought, was a death sentence no matter how he sliced it.
And so, his last two options became clear: Sorcery or Necromancy.
Both had their drawbacks, but both were in the same category. It would have to come down to the more useful one.
"Sorcery's obviously better, but since I'd start from scratch, I'd have to gamble on stumbling upon a spell, or whatever they're called… Necromancy, on the other hand, would allow me to see if there are spirits near me. Maybe even some that could lead me to the exit..."
He fought between the two for a while, but there was a clear gap, at least in his mind and for the situation he was currently in.
"It seems like being a loner is just unavoidable in my case..."
A slight, but serene smile formed on his face. He'd be viewed as a heretic of the dark arts, but he didn't care.
Ultimately, his only goal was to make those creatures pay while enjoying his new life to the fullest.
Actually, no... Making them pay would achieve nothing. Would it feel good? Yes. But really, where did they come from? Why had his village, which had never seen monsters before, suddenly get attacked?
He had to look for the true culprit, the one behind all that carnage and suffering: their progenitor.
He had virtually nothing to go on, but he'd stop at nothing to kill the responsible with his bare hands. This was his promise, and one that was accompanied by a vow to never feel powerless again.
The determination in his eyes grew fiercer, and within was born an unquenchable thirst for power.
"System, I want to be a Necromancer!"