Lev P.O.V:
Lev had a lot of different thoughts going on in his mind on his way to the river. He had always been mature for his age, but as time went on, the reason was becoming more and more apparent. There was a second set of memories stored in his brain that was slowly being unraveled and was clearly not from this era or planet.
It's easy enough to understand the other perspective, though. Children our age aren’t supposed to be worrying about fighting monsters or conditioning their bodies. We should only be worrying about playing by the river and how to spend the rest of the day. Studying history and literature instead of attributes and their effects on the mind and body.
These memories also made it hard to fit in with everyone else. Whichever world or place these memories belonged to, it was much tamer than these dangerous lands. There were no memories of any sort of monsters or even combat in general. And precisely because of this, Lev was always more serious about training himself, both physically and mentally. He wanted to be strong enough to not just survive but also thrive. He wanted to explore every little bit of the fantastical realm that was Monarch.
“Look who finally decided to show up. What was so important that you couldn't wait to ask later?” Jack’s voice reached him while Lev was lost in thought.
Lev stopped and looked around, just now noticing that he had reached their chosen spot by the river. The river was a modest offshoot of the mighty River Kran, its gentle flow a far cry from the main river's powerful currents. Long ago, when the refugees had first arrived on Monarch, Kran was separated into multiple different smaller streams by mages that were still wide enough to be called a river. One such river flowed close to the orphanage where Lev’s group lazed around. The river was situated on a tranquil plain area dotted with a few scattered trees in the distance.
Jack, Amelia, and Kayla were lounging in a shallow pond created by the river's gentle bend. The water barely reached up to their knees. It was safe from the currents and the perfect spot to relax in.
“Nothing much, just a few questions about the lecture and attributes.”
“Bah, always so serious. Come on, the water feels absolutely heavenly right now. Who knows how long we can enjoy this before the water becomes too cold.” Jack said with a grin.
Lev just snorted but descended into the water. It really was amazing, not warm but not too cold either. Sometime later, while they were all enjoying themselves, Lev looked at Jack. He had been wondering when he should ask, but he figured this time was as good as any.
“Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“What do you think you will do now that we know more about our attributes?” Lev asked.
“You mean what classes I want to go for? I gave it some thought actually, and you won't believe what I decided on.” Jack replied with a toothy smile.
Lev just looked at him, “Let me guess, it is going to be something extremely showy?”
“You know it. I want to go for a class that uses a huge hammer and heavy armor. While looking extremely dashing and intimidating in full plate, I would beat the lights out of anything with my trusty hammer. Eventually, I will reach such impossible heights that the world will tremble with my steps and my blows will shatter the mountains. Everyone will know the name of the walking calamity, The JackHammer!” His voice rose with every word, and by the end, he stood with both hands in the air.
Silence covered the spot for a few seconds before everyone burst out laughing. Even Jack was chuckling at his own performance. It took a few minutes for everyone to regain their composure, the smiles still on their faces. Lev observed Jack, who stood the tallest among their group. Lev knew that the man was going to be absolutely massive by the time his growth spurt ended. Since the months were also longer, their age did not correctly represent their physical growth on Monarch. Jack was already taller than most his age and showing signs of a budding beard.
Jack continued speaking. “I know I exaggerated a lot, but I want a class like that. It just fits my style more than being sneaky or throwing spells from a distance. Heavily armored, a massive Warhammer in hand, walking towards a monster or the bad guys while everyone looks upon me with awe. Also, every team needs someone focusing on defense to balance out the team. What about you, Lev? What are you aiming for?”
Lev thought about it for a moment, but he had already made up his mind. “I want to be a barrier mage.”
Everyone perked up at that. Kayla addressed him first. “You mean like Queen Martha from our history books? The famous Barrier Mage?”
Wow, she figured it out instantly. Lev thought with a wry smile.
“Yeah. I read about her battle prowess a few years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. The classes Barrier Magic provides are incredibly versatile and can fill up a vast array of roles in any team. I want to focus on sharpness and toughness to cut into enemies while blocking projectiles and attacks. It should also provide many other options, even if they are not backed up by skills. Their potential overall is quite high.”
Jack whistled, “You’ve given it some thought, huh? Is that what you are doing while brooding all day?”
“I do not brood,” Lev said while rolling his eyes. Then he looked towards Amelia and Kayla, “What about you two?”
They both looked at each other. Amelia answered first, “I want to be fast, but I also don't want to give up magic, so I think I am going to be a hybrid warrior. Go into melee range and use magic to defeat enemies. I will try to find out more about hybrid classes. If they work, I am definitely going to try and get one. Other than that, I want to be able to take a hit and hit back several times in return.”
Everyone looked at Kayla, who looked both nervous and deep in thought. After a minute, she answered, “I want to be in a more supportive role. Keep the team alive while increasing their strength overall, so I think I will look for classes that can heal my team and help them in other ways. Other than that, I haven't given it much thought… sorry.” She finished, looking genuinely ashamed at her lack of further consideration.
“There is nothing to be sorry about. You have done nothing wrong. We three are kind of outliers who have already planned this far ahead. Most other kids start worrying about this kind of stuff later.”
“Also it's mostly because of Lev that we started thinking about this, seeing him always deep in thought is what pushed us to do some of the same.” Jack piped in while Amelia nodded in agreement.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Lev looked at them in mock anger, pretending like they had exposed some big secret, “So you guys are saying that I’m the weird influence here?”
“Yes,” They both replied in unison.
Everyone laughed at that.
“Alright, it's getting late now. I still have to show Kayla around the orphanage.”
****
The next day, all the children were standing in The Park. It was literally called just that. The park was expansive, bordered by towering birch trees that soared 30 meters high, and divided into various sections. They were currently standing on the jogging track where a few children of similar age were already running, making full use of the six-meter wide gray path. Parents were standing at the side chatting with one another and generally relaxing while they watched their children complete their laps.
Director Oriana was standing next to Mr. Richard, surveying the students gazing around curiously, wondering why they were brought here. She caught my eyes and gave me a small smile.
So it's going to be a physical lesson today instead of sitting in the classroom. Lev thought.
The Director clapped her hands once, and everyone turned towards her. “Everyone form lines facing us and pay attention to Mr. Richard.”
The children shuffled into four different lines, each with five to seven children in them. Lev ended up being in front of the second line with Jack, Kayla, and Amelia behind him in that order. Director Oriana nodded once she saw how quickly they had formed decent lines.
Mr. Richard cleared his throat, “Yesterday, I told you about the functions of each attribute. Today, you will learn by observing a practical demonstration. Does anyone remember which combination of attributes dictated how fast I can run on this track?”
Many of the children raised their hands. The teacher pointed towards one at random. “You.”
“Strength, Dexterity and Constitution.”
Mr. Richard waited for more but the boy said nothing more. “Anyone else?”
The same boy spoke up suddenly, “Perception.”
“That is correct, even if it took a while for you to figure it out. All the physical attributes are important, but one cannot make full use of them without the appropriate perception. Now watch.” Mr. Richard said and folded up the sleeve of his brown shirt. Before anyone could blink, they were buffeted by a blast of cool air, sending two of them tumbling while the rest barely managed to stay on their feet. And then, before anyone could say something, there was another blast. Mr. Richard was back at his spot.
“So, who can tell me what just happened?”
“You vanished!” a girl squealed excitedly.
“It may have looked that way for all of you, but that is not correct. Would you believe me when I say that between those two shockwaves, I ran a lap around the entire park?” Mr. Richard replied with a small grin tinged with a hint of pride.
Everyone just stared at him with their jaws hanging open.
****
“From now on, everyone will take part in mandatory light exercises. It may seem hard, but believe me, it is more than worth it. I will explain more at the end. It would be better for you all to see it for yourselves. Alright, everyone, get on the track.”
One by one, the children got on the track and formed loose lines. Lev and his friends obviously stuck together and stood in the center. Mr. Richard continued speaking, “I should clarify that this is not a race or a competition. The point of this exercise is to exhaust your stamina and push past your limit. The reason for this will be revealed soon. Now, start jogging and complete five laps around the park. Maintain a moderate pace and don't get in each other's way. Also, help anyone who may be about to stumble.”
With that, everyone started their first lap. As usual, the competitive spirit of children sparked some races into being. Lev’s group was no exception.
“Come on, just one lap!” Jack pleaded.
Lev rolled his eyes and flexed his shoulders, “Fine, just this once. I want to be able to walk back by the end. Are you two joining as well?” he looked at Amelia, who was already nodding, and Kayla, who looked unsure but gave her assent regardless.
“Alright, I’ll countdown. 3,” Jack started.
“2”,
“1”,
“Go!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, all of them bolted into motion.
****
They didn't stand a chance. Lev handily beat everyone else and was the first to finish the first lap. Breathing heavily, he was about to look back to see how far behind everyone else was when a sudden chime sounded in his head and nearly made him lose his footing.
Constitution increased by 1.
No way. How has this never happened before? This isn’t even the most I have ever exerted myself!
****
Director Oriana P.O.V:
Oriana watched each student nearly fall or release short yelps in surprise as they got their first notifications. Most of them instantly picked up the pace after getting over the notification, and by the third round, everyone was running. It was a good thing that the track was slightly enchanted with runes to gather mana near it and absorb impacts to prevent any major injury.
And then there's that boy. Ever since Lev first got the notification, he hasn’t slowed down, only pushed himself even harder. His friends followed in his footsteps as soon as they saw him run even faster, and even poor Kayla was trying her best to keep up. While everyone is in their third lap, he is halfway through his fourth. She shook her head with a small smile. I am not sure if I should be worried or proud.
The first attribute points were easy to obtain. It would get more and more difficult. Within a few weeks, the children would need to work much harder for each physical attribute point. But the heavy lifting would come much later. Right now, they just needed to get used to daily physical effort without stunting their growth.