“Look out, slime! There’s a hungry dog about to eat you!” Nicholas shouted at a slime from a safe distance. He was standing with the other members of his team, preparing for the coming battle. As the brains of the operation, he had little to do during the actual fight. Nicholas created a plan to deal with the low-level monster without any incidents. He wanted to try lying to the slime, but Genesis quickly shut that avenue down.

“NOTICE. PASSIVE SKILL [LYING PROFICIENCY V] DOES NOT AFFECT TARGET.”

“Guess it won't work if the target can’t understand me. Whatever. We’re still going with the plan!” Nicholas said before running off. He approached the slime with an intense speed before turning on his heel and kicking with all his might. Its soft body encompassed his foot for a brief moment before being flung into the air. With his only job done, Nicholas dove out of the way.

“[Reckless Swing]!” Rex shouted. He ran down the field to position himself under his target. He assumed a batting pose and swung as hard as he could. The iron stick struck the slime and his skill added to the damage delivered. The slime’s soft and gooey body rippled from the impact. Each wave was a visible mark for how far Rex had come. He stepped forward and sent his enemy flying.

“My turn! [Accurate Shot]!” Xander enthusiastically yelled. He aimed his bow and fired at the soaring target. In a normal situation, his attempted shot would have been hopeless. Thankfully, the skill he used adjusted his accuracy. It ensured a direct hit but eliminated the chance of a critical hit occurring. The skill was also costly, so Xander could only use it a few times in a battle.

“Ugh. I hate this. [Lesser Animal Attraction].” Robyn said. She wasn’t the least bit excited about the battle for good reasons. First, she had the lowest level on the team and in the Genesis Program. She was also concerned about using her skill. Too many usages could result in an increase in level which may attract larger animals, which is exactly what happened.

“SKILL [LESSER ANIMAL ATTRACTION] HAS LEVELED UP.”

Numerous birds flew from the sky and trees. They aimed at Robyn, but an obnoxious blue blob blocked their path. The birds crashed into the monster and attacked it for interrupting their flight. The slime suffered severe damage before popping. With the enemy gone, the birds resumed their descent upon Robyn. A visible swarm of insects joined the journey as well.

“ERROR. INDIRECT UTILIZATION OF A LOCKED SKILL. AS A RESULT, THIS SKILL WILL BE UNLOCKED. [ANIMAL-LOVING PEASANT] HAS ACQUIRED THE SKILL [COMMAND ANIMAL].”

“Alright! Deactivate [Lesser Animal Attraction]! [Command Animal]: Fly away you little monsters!” Robyn shouted while waving her hands. She panicked the moment all attention was on her. The deactivation couldn’t have come soon enough. Every creature returned to their business, and the team was finally allowed to celebrate.

“We did it!” Rex shouted. He threw his hands in the air before falling to the ground. Even with only using one skill, he was exhausted.

“Yeah. Let’s go back to the-” Nicholas started to say but was interrupted. A large slimy mass landed on his head. The lingering remnants of the slime still had their abilities, so the pieces ate away as his skin. Nicholas panicked from the familiar sensation and wiped off his head. His hand shook as he realized the cost of the team’s success.

Slime rained from the sky like an angry storm. The four ran for their lives. Each step was pelted with the viscous goo. They fled the scene, leaving it to be a problem for some other party. A large tree provided shelter, and the team was finally able to enjoy their win. Genesis was even kind enough to announce the battle’s rewards.

“LEVEL UP. NEW SKILLS ACQUIRED.”

“Whoa! Guys, I went up two levels!” Robyn said with an excited voice. She checked her stats panel several times to reconfirm what had happened. Seeing the permanent level one change to a three brought a new level of joy. She felt like she could take on the world. Well, maybe another slime.

“Same here,” Rex said with a smile. He was happy to level up at all, but he was now at a critical milestone. It was something that Xander mentioned when he first met the initial duo.

“Me too,” Nicholas said. He was also eager for the next announcement. Genesis was bound to announce something even better. Time couldn’t pass fast enough for these two.

“Wait, I only went up one,” Xander commented. He felt a bit deflated from that fact. Everyone else gained a significant amount of experience, but this barely nudged him into the next level. Of course, he was happy about the change. It just would have felt better if everyone was equal.

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Commoner. Are you not happy with being at the highest level on the team?” Rex replied with an irritated tone. He was already annoyed that three members of the team remained in the first class. Now, the only higher leveled member complained about accelerated growth. Sure, it would have been great for everyone to grow exponentially, but Genesis would never allow that.

“Well, no. That’s-” Xander stammered. He wasn’t sure how to reply. His level was only high because he whittled away at slimes with his archery. His level wasn’t even high to begin with. The combined levels of every team member were still less than average adventurers. Xander didn’t get the chance to defend himself before Genesis interjected with a much-appreciated announcement.

“[BRAVE PEASANT] AND [SMART PEASANT] HAVE REACHED THE MINIMAL LEVEL TO COMMENCE A CLASS CHANGE. PROPOSED CLASS: [COMMONER]. DO YOU ACCEPT?”

“Heck yes!” Rex cheered. He was more than ready to change classes. [Commoner] may not have been an amazing next step, but it was certainly better than nothing.

“I accept,” Nicholas said. His eyes stared at the stats panel he summoned. He was eager to see what would change if anything at all. The two pumped their fist when Genesis responded.

“CONFIRMED. CLASSES [CONFIDENT COMMONER] AND [CLEVER COMMONER] HAVE BEEN BESTOWED UPON THEIR RESPECTIVE PLAYERS. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE GENESIS PROGRAM.”