This is not the path Kalli Lorenz's path was meant to follow. In the dairy, his future self had sent, an entire twelve pages were dedicated to his Preparatory school life.
It included the dangers of underestimation and how some of the members of these 'silkpants' class had turned out to be some of the best elites the Alliance had to offer. That had changed the way he interacted with his classmates.
Growing up, he had always desired to attend the Alliance Preparatory School and go on to the Amherst College in the capital. When his mother had told him that he had gotten and she had accepted an invitation to Harvey Preparatory School.
Towards this outrageous expensive school, Zane had only felt contempt. He knew that the most expensive schools offered scholarships for a high ranking in the CAT. He had shelved Harvey as one of those schools and the students as pampered rich kids. However, a week before he began school, he had gotten a diary from his future self and his life changed.
He had learnt from the diary that although he was right about Harvey Preparatory School, he should not always generalize and two of the reasons were the people in front of him, Kallie Lorenz and Ren Carter.
Ren Carter became an incredible swordsman and well Kallie was given the title, 'The Red Frost fencer'. His future self did not go into details leaving just a line about her being an ice mage.
Zane had spent time wondering if she was called the Red frost fencer because she wore red all in the time in the future or maybe she became a psychopath that loved shedding blood.
Nevertheless, it is clear that being a mage was her destined path plus she talked about it all the time so why would she change her mind now? Did his interactions with her cause this?
"It is called the Butterfly effect. The idea is that a small change can make much bigger changes. Would you like a more comprehensive knowledge on the subject?" The system intoned.
"How much would that cost me?" Zane asked back.
"The number of books your clearance level can get on the subject is 1430. Would you like to hear their prices in chronological order?"
Zane inwardly swore and revisited the wish of the system to become human so he could give him a heavy knock on the head. If he listens to him reciting 1430 book titles and their respective prices. Won't he just off himself?
"Of course not. Just calculate the one with the lowest price and tell me."
Zane ignored the calculating... and its corresponding beeps to fully look at Kallie.
"Why would you decide that?" Zane asked. Even Ren was seriously looking at Kallie. This was the biggest decision of her life. It is not one to dilly-dally with.
Kallie bit her lips. This problem had kept her awake for many nights. She knew it was not a joking matter.
Steeling herself, "I want to do something or be something. Everybody wants to be a mage. If I....." She paused trying to explain better what was on her mind.
"You don't want to be just another mage" Zane helped her.
" Exactly," She said, her face screaming 'You are the only one who gets me' causing Ren to snort. He almost felt like laughing but he did not want to ruin the sombre mood.
"I have met with the guidance counsellor but I feel like he doesn't understand me, I really don't want to fade into the crowd"
'I really want to be worthy of being your friend.' Kallie said in her heart. She knew someone like Zane and even Ren were destined for greater heights. Although Zane was a scholarship student like her, she could feel that the teachers did not treat him like other scholarship students.
He had denied it but her instincts told her that Zane had some kind of background, one that was deep. And Ren, despite his fooling around, the Carter family had always produced some of the best Swordsmen in Cloud City, Ren would not be different. If she wanted to stand out, she had to affix herself to a guild or a clan but she was not ready to do that.
Ren scoffed, "I feel like you are thinking too much of this. Archers may be rare but if you continue with that mentality you would just be another archer."
"What Ren is trying to say in his own annoying way is that you should not think of it like that. A diamond would shine even if it is thrown among the rubble. Your intelligence, willpower, perception and constitution are all top-class. You are tailored to be a mage. Won't it be more challenging to stand out from a thousand mages than to stand alone as an archer? besides, there are still three months to your birthday you can be lucky and find the details of a specialized mage pathway." He gave her time to think about it.
He should add pep talk to his many skills.
"Non-linear dynamics and Chaos by Steven Stroke" The system was done with its calculations.
Zane smiled, his system was very considerate, waiting till Kallie was done.
"300 knowledge points"
Zane's face grew colder, "hey system, do you think points grow on trees?"
"Should I make the purchase?" It ignored his question.
"You can make it but don't use my precious points to pay for it."
"Is it a yes or a no"
Eq
"No!"
He refrained from rolling his eyes, those points were super important to him. He could not wait till he could put them to good use.
His eyes glanced through the classroom, his classmates were either in a group chatting or gazing at the screen in front of them. The CAT was just completed and in an hour, the city ranking would be released and after that, the alliance ranking would follow after.
He was a little nervous, according to the diary, he had been ranked first in the city, and his alliance ranking was never written. His future self was a bit sadistic, releasing some information and withdrawing the rest leaving him nerve-racked.
The CAT which stands for Chartered Alliance Test or Common Admission Test is the most difficult exam every member of the Alliance must take. It is a full three weeks of mental and physical strain where every attribute of the examiner is analyzed.
Two thousand years ago, the climate changed and there were devastating geographical and biological consequences. Although mankind survived, life would never be the same again. Earth had turned into a game.
To be more specific, the whole galaxy was a game and Earth was now qualified to be one of the players. Climate change had altered the geography, and buildings and gateways appeared, these were called dungeons, many modern cities were destroyed and the ancient cities rose again to the surface, these were called ruins.
Every human being was connected to the game system and could use the treasures the dungeon and ruins brought. But, even though it was a game, it was still real life. One could not be brought to life if one died, and one class or subclass could never be changed. Everything was permanent, you can't log out.
At eighteen, the prefrontal cortex of the brain is developed enough to connect with the game system and a limited amount of five days and two attribute points is given to choose a class.
The system would recommend classes according to one's attributes and skills. If your strength is not up to 10 then do not dream about being a warrior and if your intelligence is not up to par being a mage is but a dream. Likewise, if your horse riding skill and swordsmanship are not at the apprentice level, forget about choosing a knight class.
The CAT and other similar exams are some of the most important achievements of mankind. It has a 93% accuracy of the system status. It gives ample opportunity to brush up your skills before you are eighteen as well as shows off the potential of young students so they are picked and trained by clans and guilds with specialized pathways.
Everything is tested in CAT from attributes like intelligence, perception, and strength to skills like machinery, chemistry and fashion design. Every student would choose 24 courses when entering Preparatory School and hence will take 24 courses doing CAT.
Zane was worried about his exams. He knew it was good enough because it would be the catapult that would turn him from a duck to a Phoenix.
After the results of the test had been announced, his father's family would come looking for him. An amazing story that would leave him as one of the young masters of the Valois family making many envious to death.
But according to his diary, that was when his own story of loss and regret would begin. Sometimes Zane wondered if he should just avoid all these troubles but then the memory of the diary would wash over him, that crippling emotion of guilt and grief.
His future self had only asked him for five favours and one of them involved protecting Andre de Valois, his estranged father. Zane would love to ask his future self just how he, a seventeen-year-old boy is going to do that.