Wrath Farmer

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 3
There wasn't a cloud in the deep blue sky only the harsh sun bearing down on me. Sweat poured from my brow down onto to cracked, dry ground. Every swipe of my hoe did little more than tear a small groove into the ground. My hands were already covered in painful blisters as I poured my hate into the soil. Cracks appeared in the hard ground, and I quickly measured but was left dissatisfied. I needed a few more inches before seeds could be planted.

After exhausting myself, I returned to my tent to cool down and opened my journal. The start of my terrible adventure as a farmer.

Day 1
My life was over. I went from a promising future as a monster tamer to a farmer in less than an hour. A deal was made, and I had little time remaining to create an opportunity.

The Summer family promised their daughter to marry my older brother, Thaddeus. I thought it was strange before, but little hints fell into place as my world shattered. She was beautiful, and I thought it was weird when she gave me 20,000W for my journey. Little did I know it was guilt money and not worth it.

She smiled, knowing I was screwed out of life in the ruling class so my brother could marry an aristocrat. Blue blood like hers follows the female line; it was only a matter of time until a family took an offer to trade assigned classes.

I remember reading about the scandal. The Titan Training board had made a decision. The Summer family was too soft from generations of successful Monster Tamers. Many of them from my generation were given the farmer class. Still, none had set out of any East Weston Metropolises from All Bright to Star City. There were no reports of Summer family nobles making a claim and taming wild territory in the first steps of bringing it into the fold.

That mystery had been answered for me in the worst way possible. I checked my status because I had to see it. I was only three generations from a mage-class great-grandfather. This shouldn't have happened. I had a 0% chance of being given the farmer class at birth.

Status
Atom Walker lvl1
Class: Farmer +3 END +2 VIT per LEVEL
Attributes
Physical:
Vitality 4
Constitution 2
Endurance 6
Strength 3
Dexterity 2
Agility 2

Mental:
Perception 2
Willpower 9
Focus 3
Intelligence 5
Wisdom 4
Charisma 4

Skills
Farming:
Plow lvl1
Plant lvl1
Harvest lvl1


Monster Tamer was the ruling class; the other classes available were meant for support. Classes determined the skills learned naturally, skill growth, and items that can be purchased. So, no fireballs, controlling monsters or brewing stat-enhancing potions. I could, at most, grow better potion ingredients or breed stronger monsters. But I would still need an alchemist to brew them and a tamer to control them. Its why I trained my willpower every day. It was the most important stat for a Monster Tamer.

Skills that required willpower weren't out, but the offense was.

I gripped my skull, trying to force out any idea that could help. This was Nightmare Liches leading undead hordes attacking frontier towns bad. Except I wasn't safe in my home waiting for the new microprocessors to cross through the territory. There was so much about the farmer class I either forgot or never bothered to learn.

Soft caps: I forgot about all the soft caps that came with the farmer class. Offensive and defensive skills levels 1/10th​ the speed of any other class. Utility skills, on the other hand, had a growth rate of 10 times when it came to growing or mana exercises. Other utility skills only had a 1.5 times increase in leveling speed.

How a farmer leveled was also important. I could only make gains through growing crops and selling them. An alchemist could make a potion, sell it for 5000W, and earn 20 levels potentially. A farmer sold bushels of pees for 100 and might not see a level in a year. There might have been rankings or levels with crops I didn't remember.

I checked my online credentials and they hadn't been changed from a prospective tamer. That meant I could still buy skill shards. My bank account currently sat at 60,832W and I had no time to plan. Any second, I could be kicked out.

Someone pounded on my bedroom door. "Son, wake up; we have something to talk to you about. Don't check your status yet." Her usual musical tone was gone, which was a bad sign.

That was my mother, she knew. I had to think of something, anything to buy time. My mind swam for a second as plans were born and died until I found the perfect excuse.

"Don't come in. I'm masturbating to monster porn," I said.

I heard a sigh like the last gasp of a dying man. "Just come out here when you're done and delete your browser history. I don't want to see any ads." Mother said.

The time was 6:50AM there were three minutes until privileges were updated. My bookmarks saved me time. I had already searched this part of Monmart before.

The skill shard window opened up, and I applied filters to only utility skills. Famers had the worst parameters for leveling offensive and defensive skills imaginable but the best for utility. It's why they could grow mana-dense crops in even the most barren soil.

I watched the screen appear and added Adapt to my cart. Before I went to bed, I watched a pro match. Adapt was considered a trash skill in the low levels because all it did was slightly increase skill gains. For the Runic Behemoth in Chad Thundercock's party, it allowed the wall of muscle and claws to grow stronger mid-battle. Against Lance Shield's Magma Troll, it turned a predicted loss into a drawn-out slog. Fire Resistance kept leveling mid-battle, and I was sure Chad's Behemoth finished out two skill trees from it. That was the kind of power I needed.

10,000W later, I was the proud owner of the Adapt skill. Unfortunately, it was a passive skill and wouldn't level quickly; I needed more support. I was in shock and slowly cobbling together a plan to feel like I did something instead of letting my future slip through my fingers.

Farmers can't enter national dungeons, purchase skills, or leave their farms for extended periods. Farmers were the first to step in barren frontiers they toiled and filled the soil with mana and hard work. Generations later, a town might appear around the farm where a few people would be given the Monster Tamer class. These people born from nothing would fight and claw their way to the top or die trying. Normally these people would be the scions of multiple generations of Monster Tamers. It was a harsh program, but it produced powerful results.

This wasn't an unknown happening. One of my parents sold my future so my brother could marry up. I was fucked, and the only way forward was through. I knew they were going to send me to the ass end of nowhere, put monitors on my system, and all the shit I heard about. It was all for the status of noble blood in our republic.

"Son, your mother just told me you're masturbating to monster porn. Why don't you save it for a monster of your own." My father said through the door.

Either he didn't know or wanted this experience to be as terrible as it could possibly be.

"I heard that's a good way to get my dick ripped off. Give me a little more time; I'm almost done; this is the money shot."

My next skill was Berserk; it was a utility that increased strength at the cost of lots of stamina. I didn't have an offensive class, so my only choice was to cobble one together with purchased skills meant for monsters. There was an open secret that humans could learn monster skills. Why bother when monsters were far more capable with skills?

Classes that could use them couldn't be at the same prices as a Monster Tamer. Government subsidies were powerful tools.

15,000W later, the Berserk skill appeared in the transporter.

35k Westons left, and I had two skills that would hopefully see me through what was going to be a terrible time in my life. It wasn't unheard of to sleep through the initial skill gains. I told my parents I was going to bed instead of staying up to get my class. Waiting would have ended badly.

I grabbed the adapt skill shard, a large green crystal with two points, held it to my forehead, and quickly absorbed it. Flashes of images appeared in my vision. I saw monsters shivering in the snow, slowly turning blue and becoming snow variants. A water dragon dove into a lake of magma and came out a steam drake. These images appeared faster and faster until I received a notification.

Ping!
New Skill
Adapt lvl1

What I wanted to accomplish before my parents knocked on my door down was simple. I needed to create a skill block. Four skills that fed into each other boosting skill gains endlessly.

I purchased Regeneration for 20,000W. Skill blocks for tamers were heavily regulated. Every tamer worth their stats would already have a plan for a skill block for themselves and their first partner. Most of my time was spent looking up skill blocks that would work fast and dirty for any monster, no matter what skills they may already have. Doing it for myself like I was the monster was sobering.

Training for 10,000W was my short-term answer to a massive problem. The Training skill allowed stat growth through hard work and exercise. Rumor had it that even studying could see results like increased intelligence. Leveling was far more effective and powerful with skill trees; few used the Training skill unless they needed certain attributes for a rank up. After the transporter ran a fourth time, the website kicked me back to the home screen with several tabs removed. I grabbed the skill shards and absorbed them one after the other.

Images of battle, pain, and rage resonated with me. My birthright was taken. I was born to be a tamer; all the signs pointed to it, and my future was traded without my knowledge. Those born to the former noble houses like Summer, Winter, Fall, and Thundercock no longer had the power to ensure their children were tamers. At birth, classes were decided but only activated at 16. Lourie Summers and I were born on the same day, which allowed this swap to happen seamlessly.

Any family eager to add some blue blood to their own from the former regime wouldn't hesitate if they had a spare son. I was one of 4 sons and 8 daughters. The Walker family had plenty of money, monsters, and powerful tamers, but our bloodline wasn't noble. Thaddeus would be able to point at his wife and children and say they were from Summer stock. My parents could happily say their grandchildren would have blue blood from the former regime and access to Summer family training techniques.

They only had to give me the short end of the stick to get all they could want. I gave the convenient transporter and my expensive rig a final heartfelt goodbye. At least they didn't betray me.

"Kato, get my son out of his room. We need to have a family conversation." I picked up a shirt and blew my nose as my door shattered. I had allergies; no, I wasn't crying. My father's big red Oni stepped into the room. I remember riding on his back when I was a kid and playing with his daughters. Mai would probably hate me when she found out. I wouldn't be her tamer after all.

"Boy, why are you crying?" Kato asked.

"The love between a tamer and their monster is a beautiful thing, you know," I said.

I felt so weak I wanted to hide in my room. The shame wouldn't leave me. Making a block had distracted me at the time, but what good would it really do me. It was the last gasp of a drowning man.

"Dry your tears and hold your head high. Tears are only helpful to women. You are a man, aren't you?" Kato said.

I felt small and weak before the monster that always made me feel safe. A social divide that hadn't been there yesterday had already made me feel like an intruder in my own home. Only by focusing on things I could control could I manage to stay somewhat sane.

Ping!
Berserk lvl2
1 Skill Point

The skill block I created was an engine to increase not only my skill levels for skill points but my attributes as well. Skills required lvl20 to unlock their first skill tree most of the time. Those skill trees often end with skills.

"Let me see your class; it's ok if you're a mage it isn't the end of the world."

When a class reached level 100, it was possible to multiclass if the classes didn't clash. A mage had a chance to reach level 100 with time and dungeons. As a farmer class, I was doomed. Farmer couldn't combine with Monster Tamer, but Monster Tamer could combine with Farmer. The new class was subordinate to the original. The Farmer class was the lowest class in the hierarchy and could not suborn Monster Tamer.

Day 3
I closed the book; reading further was something I wasn't ready to do yet. The memories were still raw. I didn't want to go through them again. As a beginner farmer, I was given my lot of land, nearly 300 acres of hard mana dry land to the North at the edge of Weston Territory. A few patches of forest greedily sucked mana from the ground, probably harboring low-tier monsters.

In my survival pack was roughly a month's worth of monster repellent. That repellent would only last until my crops came in and started attracting monsters on their own. By that point, I needed to build a fence capable of keeping out low-tier monsters.

Focusing on what I needed to do to survive made it easier to stomach this terrible situation. Farmers needed to sell their crops and purchase the protection of a warrior or, if possible, a knight. Once that happened, settlers would come. Carpenters, merchants, and other tradesmen would come thanks to government subsidies. Once that happened, all I would need to do was toil for the rest of my life.

I bit down on a protein bar and spat the disgusting mix of nuts and chalky chocolate on the ground. This was the worst. Standing up from my folding chair, I moved through my tent. I bought a massive, rugged military tent for its space and durability instead of a portable house. In the corner of the tent, I had a heavy bag ready and waiting.

There had to be a way out of this; I had to figure it out. My gloved fists connected with the bag, one punch then another as I pictured everyone who put me in this situation. To them, it was the right move, and I hated that more than anything. I knew that morally, for the greater good, I needed to be shafted, but that didn't make it any better.

Ping!
Training lvl2
+1 Skill Point
Regeneration lvl2
+1 Skill Point
Adapt lvl2
+1 Skill Point
+1 Focus
Focus 4

So, it was possible to raise stats that weren't physical with the training skill. If I was a Monster Tamer, that would be article-worthy. I could write a paper and earn tons of Weston dollars for it. As a farmer, I had no credibility and would either be ignored or have my paper plagiarized. If willpower could be increased with the Training skill, that would be a game-changer for Monster Tamers.

I hated this situation; I felt trapped and used.

Ping!
Beserk lvl5
+1 Skill Point

That put me at 9 skill points, only 1 away from finishing off my first skill tree.

Farming For Beginners 0/10

It was also my only skill tree. Until I leveled up or my other skills reached lvl20, I was stuck with the tools I had. On the bright side, Adapt would increase my skill gains a little with each level.

The ground was hard, and the steel of my hoe wasn't cutting it. I needed more strength, and punching a bag wasn't giving strength, or I wasn't hitting enough for it.

Attributes for most classes were entirely lopsided. Farmers could potentially grow items that gave permanent percentage gains, but only dungeons produced items for flat gains. Those items went on the market and sold to the highest bidder for hundreds of thousands of Weston dollars. That may be why skill shards are regulated and subsidized to Monster Tamers.

I continued hitting the bag, working on my anger instead of going outside and battling the hard ground.

Ping!
+1 Focus
Focus 5
Training lvl3
+1 Skill Point

It was good luck that skills were easy to level early on. A bolt of excitement flashed through me. I was about to get my first skill tree. Sure, it might not be what I wanted, but skill trees were incredibly valuable. From free attribute points to an additional skill, they were all worth it. Some even gave percentage boosts on skills.

Ping!
Farming For Beginners 10/10
+1 Endurance
New Skill
Furrows lvl1

A brief flash of images of how to dig out little trenches to help water irrigation and germination of seeds flashed through my brain. It wouldn't be long until endurance surpassed willpower, and I would truly be a farmer. I knew I already was once, but it felt like that was the point of no return.

I dug a row for hours under the watchful gaze of the hot sun and beat against mana-starved ground. There was a line of credit from the government for mana rich water for the use of farmers. Once I finished my rows and planted, I would add water. My seeds were nothing special, only Rainbow corn, a rare-tier corn variant that sold well. I had buck beans and gold peanuts for my other rows.

As I worked, I still poured sweat like a leaking faucet, but I was getting through it. My blisters were mostly healed thanks to Regeneration.

I took a step back and stared at my work.

Ping!
Furrows lvl5
+4 Skill Points.


I hadn't noticed the time fly as much as the uneven rows. Mai and I could be training right now, finding monsters to join our team, or battling other tamers. As I felt my anger bleed through, I toiled to even out the rows. My progress wasn't anything worth writing home about; I needed a way to increase my strength. Since I didn't have any weights, I would need to use my body. I remembered hearing about body exercises knights used to get a jump on their class.

 

[Shaedy Hoe]

So, what setting/fandom is this story set in?

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

So, what setting/fandom is this story set in?

Click to shrink...

Its on original work partial based on Pokemon, Digimon, and other works.

 

[Shaedy Hoe]

Its on original work partial based on Pokemon, Digimon, and other works.

Click to shrink...

Oh, I see. Thank you for the answer.

Well, good luck with your new story. I might come back and give it once over after you've had a couple more chapters and see if I like it.

 

[Rodvek97]

Pokemon, but you need trainer class to do become pokemon trainer heh. No get? You are normie.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 4
Howls and scratching from outside my tent kept me up all through the night. If not for my monster repellent, I would have been dragged out and killed. Only managed to get some sleep around 4 in the morning and snapped awake when the sun rose. Last night's exercise earned a single point in strength, and I was ready to make use of it.

After getting dressed and eating freeze dried eggs, something I knew was built to break morale. I forced myself to do another set of 50 pushups. Once the set was done with no stat increase, I left the protection of my tent hoe in hand.

Even in the early morning, the harsh rays of the sun beat down overhead as I stepped over the cracked, dry ground. Deer tracks dotted the ground along with pawprints the size of dinner plates. It would be some time before I had the Westons to waste on a good saw and logging equipment. Farmers had a limited amount of shop privileges to teach them the value of hard work.

When I arrived at my furrows, I wanted to curse. The wolves had dug into my furrows, looking for moles ruining their alignment. My skill made me cringe at their state, and then there was the massive pile of hair wolf feces. All of it was too close to my tent.

I needed to get to planting fast and possibly expand my furrows. With so many deer around, they were bound to dig in once my seeds started sprouting.

My first swing of the day plunged my hoe deep into the earth. A smile spread across my face as I moved back heavy dirt far easier than before. I was getting somewhere, not really where I wanted to go, but it was a start.

I checked my skill trees.

Furrows lvl7
+3 Skill Points
Plowing lvl6
+3 Skill Points

Skill Points: 9
Farming Skill Trees
First Fence 0/25
Easy Pickings 0/10

I was still too early in my class to get anything good. Maybe after I planted and sold some corn and leveled things would get better. Throughout the day, I extended my furrows nearly to the trees with constant work. Midday, I started seeding the ground.

Notifications were piling up, and I had put off adjusting my system settings. The distractions had kept my mind off of my situation. There wasn't anyone to talk to

Ping!
Plant lvl6

The sun was setting as I pulled a barrel of water and a set of pipes out of the transporter. Another 200W in the hole, but at least I could evenly water my field. I dipped a cup in the water and drank it, feeling the high mana-content water fill my body with energy. A giddy feeling overtook me, restoring all the stamina I lost throughout the day this was the good stuff. The pipes were labeled which made set up easy as the crickets monsters started making noise. A big sucker the size of my hand fluttered over on raven wings instead of an insectoid. I hammered one of the pipes into the ground as the monster perched itself on a stump, eyeing my mana water. I didn't bother chasing the thing away; more would come and try and drink up my water, but once it started pouring, they wouldn't get much. Once the pipes were finished, I slid the water drum in place and released it. Gallons of mana-rich water flowed through the pipes, sprinkling on my seeds with mana water so rich I should see sprouts by morning.

One good thing about the wolves was that they should keep the deer from feeding here. That was the only bright side I could see from the wolf monster. As for the cricket monsters, they were darting around trying to steal water but took very little. I thought about killing them, but there was nothing in it for me. There wasn't even any experience I could gain, and that was sad.

Monsters gained experience to level from killing and eating other monsters. Humans, overall, were far more specialized and diverse. I could only gain xp from selling my crops; giving them away wouldn't give me a single point toward my next level. Monster Tamer grew based on the level of their monsters. If I had Mai, I would probably already be level 20 by now but that was no longer my life. If I kept saying that to myself, maybe I would believe it. A smile tugged at my lips. Seeing the landscape transformed was satisfying in its own way.

Oh, I was still pissed, but I planned to make the most of the hand I was dealt. I would become so wealthy that even Monster Tamer Hegemons would throw their daughters at me. Corn is King; after all, it fed so many different kinds of monsters, and I could even use it to attract deer, shoot them, and smoke their meat. Winter was a killer, and my military tent might not be enough.

A howl rattled my eardrums, and I turned toward my tent and ran. Cold sweat poured down my back, and I swore I could hear panting behind me. I dove into my tent and zipped up the opening. After collapsing on the ground, I found a single stat gain in agility. That little gain would help me in the future.

Pushups were a must I needed more strength. Seeing what it did with my furrows and flowing made that obvious. Until I started seeing returns, I had to think about strategy like an insect monster. The more fields I planted, the more likely I would see a return. I only needed a few levels to gain more privileges in the shop. Skill shards like archery were available to farmers for 50,000W. It was a steep price.

I heard scratching and turned to see a white fawn's nose staring at me. There was a little gap in my zipper, and white fawns were considered natural rank 2 monsters. It could ignore the monster repellent. A yip caught my attention, and I made an impulsive move. I grabbed the fawn by the neck and yanked it inside then closed my flap tightly.

White fawns were worth 120,000W on the open market and quite a bit more in the less than legal places. They had a wide variety of evolutionary paths and would be an incredible find for any Monster Tamer. As a farmer, it was a resource hole with no returns in sight. Even if I fed it and raised it with care, nothing was stopping it from running off. The fawn punctuated my point by dropping a load of feces on the ground. I purchased a box of paper towels and cleaned up the mess as the fawn explored its new habitat. I couldn't help but wonder what higher rank monster its parents were for obvious reasons. Monsters inherited a skill from the father and form from the mother.

"Food," an echoey voice said. I stared at the deer. It either inherited the skills Psychic, Telepathy, or All Speak. The echoes were mental, so I was betting on Psychic or Telepathy. For either, I could triple the value of the fawn, especially since it was so young it could very easily be loaded with all kinds of skills and adapt to them quickly.

Shop privilege was weird. While I couldn't purchase skill shards, Monster Food was completely open for purchase. I purchased a meal for a fawn of the deer type it barely waited for me to unwrap it before it dug in.

Even if I wanted to sell it I was certain as a farmer I would be taxed for selling a rare monster. I haven't even looked into the taxes leveraged on farmers but I was sure they would be steep. There were no stories of farmers stumbling on rare monsters and getting rich.

"What rich?" The fawn asked.

Telepathy couldn't read minds under level 100, so it must have the rare skill psychic. "Having enough of something you need that it's no longer an issue. Do you have a name?"

"No, what name?"

"A title to distinguish yourself from others," I said.

The fawn turned its head to the side. Psychic was a catch-all power that could manipulate matter and read minds. Its leveling was slow compared to other skills but every powerful. A fawn had meant there was most likely a rank 4 monster somewhere out here. A King of the Forest, Trotting Calamity, or Prancing Stagnation could naturally learn psychic without having it taught through skill shards. Skill Shard learned skills weren't inheritable.

"I want one." She said.

I thought about it for a moment. "Luna," the fawn shook its head.

"Bela, Fiona, Albinia or Edelweiss." I said.

"Already know I'm white."

"Gwen," I said.

"You are terrible at listening."

"It means white holy," I said.

"Orpra," I said.

"That means fawn."

"So it does," I said.

Howls broke the sound of chirping crickets and stiffened my body. All good humor bled away; this was real, and I was in real danger. The only thing keeping us safe was a limited supply of monster repellent. To toughen farmers up, shop privilege only allowed a single purchase of the stuff until it was unlocked at level 5. I had 28 days left until that protection vanished.

I went into my evening exercises to get even a single attribute point closer to the 36th​ pushup. My strength increased. After finishing my set, I worked on the bag, hitting it harder than ever with ease. I poured my hatred of my predicament, the wolves, my fear, and having something to care for that I couldn't protect into the bag.

Ping!
Training lvl5
Berserk lvl8
Regeneration lvl4
Adapt lvl5
+1 Focus
+1 Willpower

The gains felt good, like I was making progress on a long road. I still needed another skill point before I could finish off the first fence which would help with protecting my farm. Except I couldn't imagine myself building a fence high enough to keep out monster deer. I would be better off shooting them. As for Gwen, who knew how long she would stick around.

"Good, not Orpah," Gwen said.

I nodded; a talking deer wasn't bad company. "Don't eat my herd." Deer monsters practiced cannibalism all the time.

"Different parts of the herd stays in the herd," Gwen said.

"If they don't eat my crops, maybe I won't have to." Meat was something I needed to take care of sooner rather than later. Rank 1 chicken monsters could be purchased for 20W each. I could continue going into debt buying them, but I didn't have a coup ready for them, so it would be a waste of time. Lumber wasn't terribly expensive, but a how-to Manuel for chicken coops was 100W. That felt like a waste for something I could have looked up for free a few days ago.

I exhausted myself with exercise but didn't gain another attribute point. Sleep took me, and Gwen crawled to my mat and slept beside me, sharing body heat. It was nice to have my own monster, even if my mind told me she would leave when I wasn't useful any longer.

 

[Martin Septim]

Don't see how anyone of the farm class can succeed at this point or for that matter even bother trying to live. Everything so against them they be better off dead and seems like the world wants them that way. Like you really need give some explanation why the class is so screw even just cause the farm class is just common as all hell, like out of 1000 people 900 of them are farmers or something.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 5

The morning, for once, didn't come with backbreaking work so much as straightening rows. Most of the sprouts were untouched, thanks to a massive leap in wolf track population. That was fine until I came across the track the size of a dinner plate. In the claws of the track, streaks of green liquid painted the dry dirt. The morning sun hadn't been enough to dry it before I saw the sign for what it was. A wolf was about to increase their rank.

Chills ran up my spine upon the realization my monster repellent wouldn't be effective for much longer. Neither straw nor sticks would keep the wolf out, and I wasn't much of a bricklayer. Fencing was my only reliable option. I needed a strong fence that a rank 2 wolf couldn't chew its way through.

Gwen wasn't even considered for that fight. I turned away from my field to hear a thump. I felt my heart leap out of my chest, and I fell on my butt. The fall barely registered before the creature, filling my vision. Its eyes were too intelligent for a rank 1 monster, and its actions of intimidation felt almost human. Blood covered its pitch-black snout, and it snarled flashing, gleaming white canines. The smell of blood filled my field. Before I could make a move, it turned and left, hopping into the woods and vanishing.

The wolf, the size of a van, had just dropped the carcass of a deer just outside the edge of my woods. As quickly as it came, it left me uncaring about what I could do about it. I didn't bother inspecting the carcass; it had already been eaten from the back end up with barely a skeleton covered in scraps of flesh remaining. If I was a necromancer, perhaps it could be useful instead; it was squirrel food.

For a moment, I was stunned. I slowly stood up and inspected my field. There were already signs of growth thanks to my skills and the mana-dense water. Given that nothing eats them, I could see ears of corn in two weeks. All I had to do was survive until then.

I tested the ground for saturation, and it was still damp, so I shouldn't need to water again until midday. With my encounter in mind I made sure to carefully distribute monster repellent.

"That smells gross, like feet," Gwen said.

"How many feet have you been smelling?" I asked.

"Just yours," Gwen said.

I half-heartedly swiped at her, but she jumped out of the way and took her spot on my bedding.

"Should I leave? That wolf is after me." Gwen said.

I turned to the fawn and stared into its massive, dopey eyes; she was really kind of ugly. The monster was a massive burden on my budget, and I was already in the hole. Even if we made it out of this, I would never be able to use her in a monster battle. For all those reasons, I still named her, and I wanted her.

"Don't worry, I have this."

"Have you killed anything before in your life?" Gwen asked.

"Of course," I said.

"What have you killed?"

"I stomped a spider once," I said.

"Spiders are some of the most vicious types of monsters."

Dad gave me a spiderling from one of his Widow Makers. I cared for it for a month, and one night, I rolled over in my sleep and crushed it. For weeks, I cried my eyes out. None of the Widow Makers tolerated my presence after that. It was a miserable time for 8-year-old me.

Taking any life, whether it was human or monster, was a massive responsibility. I firmly believe killing should be a last resort if possible. That's why I liked monster battles so much; while the monsters fought, no one died, and everyone learned something in the end. My life out here wasn't that it was brutal like the searing sun and desolate like that deer carcass. What little life I managed to bring back to the land only attracted more opportunities for violence.

"Perhaps I shouldn't sleep too close to you. But you didn't move much last night." Gwen said.

"Your speech pattern changed."

"Yep," Gwen said.

"You can also apparently violate my innermost thoughts and traumatic memories."

"I can't turn it off. Your memories of suffering make me feel less lonely."

Most likely Psychic, as I expected. I would put Gwen's market value at 500,000W outside an auction house. It wasn't like it meant anything to me. As a farmer, I couldn't own a monster. My farm could own a monster under the care of a monster tamer so long as a contract was signed and payments were made in advance.

Keeping quiet about her and hoping she stayed with me was all I could do. No force at my disposal could really keep her here. Deer-type monsters were agility beasts, a white fawn especially. Give her a few weeks of good food, and she would prance around, even rank 2 wolves with ease. Another benefit of Psychic was unparalleled detection, allowing her to breeze through ambushes. Psychic was one of the skills that kept giving despite only being classified as common.

"Maybe it's best to enjoy what we have rather than worry about what may or may not be," Gwen said.

My attributes were too low to compete with monsters that hunt and grow stronger with every kill. A hoe wasn't going to kill a near-rank 2 wolf with rot or poison claws.

Berserk lvl9
+1 Skill Point

First Fence 25/25

10 points in, and I received a welcome surprise.
+1 Constitution
Constitution 3
20 points in, and I received it again.
+1 Constitution
Constitution 4
25 points in, and I received an even better message.
First Fence Skill Tree Complete.
+2 Constitution
Constitution 6
New Skill
Fencing lvl1

My skin felt like worms were dancing inside of it while knowledge of hammering posts, nailing in planks of wood, and more entered my head. There was more. I had methods of working with electricity and metal to make something far more monster-resistant. When I clenched my hands, my skin felt a little more like rubber than my own skin. I heard that the early points felt like massive leaps.

Skill Trees
Easy Pickings 0/10
Farming Student 0/50
Animal Husbandry 0/100

I stepped over Gwen and punched my 100lbs bag. My skin didn't feel much different than an old leather glove. That was another reason farmers were unpopular. High constitution made skin feel less and less human. Most classes had their skill trees mapped, so certain attributes were left behind. I didn't have the luxury of being choosy.

Of the 100,000W I borrowed, I spent 30,000W on the land and another 1,500W on miscellaneous gear. 68,500W wasn't very useful when most of the shop was locked behind a privilege wall and my transporter size. Fortunately, there were two things the shop had available in abundance: wood and barbed wire.

My transporter lit up and flashed as a massive spool appeared ready for use. Since I was already doing this, I might as well keep everything out, not just the wolves. Posts appeared next, along with a hammer and boxes of 6-inch nails.

Gwen sniffed at the barbed wire and turned her nose away from it. That was a good sign; soon, all the corn, money, and revenge will be mine.

I bought some measuring chalk lines and began carrying my fencing out. The second I left my tent, I felt a presence. Turning toward the woods where the wolf had vanished, I saw a pair of yellow eyes watching. I waved at the big monster and used my new hole driver to dig.

The monster watched me work setting up the frame of the fence. Each post was a single piece of wood with a longer piece facing out, forming a right triangle on the ground. 10 feet of wood slanted to 9 feet was still a little too much for a big bad wolf to leap over. If it missed its jump, it would surely be covered in a nest of barbed wire. That would be a sight I would like to see.

Ping!
Fencing lvl8
+7 Skill Points

7 skill levels, and I hadn't even applied the barbed wire. I could nearly snatch up Easy Pickings for whatever it gave me. I placed a layer of barbed wire on the inclined post and stapled it every 3 inches. There was plenty of barbed wire, and I was tired of being attacked in my own home. Sure, this was all inside my property, but I would deal with them when I grew strong enough. When I stapled the last strand, I went to my special latched door and crossed over. Then I slapped a lock on it just in case the wolf was smart enough to copy me.

More eyes stared at me from the darkness, but I didn't feel scared, thanks to my fence. While birds would be a problem, the wolves wouldn't get in so easily. I couldn't imagine the big guy doing much when better options for prey were available. It might even use my fence to ambush deer, which could be costly for repairs. I checked on my skill and found it had entered the double digits without my notice, and I had just enough to finish off another skill tree.

Fencing lvl11
Skill Tree Easy Pickings 10/10 Complete
Reward Choice
Seed of Life Or Seed of Knowledge

Reward choices were rare, especially early on. They normally had a hidden meaning, but both were excellent. I had no context for either choice because I hadn't studied farming at all. For all I knew, it would offer fruit that gave free attributes. If that was the case, then life would be the most valuable.

A burst of light flashed, and a seed appeared in my palm. It glowed with a hungry red light, so I did the most natural thing in the world. I found a place and planted it before dumping some mana-dense water on it. After I patted the dirt, Gwen pranced over.

"I think you were supposed to eat it," Gwen said.

"I'm a farmer; why would I waste a seed? It would hardly fill me up." I said.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 6

My heart hammered in my chest, my teeth ground together, and my body shook. A soft pile of wolf feces covered my boot after taking a single step outside my tent. There was a big ugly hole under my fence screamed that I had miscalculated. Plugged in the hole leading under my fence was a fat doe carcass already covered in flies. Random holes were dug through my furrows, which took an hour to fix before I returned to my tent for morning exercises.

Pushups went on longer than normal, and I needed to work my body while my mind chewed on the problem.

Wolves were known for their cunning nature, but this one was vindictive. The next obvious choice was to cover the ground around my fence with quick-drying cement. It was promising to be a hot day that would dry the cement faster. Images of that wolf snapping its claws and bleeding brought a smile to my face. I could be vindictive, too.

Thoughts of something like buying a steak and soaking it in antifreeze came to mind. Still, there were laws against unnecessary cruelty to monsters, and I wouldn't feel right doing that. It could have entered my tent and hadn't; it instead decided to bully me. Nothing was stopping it from charging in and diving through the hole. The hole was much smaller than the wolf, meaning it might not have been the size of a van. It probably had the skill Intimidate.

Ping!
+1 Strength
Strength 6
Berserk lvl10
+1 Skill Point
Training lvl6
+1 Skill Point
Adapt lvl6
+1 Skill Point
Regeneration lvl6
+2 Skill Points

"Who is Mai?" Gwen asked.

"You can read my mind; shouldn't you know who she is better than me," I said.

The fawn hopped on my bed roll and used her nose to fling open my laptop. Keys clicked, and I suddenly didn't feel good about leaving her alone with my stuff.

"Your thoughts aren't your memories or impressions. I only wanted to know because you were calling her name in your sleep." Gwen said.

"Let me make this clear. I don't want to talk about Mai." I said.

She, I refused to even think about it. The wound was fresh; I was only a convenience; there was no we.

"There is a battle happening in the rookie circuit. Tamer Lourie Summer is debuting with her Demi Oni Mai. If you want to use me to battle, then we should watch matches together." Gwen said.

She would say something so innocent and heartwarming. Farmers can't leave their homesteads so long as they're in debt. With 6% interest each year, I wasn't getting out of the hole anytime soon. I morbidly sat down to watch a battle.

Mai was beautiful. Her delicate pink skin had been well taken care of in my absence; she'd come a long way from our days playing in the mud together. Even her fangs appeared polished for the cameras. Long white hair braided in twin tails descended her back. She carried her mother's old feathered helmet under her shoulder and her war ax over her right shoulder. Covering her body was a set of scale mail ridged to turn blades and claws alike. Polished most likely by her father, even without enchantments, it was a marvelous piece Mai used to dress up in when we pretended.

I looked into her yellow eyes and reached out, trying to put myself there with her.

"Introducing Mai under Tamer Lourie Summers." The announcer yelled, and the stands went wild. "She has broken the record for the fastest rookie to acquire the winds to participate in her first league qualifying match. Remember, win a qualifier, and you can challenge a guild; if you win 5 of 9 guild challenges, you qualify to enter the North Weston League Conference, earn an officer rank in the military, and have a chance to face off against the reigning champion." The announcer said.

More cheers erupted, leaving me lost in nostalgia. This was my culture, and it was taken from me.

Ping!
Berserk lvl14
+4 Skill Points
+1 Perception
Perception 3


"Here he is, the wall that every rookie fears: you love him, or you hate him. Introducing the king of breaking rookies. Jack Spice and his monster, the daunting wall Vicky the Iron Widow."

A rank two 4ft tall spiderling with metal plates covering her exoskeleton appeared from a summoning circle. Wealthy tamers could purchase pocket spaces to carry multiple monsters on them at a time. It was incredibly expensive only something wealthy tamers could afford.

"What is the difference between rank 1 and 2 monsters?" Gwen asked.

"About a hundred attribute points and at least one skill over level 20. More niche forms require higher attributes and particular skills of high level. How is this news to you? You're a monster?" I asked.

"Do you know everything about the human body because you're human?" Gwen asked.

"I guess not." I brushed a strand of black hair out of my eyes as the fight began.

Mai dashed forward, and the camera was already altering to slow motion for viewers. Her form blurred away from a stream of silver web as Mai placed the helmet on her head. A heavy swing from the ax ground against a limb, shooting sparks between them. The demi Oni dodged when the spider shot forward legs extended to grapple the demi Oni.

I ordered some concrete and started piling it while the fight continued. The sooner I had some time to focus on growing my field and growing stronger, the better. Eventually, I would need to kill the wolf.

The spider changed tactics as a red flame appeared on the ax blade. It showed its speed by dashing around and flinging sticky packets of webbing. Mai went on the defensive, wasting the skill activation.

"If there is so much difference between a rank 1 and 2, how can Mai win."

"The match isn't about winning; it's about qualifying to be a tamer worthy of the North Weston League. It's a test to see how Lourie and Mai react under pressure and show them what they can improve on. Veronica hasn't used a single active skill yet." I said.

Lighting surged around the ax blade, flashing before a swing threw a lightning ax blade in front of the ax's blade. This time the spider shifted completely, dodging the attack, wrapped one of Mai's hands with webbing, and connected to the ground.

"A tamer's monster at rank 2 will have fought numerous monsters both from other tamers and those in the wild. They have experience with tactics Mai and Lourie can't deal with this early. At this point, Mai is mostly fighting by herself. Lourie is most likely preventing Mai's Oni Rage skill from activating." I said.

A red aura erupted around Mai, and she dropped the ax. Lourie clutched her head and fell on her bottom while Mai roared and tugged hard on the web, tying her down.

"Lourie Summer has lost control of her monster; the match is over." Veronica moved in a flash, even to slow-mo cam. In moments, Mai was wrapped in silver web and gnashing her teeth to get out. "What a participant folks give it up for Lourie Summers and her starter, Demi Oni Mai." The announcer yelled.

The crowd cheered as I pulled a wheelbarrow out of my transporter. This would mean I couldn't easily move my fence when it was time to expand. I tossed a few 50lbs bags of extreme strength quick concrete in the wheelbarrow and headed out.

"At least she failed; that's good, right?" Gwen asked.

"She's going to pass; that was a good showing against a rank 2. People are going to say she's a prodigy because she's using my childhood best friend as her starter. That should have been me." I said.

Ping!
Berserk lvl18
+4 Skill Points

"A good thing you wouldn't have looked good in a dress." Gwen bumped up against me. "They lost out because you would have won that match."

Lourie had higher willpower than me, but it was nice to dream. I gently pet Gwen's side; she was a spot of sanity in this field of chaos.

I went outside and mixed the concrete quickly, and more eyes watched, but that didn't matter. Once I stirred it well, I poured the rocky mixture on the ground and let it set thickly all around the fence. It took repeated tribes, but my attributes allowed me to work tirelessly.

"You could buy some reins for me, and I could pull your wheelbarrow."

I gave the white fawn's delicate bone structure. "And deprive myself the exercise not a chance."

"One day, you're going to wake up exhausted, and then you'll have no choice but to let me do all the work," Gwen said.

"Oh no, don't give me a day off. I don't think I'll be able to handle it," I said.

I mixed, poured, and spread with a shovel as expertly as I could but barely covered what I wanted. Hundreds of bags weren't cheap I already spent another 1000W on preventing wolves from digging under my fence. The hot sun was quick to dry out the concrete, so I had to pour it quickly or risk it setting in the wheelbarrow.

"Are you alright, Atom?" Gwen asked.

I sucked in a breath as I forced a hunk of concrete out of the wheelbarrow and let it impact the ground.

"Why shouldn't I feel alright? I have known Mai since before we could walk. She stayed for me instead of leaving on an adventure with any of the great tamers in my family. But it was too much to come here with me; she wanted what I couldn't give her. She's happy, so I should be happy for her, right? That's what everyone said."

"I don't know. I've only been alive for a few weeks. Life here with you seems better than what we saw."

"You don't want to fight even if we can leave the farm," I said.

"Being a spectacle like that isn't for me. I'm sorry." Gwen said.

Maybe she would change her mind if she saw better fights. Mai used to not like them when we were younger and would leave when I watched them. What changed it had to be when that old man tried to buy her to be a part of his team. I remember begging my father not to let the old man take her. Sometime after that, she became interested in everything I was interested in.

Was I being used? Am I still being used? I looked down at the fawn covered in grey cement standing by my side.

Ping!
Berserk lvl20
+2 Skill Points
Skill Tree Unlocked
Skill Tree: Black Rage I 0/50

 

[Visual Pun]

Did he just level up to 2 with his Skill of 20?

Or does he have to grind some more?

I have a feeling that as a Wrath Farmer he'll be able to talk to plants to get them to grow...

Threaten.

Threaten plants to get them to grow, if they know what's good for them.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 8

My morning began on my hands and knees, plucking weeds around my growing corn stalks. I had one basket and fortunately, a great way to get rid of them as well. The day before had been relaxing; the wolves failed to penetrate my fence, and I exercised most of the day, making few gains but great strides. While this wasn't the life I chose, it was the one I ended up with. I had a monster, and life with her was turning out great.

A harsh northern wind blew in from Mt. Red, the tallest in the Shining Mountain range. Trees bent under the wind, and some snapped. Bird monsters fled only for a few to get swept away and hit the ground hard. Once, the blue sky had turned dark and ominous. I checked my app to see no weather changes, which could only mean this was caused by a monster. Something on Mt. Red was strong enough to cause damage miles away. Two peaceful days were too much to ask for without some monster causing me problems.

Gwen poked her head out of the tent and shut herself inside. I checked in the saw the fawn shivering under my blanket. I laid the basket of weeds I plucked down and fell into strength training exercises.

"We're in danger; we need to run," Gwen said.

"Running won't do us any good. We are surrounded by wolves; if we run, they will chase. Besides, the presence isn't anywhere near us." I said.

"Wrong, the power is so strong," Gwen said.

I rubbed her soft-furred side. "It isn't after us," I said.

The fawn continued to shiver as I tried to soothe her. Getting chickens at this point would be counterproductive. Buying a chicken-type monster only for it to immediately panic and die of shock was a waste of money and cruelty. Neither of those I wanted to indulge in. Buying what protein I could would have to continue.

I really wanted to become self-sufficient and lower my overhead; a chicken farm would have helped with that. Growing corn and chicken felt like a match made in heaven. High-ranked chickens could sell eggs at a relatively high price. While farmers generally needed a tamer for monsters on their farms, chickens were not regulated at rank 1.

This was a chink in the armor that could allow me to rise in wealth quickly. I would have to build most of the infrastructure myself but it was possible to do. Unfortunately, the wind continued to blow, killing that dream until the presence stopped its tantrum.

Ping!
Adapt lvl8
Regeneration lvl8
Training lvl8
+6 Skill Points

That made no sense. A drop of blood fell on the floor of my tent. I reached under my nose and pulled back blood.

"I can't protect you with my power. You have to run, or you'll be hurt worse the longer the wind blows." Gwen said.

I sat in one of my camp chairs with my elbows resting on the back facing the bed. Blood continued to leak from my nose, but it wasn't a bad thing yet. My skill regeneration was keeping up with it. If I continue training, my other skills will quickly level.

"This wind is psychic based," I said.

Gwen slowly nodded. She shivered under the assault while I could only feel the wind. "We are miles away from the creature," I said.

"It's so powerful. Rank 6 or higher, and it's battling a rank 7 physical like Mai." Leave it to a psychic white-tailed deer to sense a battle miles away. "I don't know what to do when the fight starts in earnest. The waves of power will get worse, summoning twisters that will devastate the land.

"Nothing we can do but wait out the storm and hope nothing too hot to handle comes our way," I said.

"What happens if your farm is destroyed and you can't pay your bills?" Gwen asked.

"I will be bought out by a bigger farmer; they will take me on as a sharecropper, and I will probably work for them for the rest of my life. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

"Your nose is still bleeding." I applied some pressure until another blast of wind stronger than before swept through me.

Maybe I should invest in my newest skill tree; maybe there will be attribute gains that will help.

Black Rage I 0/50
Skill Points: 16

It was an intimidating sight. The skill was completely untied from farming, and it looked so good. Black Rage sounded like it would lead to something more, and I wanted that. Continued skill trees were bigger and rumored to have some of the best skills and attribute gains imaginable. Snagging one early was the thing to do for any class.

16 points went in.

Ping!
Black Rage I 5/50
+1 Willpower
Willpower 11
Black Rage I 10/50
+1 Willpower
Willpower 12
Black Rage 15/50
+1 Willpower
Willpower 13

Gains in willpower like that would be a dream come true for a monster tamer. They needed every free point possible. Attributes in willpower determined what type of monster and how many they could have on a team. I never heard of the berserk skill given a skill tree that drops willpower attributes.

A thought came over me and wouldn't let me go. I had an opportunity to raise my agility along with my strength. Staying still and punching my bag might be my problem. Why not move a little while I punched my bag.

From there, under the flowing wind, I practiced moving and managed to jab at my bag. It was easier said than done. My idea involved just moving around the bag and hitting it instead of remaining stationary. After an hour with no improvement, I swapped my tactics.

Image training was taught to me by Mai, who learned it from her father, Kato. The skill was necessary to put myself in from of an opponent I've seen to compare my movements to theirs. The person I knew the most was obviously Mai. I pictured that she was the bag with her ax ready to swing at any time, and I had to dodge around her blows and punch when I could.

While I'm sure there was a skill shard for something similar for me it was better doing it through my own mind. I endured the imaginary swings of Mai's ax as I waited, weaving between her slow-mo blows for the perfect strike that would allow me to put damage on the board.

From the outside, it looked like I was dancing around the bag, suddenly lurching at odd moments. Right when the ax was withdrawn, I knew the timing between the next attack I struck. A heavy blow hit Mai in the cheek, and the bag rocked back before I withdrew before the return could cleave me in two. Out of dozens of attacks, that single punch was all I managed between ax swings. As a fighter, I had a long way to go; there was no doubt about that.

Ping!
+1 Agility
Agility 4

Beads of sweat poured down my face as I struggled to catch my breath. That wasn't Mai at her best only a slow-mo version captured by the camera. The real version would be so much faster.

This was the gym where I could do the most good. I needed to improve as much as I could because someday, I would have to fight. The farmer class didn't give increased attributes in anything but endurance and vitality with levels. So, I needed to earn that the old-fashioned way. My training skills would eventually make it easier, but I had to get past the hard beginning of early levels.

What I really needed was more skills. The Rasputin territory was well known for its hidden dungeons and mana-dry land. If I could leave my farm without alarms going off and a knight and investigator begin sent out to search for me, I would have already. To move forward, I needed to first pay back my debt, then I could roll the dice on my life in the local dungeons.

A scant few dungeons in this area were rumored to contain dragon-type monsters. That rumor probably wasn't true, but if it was, some dungeons dropped special skill shards containing tamer skills. Like Dragon Tamer, if I had that skill, then I could become a pseudo-tamer.

Mad dreams were all I had left to cling to in this world. I left the tent and felt a heavy wind try to blow me over. It might be possible to push my regeneration skill to 20 while the wind blew. A smile spread across my face at such a massive gain. My good mood lasted until I heard wolves howling and saw a shape launch itself at my fence.

Wolves shot out of the woods covered in blood. One flung itself into my fence and tangled in the barbed wire. The more it struggled, the more it cut itself to ribbons. I reached for my shovel to try and free it, only for more to charge into my fence. I had a bad feeling when the massive wolf also appeared.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 8
Angry howls and bitter, painful shrieks carried on the wind as I listened to the pounding of padded feet. The alpha wolf that pranked me left deer carcasses and loomed over me leaped over the fence using the dead bodies of its subordinates. I saw it midair, teeth open and shiny like the blade of a guillotine. Shovel in hand, there weren't a lot of options.

I swung.

The weight of the blow jarred my arms, but in midair, the wolf couldn't change its direction. I threw myself out of the way as its body tumbled before it rose and lunged. It shot from side to side as I held my shovel before it yipped. My eyes widened before a set of teeth tore into my shoulder. Blood sprayed down my shirt as 120lbs of wolf monster dragged me down. I shoved my shovel in the dirt and managed to stay up, but the wolf didn't let go. The alpha-charged teeth flashed to finish me off.

My throat was exposed, and nothing should be able to save me. Then, the wolf flinched.

I struck out with my fist, leaving the shovel behind and striking the wolf on the nose. The superficial blow stunned the animal, and I found the rock I dug up while digging furrows. I threw myself on it, aiming where the dog bit my shoulder. My body felt the impact as teeth snapped in my shoulder and dog brain spilled on the ground. Constitution was considered a dump attribute for most humans who wanted course rough skin.

The rank one wolf didn't have the constitution stat needed for its teeth to bite too deeply. It wasn't a rank 2 monster with attributes in a little bit of everything. Blood poured down my shirt, but it felt like that wouldn't be a problem for long, thanks to my regeneration. I froze when a harsh wind hit me just right, and shook as one of the alpha wolf's eyes popped out of its socket.

Gwen did say the psychic winds would get worse when the fight started.

The wolves were more affected because they had lower willpower. I was better off with Black Rage than I thought. I swung my shovel at the alpha wolf and missed.

The creature ducked under my blow and lunged, clamping down on my arm. Green liquid flowed off its fangs into my wound. I felt the flesh sizzling where it bit me. The green liquid wasn't poison like I expected; it was acid. It savaged my arm and ripped it to bloody ribbons before it let go and leaped back. Blood spurted out of my arm, spilling on the ground with every beat of my heart. What little light I could see fully filled the edges of my vision. I tried to move and tripped on the shovel.

The wolf approached far less cautious.

I hadn't miscalculated there were no calculations or plans involved. This whole situation was unprecedented and couldn't be planned for. How was I supposed to know the monsters would go crazy when some crazy strong monster on Mt. Red had a territory dispute. I was going to die like many farmers, a statistic to be read out at class schools. None of my family ever apologized.

That filled me with more rage than I thought. I struggled to slow the bleeding, and the anger helped. Resentment was keeping me alive better than holding pressure on my arm.

The wolf showed its fangs and lunged to finish me off. The monster froze mid-leap as Gwen stepped out of the tent.

"Do you remember me, wolf? You ate my mother, chased me into the arms of a human, and invaded my home." The wolf struggled until Gwen turned her head. The wolf was pressed against the barbed wire and racked back and forth. At first, the wolf's fur protected it as the monster struggled, but that didn't last long. It was moved ever faster, ripping meat off the bone. In a matter of minutes, it was a quarter through the fence like cheese through a grater.

I held a hand to my wound and let regeneration take care of it. My attention was completely taken over by the wound as I watched blood clot and flesh knit. The more attention I put on the injury, the faster it seemed to heal. It seemed concentrating on aspects of a skill was useful. Regeneration didn't have to only passively boost my healing rate; it could be focused on a singular wound.

Ping!
Regeneration lvl12
Berserk lvl21
Adapt lvl10
Training lvl10
+9 Skill Points
All the points went into Black Rage.

Black Rage I 25/50
+2 Willpower
Willpower 15

I watched my arm slowly pull the savaged ripped muscle back inside itself as my regeneration worked overtime. My shoulder itched, and I reached up and plucked a broken tooth out. A white-tailed deer rammed into my fence, flipped, and landed inside with a broken neck.

Other monsters were leaving the woods; not all were headed in my direction, but some were. Something about the monster on Mt. Red was driving them all into a frenzy. A deer viciously kicked a wolf to death before stomping holes in the corpse until it spilled open the creature's guts. I watched the deer savage the entrails hungrily. The winds continued to blow, and madness spread in their wake.

This was the kind of nonsense that created random lines among monsters. Deer that eat the meat of wolves might gain odd transformations. Hunted to hunter could transform into cannibalism. Birds caught in the winds attacked each other in the sky overhead. A bird hit the ground beside me dead as more flew up to either escape or join the fight.

When my arm was well enough to move, I stood up and moved to sit beside Gwen. "You saved my life."

"When you leave for your adventures, take me with you; I want to see more than this," Gwen said.

I needed to find one of the hidden dungeons of Rasputin and, ironically, farm it for skill shards. Once my Adapt reached a certain level, gaining levels in even active skills was possible. Some passive elemental mastery skills would be best; they had plenty of skill trees that could turn even me into a mage-like fighter. My training skills were key. I could potentially gain attribute points in areas my class normally limits. Good equipment wouldn't be a bad thing, either. A weapon that could grow with me would be sweet, but dungeons that had loot like that were heavily guarded and extremely dangerous.

The feeling in my arm came back, giving me an excuse to move. I liked moving more than sitting around thinking. It kept me from thinking about how hard my life became, thanks to my class.

This event won't bother my crops much. I took some wood and transported some plastic ties. From there, I made some supports and tied the crowing stalks to them. After that I began the long process of burying the monster bodies. This would have the bonus of empowering the soil. I should expect a qualitative increase in my crop yield. I stared down at the tree of life seed sprout.

With little fanfare, I buried a few bird corpses around it. Gwen watched me slowly remove the bodies from my fence and bury them one by one. Monster corpses, once buried, could greatly improve a farmer's chances of paying back their debts.

It would be wise to expand quickly and far after this battle. The wolves were dead, and more of my territory was open to reclaim. I could open a grove after I cut down the forests. Fencing it in would be a challenge but not an unwelcome one. I liked the feeling of safety a fence brings.

Clearly, 9 feet wasn't enough. I needed a much taller fence if I was to survive out here. This would come at a steep price, but my crops would start coming in soon. My optimism ended when I saw Gwen's drooping sad form.

Gwen made her way back to me, sullen and defeated. "Am I evil? The wolf killed, and I killed; doesn't this make us the same."

"You certainly didn't find the word evil in my mind; where did you hear that word?" I asked.

"On your computer, there is talk about this thing called evil. All I can figure out is that it means you're bad." Gwen said.

"That's not what evil is. It's an immoral act or person who commits immoral acts. The wolf was moral before the winds since it ate only when hungry and had to eat to live. So to be like the wolf isn't evil."

"So I am evil because I killed the wolf for revenge."

"Revenge isn't a bad thing. Do you feel better that your mother's killer is dead?" I said.

This felt like a heavy mess that would eventually blow back in my face. I could only hope I somehow managed to get Gwen through it.

"No, I feel empty. Other wolves will kill deer so long as either exists. You would kill and eat deer and never feel bad about it. Besides me, you don't care about any of my kind." Gwen said.

"Yes, because we're friends. That's why I plan to eat chickens instead of deer."

"Don't bother since deer don't matter; just eat them right in front of me," Gwen said.

I rolled my eyes and rubbed my face. This was what being a monster friend without the Tamer skill was all about.

"No, because you deserve respect even if you don't believe it," I said.

She fled to my tent for the rest of the day while I buried bodies.

 

[PIEGURU]

I'm really enjoying this, thank you. Exciting premise.

 

[Arimai]

I am imagining the monstrous Juggernaut he's going to be when he succeeds with his plan. This entire setting needs to be torn down and something better built. These fuckers have basically enslaved the lower castes and I hate it. It reminds me too much of Untouchables and Burakamin to be acceptable.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 10

The weather calmed down a few hours after the wolf attacks, and in the interim, I managed to buy a chainsaw and woodworking tools. The forests were a problem I needed to get rid of sooner rather than later. Harvesting the wood would be useful for almost anything I wanted to build, chicken coop included. With that in mind, I watched a few tutorial videos while Gwen stared over the chainsaw manual.

After living here for more than a week, I was beginning to understand why no one wanted to land in the Rasputin territory. While it was cheaper than any land around, I was close enough to the Bright Mountain range to get hit by skills from greater monsters. The peak of Mt. Red was far in the distance, but my whole land was affected dozens of miles away.

Solving a problem like this would normally require the services of an expensive enchantment-specialized mage. Still, I was sure we could handle it ourselves. For six easy payments of 2000W, we could purchase a primer on magic runes. I saw it in the shop and couldn't believe my eyes. While the book was out of date by a decade, I recognized it as the same primer my cousin bought to help his enchantment studies. From what I could tell, it really helped him out.

"You're remembering that wrong," Gwen said.

"How so," I said.

"It was the busty witch tutor that helped him reach a passing grade. You blocked that part out along with the noise coming through your wall." Gwen said.

"Am I blocking anything else out?" I asked.

"This is really a nice chainsaw; it will really make short work of those trees."

I rolled my eyes and gave more of my attention to techniques to dry logs properly for storage or preparation for weatherizing. Building a log cabin and moving up in the world might be a good idea; I couldn't stay in a tent forever. Solid walls might protect us from the next windstorm.


Gwen decided my relaxed state was the perfect time to drop a bomb. "What are you going to do about the dungeon in the southern woods?" Gwen asked.

"How is there a dungeon here? The surveyors should have picked it up and reported it." I said.

"It only just formed after the psychic winds bathed the area, and so many monsters died to fuel it. When you added monsters back to the soil, it helped finish a process that should have taken decades." Gwen said.

"What have you been looking up on my computer?"

"Skill drops appear in dungeons, and you need those, don't you."

"I do; why am I missing 200W from my bank account. There was a sale for deer monster attribute growth potions."

Far into the corner behind my punching bag were a few empty glass bottles. It seemed while I was working, Gwen had herself a shopping trip. She must have snatched my bank information from my mind. The fact the bottles got here would make it difficult to declare fraud. Basically, I was in a position where she could steal from me with impunity.

"Don't dungeons drop local currencies."

I nodded slowly and let the petty theft go. "They are also greatly impacted by the catalyst of their growth. Since it was a psychic attack that killed all the monsters that fed it to awakening, I wonder what we will find."

"You could get a psychic skill like me, and then when you're strong enough, we can fly together." Gwen leaped in the air and pranced while levitating. "This is going to be great."

"My class is based on endurance and vitality. I won't have the Willpower to power Psychic like you."

"I thought you were going for a willpower build anyway. The farming class was just a happy accident that brought us together." Gwen said.

"The Monster Tamer class grants 5 Willpower and 4 Intelligence per level. That is on top of any training, attribute potions, or skill trees a monster tamer will take. At lvl10, which is the bar to enter the Qualifier, we watched Lourie, who most likely has over 200 willpower. I simply can't compete as I am now. The act of controlling Mai acts as excellent training for Lourie's Willpower. If they knew about the training skill, which they probably do, then her Willpower is possibly 250. I have 15 willpower compared to them. I'm a joke." I said.

Gwen stopped prancing in the air and landed softly, clacking her hooves on the hard ground. "I know it's going to be a long road, but that isn't any reason not to travel it. The first steps are hard, but we're worth it."

She was so optimistic I couldn't argue with her. I rolled my eyes and finished my video.

"I doubt we'll get the skills we want in the first run. We'll run the dungeon a few times to see what kind of drops we get." I said.

Gwen jumped on my bedroll and shoved her way into my lap. "Let's cut down some trees. I can't wait the eat the shoots on top of them," Gwen said.

A few hours later, I pulled the chainsaw out of its box and inspected it. The motor was a tiny but power bit of magic in the form of a cube on the side of the blade. Enchantments ran over the saw blade linked to the cube. The long bottom heavy handle gave great control over the tool and housed two emergency stop buttons. After reading the manual carefully, I flipped on the machine, and the chainsaw buzzed to life.

The forest was an eyesore, the place where the wolves hid between raids and chasing deer. Before I approached the first tree, a two-foot-tall rabbit leaped from its burrow and stared at me with small black eyes. The monster slammed its feet on the ground in agitation before leaping at me. Without a second thought, I slashed with the chainsaw.

I felt the saw hit soft cottontail fur and felt blood splatter my face and the tree behind the rabbit. There wasn't even a shriek before the rabbit was in half. I barely felt it touch my saw. My chainsaw motor really was a powerful monster. Most of the blood had flown through a vent on the side of the tool. That kind of power was addictive; maybe an actual chainsword was something I should think about getting my hands on. I took another step toward the tree, and more rabbits peered from their burrow before charging me.

Ping!
+1 Perception
Perception 4

The real question was how I was going to get a chainsword mastery skill. Chainswords weren't a thing, and no monster on a tamer's team would use one. Fatal battles were severely frowned upon outside of war, and skills that couldn't be practiced outside of niche circumstances were considered wastes. As for dungeon clearing, I could think of no weapon better than a chainsword and maybe a war hammer for hardier opponents.

Forget sharpness saw away at a soft spot. With that in mind, I moved in, cutting down sweet-looking rabbits as I approached the tree. They were fast, but their leaps were predictable. The tree in question was a great ancient thing that had drank in the magic of the land for generations, choking out as much of the area around it as it could to stave off competition. Old white wood bigger around than my arm's length looked like it would make either great furniture or logs for my house.

I eased my saw into the side of the tree and watched sawdust fly as my long chainsaw ate cleanly through the wood. Before I made it halfway through, I withdrew and cut at another angle before pulling out a massive hunk of wood. Then, I began the long cut to ensure it fell right where I wanted it to. The tree fell slowly at first, snapping limbs up above as bird monsters fled before crashing heavily. It was just one of many trees I would fall before finishing up on this forest. Five little forests on my property needed to be cut; only the forest with the dungeon would be left alone. I planned to cut out a trail leading to it before I finished off the week.

Slowly, I cut the limbs from the great tree and carried them off. I felt sweat bead down my face, and all the monsters in the forest were watching me, but this was also training. Several hours later, I received a message.

Ping!
+3 Strength
Strength 9
Berserk lvl25
Regeneration lvl19
Training lvl15
Adapt lvl15
Skill Points: 26

I had just enough to finish off Black Rage. That would give me another 5 points in Willpower or more since I was finishing off the skill tree. My gaze lingered on the pile of stacked limbs; there was still so much that needed doing. This wouldn't take much time, hopefully.

Skill Tree Black Rage I 50/50 Complete
+10 Willpower
Willpower 25
New Skill
Lingering Will lvl1

That skill was something I'd never heard of. For the first time since gaining access to my system, I looked up a description.

Lingering Will lvl1
Description: The barest presence of a will that is more than mental. As this skill levels, that lingering presence will increase, baring a shape based on the form of the user's psyche. Every step forward is a step in the right direction; while passive the effects of this skill will appear more active as time with this skill moves forward. Higher Willpower will greatly empower the effects of this skill. Effects of this skill can be different for different users and are undetectable at lower levels. This skill is considered the perfect addition to any willpower-focused class with low physical attributes or a class that uses both Willpower and strength.

I felt different. The feeling was like there were extra arms inside my arms, barely physically moving with me. My hand closed around a limb, and I lifted it. 300lbs of limb flew over my head with little effort it was so strange. The presence in my arms remained, but it felt a little diminished.

Ping!
Lingering Will lvl2
Skill Points 2

A smile spread across my face; this would make cutting down trees and cleaning up so much faster. Who needed construction worker monsters when I was the construction monster.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 12

Monster bodies did one thing for farmers that couldn't be underestimated. Rows of green stalks a few acres deep practically radiated a healthy green shine. Large ears hung off the stalks, ready to be picked and sold to start paying off my debt. Gwen jumped out of the cornfield with a golden ear in her mouth, already munching away while eyeing me. In the sunlight, the corn glittered like gold, a testament to its species. I took it as a sign to harvest immediately and try and get a return on my debt.

I read over the transportation rules and only had to send the corn in the husk. With that in mind, I started picking. Every ear felt like another Weston in the bank. I quickly loaded my first wheelbarrow and dumped it in the transporter. I had to harvest today and let my stalks grow another yield.

Hours later, when all but what I needed for both replanting and for my own use was sold, I checked my bank account. 5000W was added, and the threat of becoming a sharecropper was gone for another month. To make that ax over my head go away permanently, I needed to pay back my debt completely.

Utilizing all of my land would get the job done, but I would need to use every scrap of wood I harvested for a massive fence with tons of barbed wire.

Ping!
Harvest lvl10
Skill Points: 20

I walked the line of where I wanted my fence to be, leading me down the path to where the dungeon entrance waited. For a while, I stood in the forest surrounded by angry rabbits and flustered birds. The dungeon entrance smelled like adventurers, riches, and so much blood I could drown in it.

A dungeon was a resource I couldn't rely upon fully.

If I outright collected money from dungeons without a class allowed to dungeon dive, some bureaucrat would get suspicious. The farmer class was as much a political tool as it was the backbone of Weston society. Farmers grew the food everyone from administrators to monster tamers ate. Those under debt from government loans could only sell to approved government facilities. The authorities wanted to make sure I followed the rules and a rich family member didn't bale me out. 9 out of 10 people were farmers and lived in communities working together to conquer the land on grand joint-owned farms. What I was doing could be considered a stupidly dangerous risk. On the flip side, every Weston I made was mine.

Dungeons often had rare crops or even livestock inside that could be domesticated. This led me to focus more on the dungeon than on increasing my yield. Instead of trying to encompass all of my owned land, I decided to build a fence around a quarter of it. My latest plan involved creating an orchard. With my current nutrient-rich soil, certain fruits, barring trees, would do very well, or they might become monsters. Mana-rich soil would cause crops to grow faster and have better yields.

The day before, I worked hard to hammer a chicken coop together but didn't know how they would fare with another windstorm. Before I even thought about getting chickens, I needed to get my financial situation under control and purchase that book on enchanting. If I could block out the psychic wind, then the chickens would be fine.

I looked down at my stomach. Not two weeks after getting my class, I was already skin and bones. Everything I ate was worked off, and then some. My body was stronger than ever, but it was more gristle than muscle. I felt the thing lingering beneath my skin, thin and hungry; the more levels my skill gained, the more substantial it was.

Lingering Will lvl10

I felt it more, and since it was passive, any amount of work helped it develop further. Whatever it was, it moved to my willpower, acting as a force following along. There were moments when it felt like something was watching me from the inside, waiting for something.

The feeling wasn't like how I knew Gwen was always in my head looking up stuff to learn more about this human and monster world. Whatever the skill did, it left something inside of me that grew as the skill did. There was an uncomfortable alienness to the feeling.

I thought about going into the dungeon to take my mind off the feeling in my bones. There were powerful skill shards ripe for the taking. I could progress forward rapidly with nothing to hold me back. This was my own private dungeon, untouched and plundered. All the secrets within were mine to discover. Having something like it to explore was an interesting feeling. It almost felt like a reward for a job well done.

Too bad it was a death trap to enter alone.

"It's a good thing you aren't alone," Gwen said.

"Are you done eating my corn?" I said.

"Yes, and it was delicious, thank you for asking," Gwen said.

"You're going to get fat, and then I'm going to have to roll you around when you get tired of levitating," I said.

"No, I won't. I'll run it all off, you'll see," Gwen said.

I rolled my eyes and stared at the dungeon; it was so beautiful. The high arches of wood melded well with the surrounding forest. Glowing runes in an unknown language covered the mantle of the entrance, hiding a mysterious message. Monster skeletons waited around the entrance as if the dungeon was showing off past victims. A small smattering of copper coins covered the ground nearest the entrance leading inside. In the noonday light, they glittered bright enough to outshine the warning the skeletons represented.

My hand grasped the edge of the gate while I peered inside. A damp smell rose from the dungeon's depths, carried on a familiar wind. I felt the psychic lash from the winds days ago, though it was muted. My higher Willpower attribute helped fend off the effects as well. Even the lingering presence in my body helped me shrug off the effects until I didn't even have a nosebleed.

This would be my first step on my path to becoming a tamer. Gwen and I were challenging a dungeon for its treasures together.

Not even my family could stop my dream forever.

Inside the dungeon, I heard a buzzing before fist-sized mosquitoes with hypodermic needles flew in. Something pierced my shoulder, and I smashed it to bits. Glass, blood, and exoskeleton covered my hand as Gwen used her psychic power and gathered a few of the pests into a ball and crushed them. I waved my hand, slapping the massive bugs against walls, crushing them and their half-glass, half-flesh bodies. Small cuts covered my hand, but Regeneration would take care of it.

Around us, in the small hallway leading down into the dungeon, small bloody streams filled with mosquito larvae swam, leading deeper into the dungeon. The smell of blood and the feeling of psychic pressure grew worse as we descended. Bloody streams continued to run deeper as we entered the first floor of the dungeon proper.

Purple miasma clouds covered the 12ft ceiling giving off bursts of light as swarms of mosquitoes moved through them. At first glance, we were in a forest, until looking more closely, the trees were actually collections of bones bound together in spider silk. I stepped off the path, and a trapdoor opened, followed by grasping legs.

My shovel whipped up and dug into the creature's head before it could drag me into its home. I pulled my shovel back spider guts, and brains dripped off the blade of my shovel little worse for wear.

Fortunately, spiders weren't what I was most concerned about. Dungeons had them all the time and sometimes even used them as final bosses. I doubted that was the case in this instance. Fat spiders loomed on trees surrounding the clear-cut path through the tall spider nests. In the distance, there was a tall, wide nest larger than the others. If we followed the path, it would lead us directly to it.

Something crawled on my shoulder, and I smashed it.

I flipped the spider's trap door all the way up and looked inside, only to see more monster bones. Some monsters were finding their way inside, but I turned my head to see a bird-type monster drinking blood from a stream. A group of mosquitoes plunged their needles into its back to feed, only for its beak to snap one out of the air.

The bird had all black and blue feathers and stood six feet tall or more. It didn't have very developed wings, but its legs were extremely muscled. When it moved, screeching winds blasted around the monster. Another of its kind appeared, and the first one turned its gaze at the newcomer. One screeched at the other, and the winds picked up. They began a long line of lightning-fast kicks blasting psychic winds with every blow. At the point when one was too damaged to continue, it retreated, leaving the challenged bird to continue snapping mosquitoes from the air and drinking from the bloody water.

After witnessing the bird's attacks, I was sure winning against it was impossible. Neither my agility nor perception were high enough to react well to it. My strength might not be enough to affect it much.

"Maybe we should head back," I said.

It was just as important to know when to retreat as when to charge ahead. I barely saw the birds move when they kicked. Fighting them was a losing proposition. What if another joined in when one side was losing?

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Not until we get at least one skill shard from those rot birds," Gwen said.

"They seem a little dangerous," I said.

Gwen charged ahead, and I was forced to follow behind.

Fortunately, I had a tool to help with the fight. From my back, I pulled my chainsaw free. For 1000W, I was able to buy a slightly better chain and stronger motor to put on the tool.

I made my way to the path and activated my saw. A spider leaped from its nest, and I met it with my saw. The spinning blade sawed through limbs, and a spider body flung green goo behind me with each slash. Spiders covered the ground, but dungeon monsters weren't affected by fear. More came, and I met them with my chainsaw.

Drops came with each death. Some were Westons that I couldn't use without a method to launder the money, but after 50 kills, a skill shard dropped. Gwen's eyes flashed purple whenever a spider jumped, positioning them perfectly for my chainsaw. Our path of destruction continued until we reached the stream where the bird waited. It had watched us as we made our path. The monster squawked in a challenge, launching a fast kick at my face.

Gwen's psychic power slowed the attack, and I moved to the side and cut down on the bird's knee joint. A lightning-fast peck cracked one of my ribs and launched me back several feet before I could finish my strike. The limb hung by half-destroyed joints, but the bird refused to retreat.

It squawked loudly, showing off its impressive chest of black and blue plumage. The bird leaped, vanishing from my sight, until I heard it step on one of the spider nests, using it as a jump-off point. I spun around and raised my chainsaw just in time to meet the chainsaw against the talon. My feet slid back in the muddy shore as my saw failed to cut through monstrous talons.

My first instinct was to use all my strength to resist the assault, but it wasn't working. Gwen's eyes glowed, but the monster dashed away and vanished before she could grasp it with her skill. I moved in front of her and blocked another deadly kick. A part of my saw felt like it suddenly weakened until I heard it crack. In moments, the chain would pop off, leaving us at the mercy of the bird monster.

I decided to take a risk. One of my hands left the handle, and I grabbed the bird's leg while it was focused on Gwen. It squawked as I twisted and used the remaining momentum from the kick to slam the bird's head into the muddy shore. Gwen's psychic force held the bird in place as I struggled to breathe through a cracked rib.

Moving in, I slammed my fist hard on the bird's chest. It was like hitting a wooden puppet more than a bird monster.

The bird lunged, and I met its beak with my chainsaw. Sparks flew off the weapons as the bird struggled against Gwen's psychic bonds.

I struggled against the bird, knowing I had to end this fight quickly or something else would move in to finish us off while we were tired.

My chainsaw lifted, and before the bird could escape, I drove the saw into its neck. Blood and viscera erupted just before the chain snapped on my chainsaw. The chain whipped up and sliced my cheek and arm, but the bird was dead.

After seeing the massive crack in the frame of the saw, I strategically threw it away in the bloody water. We managed to pick up two skill shards from the dead bird and quickly made our way out of the dungeon, retracing our path.

 

[Arimai]

5000 Won for several acres of corn, and you have to do everything by hand? Bullshit. This is share cropping bullsit. Slavery in all but name. Do you know how much labour it is to harvest acres of corn by hand? Because I do. I helped my grandfather do it when I was a kid in the Philippines. This system in the story is designed to enslave farmers. They'll never grow enough to pay for their debts and expenses. It's a company store scheme.

 

[TricMagic]

That do be the hierarchy. Monster Tamers beat all other classes and wrote the history books.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Day 15

I sat on my bedroll, feeling like I was missing something. My class level was still 1 because I hadn't used my experience from selling the corn yet. Every 10 levels, a class will award a skill, and I had enough experience to reach level 5. Unused experience could be added to a class level at any time. That was one of the few advantages of production classes like farmers. As a farmer, I could only use the experience points on my farm. Where I leveled was very important. Fighter classes battling in a dungeon will get more useful skills than a fighter leveling with potions on a farm. After giving it some thought, I decided to try something.

Farming resources from dungeons was considered a right of passage for tamers. Well, I had a dungeon and I was somewhat aware of how dungeons not only worked but how they could be altered, especially young ones.

Skills were interesting tools their effects could be altered not only by level but the user's mindset and how their situation. I gained a level in plow when I killed a bird in the dungeon. My mindset then had been all over the place; I was more focused on getting the bird monster out of the way than anything else. I had managed to get rid of a powerful monster and planted a chainsaw.

Who's to say I'm done plowing or planting? I might be able to adjust the dungeon to produce the materials I wanted. To that end, I purchased a psychic stone, something normally used to help monsters develop psychic-based skills, three swords, two chainsaws, and a box of chickens. It only cost me around 8,000W, but it was fine. More ears of corn were on their way I could expect another harvest in two days. I also planned to catch some rabbits to shove into the dungeon for some variation.

"This is pure evil," Gwen said.

Gwen headbutted my side in her agitation. The fawn was really gaining weight and muscle with all the food she's been eating. The green shoots from treetops must be good for her. Not to mention her share of the peanuts I planted that vanished in only a day.

"Having wealth is a morally good thing. By adding chickens to dungeons, the dungeon will produce eggs on its own as drops that we can put in cartons and sell. I plan to fork over the Westons for a spatial egg container. That will create a reliable stream of income." I said.

"Dungeons are unpredictable. You could create spider chicken monsters instead of a free egg supply, and what's with the swords and chainsaws?"

"I want a chainsword, and the psychic stone is to increase the chances of psychic skills." I picked up the skills we found in the dungeon. "Fell Wind and Blitz Kick aren't exactly what I was searching for," I said.

The doe looked over the skills before absorbing both on the spot. "Why would you do that?"

"You didn't want them; you wanted to farm the dungeon for better skills instead," Gwen said.

I sucked in a breath and let it out. No good would come from starting a fight over nothing. I didn't want either skill and couldn't sell them anyway. Gwen could use both better than me being psychic and being a deer. If anything, she hastened my decision to give those to her. With my class, it wasn't like an active skill would be very useful anyway.

Gwen practiced kicking while I dumped my peanuts into the transporter and made 1000W out of them. While that really wasn't much, it would tide me over until the next corn harvest. I couldn't wait to see what would happen after I made the additions to the dungeon. Before I went to the dungeon, I checked my available skill trees.

Skill Trees:
Embers of Fallen Heroes I 0/250
Black Rage II 0/100
Way of the Homestead 0/50
Alter of Change 0/50
Will To Power 0/50
Resistance is Elemental 0/50
Beginner Adventuring 0/25
Skill Points: 88

Beginner Adventuring was out no matter how much I wanted it. I wasn't exactly traveling yet and couldn't waste my points on it. Embers of Fallen Heroes sounded awesome and seemed to have come from Lingering Will, but it was too long. Black Rage II wasn't something I felt ready for. I had to decide between Way of the Homestead, Will To Power, and Resistance is Elemental. Once I finished one-off, I planned to add the rest of my points to Embers of Fallen Heroes. Altar of Change felt like something I didn't want to touch.

Seeing Will To Power made me feel like it was the right choice for my current build. It came from the Training skill, which was the key to fast skill leveling. I expected it would slow in gains with the rest of my skills after a while.

50 skill points went into the skill immediately filled it out.

Ping!
+5 Willpower
Willpower 30
+5 Agility
Agility 10

I managed to get some attributes but no new skills, which was disappointing.

Suddenly, my body felt so much lighter and easier to move. It was like I wore a weight my whole life, and suddenly, I could walk normally again. I felt like keeping up with the bird in the dungeon would be much easier.

"Maybe gain another 40 agility before trying that. I held it as still as I could the entire time, and we almost died." Gwen said.

That actually made a lot of sense.

I added the last 38 points to Embers of Fallen Heroes. The skill tree was massive, and it would take a long time to wear it down. I gained something every 10 points, which was a nice surprise.

Ping!
+2 Willpower
Willpower 32
+2 Focus
Focus 9
+3 Constitution
Constitution 9

Lingering Will felt like it grew a large amount of my Willpower to my strength and then some. When I was logging and building the fence to hide the dungeon I gained near-constant levels in the skill. After it hit 20, those levels slowed to a crawl. I could feel it inside, and it was so different from when I first felt it.

Closing my eyes, I grasped the energy of Lingering Will; it was more a part of me than I imagined. The strength it poured into me was addictive, and greater attributes helped it grow even stronger.

Focus and Constitution added to that even as I felt my skin grow a little tougher more like boiled leather than leather skin. I was growing stronger at an appreciable rate, even if it felt random most of the time.

I eyed the steel blades normally reserved for an orc or demi oni. They were around the size I wanted for a chainsword. Getting the dungeon to produce them was going to be difficult. I wouldn't be able to sell them on the open market, and it wasn't like I had any connections to the black market.

"You really shouldn't obsess over it. Either it works, or it doesn't." Gwen said.

I sucked in a breath before loading the supplies in our wheelbarrow before taking the long walk with Gwen to the dungeon. Increased Agility really made the trip easier. I knew I was much slower than her, but I felt so much faster.

"You're about as quick as I was when I was just born, if a little slower."

"We'll see when I get a training method down to power up agility."

Another three training-aligned skills could create a second skill block linked to my first. Other berserk-aligned skills and others aligned to my skill block could make a skill cube if I can find 4 skills to synergize with the others. 24 skills that all enhanced each other was something only powerhouses had access to. Monster Tamers who had a chance to become champions or elites were among those with extremely synergetic skills.

"You want to become an ever-growing rage monster," Gwen said.

"Yes," I said.

"We're here. I suppose you'll have to be satisfied corrupting a dungeon," Gwen said.

She kicked one of the trees with her new Blitz Kick skill, and the bunnies charged out, ready for battle. I snatched them from the air, and she bound them in rope with her psychic powers. Once we collected enough, we made our way into the dungeon.

It had been a while since we entered, and one of the mosquitoes charged at us. Its needle spun like a drill. I crushed it immediately as more flowed in before I started tossing the bunnies into the hardly changed first floor. The rabbits started panicking when spiders with chainsaws for fangs assaulted them.

Ping!
Planting lvl10

My planting skill was increasing with the bunnies I shoved into the dungeon it was great. I followed up by tossing more chainsaws in the stream and three swords. The mosquitoes fell to the spider webs when they went in for bunny blood. I popped open the crate and unleashed a flock of chicken monsters on the dungeon. The spiders tossed out silvery webs and dragged some chickens into their webs before they touched the ground.

One of the birds emerged squawking and flailing, chainsaw wings spinning and pirouetting. Spiders fled as the birds moved in flocks of their own, hunting the spiders. I threw my psychic stone and hit a big male monster bird up the side of the head. The hit knocked the bird to the ground, cracking its beak. The other males jumped on it, cutting into the monster with their chainsaw wings.

At that moment, I thought it was the best idea to level up. Greenlight exploded around me as I added all my experience from corn and peanut sales to my class level.

Atom Walker lvl5
Class: Farmer +3 END +2 VIT per LEVEL
Attributes
Physical:
Vitality 12
Constitution 9
Endurance 19
Strength 12
Dexterity 3
Agility 10

Mental:
Perception 5
Willpower 32
Focus 9
Intelligence 5
Wisdom 4
Charisma 4

Skills
Farming:
Plow lvl7
Plant lvl12
Harvest lvl18
Furrows lvl7
Fencing lvl20
MISC:
Berserk lvl26
Training lvl22
Regeneration lvl21
Adapt lvl20
Lingering Will lvl21
Skill Points: 164
158 skill points used

 

[Dr Cupcake]

This feels like something I would read on RoyalRoad, maybe you should consider co-posting on there, I think it'll gain a lot more attention if you did <3.
Thanks for the chappy.

 

[Jupiteresse]

This feels like something I would read on RoyalRoad, maybe you should consider co-posting on there, I think it'll gain a lot more attention if you did <3.
Thanks for the chappy.

Click to shrink...

It does have some heavy runesmith vibes, especially the system

 

[Aureus]

Interesting so far.
How much Willpower does a beginner Monster Tamer have?

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Interesting so far.
How much Willpower does a beginner Monster Tamer have?

Click to shrink...

It depends on the family, resources, and work ethic. 8 would be enough to start but on the higher end it could be 80.

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Smoke filled the room of an old research base as an old piece of tech gave up the ghost to push out one final reading. The old printout was taken by the last researcher who knew what the machine did, only to be snatched away by the tamer assigned to the outpost.

"What are the survey teams doing selling land with a dungeon to a farmer? Is this accurate? Changes are happening in the dungeon that isn't natural." Tony Graves said.

He patted his monster keeper, where his team of three waited to kick ass and take names. This promised to be the makings of an adventurer. A wild dungeon sends its monsters to capture local monsters to empower itself. That was a tragedy waiting to happen. With any luck, he could swing this to finish out his government service and return to the tamer circuit. The North Weston Conference was starting in less than a year.

"From these readings, this situation isn't natural. I believe it's the result of a powerful rank 6 monster's skills. The dungeon is reacting to a distant threat." The researcher said.

"And the poor farmer is caught up in this. I'm reading a powerful rank one signature." Tony said.

"Some farmers find a monster that naturally follows them. I expect it's a dog or cat variant, nothing too dangerous. We ignore it so long as its rank 1." The researcher said.

Tony fiddled with his tie, imagining taking the monster from a farmer and adding something powerful to his team. There were stories about that happening, with Tamers getting a hidden gem for their team to help win the finals. He was sure the farmer would be ecstatic about his friend making it to the big leagues.

"I'll take care of it; this is what I'm paid for," Tony said.

…

Day 15

A pack of birds battles the spiders of the tall webbed spires using chainsaw wings against metal spider limbs and silver webs. When one fell, the mosquitoes fell on the corpses, drilling into them and retrieving glowing red fluids. These same bugs flew into spider webs and were quickly wrapped up before being devoured.

I noticed some strange blue herbs near the spider nests that looked to be either deadly poison or some kind of delicious herb. While I wasn't strong enough to get them yet, with some more time and training, I was sure to pick them. This was only the first floor, and dungeons grew the more they consumed animals, weapons, and items from the outside. Dissolving was only something that happened in dungeons. Take a monster or plant out, and they won't dissolve.

One of the birds charged across the water with murder in its beady black eyes focused on me. It revved its wing saws and spun in its charge. It was a blur as it started spinning like a top in my direction.

Lingering Will was a strange skill it grew stronger not only with its level but with my willpower. I could feel the strength in my limbs more than what should be possible. More than muscle, there was something in me that was always active.

I squatted lower than the bird and tackled it off its feet. The monster continued to wave its wings in confusion as I brought my shovel to bear and stabbed it in the throat. The bird looked surprised as I put a boot on the end of my shovel and took the monster's head off.

As the monster's body dissolved, I noticed the swords and chainsaws I tossed in the water were missing. The dungeon had taken them while I was focused on the fight. I was ok with that because the bird dropped a skill shard.

Sword Style: Gemini Waltz
Description: A simplistic sword style based on a constellation from a distant world. Low levels of the style can make opponents second guess where attacks appear.

While it wasn't great, it was a start. I popped the skill shard on the spot as more spiders attacked the birds. Soon, an entire flock of birds beat back the spider hordes. Gwen tossed a psychic attack, tripping enemies mid-fight causing casualties without getting involved. I picked up a spider leg and began the beginning movements of the Gemini Waltz. It was more like a dance than anything else, and when completing the skill, I felt a slight presence but nothing more.

"I didn't know you liked to dance," Gwen said.

I smiled, enduring the ribbing as I focused on getting a handle on the style. It was technically a passive skill, so I could level it quickly. It's the reason why Fire Manipulation would be more useful to me than Fireball. Controlling an element would always be better for me than any active skill.

Having a style to use instead of flailing wildly was also a good thing. A spider launched itself when it spotted us, and when I struck, it hesitated to move. That single instance was enough to aim the metal spider leg and pierce through a chink in the spider's armor. When the spider dissolved, it left behind a rapier.

Spider Rapier lvl5
Exterminator I: Deal extra damage against insects and arachnid enemies.

While it wasn't, the steel longsword I tossed in the spider rapier was enchanted. Unfortunately, it looked ready to chip on the spider's armor; among the vast array of towering silver spider nests, birds began squawking. They attacked the nests, but the spiders refused to come down to fight them any longer. When one tried to saw its way through a nest, the webs only clogged their chainsaw wings.

"We need to get out of here. The dungeon will start sending out stronger monsters soon." I slid my new sword back into its sheath, and we retreated. This time, when we turned, spiders dotted the ceiling leading up the stairs. They waited on silver webs for us to make our attempt up. "The monsters are getting smarter, or the dungeon is interfering."

Gwen's eyes glowed, and a powerful wind blew, causing the spiders to shriek, and a few fell on the stairs near us. Before they could scramble back up the walls, I finished them with my sword. The footwork was very important. When I did that right, the spiders couldn't follow me long enough to shoot their webs accurately. We slaughtered more of them, and I snagged another skill shard.

Silver Strings (Uncommon)
Description: Create metallic wire with mana and manipulate them in different ways.

It was the first uncommon skill I ever came across. The value could easily be in the 50,000 to 75,000W range. If I could find someone reliable to sell to, that could pay off our debt, and we wouldn't have to bother with this place. Instead, I wanted it for myself. Cordage was an extremely useful tool, and having a practically infinite supply that could be controlled opened so many possibilities.

For the rest of the day, I went about my business checking up on the fence, drying wood I needed to keep, and working on a plan for a log cabin. When I built it, I wanted indoor plumbing. I was beyond tired of digging holes. I had plans to build a small water tower, and Gwen started prancing around the tent.

"We survived," Gwen cheered.

I watched the fawn dance around my room while I thought about all the food I missed. Hot wings were one of the treats I missed the most after giving it some thought. Starting up a real chicken coop, some pepper fields, and a few other herb fields sounded more than worth it.

Adding things like corn, beets, peanuts, and other crops to the dungeon would also be a good idea. Having a dungeon could be like having a second field. The more I fed the dungeon, the more items the dungeon could eventually drop.

Outside my tent, I watched a rooster and six hens that managed to escape the box peck at the ground. It seemed I had the makings of my chicken farm. I left my tent, caught the monsters one after the other, and tossed them in the fenced-in coop. The rooster climbed to the top of the coop and hopped over the fence like nothing happened. Soon, the hens followed it, and they returned to where they started moments before.

I slumped and went to work with my new sword style. Gemini Waltz wasn't what I wanted, but I doubted there were many chainsword styles out in the world. No, my best bet to get one was the dungeon, and that would take time and nurturing. Chainsaw Wings were defeated by a basic tackle, after all. Maybe I should grow some wheat tomatoes and buy some cow-type monsters. I could really use some milk and cheese for chicken spaghetti. I had an opportunity to turn my farm into anything I wanted.

My mental match told me a good milking cow would cost around 3500W. By the time I had the money to start buying cows, I might as well buy out contracts for my fellow farmers in the red. Then, I would have to explain my situation to them. Skill levels couldn't replace farm hands unless I had the right skills. I would need one of the cloning skills, or a summon servant skill. Until I could explore other places that weren't happening. I was lucky enough to have a dungeon at all.

I opened a protein bar and looked South to see a dust cloud coming our way. Someone was on their way here riding a unicorn with a filthy coat. Gwen shot out of the tent and jumped on top of the chicken coop to get a better look.

"You're lucky I built that thing to last," I said.

"What are we going to do? I can feel a pull like gravity? Atom, I think he's my soul mate."

 

[TricMagic]

"What are we going to do? I can feel a pull like gravity? Atom, I think he's my soul mate."

Click to shrink...

Well, know what sort of guy this one is if he gave his monsters Attract.

 

[Arimai]

Tony fiddled with his tie, imagining taking the monster from a farmer and adding something powerful to his team. There were stories about that happening, with Tamers getting a hidden gem for their team to help win the finals. He was sure the farmer would be ecstatic about his friend making it to the big leagues.

"I'll take care of it; this is what I'm paid for," Tony said.

Click to shrink...

Self righteous, entitled piece of shit. That attract skill he has pisses me off. I'm hoping the bastard dies

 

[pingas plight]

Lingering Will

Click to shrink...

Ultima Cannon is within grasp.

Take back your lineage.

in the name of KINGDOM HEARTS Mia.

"What are we going to do? I can feel a pull like gravity? Atom, I think he's my soul mate."

Click to shrink...

"HEY YOU! GIT OFF MY PROPERTY! NAOW!"

 

[Ultimatedaywriter]

Not many tamers would grace a mere farmer with their presence or give them the opportunity to make the acquaintance of a tamer. At the sight of the looming fence banded with barbed wire, Tony was tempted to allow this farmer to treat the tamer. Letting the farmer take the reins of his dear Bright Unicorn Fonz was an honor not many were granted. It was a gift far beyond the station of a mere farmer and the prerogative of the tamer to give.

It would also serve as a test to see how well the farmer cared for Tony's new monster. Already, Tony could sense an eloquent presence of something rare at the edge of his monster-taming skill. Far into the fence, there was a forest, a fenced-in chicken coop, and a small cornfield. Instead of a farmhouse, there was a military-grade tent. Stumps dotted half the ground where forest laid before untouched and left to rot in the land like old shrapnel.

He eyed the massive fence surrounding a quarter of the land allotted to the farmer. There were no other humans around than them but somehow he managed to erect such a massive fence. Normally, that was the work of numerous construction monsters. Did the farmer have a woodworking skill?

That wouldn't explain the size and speed of the fence's installation. Tony sensed a viciousness in the land that brought a shiver down his spine. An overbearing weight of anger settled on every blade of grass as if the world held its breath in wait.

Tony chortled to himself and lit a cigarette. He was being all dramatic over a farmer. Farmers didn't receive the highest bonuses per level and had no offensive capabilities to speak of. What was the man going to do, smack Tony with a hoe? He stopped at the gate to the farm and debated releasing another monster to open the gate.

Farmer or not, expecting such a man to act like a servant in his own home was a bit much. Tony smiled and sucked his cig to the filter, and let out a massive breath of smoke. Giving people hard times was what being a government official was all about.

He tossed the cigarette butt on the ground and summoned his second monster. Loki was a rank 2 red Ogre male with a spiked club. The rotund monster had a big frog-like mouth and a single braid of dark hair.

"Smash that gate down," Tony ordered.

With an effortless wave, Loki shattered the gate into bits of scrap wood. The random destruction of property always made the tamer feel good when on the job. He kicked his mount's side and returned Loki.

"Hopefully, you'll have more fun and a new team member soon."

Tony was the picky type; not just anyone could join his team. Loki was his starter. Fonz and June, his poison lizard, were unique finds. The tamer liked to keep an antidote for June's poison whenever he needed to play a little hardball with people. He loved playing the role of giving an offer that couldn't be refused.

On a chicken coop, of all things, the prize he came out here for stood watching him. A white fawn, a rare beauty that most often died in the wild before any tamer could claim it. If allowed to grow, they quickly became pseudo rank 2 while in rank one. With enough skill shards, they could be a force of nature without any trying and Tony's ticket into the conference.

Getting the farmer to give it up would be easy. Tony planned to start easy, telling the farmer the truth he couldn't take care of her how she needed. Farmers were ill-equipped to handle the needs of a powerful monster, and at the end of the day, she would want to leave. All Tony was doing was ripping the band-aid. He would promise to keep in touch and maybe he would for the first month. After a while, it would drop off, and his new monster would forget about the farmer. Or if the farmer wanted to play hardball, Tony was fully willing to play it that way. He would bring out Loki, and they would play until the farmer gave up. A few broken bones would make the message very transparent. Either way, it was for the farmer's own good.

Tony tore his eyes away from the beautiful monster to see the farmer. He looked bigger than he was tall and too thin covered in sweat with a too prominent chin. Scars covered the man's shoulder, and his clothes were filled with holes. One of his boots looked like it was one bad day from falling apart. Then, there was the sword on the man's side. A rapier, by the looks of it, with a sheath covered in spider webs. If that wasn't a dungeon drop, Tony would eat Fronz's saddle.

How a farmer managed to survive a dungeon seemed fairly obvious. The deer had a little more exercise than expected. That only meant Tony would have to break bad habits. He shook his head, imagining a few sleepless nights teaching the poor thing to follow orders.

At the edge of the gate, the farmer still hadn't given a greeting that was to be expected. Neither of them expected this conversation to be pleasant. Lying about it wasn't going to make anything better.

"My name is Tony Graves of the Rasputin Research Institute. It's not often we have neighbors, but you seem too brave to listen to superstition and rumors." The farmer took the slight in stride with a plastered smile on his face.

"Atom Walker, why should I let you step on my property? Tamers don't have the right to trespass on private land no matter what institute they work for."

Tony's good mood vanished, and he wanted to leap over the fence and strangle the man. Loki would change the peasant's mind quickly. But he held off using force for the time being.

"You have a dungeon on your property, and it's dangerous. We've detected spikes in the local magical density that could mean a dungeon surge. You're fenced in with it; a surge won't kill anyone but you."

"Then it isn't any of your business, so you can leave my property."

He stared at the white fawn and let his Heart Capture and Monster Tamer skills do their job. A few minutes was all the time Tony needed. Already, he could feel the rare find was moments away from choosing to leave with him willingly. The farmer had no idea what was happening. All Tony had to do was wait, and the fawn would leave the farmer, then he would come back, and the farmer would sing a completely different tune.

A sharp pain in his neck alerted him to a blade at his throat.

"Deactivate your skills on my companion, or I will cut your head off." He felt the farmer's dirty hands grip his hair. When had the farmer gotten so close?

"I'm an official." Blood started seeping from the cut on his throat. He gave a command to the dear through their burgeoning bond. A force threw the farmer into the gate. Tony grinned when he heard the thunk sound.

The manic look of betrayal on the man's face was a satisfying sight. Of the farmer's earlier actions, Tony decided to twist the knife. He touched his monster bag and summoned Loki.

Tony wiped the blood on his neck away with a silk handkerchief. "Someone has to pay for spilling my blood, and I would rather it be you than this cute little deer. Loki break the bones in his hands." Tony said.

The man stood up, and Tony had the deer slam him back into the gate. "No, don't get up just yet. I like you on the ground; it's better this way." Tony said.

He saw the man struggle, filled with rage at this encounter. If the man had been a little more courteous and invited Tony back to his home, then this could have been painless. The man had to resist and make Tony put in the work so Tony would treat it like work.

A quick slash from the man's sword did nothing to Loki, who grabbed the man's and crushed it in the ogre's grip. The man screamed in pain as each bone in his hand was broken and mangled from gripping a sword.

Tony felt a struggle against his skills and stared at the white fawn in curiosity. Not many monsters can resist Monster Tamer and Capture skills in the low 30s. The fawn must be something special. This was an excellent find, and the more the fawn resisted, the higher Tony's skills would climb.

He watched the mangled-handed farmer stand up. Loki kicked him in the stomach, knocking him into the gate for a third time. "Give her back." Atom said.

"You can't take care of her like she needs, but I can. This is for the best for both of you." Tony said.

The man didn't know when to quit. He reached forward and stabbed his sword into the ground. While his lungs wheezed, the man stood up despite himself. It was like some force was animating the man, helping him stand when he shouldn't be able to. The freaky sight only grew worse when a harsh wind swept down from the mountain.

Loki gripped his head, and Atom moved deceptively quick. Tony reached to withdraw his monster when Atom's sword stabbed into Loki's chest. A beam of energy connected with his monster, returning it to his bag, wounded but alive. Tony saw red, charged forward, and kicked Atom's mangled hand. The sword fell, and Atom collapsed, cradling his hand in pain. The tamer kicked Atom in the face and kept kicking him until blood flowed on the dirt.

When he was tired and his foot hurt, he spat on the man and turned to leave. He heard the man's lungs still wheezing and thought about turning around and finishing him. Instead, Tony decided his revenge would be leaving him for the monsters to scavenge. Loki would be fine, and Atom would live out his last moments being torn apart.

 

[CNoxS911]

What? Well that was something anyway damn hell hole

 

[Visual Pun]

Chainsaw time...