The Chamber that was revealed to them all was vast, easily two hundred meters across and nearly a hundred tall. The cavern possessed a dome shape giving both natural and man made appearances. Carved stalactites hung down in equal patterns, each lined with glowing crystals that illuminated the open space. The side walls were mostly smooth except for a five meter strip that circled the entirety of the cavern.

  That strip consisted of a mural carving that depicted the moment in history that was referred to as the sundering, when the corruptors had emerged to destroy everything, only to be stopped by the Creator and the heroes of old. The mural also spoke of the creation of the beacons, and how with its power the heroes of old, fought alongside the Creator to push back the corruptors and their armies.

  Everything within the cavern, as glorious and wondrous as they may look, paled in comparison to what dominated the center. Resting on a raised dais easily thirty meters, a towering structure of crystal wrapped in bronze lattice caging, was the Beacon. Standing over ten meters tall and shimmering in every known color one could imagine, the pillar of crystal hovered just inside the bronze latticework that extended out at the bottom in three directions.

  At the end of each bronze support leg was more crystal contained in the metalwork, except these were more detailed depicting three vague individuals. The first one was a carved crystal statue that held the appearance of someone completely covered in armor and wielding a weapon in each hand, with more strapped to their waist and back while a shield leaned against their leg.

  The second crystal statue depicted someone wrapped in a loose cloak, a dagger held in one hand and a vial clutched in the other. A bow was slung over one shoulder and a belt could be seen under the cloak that carried more vials, tools and even traps.

  The third and final crystal statue was draped in a flowing armored robe, a long staff held aloft into the air in one hand while the other clutched an orb that constantly shifted in colors. They too wore a belt that teemed with items, yet these were tomes, scrolls, wands and pouches that bulged with contents.

  In between each of the legs of the beacon that held the statues, were gaps easily large enough for a person to walk up and place their hands upon the large hovering crystal. Yet all along the edge of the dais there were smaller versions of the beacon evenly spaced apart. These smaller beacons were only a meter in height and didn’t hold the three statues.

  Andro already knew these smaller beacons were what people used when all they needed to do was advance their rank or apply rewards. The main, larger beacon is what could do everything, from advancing rank, adding new skills, upgrading skills and everything else. He couldn’t wait to get the process started.

  Going by the amazed gasps and words of shock and surprise, everyone else was taking a moment to take it all in. Something couldn’t blame them one as this was supposed to be the first time they all were allowed to see the true beacon sanctuary. Andro feigned surprise to keep up appearances so as to not draw suspicion for not reacting to what was a truly astonishing view.

  With but the faintest of shudders, the platform they had all been standing on touched down at the end of the cavern, revealing a carved path that led to the dais the beacon resided upon. With smooth and precise movements, the Curator practically glided past them all and onto the path towards the dais. Gesturing for them all to follow him, he soon had a small train of gawking and excited young men and women walking towards the most important moment of their lives.

  As the Curator had said, there were indeed metallic tubs lined up off to the side of the path on each side. At a cursory glance there appeared to be enough tubs for everyone, not to mention the small group of attendants that waited patiently next to a well made wooden table lined with towels. Similar to the Curator, all the attendants were dressed in flowing black robes with the featureless mask, except theirs were much simpler compared to the figure that led them.

  They all stopped when the Curator did at the foot of the small, yet wide, set of stairs leading up onto the dais. He turned to face them all, taking a brief moment to look over them all before giving a respectful bow of the head as he spoke,

  “Today shall be the start of your new lives,” he started “Today shall be the day you all take your first steps onto your path of power, a path that shall be supported by the beacon as well as myself.”

  With those words, he lifted his arms, his body soon rising up into the air until he hovered directly above the beacon itself. His robes swayed gently in a breeze that only he seemed to feel. When next he spoke, his voice carried out throughout the entire cavern holding a near physical authority to it.

  “As I call your name, step forth and place your hands upon the beacon and accept its power. Kelvish Drenmire” The floating Curator announced.

  The young farm boy Andro had recalled earlier flinched at being the first one to be called, but he took a deep breath and while under the gazes of quite literally everyone, he ascended the stairs and approached the beacon. With only a brief moment of hesitation, he placed both his palms only the crystal through a gap in the bronze latticework.

  There was an audible hum of power as the gently shifting colors of the large crystal warped and changed. A pulse of energy shot throughout the entire structure as the crystal changed color completely into a mottled patchwork of browns. Murmurs and whispered gasps passed through everyone as they had all felt the brief wave of energy, but the Curator spoke up before anyone else could.

  “Your concept of your body, is [Earth]” he announced

  The moment he finished speaking the words, the beacon pulsed once more, the colors taking a few moments to shift to something different. This time brilliant shades of vibrant green colored the large crystal and the Curator spoke up once again, “Your concept for your mind, is [Growth]”

  Andro watched Kelvish visibly sag in relief upon hearing those words and he couldn't blame him. For someone who spent their entire life as a farmer, and probably expected to continue doing it, the [Growth] concept was among the best ones someone like that could get. Others around him held similar opinions as whispered conversations on how well the two concepts could synergies were already passing between lips and ears.

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  A third and final pulse of energy passed through as the colors shifted, this time into shades of grey and murky whites.

  “Your concept for your spirit is [Could]” The Curator called out, the muted whispers rising in intensity, which only grew as they all watched in amazement as the third statue of the figure wearing robes lit up with power in his three colors.

  “You have been blessed with the boon of the caster class” The Curator added

  Kelvish stared in wonder, his eyes wide with disbelief but refocused as ethereal pages soon appeared in the air to circle around him. The pages created three separate rings around him, each ring composed of one of his concept colors. Andro knew that this was the most important part of the entire ceremony, and why it was called their choosing day, and not awakening day.

  All the pages that circled around Kelvish were possible skill choices, each ring holding dozens of pages yet only three from each ring could be chosen. More skill pages could be earned later on as one advanced through the ranks, but the first nine the someone picked were extremely important as it would determine the overall direction one took the rest of the skills.

  The young farm boy looked overwhelmed at first from the sheer number of ethereal pages that floated around him, but he set his jaw and took his time as he examined the pages. This was also the part as to why the choosing day ceremony was usually an all day thing as it could take multiple glasses for everyone to get through when only one could choose at a time. Nobody tried to rush Kelvish however, even though some already looked impatient. Attempting to rush someone on their skill choices during their choosing day was not something anyone sane would try, lest they draw forth the ire of the Curator.

  The young farmer took his time going through every page, plucking one out of the air every so often, until finally he nervously held nine glowing skill pages in his hands. At a gesture from the Curator, he turned back to the beacon and held the pages up, pressing them into the crystal. A stronger pulse of power reverberated throughout the cavern as the beacon absorbed the skill pages.

  The pulse was much brighter as well, but when the light faded enough for everyone to see again they were stunned at the sight. Kelvish was being held up in a shifting orb of light as a triangular shard of crystal, roughly the length and thickness of a ringer, hovered before him in a tendril of light. The shard was pointed at one end, but flat on the other as it moved towards the young farmer's chest. The three colors that represented his colors pulsed within the crystal shard.

  No one spoke, or even moved as the tip of the pointed shard rested against the center of Kelvish’s chest, and without warning it sank in. The young man let out a gasp of surprise, yet no blood emerged, instead he trembled and shivered at the influx of power that flooded throughout his body. His body was released from the light and he dropped the short distance, stumbling as he caught himself.

  “Into the tub young Kelvish” The curator instructed in a softer tone and for a moment the young man stood confused.

  Realization struck him the same time a powerful shiver passed through him and with wide eyes he half stumbled, half ran back down the short stairs and practically threw himself into the nearest tub. The tub swirled with an oddly iridescent water, that soon shifted grey as Kelvish looked visibly sick. His body was lit up from the inside, glowing lines of power tracing his veins and bones, all while a sickly grey sludge seeped from his skin.

  Many who were close to the tubs took a couple steps away, their faces scrunched up in disgust at the smell that wafted over, but Kelvish didn’t seem to care as his sickly appearance was replaced with a goofy grin. He wasn’t even done washing the gunk off by the time the Curator was announcing the next name.

  This process continued on, some of them gaining rather interesting combinations while others received more common or basic ones. When Devon was called, Andro made sure to pay extra attention to the look on the arrogant brats face upon gaining his more basic concepts and no class. He knew it was childish of him to be this petty with someone like this, but he didn’t chide himself too much as it had been awhile since he got to enjoy himself like this.

  It didn’t help that based on the snickers and chuckling he heard around him, more than a few took some enjoyment at the apparent dejection that was obvious on Devon’s face. Nearly a dozen more were called and awakened before he heard the name he was eagerly excited for, it was Chen's turn.

  The young aspiring martial artist glanced over at Andro before making his way up the stairs and to the beacon. With determination, his hands were placed upon the surface of the beacon and the same process that had been repeating itself commenced.

  “The concept of your body is [Flame]. The concept of your mind is [Lightning]. The concept of your spirit is [Blast]” The Curator announced, surprised mutterings passing through the gathering of people. Many of them remarked on how strong a combination that could be, especially when the statue of the caster lit up with the colors of red, pale blue and orange.

  Discussions of Venilar gaining a new war mage became the topic of everyone around him, but Andro was the only one to notice that the only one not celebrating was Chen. Instead of wonder, his eyes were filled with nothing but despair and disbelief and Andro knew why. For Chen, the only path forward for him was the path of martial arts. The desire to greet his opponents in hand to hand combat, something that was nearly impossible without the benefits of gaining the Martial class.

  What truly made the three core classes important wasn’t the extra skill choices one gained, but instead it was the rank up benefits. Someone with the martial core class will find themselves becoming stronger, faster and more durable every time they either gained a new star or advanced to the next rank. Someone with the caster class gained an increased mana pool as well as how fast they could recover it and its potency. The expert class gave increased bodily control as well as increased memory and thought process.

  When it came to the early rank of novice, the bonuses were mild enough that they could often be overcome with the right skills. However once someone got past novice, those bonuses were all but needed for someone to keep pace. So someone who desires to become a martial master not gaining the martial core class, it was usually all but a dead end for their goals.

  Andro was sure those same thoughts were flooding Chen’s mind at that moment. His shoulders sagged and his head drooped forward at the realization he wouldn’t be able to follow his dream. Andro watched carefully, his own nerves growing taught as he silently urged Chen to not give up.

  A moment of clarity and realization seemingly struck Chen as the pages appeared around him. His head snapped up, his eyes wide as his gaze turned to find Andro once more, their eyes locking in place. With his gaze conveying as much confidence as he could muster, Andro gave Chen a slight nod, the young man's eyes gaining clarity.

  He turned back to the easily hundreds of ethereal skill pages and rotated around him, his face full of concentration as he examined every single page. Chen easily took the longest out of everyone to choose his skills, but that wasn’t entirely surprising as having fairly common concepts provided more skill options.

  One by one he plucked pages from the massive swirl until he held all nine in his grip and strode back over to the beacon, his posture oozing confidence. The look on his face was much more positive than what Andro recalled looking last time. He wasn’t sure what exactly the ramifications for doing this would be, but he hoped it would be purely positive. He tried to keep his meddling as minor as, but he understood how unforgiving the timeline could be to those who tried to mess with it. He would need to be careful from now on handout what he tried to change.

  Andro kept an eye on Chen as a few more people were called up, giving him a nod of greeting when he rejoined the group after drying off. He was hoping to discuss a few things with Chen, yet before a single sentence could be uttered, he heard the other name he had been seeking.

  “Androlis Maxon” Announced the Curator.