Avan woke up startled and palpated his torso looking for wounds, but found that he was indeed still alive and not wounded at all. He dropped back onto the bedroll.

Ooooof...

He thought about what had happened yesterday and how close he had been to death if it hadn't been for that one spear thrust. Or rather, thanks to the self-inflicted perforation the wolf had given him with that jump.

Shaking his head at his ridiculous luck so far, he slowly stood up and checked the area around his tent. Fortunately, no other beast had decided to grab a quick and uncomplicated midnight snack called Avan. He packed the sleeping bag and tent back up and stowed them in his new, somehow stolen, backpack.

No owner, so first come, first served? he reasoned.

With the backpack shouldered, Avan thought about the essentials he needed. Food, water, clothing, weapons, and more information about the world's game-like system...

He had already obtained weapons from the dead adventurers in their camp and the same was true for clothing.

This put him in a rather awkward situation as far as his food and water supplies were concerned.

As he pondered these questions, the sun rose behind a great mountain range far to the north, promising a new day in a new world.

Avan closed his eyes and looked directly into the sun, feeling the warmth and joy of all the new opportunities that would come his way. Even if I could do without a few wolf nibbles. He chuckled lightly.

A near death scenario, and here I am, still happy and making silly jokes... At least I'm alive, huh?

Remembering his food and water situation, he searched his pack for food rations, a water bottle or something similar.

He found a rope, a flint, and a knife, which he put back into the backpack until he finally found some dried berries, dried meat, and a flask.

Avan pulled out the flask and squatted down to fill it with fresh lake water.

Or hopefully fresh enough, especially after my bloodbath yesterday!

After drinking some water and refilling the flask once again, he popped a few berries into his mouth and munched on them with relish.

Off I go, into my new adventure as an overpowered fireball-throwing mage to save the world! Maybe? Hopefully.

He grinned slightly as he chose a random direction to start walking.

"Or maybe I want to be an anti-hero? Huh, never mind... I just want to enjoy this game-like world if that´s possible." muttered Avan, still grinning, to himself as he walked.

The world around him looked very similar at first glance, and he couldn't make out any difference in the flora and fauna.

As he marched among the trees, he saw some rabbit-like animals in the distance, but with a small horn on their foreheads, and some blue birds with half-meter-long bands for tails flying overhead.

While still munching on some berries, he continued for several hours, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere around him. Neither wolves nor other animals than these birds and rabbits could he hear or see on his way.

After about two hours, the trees around him thinned more and more until he stepped into another clearing where white marble-like temple ruins could be seen everywhere. Interested and excited, hoping there were no hostile inhabitants, he stepped into the clearing near a crumbling wall that surrounded a wild garden. Suddenly, he felt something pass through him, as if he had just entered a protected and sacred area. A little cold shiver could be felt going down his spine. If I had to guess... It feels like I am is passing through some kind of barrier... Hmm...

But it seems empty otherwise... Is it safe enough? He pondered, but ultimately decided to give it a shot.

There were strange golden looking fruits hanging down from some trees, surrounded by lush green grass and different colored unknown flowers.

The trees were rather strange and had rather bluish colored leaves, instead of the normal green ones he knew from Earth and the forest he had just passed through.

Intrigued, he entered the garden while still scanning the surroundings for any dangers or hostile creatures that might pounce or lurk in the shadows. Fortunately, all he could see so far were these horned rabbits.

Well, I'd like to try these fruits... I mean, what could go wrong with that? Avan chuckled and picked one of the fruits from a nearby tree. He bit down on the one in his hand and chewed on the fruit.

Tastes like a mango apple mix, huh? Fresh, juicy, and sweet. I love them! Not toxic so far...

As sweet juice dripped from the corner of his mouth, he sat down and enjoyed his new delicious meal.

Finally, he checked his character interface again to learn more about the skills he had acquired.

Active Skills

-

Passive Skills

Pain Resistance: 1

Steady: 1

Potential: ?

Pain Resistance: Lvl 1

Your pain tolerance increases with each successive level of this skill.

Come and enjoy a soak in a hot tub or volcano if you can stand the intense heat. Or let yourself be stabbed repeatedly without hesitation.

The choice is yours.

Steady: Lvl 1

When you stagger, you have a high chance of staying on your feet instead of succumbing.

With this skill, you can cast magic without being interrupted or shooting while standing on the back of a horse or even a dragon. If you find a dragon that will let you on its back.

Potential: ?

You have the potential to be extraordinary.

Even as a farmer, you can reap bigger harvests than your rivals and make them all jealous. Or to be sacrificed for a demon summoning of extraordinary might. What should it be?

"Strange descriptions... But I kinda like them. Could be my own wording. Lol." Avan chuckled as he read. He had yet to find a class or this so-called element as described in his character interface. Or even an active skill. Hopefully I'll learn to throw fireballs. he thought and cackled lightly. But when he read the last passive skill, he gulped audibly.

Being a pawn or being sacrificed in a ritual was not something he would enjoy.

I hereby recant what I said earlier! That last description is far too evil...

"Well, less pain is obviously a good thing, isn't it? Being mauled by something, or even stabbed once, is not something I want to experience anytime soon. Pain related. But at least it will be reduced. I don't want to eliminate pain completely... There is a reason we should feel pain, and that is as a warning that something bad is happening with you. The steady ability is good tho. And at least I know there are dragons in this world. Thank you message. Maybe even intelligent and sentient? I'd love to befriend one." He smiled at the thought of befriending such a creature and even flying on the back of a dragon.

As he gulped down the last bite of his mango apple, another screen opened and Avan nearly fell backwards as it had surprised him.

*Chime*.

You ate a golden meaple!

For eating a golden meaple, your body and soul will be massively infused with heavenly energy.

*Chime*

Since you are imbued with a massive amount of celestial energy, you gain the passive ability: Celestial Affinity Lvl 1

Celestial Affinity: Lvl 1

You are imbued with celestial energy.

All your celestial-related skills are more powerful, and you resist enemy celestial energy better.

"Uhhh, what the heck? Just because of this?" He thought out loud while staring at the other still hanging fruits. "That's awesome!" he muttered delightedly. "At least it solves the missing element. Check."

With even more vigor, he ate another golden orange-like fruit to see if he could get any more out of them.

After he ate another whole one of these fruits, another screen appeared.

*Chime*.

You have reached another level in celestial affinity!

Celestial Affinity: 2

Happy laughter could be heard in the garden. Avan was excited about the treasure he had found. Okay, I just hope no one will miss this fruit. But... Protected area, ruins. Hopefully long forgotten.

He picked all the other golden meaples and stowed the 23 he found of them in his backpack. Strange number. Exactly ... twenty-five. Hmm, okay.

"Wait, if the system can tell me the names of the fruits I eat, is there a typical identification ability? I mean, it's similar to the games I've played."

He picked up one of the fruits and started staring at it. Hard. Concentrated.

After a full minute, nothing happened. Exasperated, he tried to think of the fruit and his intention to identify it. To learn more about it.

He rolled the fruit from hand to hand as he tried to identify it,

until he finally heard a soft ringing in his head.

*Chime*.

You have learned the passive skill: identify!

While some learn this skill as infants, you managed to observe a fruit for minutes at a time. Congratulations, monkey brain.

You can now identify objects and creatures when you focus on them and your target is within range. Each level of Identify increases your range, and higher levels can give you more information about your target.

[Golden Meaple]

A rare and now largely unknown fruit that provides you with large amounts of celestial energy when eaten. This fruit was known only in legends and long-forgotten stories. They were created in one of the very first dungeons on Eos.

"There it is, another nice skill description from your beautiful game system." He chuckled. "But at least it worked. Not bad."

No longer hungry and satisfied with his new acquisitions, Avan continued his walk through the temple ruins. After eating two of the fruits, he felt - full. Very nourishing, perhaps? I could survive on that for quite a while. Thanks god! Or gods? Huh...

The ruins consisted of the garden he had just visited, some smaller buildings, and a ruined temple-like building that was barely recognizable as a temple. The smaller buildings were most likely some houses for the staff; A stable and something that resembled a warehouse.

The garden area where he had first entered the ruins was obviously the only thing that had survived the ravages of time.

Exploring the ruins and peering into the smaller buildings told Avan nothing about the last occupants. The temple must had looked fantastic and beautiful in its heyday, with all the white marble he saw here. I would have loved to see the surroundings in their full glory.

As he stepped in front of the ruined temple, he imagined the intact building with all the columns to the left and right, the ruined archway that lay to the side, and a long dried up well in front of the entrance with a perfectly round sphere standing on top of it.

The sphere itself looked completely untouched, as if time had no meaning or might over it.

While still marveling at the sphere, he circled the well and finally stood before the temple's three meter high entrance.

As he entered the building, he instantly felt another barrier. A cold but pleasant feeling came over him, as if he had just taken a shower of crystal clear water. Is this a protective barrier or some kind of alarm system? Either way. I can enter it seems... but I don't know why.

As he walked through the collapsed stone benches to the left and right, he admired the sublime and ornate style used for the interior of the temple. These people here had architecture fit for kings and queens. There was nothing to see more now after it´s desctruction, but the altar itself was intact and had some fascinating runes printed on it. The runes were simple, but at the same time, as he looked at them, something incomprehensible and supernatural went through his mind.

Avan was pretty sure he couldn't copy any of these runes, because after he averted his eyes, they and their pattern simply disappeared from his memory.

Somewhat satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time, Avan decided to leave the otherwise empty temple building. Standing in front of the marvelous fountain again, he took a few steps to take a closer look at the odd sphere.

Seen from a distance, the sphere fascinated him even more because it was so complex and simple at the same time. However, it also looked like it was not even connected to the base of the fountain. As if it were floating lightly above the fountain.

Curious, he bent down to touch the smooth surface and check if it was indeed floating.

When he touched the sphere, it bobbed slightly up and down, and suddenly crumbled without warning until not even dust was left.

"What?" Avan emitted a surprised outcry and jumped backwards with a sudden starting headache in the back of his head.

*Chime*

Congratulations! You've forcibly awakened your first class.

...

*chimes*

Congratulations! You have unlocked your primary resources for your class.

Health, stamina, and ambient mana are now available.

A stunned Avan stood there, trying to comprehend what had happened exactly one second ago.

Character interface...

Avan Leaf

Level: 8

Free stat points: 5

Element: Celestial

Class: Dungeon Heart (Human)

Subclass:

Stats

Strength: 15

Dexterity: 10

Vitality: 15

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 5

Spirit: 5

Active skills

-

Passive skills

Pain resistance: 1

Steady: 1

Potential: ?

Celestial Affinity: 2

Identify: 1

Dungeon Sphere: ?

Primary Resources

Health: 125

Stamina: 125

Ambient Mana: 75

"...What?"

Avan, stunned, read the new information in his character window while grabbing his head with both hands due to the sudden even stronger headache. He fell to his knees, until it stopped as suddenly as it had come over him. He glanced back at his still in front of him hovering character screens.

"Now I just got a... Dungeon class? At least it says I'm still human... Okaaaaaay. And I have my health, stamina, and mana in numbers. I was confused before because that was missing." he muttered as he continued reading. "If I'm reading this right, I get five primary resources for every point in the corresponding stats, plus a base of 50? Mkay, that's pretty simple. I can work with that. Now let's check out my new... passive skill. Still no active skills...?"

Dungeonsphere: ?

You are a dungeon. You are fed by the vast amount of ambient mana that surrounds you. You can use and deploy the ambient mana in your sphere of influence as you see fit. Your sphere of influence is a sphere that surrounds you, with you as the anchor point and heart of the dungeon.

Go strengthen your Dungeonheart by conquering other dungeons and creatures in your sphere of influence to make their might your own.