The sterile white cubicle buzzed softly as the AI assistant materialized. Its synthetic voice echoed around the space.
"Candidate Everett Miracle. Please state your Class. If classified, respond 'Blank.'"
Everett's mind stirred. Something within the Cube pulsed as though deciding with him.
"Cube of Becoming," he said.
A long pause. "Class acknowledged. Class-Type?"
A swirl of class options bloomed: Mage. Horseman. Mechanic. Historian. Artillery. Writer. Dozens more. All felt too... known.
He scrolled, then paused. A faded tag shimmered faintly in the corner.
"Domain Class."
He selected it.
"Type?"
Everett blinked. "Combat-Type."
The cube inside him pulsed in approval.
"Assessment will now begin," the AI said.
With a mechanical chime, a sleek puppet walked in. No face. No weapon. No expression.
"Mystery Trial — Grade 0, Rank 1. Defeat the opponent."
Everett didn't hesitate. The Frost Realm had carved strength into his limbs. He rushed forward, fists crackling faintly with unseen force.He struck low. The puppet dodged—not like a machine, but like something remembering. Ten seconds later, the puppet crumbled.
> The Cube flickered. Mystery Stabilized.
The AI spoke again. "Advancing to Grade 0, Rank 2."
Another puppet appeared—this one faster, its joints more flexible. Everett fought again, relying on instinct and reaction. He won, but with more effort.
Then: Grade 0, Rank 3. Then 4. Then 5.
Each rank escalated the puppet's complexity. Some bore energy blades, some reacted to Everett's movement like fighters who had seen war. He summoned his Wind Elephant once, testing synergy. The beast roared and complied.
By Grade 0, Rank 8, Everett's shirt was soaked with sweat. The puppet dropped after a hard-won blow, its circuits sputtering.
A mechanical chime echoed in the room.
> "Grade 1 Trial Initiating. Combat Environment Upgrading."
The cubicle walls shimmered. They expanded outward, transforming into a polished arena—vast, round, with white marble floors and high black ceilings streaked with ethereal light.
A stronger puppet walked in—taller, marked with crimson symbols. Its steps cracked the floor.
"Grade 1, Rank 0."
Everett frowned. He could feel it—this was no regular bot. It pulsed with a sense of calculation.
He summoned the Wind Elephant.
The elephant charged. Metal met magic. Sparks flew. Everett commanded every motion, pushing his bond with the beast to its limit. After a prolonged fight, the robot fell.
He dropped to one knee.
> "Advancing: Grade 1, Rank 1."
Each new enemy carried not only strength but strategy. Some adjusted mid-fight. Some dodged his elephant. By Rank 5, Everett began summoning new creatures—The Frostling Hare for agility, the Silent Lizard for stealth.
At Grade 1, Rank 9, he summoned all nine. Claws, tusks, wind, ice—they fought as a unit. Everett moved with them, like a general in battle.
As the last puppet fell, a thin layer of frost spread from Everett's feet, cracking across the arena floor. The Realm hadn't left him—it walked beside him still
Everett's body swayed.
"Limit achieved," the AI said. "Mystery Tier: Grade 1, Rank 9 — Confirmed."
Panting, Everett wiped blood from his nose.
"Explain this… Mystery System. How does it work?"
The AI shimmered for a second, then began:
> "The Mystery System is an evolving framework. Humanity does not yet fully understand it. What is known is this: every living being carries latent resonance with unseen truths—Mysteries. These truths manifest through interaction with otherworldly Realms or artifacts."
> "Your Grade reflects the depth of resonance. Your Rank shows your current synchronization or effectiveness in harnessing that resonance within trials."
> "There are limits, for now. Humans have not passed beyond Grade 4. You are Grade 1, Rank 9—among the highest known to non-affiliated candidates."
Everett caught his breath.
"What about… classes?"
The AI nodded. A glowing chart appeared midair.
> "Classes are divided by Core Alignment—either Combat-Type, Intellectual-Type, or Hybrid. Each alignment determines the focus of your Mystery harnessing."
---
Class Types:
Combat-Type: These classes emphasize physical or magical confrontation. Fighters, Beast Callers, Weapon Artisans, Kinetic Shields, and Summoners fall under this.
Intellectual-Type: Focused on perception, strategy, and cosmic insight. Loreweavers, Memory Alchemists, Dreamwrights, Codex Writers.
Hybrid/Domain Classes: Rare. They bend or break established laws. Domain Classes tie the Mystery directly to a unique inner construct (e.g., Everett's Cube). Capable of growth in multiple branches.
---
"You are a Domain-Class," the AI concluded. "Such beings forge their own path. Your Cube is not a tool—it is a door. And your Mystery is only just beginning."
The Cube pulsed softly at his chest. Everett stood again, shoulders heavy but eyes alight.
To be continued.