[Greetings, Marisol Vellamira,] [I am designated ‘Archive’, your personal bug assistant, here to support your integration with the Altered Swarmsteel System. This vessel will sink in thirty minutes, and if you do not leave before then, you will die. Would you like to choose from one of four insect classes?]


    splat


    tad


    [I understand you must be very confused. However, you are not currently in a situation where you are allowed to panic,] [You must remain calm. Remember your mama’s teachings. Come a blizzard or a sandstorm, a Sand-Dancer must–]


    [The wandering bug-slayers call us ‘Altered Swarmsteel Systems’. We are highly advanced spinal implants forged from the carcasses of the magic-blooded Swarm, designed to allow humans to walk the path of an Insect-Blooded by unlocking your unique magic and mutations. You can call me the ‘Archive’, an artificial lifeform created to assist you in all things related to slaying giant bugs,] [Antonio Saranno was my previous user with a crab insect class. A Crab-Blooded. Unfortunately, he has perished in battle. Now, it is your turn to perish, but if you do not want that to happen, please refrain from interrupting any further. I shall explain your current situation.]


    A talking ‘artificial lifeform’, Ain''t like I never heard about ''systems'' and ''Insect-Blooded'' before, but I thought–


    [You have forfeited all mental privacy rights the moment you integrated with me,] [Worry not, Marisol. I will not judge your thoughts. Neither of us can afford to do so—as of this moment, an E-Rank Giant-Class Leviathan is swimming below our vessel. Left unchecked for thirty more minutes, it will eventually deduce there are no remaining fighters on board and proceed to sink the entire vessel. You are two thousand and forty-one metres away from the harbour you set sail from. If you are stranded out here on a plank of wood, you will die.]


    talking


    [Correct,] [If I were not here, your chances of survival would have been zero. The backup rowboats have all been destroyed, and the sails are all torn. You cannot sail this broken vessel by yourself. However, Antonio Saranno requested I integrate with you as his dying wish, so I must comply according to the Hasharana Code. To that extent, the breadth of assistance I can offer is allowing you to choose your own insect class, of which there are four. Now, please–]


    hard


    [Then, for a brief explanation: do you know how humanity has been waging war against the Swarm so far?]


    [Indeed. Hexichor is the magic essence in bugs that gives them their incredible power, and the presence of a system converts all consumed Hexichor into ‘points’. You would then use those points to increase your attribute levels and unlock new mutations. What mutations you are allowed to unlock are based on your insect class,] [Typically, the system decides your class the moment you survive the integration, and the class you get depends on a variety of factors: your physiology, the environment you grew up in, your dietary habits, and your idiosyncratic preferences, so on and so forth. Your assigned class should, theoretically, be the most fitting for you, but it appears you are a little… special.]


    choose


    [... You have equal aptitudes with the four insect classes I am about to let you choose from,] [It is already quite rare that a single person can choose between two classes, let alone four. You must have lived a colourful life and accrued a variety of physiological experiences.]


    [I know that much from reading your memories, yes. Three of the four classes I am about to offer you are based on desert insects. Without concern for why you are special at the moment, shall I list out your options? We do not have much time left—this vessel will sink in approximately twenty-seven minutes.]


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    [First, a brief introduction to class selection. The moment you pick and confirm a class, you cannot revert the decision, and both your mutation tree and the ''Hexichor Art'' you will be given—your unique magic, that is—cannot be changed. Under normal circumstances, I would have you think long and hard about which class you want to pick, but I can also offer recommendations if you have no particular preferences.]


    [Second, the moment you confirm a class, the tier one core mutation—the most basic mutation specific to your class—will begin manifesting on your body,] [It might be a painful process depending on what you mutate. Please prepare and brace yourself for the minor inconvenience. I can assure your safety throughout the mutation process, however, so there is no need to concern yourself over your potential demise–]


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    [Ignore the Hexichor Art for a moment. If you pick the ‘Desert Locust’ class, the tier one mutation you will immediately unlock is ‘Migratory Wings’, which will mutate wings between your shoulder blades and allow you to fly downwind at speeds of up to fifty kilometres an hour,] [As the storm is currently blowing back towards the continent, even an inexperienced flyer like you will easily be able to return to the shoreline. It may not the most powerful insect class, but I highly recommend it if you wish to return home safely.]


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    [Ignore the Hexichor Art again. The ‘Giant Mesquite Bug’ class has ‘Armoured Wings’ as its tier one mutation, which will mutate two sets of giant wings between your shoulder blades. The hard forewings known as ‘elytra’ will protect the membranous wings underneath, allowing you to fly downwinds at speeds of up to twenty kilometres an hour,] [Considering the violent force of the cutting winds, having armoured wings will prove to be extremely useful. While further mutations would make you bulkier and more sluggish, I can recommend the giant mesquite bug class if you wish for ultimate comfort and safety.]


    that love


    were


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    [And for your final option, the tier one mutation of the ‘Tarantula Hawk Wasp’ is ‘Aposematic Wings’, which will mutate brightly coloured wings between your shoulder blades and allow you to fly downwind at speeds up to seventy kilometres an hour,] [While this is typically a class chosen only by bug-slayers, owing to its incredibly powerful Hexichor Art and offensive-oriented mutations, its wings are still good enough for you to fly back to the shoreline with. You enjoy dancing, correct? The brightly coloured wings should enhance the shape of your silhouette as you twirl and caper. I can fully and whole-heartedly recommend the tarantula hawk wasp class.]


    really


    want


    [Unfortunately, not at the moment. You will only unlock the tier one mutation of each class the moment you select one, and without any points to increase your stamina, your strength, or any further mutations to enhance your wings, it will be impossible to fly headwind against this storm. As I am also unable to contact any nearby bug-slayers due to you being an unregistered user of the Altered Swarmsteel System, please prioritise your own safety and return to the shoreline.]


    [Please prioritise your safety and return to the shoreline. Please prioritise your safety and return to the shoreline. Please prioritise your safety and return–]


    [It is an insect class nobody chooses. It is a terrible insect class that will most certainly not help you survive. The abilities its mutations afford are nigh-impossible to control, the Hexichor Art is unknown, and the risk-reward ratio is not worth it even for a highly trained bug-slayer. For the purpose of expediting your class selection, I elected to omit the option–]


    forward


    [...]


    [... Very well.]


    all


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    [Option #4: Water Strider]


    [Please do not pick this class]