Okay, enough delay. Let's see what kind of new class I can select, thought Arin as he opened his System and watched a new window appear before him. The list of available classes was considerably larger than the options he had been given when he first received the System. More importantly, the descriptions were much more detailed, and the classes themselves felt far more specialized than the generic options he had been forced to choose from before. Arin leaned closer as he began reading through the first three options, already curious about what the System thought suited him best.
The first option immediately caught his attention because of its name. It was not exactly what he would have called himself, but after reading the description, Arin could understand why the System had selected it for him. The class was clearly built around the way the Sonnenbergs fought, especially their habit of using the forest as both protection and a battlefield. Still, Arin quickly noticed that there was something important missing from the description.
Forest Assassin — A specialized assassin who has devoted themselves to mastering the forest as both their hunting ground and sanctuary. Forest Assassins possess an exceptional ability to blend into woodland environments, using trees, foliage, shadows, and natural terrain to conceal their presence until they are almost indistinguishable from their surroundings. They primarily rely on bows, striking their targets from concealment before disappearing deeper into the forest. Their training allows them to move silently through dense vegetation, read tracks, understand natural terrain, and select positions that provide both concealment and a clear line of attack. A Forest Assassin does not fight the forest but moves with it, using its sounds, shadows, and vegetation to mask their movements. The deeper they are within familiar woodland, the more difficult they become to detect or pursue. Stat Bonus Per Stage: +4 Agility, +2 Perception, +3 Endurance, +1 Strength, +1 Intelligence, +2 Free Points.
Well, I can see how it came to this conclusion, thought Arin as he stared at the description. It was certainly an accurate description of how the Sonnenbergs dealt with their enemies, especially when they were fighting inside their own forest. They could hide, track people, move silently, and use the terrain to their advantage in ways that outsiders would struggle to understand. However, that was only one part of what the family actually did.
They were not simply assassins who happened to live in a forest. They were rangers, and taking care of the forest had always been an important part of their identity. That responsibility had never disappeared, even after their own forest had become incredibly healthy and there was technically little left for them to repair. The family had been taking care of that forest since the 1700s, and Arin had grown up with that responsibility being treated as something completely normal.
So I am going to skip that one, thought Arin as he moved his attention to the next class. The bonuses were certainly attractive, especially the four points of Agility per stage, but the description did not capture what he considered to be the most important part of being a Sonnenberg. It described what they did to their enemies, but not what they did for their home. Arin wanted a class that represented both sides of that identity.
The second option appeared immediately afterward, and Arin raised an eyebrow when he saw the name. Compared with Forest Assassin, it sounded much more straightforward and far less mysterious. Still, he decided to read the entire description before making a decision.
Elite Archer — A highly accomplished archer who has surpassed the ordinary limits of their profession through years of dedicated training, experience, and battlefield practice. Elite Archers possess exceptional mastery over their bows, allowing them to consistently deliver accurate shots across great distances and under difficult conditions. Their understanding of range, wind, trajectory, timing, and target movement has been refined to an extraordinary level, making every shot deliberate and controlled. They have distinguished themselves from other archers through their accomplishments and are recognized as being among the finest practitioners of archery in the world. An Elite Archer is capable of adapting their technique to different bows, environments, and combat situations, maintaining their precision even under pressure. Their skill represents the culmination of exceptional talent, relentless practice, and extensive practical experience. Stat Bonus Per Stage: +2 Strength, +3 Endurance, +2 Perception, +2 Agility, +1 Vitality, +2 Free Points.
Well, this one looks really basic, thought Arin as he stared at the description. It basically tells me that I am an elite archer, while the first one was at least somewhat original and had something interesting going for it. This is just a better archery class with nothing particularly special attached to it, and even the stat points I receive are lower than what I would get from Forest Assassin. The difference was only a single point, but over the course of many stages, even a single point per stage could become a considerable advantage.
Granted, the class itself was not bad. In fact, Arin could easily understand why the System considered it suitable for him, considering how much of his life had revolved around archery. He had trained with a bow since he was young, had developed techniques that ordinary archers could barely imagine, and was already considered one of the better archers within his family. Still, something about the class bothered him.
There should be a skill attached to the class, thought Arin as he continued examining the description. There was no way I am getting another generic archery skill after everything I already have. He already possessed several powerful abilities related to archery, including Focus of the Old Marksman and Archer's Eye, so receiving another basic ability would be almost pointless. If the System was finally allowing him to choose a proper class, he wanted something that added an entirely new dimension to his abilities.
Then the third option appeared.
Arin's eyes immediately stopped moving as he read the name. For several seconds, he simply stared at it without saying anything, because unlike the previous two options, this one felt strangely familiar. It was not merely something he had trained to become, nor was it simply describing one of his combat specialties. It described something that had been part of his identity long before the System had ever appeared.
Ranger — A skilled guardian of the wilderness who has developed a deep connection with nature and learned to move as one with the forests they protect. Rangers are exceptional archers, capable of striking targets accurately from great distances while remaining hidden within their surroundings. Their knowledge extends far beyond combat, granting them expertise in tracking, hunting, scouting, survival, herbalism, animal handling, navigation, camouflage, and identifying plants, animals, and natural hazards. They understand the balance of the forest and actively maintain its health by protecting wildlife, controlling threats, and preventing unnecessary destruction. Their connection with nature allows them to sense changes within their surroundings and move through the wilderness with remarkable ease. A true Ranger is both hunter and protector, equally capable of eliminating threats, surviving alone in the wild, and preserving the lands under their care. Stat Bonus Per Stage: +5 Perception, +3 Agility, +2 Strength, +3 Endurance, +1 Toughness, +3 Free Points.
Well, it is pretty much a no-brainer at this point, thought Arin as he read through the description again. The Ranger class stood out like a lighthouse among the available options, and although there were still plenty of other classes further down the list, he already knew what he wanted. It was not simply because the class had better-looking statistics than Elite Archer, either. The description itself seemed almost perfectly written for him.
From what Arin understood, the System ranked the classes according to compatibility. The top three were the classes it considered most suitable for him, while the options further down the list became increasingly incompatible with his abilities, experiences, and physique. That did not necessarily mean the other classes were bad, but there was little reason for him to look through them when one of the first three already matched him so well.
And the Ranger class was exactly what he had hoped would appear. In a strange way, Arin had grown up believing that he was supposed to become a ranger even before he understood what that actually meant. His profession was Bowyer, his Class had always been Archer, and his family had spent generations living alongside the forest. Yet none of those things fully captured the way he personally thought about himself.
He knew that he needed a real job, of course. That was simply how life worked before the System arrived, and there was nothing particularly wrong with having a normal profession. He could have become a forest ranger somewhere else in the Netherlands, and he even knew several family members who had chosen those kinds of positions. However, those relatives had never been particularly happy about their assignments.
The problem was that most of the forests in the Netherlands were planted forests. They were carefully managed, useful, and beautiful in their own ways, but they were not the same as the forest where the Sonnenbergs lived. As far as Arin and his family were concerned, there was something fundamentally different about a forest that had grown naturally compared with one that had been planted and arranged by humans.
Arin had always felt uncomfortable whenever he visited those artificial forests. At the time, he had never understood why, and he had simply assumed that it was another strange quirk of his personality. Now that he knew more about his physique and his connection with nature, however, he suspected that his reaction had probably been caused by something deeper. His body had likely recognized the difference long before his conscious mind could understand it.
So whenever he imagined his future before the System arrived, Arin had never pictured himself doing anything particularly exciting. He had expected that he would probably end up with some boring office job, just like countless other people. He would work, go home, spend time with his family, and occasionally disappear into the forest whenever he needed some peace and quiet.
The Ranger class made that old assumption look almost laughable now. Everything he had naturally gravitated toward throughout his life had somehow been gathered together into one class. Archery, tracking, survival, nature, scouting, camouflage, hunting, and protecting the forest were all included in its description. It was almost as if the System had looked at Arin's entire life and simply given a name to what he had already been becoming.
And the stat distribution was not exactly disappointing either. Five Perception per stage immediately caught his attention, especially because Perception was already one of his strongest attributes. The additional Agility and Endurance fit perfectly with the way he fought, while Strength and Toughness would help compensate for areas where he had fewer natural advantages. Even the three Free Points per stage were more than enough to make the class attractive.
Still, the statistics were not what convinced him. Arin had spent enough time with the System to understand that numbers were only one part of the equation. A class that perfectly complemented his abilities and opened doors to new skills could ultimately be worth far more than a class with slightly better statistics.
The Ranger description also included something that the other two classes lacked. It did not merely describe how Arin fought; it described how he lived. A Ranger was not simply an archer who happened to know how to survive in the wilderness. A Ranger was someone who understood the wilderness, protected it, lived alongside it, and became part of it.
That was something Arin could understand.
He looked at the three choices one more time before letting out a quiet laugh. Forest Assassin was interesting, but it focused too heavily on killing and concealment. Elite Archer was certainly accurate, but it was almost painfully straightforward. Ranger, on the other hand, felt like someone had taken everything he had become since the arrival of mana and placed it into a single description.
Yeah, this one is definitely mine, thought Arin as he prepared to select the class. For once, he did not need to spend hours debating which option made the most sense. He already knew the answer the moment he finished reading the description. After all, if the System was asking him what he wanted to become, Arin saw little reason to choose anything other than what he had always felt he was.