Deacon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grease still clinging to his fingertips despite the clear plastic wrap he'd used earlier as a napkin. The remnants of his fourth Philly steak sandwich covered his mouth, its glorious, greasy taste still lingering in his mouth.
"Deacon Hayes, report to Door 7-C. Deacon Hayes, report to Door 7-C, immediately."
A voice echoed from the intercom just above him, cutting through the hustle and bustle of the cadets around him in the massive Hall of Classes. He sighed through his nose, swiftly and silently closed the hidden fridge, and moved from behind the marble column and toward Door 7-C.
"I'm gonna take the rest of those sandwiches before I leave," he muttered, licking the last bit of peppered meat from his thumb as he made his way past a cluster of first-years who squeezed themselves in and were gawking at everything within the hall.
The doors to Hall 7-C loomed ahead, only closed off by double doors made out of polished blackwood reinforced with gold lining, set into an archway of pale marble. As Deacon approached, they slid open with a whispering hiss, revealing a short hallway that led to the Class Chambers.
"This academy and their damn hallways," Deacon muttered as he pushed aside the cadets that crowded around the doors and walked through the wide open double doors and down its hallway.
Immediately, he felt a difference upon entering the hallway, and he wasn't just referring to the slightly colder temperature; he was referring to the slight elevation in the ambient mana.
But what he felt upon pushing past the massive double doors that had blocked his path into the Class Chambers was far beyond anything he had felt before, the sheer amount of potent ambient mana within the room tingled his skin. Shaking off his surprise at the sudden potency of mana, his eyes followed the lazy ascent of vines winding up the marble walls. Snapping his gaze forward, he took notice of the statues of beasts lining the various pillars that jutted out of the ground; griffins frozen mid-pounce, coiled basilisk hounds, great bears with carved snarls. With the exception of a seal in the middle of a water fountain spewing water from its mouth.
Standing beside the water pool, near the glowing Class Crystal housed within a raised iron brazier, was a faculty member Deacon didn't recognize.
The man was tall and thin, with angular features and a robe of soft silver thread. A clipboard rested in one hand, his other, gloved, twitching slightly with impatience, held an ink pen.
"You are Deacon Hayes, correct?" the faculty member asked, voice precise and sharp.
"Yeah," Deacon answered, before deciding to give his academy portfolio in order not to waste time. "Deacon Surtr Hayes, Graduating from Class C, and my Academy Rank is 87."
The man nodded in confirmation, flipping over a couple of pages on his clipboard before he began to fill out a form that had two photos - one being a recent photo and another being him at 8 and a half years old.
"...Yeah, looks like everything checks out," the man said, flipping through a few more pages before nodding toward the platform surrounding the Class Crystal. The crystal itself hovered just above its carved pedestal - a tall, jagged prism of raw mana that was created by the System.
"Step onto the platform and stand behind the crystal," he added, "but don't touch it yet."
Deacon barely gave the man a nod before climbing up a three-step staircase and walking over with a faint roll of his shoulders and stepping up onto the circular platform. He felt his skin begin to faintly tingle as he neared the Class Crystal – The air around the crystal buzzed faintly with a thrum of energy.
The faculty member continued, adjusting his clipboard. "Before we begin, please confirm your desired Class and your Academy Major for the record."
Deacon raised an eyebrow, holding back a sigh of annoyance. Bro, can you please just give me my Class?
"My desired Class is Warrior, and my Academy Major was Combat Specialist."
The man nodded without looking up, scribbling something in quick strokes. "Very well," he said. "Initiate connection on my mark."
"Three… two… one, go."
Deacon raised his hand and carefully brought it toward the Class Crystal.
The moment his palm neared the Class Crystal, it stirred to life. The ambient mana that had only tickled his skin before now slipped under it, seeping into his muscle and bone, saturating him from the inside out, connecting him intrinsically with the System.
It wasn't until the sensation settled that he noticed it: his first System Notification.
*Welcome to the System Deacon Surtr Hayes*
"Finally," he muttered, eyes shining with joy. Barely a second passed before two more System Notifications blinked into view.
*Select one of three Archetypes that best define the Class of your choice*
[Combat] [Support] [Production]
Combat, he answered within his head. He had no interest in being a buffer or crafter – he'd spent the past sixteen years training to be a Tower Climber, and he wasn't about to stay stuck in the backlines as one.
The two System Notifications disappeared before four options appeared in front of him.
Mage:
The Mage is one of the four foundational starting classes that specializes in long-range magical combat. They tap into the arcane to both devastate their enemies and defend themselves. Though physically not strong, their mind and magical powers more than compensate, turning the fight in favor of the mage from afar by a flick of the wrist and a burst of arcane. They are scholars of devastation, blessed with wit rather than brute force. When a Mage casts, reality distorts according to their will.
Abilities Granted: Manabolt (Initiate) & Mana Shield (Initiate).
Stats per Level: +2 Int, +2 Wis, +1 Will, +1 Free Point.
Archer:
The Archer is one of the four foundational starting classes, specializing in long-range combat with a bow and arrow. Graceful, swift, and deadly, Archers strike from a distance with unerring precision, raining arrows upon their enemies before they're even aware of the threat. Favoring agility and finesse over brute strength, they move like shadows – vanishing into cover, climbing to high ground, or slipping just out of reach. An Archer's aim never falters, and their senses miss nothing.
Abilities Granted: Basic Archery (Initiate) & Archer's Vision (Initiate).
Stats per level: +2 Agi, +2 Per, +1 Str, +1 Free Point.
Warrior:
The Warrior is one of the four foundational starting classes, they are best suited for close combat with one-handed swords and light armor. Balance between attack and defense, Warriors are forged in the fire of battle and the unyielding foundation of any frontline. With every clang of steel on steel, Warriors carve a path through the chaotic melee, holding the line when all else fails. They are bold, relentless, and built for battle, they thrive on the front lines of combat.
Abilities Granted: One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate) & Light Shield Mastery (Initiate).
Stats per Level: +2 Vit, +2 Str, +1 Agi, +1 Free Point.
Rogue:
The Rogue is a class that specializes in either close-range or long-range combat with one-handed weapons and stealth. Elusive and cunning are their middle names. They emphasize the importance of disabling stronger targets before they can react - exploiting all weaknesses, and vanishing without a trace. They are the ghosts in the alley, the dagger at the throat, and the last thing their enemies never see coming.
Abilities Granted: Stealth (Initiate) & Backstab (Initiate).
Stats per Level: +2 Agi, +2 Dex, +1 Per, +1 Free Point.
Deacon let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd held. Today was the day he would receive his Class.
He scanned the glowing options once more, eyes lingering on the panels before him. Rogue was a Class he hadn't expected to be offered; rather, he only expected to be offered Mage, Archer, and Warrior, the three Major and most common of Starter Classes.
This certainly tossed a wrench into his previous plans.
Out of the four, two of them stood out - Warrior and Rogue. Both were perfect foundations for him to build around. Far better suited for him than being a straight up tank like a Vanguard.
While he fully intended to integrate magic into his combat style, his current strengths lay in close-quarters fighting. Shifting to the backline as a Mage felt like too drastic a departure - not just in positioning, but in mindset.
And besides, he lacked the refined control over magic that Esmerelda and Sam possessed. His strongest spell, fireball, could barely hold its form at ten meters, and by twelve, it would fizzle out.
And while he was a decent shot with a bow, he wasn't anything special.
No, he needed a Class that played to his strengths. Strengths such as his skill with broad- and shortswords that he learned from his father and honed at the academy, his magic specialty - Fire, and according to both his friends and Head Combat Instructor Kim Lee - his tenacity.
He weighed the merits of the Warrior's balanced durability and offense against the Rogue's speed and raw striking power.
And after some thought, he decided that survivability mattered more. His fighting style wasn't about high risk and high reward – it was about using everything at his disposal, grinding through the fight no matter what. He didn't stop until he either won or woke up in the infirmary with a bucket of his own teeth beside the bed and his body wrapped head to toe in bandages.
I choose Warrior, Deacon mentally selected, causing all four System Notifications to vanish and one final System Notification appearing in their place as he felt something settle within his chest.
*You have selected Warrior to be your Class*
He stared at the notification for a few seconds before he was pulled out of his revelry by the man with the clipboard clearing his throat.
Deacon gave him a dry look before he was met with an even drier look in return. "Kid, you're the 242nd cadet I've dealt with today, and I've got at least 500 more before my shift ends. I really don't have the time for every student acting like they're the chosen one after confirming their Tier 1 Class."
Rolling his eyes at the man's response, he gave a glance at the now dim Class Crystal before hopping off the platform and walking toward the man with the clipboard who held out a sheet of paper for him to take.
Deacon waved off the clipboard-bearing man's offer.
"I'm good – I brought my own," he said, patting the side of his satchel where he kept a bundled up stack of parchment.
The man gave a curt nod before turning slightly and extending one hand toward the ornate, vine-covered marble flooring on his right. A brief pulse of mana rippled from atop his fingertips before enveloping the entire right side of the Class Chamber.
The polished stone trembled slightly before shifting with the soft grind of mechanisms beneath. Statues slid aside with grace, their water basins parting smoothly like curtains drawn back on a stage.
A previously hidden archway revealed itself, dark and framed with glowing runes. The air beyond shimmered faintly.
Deacon stared at the man with a dumbfounded expression. How good is his mana manipulation to be able to do all of that in less than a minute?
"That door will take you directly to the Monolith," the man explained, ignoring the look Deacon gave him. "It's your gateway to Floor One."
Deacon shook himself from his thoughts before his eyes flicked toward the open passage.
"Once you arrive, you'll find a ring of campfires surrounding the Monolith. The Academy set them up as a staging area. Allowing you to go over your Status Page and make any final preparations before you embark onto Floor One.
Deacon gave a short nod, then let a grin pull at the edge of his mouth.
"Got it," he said just before stepping toward the pathway and feeling a harmless wave of mana wash over him as he passed through the threshold.
The faint sound of trickling water echoed behind him as the wall creaked back into place, sealing off the path he had come from and engulfing him in darkness, but that darkness lasted for a second as, one by one, the extinguished torches that lined the walls sparked to life, lighting up his path toward the Floor Zero's Waystone.