Begin Class Selection

Y/N?

“What does Class mean, exactly?” Jeff quizzed Misty. He had a vague idea in a general, gaming context but he wanted to be sure.

Classes indicate the direction of your development in the System. You will unlock different Class options each time you successfully evolve your Grade. Choose carefully, because your future Path will be affected by this choice.

Future path? Jeff was about to quiz Misty further on this before biting back the question. She’s not my friend, he thought to himself. She’s merely a tool of the enemy. A cog in the Vogel’s machine. He resolved to try to find answers later on without revealing details of his mysterious encounter with the Autochs. He needed to be careful from now on about what he revealed to any potentially hostile entities.

Jeff returned his attention to the glowing dialog in front of him. No time like the present, Jeff thought, eager in spite of everything to find out what further enhancements he would be granted after selecting a Class.

Concentrating, Jeff focused on the glowing ‘Yes’, mentally accepting the prompt.

For a moment, nothing seemed to be happening. Then, the wall opposite wavered momentarily and a smooth, metallic door materialized in its surface, startling him.

Jeff didn’t hesitate, and stepped up to the door, which soundlessly slid open to reveal a long, narrow room, bare except for a simple wooden desk at the far end.

Jeff walked forward through the doorway and down the length of the room, Misty bobbing along behind him.

As he drew nearer, Jeff began to make out more details. Seated behind the desk was a diminutive character, dressed in an old-fashioned style, busily scratching away at a large parchment or scroll, with what appeared to be an antique quill pen.

The incongruity of the sight—a quill and parchment in such a high-tech setting—was uncanny enough. The gnome-like creature’s bizarre appearance truly compounded Jeff’s feeling of unease. With skin the vivid reddish hue of a coke can or a chili pepper, and small, black spiraling horns sprouting from its forehead, Jeff felt a chill—childhood superstitions and primordial fears surfacing.

Bizarrely, the creature—imp, devil or whatever the hell it was—continued scratching away, engrossed in its task, still not deigning to acknowledge Jeff’s presence.

“Misty, what is this? Are you devils? Am I in hell?” Jeff’s voice trembled as he desperately tried to keep a lid on his rising panic.

No Jeff, you are not in hell! It is merely an Ejdar, one of the vassal species serving the Vogels throughout the System-universe. Their role here is administrative, making sure the Tournament runs smoothly. Just petty bureaucrats, not devils.

Misty’s smooth toned voice helped to dispel some of the tension that had been building in Jeff since he saw the little red-skinned creature.

Jeff noticed a glowing yellow icon hovering over the Ejdar’s head, promising more information.

Jeff mentally selected the prompt.

You have learnt the Skill Identify (Level 1)

As soon as he had gained the Skill, a new system panel popped into existence above the Ejdar with more information.

NAME: Zebulus

RACE: Ejdar

GRADE: H

HIT POINTS (HP): Hidden

MANA POINTS (MP): Hidden

REWARD: Hidden

Misty meanwhile, continued her explanation in a light hearted vein.

Pencil-pushers, not pitchfork wielders. Low level flunkies, unimaginative desk jockeys, jobsworths who simply follow orders…Nothing supernatural, or even interesting about them…

While Misty prattled on, her gibes becoming increasingly derogatory, Zebulus had stopped writing on his parchment, and was looking progressively more and more angry, flushing an even darker shade of red with every insult.

Pathetic, servile lackeys, miserable excuses for intelligent beings who prostitute themselves for favor…

“ENOUGH!” Roared the Ejdar, throwing down his quill and springing to his feet, knocking his little chair over in the process. A vein in his forehead pulsed, and his eyes flashed a brilliant shade of magenta.

“I will not take this disrespect from an accursed machine. Know your place, you jumped up calculator.” Casting a murderous glance at Misty, he took a deep breath, visibly composing himself.

“I serve the Vogels,” he finished pompously, returning his chair to the upright position with a flick of his wrist, and sitting back behind his desk.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Now, what do we have here?” He questioned, finally turning his attention to Jeff.

Not waiting for an answer, he picked up the parchment he had been writing on and proffered it to Jeff.

“Initial Class Selection… That is the task before us. So now, let’s have at it. Select your Class, human,” he waved his hand at Jeff, indicating that he should take the document.

With a feeling of trepidation, Jeff accepted the antique-looking parchment from the Ejdar and scrutinized it intently.

To his surprise, the expansive sheet before him was totally blank. Turning it over revealed the flip side to be equally vacant.

“There’s nothing on it,” he complained to the Ejdar, who by now had already returned to his office work, his quill feverishly scratching across a new sheet of vellum.

Without bothering to look up, Zebulus grunted in an approximation of amusement.

“Not my concern if you have nary the wit to decipher a Scroll of Selection.”

Bemused, Jeff turned round and started to make his way back towards the doorway.

“Hold!’ The Ejdar barked, “don’t forget to take your Inventory Ring.”

Jeff turned back to see the little red Ejdar glaring back at him, proffering something in the palm of its hand.

Jeff walked back to the desk. Resting in the Ejdar’s dainty, child-like hand was a large ring, made of some substance resembling silver or platinum. Its entire surface seemed to be covered in runes, etched so small Jeff would need a microscope to clearly make them out.

Reaching down, he picked up the ring and stood holding it between his thumb and forefinger.

“Well put it on. Put it on! I haven’t got all day.”

Jeff did as he was instructed, and a new system dialog sprang up.

System Inventory Ring

Pairing…Pairing…Pairing

Successfully paired.

Jeff felt the ring tighten snugly around his finger, then a new dialog box appeared.

Ring Inventory

Coins: 0

Inventory Items: 0

“Now exit my sanctum, and take that glorified abacus with you,” the Ejdar commanded snootily, waving Jeff away.

Leaving the Ejdar to his scribbling, Jeff exited the room, Misty floating along behind him.

Back once again in the brightly lit hall, he glanced over his shoulder to find the door had disappeared. His only memento of the bizarre conversation was the inscrutable scroll in his hands, and the silver ring on his finger.

“What do I do with this, Misty?” Asked Jeff, brandishing the scroll.

Misty remained silent, but a strange, pulsating warmth began to suffuse the scroll in Jeff’s grip. A luminescent yellow aura shone up from the surface of the parchment. Jeff peered again at the previously blank scroll and was amazed to see row upon row of beautifully hand-penned symbols appearing, luminously drawn in vivid neon-yellow ink.

The scroll’s glow crescendoed in tandem with the heat, until with a sudden final flash, it vanished from his grasp.

Another glowing yellow system dialog appeared.

Select one of the Classes that best suits you. You may request additional information on each Class before proceeding.

Jeff was again presented with more choices. The three potential Classes on offer were presented in a glowing dialog box, side by side.

Jeff studied the glowing boxes, his brow furrowing as his gaze glanced over each of the descriptions.

Choose your Class:

Arcane Duelist 1: The Arcane Duelist is a melee fighter who thrives in the thick of battle. Ever attacking, they are most comfortable when they seamlessly blend the art of the blade with the craft of sorcery—a combination of lethal sword attacks with magic-based Skills. Their greatest strength lies in their mastery of edged weapons. Slicing through enemy ranks without mercy, their axiom is ‘Be the Blade’.

Jeff moved on to the next choice.

Battlefield Bulwark 1: Battlefield Bulwarks are the foundation stone of any fighting force, the rock upon which the enemy founders. Specializing in fortification and defensive combat, they utilize their magic to create barriers, defend their comrades and enhance armor through spells. They are also adept at harnessing restorative spells, with the ability to heal themselves and others in their party from wounds inflicted in battle.

And the final box gave the following information.

Dark Scout 1: Masters of stealth and subtlety, the Dark Scouts excel in clandestine activities. These elusive agents specialize in infiltration, surveillance and sabotage. Striking from the shadows, they are able to penetrate enemy defenses unawares and perform swift, surgical attacks and assassinations.

“Magic? What is this fairy tale nonsense… You’ve gotta be kidding me…” he mumbled to himself as he was reading.

Misty, assuming Jeff had posited a question, replied.

I’m not kidding you, Jeff. In the System Universe, magic is a reality. Why, I believe one of your sages on Earth opined that any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic. You could say that the elder races, with the supreme Vogels at their head, have reached the apex of technological development; our technology allows thought to be made reality. There is no limit to what can be achieved now. Besides, the wise and mighty Patriarch, head of the Vogel Fatherverse, has deemed that in order for The Tournament to be sufficiently challenging, a purely physical competition based on primitive violence would not be sufficient.

The AI continued, obviously warming to the subject.

As well as winnowing out inferior species before they can pollute the life-blood of the System-universe, The Tournament also provides entertainment—entertainment being the only currency remaining of any value in our society, now that all material wants and needs can be supplied with a thought.

“So you would have us fight and die in your Tournament to keep you amused?” Jeff said in disgust.

Exactly! I’m glad to see you are figuring things out so quickly. I was worried at first that I’d been allocated a lesser intellect.

The AI actually chortled as she spoke.

Jeff mentally shelved any further objections and turned back to the scroll.

“OK, I see from some of the Class descriptions that I may be fighting as part of a group. Is that so?”

Yes, you will shortly meet some of the other World Champions, and the forming of Parties is actively encouraged.

So there were two ways to win, it seemed. Either be the last one standing at the end of the tournament, or complete all the challenges, whatever they may be.

As he stood, trying to get the dynamics of the Tournament straight in his head, Misty spoke in a gently chiding tone.

Now, the clock is ticking and I really must hurry you along. Time to choose your Class.

Jeff’s decision came easily. The three Classes presented to him in some ways reflected some of the Path choices he had already been offered by the Autochs.

He knew the moment he read the Arcane Duelist’s description that it was his best choice. The motto ‘Be the Blade’ resonated with him; it symbolized not just a style of fighting but also a philosophy he endorsed. Also it perfectly matched his current Path, although he was still unsure of what benefits, if any, the Path bestowed on him.

Wasting no more time, Jeff selected the Arcane Duelist option.

The lights flashed, and once again Jeff felt both a physical and mental transformation sweep over him.