~JST POV~

  Peering through the canopy I strained my eyes to catch a good glimpse of the majesty of the gigantic tree. In the process I waved away my annoying blinking notifications before sighing and activating all of them.

  Before checking my new skills that generated somehow I used up my 85 Stat Points. 55 went into STR and 30 went into END. Thirty dead Geckans and only one level, it was something to dwell on. Of course I didn't really participate but still I wonder how exactly leveling up works in Twoen. Maybe the leveling is just getting progressively harder?

  Opening up my skills I ignored Hyperfocus and Breathing as Hyperfocus just increased my muscle responsivness and slows my perception of time when I want while Breathing just lowers my stamina consumption. That was probably generated because of the special breathing technique i've grown accustomed to using when in combat for long periods of time. But what was Combat Savant?

  Holy moly jesus christ fucking fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

  This skill was born from my other skills? Skill could be assimiliated into a type of umbrella skill? It seems I had enough skills in the combat field and high enough level in all of them for them to combine into this Combat Savant skill. But 2.2x multiplier? I didn't have to do anything especially extrenuating since the escape so it's hard to say but I would probably be able to lift Jennifur since I added points into STR earlier. That 55 just became 110. I could probably fight close to forever since I have that Breathing technique as well.

  "Damn if only this tree wasn't in the way the canopy would be clear!" I said in mock complaint, walking to a tree. "Right bros?" I said over my shoulder, hands on my hips.

  Jones looked down from the tree. "If you just climb it you could probably get a better view."

  "I can help you up." Cobb said.

  "What was that? Oh you want me to move it? OK!" I bent down and pulled, hard. Slowly the tree became uprooted with a deep ripping sound, Jones yelled some startling profanities as he absorbed his fall with a roll.

  "WHAT THE HELL DERJAR!" Cobb yelled, his jaw was perilously close to the floor. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST."

  "OH! Sorry you still can't see huh?" I threw the whole fucking tree 10 meters off to the side. It landed with a crash, a rustling of leaves and snapping of branches.

  Cobb and Jones both followed the tree with their heads and their jaws might've caught a fly or two. Cobb's eye twitched.

  "Damn, now that is a tree." Their eyes followed mine and before long we were staring at the wonder in front of us. The huge Geckan tree lair was magnificent.

  While they were distracted I took some time to look at the rest of my skill. Combat Savant was definitely something i'd be using but I think its effects are passive anyway unless I activated it unknowingly. The next skill I looked at was Overdrive.

  Well that explains why I was so tired when I returned to the sandcastle earlier. Thinking back to when I assaulted the Qrabiles I didn't realize it but I was indeed going all out. That probably explains why the tower shield broke actually. I was feeling slightly exhausted afterwards as well and when I entered the trapdoor I didn't stick the landing as well as I probably should have. At the time I overlooked it but it was this skill that generated for me instead. Actually I kinda feel tired right now? Wait I did just rip a tree right out of the ground. Silly me.

  I looked at Warrior Bond next.

  Well, that was probably because of playing with my brothers. I'm usually the most adaptable one when it comes to our formation, following up on Cobb's plans or timing certain manuevers with Jones. It makes sense that I developed the skill and feeling for when they're up to something. The fact that a skill exists where it aids something that i'm already reliant upon is increasingly helpful.

  "Checking your skills? Did you get your class yet?" Jones asked bittersweetly.

  "If you have 5 skills minus your racial one you should've got a notice." Cobb added.

  In the corner of my vision there was a new prompt waiting to be opened. It wasn't there before which means that it was waiting for me to inspect the rest of my skills before notifying me. Intriguing.

  .

  What the fuck is this? Survivalist and Hunter? I'm not some nature loving treehugger fuck that.

  Crossing those off I was left with four choices. I looked at them in greater detail.

  I thought about the situations i'm most likely to get into while playing this game. Frankly there doesn't seem to be any situatons where single combat really happened. Duelist seemed like a cool class but in reality it's not very realistic unless I planned to join player tournaments for money and i'm not interested in that. For those reasons Duelist didn't make it into my consideration. Barbarian had an interesting mechanic with emotion but there was crucial problem to the effect besides the inherent unreliablity and unpredictableness of emotion. I've seen too much. The problem was i've seen too much in my years of gaming and I don't see myself getting surprised by anything to the point where any intense emotions arise. Upon introspection I realize I get mad over random crap. I got mad over a tophat for gods sake. I still fucking am. How am I supposed to know if I look better in a tophat if Cobb fucking killed Jeff? I let out a sigh and thought on the Gladiator Class. The kind of shit I get involved with because of my brothers leads to a lot of big battles. It probably makes the most sense for me to choose it since it deals with hordes of people and challenges. Of course the Blademaster looked interesting for a while until I read the description. If thats what a Blademaster why do I need a Class for it when i'm already like that. In the end I chose the Gladiator Class since I tend to get into the thick of things thanks to Cobb and Jones. I remember this one... ahh nevermind that was embarrassing. Some memories should be stashed away forever.

  I'm not exactly what changed after I read the prompt for The Arena but I was now inimately aware of everything with a meter of me. It was unsettling yet empowering all the same. Maybe Cobb feels the same way through his magic? I can see the appeal. Aside from that i'm pretty sure im broken now. I just gained 90 STR and END after the bonuses applied to every level after 15. Ok, not that big a deal BUT then you realize Combat Savant doubles that and now I just gained 198 of each after applying the 2.2x multiplier. This is crazy. I looked at a nearby tree almost twice the size of the tree that I ripped from Jones feet and that's saying something. I figured that this forest suffered enough by my hand for the day and mercifully forced down the temptation. I wondered how much stronger the roots of that tree were than the one I killed, uh I mean uprooted, earlier. After a while I realized I could sense some thin roots settled into the ground a meter down. I guess that's the benefit from being in my Arena.

  The benefits were amazing. If I could increase the radius I would be unstoppable so long as I lasted. With Combat Savant doubling my already high END I don't think anything I'd enounter for a while would warrant all my stamina. Add to that Breathing and the depths of my stamina may never be tested. Even if someone could last as long as I could I doubt they could match my skill, meaning although they might have the energy it would be misdirected and inefficent, allowing me to dispatch them easily. Even knowing my own strengths it only takes a glance across the clearing to my two brothers to realize there are a lot of ways to kill people. It never helps to be cocky.

  I opened another blinking prompt.

  Fucking Jennfifur why'd you have to go and have balls.

  My mind flashed to Jennifur's junk swaying in the wind as he swiped and mangled the air where I had just been, my hair had been flying around but it didn't detract from the sight. It was when I first acknowledged a worthy opponent. It had nothing to do with his penis or his testicles I don't discriminate.

  "Fucker, had some balls to go and have balls." I mumbled. A single tear rolled down my face.

  "Are you crying dude?" Cobb asked. Not only was I crying but I was now painfully aware of my brothers balls.

  "N-no it's a new skill. I-it came with my class." I lied unconvincingly.

  "They have a crybaby class?" Jones mocked. "What you get a sadness stat?" He puffed out his lower lip and wiped fake tears away. I noticed my brothers dick.

  "Fuck off you weiners." I said regaining composure.

  Oh god no why did I say that. Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

  "Did you really just call us weiners." Cobb said but it sounded more like a statement. He was on to me.

  My brother's such a dick. SHIT, I mean he's a bitch. Yeah, yeah a bitch. Female dogs don't have dicks. Phew.

  "Are you really making fun of me? You do remember that I just ripped that fucking tree out of the ground, right?" I pointed 10 meters to the side, keeping my face completely neutral. It betrayed my inner turmoil. For some reason the errant thought of ripping a dick off of someone crossed my mind. I weeped inwardly.

  They hesitated and stopped the questions. My single tear finally rolled off my face.