“What!” I couldn’t have heard him right.

“Yes, your father has died. The class giver is waiting for you in my office. He’s been quite busy lately, we can’t keep him waiting forever.”

I was more than confused. Why would Justin give me his class crystal? After all, he’d escaped to Paris with his mistress and their kid. Why did I even have to hear his name again! It was because of him that I ended up in the dead-ends. It was because of him that my mother died. It was because of him—

“Let’s go!” The captain waved me over. “I also have to deal with those two guards.”

Out of the cell, he continued talking, “I went through the same thing as you, everyone has. But it gets better and I’m sure your fathers is in a better place—”

“I hope he’s in hell—” I couldn’t help myself.

The captain looked back to me with indifference. “Then stop making a fuss and get moving.”

Were all guards such scumbags? At least I now knew he couldn’t read minds.

We made our way to the garrison’s second floor, and the captain knocked on his office door. “I’ve brought Gregoire, the son of Justin de Gargoyle.”

“You may enter,” it was the raspy voice of an old man.

The room was furnished far better than the first floor. In the right most corner sat a dark brown leather couch next to a nicely carved wooden table. Above this hung the captain and his family’s portrait. He had two sons; I couldn’t imagine how the one who would be left behind felt. To grow up next to the one who’d inherit it all as you got less than dust. I could already see his future, waking up on a shit covered dead-end road.

Pulling myself out of that spiral, I shifted my attention to the class giver. He wore red silk garments, a bulbous hat lined with pearls, and unblemished, crisp black pants. You couldn’t paint a better picture of extravagance. Class holders, especially those not locked up as small-time guards in shitty cities were in a league of their own when it came to wealth and power.

While I was lost in thoughts, the captain gave me a quick push and shot me a confused look. “Go on, sit, what are you waiting for?”

Man, I really wanted to tell him to kick it. Regardless, I swallowed my pride and took a seat.

The class giver turned to the guard. “You may go.” And the guard didn’t hesitate to leave, slamming the door behind him.

Turning my attention back to the old man, I didn’t know what to do or say. After all I’d never expected this to happen, thankfully he took the lead. “Here.” He pushed forward a wooden box, encrusted with blue gems. “This is your father’s orb, only you can open it.”

The class crystal, was it really there? Although, my curiosity was at its peak, I couldn’t help but hesitate. “Why am I getting this? Didn’t he have another kid?”

“When I presented the box to your father’s presumed son, it didn’t open.”

It took me a second to process what he’d said, but when it clicked, I couldn’t help but laugh. It served him right. “I can’t believe it. And he hasn’t had any other children since that one? No other women?”

“I don’t know about women, but you are his sole heir. Now please, present your hand to the box,” he said with the calmest of voices.

Staring down at that thing, I hesitated to touch it, afraid it might somehow turn me into something else. After all, if there was one place in this world which was crueller and more depraved than the pits of hell it was the courts of Paris and noble districts of cities like… Bayeux, where all crystal hearts gathered. But who said that I needed to head there. I had a good enough life here in the dead-ends. And although poor and miserable, I had friends.

“What happens if I don’t take the crystal?” I asked.

“Then I will go through your family records and find the next closest relative in hope the crystal responds to their blood.”

My relatives… I didn’t know who, nor what kind of people they were. At least I knew that I was a good person and would help the people in my life. I wasn’t doing this for me, but others.

Bringing my hand forward, the crystals encrusted in the box shone white before turning red. Opening, the box revealed a nail-sized crimson-red orb. To think a class orb had fallen into my lap this easily, something most couldn’t even dream of.

The class giver pulled out a mortar and pestle from a bag. “Let’s begin the procedure.”

He didn’t give me a second to admire the crystal and grabbed the orb, he threw it in the mortar alongside some other crystals and began grinding them down. A terribly high-pitched ring filled the room. If it weren’t for how calm the class giver was, I’d have run out.

Thankfully, the grinding stopped after a few minutes. “Here,” he poured the sand like crystal dust into a chalice filled with wine before presenting it to me. “Drink.” He must have been terrifyingly strong if he could grind that down so quickly into such a fine powder.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Taking the cup with both hands, I stared at the concoction. The wine looked like blood, my father’s blood. Should I drink this? I doubted myself one more time. My life was hard, but it wasn’t the worse. And if I gave it a couple more years, I could save enough to pay for an apprenticeship. Maybe I could become a butcher, perhaps a blacksmith, or even a herbologist. There were a lot of options since I could read and somewhat write.

Not to mention if I inherited the class crystal, I’d might need to interact with others like the guard captain and petty nobles. I didn’t want that. I wanted a quiet life. Perhaps that's why my father stayed locked up in his workshop every day. Not that it spared him from becoming like them—

“Do you know how orbs function?” asked the class giver, breaking me out of my downward spiral of thoughts. Looking up, the man didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

“Class orbs are unique; they materialize in the hearts of the greats, a gift from the gods to those who’ve mastered their crafts or undergone insurmountable hardship. Their resolve, their spirit becomes so dense it materializes in their hearts. And when they die, this orb can be passed onto those with their blood for generations without end. That orb.” He pointed to the chalice. “Now dissolved in wine, has been passed down for three hundred years. It is much greater than your father. It is your grandfather, your grand-grandfather, and dozens upon dozens of others. Justin is just a drop in the history of that orb. Drink, and you will be connected to men much greater than him. Drink and you may redeem the honour of the gods. Them who deemed your ancestors worthy of this gift.”

I don’t know why, but my hands were shaking. And in the wine’s ripple, I saw myself. My sunken cheeks, the purple bags under my eyes, my thinning hair, the fainting glimmer in my eyes. I didn’t want to see it anymore, so I drank. I drank it all.

#

It hurt! It burned! A thousand tiny razors cut up my throat leaving me writhing on the floor, clutching my body. I couldn’t do anything. But it hurt so much. It hurt so much I’d rather die—I closed my eyes. It hurt so much—

You now possess the class: Apprentice Gargoyle Craftsmen

Three hundred and twenty-three years ago, Alexandre de Gargoyle was born to Gilbert, the fifth son of a baron. With his father’s support, he took up the trade of masonry and started a prestigious workshop.

Studying under his father, Alexandre was prodigal in his work. The kingdom, at the time, not short of funds and military ambitions began to construct a series of castles.

Gilbert’s workshop was contracted on many such projects, and Alexandre was given the task of making drainage pipe decorations. They didn’t need to be special, just imposing enough not to take away from the castle’s presence. But young and full of passion, Alexandre began to carve out complex figures of beasts.

The king, at the time a young man fond of art, invested further into Alexandre, funding his growing obsession with the dark beings of his imagination. After many years, the young man, now old, gave birth to beasts of stones he named after himself, the Gargoyles.

You may choose your first abilities; these will influence your class progression:

Craftsmen abilities:

Dexterous hands

You can better detail your gargoyles, granting them more dexterity and intelligence.

Image visualization:

You can better visualize your creations before crafting them, improving your crafting speed.

Control abilities:

Field of control

You can control [5] gargoyles in a radius of [50 feet].

Control delegation:

You can grant control of a gargoyle to [1 other] and personally control [2] in a radius of 25 feet.

Status

Classless --> Gargoyle Craftsmen Apprentice (Level 1 class)

Level 15/15 --> Level 0/15

Vitality: 10/10 (+2)

Strength: 7/7 (+1)

Endurance: 12/12 (+2)

Dexterity: 6/6 (+1)

Mana: 0/2 (+2)

Abilities: Yet to be chosen

Gargoyles: None

Titles: None

*Note: A classless unlevelled adult has an average of 5 points in vitality, endurance, and dexterity (classless individuals do not have mana).

You have upgraded classes; you may invest 5 points into any attribute.

Everything was black and I was being bombarded with voices and information. They kept repeating and wouldn’t stop until I interacted with them.

First, I decided to add my 5 level-up points into mana. I didn’t know what it did, but it was an attribute normal people didn’t have, so I suppose it would be good to increase it. Next, I took the dexterous hands skill. I didn’t think the length of time to carve a gargoyle would be an issue. After all, if there was one thing I had it was time. And finally, for the control ability I was slightly stumped.

Having interacted with all other things the noises had calmed down so I could focus on the last choice.

At first glance, I’d wanted to take the field of control skill. But, thinking of Richard and Isabelle, it might be best to delegate them a gargoyle to let them dungeon diving while I worked on making more gargoyles. Eventually I could employ them to go around selling them to different lords. That’s how we’d escape the dead-ends.

You have selected dexterous hands and control delegation as your two new skills.

The following is your updated status.

Status

Gargoyle Craftsmen Apprentice (Level 1 class)

Level 0/15

Vitality: 10/10

Strength: 7/7

Endurance: 12/12

Dexterity: 10/10 (+4)

Mana: 0/7 (+5)

Abilities:

Dextrous hands (F Rank)

Control delegation (C Rank)

Gargoyles: None

Titles: None

Having chosen my skills, I slipped away from this dream into proper rest.