Liam stood in the grassy field, the Character Creation screen hovering before him like a holographic interface. The familiar options glowed brightly, each one representing a path he could take in Eternal Nexus.
He took a deep breath, his mind racing as he recalled the countless hours he had spent studying the game's mechanics. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistakes. This time, he would choose wisely.
The screen was divided into several sections:
Basic Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Vitality, and Luck. Each player started with 10 points in each attribute, with 20 additional points to distribute freely.
Classes: The game offered five basic classes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Advanced classes could be unlocked later through quests, achievements, or specific conditions.
Perks: Unique bonuses that could significantly impact gameplay. Players could choose one starting perk from a randomized pool of three.
Appearance Customization
Out of all the 4 sections, Liam confirmed the appearance customization screen without even giving it a single thought
While Liam did care about looks, the issue was that all changes would have some effect in the real life as well.
And it would cost twenty times the money it would normally cost in real life!!
For example, if you modified the way your face looked, the amount you would have to pay would be around twenty times more than a cosmetic surgery!
It was because the exchange rate of the currency was worse than horseshit.
Only after people earned a lot of virtual currency would they start customizing their appearance, but for the early levels, they just preferred to improve the gear or stock up on supplies
Having closed the appearance customization, Liam turned his head towards the three other sections
Classes
Liam's mind raced as he reviewed the options. He had played Eternal Nexus for years, and he knew the strengths and weaknesses of every class. This time, he needed a class that would give him an edge—something durable, versatile, and capable of evolving into a powerhouse.
1. Warrior
Strengths: High physical damage, excellent for solo play, and great for tanking in group content.
Weaknesses: Limited mobility and reliance on melee combat made Warriors vulnerable to ranged attacks and crowd control.
Advanced Classes: Berserker, Blade Master, Warlord.
2. Mage
Strengths: Strong magical damage, access to elemental spells, and strong area-of-effect (AoE) capabilities. Can be built as a support as well
Weaknesses: Fragile and mana-dependent. Mages were often the first target in PvP and required careful positioning.
Advanced Classes: Archmage, Elementalist, Necromancer.
3. Rogue
Strengths: High mobility, critical hit potential, and stealth abilities made Rogues deadly in PvP and solo play.
Weaknesses: Low durability and reliance on precise timing. Rogues were high-risk, high-reward.
Advanced Classes: Assassin, Shadowblade, Trickster.
4. Archer
Strengths: Long-range damage, high agility, and excellent kiting potential. Archers were great for PvE and PvP.
Weaknesses: Low defense and reliance on positioning. Archers struggled in close-quarters combat.
Advanced Classes: Sniper, Ranger, Beastmaster.
5. Soldier
Strengths: Balanced stats with a focus on durability. Soldiers had high health, decent damage, and access to defensive skills. They were versatile and could adapt to different roles.
Weaknesses: Average damage output compared to specialized classes. Soldiers relied on strategy rather than brute force.
Advanced Classes: Death Knight, Holy Knight, Warlord.
6. Assassin …
7. Priest…
8. Gunman…
There were 15 basic classes in the game, each with its own perks and advanced classes.
However, Liam's thoughts were on two classes
Warrior and Soldier.
After his recent betrayal, he had zero interest in teamplay. He wanted a strong character that could clear a lot of the early content solo.
However, the early game was still going to be challenging. It still needed a lot of preparation
As for late game content, he could just focus on taming some pets or figuring out ways to contract powerful NPCs!
Every class had its own basic pet, which could be obtained after level 50, but there were many items and skills that allowed players to have access to devastating pets
Some NPCs were even stronger, but in general ,it was more difficult to contract with NPCs
"Soldiers are the perfect balance. They're durable, versatile, and can evolve into Death Knights or Holy Knights. With the right build, I can tank, deal damage, and even use spells."
"While Warrior is also a solid option, I am sure that none of the warrior class evolutions lead into a character that has strong spell.s"
Ultimately, Liam chose the Soldier class, and now it was time to select the perk
The game offered him three random perks:
IronWill - Increases resistance to crowd control effects by 20%.
Quick Learner - Gain 5% more experience from quests and kills.
Battle Hardened - Reduces incoming damage by 10%.
Unfortunately, the perks were random, and it seemed that he only received some common rolls
Liam hesitated. "Iron Will is great for PvP, but Quick Learner will help me level up faster. Battle Hardened is solid, but it's not enough to make a difference early on."
He chose Quick Learner. "Levelling up quickly will give me an edge. I can always pick up defensive perks later."
Having made up his mind, Liam selected Quick Learner
Suddenly, there was a system notification
Ding
Secret Perk activated
It seems like the player "Liam" has a lot of experience with this world. Though the system is unable to figure out how, the perk Quick Learner has been upgraded
Quick learner [Common] -> Veteran's knowhow [Epic] [Soulbound, cannot be disabled]
Perk benefits: All experience gained is boosted by a multiplier of 1.2x (Minimum) – 100x (0.001% chance)
Penalties: If the player "Liam" tries to forcefully change the natural course of events not related to the player drastically, lose 2 levels. If a major event is overturned, lose 10 levels. In case of level reversal, the experience needed to climb to the next level remains the same as if it was from the higher level
Whoa..
Liam's heart raced as he read the notification. A 100x experience multiplier? That was insane! The experience bonus was definitely a huge bonus. He even had the chance to trigger 100x bonus, which could be further multiplied with items or trigger chance increase items
But the penalty
What did unrelated events even mean? Of course, he wanted to take revenge on all of his enemies from his past life.
But wasn't the penalty a bit too harsh?
For example, if he was at level 100, to reach level 101, he needed 1 million exp.
If he lost levels, the experience required to level up would remain the same as if he were at his original level. For example, if he dropped from level 100 to level 90, he'd need 1 million experience just to reach level 91. It was a harsh system, designed to punish recklessness
What if his level dropped by 20 levels? Would he need 1 Mn exp just to reach level 81 again?
This was absurd!!
Even the strongest level 80 boss gave 100K exp, and had a respawn timer of 1 week!!
And the penalties applied to challenging mobs above the current player level was quite substantial, so it was not like he could aim to slay level 100 bosses while being at level 80!
"Looks like I have to be very careful while playing this game. I cannot do things randomly just because I know things.." Liam mused
Next, he turned his head to the Basic Attributes section
Attributes Available - 20
Physique - 10 (1 point = 100 HP, +0.75 HP regen/s)
Dexterity - 8 (1 point = 5% Attack Speed increase, 0.5% Movement Speed)
Willpower - 5 (1 point = 50 MP, 0.25 MP regen/s)
Endurance - 9 (1 point = 0.1% resistance to elements, 10 Armor)
Charm - 6 (No direct benefits, a certain amount of charm might be required to proceed certain quests/negotiations)
Luck - 5 (Impacts item drops of all rarities)
I need physique and luck. Physique can help me fight longer, and luck can help me find more potions and even rare items to help me early in the game
System, assign 10 points in physique and 10 points in luck ,and show me my current stats
Ding!
Attribute points assigned
[Player: Liam Carter]
Level: 1 (Soldier)
HP: 2000 (7.5 HP regen/s)
MP: 250 (1.25 MP regen/s)
Armor - 90 + 30
Weapon: Beginners Sword: Physical Attack - 25
Armor: Wanderers Set: Set Bonuses +30 Armor
Skills: Waveforce - Slams the weapon heavily, creating a wave of destruction - 10x total weapon attack. Cooldown - 10s ; Mana Cost 125 MP per cast
Perk: Veteran's Knowhow [Epic]
Attributes
Physique - 20 (1 point = 100 HP, +0.75 HP regen/s)
Dexterity - 8 (1 point = 5% Attack Speed increase, 0.5% Movement Speed)
Willpower - 5 (1 point = 50 MP, 0.25 MP regen/s)
Endurance - 9 (1 point = 0.1% resistance to elements, 10 Armor)
Charm - 6 (No direct benefits, a certain amount of charm might be required to proceed certain quests/negotiations)
Luck - 15 (Impacts item drops of all rarities)
Sweet. System, henceforth do not show me my full stats every time there is any change. Show only the changes
Ding!
Settings updated, player.
Finally, satisfied with his choices, Liam pressed the finalize character button.
Are you sure you want to proceed? This action cannot be reversed, and you will not be able to change anything again, even after the main game launches
Liam's hands trembled slightly, but then it became resolute again
He clenched his fists, his mind flashing back to Elena's cold smile and the guild's betrayal. They had taken everything from him—his trust, his love, his life. This time, he wouldn't just play the game. He would dominate it. And when the time came, he would make them pay
Yes
Slowly, a flood of white light enveloped Liam
Welcome to Eternal Nexus. Your path to glory, riches and adventure begins now