The System, despite being considered fair, still discriminates between the living. Some are eligible for three Classes, others or beasts as we call them, get the first replaced by a Species Path. Then there are the weakest, the unfortunate ones who are denied access to the great guide governing Aelion.
Insects and animals too small, weak or insignificant are left without the System to struggle. They can only rely on their bodies till the world decides they are enough and grants them the great prize.
Just the thought of every insect having levels despite their size is revolting. You could step on an ant colony, killing hundreds by accident and receiving levels in the tens for that one small unintentional massacre.
I consider this set-up fair as even those insects are given a chance. A minuscule, almost irrelevant chance but still a considerable one if we account for their numbers. In that case, it is firmly within the acceptable margin.
For every species considered highly sapient, or Wielders as we call ourselves, their system initializes at the young age of nine. It gives them their starter class and more importantly room for their general skills. Everyone will reach level nine with this class just by doing their basic daily routine, though some strive to hit the milestone faster. At level nine every child can choose a general direction they want to progress in, their first proper class.
Their options are determined by their wishes and actions, as these things shine true upon one’s inner desires. Being born in different regions, seasons, or even certain days can prove as a condition for a special starter class, any insignificant circumstance. Noble and other ruler Classes on the other hand are determined by birth and are always an option for the highborn.
The three Classes are a specialty of the highly sapient races, such as Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs by some miracle, Lizardfolk, Giants, Demikin, and Beastmen. Collectively, they are the Wielders of the Journey Guide.
Creatures of instincts, the Beasts of the Wilds, are also eligible for the System. Do they get access right from the moment of their birth? Or are they constrained similarly to our young? It varies. Not all beasts develop at the same rate. Some are relatively mature the moment they’re born, even if wholly lacking any experience, while others might take years if not decades to shed their childish nature and grow into their bodies. The moment the System determines them ready, the species slot or Shell unlocks, in place of the starter classes of the Wielders. This peculiar path shapes their body instead of actions, allowing butterflies to be the size of a horse, or even goblins to be smart, see the Gnomes.
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The species slot is in no way inferior to a class. It allows for greater changes following the same principle of earned quality, with one great distinction. It cannot be reset. The choice remains permanent.
Where the System draws the line between Beast and Wielder remains a mystery, since having a deep and meaningful conversation with those wild creatures is rare and difficult therefore we haven't been able to discover the reasons behind this anomaly. A lot of the beasts are perfectly capable of complex thinking, especially at higher levels, but most just focus on feeding and growing instead of the more delicate things in life.
There are plenty of beings such as the Fae, Dragons, Djins, Demons and Angels, Abyssal Spawns and also Leviathans that are beyond our understanding. Beings we’re unable to gather much information about mainly because of their elusive nature, their devastating strength or just their simple unwillingness to share any of their secrets.
Classes or species are given to an individual based on the level and specialty of their skills, their birth, their achievements, their interests, and the goal they work towards. There are an uncountable number of Classes, probably even a new one being born at this very moment, and so no goal is out of the picture. The System just creates a new one to suit one’s ideals or specific and weird life choices.
The known level milestones to class ups are 9, 18, 36, 72, 144, 288, 576, 1152, 2304…?
The locks barring us from utilizing our Classes break at levels 1, 72, and 576.
We also believe that the soul is soaking up some of the ‘experience’ all the way to level 576 to make room for more Skills. This theory stems from an observation according to which Classes become greatly more powerful past the last bottleneck.
Lastly, the quality of the classes is color-coded by the System, vaguely along the lines of the three main colors, their combinations, and varying shades.
Color scale: white -> green -> blue -> cyan -> purple -> red -> pink -> orange -> yellow