The black crystal pulsed. It was a deep, rhythmic thrumming, like the heartbeat of something massive sleeping beneath the stone floor. It stood on a waist-high pedestal of twisted obsidian, absorbing the torchlight rather than reflecting it.
Sir Caelric Valdorn stood beside it, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He didn't look like a man who tolerated failure. "Step forward," he commanded, his eyes fixed on Daigo. "Place your hand on the stone. Do not pull away until the Appraisal is complete."
Daigo Shun swallowed hard. The usual grin was wiped from his face, replaced by a sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looked back at the class—at Ren, at Itsuki—and gave a stiff nod. If nobody else moves, we're all dead, his expression seemed to say.
Daigo stepped up to the pedestal. The mages leaned in, quills hovering over parchment, ready to record the results. Daigo raised his large hand and slammed it onto the crystal.
VVVRRRMMM.
A shockwave of blue light rippled through the room. It didn't hurt, but Ren felt it in his teeth—a vibration that tasted like ozone. Above the crystal, words began to materialize, floating in the air like glowing blue ink.
[NAME: DAIGO SHUN][RACE: HUMAN][STR: 5] [AGI: 2] [INT: 2] [MANA: 1][TITLE: VANGUARD]
The room was silent for a second. Daigo blinked, staring at the floating text. "Uh… is that good?" he asked, pointing at the numbers. "Five Strength? That sounds… low. I bench press two-twenty, you know!"
Valdorn stepped closer, inspecting the text. "Do not confuse your world's physics with ours. In Altherion, an average adult male has a Strength of 3. You are already above the natural limit of a common soldier." He pointed to the bottom line. "But the numbers are secondary. The Title is what matters. The gods have granted you the role of [VANGUARD]. You will be the shield that breaks the enemy's charge. Your body will endure what others cannot. A fitting role for one with your… volume."
Daigo grinned, his confidence snapping back instantly. He flexed an arm. "Vanguard, huh? Sounds like I'm the main attraction. I can work with that." He stepped back, looking relieved.
"Next," Valdorn barked.
The tension in the room broke slightly. It wasn't a death sentence. It was just a status check. One by one, the students of Class 3-G stepped forward.
Itsuki Haruma went next. He approached the stone calmly, adjusting his glasses. He touched the crystal with a light tap. [NAME: ITSUKI HARUMA][STR: 2] [AGI: 3] [INT: 5][TITLE: SAGE]
The head mage gasped softly. "A Sage… at the start of summoning? This is rare. He possesses the capacity to understand high-tier magic logic instantly." Itsuki pushed his glasses up his nose, looking at the text with mild interest. "Sage. Efficient. I assume this means I stay in the backlines?" "You will be the mind of the party," Valdorn confirmed with a nod. "Valuable."
Then came the girls. Mei Tachibana stomped up, still annoyed, and slapped the crystal. [TITLE: LANCER] "A Lancer?" Mei frowned, crossing her arms. "I wanted something magical." "It fits you," Daigo whispered loudly. "You're always poking your nose into people's business anyway." "Shut up, muscle-brain! I'll impale you first!"
Toru Makabe and Hinata Moriyama went together, treating it like a game show. Toru got [PYROMANCER]. Hinata got [ASSASSIN]. "Dude!" Toru high-fived him. "I get fire, you get knives! We're literally the chaos duo." "Please don't burn the castle down," Ren muttered under his breath, though he felt a small wave of relief. At least they had roles. They would be safe.
Then, the trio of girls stepped up. Yui Kanzaki, the small, quiet girl who usually drifted in the background, touched the stone. [TITLE: MONK] "Eh?" She looked at her small hands. "Monk… like… punching?" "Close combat specialist," Valdorn explained, looking slightly surprised himself. "Your body is your weapon. Do not underestimate it." Yui looked at her fist, then back at Daigo, and a tiny, terrifying smile appeared on her face. "Cool."
Sayaka Minori, the girl with the mysterious notebook, received [SORCERESS]. The mana reading on her status was higher than anyone else's so far. The air around her crackled with static when the title appeared. She simply nodded, closed her eyes, and walked back to the group, looking like she expected nothing less.
Then Noa Yukimura. She walked up slowly, headphones still around her neck—useless now. She touched the stone with a bored expression. [TITLE: SUMMONER] The mages whispered among themselves. "Summoner? Does she have a contract?" "Not yet. But the potential to call forth beasts… it is a chaotic power." Noa stared at the word. She didn't summon a beast. She didn't summon a weapon. She just shrugged and walked away, murmuring, "Too much work."
Then came the "Odd Couple." Tobias "Toby" Okoro fixed his tie, trying to look dignified. He placed his hand on the crystal with a flourish. [TITLE: SQUIRE] There was a pause. "Squire?" Toby blinked. "Does that mean… Knight in training?" "It means you carry the bags," Toru whispered. "It means," Valdorn corrected sternly, "You are a support warrior. You enhance the abilities of the knight you serve. A noble role, if you are humble enough to accept it." Toby slumped slightly. "Oh. Right. Indubitably."
Reiji Narukami stepped up next, placing a reassuring hand on Toby's shoulder before touching the crystal himself. [TITLE: PALADIN][STR: 4] [AGI: 3] [INT: 4] The text glowed brightly. A Paladin. A holy warrior of leadership and defense. "Excellent," Valdorn said, his voice softening with genuine approval. "A natural leader. You will be the pillar of this unit." Reiji smiled, that perfect, comforting smile. "I will do my best to keep everyone safe."
Ayaka Fujino was next. She approached gracefully. When she touched the stone, the light wasn't blue—it was a soft, pale white. [TITLE: SAINTESS] The robed mages erupted into excited whispers. "A Saintess!" "We haven't had a Saintess in three generations!" "The healing potential… incredible." Valdorn actually bowed his head slightly. "Young lady, your value to this kingdom is immeasurable. You will be protected at all costs." Ayaka blushed, looking overwhelmed. "I… I just want to help."
Finally, Rika Aizawa stepped up. She tossed her hair, looking annoyed by the wait. [TITLE: ROGUE] "Rogue?" She crinkled her nose. "Sounds like a criminal. Can't I be a Princess or something?" "It means you are fast and deadly," Ren said from the back. "It suits you." She looked back at him and smirked. "Deadly? Yeah. I like that."
And then… it was Ren's turn.
The room went quiet. Only two students were left. Ren Takashi. And Amano Sora.
Ren felt the weight of every gaze on him. He wasn't the strongest like Daigo. He wasn't the smartest like Itsuki. He wasn't charismatic like Reiji. He was just… Ren. He walked to the pedestal. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out. Please, he thought. Just give me something useful. Something that lets me protect them.
He pressed his palm against the cold surface.
BOOM.
It wasn't a sound. It was light. A pillar of blinding, golden brilliance erupted from the crystal, shooting straight up to the cavern ceiling. The torches on the walls flickered and died, drowned out by the sheer intensity of the glow. Ren shielded his eyes, stumbling back. The light coalesced, swirling into letters of pure gold that hung in the air, dominating the room.
[NAME: REN TAKASHI][RACE: HUMAN][STR: 3] [AGI: 3] [INT: 3] [MANA: 10][TITLE: HERO][BLESSING: DIVINE PROTECTION OF ALTHERION]
Silence. Absolute, stunned silence. Then—the sound of fabric rustling. The robed leader dropped to his knees. Then the other mages. Even Sir Caelric Valdorn, the imposing, terrifying knight, drew his sword, planted the tip into the stone floor, and knelt on one knee.
"The Hero," Valdorn whispered, his voice filled with a reverence that hadn't been there before. "The legends were true. We have found him."
Ren stood there, frozen. The golden letters cast a long shadow behind him. "I… I'm just…" Ren stammered. "You are the chosen one," Valdorn declared, standing up. "The one destined to wield the Holy Blade and strike down the Demon Lord. All other roles exist to support you."
The class looked at Ren with wide eyes. Awe. Jealousy. Relief. Rika was beaming. Reiji nodded respectfully. Daigo gave him a thumbs up. Ren felt a knot of dread tighten in his stomach. The weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders, and it was heavier than any armor.
"And finally," Valdorn said, his tone shifting back to cold indifference as he turned to the last student. "You."
Ren stepped aside, his heart still pounding. He looked at Sora. Sora was still standing near the back. He looked tired. His uniform was rumpled from the rough landing, and he was rubbing his wrist where the smoke had burned him earlier. He didn't look like a hero. He didn't look like a warrior. He looked like a guy who just wanted to go home and sleep.
"Get it over with," Valdorn spat. "Let us see if the glitch has any use at all."
Sora sighed. He walked forward, his sneakers squeaking faintly on the stone. He didn't look at Ren. He didn't look at Rika. He kept his eyes on the floor until he reached the pedestal. Well, Sora thought, staring at the black rock. Here goes nothing.
He reached out. He didn't slap it like Daigo. He didn't tap it like Itsuki. He just placed his hand on it, waiting for the blue light. Waiting for the magic.
Nothing happened.
The crystal remained black. No hum. No vibration. No light.
"Is it broken?" Toru whispered.
Then, slowly—painfully slowly—faint, grey text began to flicker in the air. It was small, distorted, like a signal struggling to get through.
[NAME: AMANO SORA][RACE: HUMAN][STR: 3][AGI: 3][INT: 3][MANA: 0]
The mages squinted at the text. "Mana… zero?" the Head Mage muttered. "That is impossible. Even a blade of grass has mana. To have zero…" "Look at the Title," Valdorn commanded.
The text flickered again, resolving into a single, jagged word.
[TITLE: NONE]
The word hung in the air, grey and pathetic next to the memory of Ren's golden light. NONE.
"None?" Rika asked, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "What does that mean? Like… freelancer?" "No," Valdorn said. His voice was sharper than a blade. "It means he has been rejected."
Valdorn stepped forward, towering over Sora. "The Crystal reveals the soul's potential given by the Gods. Every living creature in Altherion has a role. A farmer. A beggar. A rat." He pointed a gauntleted finger at Sora's chest. "You have nothing. No role. No mana. No potential."
Sora looked at the text. None. He felt a laugh bubbling up in his throat—a bitter, jagged thing. Of course. Ren gets the gold. The class gets the magic. And Sora gets the void. "So," Sora said, his voice dry. "I guess I'm off the hook for fighting the Demon Lord then?"
Valdorn didn't find it funny. He turned his back on Sora, addressing the mages. "He is a waste of resources. A vessel without a soul. He cannot level up. He cannot learn skills. He is less than a commoner."
Ren stepped forward, the golden light of his status still fading around him. "Wait! Sir Valdorn, he's still one of us. Even if he doesn't have a class, he—" "He is a liability, Hero," Valdorn cut him off. "We are at war. We do not carry dead weight."
Valdorn looked at Sora one last time, his eyes cold and empty of empathy. "You are not a Hero. You are not even a soldier. You are… unnecessary."
Sora stood alone by the pedestal, the grey text flickering and dying out, leaving him in the dark. He looked at his hand—the same hand that had touched the crystal. It looked the same. But the distance between him and the rest of the class had just become an ocean.
Daigo looked away. Rika bit her lip, looking uncomfortable. Only Ren held his gaze, looking horrified.
Sora shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back, masking the sting in his chest with a careless shrug. "Story of my life," he muttered.