"Nero!" His mom shouted from downstairs. "I hope your hair is groomed, it is time for your coming-of-age ceremony!"

The Hairless ape beast-kin of the Minnid tribe looked at himself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. Differently from the other beast-kin races, there was no tail at the end of his spine. He had somewhat long head fur, the only spot where it grew on him so far. He would grow some hairs on his arms, legs, chest and face when he grew older, but that wouldn't be a thick fur coating like the other beast-kin and it was still a few years ahead. His hair was slick, shiny and stiff in place from all the slime jelly he doused the mane with. His brand new leather armor was pristine and his long dagger was firmly attached to his belt. He was grinning from ear to ear. So absorbed he was with his 'big day', he disregarded his mom's calls. He kept grooming himself...

Until his father roared. "Nero you brat, come downstairs this very moment! I spent a huge amount of Essence in this ceremony, you better not be late! You are not getting your Arbitrium if you are not here to the count of five!"

His father never made an idle threat. With his mother, he knew how much he could push her, but the big, hairy, retired-adventurer-turned-merchant had a strict no-nonsense policy. Nero dashed out and slid down the stairs' banister. They were one of the well-off families in the village of Hom. He was received with a hurtful knuckle on the crown of his head. He knew it was just a 'heads-up' as his father was strong enough to split his head like a melon if he so wished.

"Ouch! Reporting on the count of zero, sir!" Nero rubbed his head, his worry on the state of his fur and not the pain, for once. His eyes were glued to the bracers on the left arms of both of his parents. Then he rapped his knuckles on the boy's head. "Ouch!"

"Don't get cheeky, kid," Byron warned.

"Byron! Don't mess with his hair!" His mother chided her husband.

"Rhynne, he can take it. And as for you, move, boy. Time to know how great you'll be!" Byron bellowed, boastful. He wrapped his burly arm around the neck of the boy and made for the door.

"Yes, father!" Nero grinned.

Nero daydreamed about his Arbitrium. A mix of clockwork and enchantment, it was a device that allowed a person to direct and promote their growth primarily by leveling up after absorbing Essence crystals left behind by defeated monsters and choose their path by equipping cards, also dropped by monsters. The Arbitrium was bound to the person and impossible to remove or damage afterward. This expensive piece of magical technology, the very definition of being an adventurer, was often gifted by the parents to their child when they came of age through years of savings.

Essence crystals were used in several applications, from street lamps to some weird Gnomish or Squiig machinery. They were often used as currency along with coins made with precious metals by the King. Cards were no less versatile. These enchanted crystal sheets could be used to summon items or to grant the adventurer powerful skills or magic. From the most common to the rarest, were consumables like potions or ointments, weapons and armor, skills, spells, and finally, classes.

These cards could be traded between adventurers. Usually, the novice would hunt in Dungeons for a few months before he could find the class card he wanted or gather enough essences and cards to trade for the class he wanted. Because once a class card was inserted into the Arbitrium, their life path was chosen. Few classes could be upgraded with more advanced cards of the same path but a [Warrior] would never become a [Mage]. A [Mage Knight], a very advanced and rare class belonging to both paths, wasn't out of question though.

Nero's family went to the adventurer's guild, meeting several other young novices-to-be along the way. He was eager to receive his Arbitrium and learn his level cap upon activating it for the first time. Each person had a different level cap, and while it seemed random, usually it was higher than the average of the parents. Byron, his father, had a whopping 194 level cap and Sharon, his mother, 160. It was somewhat public information as the level cap was revealed in public upon activation of the arm device. Their actual levels were above 130 but the exact value was a well-guarded secret. From what he eavesdropped, Nero could expect a level cap over 150. That would put him among the lower strata of the country's elite. It is rumored the King was over 250, after all.

"Hey, Nero!" A girlish voice called out from behind him, interrupting his musings.

"Altia! Hi!," Nero greeted his friend. "Excited?"

Altia was the perfect girl next door. She had light brown hair, tied in a single braid that reached the small of her back, light brown eyes and a lighter complexion. She was pretty but not overly gorgeous, smart, easygoing, and focused on her studies. She knew what she wanted to be ever since they were little tykes. A [Combat Chemist]. Different from the scholarly [Alchemists] that locked themselves in a lab and performed experiments, the [Combat Chemist] was part adventurer, part prospector, and able to craft most kinds of potions even though not the full range a specialized [Alchemist] could.

"You bet!" She giggled at him. "Hi, master Byron, mistress Rhynne."

The kids gathered in the central square. This event happened once every two years because the [Gadgeteer] had to travel between several villages around. Standing on a raised dais, the village's assigned squiig [Gadgeteer], Glom was waiting next to an open crate.

The squiig was a race of diminutive beast-folk less than two feet tall with their roots on skipping prairie rodents, the gerboa. He had a long and thin tail that ended with a tuft of fluffy black fur that resembled a painter's brush, digitigrade and long legs that he used to hop, skip, and jump fast and far, oval ears decorating the top of his head and a rodent's snout with long whiskers. The squiig had prominent front teeth but these didn't grow like their animal counterparts.

"Line up, I said!" The diminutive [Gadgeteer]'s sharp voice rang over the buzz of the crowd.

Wearing a monocle and a tool harness over his jumpsuit, the tiny, ten inches tall Jerboa-kin had short arms that didn't quite match his long legs. Despite his size, he could easily clear almost ten feet of height with a single jump and project his voice over the crowd. Might be some sort of Skill, Nero thought, eyes glued to the device latched to the furry person's forearm.

"I know you are all eager to get your Arbitrium and delve the Dungeon, but please make a line. In the same order you arrived, please. And keep silent. The attunement process is delicate!"

At the tinkerer's command, the eager youth bid their parents goodbye and lined up. Nero's excessive grooming caused him to be the third-to-last in the line. Glom placed a pillow on the edge of the dais, at the perfect height for the kids to put the left arm on so he could fit their Arbitrium. He would attune the device to the person's magical aura, bonding person and gadget for life. Then he would run the proper checks and declare the newly-ordained adventurer's level cap.

"I hope I am over a hundred," One of the boys in the middle of the line whispered.

"Silence, I said!" Glom scolded him with a glare. WIth ears twice as big as their heads, the squiig's hearing was hard to defeat. "The first one in line, please step forward."

The first boy placed his forearm on the pillow and Glom took a brand new Arbitrium from the crate at his side. He examined the device, shook his head and then took a bigger one. Arbitriums had to match the size of the person's forearm with little margin for errors. He then placed the semi-cylindrical, leather-covered bracer over the boy's arm and adjusted the gauges. A faint sucking sound was heard only by the boy and Glom. The kid gritted his teeth. The feeling of having one's magical power drawn out and consumed by the first time was daunting.

But the sting was a welcome one. The higher the level cap, the biggest the pain.

"I heard Byron screamed during his induction," Someone whispered from the waiting crowd of parents.

Glom stared at the offender and huffed, turning back to his job immediately afterward. He tapped the slightly raised rectangular glass display, then carefully cranked the dial, making some runes and symbols glow and move around. With practiced movements, he twisted some knobs just underneath the display and numbers flared to life. Once the symbols stopped, he pressed the glass down, forever sealing the knobs and marking the end of the activation procedure.

"114!" Glom shouted. Then he fished on the crate and took a bandolier with several pouches and hooks. The kid raised an arm and put it on across his chest. The bandolier was also bound to the adventurer and a useful accessory to hold cards, essence crystals, potions, and other small knick-knacks. The biggest perk of having one was that it couldn't be stolen. Items in the bandolier were safe.

With his normal voice, the Squiig spoke to the boy, no, the adventurer in front of him. "Congratulations, young adventurer. You are now an adult. Behave like one. You can go to your family."

"Yes! Thank you, master Glom!" He ran to his parents, earning praise and hugs.

Anything over a hundred was considered good. It meant you could reach the end of any class tree and become anything. Those whose level cap was lower than 100 would have to stop somewhere. Any level cap over two hundred had to be reported to the King, however. Those were brought to the elite [Knight] corps.

As the line went by, numbers flew and dreams were either formed or crushed. One of the kids had a 54 for reading and went out crying. The son of farmers, their parents had no Arbitrium so his potential was unknown. He'd still be better off than his parents, able to harvest essences and cards from the Dungeons.

The line went by, Nero noticing that half of the kids were over a hundred, the other half below. Then it came Altia's turn. Around, those less interested in gossiping or comparing levels already left the square, thinning the crowd. The girl skipped to her place and placed her arm on the pillow, glancing back to briefly poke her tongue out, taunting Nero. Glom did the same procedure for the umpteenth time.

"Eeek!" Altia shrieked as the Arbitrium latched to her forearm and eagerly sucked her magic.

Her parents clapped their hands. Nero could see that Glom was smiling. His dexterous paws adjusted the knobs and he pressed his body weight on the glass display. The runes shone bright and moved until the numbers showed up.

"One hundred and seventy-nine!" Glom shouted.

Altia wobbled, her strength lacking. Nero held her shoulders and she leaned on him. "Thanks," She looked up and gave him a coy smile.

"Don't worry. Are you okay?"

She should be really weak because he could feel more of her weight leaning on him.

"That hurt like a scorpion's sting," She whispered. "Can I stay here for a bit longer?"

"Should I call your parents?"

"No, no!" She hurriedly denied. "I... I think I can walk."

Altia stood up and flexed her arm. Everyone knew it took some time to get used to the Arbitrium. Glom took a belt and had Altia wrap it around her waist. It had the same abilities as the bandolier but Females favored belts. While the belt had less room for stuff, they preferred that for aesthetic and comfort reasons. The same words were repeated another time and Altia went on to receive the praises of the village. She was the highest level so far.

Nero looked around and found his father's gaze. With a nod from Byron, he laid his forearm on the pillow.

"Hello, young Nero. let me see... this one should fit."

He put the Arbitrium on Nero's arm and repeated the activation procedure. The runes flared and moved around. Nero felt... nothing. Glom paused for a while and messed with the knobs a bit more. Once nothing changed, the Squiig sighed and pressed the glass display.

Glom said nothing. Confused, Nero looked at the display and back to the monocle furry face standing less than a foot from his.

"What happened?" Nero whispered.

He was scared. Was his Arbitrium defective? No, impossible. Glom made literally thousands of these devices over the decades.

"Glom, what is wrong?" Byron's booming voice came from too close behind and to the side of Nero.

"I... I don't know, Byron. The Arbitrium is working, I double-checked the calibration," Glom answered, his tiny voice wavering.

"Can we move on? I want to get mine!" The boy behind Nero cried.

"Right. Step aside, Nero. Get behind the dais and wait for me," Glom adjusted his monocle and waved for the boy. Before Nero could take his second step, he felt the thick leather bandolier fly over his head. "I forgot this, sorry."

Nero turned the dial next to the glass display, willing his status to show. They all knew what the symbols meant. On the left side of the rectangle, their Attribute scores would show, nine of them. As he was a new Adventurer, they all displayed zero, no correction from what was expected from an ordinary person. As he leveled up, he'd get one point every level to assign to these Attributes. You could earn points for extraordinary feats and most Adventurers gained a handful at the beginning while they were easier, but as your level rose those became harder and harder to obtain. What worried him was what appeared at the top, where his current level and level cap were. One of them was zero, as expected. He hadn't delved the Dungeon yet.

Nobody else but he could see that information, though.

"What is showing there, Nero?" Byron asked, full of concern and a creased brow.

"I am not sure, father," Nero answered with a knot in his throat. "Let's wait for Glom to confirm."

A soft hand on his shoulder eased his worries. "it will be nothing, I am sure Glom will tell us that. Nothing to be concerned about."

Nero missed the cold, deadly glare his mom gave his father. He was using all of his willpower to not freak out. The Arbitrium must have some sort of defect. Yes, that must be the explanation. Glom will fix it, surely. Even breathing was hard for him. But he couldn't let the scream that was building up in a place between his back and his heart out. Not here, in the middle of the village square. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate. To no avail.

He didn't even notice when Glom came close. "Nero, let me see your Arbitrium."

He was holding thin pliers. Nero placed his forearm on the edge of the dais. Glom pushed the lid to open the card slots on the device and inserted the pliers. He moved them around like lockpicks, feeling for the internal structure of the slots. The furry Squiig's face was twisting, eyes closed as he tried to feel inside through the tool. He clicked his tongue and moved to the next slot.

These card slots would summon the object depicted on the card or allow the use of the Skill or Spell inserted. Every Arbitrium had seven slots, six of the common sort and a seventh right behind the display plate, for the class card. A class card, once inserted, couldn't be removed. Nero held his breath once Glom finished sweeping the third slot on the left and skipped the class slot. Once nothing wrong was found with the other six, He spoke again.

"Nero, I need to check your class slot. Open it up for me."

Nero touched a contact on a corner of his display and put his ring finger on the dial, flaring the runes up. It took a trickle of magic power and then he pulled the glass forward. it slid a tiny amount and with a click, the seventh slot opened. Glom looked inside before inserting his pliers. Nero could hear the tool rasping against whatever inner components as if it was grinding against his bones. His hands were clammy. He felt more than heard a click and his display went through the initialization sequence again. Three pairs of eyes watched the activation sequence, eager to see what it would show.

The numbers crawled back to their position. Although they were moving at their normal speed, to Nero it felt like an eternity of dread. The zeroes, nine of them, graced the position of the nine attributes. Then another zero for the position of the current level.

And finally, an eleventh zero, just one lonely number, for the position of the level cap. The symbols shone there, and Nero's heart sank. He couldn't believe, he couldn't accept it.

That his level cap was zero.