P.O.V. Cristóbal Xehanort
Sitting at the table, eating the cereal and toast my mother made for me, I stare at the television with a calm expression.
"Breaking news: Sector 15 Portal has been tamed and cleared with ease thanks to the help of Frederick Basket, a promising Spear User who defeated the Goblin-type monsters of this Class H Portal. Mineral extraction from this world is expected to begin soon, as the breach occurred in a quarry filled with gems useful for..."
Mom changes the channel to one of her soap operas. I don't say anything; I simply go back to finishing my breakfast.
This world... this world is ridiculously different from my previous life. And yes, in case you haven't realized it yet, I'm a reincarnator. I'm breaking the fourth wall here—don't worry, it's just to explain my situation, and then we'll pretend it never happened.
I lived a truly normal life in my past existence. Or at least, it was normal until a literal bolt of destructive lightning struck and incinerated me. I used to laugh at memes of charred guys—like the "ash baby" and similar things—but it wasn't so funny when it happened to me.
Apparently, some lesser gods got into a fight, and their father granted me a second life in another world since my existence was so utterly obliterated that even he couldn't fix it.
This world used to be just like Earth. That is, until Portals began to appear during World War II, and monsters and creatures started pouring out of them. Some weren't much of a problem for the firearms of that era, but over time, the monsters became more frequent, and some could even ignore a tank shell.
Since the nuclear option was the absolute last resort, and those with access to it were about to press the big red button, someone awakened powers. Then another, and another, and so on. People began using these powers to face the creatures, and eventually, the first Adventurers were born—those who dared to step into the portals and see the worlds these beings came from.
The portals brought danger, but they also brought riches and materials impossible to find anywhere else. Naturally, this led to minor global conflicts. In the end, humanity is now divided into four major nations that span thousands of kilometers and neighboring countries. But I'll mention that later; explaining everything right now is too much of a hassle.
What you do need to know is that there was a consensus for everyone to speak the same language, which ended up being English—a strange version with different intonations and unique terms depending on where people used to live. It's still common to hear people speaking their ancient languages, though.
Now, I'm fifteen, starting high school and about to undergo a magical ritual that will determine my class and power. It's a big deal, and my mother is anxious about it.
After all, my mother is a botanist who runs a very successful apothecary, and my father is a blacksmith who crafts decent quality gear. We're somewhat well-off, despite not having combat classes.
So, I don't have high expectations, nor will I be judged if I don't get something ultra-rare and powerful. That already relieves me of the typical pressure of the "MC abandoned for having a useless class."
After my mother smothered my face with kisses and well-wishes for my "Awakening," I started walking to school. Suddenly, an arm draped over my shoulder out of nowhere.
"Gooooood morning, Cris!"
"Lucius, are you familiar with the term 'personal space'?" I asked my self-proclaimed best friend, who has a habit of getting way too close.
"What's that? Is it edible?" he said with a goofy grin. I responded by pushing his face aside.
"Are you excited? I hope I get a combat class. I don't mind support or crafting classes, but honestly, I want something cool that lets me throw fireballs or smash giant rocks with my fists," he said enthusiastically, punching the air.
"With that big hollow head of yours, I'm sure you'll get something that matches," a female voice chimed in from beside us. It was Alicia, the feminine side of our trio of misfits. She's the one who helps me keep Lucius from choking on his own spit.
"Good morning, Alicia," I greeted her. She smiled at me politely.
"Hey, Ali!" Lucius added, and her smile vanished the moment he used that nickname.
While Lucius is a regular guy like me—his dad is the equivalent of a cop who protects people during sudden portal breaches, and his mom owns a flower shop with agricultural skills—Alicia Bon Dormet comes from a renowned family. Her lineage has produced multiple magic users of all kinds. Regardless of the branch of specialization, she has already generated Class C mana, which is quite high for a place as remote as our Sector.
Apparently, Alicia is some sort of princess who hates being treated like one. That's why she gets along with the calmest, most rational kid and an idiot who couldn't care less about her status.
When we arrived at class, we sat in our corner. Alicia sat to my right, and Lucius sat on my desk while talking about some new TV show.
To be honest, it's pretty boring. Since this world revolves entirely around portals, the quality of stories and shows has plummeted. Everything is about portals, making it hard to find anything worth watching.
[.]
If my class isn't good enough, I'm thinking about bringing over franchises like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, or Naruto to give this world some real entertainment—and make some money in the process. But while I was thinking this, the teacher entered. She poked Lucius in the back with a pen to get him to his seat and finally began to speak.
"Alright students, I know you're excited to receive your classes today. After this, you'll be able to adjust your schedules as you see fit. Remember, out of the five core subjects, you must choose at least three. The rest can be adapted to your own criteria."
The teacher stood in front of a futuristic blackboard, showing elective subjects and the five majors: History, Language, Math, Science, and Biology.
All other classes are related to future careers, like the blacksmithing course my father took, or the botany class my mother used to identify plants in different portals for remedies.
With that, we were told to head to the main hall. While we in Class B marched in a calm line, the students in Class A—mostly children of wealthy or influential people—watched us with smug smiles. I let out an amused sigh, comparing them to the typical "young masters" from Chinese novels.
When we arrived, they started calling roll. My last name starts with X, Xehanort, which means I'll be among the last. I tried to stay awake since Alicia and Lucius, whose last names start with D and C, would be among the first.
When it was Alicia's turn, she stepped onto the stage where a massive stone sat, filled with immense amounts of Mana. Interacting with it awakens our own internal Mana. Then, you touch a pedestal that displays a status screen and creates a Soul-Bound card to view it.
When Alicia touched the stone, energy flowed through her body. She began to glow with a brilliant white light that then shifted into a golden hue. I could hear many gasp at such a beautiful color.
Then, with a bit of shyness, she touched the pedestal to reveal an impressive status.
Name: Alicia Bon Dormet
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Class: Light Mage (UR)
Rank: I
Level: 1
A list of skills also appeared, but it was blurred. This is done so students can keep their talents private. You wouldn't tell someone you can brainwash them, right?
But with the mere mention of the UR (Ultra Rare) class, everyone knew instantly: she could be the first adventurer to reach the Top 50, or even the Top 10 in the country. An extremely impressive feat.
[End of Chapter]