Enigmatic Crusade

“Time to get up,” Fiona whispered. Valen’s eyes opened quickly. He wasn’t sure if he had actually been asleep or was thinking still. The mix of the two had been a constant battle as he slipped in and out of consciousness all night. 

“Already?” He asked, but knew the answer. Very little light was leaking in from the outside window. It was close to dawn, but not quite there yet. He had laid down in the clothes from the Healing House. His other pair was in worse condition than this one so he didn't need to change. Aunt Fiona left the small room anyway, giving him some privacy. 

Valen sat up on the bed for a moment. His mind went blank as he tried to come to grips with the fact that the fateful day was finally upon him. It was the new year. Time for every 16 year-old to be Inaugurated into the System. After so much waiting and jealousy for other kids going through it, it was finally his turn, and no more thinking could be done. 

Setting his hands on his knees he helped push himself to his feet. After a quick look around he inventoried his belongings. A part of a watch he had found that no one would pay money for. An old T-shirt with a rip in it that had some movie quote on it. A set of clothes that was almost too small for him. No money squirreled away he left the room with little regret. 

When he got to the main floor Claire was hugging and whispering in Aunt Fiona’s ear. Peter yawned widely, acting like this was any other morning. Valen was a little disappointed none of the kids woke up to see them off, but it wasn’t like he was going to die. At least he hoped he didn’t. With luck he could stop by to see them all again. 

Claire let go of Fiona and it was Valen’s turn. “You watch out,” the old bat said as she pointed at his face. 

“You too,” Valen said. “You sure you can get along without us?”

“We will manage,” she said. Valen wondered if she saw all the new adults off like this. He had never woken up to see them off on their Inauguration Day, something he regretted now. “Go on. And pick what your heart says to pick.” 

“No other pointers?” Peter asked with a smile as she studied him. 

“Nope, like people, your class can be whatever you want it to be,” she said. 

Valen frowned, everyone was usually given one of the same five choices. At least from what he knew. But before he could think of a way to ask what she meant she shooed them off. Aunt Fiona wished them luck as they walked down the steps to the street and she shut the door behind them. 

Valen frowned at the door. He had known Fiona all his life. Though she had never tried to be his mother, she was the closest thing he had to one. A part of him had hoped she would want him to stay longer or at least been more emotional as he left. 

“She takes this day pretty hard,” Claire said as she began to walk down the street. 

“What?” Valen asked, following her. 

“I caught her last year. She was crying for hours after last year’s batch was sent off,” she said nonchalantly. “Didn’t you ever notice how she takes the Inauguration Day off?” 

“I did not,” Valen said slowly. He tried to think back to the year before but was stopped as a big group came around the corner. All of them appeared to be around Valen and the other’s age, but at the front was an obvious rich boy. Already wearing bright shiny armor, despite no level, he was the type of person Valen hated. Not only did the kid have parents, but they probably had a stock of stat increasing items and consumables set aside for him once he got his Class. 

More money than he knew what to do with the others in his group appeared to be his lackeys. They walked through the streets confidently, as if they owned the place. Despite the early morning the kid in front was talking loudly, uncaring of those trying to sleep in homes around them.

“I can’t wait for this day to be over. I already have a position in the guild set aside for me,” the man said. Valen wanted to hear more, but was stopped as Claire grabbed his arm to keep him back. 

“Ignore him,” she said and Valen couldn’t help but look at her. Even early in the morning she was gorgeous. Her blonde hair catching the early morning rays her blue eyes were bright as they locked gazes. For only a moment Valen forgot about everything else as he studied her. 

“What Class are you going to pick?” Peter asked, drawing their eyes away from one another. He began walking after the group which caused Valen and Claire to speed up to catch him. 

“No idea,” Claire said as she hummed happily next to Valen. “You?” 

“Priest, I think,” Valen admitted. 

“Really?” Claire asked with a stifled laugh. 

“What?” He asked. 

“Yeah, but you, a priest? I thought you would pick Rogue or something.”

“Why’s that?” He asked, curious.

“I don’t know. Just don’t seem like the healer type,” she said. 

Maybe if one of your best friends died in front of you, you’d change your mind, he thought to himself. Grant had been one of those people to put others before himself. He hadn’t deserved death. Back then Grant knew he wanted to be a Priest, just to be able to heal others. A part of Valen felt like he owed it to his old friend. It had been hard on him seeing the boy killed by poison and being unable to help. Valen couldn’t even touch his body back then without being affected by the poison coursing through him. A part of him had always wanted to try to help, and becoming a healer felt like the best way.

The image of his own arm and leg missing was also a push for him. If Healers could fix that, then he wanted that power. No matter where he was, at least he could hopefully heal himself.  

“Raging is hiring healers,” he reminded.

“Yeah, so what? You want to join Raging?” Claire asked. 

“Might as well get the backing from the strongest in the city,” he said truthfully. “What about you?” He asked Peter.

“Warrior,” he said without hesitation. He flexed his bicep muscles with a smile. “I think that’s what’s best for me.”

“I can see that,” Claire said.

“And you?” Valen asked.

“Hmmm I don’t know,” she said.

“What? We all answered,” The boys said, annoyed. 

“So? I still don’t know. Why don’t you guess, you have a one in five chance of getting it right,” she said. The trio quieted as they continued on. As they moved through the streets more and more people their age joined the throng. 

New Rapids was a fairly large town. Sporting nearly a quarter million people the population had been in the millions once upon a time. But as people leveled, monster hordes overran the town, raid bosses attacked, and many other terrible events occurred, the population had dwindled down. Not nearly as big as some cities, it was larger than all the others in the area. 

As they walked it appeared that there were a few thousand people being Inaugurated that year. More groups appeared from here and there, plenty of people were simply walking up as they all headed in the same direction, Town Hall. 

Back when the Earth’s population was first Integrated into the new world by the System, the people were taken to Town Halls depending on where they were located on Earth. These Town Halls were constructs of the System. Large buildings that housed a System Representative for each town. Then as people earned aurous the city was built around the Town Hall. 

At least in the beginning they were. As cities grew, the Town Halls were mostly forgotten. Besides one day a year that is, Inauguration Day. The anniversary of all Earthlings being Integrated into the Infinite Sphere was the day that 16 year-olds were allowed to gain levels, choose their class, and earn a status screen. 

Valen noticed the Town Hall come into view. A 2-story building, the wood paneling around it was a gray color, and hadn’t changed since he first saw it over a decade ago. A small bell tower on top reminded Valen of drawings of old churches he saw. Three short steps up to the building there were two large doors that closed the Town Hall off to the rest of the world. Out front was an empty board that supposedly used to have quests on it. Valen wasn’t too sure what happened to the quest, but they were most likely managed by Raging anyway. 

The building was a remnant of the initial Integration. Though it had stood for almost two decades, it looked the same as when it first appeared in their new world.  

The thousands of 16 year-olds gathering murmured slightly in the early morning hours. All congregating at the front of the building. Some excited, others fearful, but all there. Ready to become adults as they set out on a life of adventure or some other method to level up and gain stats. All so they were no longer the weakest people in the world. 

Valen recognized a few in the crowd. Some he had played with at local parks over the years. Most were new to him. Already wearing armor and gear that cost more than the entire orphanage could spend in a year. 

“Good luck,” Claire whispered, drawing his eye, but the door of the Town Hall opened slowly. All eyes on it the System Representative appeared. 

The rep was a tall woman. She had short cut black hair, smooth cheekbones, and wore long robes with tiny etchings at the base and end of the sleeves. Valen had heard that she was a construct of the System. A human made by the mysterious ruler of their new world. He hadn’t met her before, but she often stood outside the Town Hall simply watching the city around her with a blank stare. Her black eyes boring into people as if she could see through them. 

“Hello,” she said, her voice silencing the minor noises of people whispering. “I am Jane, and will be your guide for your Inauguration.” She looked over the crowd slowly, as if she knew all of them and could tell which people were missing. “I am glad all of you have made it to this day. As the 17th Inauguration, I am pleased to know that this Town has survived for an entire generation. You are the first generation of your species to have lived only on the Infinite Sphere. Making this place your one and only home.”

Valen hadn’t thought of that before. They really were the first generation to be birthed on the new world. He had heard stories of the old world, but never seen it for himself. Movies, celebrities, sports teams, all of it disappeared when the people were taken here. But the memory of them lived on, and proved to be the only entertainment freely given. People loved talking about the old world that was dead now. Only the stories were left. Valen had to focus on the present and his own choices for his Inauguration, as each generation had done before him. 

“With that…” she said slowly and a beam of light from the sun shot out over the building behind her. Casting a white light on the building. “Let us choose.” Everything turned white around Valen and all of his fellow Initiates disappeared. 

With a blink he looked around to see Jane standing in front of him. 

“Welcome, Valen,” she said, her dark eyes focused on only him in the white expanse. “Are you ready to choose your Class?” 

“I-I think so,” he said. He had heard of this before from other Inaugurated. Some kind of other plane that everyone was brought to when picking their first class. Behind Jane, items began to materialize. 

First there was a sword and shield. The sword was gray metal and mid-size. It was fairly standard. A straight blade with a dull yellow hilt, leather grip, and round pummel at the end. The shield was round. Made of wood with a metal ring at the edges. Two leather straps inside were loops for your hand and forearm. 

Next was the dagger. It was short and thin. Nothing much to it, he had seen dozens of them over the years in the city. After that was a short staff. The wood of the staff was black and smooth and had a shiny round stone at the end that glowed red. 

After that was a long set of white robes. The robes had gray stitching at the seam in the middle, and silver etching at the sleeves. The last item was a brown leather satchel. Two straps on the back for putting your arms through, the brown cloth was simple but enough to hold most anything someone needed. 

Jane took his study of the items as an opportunity to explain. “From left to right you may pick the warrior class, rogue class, priest class, mage class, and finally a support class,” she said. Valen knew this of course. Everyone was given these five choices and that was all. As people leveled up their own stats and actions they could possibly earn class evolutions, but they were stuck with these five root classes to begin with. 

Valen had heard stories that during the first Inauguration, some people had declined picking a class. As if this was some sort of test. Because of that they weren’t given levels and many died in the coming months. Some made it a year to the next Inauguration, but by that point most people had surpassed them in levels. The last thing Valen wanted to do was not get a class. 

“I am tempted to pick the Support,” he admitted. He knew that Jane was restricted on what information she could give out, but he wanted to at least try. 

“Yes, that is a very good option,” she said. “The Support Class offers customization to you specifically. Depending on your own talents and capabilities, the System itself will assign your starting class.” 

Valen knew this was how a lot of people got an edge up on the others. Warriors were for fighting, rogues for stealth and close combat, priests for healing, and mages for distant attacks. The Support class could be anything though. If you were close to nature you could be a Druid, if you were good at music a Bard. Valen knew that the majority of the Rankers were Support Classes, at least in the beginning. Then their own achievements allowed crazy evolutions with those support classes, giving them access to skills no one else had. Because there were as many different class evolution possibilities as there were people in the world, the options were infinite. 

“The reward of the spacial bag for Support Classes is quite valuable as well. Sometimes the System will reward something custom to your Class inside,” she added. Valen knew this already. Spacial bags were a huge part of commerce. Able to hold vast amounts of anything inside of them he had wanted to do a Support Class just for the opportunity of having a bag. 

But Valen knew that wasn’t for him. He had heard too many horror stories of picking the Support Class. Because it could be anything, that meant good and bad. He had heard rumors that Aunt Fiona had received a Caretaker class because she chose Support. Which had led her to start the orphanage and take care of all the kids. If he was going to go out into the world he couldn’t risk it. Maybe if he excelled at something or had training like well-off kids that would help direct the class then he would, but for now he needed to stick to what was certain. 

“I…think I will pick the Priest Class,” he admitted. 

“A very good choice…as all of them are,” Jane said, turning to the white robes. “Do you have a God in mind to worship?”

“I don’t…” Valen said. There were plenty of “gods” that helped people along. Valen had always heard that he should never pick just one though. Once they got their claws in you, it was hard to break away from them. 

“Very well,” she said and a screen popped up in his vision.  

It was Valen’s first notification. The screen itself was simple. Only about one foot by a foot and a half it was a yellow screen with an orange border. He had seen people look blankly at nothing for so long it was crazy to him to think that he was finally connected to the System as well. Like some threshold had been passed in his life and he was at last like everyone else. His hands shaking he reached out to the screen about a foot from his face and clicked yes. Nothing happened for a moment, then a new screen appeared. 

The three dots at the end of the word increased to five then dropped to one only to refill to five and repeat. Long seconds passed and Valen began to get nervous, but then he received a new notification. 

Valen had heard of faculties of course. They were the Essence type for skills you could cast. He knew some priests had awoken with different faculties in the past, but never heard what was the best. He assumed that Holy was pretty standard for Priests. 

The list went on but he waved the notification away. Gods were not something to be trifled with. Though he might gain a few extra stats, but in the end wasn’t worth it for the time being. From what he had heard, locking yourself to one god could affect future growth. 

Instantly the items disappeared and a white light enveloped Valen as the priest robes appeared on his body. He didn’t have time to check it out before he received more notifications though. 

It was like a breath of fresh air for Valen. Finally he had chosen his starting class. The wait and questioning was over. He had levels and stats, he was like everyone else. All he had to do now was figure out what to spend the points on.