The two items appeared in my hands. The tooth of the devourer, and the black cloak that I had been wearing.

My fingers tingled as suddenly my stomach growled. Light covered both of the items as they slowly sunk into my skin. Pitch black shadows from the cloak, and a deep red from the tooth, flowed up my arms.

Then the pain hit, and I screamed. Everything inside me felt like it was being torn apart. My heart pounded and I couldn't breathe. Then my heart stopped, and I couldn't see anything as the white room vanished.

Notifications scrolled by as the pain became all-consuming.

[You have consumed Devourer Tooth and Cloak of Shadows into your class.]

[You have consumed the title: Tenacious into your class.]

[You have consumed Fearful Aura, Stealthy Camouflage, and Free Spirit into your class.]

[You have created your own class: Achievement Unlocked: Consuming Creator. You gain a minor boost to consuming skills, titles, and achievements.]

[You have created the class: Shadowstalker. A class of your creation. You don't just devour, you consume. When you consume you gain one of the following: stats, skills, experience or insights. You are a being of fear, stealth, and hunger, who stalks its prey with patience. +10 to QUICK, FLEX, FORT, INT +5 Free.]

[Skill Evolved: Adaptive Body - II to Fortified Adaptation: Your body is a marvel of adaptive resilience. Minor Water and rest are all that you require. Consumption fuels rejuvenation. Minor poisons and venoms are neutralized. When threatened, your flesh hardens, forming natural armor against incoming attacks.

[New Skill Gained: Relentless Pursuit - II: Once you have a target, prey or predator, in sight, you will track it for as long as needed. Increased ability to track any being, increased damage to any stealth attack.]

[New Skill Gained: Shadow Walking: While in the shadows you disappear completely. Light reduces this effect.]

Then the pain stopped, or I became numb enough that I couldn't feel it. The white room appeared around me again as I opened my eyes.

[Synergy and overlap detected: Insight - III and Augmented Senses - II. Merge recommended to receive Rank Up bonuses.]

"Bonus?" I asked.

[You have merged Insight - III and Augmented Senses - II. Perceptive Awareness: Your augmented senses grant you awareness. All five senses have been expanded, and a sixth added: Aura awareness. Furthermore, you can analyze creatures, objects, or crystals to glean basic information and uncover their skills with greater ease.]

That wasn't what I'd wanted to do at all. It wasn't like I could undo it, though, so I'd figure out how to make the best of it. I also decided to just shut up for the moment to center myself.

[You have completed Class Selection. For ranking up, you have earned a small inventory space that will link with any inventory devices you equip.]

[You have earned a title - The First: You are the first person from your planet to reach level 50. Others from your planet will be made aware of this fact.]

I found myself back in the cavern, right where I'd started. I hadn't moved at all.

"What just happened?" My voice echoed in the pitch-black cavern that I could still see in greyscale. I opened my stat sheet.

Name: Alex

Level: 50

Race: Human

Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

Class: Shadowstalker, level 50

Profession: Crystal Singer, level 31

Stats:

STR: 159(206)

QUICK: 213(245)

FLEX: 184(232)

TOUGH: 173(213)

INT: 182(218)

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

FORT: 192(232)

WILL: 192(228)

CHA: 131(161)

FREE: 0

Monstrosity: 6%

Titles & Achievements:

Jack-of-all-Trades

Lucky Stars

Slayer

Songweaver

Citizen

Ahead of the Curve

The First

Skill: 8/10

Fortified Adaptation

Crystal Singing and Attunement - II

Perceptive Awareness

Relentless Pursuit - II

Shadow Walking

Blades and Polearms - II

Venomous Chomp - II

Tensile Claw Strike

Skills Categories: Condensed

"Shadowstalker?" I opened my notifications again, reading over the class and trying to understand why just so much changed. Lenna warned me that you became more when you Ranked Up. That was an understatement. This was class selection to the max. Everything I did gave me options and choices to become something new.

It made sense now. Noseen's remarks about my skills, and Lenna telling me to know who I was before ranking up. At least I'd progressed in my skills beforehand, though I still wasn't as sure about myself as I probably should be.

Some of my skills had completely changed and evolved, while others were left behind, which made sense since they didn't fit the class the same way.

[Congratulations! Alex the First, you are the first human to reach level 50. Grow, prosper, and journey to greatness.]

The notification suddenly took over my entire screen and forced me to read it before I could close it.

"That was strange."

Shaking my head, I stood up and stretched before turning toward my two options. Either I could leave or head deeper into the dungeon. With a sigh, I headed toward the archway, each of my footsteps silent.

I'd need to test out my new skills later. My father was already going to be peeved I'd come back in before he was out.

[Do you want to exit the dungeon?]

"Yes, but I can return here to travel deeper, correct?"

[If you exit, you can return to start The Spiral, recommended level 60.]

I stepped through the dark archway and found myself in the tunnel leading to the main cavern. Notifications pinged one after another repeatedly. The same message, over and over.

[Your territory is under attack.]

***

I fired several shots, taking out a bunch of beetles. However, I had to manage my energy levels just like everyone else in this fight. The shuttle roared overhead, releasing a burst of fire that chewed up the jungle and decimated the beetle population.

John's levels had skyrocketed. It was too bad he didn't get that flight to the north done before he'd killed a Greater Lugger. Then again, between him and Hammy we were keeping the numbers down.

Nothing moved within sight from the tower, and I waved the green flag. An answering green flag came from the other tower. I swung my rifle over my shoulder and then crawled down the wooden ladder.

The entire tower was made of logs, along with its sister across the way. Hammy stood in that one with a massive gun connected to the top. They were still trying to figure out how to have someone else be able to fire that gun so Hammy could take to the ground in his suit.

John should fly back to the settlement, and I'd head that way as well. The next shift should be taking my place, and John needed to rest.

Mary, Cass, and Denver could take care of things from here.

Denver waited at the bottom of the tower, along with Cass. Mary would work from the ground. A line made of sand crossed the battlefield. The rule was that Melee fighters should not get closer to the gap than that. Otherwise, Hammy or John might hit someone with friendly fire.

Anything that reached that line was fair game for those on the ground.

Sometimes it was boring work, other times not so much.

Still, everyone had grown from it.

I used Insight on Denver, then Cass.

[Denver, Marksman, Level 38, Threat Level: Low.]

[Cass, Hunter, Level 32, Threat Level: Low.]

The beetles ranged in level from 23 all the way up to 35. We'd seen one at level 40, but that had been a one-off as far as we could tell.

"Everything good?" asked Denver.

"Just cleaned up a burst, should be clear for a bit."

"Roger, up we go." Denver climbed up the ladder, followed by Cass.

I stayed at the ground level until they reached the top.

"Any sign of Alex?" asked Mary, staring ahead at the churned-up ground. "This is nothing to her."

"Not yet. Abby said she sent a few messages, but it must not work in the dungeon."

If Alex showed up, this would be a lot easier. Not to mention if Sang, Maggie, Jas, Doc, and Jimmy finished the dungeon as well. At least three of them would be good fighters on this field.

Doc and his explosives were tempting, but untested. Though, he appeared to be more stable than ever, a fact for which I was profoundly grateful.

That left Randy, Matt, David, and Len to do a trip in the dungeon. I was pretty sure I'd need to ask Hammy to go with them, to make sure Randy didn't do anything dumb. He'd finally learned a profession and helped with Hammy and John in the workshop. His fear held him back on the battlefield. I didn't want to have to send him out here if I didn't need to.

Builders were just as important as soldiers. Or, so I kept reminding myself.

I hiked back down the trail to the settled area of Lakeside Landing. Several traps dotted the forest, but we all knew where they were. Lenna and Dengu wandered this area, picking off any beetles that the traps didn't catch. The bugs were too low level for them to get much of anything for it, but they served as an important backstop. While most everyone in Lakeside Landing could take a level 23 at this point, those level 35 suckers would be a challenge for most of them. As I jogged, the fence came into view, along with the gap manned by Len.

A tall tower now stood behind the fence, with Matt on top. He held a pair of binoculars and three different colored flags. From his position, he could see the tower that Denver now manned. Red meant get John up in the air, ASAP.

The shuttle had already landed and John was inside the workshop with Randy. They were both frantically manufacturing parts to create drones.

"Hellion!"

I turned to face Abby as she waved at me from the campfire. Everyone in the area paused as the notification blocked our screens. It felt like time froze just for a second, then the words vanished.

[Congratulations! Alex the First is the first human to reach level 50. Your race is now fully adopted into the System. Grow, prosper, and journey to greatness.]

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