When Null emerged from the darkness, he was floating. A transparent mask covered his face, connected to a tube that led to the top of the small pod that contained him. Light leaked in from the outside, shining with a red glow as it passed through what looked to be resin surrounding him. Thankfully, the liquid he floated in didn’t harm his eyes, so he could freely look around his environment, which he did. It didn’t do much good, as the resin pod, while transparent, was occluded by a large amount of what appeared to be tree branches. He did manage to make out a number of other pods just like his, obscured figures held within. He assumed this was what happened when someone made a character. At least, he hoped it did.

Before he could contemplate anymore, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud tearing sound. He fell soon after, the mask slipping from his face. His fall soon turned into a slide as the liquid carried him, taking him to another container shaped like a bath. His body floated up to the top of the liquid, but rather than sit up, he stared at the ceiling above. With the red filter of the resin gone, his vision was met by a mix of colors. It was mainly green, with his sight mostly occupied by an canopy of trees, but there was a small dose of reds, white, yellows, and even purples as flowers, large and small, sprouted through the leaves above. The white flowers, the ones that looked like lillies, radiated a light bright enough to take the place of a chandelier or lantern, which was convenient, because the small bits of night sky that he could see through the canopy, while dotted to the brim with stars, did little in the way of illumination. Even the flowers above only managed to cast a dim light over his darkened surroundings

Any further observation would have to wait, as his vision was occupied by a figure that peered down at him. It was a man, that much he could tell, but there was a slightness to his features that made him closer to androgynous than masculine, and his pointed ears told Null immediately that this man was an Elf. His blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, and a pair of blue eyes squinted at him through small glasses that rested on his nose. He was wearing a robe, its gold trimmings glistening even in the dim light of the chamber. Said trimmings were in the shape of symbols that he could only interpret as arcane in nature.

“Arise Awakened One,” he said, his voice more commanding than welcoming.

Null stood from his pool, the liquid sloughing off of him like jelly. There was still a phantom “moisture” that lingered on his skin, but when he stepped from the pool he was completely dry. As he did so, the elf handed him a set of clothes.

“Put these on, we can hardly have someone walking around our fair city in their unmentionables,” he said.

Null frowned at him, but didn’t say a word as he took the clothes from the elf and put them on. He was already wearing underwear, thankfully, but the addition of of a long-sleeved black shirt and soft khaki trousers were welcome. He slipped into a pair of simple boots last, and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Much like he saw in the picture from before, there was a more modern aesthetic to the clothing, though it wasn’t to the degree that it clashed with the fantastical architecture that surrounded him. If anything, it blended, in a way.

“Null? Correct?” the Elf said.

“Yes,” he said.

The elf inputted something onto the tablet he was holding, and nodded, “Follow me.”

The Elf turned and walked off before he could respond, bringing a grimace to Null’s face. He didn’t expect milk and cookies, but the cold shoulder was a bit much.

Seeing no other choice, Null followed the Elf, failing to hold back a sigh. As he took a step forward, however, he stumbled. He caught himself before he fell flat on his face, but his knees still struck the ground, sending a jolt of pain through his legs. The Elf looked back at him.

“Something wrong?” He asked, his tone more annoyed than concerned.

“I… just, just give me a sec,” Null said.

The Elf frowned and continued on. Null gave a frown of his own at his back.

“Whoever programmed this asshole needs a lesson in hospitality,” he muttered under his breath.

He stood back up on his feet, taking slow steps as he started to follow the Elf. He wasn’t sure why his legs failed him at that moment, but it didn’t happen again as he picked up the pace. It was then that he realized that he was walking, actually walking. The sensation was gone for so long that it almost felt new, which he supposed explained the small hiccup from before. Regardless, it was enough to pull him out of his sour mood, drawing a small smile to his face, and before he could control it, his eyes started to blur. He wiped his eyes, and saw that the Elf was staring at him with an apprehensive expression.

“It’s nothing. Never did catch your name, by the way.”

“...Carlyle,” the Elf said, his attention switching to his tablet as he walked away.

“Well, Carlyle, mind telling me why everyone is in pods like something out of The Matrix?”

Carlyle looked up from his tablet, eyebrow raised.

He opened his mouth to say something, but just shook his head. It wasn’t going to do much good explaining pop culture references to an NPC. At least, what he assumed to be a NPC.

“Nevermind that, just tell me what’s up with the pods.”

His eyes back on his tablet, Carlyle started to walk again, but did speak up.

“We removed all the Awakened Ones from those dreadful capsules, something, I may add, that those fools in Gram opted not to do. We decided to place all of you in Cultivator Pods instead.”

“And the purpose of that was?”

“To bring out your latent magical talents to the forefront, of course.”

“So you just moved everyone without permission? Seems kind of presumptuous.”

Carlyle huffed, “Would you rather wake up stuffed in some metal tube?”

“I can’t say I liked being birthed again either.”

The Elf looked like he wanted to say something, but just shook his head and continued on. Null took this silence as an opportunity to look around the garden some more. The thickness of the shrubbery and trees obscured obscured the scope of its depths, but his attention was mainly occupied by the other Awakened One emerging from behind the trees with NPCs dressed similarly to Carlyle. The difference was that they all seemed to have a much more jovial atmosphere about them. He guessed that he drew the short straw with Carlyle. Though a shit hand was something he was familiar with.

He noticed a number of different races emerging from the trees. There were the familiar ones, Elves and Humans, and he thought he saw a Halfling as well, but a few of the other players caught his eye.

The first was one of the Beastkin, which, according to his research, covered a large spectrum of animalistic traits. They were majority humanoid, but their appearance could range from cat-like to the player that he was looking at now, a humanish looking many with patches of green scales that led up his arms and towards the side of his face. Said player also had a large, reptilian tail that trailed behind him. He was probably one of the lizard-types, though Null had heard about wolf-types and even dragon-types.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted another player. It was hard not too, as her skin had a pale blue hue that gave off a slight glow. Silver hair cascaded down her back, the side of her head shaved. Her eyes held no pupils, and held a blank white color that was also giving off a glow. Such an appearance was a typical of any Celestial, but his eyes lingered on her for too long. The woman noticed, and flashed him a kind smile.

Null cut his eyes away and coughed, speeding up to catch up with Carlyle. They passed under a wooden arch and into a stone building with wooden furnishings. The wood was a darker brown, almost dark enough to be mistaken for black. Rows of couches covered in a maroon cloth-like material sat at the center of the room, other players of varying types lining them. The place was fairly crowded, with lines already forming out from the counters that lined the walls of the room.

“With me,” Carlyle said, beckoning Null as he walked towards a door that lay off to the corner of the room.

That raised a few questions, but Null kept silent as he followed the Elf through the door.

This door led to a smaller room that looked like an office. There was a desk in the center of the room, seated on top of a red and gold rug, that was made of a wood a shade lighter than the floor. It was littered with a variety of devices that Null could only guess were magical in nature. The most obvious example of this was a hourglass that had the sand going up instead of down. Bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk, the books on them varying in wear and colors. There were all lined with a golden text. He didn’t have time to focus on what they said, because his attention was occupied by a woman who sat in a large leather seat at her desk.

She was a Celestial, holding a light green tint to her skin. Her hair was short, reaching down to the bottom of her ears. It was black, matching her lips. She was clothed in robes similar to Carlyle, though hers were more form fitting than the Elf’s. Her eyes may not have had any pupils, but it was clear that she was looking right at him with a look he could only interpret as inquisitive.

“Please, take a seat,” she said in a pleasant voice. In the same breath, she signalled Carlyle to leave, who did so with haste.

Null took one of the chairs that sat in front her desk. It was comfortable, like he was sitting on a cloud.

“I hope your awakening went well?” she asked.

He shrugged, “It was… interesting,” the thought of Carlyle made him frown, “could do with a little more hospitality.”

The woman sighed, “Carlyle has never been very good with people, I thought some time some time in the Gardens would help.”

“It didn’t,” Null said, “But I’m used to the attitude, don’t worry about it.”

She smiled at him, “Thank you for your understanding. Now…” she tapped a small pyramid on her desk. The gem at the top flashed, shooting a holographic display in front of her, “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Estella.”

He almost told her his actual name out of habit, but caught himself. “Null. Mind telling me why I’m here rather than out there?”

“Straight to the point, I see,” Estella said with a wry smile, giving the hologram a few taps and swipes.

“Just ready to get going is all.”

“Perfectly reasonable, but there are a few things we must go over before I am comfortable with letting you out into the city.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Those being?”

“You chosen class, or rather, your lack of class.”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

“Truthfully? Not really, in the grand scheme of things it does not change much for Retissia, but I felt that I needed to confirm you really wish to pursue such a path.”

Null leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, “I mean… yeah? I don’t really see why keeping things loose is much of a problem.”

“This would be true were you to awaken in Gram, but the lack of a class in Retissia can be more of a hindrance than it should be.”

“How so?”

Estella left her chair and approached her bookcases, holographic display keeping at the center of her vision. She ran a hand over the covers as she browsed her books, “Skills in Retissia are more magically oriented than the more hands on approach of any of Skills in Gram,” she plucked a book from the shelf and continued to search through the bookcases, “While we are no strangers to craftsmanship in Retissia, the majority of Awakened Ones in the city are ones that practice the magical arts,” she picked up another book from the shelf, “it has gotten to the point that our trainers have to teach classrooms at a time. It is the most efficient method, as magic takes time and practice to truly master. Even if Awakened ones have a higher affinity than most for magics, we generally guide them through a small curriculum so that they don’t get overwhelmed.”

Null nodded, “I guess that makes sense, but I don’t see why that really affects me.”

She shook her head, “I’m afraid is affects you more than most. The curriculums that we have made for Classes are highly tailored for synergy between magic, combat, and artisanship based on the branch of magic they choose to follow. This is generally easier to do since Classes already come with their own set of Skills, so the process is mostly streamlined for us,” she placed a few more books into her growing pile, “Finding such a balance is difficult for an Awakened One with no class, as while you have the boon of freedom, there is always the chance that what you choose to pursue is not as effective as what the Classes have been given. With that in mind, do you want to continue this way?”

He gave her a confused look.

She placed her pile of books onto the desk, “It is possible for us to assign you a curriculum that would be identical to one of the available Classes, so even if you have no class…”

“I’d still have the same capabilities as someone that does.”

“Exactly. By no means are you obligated to do this, I just thought that it’d be best to give you the option. You are still free to pursue your own path, though if you do so you will have to learn your own skills from the Trainers in the city.”

“So you’re telling me I can skip school and do what I want? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me,” Null said, cracking a grin.

Estella smiled as well, though he couldn’t tell if she was being sincere or polite, “That’s certainly a bright way of looking at things, but I would ask that you take this choice seriously.”

He was silent as he considered his options. I would be simple to follow a class’s path to get a grip on things here. God only knows how much there was in this virtual world that would overwhelm him, but… the idea of following another regimen left a sour taste in his mouth. Now was the time to let loose, not shackle himself down.

“I’ll stick with what I am,” he said, “I feel like stretching my arms out, and getting cooped up in a classroom isn’t going to do that for me.”

She nodded, but rather than frown as he was expecting she smiled.

“Something funny?”

She sat down at her desk, “You are the first in quite a while to stick to this path. I must admit that it is kind of exciting,” she slid her pile of books towards him.

“Those for me?”

“Only one of them. These books contain instructions to mastering the basics of four branches of magic.”

“Why only one?”

“These books are expensive, and for the sake of simplicity. Trying to learn four different branches of magic at the same time will only hinder your progress. I’d recommend learning one, then picking up a supplementary branch of magic that synergizes with it after you’ve gotten some practice in.”

“And those would be?”

“The ones you discover on your own, though there are plenty available at the Archives.”

“Right… so you want me to choose one of these?”

She nodded, “However, before you choose, could you place hand on this device?”

She slid another object towards him, a small black box no bigger than his hand. He did so, feeling a slight buzz at his palm. When he lifted his hand, there was a diamond symbol at the center of the device, made of smaller, interconnected diamonds and giving off a soft purple glow.

“That is your Smart Box. It will serve as your inventory and communication device throughout your travels.”

He took the Smart Box and examined it, pressing the buttons on the side to familiarize himself with its functions. He eventually accessed his status screen.

+++

Name: Null

Class: Freeform

Title: N/A

Health: 100

Mana: 10

Hunger: Sated

-

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 10

Constitution: 10

Speed: 10

Wisdom: 10

-

Total Attack: 10

Total Defense: 10

-

Combat Fame: 0

Merchant Fame: 0

Craftsman Fame: 0

+++

He nodded and closed the screen.

“Seems simple enough to use, now, as for these books…”

Null picked one of the books up. As he did, another window popped up in front of him.

+++

Basics of Arcane Magic

A book with the basic instructions to learning the Arcane branch of magic, which specializes in utilizing arcane energy to cast spells ranging from the elemental to protective-based magics. Instant use magic, ideal for skirmishers and agility based characters.

+++

That alone almost made him select it right then and there, but he decided to look over the other three as well. There was Ethereal magic, which focused more on otherworldly effects, which was enticing, but it was apparently more ritual based, which didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t want to leave himself open just to cast a spell. Light magic, which was also instant use, was another enticing magic, but was too specialized to one element for his liking. Internal Magic was also available, and it sounded very similar to the concept of Ki. It utilized the energy inside the body, which apparently translated to spending both mana and health to cast spells. That wasn’t something that all that appealed to him, which left the first choice of Arcane magic the best option. It covered a wider range, but didn’t have the same potency as the other magics, which didn’t bother him that much. He wasn’t aiming to be a wizard.

“This one,” Null said, lifting the Basics of Arcane Magic again.

“Are you certain?” Estella asked.

“Yeah, suits my needs the most.”

She nodded and pulled out another book with a blue cover. This one had an illustration on its cover, one of a silhouetted man meditating and surrounded by a light blue aura. It’s description window popped up.

+++

Magic Cultivation

A book specializing in teaching the basics of Magic Cultivation. Learning the Magic Cultivation skill will allow you the ability to increase your mana pool and spell efficiency through the process of meditation.

+++

“We offer this book to all Awakened Ones. Just practicing spells will increase your mana pool and spell efficiency naturally, but this skill can accelerate the process a bit,” she explained.

He opened the book and flipped through the pages, “Does it offer anything else?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. Not many Awakened Ones have actually picked up this skill and the ones that did abandoned it after raising it a few levels. Everyone says that it’s a terrible waste of a skill, but I felt I should give you the option to learn it if it interested you.”

He didn’t recall there being a limit to the number of skills he could learn, but the time sink of grinding out a high number of skills was just something he was not invested in. If magic grew naturally with just using magic, then mastering the skill would be redundant. But…

“I’ll take it. You never know, could come in handy,” He said, picking up the book.

Estella smiled once again, “I can’t say I’ve interacted with an Awakened One like you in quite some time.”

“I’m nothing special,” he said, “just curious, is all.” He held both the books experimentally over his Smart Box. The symbol flashed, and scan over the two books before they were sucked into the box as digitized light. Impressed, me placed the Smart Box in his pocket.

“Now then, I think that’s all,” Estella said, “I imagine that you are jumping at the chance to get going.”

He grinned, “You have no idea.”