03. Firstden Village

[Class Information: Valor Warrior]

[Description:

The forgotten class, buried beneath the ruins that once served the will of Heaven. Yet their will remains forever ignited, their discipline unmatched, and their resilience unbroken.

Role: Melee

Weapon: Sword and Shield

Affinity: Flame

Status: Not Awakened

Skill Unlocked: Circle Slash]

Alden took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the holographic display floating before him. After all that struggle, he'd ended up obtaining a forgotten class?

Did that mean it was weak? Obsolete? Or could it be something else entirely? Something unique, perhaps? Maybe not common, but certainly ancient.

His gaze lingered on those specific words: the will of Heaven. It could have significant impact in reinforcing the relevance of this class, assuming the system wasn't just using flowery language to dress up something mediocre.

"And what about this skill?"

[Active Skill: Circle Slash (Level 1)]

Slash enemies in a 90° arc in front. Can block arrows and magic during execution.

Damage: 120% of Attack

Stamina Cost: 15

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Crowd Control: Knock Back on successful hit

"Not bad," Alden said, his mind already working through the tactical advantages. "It's both an offensive and defensive skill at the same time."

"Hold on, what about my stats? How do I check those?"

As if responding to his question, another hologram materialized in front of him. This one was more detailed than the class screen, displaying a full breakdown of his current capabilities.

[Data Information: Alden]

Race: Human Reincarnator

Level: 1

Class: Valor Warrior

Affinity: Flame

Role: Melee

Status: Not Awakened

Title: None

[Stats: Melee]

Health: 500

Stamina: 100

Attack: 20 (+10)

Defense: 10

Magic Defense: 5

Move Speed: 100%

Attack Speed: 100%

Block Absorption: 10%

Crit Rate: 15%

Crit Damage: 150%

Alden's eyes narrowed as he studied the numbers.

"Vulnerable to magic attacks... seems reasonable for a warrior class," he said, thinking out loud. “But my Attack and Defense are also pretty low. That must mean equipment matters a lot in this world."

The Ancient Silver Sword he'd picked up had given him a flat +10 to Attack, immediately increasing his damage output by a third. Without gear, he'd be even weaker.

[Chest of Inherited Class obtained]

Alden's attention snapped to the new notification that appeared, interrupting his analysis. "A reward? What's inside?"

The description explained that opening the chest would grant one random piece of equipment of Epic tier.

Alden wasn't entirely sure how to react because he still didn't fully understand the tier system in Ascendria.

How many tiers were there? What did Epic mean in practical terms? But since this chest came as a reward from the trial, it should be something worth having. Something to support his survival and exploration from here on out.

He reached out to the holographic chest icon and activated it.

[Sword of Ancient Silverbane]

Tier: Epic (T4)

Attack: +45

Defense: +5

Attack Speed: -10%

Move Speed: -5%

Sustain: 100%

Effect: Deals bleed damage equal to 20% of Attack per second for 5 seconds after a successful hit.

Value: Unknown

Alden's brows furrowed as his eyes locked onto the sword's effect. Bleed damage. Percentage-based damage over time. This was potentially very powerful, depending on how the math worked out.

He glanced down at the silver sword still gripped in his hand, the one he'd pulled from the skeleton. It was listed as Tier 1, Common quality. The difference between that and this Epic weapon was massive.

But something made him hesitate.

"This Epic-tier weapon might be wasted if I use it now," he thought, weighing his options carefully.

He'd likely be facing low-level monsters for a while, enemies that could probably be handled with Common gear. Using his best weapon right away seemed inefficient. What if it degraded? What if he needed it later for something truly dangerous?

"Since this silver sword still has decent Sustain left, I'll use it until it breaks. Train my class skill, get used to the combat system." He nodded to himself, making the decision.

[Full Set of Brown Fur Clothes obtained]

Another surprise from the trial materialized in his inventory. Alden pulled up the details, examining what he'd received.

This full set was still a significant step up from the tattered rags he'd been wearing. Clothes that didn't even offer any defensive stats whatsoever.

These low-tier equipments added real, measurable value: the fur tunic gave +5 Defense, the trousers +3, and the boots +2. Just by equipping them, his total Defense stat would jump from 10 to 20. That was double his current protection.

The set appeared on his body in another flash, replacing his rags. The fur was surprisingly soft, warm against his skin, and fit perfectly despite no measurements being taken.

[Title: Trialborn acquired]

Effect: +10% Experience from combat.

A smile tugged at the corner of Alden's mouth. "Now that's the kind of support I need to level up faster."

"Reincarnator.”

The ethereal voice returned, echoing through the chamber with renewed enthusiasm.

"Your adventure begins now. Beyond that door lies your freedom!"

Alden turned around, startled. Where there had been only stone wall before, a mysterious door had materialized—tall, ornate, made of dark wood with golden hinges. It stood wide open, revealing a vista beyond.

A vast prairie stretched to the horizon, tall grass swaying in a breeze he couldn't yet feel. In the background, a dense forest rose up, its canopy dark green and impenetrable from this distance. The sky was brilliant blue, dotted with white clouds.

Drawing in a deep breath, Alden stepped through.

The door dissolved behind him the moment he crossed, fading away like morning mist until there was nothing but hillside at his back. The sensation was disorienting. One moment in a dark stone corridor, the next standing alone on a slope with wind in his raven hair and sun on his face.

"Wait... where am I supposed to go?" Alden turned in a slow circle, scanning his surroundings. But as he squinted into the distance, he spotted something beside the forest's edge.

A village. Wooden buildings with thatched roofs, smoke rising from chimneys.

"Guess that voice was done with the tutorial," he said, his earlier question about directions left unanswered by the divine presence.

Wasting no time, Alden started walking. A narrow dirt path led down the hillside toward the settlement, worn smooth by countless feet.

As he descended, the landscape changed. Rivers ran between terraced rice fields, the water glinting in the sunlight. He caught sight of a few humans hard at work in the paddies—farmers, by the look of them, bent over the crops. Everything seemed normal enough at first glance.

But as he drew closer, Alden noticed something off about their movements.

They repeated the same motions over and over without variation. Bend, plant, straighten. No breaks. No conversation between them. No change in expression.

Their faces were blank, almost mask-like. It felt deeply unnatural, like watching animatronics in some theme park attraction.

"Oh, hello there, adventurer!"

Alden jumped slightly. An old bald man—one of the farmers—had suddenly turned to face him, his demeanor shifting instantly from completely neutral to cheerful. The transition was jarring, too abrupt.

"You look lost!"

“Yes, actually. Do you know the direction to the nearest village?"

"Well, if you need a place to rest, we've got a warm bed for you!" the man replied, though his words began wandering into strange tangents almost immediately.

"The world out there is dangerous, you know. Monsters and bandits and worse things. Better to stay safe, farm the land like I do. Honest work, farming. Been doing it all my life, and my father before me, and his father before him."

The man continued talking, but it was clear he wasn't really saying anything. Just filling the air with words that looped back on themselves.

"Talking to an NPC?"

Another voice broke through, and Alden spun around.

Behind him stood a woman he hadn't heard approach, which was concerning given his heightened alertness.

She carried a large woven basket on her back, the straps crossing over her chest. She wore leather armor that was practical but form-fitting, accentuating a curvaceous, full-bodied figure. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her eyes were sharp.

"An NPC?" Alden repeated the unfamiliar term, confusion evident in his voice.

"Oh, a fresh reincarnator? I see." The woman flashed a warm and graceful smile, seemingly amused by his ignorance. Her fingers moved across empty space, clearly manipulating some interface only she could see.

"Well done for completing the trials. Not everyone makes it through on their first attempt."

"In short," she continued, stepping closer to Alden while her gaze shifted back to the farmer, "NPCs—or background characters, if you prefer—are not like us. They weren't brought here from another world. They were created here, by the system itself."

Alden glanced between her and the still-rambling farmer. "Created?"

"Like the name suggests, 'background' means exactly that. They're not significant in the grand scheme of things, but they're needed to make scenes feel alive. To populate the world." She adjusted the basket on her back, which looked heavy with whatever she'd collected. "They follow patterns, repeat dialogue, exist to fulfill certain functions."

"But," she added, raising a finger, "not all of them are useless. Like me right now. I'm completing a mission for one of them. Good experience, decent rewards."

"Gathering?" Alden asked, noting the container filled with various leaves and herbs poking out from the basket's top.

"You catch on quick. There are tons of missions available from NPCs in Firstden—that's the village you saw—that can increase your experience and help you develop specific stats depending on what you choose to focus on."

She resumed her stride, heading toward the path that led back up the hillside. "If you're done chatting with our farmer friend here and want to head to civilization, just follow this road south. Can't miss it. Big wooden gates, walls, the whole thing."

Before disappearing into the bushes at the side of the path, she gave a small wave and called back, "Good luck out there! Try not to die on your first day!"

And then she was gone, leaving Alden standing alone with the farmer, who had finally stopped talking and returned to his repetitive work in the rice paddy.

Thanks to her brief explanation, Alden didn't have to waste more time trying to extract useful information from the NPC. He could only hope he'd find what he was looking for once he reached Firstden. Real people. Real answers. Something to reveal the deeper truths of this world and what was expected of him.

[Connection: 1 Added]

Alden frowned at the new notification, pulling up the hologram with a thought.

[Name: Khalisa]

Add friend?

So the woman he'd just met was named Khalisa. The system had apparently registered their interaction as a "connection". For now, he left the friend request pending and examined the brief introduction that had become available.

[Data Information: Khalisa]

Race: Human Reincarnator

Level: 10

Class: Grovekeeper

Affinity: Nature

Role: Healer

Status: Not Awakened

Title: Disciple of Clarence the Alchemist, Herbs Bookworm, Apprentice Scholar

Alden stared at that number. She was already so far ahead of him, had clearly been in this world for a while.

Healer's role made sense given her gathering mission. Nature affinity probably meant plant-based magic or something similar. And all those titles suggested she'd been taking the time to actually learn about Ascendria rather than just rushing into combat.

Maybe that was the smart approach. Maybe he should be doing the same.