The stone glowed a bland orange, Kevin watched as the light spilled past and over his hand. Bating his breath, he awaited the textbox.

A blue textbook appeared before him, it was something only he could read.

[Acceptable Awakening Candidate for Monk Class]

“Monk? But shouldn’t I be Fighter?” Kevin gaped, a proctor noticing this approached him.

“What’s wrong kid? Errors? That seems to happen a lot, it's no biggie.”

“N-no it’s nothing.” He stammered, feeling a bit sweaty. “I was just surprised by uh placement.”

“Why is that? You seem to have been expecting Fighter.”

“Well… I got Monk.”

“Oh.” He examined Kevin, this was not something even he could recall happening before. Let alone the fact that he is a Monk at such a young age.

“Well then. Down that way-” He pointed Southward, to Kevin’s left at the end of the candidates who have already been given their approval by the stone. “-there should be at least one Monk.”

Kevin looked down and began walking, tapping his spear on the ground solemnly. “Oh wait.” The proctor tapped his shoulder. “I recommend stowing your weapons, I assume you have a maid. Otherwise you can just hand them to me and I will return them to you when you come back from the shrine.”

“Thank you. I do have a maid however. Good day.” Kevin continued stepping along but he only barely made it past the gate before he was tapped on the shoulder again.

“Hey, you’re not even gonna let me part ways properly? You’re so rude.” Amelia was standing there, her unflinching demeanor proved she got what she wanted. Likely a fighter.

“Oh forgive me… did you get the color you wanted?”

She groaned. “No! I got… red! Ah but at least it must relate to my fiery personality!” She chuckled, seemingly getting over it without feedback.

“What about orange?”

“Hmmm.” She tapped her chin and stroked it as if she had a long goatee. “I guess you ought to just be confident. So maybe less personality… more fate.”

“In that case you should be MORE fiery?”

“Hey… what’s that supposed to mean?” She giggled and covered her mouth. “Well anyway! I didn’t hear it all but you’re sulking after being approved of by the stone. No need to tell me what you got… but if you dedicate yourself to it you’ll do just as well as you might’ve in the one you wanted. Maybe better!”

Kevin couldn’t help but crack a smile at this optimism. “Thanks Amelia. You’re right. You do great yourself. I’m sure we’ll see each other someday again.”

“I’m sure Kev.” She waved and jogged over to her section. Kevin followed suit and gave the same hop to his step as he looked for his parents and maid. Once he found her, he quickly handed her his spear and then undid his belt and handed her the sword too.

“Master? Why are you giving these to me?” She looked so bewildered by this action that her face had softened up quite a bit.

“I didn’t get the class that these fit. To avoid disrespecting the God for Monks I figured I would ditch it. Anyway, see you in a bit!”

“Monk!? Wait Kevin, what do you mean Monk? Your class changed?” Joshua said, surprised but not angry at all. Worried if nothing else. He knew very well that the role was a tad too… unpopular for the military.

“Yes, But don’t worry, I don’t intend to give up on making our family proud! I’ll fight, even if I can’t use normal weapons.” He bowed and ran off before any of them could respond.

“Oh dear.” Sophia muttered while palming her cheek. “What does he mean? He’s not going to take a monastic life?”

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Joshua sighed. “He’s definitely going to fight it at least. Well, who would I be if I stopped him?”

“What? But Josh…”

“I’m aware of the close range nature of Monk combat, but he’s got it. Besides, the unusual nature of this… fortuitous. No?”

“Or terrible.” She pouted a bit but sighed and tried to get a look at where the Monks are standing. “They’re too far away to see.”

“There’s only two others.” Josh said, “But they’re far enough that I had to use my eyes.”

As Kevin arrived he saw the two Monk candidates. He was surprised there were so few, but he wonders how many Monks are inducted unofficially. “Hello. I am Kevin Branch.” In response the tallest among them huffed but another, a little bit older responded. “Hello, Barrett Winthrop.” They shook hands. “He’s Gary Villavicenzio by the way, but he’s shy.”

“Hey.” Gary said, almost threateningly. Between the two, he was kind of grungy. Big, hairy and smelt like a Sauna but ripped, not that one wouldn’t be able to tell either. Barrett on the other hand was dressed and had a lean silhouette in a nice suit, armed with a cane.

“So you two clearly knew each other before today.”

“Quite right, astute. It’s pretty unusual to have someone so young train to become a Monk.”

“Ah well, it was accidental I suppose or an error. I guess I will see when we are before the shrine.”

“Accidental you say?” Barrett looked at him. “Well, that’s odd but you are over here so I guess you’re one of us. In any case, it’s odd there’s not many others here.”

“Is there usually?”

“I’ve seen glimpses of it on TV. Monks are one of the groups that get the oldest members because it’s people trying to get into monastic life.” He looked around and saw a particular camera eying them. “I wonder what it means.”

“What do you mean? Is it a bad sign?”

“It could just be nothing, however I don’t believe in coincidences.”

Kevin only hummed in response, Barret in his eyes is clearly unwilling to elaborate. “So be it.” After another few minutes of waiting, the head proctor from before walked up onto another platform with a podium. “That’s it. Everyone in their groups right now are those who have been accepted. So now, a few things to know before you’re guided to your respective shrines with your guides.”

He pulled out a book of rules, this is more for the commoners rather than nobles who were well informed from the start. Although, the information is easily accessible as well. In short, present oneself with humility, enter the temple with respectable items - for the Monk this is nothing, unusually since even tonfa or other “tight-knit” weapons are used by the class. Each shrine had their own peculiar traditions, so that would be left up to the guide.

“That’s all. May all have blessed awakenings.” As he backed away from the podium he was met with cheers from both onlookers and the candidates themselves. It was unlikely that a God would refuse a candidate, but it did occasionally happen. However such cases are usually blown over by returning with offerings. The Gods are known to be quite merciful, afterall they were Awakened once.

The guide for the Monk’s group was rather stereotypical. The shrine abbot, all Kevin knew about them was that the class itself was heavily associated with Buddhism, many East Asians come to these shrines and some are even awakened Monks. Though not all.

Despite his thin appearance he spoke with a deep voice, like Gary. “Hello candidates. Only three this year?”

Barret and Gary bowed in unison, Kevin followed. “Yes sir, I believe we are all ready. Right?” Barret looked back at Kevin for a nod.

“Looks like it. Follow me, it will be something of a trip. Anyone accompanying you will be guided by another. We will, however, walk.”

Silently, they followed. Kevin felt a bit anxious since he knew nothing about the class or the people that have trained for it. But he figured if he followed behind these two, he’d get a better idea of how it’s supposed to go. The walk itself wasn’t too bad, however about an hour in and being able to eye the shrine, the steps caused a bit of anguish in his mind. Nonetheless, he’d be able to push through easily.

Continuing on they passed the gates, where they could all see those that came with them to the stones. The atmosphere was a bit odd, neither Kevin nor his family and maid waved so he did not either. They simply walked up the long steps past their company, no words exchanged until they reached the large doors of the shrine.

“You are about to behold the Precious Awakened.” As the old man opened the door, hot air that felt like it passed through Kevin’s skin overwhelmed him enough to make him think he stepped back. Gary got sweatier but nonetheless seemed as unphased as Barret.

They entered, the door slowly closed until it loudly shut and locked. The inside of the room was even warmer than the wafting of its own air implied. After stepping past a line, they all prostrated and crawled before a large circle in the middle of the room.

The awkward silence was ended, if not outright killed by a loud humming horn that seemed to come straight from the pipes in the room that protruded from the floor.

“Welcome, candidates.” A voice could be heard that seemed to come straight from the statue, yet resounded in their skulls. “You are all chosen.” It was weirdly curt, even the Abbot seemed surprised. “Barrett.” It said, like a command. He immediately stood up and took his place in the middle of the circle. The horns hummed again. “Display your awakening.”

He committed to a kata that looked as graceful as a slow dance, yet the power of every movement was not hampered a bit. When he finally finished in a pose where he shook his slightly bent arms in front of him, a powerful red light seemed to emanate from him. “It feels like I could smell Iron… ominous.”

A loud series of clashes could be heard from the statue, Kevin looked at the statue as it banged its staff against the platform. He gaped, such an active God was unusual. He recalled hearing that the ceremony for the Fighter God simply involved sparring and that a voice like this one could be heard.

“Gary” the God said, Kevin felt like its eyes were moving even if they weren’t as Barrett moved back into prostration and Gary went to the circle. “At least they both went first.” Kevin thought. He wasn’t sure what he would display exactly, it would have to be improvised. “Display your awakening.”

Like before, Gary took to the circle with great prowess in every moment but unlike Barrett seemed more wild but at the same time it looked more like break dancing than anything else. A great deal of kicks both from a low position and a high position were thrown through the air and when he ended he simply took a diminutive stance in the form of sitting on the ground. He was steaming, but it wasn’t just sweat - Kevin could see his “fur” tinge. Emanating a fireplace’s amount of heat on Kevin’s face.

Again the statue clashed its staff onto the platform. “Kevin.” Suddenly the whole world seemed to darken around him, he gulped and slowly stepped up into the center of the circle. “Display your awakening.” Kevin began to move immediately, despite his nervousness he attempted to imitate spear and sword combat with his fists and feet. Not that it was graceful, far from it. He could barely stay in the circle as he tripped over himself but the feeling of such powerful eyes beaming onto him inspired him to keep going.

Then the world returned and he beheld against his skin; nothing. No aura, no special substance which internally disappointed him. He was only a little sweaty, worried that he had failed but the statue banged its staff against the ground so Kevin returned to the ground before the circle.

“Excellent display. You are all Awakened, take the time to orient yourselves with your class before training. May you shake the world, Kevin.” It said, Kevin swung his head around but no one reacted to the last sentence. The room cooled and the doors swung open behind them. It was over.