Silence.
When Olek opened his eyes once more, his previous surroundings were nowhere to be seen, no old timey lecture hall. No confused students. No Jamaican lecturer. No Carla rolling her eyes at him.
Instead, he floated. Maybe not quite floated. His feet were planted, but the ground... wasn't there. A flat pane of black glass stretched on forever, mirroring the astonishing view above him - stars, closer than they had any right to be. Nebulas and galaxies shimmered, swirling like spilled paint.
Strangely, Olek's thoughts weren't panicked. It wasn't what's happening?! Or where am I? Take me back right now!
It was: What the fuck am I standing on?
He crouched down close to the black pane, knocking on it; each light tap sent ripples across it's surface, like water, yet it felt so secure. When he pushed into it he felt no give, which confused him as to where the ripples were coming from.
Standing back up, he turned on the spot, his eyes were wide, watching the way light bent in strange arcs like it was refracted through a lens. His voice echoed in the space.
"What is this place? Some kind of projection - or a planetarium? Space doesn't look like this through any telescope."
A voice interrupted his thought finding, it seemed smooth and toneless, Olek could hear the voice all around him.
"Do not be alarmed, Earthling. This environment is simply a separate space. Created by the Mana Accord to facilitate your orientation."
Olek blinked up at the sky, "Now a voice is speaking to me from nowhere and everywhere at once. Tell me, voice, what am I standing on? How far could I run in this place? Are there edges, is there a limit?"
The stars pulsed, hesitantly.
"...This environment is infinite space."
Olek raised an eyebrow, "Nothing is infinite. Real infinity bends back on itself or blows apart, collapse and expansion. This-" he waved at the endless black, "is a trick. At best it's looped. Has to be."
"You are... unusually inquisitive. And naive."
"Thanks. Most people just call me annoying." He folded his arms and tapped on his arm. "So, what are you, exactly? God? Cortana from Halo?"
"I am an Accord Envoy. Your planet has reached a critical stage in development, and will now be introduced to the wider universe. I am here to ease the process through the tutorial sequence."
"What does any of that mean? What's happening to Earth? Pragmatically, please." His eyes narrowed.
"...The Mana Accord, or better known as The System, has finally arrived at Earth after certain conditions have been met. Do not ask about the conditions."
"What this means, is that mana, a fundamental element of evolution, will now be introduced to Earthlings and this segment of the universe for the very first time. This will include severe changes to Earth, including but not limited to: Expansion in size, destruction of civilization, evolution of beasts and nature, formation of dungeons, and intrusive changes to socialhierarchies."
Olek had to take a second to fully understand what the entity was saying, "...so, essentially, Earth is practically destroyed, and we are forever changed."
"Yes."
He thought for a second, deciding how he was to react to this situation, before simply sighing. "Ok, what's going to happen now. What's this... tutorial sequence of yours."
The fact he is in a space that can't be replicated by reality as he knew it, there was no reason to doubt the being's words. Instead, being the practical mind he was, the best course of action was to get as much information as he could out of this thing before he was sent back.
With Earth changing so drastically, there was no doubt that so too, would humans have change and adapt to whatever this Mana Accord was.
"Very well. Please view your system interface to get started."
Before he could even ask how he could view it, a screen appeared before his eyes.
Status
Name: Olek Bjorn
Level: 0 (EXP: 0/100)
Race: Human (E)
Class: N/A | Job: N/A
Health Points (HP): 80/80
Mana Points (MP): 120/120
Attributes:
Constitution (CON): 8
Strength (STR): 6
Dexterity (DEX): 6
Perception (PER): 10
Wisdom (WIS): 8
Intelligence: (INT): 12
Free points: 0
'Interesting.' Olek thought.
From the looks of it, he guessed constitution was how much he could get hit, directly correlating to his health points, similarly, intelligence seemed to correlate to mana points. The others were less obvious.
He had a sense of excitement looking at this. When he was younger he often watched anime, and webnovels, he used to dream about having something like this 'System'. Although, it was less special knowing everyone had one.
But if he could somehow gain supernatural power from this... he reckoned there was a profit to be made.
There were 6 different stats, they looked a bit lopsided, much more in favor of mental attributes. Which was understandable, since he honestly didn't workout much, only going to the gym with Carla now and then. And education wise, he's been a straight A student his whole life without much effort, so it made sense his primary stat is intelligence.
"The class and job section remains empty, how do I acquire them?" He asked. He was thinking they'd be the method in which he can grow these stats.
"Classes are essentially how you fight in combat, and will determine your path in that regard. Jobs are what you do outside of combat, someone who builds can be a builder, someone who works on metal could be a smith. There's an infinite number of paths to take. You'll get your job naturally when you repeatedly do an action associated with one. For your combat class, they start out from basic classes, and develop and diversify the more you walk along your path. Each class has a core attribute which you will notice in a moment."
"That makes sense I suppose." He scratched his chin, "Just a quick question, what happened to the other uh... Earthlings, as you put it. I imagine they're also going through something like this."
"Yes, in fact, most have picked their class and finished already, but you have more questions than most, those in your proximity will be transported to the same Tutorial instance once your class is chosen."
Olek shrugged, "Just curiosity."
Internally, he was relieved that Carla would be sent with him. He uh... didn't have the most friends. Plus he reckons Solomon would be a good to have on his side in a fight.
"That was not a slight. Just an observation. Now moving onto classes."
In front of him appeared several different screens, he started to read them from left to right.
[ Warrior (Basic) - A martial fighter who relies on their physical body, martial weapons, and battle instinct. Warriors can go through many paths, from light weapon fighting, to heavy armor juggernauts, even incorporating magic in some cases. Core attribute: STR ]
Seemed like the class most would go for, easy to figure out, simple utility, and clear path of progression. Although, Olek didn't really think he fit into the class. He wasn't the most physical person and wasn't too inclined to start now.
[ Rogue (Basic) - A light-class fighter who trades durability for speed, stealth, and precision. Rogues specialize in assassination and arbitrage, exploiting weak points and striking when enemies least expect it. Most efficient with daggers, light blades, and quick ranged weapons. Core attribute: DEX ]
Rogue, classic thief/assassin archetype, seemed like a popular choice for criminals, spies, and any big fans of Assassin's Creed. For Olek? No, bit too close quarters and dangerous for his tastes.
[ Ranger (Basic) - A balanced fighter who prefers distance to close combat, using their awareness to control the battle. Rangers combine precision with instincts, great for ranged combat, tracking, and adaptibility. Most efficient with bows, crossbows, and traps. Core attribute: PER. ]
He liked this class more than the other two, he preferred distance and planning, to aimlessly jumping into the fray. He'd have to learn how to fire a bow, and it seemed like a lot of trekking in mud for his tastes.
[ Magician (Basic) - A spellcaster, wielding mana imbued with their magical affinity to shape the battlefield with a variety of effects. Magicians are frail physically, but versatile and devastating at distance. Most efficient with using staves and wands, however, they are not required to. Core attribute: INT ]
Magic! Now, this was something he was interested in. Ever since he was summoned to this space, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the concepts behind it, and if it had to do with anything, it was magic.
[ Cleric (Basic) - A support-focused spellcaster who draws on magic and divine power to heal, ward, and smite enemies. Not defenseless in combat, but focused more on healing and divine rituals. Most efficient with maces, spears, and totems, although not required. Core attribute: WIS. ]
Another one he was slightly drawn to, perhaps not for the reasons one might expect. He thought that going into this new reality fraught with danger, a healer would be extremely... valuable. He could definitely make a pretty penny offering his services as a cleric. Yet, how long would that last?