“You just stumbled here? Do you expect me to believe that human?” The one-eyed stag asked. The mystical creature peered into Rue. Snout tapping against his hair. Its breath sent a chill down onto him. He had expected this situation with a tiger or lion. Certainly not a luminescent white stag.

  “I’m not lying,” Rue gulped. The shallow pool lapped around his feet, the stag paced around him, circling, tapping in and out of the water with its six legs, making incessant sloshing.

  The stag's body was cold, wrapping Rue’s bone in icy tendrils. Astral's white fur reminded him of snow back in his hometown before the system came. Just five days passed, and now he found himself in this strange cave with countless cracks where light escaped, dappling toward the pool in moonlight color.

  The stag likely caused this unnatural mist surrounding him. Moonlight seeped into the fog, which shone softly in a glowing white that swayed like a dancer around them. It touched the shadow where there was no crack above, briefly transforming from its white color into a dark swirl of void.

  “The system came to me. To everyone. Then we’re transported”

  “That is normal enough,” The creature said.

  It is?

  “What concerns me is how you just casually found your way here. Perhaps it’s possible, but the chance for this to happen is quite… abysmal. Tell me how many live in your world?”

  How many? Rue never bothered to look it up. “Maybe seven billion?”

  The Stag stopped its pacing. Then stared straight into Rue's soul with its single red eye.

  “Seven billion,” it murmured. “Then perhaps one or two will find their ways eventually,” The stag sighed. “I was hoping for a couple of days of quiet, perhaps a brief retirement even.”

  “Do you know something about...” Rue tried to find the word. But, there’s too much. “Everything?” He decided to settle with it.

  “What level are you?” The stag asked a question instead of answering his.

  “Uh,” He looked at the blaring word that kept following his vision for the last five days, which appeared when he willed it. “It says I’m level one.”

  “Level one, this is too convenient…” It grumbled.

  “May I ask why stag?”

  “I have a name.” It raised its hind leg as if insulted. “You can call me Cel.” Cel rested all of its legs down, bending them, submerging its body in the water. – No, He? He let out a relaxed posture, stretching his neck and spinning it around.

  Rue guessed the creature now did not recognize him as a threat. Not that he can do anything to Cel.

  He sat down, the water pooled around his waist, nice and cool – most of all, it's peaceful, as strange as it sounded. “This is a rather depressing place for retirement, isn't it?” Rue looked around as he tried his luck to stroke a conversation. He cannot leave, not until those things are gone…

  “You think so? I think it is quite beautiful.”

  Rue could see the beauty. The cavern is huge, water taking most of it, with just enough light to shimmer down on them. He wondered what it would look like when it’s raining, when countless waterfalls busied this place of stillness from the fracture above. A brief piece of ground positioned the corner of the cave. Just big enough for Cel to sleep. If one is satisfied with being alone, then this place could be a paradise.

  “It is, but there’s nothing here.”

  “What more do I need, human? We, Caleus, are not exactly social creatures. Others would challenge me to death for this cave.”

  “Is that why you’re here?”

  “Partly.” Then Cel raised his head, his silver gleaming antlers rose, drawing Rue's attention. “That is most of the reason. I hate talking.”

  Yes, that much is obvious.

  “The system. What is it?”

  “It’s the way of the world. That’s the best answer I could give. The system will consume every world that is still untouched, as happened to yours. It adapted as countless deaths happened in the past, and created a tutorial where you are now. You’re one of the lucky ones. In the past, most would be just confused as they are thrown into an unfamiliar and... unkind world.” The word Unkind left the stag's mouth full of hesitation.

  “Consume?”

  “Yes, your world no longer exists. The way you know it, at least.”

  “Oh,” Hollow echoed inside of Rue.

  “I’m not detecting any sense of loss from you”.

  “Nothing there for me.”

  “A detachment to your own world and still level one no less…” Cel said. “I think you're the perfect choice”

  (Bearer of Frost. Cel the Caleus has offered you his Power.)

  (Progression of The Permafrost)

  (Upgrade Class. (Mage) to (Frost Mage))

  (Should you accept, your progression will turn away from the normal path offered by the System. Your progression will follow the Bearer of Frost path to power. You will access a special quest related to Cel the Caleus life, reward will be shaped accordingly.)

  (Accept / Decline)

  The word materialized before his eyes in an almost ghostly way, becoming clear as he tried to read it.

  “You’re offering your power to me?”

  “Yes. Should you accept, you will disregard what the system intended for you. Instead, you will slowly gain my power. That if you survived”

  “Is this related to why I’m convenient?”

  “Normally,” Cel began. “It’s too early to offer class progression this early in the tutorial. It should’ve happened around the third stage I think. But, the System has sent you here. Well, or this might be just a mere coincidence. And your lucky day”

  “Me? Lucky?” Rue muttered under his breath, the prompt hanging in his vision. Hesitation gripped deep inside of him.

  He did not know Cel’s power, so this is hard to accept. The creature does intimidate him, but so do the goblins who chased him all the way here. And what is this Bearer of Frost about? That sounds grand and important. But, more importantly…

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “This is so I could pass on”

  “Pass on?”

  “It means to die and proceed with my rebirth.”

  “And why would you want that?” Rue asked, to Cel's obvious annoyance. The stag furrowed his brow above his one eye.

  “I have accomplished everything I want,” The creature said and stood up, towering over him. His brilliant white fur made Rue think it would fit a wolf more. The constant cold those fur emitted seemed to defeat the very purpose of having one.

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  It must be linked to his power.

  “Which is not many,” Cel continued. “Now, I’m looking forward to my next life.”

  A cackle broke his attention. Rue recognized the sounds that he had been hearing for the last three days. The image of a head rolling slowly, then falling off a bridge still fresh in his mind. He stood, backing himself up from the Goblin. The green, ugly creature sneered as five of them sauntered in.

  “I see. This is why you somehow found me.” Cel turned toward them. “Very well, it's better if you see a fraction of my power.”

  The goblin charged, jumping into the pool with childlike glee. Their tongue whipped like a snake, and each of them carried a rusted weapon that made them crueler as they could not cut cleanly.

  “Filthy,” Cel said. In a heartbeat, the cold force of nature wisped forward. Rue could feel the wind creep toward the Goblins. Around them, the pool froze, trapping them with their upper body flailing upward. Fear crept into their eyes, their mouths gaped open, now just registering the danger in front of them.

  A chuckle escaped Rue, the creature that had given him so much trouble, killed so many, and delivered horror he would carry for the rest of his life. Taken care of just like that. “That's it?” Rue asked no one.

  “You've been troubled by them? A mere Goblin,” Cel asked, but it comes off as a statement. One full of judgment. The stag eyed him with those red eyes. Rue wondered if he was looking down at him, the mere thought angered him; he had just been transported into a forest full of those who were in the same condition as him. They did not get a chance to catch their breath as Goblins swarmed them. Rue could still taste the terror, the smell of blood.

  “We’re attacked the moment everything started,” Rue said, offering a reason. He stopped himself as the question of why he would need to justify running.

  Anyone sane would run.

  “Perhaps you need to prove yourself first… I might want to move on to my next life. But I prefer that my power not fall into someone spineless.”

  “Spineless? I did not know anything! We just got attacked out of nowhere!”

  “The system provides you with basic information, is it not? Is that not enough?”

  Suddenly, Cel seemed larger. He towered over Rue with a cold that felt distant.

  Then the ice cracked, letting the Goblins go. They fell into the pool, crunching the ice with their body. The Goblins looked at each other, and an unspoken conversation happened; then they ran toward the cavern exit.

  “Are you letting them go?”

  “No, I’m having you hunt them. This is a quest for my power”.

  (Quest Issued!)

  (The Bearer of Frost has issued a quest for you.)

  (Quest: Trial of Frost)

  (Slay Goblins group that has been terrorizing this area. 12/100)

  (Reward: Class upgrade from (Mage) to (Frost Apprentice) upon taking on the quest)

  (Reward: Class upgrade from (Frost Apprentice) to (Frost Class Option) upon completion of the quest)

  (Reward: Progression of The Permafrost)

  (Accept/Decline)

  “I see you lowballing me,” Rue sighed, not bothering to hide his disappointment. He blinked. It actually surprised him how much he wanted this power offered to him now. Before, all in his mind was surviving.

  “Do understand. I don't want it to fall into someone who ended up not using it.”

  “I will accept this. But, tell me why do you want to die? The truth”

  Cel watched Rue with obvious intensity. And now he is sure the stag has been lying. Wanting to die because you have achieved everything? He would want to keep living once he does that.

  “By letting my power go toward a human. And only one of them. The system gave me a choice for my rebirth,” Cel said. He dipped his head up. His silver antlers half-submerged into the white light of the moon, small bubbles of white light swirled around them, slowly falling into the shadow and disappearing.

  Rue waited. The sight of the mystical stag almost told him a hundred stories about him. Cel's next word confirmed it.

  “I want to be reborn as a human,” Cel said, two of his legs tapping up and down, splashing water around.

  Is he embarrassed?

  Rue's mouth quirked into a wry smile. Cel is the opposite of him in a way. “They don’t have an elf as an option?”

  “I believe,” Cel started, tipping his head further up, his antlers now glowing with the moon. Sparkles of white firelight danced around them. “Having a small amount of time will make you see things differently. How has yours been?”

  “I already told you. There was nothing for me back then.” Rue looked away. It's not right to share his life story with Cel when he's trying to become human.

  “Then does my reason satisfy you?”

  “It does. And I will gladly accept your quest.”

  Name: Rue.

  Level: 1.

  Race: Human.

  Class: Frost Apprentice LVL 1.

  Magic Vein (Wood): 12%

  HP: 89/100

  Mana: 23/30 → 53/60

  Strength: 5

  Vitality: 5

  Dexterity: 6

  Arcana: 10 → 15

  Mind: 10 → 15

  Perception: 8

  -Skill (1/10)-

  - Fireball (Common).

  -Passive Skill (1/10)-

  -Cold Resistance (Uncommon).

  Frost Apprentice - The Bearer of Frost has offered you his path to power. But, you need to prove yourself worthy. This is merely a zero step before you take one into the Path of Permafrost. Frost Apprentice Class granted Cold Resistance, Mind + 5, Arcana +5.

  Cold Resistance (Uncommon) - Cold is anything but deadly to an ice mage; it's only natural for the mage's body to embrace it instead of fearing it. Grant resistance to cold.

  (Skill Option Gained)

  Select one skill to proceed.

  Frost Arrow (Common) – Sometimes, a normal arrow is not strong enough. Summon an ice arrow imbued with the frost property. Deal decisive damage with a slow effect on your enemy.

  Sword of Frost (Common) – Reliability often means life and death. What is more reliable than a sword in your hand? Summon an ice sword imbued with the frost property. Each deep damage you deal will deliver a slow effect on your enemy.

  Frost Skin (Uncommon) – Ultimate defense is neither a shield nor armor, but your own body. Cover your body with skin of ice. It can also be used offensively.

  Frost Shield (Common) – Defense is the essence of combat. Why risk your body when you can use a shield? Summon an ice shield.

  Rue weighed his options. He has gone through this once before and settled with the fireball. He should choose a defensive skill for now. His eyes naturally fell on Frost Skin; it just sounds better than the shield, which frankly is not exciting at all.

  “Choose your skill wisely. Early on is a chance to shape your class. This option you have now will affect your future progression,” Cel said.

  “I still can change classes?”

  “Of course, especially with the frost class option I offered. The skill offered to you will be based on your class. But, the system will, in time, offer you an option that is slightly meandered from the traditional class skill. Keep taking it, and you will eventually change your class - granted, taking them will mean taking on weaker skills that will not benefit from your class's natural proficiency. Tell me, what kind of future do you envision?”

  —

  The canopy of leaves rustled in tonight's strong wind. The forest whispered as Rue left the safety of the cave, as if they were judging him. Cool wind, different from the chilling one of Cel’s enveloped him. His blue mage robe swirled, thumping against him.

  His heart quickened at the slight movement beyond the dense trees. Foliage of grass swayed, betraying the Goblins hiding inside it. He made his decision.

  Rue was thinking. It was never his strong suit, really, but he did anyway. His life is boring, quite untheatrically so. Born as an orphan, he reached eighteen and got a job. His job was an especially boring one, not worth even saying what it is, to which he is very grateful. If he could choose to save one person from his previous life, that person would be his boss.

  “I live a good life,” Rue thought out loud. It crossed his mind that he talked like he had died and been reborn in this place. But, that pretty much the case isn’t it? Everything he knew has gone. The system has offered him a clear line of progression. He was sure this was not merely about strength; there was much more, something beyond him, more to discover, more to yearn for.

  Inside him is a pulse that quickened every time he looked forward to the future. And that is strange, he never felt this way before. But meeting Cel and knowing what he yearned for made him want to give it a shot. A shot at the future.

  Does limited time make life more precious? Rue disagreed with that. He wouldn’t say he wasted his life. A life of isolation is still a life worth living. But, Rue wanted to give a different one a try..

  Rue extended his hand toward the rustling foliage. A pinprick of fire manifested in front of his palm. The flicker then blossomed into a fireball as big as his own head. He let it fly, zooming straight toward his target.

  Flame whisked.

  Rue briefly heard a goblin's cries before they died down. Flame engulfed the grasses, spreading toward the towering trunk. Smoke wheezed beyond. A darkened, ashen goblin screamed as fire ate away at its body. Two of them tried to rub themself by rolling but to no avail.

  (You Have Slain Goblin. Lvl 1)

  (You Have Slain Goblin. Lvl 1)

  Cel is right. Why is he scared of them? If everyone at the respawn point fights together, that horror will never happen. Rue tightened his palm, whisk of ember jumped up.

  This new world forces you to be brave. At least the tutorial does.

  Three goblins jumped from the darkness of the forest. They charged across the clearing, separating them from Rue. Their rusted weapons are high on their arms. Fear blazed in their eyes, and the sight sent an exhilaration jumping inside of Rue.

  One of them reached him first, swinging a short dagger in a downward arc. Rue stepped back, letting the dagger hit nothing.

  He drew his right arm back. Cold materialized above his palm, it hardened and extended into a solid sword made of ice.

  Rue grasped the sword handle, and the cold seeped into his hand. He thrust it straight into the goblin heart - Flesh gave away, they parted like ripe fruit.

  The goblin bellowed, blood splurted from its mouth, landing on Rue's cheek. The creature's eyes widened as it looked at Rue's own eyes - the colour within its eyes faded away. Kicking the body of his sword. He raised his ice sword, blood running down its porcelain-like ice.

  (You Have Slain Goblin. Lvl 2)

  (Level Up!. General level 1 → 2)