The pain stopped as quickly as it had started and Alex opened his eyes which had been clenched shut tight. ‘Where the hell am I?’ He wondered as he looked around, or at least he thought he did. His head seemed to be turning and he could see himself but he was having trouble comprehending his surroundings.

As far as the eye could see in every direction was an endless white void of nothingness. Alex appeared to be floating but did not feel as if he was nor did he feel hot or cold or really much of anything now that he thought about it. He just sort of was.

Suddenly a voice boomed out within the void from every direction, sounding as if it was the void itself speaking to him. Alex couldn’t understand the words themselves but yet the meaning behind them was crystal clear as if he understood it on an instinctual level.

“Hello, Alex. I am the Architect, the one in charge of the “System” as you call it and in charge of the development of humanity. I am speaking to you directly because a choice lies before you that will impact the future of the world.” Alex’s mouth and eyes opened wide and he attempted to speak but found himself unable to make a sound.

“Humanity is nothing without free will and I will not take yours away here and now. Your lineage has adapted to the new world over the generations well enough that you are capable of becoming the first of a new branch of humanity and taking the first steps along the path to ascension.

Doing so will change you physically and may make some members of your previous race dislike or distrust you, but you will also gain great power by doing so. You will become an Archon, a being of magic, somewhat similar to the elves from your people's fairy tales.

You will be the first to wield magic as easily as the rest of the world wields Ki. You will be able to pioneer the field of magic and go down in history as the first true magician. Your other option is Sentinel which is on par with the strongest sword-wielding classes any human has ever obtained however you will be locked out of mana usage. So I give you this choice, take all the time you need to decide. Time will not pass while in here.”

Alex could feel the information pop into existence within his mind and it was as if he was recalling an incredibly crisp and clear memory rather than seeing something physical. He had no issues whatsoever imagining a blue box with the information neatly sorted and organized.

WARNING: Arcanist requires race Archon to proceed. Do you wish to know more about Archons? Yes or No

‘Of course, yes.’ Alex said in his mind as he was still unable to speak aloud. When nothing happened he simplified it and repeated ‘Yes’ and was flooded with information in his mind.

Race: Archon Racial Description: Archons are the true wielders of magic and while other races and beings can often do so none come close to the level of skill Archons are capable of displaying due to they themselves being a magical race. As such they do have certain benefits and drawbacks unique to the race. Racial Benefits: Archons naturally have higher wisdom than the other races allowing them to control their mana better from a young age. As their very bodies are infused with magic they naturally sustain themselves off of the ambient mana requiring less food and water consumed and greatly extending their lifespans. Due to the naturally extended lifespan Archons will stop visibly aging at the human equivalent of 25. Racial Drawbacks: Archons naturally have lower strength and vitality compared to the other races causing them to often need to fight from the back lines behind sturdied classes or races. If there is no ambient mana in the area Archons will be in great pain and will likely be incapacitated. Due to the naturally extended lifespan the children age slower and this can make raising children significantly harder as they will be smaller and more vulnerable for much longer. They still gain classes at 15 years of age however despite the younger appearance. Racial Appearance: Their eyes always have mana flickering through them back and forth like little bolts of blue lightning. Their ears extend back further and end in pointed tips. WARNING: As you were not born this race certain adjustments will be made to both your body and your stats. Class: Arcanist Primary Attributes: Wisdom, Intelligence Secondary Attributes: None Bonuses per Level: +4 wisdom, +3 intelligence, +0.5 vitality, +0.2 lifespan Bonuses when chosen: +20 intelligence, double current wisdom Description: The Arcantist is a unique class given to the first member of a race to obtain the usage of mana. The Arcanist is a true magician capable of melding mana to their will with ease and is rivaled by none in the field of magic. They do not suffer from the downsides that other casters will face by being limited to certain elements or fields of magic. Class: Sentinel Primary Attributes: Strength, Vitality Secondary Attributes: Agility Bonuses per Level: +3 strength, +4 vitality, +0.5 agility Bonuses when chosen: +25 strength, +35 vitality, +10 agility Description: The Sentinel is the ultimate physical force on the battlefield. Rivaled by none in its strength or vitality it has both the power to cleave its enemies in two with ease while shrugging off a storm of arrows from the enemy archers. No one man can stand against a Sentinel for the Sentinel stands against armies themselves.

‘WHAT!’ Alex screamed out in his mind as he finished reading both options. ‘What the hell are these classes? The Sentinel is ridiculously overpowered! I haven’t heard of any of the heroes In the past being that powerful even.‘

‘But Arcanist? Having the power to wield mana freely like humanity has dreamed of for centuries even before mana became real? I can’t believe it gives lifespan either! A magical class is no joke. I’ve heard of a few exceedingly rare herbs and dungeon rewards that extended lifespan slightly but as long as I keep training and leveling I could live for a very long time!’

‘Eventually I would need far too much experience to reasonably level up but still, that’s amazing. Also, do I really want to give up being human? Archons sound amazing but changing my race seems a little…The Sentinel, however, is everything I have ever dreamed about.’

So he chose to sit there and think for a while. He had no idea how much time had passed, although the Architect said time did not flow here, he had to imagine it had been the equivalent of several long hours. This was a choice that would affect not just him but the entire world after all.

At that thought, his head perked. ‘Effect the whole world… That's right, I can’t just think about myself and my own dreams here. Unlocking mana will help pioneer magic going forward and allow future generations to know what they are doing when others start getting magical classes. Either way, I will be powerful and famous, but the needs of the world outweigh the dreams of a kid like me.’

With his mindset and a mental voice full of conviction Alex brought back up the screen for selecting classes and confidently said ‘I choose Arcanist.’

Are you sure you want to choose Arcanist as your class? WARNING: Arcanist requires race Archon to proceed. Do you still wish to proceed with your selection?

‘Yes.’

Alex thought he might be able to sense a hint of satisfaction in the monotone voice of the Architect this time as he spoke. “You have chosen well Alex, first true mage and first of the Archons.

Till we meet again…” The voice slowly faded away. Or was my consciousness fading away? ‘Sometimes it's hard to tell… these… things… … … …’