Chapter 11 - Class Selection
"There are many paths suitable for a young man such as yourself, brave and extraordinary, and no matter which path you choose, you must work hard and persevere. First, there is the way of the warriors…"
The instructor's voice droned on as he explained the details of the game, but unlike how he had rudely interrupted the fairy at the beginning of the game, Liam didn't act casually with the middle-aged man.
He silently listened to the man's words, as the both of them walked towards the aptitude testing room of the training hall.
Even though all players were freely able to choose whatever class they preferred, the game system still gave out recommendations in the name of aptitude testing.
Everyone had initially assumed that this was because of the extremely realistic component of the game but this was in fact an actual test to determine the affinity of the player for different kinds of magic and hidden attributes like perceptivity.
Those who didn't take their test results seriously and ignored the system's recommendations could only cry later after realizing that they had missed the chance to pick something more optimal for them.
For instance, if the system notified a player that he or she has a very high affinity for mana, it would be a mistake to go for a pure combat class like the warrior class.
And inversely, if he or she had a very low, negligible affinity for mana, there was no point in picking a spell caster class like the mage class.
So in the end, even if players had the freedom to pick whatever class they want, they were still inevitably restricted by their own body and its limitations.
However, it was also not impossible to overcome these limitations. There were several methods one could use to fine-tune their body according to the class they dared to choose.
But these were few and far between and it was prudent for an average player to rely on these mysterious items.
Nodding at the instructor's explanation, Liam placed his hand on a smooth round crystal ball, similar to the one used by charlatans for fortune-telling.
Unlike others who treated this step far too casually, Liam's face showed traces of anxiety and nervousness.
The first time around, his body constitution was without a doubt pathetic. He had no mana affinity and so he had chosen to play the class swordsman.
But this time around, he had cleansed himself of impurities and tempered his body at least twice, that too once with a powerful elixir.
Players who had done this in his previous life were all able to get high mana affinity in their test results which was what Liam was hoping for as well.
But even if he did not get what he expected, he still knew enough things to achieve the results he ultimately aimed for.
And Liam's current aim was not the swordsman class even though he was most familiar with that class. Rather he aimed for the mage class.
This was because Liam knew something that the others did not yet know. In Evolution Online, classes were not set in stone. Some extraordinary players were able to perceive other related classes as well.
This inevitably led to the rise of hybrid classes such as combat mages, magic hunters, spear druids, and so on. There were also players who had unlocked hidden classes like dragon warriors.
So even though Liam's current plan was to register himself as a mage, he was confident that he would be able to become a magic swordsman on his own.
He had been a slave and lackey for almost the entirety of his past life, but he had never once accepted that fate. He had worked very hard, pouring his blood and sweat in order to break through that shackle.
And even if he failed in the end, the swordplay he practiced day and night, the close combat instincts he had honed through several life and death battles were still alive and raging within him.
He did not need the system's help in reviving those skills again. All he had to do was swing his sword and he was confident that he would be able to relearn everything on his own.
Mulling over his plans mentally, Liam awaited the results of the aptitude test when suddenly the crystal started glowing and a multitude of colors flashed on it.
Hmmm? Liam knitted his brows together, observing the behavior of the crystal. His face showed that he was seeing something that even he had not expected.
The middle-aged instructor standing next to him also had a look of shock on his face. Though the shock on the instructor's face was several times more dramatic than the one Liam had.
The crystal continued blinking with different colors for several seconds before it finally returned back to its blank white translucent resting state.
"Ah? This?" The instructor scratched his head, not knowing what to say to Liam, who as well stared unblinkingly at the crystal ball.
The both of them didn't have to wait for too long, as a white screen immediately flashed in front of them displaying the test results.
[Ding. Mana Affinity: S grade]
[Ding. Perceptivity: SSS grade]
[Ding. Nature Affinity: S grade]
[Ding. Demonic Affinity: S grade]
[Ding. Undead Affinity: SSS grade]
[Ding. Class Recommendation: N/A]
Liam's eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out of the socket. He knew that he was going to get good results, but what the hell was this???
Even the class recommendation came out as not available?
"Did I just break the system….?"