The village square was packed by the time Lucky arrived. Every sixteen-year-old in Millbrook stood in a neat line before the Grand Crystal, their families clustered behind them with expressions ranging from pride to barely concealed anxiety. The Crystal itself towered above them all—a massive formation of pure white stone that seemed to drink in the morning light and pulse with inner radiance.
Lucky took his place at the end of the line, trying to blend into the background as usual. Around him, the other teens whispered excitedly about what class they might receive. Marcus, the blacksmith's son, flexed his arms and talked loudly about becoming a Warrior. Sarah, whose mother ran the herb shop, quietly mentioned her hope for Healer. Everyone had dreams about their future.
Everyone except Lucky. He already knew what he was getting.
"Lucky Fadeworth."
He'd forgotten how young Tom looked at this age. The baker's apprentice stood next to him, nervous energy radiating from every part of his gangly frame. In the original timeline, Tom becomes a Merchant class and eventually takes over his master's shop. He lives a quiet, unremarkable life until the holy water incident wipes out the harbor district.
"You think you'll get Farmer?" Tom asked, trying to make conversation. "I mean, your family's got that little plot outside town..."
"Maybe," Lucky said, not wanting to explain that his family's "little plot" was actually a failed attempt at growing anything useful. The Fadeworths were spectacularly bad at farming, which was probably why Lucky was destined for Shepherd duty instead.
The ceremony began with Elder Thorne's traditional speech about duty, purpose, and finding your place in the world. Lucky had heard it three times now, so he let his mind wander while the elder droned on about the crystal's divine wisdom and the importance of accepting whatever class you were given.
*[Observation: The crystal is not actually divine. It's a complex magical construct designed to analyze individual aptitudes and assign appropriate social roles.]*
The system's voice in his head made Lucky twitch slightly. He was still not used to having a passenger in his thoughts.
*[Additional observation: The class assignments are not random. Your repeated assignment as Shepherd is significant.]*
"Significant how?" Lucky whispered under his breath.
*[Analysis pending. Observe the ceremony carefully. There are patterns you have not previously noticed.]*
Lucky focused on the actual awakening process as the first student approached the crystal. When Marcus touched the stone, it flared with golden light and a voice echoed across the square: "Warrior, Third Rank." The crowd cheered. Marcus grinned and flexed again.
Sarah approached next. Silver light, "Healer, Second Rank." More cheers, though somewhat more subdued. Healers were respected but not as exciting as Warriors.
Tom got "Merchant, Fourth Rank," which was about what everyone expected. He looked relieved just to have a useful class.
One by one, the students received their assignments. Most got exactly what Lucky remembered from his previous loops—the crystal seemed to follow the same patterns each time. But now that he was actually paying attention instead of dreading his own turn, he noticed something odd.
*[What do you observe?]*
"The ranks," Lucky murmured. "They're not just about power level, are they?"
*[Correct. Continue.]*
He watched more carefully. Elena, the mayor's daughter, touched the crystal and received "Mage, First Rank." The crowd went wild—First Rank was incredibly rare, indicating exceptional potential. But Lucky remembered Elena from his previous loops. She was talented, sure, but not exceptionally so. She becomes a competent court mage, nothing more.
Meanwhile, Peter, who everyone knew had been practicing sword work since he could walk, got "Warrior, Fifth Rank." His face fell. Fifth Rank was barely above civilian level. But Lucky knew Peter's future too—in ten years, he'll be one of the kingdom's most skilled fighters, despite his low ranking.
*[The ranks measure something other than pure ability. What?]*
Lucky thought about it as more students went through the ceremony. The crystal seemed to be measuring... compatibility? No, that wasn't right either. Elena and Peter were both perfectly suited for their classes.
Then it hit him.
"Threat level," he breathed.
*[Elaborate.]*
"The crystal isn't measuring how good they'll be at their class. It's measuring how much damage they could potentially cause. Elena gets First Rank because powerful mages can level cities if they lose control. Peter gets Fifth Rank because even the best warrior can only do so much damage with a sword."
*[Partially correct. The crystal measures potential for systemic disruption. Continue the analysis.]*
Systemic disruption. Lucky thought about the heroes he knew from the novel. Gareth Lightbane was supposedly a First Rank Paladin when he awakened. Lyria the Pure was a First Rank Saintess. Cornelius the Wise was a Second Rank Mage who somehow became one of the most dangerous magic users in the kingdom.
They all had high ranks. They all had incredible potential for "systemic disruption."
"Lucky Fadeworth!"
His name echoed across the square. The line had moved while he was thinking, and now it was his turn. Lucky walked toward the crystal on unsteady legs, very aware that everyone was watching.
The Grand Crystal loomed above him, easily twice his height. Up close, he could see the complex patterns carved into its surface—not random designs, but structured symbols that seemed to shift when he wasn't looking directly at them.
Lucky reached out and placed his palm against the cool surface.
The world exploded into silver light.
But this time, something was different. Instead of the brief flash he remembered from previous loops, the light continued to build. The crystal's hum became a roar. The symbols on its surface began to glow and spin, faster and faster.
The crowd murmured nervously. Elder Thorne stepped forward, concern written across his weathered face.
*[Warning: System integration interfering with crystal analysis. Maintain contact.]*
"What's happening?" Lucky whispered, but the system didn't respond. The silver light grew brighter, forcing people to shield their eyes. The crystal's voice, when it finally came, sounded strained and uncertain.
"Class... Shepherd..."
A pause. The light flickered.
"Rank..."
The crystal's voice cut out entirely. The light pulsed erratically, and for a moment Lucky could swear he heard other voices—whispers in languages he didn't recognize, speaking words that made his bones ache.
Then, suddenly, everything went quiet.
"Rank... Unknown."
The crowd fell silent. Unknown wasn't a rank. It wasn't even a category. In all the years Millbrook had held Awakening Ceremonies, no one had ever received "Unknown" as a rank.
Elder Thorne approached the crystal, his face pale. "Unknown? What does that mean?"
The crystal pulsed once more, then went dark.
Lucky pulled his hand back, heart racing. Around him, the crowd began to whisper. Parents pulled their children closer. Some of the other teens stepped away from him.
"Unknown," someone muttered. "What kind of Shepherd gets Unknown rank?"
"Maybe it's broken," another voice suggested, but without much conviction.
Elder Thorne cleared his throat, trying to restore order. "Class assignments are final," he announced, though his voice wavered. "Lucky Fadeworth, you are designated as Shepherd, rank... Unknown. The ceremony will continue."
But Lucky barely heard him. The system was speaking again, and its tone had changed completely.
*[Integration complete. Analysis finished.]*
*[Congratulations, Lucky Fadeworth. You are the first Shepherd to successfully bond with the World Guardian System while maintaining connection to the Classification Crystal.]*
*[Previous World Guardians were assigned after awakening. You are the first to awaken as one.]*
"What does that mean?" Lucky whispered.
*[It means the world has finally produced someone capable of shepherding its shepherds.]*
*[It means you are not just Unknown rank. You are Beyond rank.]*
*[It means the real work can finally begin.]*
Lucky looked around at the frightened faces of his neighbors, at the confused expressions of his fellow students, at the darkened crystal that had never failed to provide a clear answer before.
He was no longer just trying to prevent disasters. He was something the world had never seen before—a Shepherd whose flock wasn't sheep.
His flock was heroes.
And from the fear in everyone's eyes, he could tell they sensed it too, even if they didn't understand what it meant.
The ceremony concluded quickly after that, with the remaining few students receiving their classes in subdued silence. No one wanted to touch the crystal after what had happened with Lucky, but Elder Thorne insisted on maintaining tradition.
As the crowd dispersed, Lucky found himself standing alone in the square, staring up at the now-dormant crystal. Tomorrow, Hero Gareth Lightbane would arrive in town. Tomorrow, Lucky would have to figure out how to stop a First Rank Paladin from making his first catastrophic mistake.
But first, he needed to understand what he had become.
*[Question: Are you ready to learn what it means to be a Shepherd of heroes?]*
Lucky looked at his reflection in the crystal's polished surface. The silver glow in his eyes was brighter now, no longer subtle. Anyone who looked closely would see it.
"Do I have a choice?" he asked.
*[You always have a choice. That is what makes you suitable for this role.]*
*[Heroes believe their choices are predetermined by destiny. Villains believe their choices are determined by their nature. Shepherds understand that choice is the only thing that matters.]*
*[Tomorrow, you will make the most important choice of any of your lives: whether to guide your first hero away from disaster, or to let him fall and spare the world his good intentions.]*
Lucky walked away from the crystal, his mind already working through possibilities. Three deaths had taught him that heroes were dangerous. Now he had to learn whether they could be saved.
Or whether they should be.