"I've been poking around on the screen thingy and I've talked with some others about and I've got some information, and I figured as this so similar to the games you like to play you might have some insights that us old Geezers don't have," he said a light smirk as he called people half his age 'old geezers' and his eyes locked onto mine.

  "Alright, what did you get, Old Man?" I asked morbid curiosity brimming inside of me, the screens and the rift were two things that I couldn’t rationalize.

  "Well to start, it seems to go off your given first name and whatever you consider to be your last name, and no matter what, it has labeled us all 'Low Human,' and pretty much everybody finds it somewhat insulting." He said he clearly didn't like the label either. He took a deep breath, looking at me, waiting for a response.

  "Same for me, Kien Noble," I responded, waiting for him to continue, although I did wonder how it worked for those who changed their name later in life.

  "Class slots vary; most people have two, few have three, and only one or two have a singular class slot, me included; I've pressed on it and said some mumbo jumbo throwing medieval and magical buzzwords," he said, clearly confused.

  "Well, if these classes are anything like the ones in games they are like if your job gave you superpowers related to it, although I’m wary of just assuming without further information" I responded.

  “Same, unfounded assumptions are more dangerous than blissful ignorance in my experience" Welton said gruffly

  Hmm, I focused on the square in the corner of my vision where Windows had retreated to. I blinked as the small square expanded back to what reminded me of a Character Sheet.

  The system seemed to function on focus, so I had to think about scrolling down to the Class Section where it stated the [Primary Class], [Secondary Class], and the [Tertiary Class]. The Secondary and Tertiary had the tag [N/A], with the Primary having [Press Here] instead. Taking a breath, I focused on the [Press Here], and a smaller window superimposed over the Character Sheet appeared.

  ...

  [Available Rank One Classes]

  [Class Allowances]:

  As a newly integrated sapient, you have an allowance of a single class. What classes you have access to varies, most are based on your records and others are randomly offered.

  [Class Types]:

  Your Primary class type signifies where you can draw experience from. [Combat] requires you to engage in combat with another party trying to kill, permanently harm, or capture you. [Non-Combat] classes gain experience from actions related to them such as [Thief] stealing an item not considered theirs. [Crafter] classes gain experience from creating objects with them gaining more from objects related to their classes. Even if you gain another class you will only gain experience based on your primary classes type.

  [Class Rarities]:

  Classes are split into tiers based on the requirements to attain them, and the amount of skills, traits, and boons they offer. [Common] classes grant one inherent skill, [Uncommon] classes grant two inherent skills, [Rare] classes grant three inherent skills and a class trait, [Epic] classes grant four inherent skills, two class traits and a boon. There are other classes but none are possible pre-integration. Classes of higher rarities are considered superior in most respects but just because you're offered a higher rarity class doesn’t guarantee they will fit you better than a lower rarity class.

  Please select one of the following.

  ….

  [Squire]

  Rank 1 Class: [Common]

  This class signifies the user as beginning the path to true knightdom. Knighthood is a long road, and as all roads begin, you have to take the first step. [Squire] is that step, being a [Squire] is all about learning from others and building the basics.

  Inherent Skill: [Arms Maintenance]

  Class Type: [Combat]

  ….

  Arms Maintenance Lvl: 1

  Description: The user has basic knowledge of how to maintain weapons and apparel. Any item maintained with this skill takes longer to fall into neglect. When maintenance is undertaken on an already pristine item it is miniscully improved. Weapons maintained by the user also grant an experience boost for learning their related skills.

  ….

  [Pickpocket]

  Rank 1 Class: [Common]

  What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is now mine. The [Pickpocket] is a thief beginning upon their road to infamy. However before you can focus on the big fish you’ve got to learn to catch the small ones.

  Inherent Skill: [Phishing]

  Class Type: [Non-Combat]

  ….

  Phishing Lvl: 1

  Allows the user to be able to evaluate the value of an object obscured by apparel and you can sense the danger of the object's current holder and who owns the item. When grasping an item with the intention to steal it, the item will stick to your fingers. Stolen items are also harder to detect when stolen using this skill.

  ….

  [Apothecary's Apprentice]

  Rank 1 Class: [Common]

  An apothecary is an all purpose alchemist experienced in all fields of alchemy yet a master of none. They are capable of crafting basic poisons, remedies, potions, and other alchemical creations. However as a mere apprentice you are not an alchemist but rather one in training.

  Inherent Skill: [Prepare Basic Ingredients]

  Class Type: [Crafter]

  …

  Prepare Basic Ingredients: Lvl:1

  The user is capable of distinguishing the magical parts of alchemical regents from their mundane parts. The user is also able to process common rarity alchemical regents of the same rank or lower. When using ingredients prepared using this skill the user gains an experience boost to alchemical skills.

  …

  [Brawling Initiate]

  Rank One Class-Common

  Learn to live through the fist and learn to kill with the fist. A Brawling Initiate scorns the use of anything but their own body to defeat their foes and, depending on the Initiate, some armor. As an Initiate you are but a babe ignorant of the greater truth of the fist and you must forge yourself in fire to become a true brawler.

  Inherent Skill: [Strength of One’s Own]

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  Class Type: [Combat]

  Strength of One’s Own Lvl: 1

  The User is able to inherently sense the strength of others comparative to their own. When the Initiate is fighting they have greater pain resistance and endurance. Also fighting someone at the user’s level or higher the initiate gains a body stat boost of 5%(additive).

  ….

  [Scholar]

  Rank 1 Class: Uncommon

  The path of a scholar is one of knowledge and ultimately how to use that knowledge. As a true and blue scholar you are learned in many fields and you continue to learn more.

  Inherent Skills: [Scholar’s Library] & [Learning from Life]

  Class Type: [Non-Combat]

  ….

  Scholar’s Library Lvl: 1

  The user is able to remember with better recall all and any text they have ever read. The user is also able to better decrypt coded knowledge or information in dead or obscure languages.

  Learning from Life Lvl: 1

  The user gains a skill experience boost when applying theoretical knowledge, the user is also better able to understand different points of views when learning from someone else, and in life or death scenarios has a miniscule chance to receive a vision of how to survive.

  ...

  Scanning over them all of them where [Common] except for [Scholar] which seemed pretty fucking useless right now even with the two skills over the other ones one skill. It would be amazing in school though; however, I suspected it would some time until I would be at school if this was planet-wide.

  I began to tell the Old Man what I had, I figured that the [Pickpocket] was random along with [Brawling Initiate].

  "Well I don't have [Scholar] or [Squire] but I have an Uncommon one similar to your [Brawling Initiate], [Bare Knuckle Fighter] as well as something marked as a Rare Class [Antique Collector] and Mrs. Gonzalez has [Apothecary], which she picked immediately, otherwise all the others that have Rare Class options are like me old as dirt" the Old Man seemed to be deep in thought before he said.

  "I'm going to pick the rare one, I've only got one slot so I hope I don't regret it" he said before his eyes glazed over and his face scrunched up as he clicked on it.

  "Hmm, I'll check the skills I got in the morning. Let's wrap this up. As he waited a second to see if I had any questions before continuing.

  "The Physical stats seem to be pretty much the same for everyone, bar a point in the tenth place it reigns from .9 to 1.4." The mind and soul stats seem to be substantially different for everyone, Mr Brown thinks that the Intelligence Stat seems to be one's IQ divided by a 100 and the Luck stat seems to vary from 1 to 2.5" he said.

  "My Intelligence is a 1.6 and my luck says 2. I'm assuming that's good, and my physical stats all read one as well." I stated he nodded along.

  "Nobody has any Achievements or Titles, so no clue on those quite yet." He said before he began to turn towards the door as he grabbed the door handle he turned it half way before stopping and looking at me.

  "Keep that bat near ya, I am bad about all of this emotional stuff but for what's worth I hope your Dad’s okay he was a good person, and try to sleep well kiddo". He said a brief smile on his face and as he began moving in the direction of his room

  "You too Old Man" I responded as I opened my door and as it closed my door my mind returned back to my family of my Dad and two older brothers. After I had closed the door, I turned and saw the small neatly made bed walking towards it, and I sat down. 'Sigh', my Dad should be alright. He is a Park Ranger for the nearby Mammoth Cave National Park and was only a few miles away roughly and I could have walked there by now. However, I remembered my Dad’s rule: if something happened, stay put or close as safely possible.

  My brothers though were a whole other story as they were both relatively far away. One was in the Navy and could be anywhere and the other worked as a mechanic down in Texas. Unfortunately, both were unreachable at the moment, but as soon as things settled down, I would check up on them.

  Taking a few calming breaths, I turned my attention to the conversation I and the Old Man had. It was Enlightening, to say the least; everybody had the same Physical stats, mostly with there only being tenths of point in variation. Which could mean that compared to something humans were weak, cause otherwise why not just make the stats a whole number? Sure, I wasn't crazy strong but I wasn’t weak either and anything that could have quite literally ten times the strength of me would be supernatural.

  The mental and soul stats, on the other hand, showed clear differences between people. My highest stat was Luck, followed by intelligence. Whatever Luck did I crossed my fingers that it was substantial or useful. Cause I don’t think winning a few hands at poker would be all that useful.

  Now, though, I had focused on the other and much longer topic of discussion. In classes, everyone had at least one Class Slot; most had two, and some had three, like me. Most people had Common classes to choose from; most had one Uncommon option, or some even had a Rare, like the Old Man himself.

  I, on the other hand, only had [Scholar] above Common with it at Uncommon. However just because it has more 'Inherent' skills does not mean I am going to pick it.

  I pulled up the character Sheet and then focused on the [Press Here] adjacent to the Primary Class.

  I had already read them so I just scanned through them. [Squire] sounded useful, I hoped I didn't need a combat class, however its inherent skill [Arm’s Maintenance] sounded useful for repairing and maintaining stuff we would need. I can immediately write off [Pickpocket] as it was useless in my current situation. [Apothecary's Apprentice] would help care for the wounded, and there might be a synergy with Mrs. Gonzalez's Class [Apothecary] although I figured that might be more of hindrance due to my lack of any medical training. The last class was geared towards combat, and like with [Squire] I really hoped that I didn't need to fight something, [Brawling Initiate] inherent skill sounded like it was dead useful in a fight though. Then there was [Scholar], my single Uncommon Class Option. I had a distinct feeling that one, a lot of my peers had access to this class, and two, that in my current situation, having this class would be useless. Learning wouldn't help those around me and would only be useful for myself.

  I mentally ticked off [Pickpocket], and [Scholar] from my picks. This left me with [Squire], a class that required me to fight in order to level up and although I didn't know what leveling up would entail. [Apothecary's Apprentice], was something that would be useful later on, after I learned how to be useful. [Brawling Initiate] would only be useful if shit hit the fan, otherwise I would be essentially dead weight.

  I couldn't choose because one would only be useful in a fight, one would be unhelpful for right now, and one was only potentially useful and could stall. I ended up scratching off [Brawling Initiate] leaving just two options. Rummaging through my pockets I felt a cold piece of metal and withdrew it from my pocket, a quarter.

  If my luck was double the average person's, then maybe it could help me out. I chose [Apothecary's Apprentice] as Heads and [Squire] as Tails and put the coin on the tip of my thumb and flipped.

  It spun the air several times as it made its way upwards. As the pull of gravity started to drag the coin downwards, I opened my hand, presenting the palm of my hand open, and the small coin landed squarely in the center. I then smacked the coin on the back of my left and revealed the choice.

  The American Eagle holding a torch in one claw and a bundle of something else in the other. Tails, I scrolled up the screen to the top and selected [Squire].

  ...

  [Primary Class Selected]

  You have selected the Rank One Common Class [Squire]

  The [Squire] Class gains skill levels faster when learning from a more experienced teacher.

  Your Class Allowance has been used up.

  ...

  [Alert!]

  You have gained the Skill [Arm’s Maintenance] by it being the Inherent skill to your class.

  ...

  By the description of the class by the System, it seems as though you gain skills besides just those given to you by your class. I wondered how I would have gained [Appraisal] without it being gifted to me and everyone else.

  ...

  -Arms Maintenance

  Level: 1 | Skill XP: 0%

  Description: The user has basic knowledge of how to maintain weapons and apparel. Any item maintained with this skill takes longer to fall into neglect. When maintenance is undertaken on an already pristine item it is miniscully improved. Weapons maintained by the user also grant an experience boost for learning their related skills.

  ....

  I felt knowledge fill me, images of cleaning armor, weapons, gear, and other items filtered through my head like a flood. Then like the moving of the tides it receded.

  The skill seemed to add knowledge that I didn't have before and made knowledge I already had on the subject more accessible and clearer. I picked up the [Louisville Slugger] that leaned up against the bed, and like a strike of lightning, I knew what I needed to do to get the dirt and grime off.

  I went over to the nightstand where the Old Man kept a Chamberstick, basically a candle holder with a handle on it that he had bought at the nearby Antique Shop. Lighting it with the matchsticks in the second drawer of the nightstand I moved to the door opened and stepped into the Hallway. I heard the sounds of Mrs. Gonzalez and her helpers tending to the wounded on the floor below and made my way to the bathroom across the hall from my room.

  As I neared I didn't see any candlelight coming from the bottom of the bathroom door. Grasping the handle, I opened it,, and like most places In Welton Manor, it was like a blast to the past. I quickly moved to a small cupboard situated above the toilet and opened it, and there I found a couple of bars of soap. I only needed one so I grabbed it and closed the cupboard doors. Then I grabbed a spare hand towel and began to operate the small hand pump sink. It took a while, but eventually, I wetted the hand towel. Then I left the bathroom and returned to my room, and after closing my door I placed the Chamberstick on the nightstand.

  In the candlelight, I began to apply the soap to the wet hand towel. Placing the [Louisville Slugger] on the bed, I began to move the hand towel in a circular motion along the length of the bat, freeing it of the dirt it had accumulated over the years. I went over the bat three times with the hand towel.

  I began to inspect the bat, and I noticed some of the really small scratches along its surface had completely disappeared, not all of them, mind you, but a few. I might have been imagining it but I think it was my skill at work.

  That night, I felt as if many things were uncertain, but my world had changed massively, and I would like to think a small part of me changed a little bit to adapt.