We waited for Vice Commander June to arrive.
She wore the same uniform as us, though hers looked sharper, more refined.
In one hand, she carried a sleek black suitcase, and her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun. Despite jumping out of a plane minutes ago, she looked as composed as ever.
She approached us with a small smile.
"Hello, everyone. I hope things are going well for you."
I returned her smile and answered.
"Yes, Commander. Things have been great. Actually, I was getting a little bored the past couple of days, but it looks like things will get interesting again tomorrow."
June raised an eyebrow, then glanced at North before shifting her gaze back to me.
"Oh? I thought with North around, things would already be interesting. But I suppose you were still bored?"
I blinked.
'Damn.'
Out of the corner of my eye, I stole a glance at North.
Her expression was unreadable, no reaction at all.
June chuckled, clearly amused, and moved on.
"Alright, that aside. I'm here to help you select your system skills, and since you three are at the top of the rankings, we'll begin with you."
She placed the black suitcase on the ground, clicked it open, and pulled out a sleek, black tablet.
It was different from anything I had seen before, thin but emanating a faint pulse of energy, like it was alive in some way.
June continued.
"I'm sure you've all heard about the importance of skills, especially when selecting your class. The skills you choose and how you develop them will play a role in the kind of class options you receive. Of course, your stat distribution also affects this."
We nodded.
That was something drilled into us back at the academy. The system evaluated everything, how we fought, what we excelled at, and even our natural tendencies before offering us a class.
June continued.
"There are two types of skills. The first are skills you acquire on your own—either by obtaining a skill core or by training in a technique until the system acknowledges it. The second are class skills, which are given by the system once you acquire or evolve your class.
But remember, every skill starts at level 1. To improve it, you'll have to put in the effort.
You can evolve your skills in two ways : either by using a gold skill core or by developing a unique variation of the skill yourself.
If the system recognizes your innovation, it will evolve the skill naturally.
Additionally, you can fuse skills. If you combine two or more compatible skills and use them together consistently, the system may register them as a new ability. Alternatively, you can fuse skills when evolving your class."
She paused for a moment before adding.
"Your first class evolution happens at level 50. Your second evolution both for class and race happens at level 100.
Any questions?"
I wasted no time voicing the question that had been nagging at the back of my mind.
"How long does it usually take for the system to acknowledge a skill we develop on our own?"
June nodded, already expecting that kind of question.
"It depends. The simpler the skill, the longer it takes for the system to recognize it.
For example, you can't just keep swinging your sword and expect the system to register it as a skill.
But if you integrate those slashes with proper footwork, leverage your stats, or apply some unique technique, the system is more likely to acknowledge it sooner."
That made sense, though it also meant I couldn't just brute-force my way into getting recognized skills.
I followed up with another question.
"Do skill levels have a cap before they require evolution?"
June chuckled lightly.
"Already thinking of evolving skills, huh? Well, different skills have different level caps. But once you hit the limit, the skill will display 'MAX' in your profile, meaning it won't grow further unless evolved."
I nodded.
That meant I couldn't just keep grinding a skill forever, at some point, I'd have to push it to the next stage.
"How different does a skill need to be for the system to recognize an evolution?"
June tilted her head slightly as if considering how to phrase her response.
"A skill needs to advance to the next tier of complexity. Let's take an archery skill as an example.
Say you have Power Shot, which lets you fire an arrow with increased force.
If you simply shoot stronger arrows or increase the speed, that's just improving the skill, not evolving it.
But if you refine it into something like Explosive Shot where the impact creates a concussive blast, that would be considered an evolution. The skill needs to gain a new, distinct property beyond just being a stronger version of itself."
I absorbed that information, already thinking of ways I could push my own skills past their limits.
Steve leaned forward slightly, his curiosity clear.
"You mentioned race evolution. Do we get multiple options, or is there only one choice?"
June nodded.
"You'll have multiple options. Your base race will remain human, but depending on your achievements, stats, and combat style, you'll get different evolution paths.
Some might enhance your physical abilities, others might boost your affinity with certain elements or even grant special traits. It all depends on how you've developed by the time you hit level 100."
That was interesting. I made a mental note to ask more about race evolutions later, but for now, no one else seemed to have questions.
June clapped her hands.
"Alright, since we're done with questions, let's get started.
Billion, you're up first. Place your hand on the tablet. Once your system verifies you, it'll generate skill options for you.
The commander personally selected a few high-level skills for you, but remember they all start at level 1. It's up to you to train and evolve them."
I nodded and stepped forward.
June tapped a few buttons on the tablet, and a circular glyph lit up on its surface. I placed my hand on it.
The moment I did, a faint tingling spread through my palm as if something were scanning me. A second later, system messages flashed before my eyes.
[Generating Skill list….]
[Choose one skill from the list below]
Attack Skills :
- Titan's Grip – Increases grip strength and allows for bone-crushing holds.
- Internal Burst – Strikes cause internal damage, ignoring a portion of defense.
- Brutal Rend – A claw-like tearing strike that can break armor or flesh.
- Seismic Fist– A charged punch that releases all stored force on impact.
- Crater Smash – A downward slam that creates a shockwave upon landing.
Defense Skills :
- Ironhide – Temporarily hardens muscles, reducing incoming damage.
- Steel Guard – Reduces stagger and knockback from enemy attacks.
- Pain Conversion – A portion of damage taken is converted into temporary attack power.
- Big Stance – Enhances resistance to all types of impact damage.
- Enhanced Core – Increases passive endurance, reducing fatigue buildup.
Movement Skills :
- Bulldozer Charge – A full-force sprint that knocks aside anything in the way.
- Blink Step – A quick burst movement that allows rapid repositioning.
- Rebound Leap – Uses the force of an impact to launch in another direction.
- Momentum Shift – Instantly reverses direction mid-motion without losing speed.
- Charged Leap – A powerful jump that can be used to attack from above.
Support Skills :
- Adrenaline Surge – Briefly ignores pain and exhaustion, allowing continued combat.
- Battle Trance – Enter a heightened state of focus, improving reaction speed.
- Second Wind – Restores a burst of stamina when dropping below a health threshold.
- War Cry – A roar that boosts allies' morale and slightly weakens enemies.
- Crimson Recovery – Heals slightly with every successful attack landed.
I raised an eyebrow as I scanned the list of skills. They were all solid choices, perfectly suited for my fighting style.
I could already imagine what was going through Arkas's head when he picked them, he probably assumed I was aiming for a Berserker or some kind of high-warrior class.
I focused only on the attack skills, completely ignoring the other three categories.
I already had two support skills, and for now, I wasn't too concerned with defense or movement. That left me with pure offense.
Titan's Grip was the first to go, I wasn't the grappling type. I preferred smashing and explosive power over holds.
Next, I eliminated Brutal Rend. Claw-based attacks weren't my thing; I fought with my fists.
Crater Smash was tempting, but it seemed better suited for axe kicks, and I wasn't focusing on kicks right now.
That left me with two options: Internal Burst and Seismic Fist.
Now, I just had to decide which one fit me best.