Life on Aegis was pretty simple for me, I lived with my parents on their farm and helped with the various chores that came with the life of a farmer on days when I wasn't traveling into the village to attend classes with the other Kids. The Kingdom insisted that all people had access to some form of education in order to not only provide them with the skills to succeed further on in life, but also because it was proven by the Academy of Magi that having knowledge of The System and its known facets would lead to improved results on our Awakening day, granting us a chance at a better class than we might gain otherwise.
I wasn't too worried about it though, I always knew my lot in life was to be a Farmer like my parents and I was proud of that fact. Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't take my studies seriously, I had even earned three entire points in my Intelligence stat which was pretty damn impressive in my small community! That said, what I was excited for was the fact that my birthday was today and in just a few short hours my System would unlock and I'd be granted a class of my own! I knew that with the help of my parents I'd have no trouble meeting the requirements to evolve my class just like they had. My father had evolved his class three times, starting as a Farmer when he unlocked his Class at eighteen and then working hard to improve his Class at level 25 into Earth Sower and finally managing to evolve his Class once again at level 50, something almost unheard of within the farming community, into a Greensman. The Earth Sower was already an impressive class that allowed him to use his mana to help sow seeds and collect harvests, but the Greensman was a Rare Class that allowed my father to help the lands grow much more quickly and with a higher yield, as well as, granting him a few minor abilities in manipulating earth and plants with his magic.
Mother had done something very similar though she evolved her Farmer Class in a much more animal focused direction becoming a Herdswoman and gaining some ability to command our various livestock, sooth them when they are afraid, and even heal minor wounds. Both were a source of pride for our small rural community and something many of the other up and coming farmers aspired to push their classes as far as my parents. It wasn't hard to know that I was proud to have parents like them and if I could be like them when I gained my own Class then I'd be happy with my lot in life.
"Ziar, come inside for dinner!"
A smile spread across my face as my mother called me in for dinner, her cooking was always amazing because she'd never let her work on the farm get in the way of her passion for cooking, pushing her Cooking skill all the way into the mid-thirties. I swear that mom could have cooked a leather shoe and it would taste of heaven. I finished up my task, tossing the last of the feed out into the pens for the Choracles, small birds with six wings though completely flightless, and washed the dust off my hands with an outdoor water pump, enchanted metal drew the water from a small pond next to the farm, man-made and also enchanted to keep the water clean and fresh, then headed inside for dinner. Dad was already seated at the table when I walked in. His skin a dusky brown from the constant sun, though youthful and wrinkle free from his high vitality stat, he didn't even have a spot of grey in his brown hair yet and could easily be mistaken for a man in his late twenties instead of the late-fifties he was. Mom was much the same, ageless in her own ways with red hair and green eyes. She was thin, but strong unlike dad who was just all bulky muscle.
As mom sat down at the table it happened, a blue window popped up in front of me announcing that it was time for my Awakening. I gasped and eagerly read through the message, but before I could see the next notification stating which Classes the System had deemed me worthy to choose from a pulse of magical energy exploded out from within me and the world faded to black as I slumped forward. The last senesation I felt was my head thumping against the table along with the strong grip of my father lifting me up, I had time for a single thought to pass through my mind, 'This isn't supposed to happen.' then the world trailed off into darkness as my conciousness fled me.
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I awoke to a room of white-washed nothingness that seemed to go on forever and be entirely too small all at once, its both breathtakingly beautiful and mind numbingly plain. I find myself standing before a table and two chairs, both empty though as I look away briefly then turn my focus back to the table something has take a seat across from me at the table, a being of black with no features to speak of, though seemingly human in form and shape, it gestures for me to sit down across from it and for some reason that feels like the correct thing to do so I pull out the chair and take my own place in front of the table. The being looks me over for a spell before it speaks, its words seeming to manifest in my very soul as it does, "Welcome, Ziar. I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances that bring us together, but due to unforseen factors making themselves known my timeline has been pushed forward a great deal and I do not have the luxury of providing you with a standard introduction into your future." Its voice is soundless, I simply know what it is saying and I can feel the sorrow and regret of its words within me as if they were my own.
"As you well know, normally when you Awaken you are given a choice of Classes based on certain aspects of who you are judged by The System, or myself as we are one and the same. Due to interference from another System-like being and their attempts to forcibly change and manipulate the populace of Aegis I was forced to intervein in the Awakenings of a select few in a more direct manner than normal. I was not able to prevent The Other from reaching all of its targets as I did not forsee this being a possiblity, but I have managed to reach some, yourself included."
As it speaks, images of others Awakening flash through the very fabric of my soul and I witness as innocent young adults Awaken into twisted classes that cause their mind to warp and souls to bend. I see them lash out at those around them, killing and fleeing as they seek their new tainted purpose. My head throbs with the power of this being, no, The System as it tries to impress upon me the horrors of The Other's actions upon Aegis and I recoil from both the pain and the visceral abuse of life and power I am shown.
"It is a great failing that I've allowed this to come to pass, and I need to make right these wrongs by balancing the scales once more. Thus I have chosen you, Ziar and four others to rise up and defend Aegis from this threat. As with all Awakenings I will not force this onto you, it is your choice and your choice alone. I offer you the chance to Awaken your Class as a Hero, and as such you will be granted the ability to grow more swiftly than others and granted the power of Choice. You will be able to choose how you manifest your power and forge a new type of Hero Class that is unique to you as Heroes of the past have done before you."
The System holds it hand out to me, palm up and within lays an orb of rainbow light that pulses with the power of Mana, "If you accept then take this and Awaken to your destiny, otherwise you may simply stand up and walk away." There is no judgement in its words, though I know that turning away isn't really an option for me. I never dreamed of even getting an Adventurer class like Warrior, let alone becoming a Hero but after seeing what this Other System is doing to people like me how could I possibly turn away letting them suffer, and cause suffering in equal measure?
I grasp the orb of mana with purpose and it immediately sinks into my hand, as soon as it is subsumed into my flesh a mark flares to life in the brilliant rainbow hues of mana on the back of my hand. The mark is a star with five points, as the pattern finishes tracing itself upon me fades to black and with it the world around me shatters and I jerk awake, sitting up in my bed. Frantically I look around and get my bearings calming down only after realizing that I'm home and awake. I lift my right hand, admiring the black star that remains there marking my experience as reality and not just a dream. The familiar blue notifaction window of the System pops up shortly after, obscuring my view with new information.
Alert! You have Awakened! Congratulations Hero, your new status has been updated and information on your new Class is now available to you!
I brushed away the first notifaction, noting that the System had returned to its usual emotionless state, almost as if it was completely automatic and had no will, though I now knew different.