Zane's hands trembled as his shift finally ended for the day. The factory's oppressive heat and the metallic stench of machinery were smells he should be used to by now, but Zane hated them more than anything, and they followed him wherever he went.
But tonight, all he could think about was the awakening ceremony happening tonight. He wiped the sweat from his brow and trudged toward the foreman's office for his wages.
His boss, who was a gaunt man with a permanent sneer across his face, barely looked up from his ledger as Zane entered.
"Late again, Crowe?" the foreman muttered with his fingers skimming over the numbers on the ledger.
"No, sir. My shift just ended," Zane said, while at the same time fighting to keep his voice steady.
The foreman scoffed.
"And yet you had time for visitors? That girl... Lyra, was it?—distracted you. Can't have slacking workers in this district, you know."
Zane's heart boiled in rage. He knew where this was heading, and he didn't like the outcome. It was people like this who had always managed to make the district unbearable for underlings like him.
Zane clenched his fists and shoved all that rage down for his own good.
"She wasn't here for long," he said.
"Doesn't matter." The foreman scribbled something down and then slid a small pouch across the desk. "Half-pay. Consider it a reminder."
Zane's stomach twisted in disgust.
Half-pay.
Again?
He snatched the pouch and, feeling the meager weight of the Lumis, which was Chronos Eos's standard currency, in his palm, this was barely enough for a meal!
It didn't matter, Zane thought bitterly to himself. After tonight, I'll never set foot in this dump again.
The streets of his district, the Ironvale District, were as crowded and dirty as ever, and Zane pushed through the maze of vendors with his stomach growling. He finally stopped at a food stall where he counted sadly and handed over most of his Lumis for a small pie.
He found a relatively quiet alley and slumped against the wall as he bit into the lukewarm pastry. There was almost no taste at all, and the experience was almost similar to eating sawdust, but it was food to the orphaned and lonely Ironvale boy without a class.
He began to sigh in relief when disorder broke through the streets.
Shouting erupted from the main street, and warriors in neat armor marched forward as they shoved citizens aside.
"Clear the way! The Grandmaster approaches!" The shouts rent the air.
Zane barely had time to react before a burly warrior roughly yanked him up.
"Move it, gutter rat!"
Zane stumbled back and watched as a group of the most powerful men and women in the whole of Chronos Eos strode through the cleared path.
At the center was Grandmaster Aldric Solmire, who was the ruler of Chronos Eos with his robes shimmering with power as he walked past. The Council of Archmages flanked him with their presence alone, sending a level of fear all over the entire gathering.
But it was the warriors who stole Zane's breath.
Dragon Knights who were clad in red steel armor with their capes bearing the sigil of a coiled wyrm. Legends said they could level mountains with a single swing of their blades, and behind them came the SysPaladins.
Zane's heart swelled. This was his favorite part, where he got to see the SysPaladins. Their armor gleamed with white and gold, with their visors hiding faces he had dreamed of seeing up close since childhood. One turned slightly, scanning the crowd with an effortless authority that made Zane's knees weak.
For a moment, he imagined that his eyes were staring directly at him, and ooh… it was a girl! Zane was just realizing her curves; it was a lady behind that mask and almost as tall as he was, probably a newly awakened SysPaladin in some other district.
One day, he promised himself. That'll be me.
A sharp pain in his shoulder suddenly pulled him from his thoughts. He crashed to the ground with his food splattering across the dirt.
"Watch where you're standing, gutter rat," a familiar voice sneered.
Zane looked up to see Ryn, who was a former slum rat like him, now clad in the lightweight armor of an F-Tier Spellblade.
"Nice try blocking royalty," Ryn sneered as he stepped on Zane's fallen pie.
"Too bad the System didn't give you a class, huh? Oh wait… that's tonight. Maybe you'll get something interesting like, umm… show maker?"
Zane's face burned with fury. Ryn had awakened just last week, and since then, he'd made it his mission to torment anyone still classless.
Before Zane could retort, a crackle of energy snapped to his hearing.
"Back off, Ryn."
Lyra stood right there with her fingers still sparking from the small lightning bolt she'd hurled near Ryn's feet.
Ryn grew pale immediately. He knew better than to mess with a Mage, especially one with Lyra's potential.
"Tch. Whatever. Enjoy your last night in the gutter, Zane." He stomped off.
Zane exhaled sharply with his hands shaking.
"I don't need your help," he muttered, pushing past Lyra, but she immediately grabbed his wrist.
"Zane, don't…"
"I'll see you at the awakening," he said firmly as he wrenched free. He couldn't stand the pity in her eyes and his shame.
***
Night fell, and the entire district gathered in the grand plaza for the Awakening Ceremony.
A massive and ancient humanoid high-tech computer stood at the center and was glowing faintly with the power of the Architect, the AI god that governed Chronos Eos.
Zane stood among the other seventeen-year-olds with his stomach knotted.
One by one, they were called forward.
"Jace Morrow... D-Tier Ironclad Knight."
"Lina Vey... E-Tier Shadow Whisper."
Cheers erupted for each new class, and Zane barely heard the names called.
Finally…
"Zane Crowe."
Grandmaster Aldric's voice boomed across the plaza.
Zane stepped forward with his legs unsteady. The system pulsed as the Architect's voice vibrated through the air:
[Beginning Scan.]
A beam of light swallowed Zane, and for a moment, he felt weightless and hopeful.
Then...
The light sputtered.
[Error.]
A hush fell over the crowd.
[Subject: Zane Crowe.]
[Class: NULL.]
[Stats: NULL.]
[Anomaly Detected.]
[Designation: Bugspawn.]
Everyone collectively gasped.