Lucas eagerly grabbed the first Class tablet before him, one with streamlined aesthetics and very little embellishment, and started reading.

[Avatar of Speed: Through the use of augmentations, as well as great physical conditioning, the Avatar of Speed seeks to learn just how fast they can truly go. In their single-minded pursuit, they accept the inevitability of falling short in others. The Avatar of Speed may be a fragile thing at first, but wonders surely await them further down the road.

Taking this Class may temporarily lock you out of other paths.

+3 STR, +3 DEX, +3 WIS per level]

[Avatar] Class right away, huh? That's a good sign, even though this one looks absolutely terrible. 'Fragile thing?' No, thank you. On to the next.

He picked up another tablet, one that heavily featured decorative depictions of lightning, though not as grandly as [Skybound Sorcerer] had.

[Aspirant of the Storm: The Aspirant stands at the beginning of their path, with all roads yet unfolding before them. They may take any direction so long as they can chart the path, and greatness awaits to be found amidst the common squalor.

+10 free stats per level]

Lucas read over this Class a few times, before looking up. "Hey, Guide. I'm not sure I understand this one."

His Guide took a look of his own, then nodded upon seeing which one Lucas was referring to. "[Aspirant] is pretty simple, actually. It gives you nothing," he nodded sagely.

Lucas waited. When it looked as if that was all his Guide planned to say, he prompted, "Nothing?"

With exaggerated patience, the Guide said, "That's right: nothing. You've already made your own Skill, remember? While [Aspirant] doesn't really give you anything, it also doesn't take away any of your options like most other Classes. So long as you can make more Skills, you can build this Class however you want. In fact, it will probably make the process of creating more Skills easier for you, as well."

"Huh. So it's actually really good. And probably unique."

"I wouldn't go that far," Guide corrected, and at Lucas's look of confusion he continued. "It's pretty unique to have it as a first Class, but [Aspirant] is much more common for second Classes--especially among mages that develop some form of mana manipulation through their first. Notice how it mentions 'storm' and your affinity?"

"Ok," Lucas agreed, "that makes sense." He set [Aspirant] to the side, starting a pile opposite where he left the first Class he looked at. "If I decide not to go with any of the other Classes, this one will make a good last resort."

He moved on to the next, a plain looking one with an indeterminate monster on the binding, of all things.

[Battle Healer: Little is more valuable in a fight than hitting hard, except maybe the ability to take a hit and immediately bounce back. The only hit a Battle Healer can't walk off is the most fatal, at least at the start of their path. Should they prove cautious and capable of weathering their enemy's assault and whittling them down, there is no telling how far they will grow.

+5 VIT, +5 WIS, +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 INT per level]

"This one is actually pretty good as well--it sounds almost exactly like what I've been looking for. It's too bad the stat distribution is terrible, though," he remarked as he set it aside. Despite his words, Lucas couldn't quite bring himself to place [Battle Healer] in the reject pile, so he started a third beside it. The 'maybe' pile, he supposed.

The next tablet was every bit as plain as the last, but Lucas knew that didn't necessarily denote the quality of it's contents.

[Arcane Warrior: There exist many variations of a combatant straddling the line between magic and martial mastery, none of which offer any inherent advantage over the next. The Arcane Warrior stands at the start of this path, having not yet specialized into any particular style of combat. Their abilities are broad and many, and they showcase just why combatants constantly choose to pair the corporeal and the ethereal.

+3 STR, +3 INT, +2 VIT, +2 WIS, +1 DEX per level]

This one doesn't offer anything special at all. It's almost like a more physical version of [Aspirant], and I'd pick that one over this in a heartbeat, even if this one gives one more stat point.

That was all the thought Lucas gave [Arcane Warrior] before dropping it into the reject pile. Plain and simple, it just didn't do anything that the other Classes couldn't do better. Next up was the final Class tablet from what his Guide had given him, and it immediately stood out. Lucas had purposely saved this one for last and avoided the slightest glance at its name, because he knew it would be something special. After all, it was the only tablet that gave off a more vibrant glow, and the amount of ornamentation on its spine exceeded even the [Sorcerer] Class.

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

[Lightning Elemental: Lightning courses through your veins, sustaining you, empowering you. You have taken a step from your born nature, and the next lies before you, if you dare. But be warned, for not all will take kindly to your ascension.

Taking this Class will permanently set your affinity, henceforth affecting all available Classes and Skills.

+5 INT, +4 WIS, +4 VIT, +2 STR, +2 DEX per level]

Just as he was finished reading, his guide gently but firmly pushed the tablet back onto the table. He kept his hand atop it as their gazes met, and looked at Lucas with as serious an expression as he'd ever seen on their shared face.

"You needed to see this one," his Guide spoke slowly and deliberately without looking away, "but I highly suggest you now forget about it for the foreseeable future. The System doesn't give warnings lightly, and though this Class would surely be very powerful--even compared to the other ones here--it would invite danger we are simply not ready for."

Lucas took all of the Guide's words in quietly. When the warning was finished, he pushed the tablet forward, just out of reach for him unless he leaned for it or chose. "Ok," he said, "you won't need to tell me twice. But that Class sounds a lot like something I've already started towards with [Regeneration]. How can I know that whatever this danger is," he waved at the tablet, "isn't already a surety?"

The Guide thought it over for a moment. "I think the System would have given this warning when you accepted that Skill, if doing so would invoke the same danger," he said, but not with as much confidence as Lucas would have preferred.

"You think, but you don't actually know?" Lucas waited, but his Guide's only response was a quietly furrowed brow. "Well then, let's put it another way. Assuming this danger is already coming, wouldn't it be best to have the strongest Class possible?"

"It would," his Guide conceded. "But it's the same issue: if you chose the [Elemental] Class, and there was no danger beforehand, then there definitely would be after. But if you chose another Class, there would only be a slight possibility of danger."

"This sounds like something I would've liked to know more about before now," Lucas blandly stated.

Guide pulled up a chair opposite him. "You and me both."

They both sat quietly as Lucas thought it over. Given the potential nebulous consequences, he did not rush his decision and instead weighed all aspects that came to mind carefully. This prompted him to go over all the Classes, and for the time being, he deposited [Lightning Elemental] in the maybe pile.

First and foremost, he reassessed [Avatar of Speed]. That much didn't take long before he decided that, yes, he had made the right decision in crossing it off the list. Away it went.

[Aspirant of the Storm] and [Arcane Warrior] he looked at together. Both were generally broad Classes that specifically stated they could be taken in many directions. However, [Arcane Warrior] was much more restrictive and likely wouldn't allow him to use healing magic as part of the Class. That extra stat point it held over [Aspirant] was just not enough to keep it around, so it too ended up in the reject pile.

Next up was [Battle Healer], and here Lucas was presented with more trouble. This Class was almost exactly what he was looking for and it gave not one, but three more stats than [Aspirant]. The only issue he could see with it was the comment on whittling down enemies, which didn't exactly suggest great offensive potential. Once more, he looked for guidance.

"Can you tell me anything more about [Battle Healer]? Specifically, its actual combat abilities."

"Well," Guide scratched his neck, "I can tell you it really relies on healing magic. Outside of that, you could probably expect little more than run-of-the-mill [Warrior] Skills. Maybe one to help deal with pain as well, since this Class is all about quick recovery from injuries, not preventing them."

"That doesn't seem appealing," Lucas grimaced. "What about augmentation Skills?"

"Uh...maybe? I really don't know that much, but you'd be more likely to get one with [Aspirant]."

That did it for Lucas. It would be a shame to miss out on the extra three stats, but getting an augmentation Skill was more important in his eyes. With some hesitancy, but sure finality, he put [Battle Healer] with the other rejects. That just left the final two Class options, and the most contentious choice to make.

Both [Aspirant] and [Elemental] were objectively good Classes, despite the supposed danger that would come with taking one of them. With the first, Lucas could build his Class precisely how he wanted with every necessary Skill, and likely improve his skill at mana manipulation while he was at it. He got the impression that his Limited Mana Authority would allow him to reach much greater heights of Skill quality than other [Aspirant]s.

The other Class might not turn out so highly malleable, but it directly mentioned being sustained and empowered by mana, which was surely a good sign and in line with his desires. It didn't hurt that it also had the most stats out of all five Classes his guide had lain before him. Really, the only question was whether the draws of [Lightning Elemental] would better help him prepare for the danger it suggested, compared to the draws of the other Class.

Lucas also had to consider the fact that he'd already taken a step toward [Lightning Elemental] according to the System, and he'd done so before even being offered the Class. That suggested he might eventually be able to reap its benefits without it permanently setting his affinity or otherwise affecting him negatively. Framing it another way, he would be able to attain the power of this Class someday, and still reap the benefits of an [Aspirant] Class today.

"Ok, I think I've made my choice." Lucas stood, and his Guide followed suit.

"May you not come to regret it," Guide smiled warmly and patted his shoulder.

Lucas took a look around one final time to internalize the layout of this alien world. Once more, it hit him that this could be the last time he would ever see this place, and his past life was little more than a fading echo on his soul. He still felt that urgent need to know more, and Lucas dreaded that that feeling might stick with him for the rest of his life, forever unsatisfied.

It was a cruel thing, but he could do little more than live this life to its fullest to make up for it.

"How do I leave this place?" Lucas asked.

"The same way you entered it," Guide answered, "follow me."

Together, they returned to the room Lucas had woke up in, with its large bed, desk and wardrobe, and wall of black glass that Lucas now realized must be a window.

"I'll see you next time?" He asked as he reclined back on the bed with the Class tablet in hand.

"Of course, and I will be with you until then."

Lucas nodded and laid fully back. He closed his eyes, and without further ado, he woke up.