“No, no, no, no, no - this must be a mistake, surely,” Callum mumbled to himself.

He looked at the line with disbelief. Reading it over and over again.

Callum: Attempts to Cast: Wand Activation - Spell fails // This Combat Class is unable to cast spells

He stared numbly at the amulet he’d dropped lying on the ground only a few feet away.

This legendary artifact... means that I can’t cast spells?

Still struggling to comprehend his new reality, Callum queried the System for In-Depth Class Description and Stat Distribution.

I guess it’s time we talk about some of the new shiny stuff you get with that fancy Legendary Rarity Class, huh? Here ya go, Challenger:

- The Tinkerer class will receive +2 Intelligence and Constitution and +1 Dexterity per level.

- The Tinkerer is awarded +3 free stat points per level that can be allocated to any category.

- The System, in all of its benevolence, that’s me, of course, allows for any class to gain a +1 to any stat or stat-combination once per day depending on the training activity performed.

- As an Arcane Tinkerer, your out-of-combat Mana Regeneration is increased by 50%

Now, like with all things related to the System in the multiverse- the trade-off! There always has to be balance. Here are some of the downsides to getting such an absurdly rare class this early into the integration.

- As a Tinkerer, you are unable to regenerate mana during combat. This means that Health and Mana Regeneration will not begin until out of combat for 10 seconds.

- As a Tinkerer, you are unable to cast spells. You have a knack for building and powering constructs. Due to the extreme diversity of your class, you’ve been limited to the use of Abilities, Skills, and Traits only.

- As an Arcane Tinkerer, your +2 Constitution per level is changed to +1 Constitution per level.

You’ll probably be using magical items or lobbing grenades from a distance like a sissy, anyway. You don’t need those health points!

Callum was taken aback by the sheer amount of information that he had to process. His new class was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, and he couldn’t quite believe it. That he would receive seven stat points per level was nothing short of incredible, especially for a Tier-1 class. The mere thought of what the evolution of this class could be like almost made him drool with anticipation. His mind was ablaze with excitement as he contemplated the possibilities that lay ahead.

At first glance, Callum knew that a 50% increase in mana regeneration was a significant buff for any intelligence-based class. However, he couldn’t help but feel that losing the ability to regenerate mana during combat was an unjust punishment for this balancing effect. He had firsthand experience with the importance of in-combat mana regeneration, and it was the only reason he had survived through some of the more prolonged battles in the past. The thought of losing that advantage made him uneasy, and he knew he would have to be more cautious and strategic in his approach.

The thing that hurt him the most, though, was the fact that he wouldn’t be able to cast spells any longer. His entire life had been built around being a caster and spell slinger. He’d really need to look into this more later. He knew that if he spent too much time thinking about it now, with so little information, he’d likely have a meltdown.

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He decided that before spending any more time in his menus, he needed to find somewhere safe to rest and go through the fine details of this class. Checking his health, Callum saw that the Health Potion had done its job and had restored him to full health. The System put a hard limit on the number of items that any one person could bring with them into an integration, and Callum knew he couldn’t waste his precious potions like that.

Callum glared at his wand and kicked it in anger. It bounced along the pine-needle-covered floor of the forest. He bent down and retrieved the amulet, giving it a glare for good measure. He mumbled to himself, cursing the artifact and whoever had left it in that crumbling pocket dimension. With a sour thought, he wondered if this was the reason that it was the only one left?

Perhaps whoever had left it there knew what sort of handicap the Arcane Tinkerer class gave and opted to leave it behind.

Grumbling all the while, Callum reached into his pocket and retrieved the leather-bound book from within. Non too gently, he tossed the book out into the air a few feet in front of himself. With an accusatory glare, he watched it whirl into motion with the rustling of pages and flapping of wings. The leather-bound tomb finished transformed into the shape of a raven before hitting the ground.

The companion opened its wings and gained altitude, circled overhead once, and landed directly in front of Callum. It opened its beak in a silent squawk, hopping forward toward Callum a few times.

“It’s your fault, Book. Did you know that this would happen?” Callum glared at his only friend. Feeling hurt and still slightly panicked from realizing he’d never be able to cast a spell again in his life.

Book opened her maw once more before turning and fluttering her wings. She carefully began pruning her wings, taking care to pick between each of her parchment-made feathers, pointedly ignoring Callum’s accusations.

“Gah!” Callum stomped and looked around for something to take his anger out on. With nothing in sight, he walked in a random direction. Doing his best to ignore Book as the companion flew lazily along behind him.

He hadn’t walked for very long when a System Notification popped into his vision.

Congratulations! You killed:

Squirrel x1

Wow, you’re so big and strong. Picking on the small critters of the forest. Feeling tough? Let’s get you some of those sweet, sweet experience points so you can start fighting the bigger baddies out there. EXP Earned: 3

Now that you’ve actually shown some potential for growth, you’ve been granted access to the Ladder! These are the real powerhouses of Arcadia. You’ll have to kill a LOT more Squirrels if you’re planning to go up against any of these monsters. Best of luck, Challenger!

Callum nodded at the experience gained. He’d been expecting this, though he was slightly surprised it took him so long to get out of combat. With a mental command, he dismissed the message and pulled up the Ladder rankings.

Arcadian Ladder 1. Jake 2. Loren Grant 3. Nyx Venor 4. Kaelith 5. Keith 6. Roran 7. Thunderscales 8. Sshas'kara 9. Elrathir 10. Dustrunner

Pausing mid-step, Callum was stunned to see his sister’s name listed as third on the overall Ladder ranking. He shook his head and laughed.

Of course she is.

He pressed on, his resolve fortified by the mere thought of his sister. If she was out there, grinding away at her training to safeguard their family’s legacy and secure sponsors, then he could do no less. Though he had chosen to follow his own path, he was determined to prove to them all that he possessed the strength to grow on his own terms.

The Arcane Tinkerer had to have strengths to balance out such a glaring weakness. Its legendary rarity bespoke a power that could not be taken lightly. Callum resolved to unravel its secrets. He wasted no time, setting off to find refuge to begin his work. The Cottage Key dangled from his neck, concealed beneath his cloak and outer robes. The artifact itself had shown both a Passive and Active ability that he’d need to puzzle out as well.

His familiar, Book, sensed the fire that burned within him and settled on his shoulder, a reassuring weight. They were a team, and together they would scour the land in search of those who could aid them on their journey. For this was just the beginning of his tale, and he’d not quit until he proved to his parents that he was worthy.