Two months passed without any incident. Lev killed troll warriors for the most part, keeping his distance to weaken them before fighting in melee range. Day after day of slaughter, all of his skills had finally hit the cap of 2nd rank.

  "I only now remembered to ask this but what is the relationship between you and Diana?" Lev asked, looking at Orianna.

  He, Orianna, Sherron, and Alec were having a picnic in a corner of the pit grassland. It was a joyous occasion, for Lev was about to evolve soon.

  "She was like my caretaker—one of the younger Masters on the ship who looked after the children. Our parents… were always busy fighting or something else. So, even now we treat her the same we did back then."

  The smile on her face told Lev more than the words ever could. He could feel how happy she was to still have Diana amongst them, to hear her voice and see her face after having lost so many in the past centuries.

  Lev changed the topic. "You said there are many things I need to know before evolving?"

  His mentor answered. "Not many, but a few. The first is reduced fertility."

  "…Fertility? Like the capability to bear offspring?"

  "Yes," Alec nodded, "Mana empowers humans beyond their natural capabilities at the first evolution, which reduces fertility greatly. It is the same for every evolution, so if you have any plans to start a family and settle down, keep this in mind."

  "I see why you waited to tell me this, but no I don't," Lev shook his head. "Monarch is not gonna get safer anytime soon. I refuse to become a father in this hell."

  Orianna looked especially displeased at that. Lev wondered why. It was not like he had any desire to be a parent anyway. Being orphaned twice, he wanted to protect as many kids as he could in different ways. It was a more noble goal to him.

  "The second thing is more General Skill slots. You would get 3 or maybe 4, though the chances of 4 are low. Have you decided what you want for them?"

  "Yep, Mana Slash and Enchanting."

  Alec nodded at that. "Just make sure to get all the enchanting skills first."

  "Right. What else?"

  "I'm assuming you are aware of people bringing back knowledge?"

  "I have my questions prepared," Lev simply stated, which was enough for his mentor.

  "Lastly, there will be multiple options. Do not disregard any of them. Many classes start weak but become much stronger at Master rank. There will be no more choice after this evolution. Only a single possible evolution at Master and beyond."

  "Just keep the lightning," Sherron added with a small smile. "I'll be able to brag later about how I shaped your talents."

  Lev chuckled and looked at Orianna.

  She shrugged. "Don't forget about fire either, I guess. It is useful."

  "I am not giving up on any element, don't worry."

  Lastly, he looked at Alec.

  His mentor smiled. "Just choose whatever you desire. None of us will hold it against you even if you decide to become a crafter."

  "No way," Lev snorted. "The fight with the Brute was more than enough to give me a taste of what was to come. Just evolving would be enough for me to easily deal with it. I simply can't give up this path now."

  "Don't chase power," Orianna commented with a small frown.

  "Oh but I love to chase power," Lev replied with a smirk. Sherron snickered a little as his mentor shook his head.

  Orianna sighed. "Fine, go be the overlord or whatever you have planned."

  Lev physically recoiled. "Hell no. That sounds like a terribly busy occupation. I will be the wandering guardian or something."

  "That has to be the most you thing you've ever said," Sherron quipped.

  "What is that supposed to mean," Lev asked, only to be met with a toothy smile.

  "No last-minute tips?" Lev looked at all of them.

  "This isn't a date," Sherron rolled her eyes. "Just be done with it. The whole thing takes like one minute."

  Lev waited for more and brought up his notifications when nothing came.

  [

  You have qualified for an Evolution. Initiate?

  It is recommended to do this in a safe place and outside of combat.

  ]

  The notification had been sitting with him since a few days after the wave. Turns out the qualifications were pretty lax.

  Initiate.

  Lev forgot to lie down, his body slumping the moment he thought of starting the evolution as the world went dark.

  ****

  This is interesting.

  Lev looked around at the dark space he had found himself in. It was empty, like deep inside space without any stars. He didn't have a body, just his consciousness in the endless expanse.

  Yet it was so incredibly homely.

  I do not think it would be far-fetched to assume that this is inside my soul.

  // WELCOME CLASSER.

  // YOU HAVE QUALIFIED FOR AN EVOLUTION.

  // TIME IS NO MATTER IN THIS SUB-SPACE. PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONS WITH LEISURE.

  "Uh, Hi. Are you the System directly talking to me?"

  // CORRECT.

  Holy Shit. Nobody prepared me to talk with a godlike entity.

  "… Is it alright for me to ask questions?"

  Lev had planned to do so anyway but it wouldn't hurt to be polite.

  // YOU MAY.

  // YOUR MEMORIES OF THIS PLACE AND CONVERSATION WILL BE WIPED AFTER THE EVOLUTION IS DONE.

  // PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.

  "I see. Can I ask why we aren't allowed to keep your memories?"

  No answer.

  Not unexpected, I guess.

  "My first question is, can I keep some form of hints or impressions for useful things I learn here?"

  // YOU MAY.

  // BEAR IN MIND THAT THE HINTS WILL BE VERY LIMITED.

  // YOU MAY CARRY ONLY TWO HINTS AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT QUESTION THEY BELONG TO.

  Lev fell into thought after that. His excitement at talking to The System took a back seat as he considered the questions to ask.

  I mean, my questions remain the same. I also only had two, to begin with. Guess I'll go ahead with those.

  "My first question is, How do I help humanity as a whole?"

  // BY GETTING STRONGER BUT YOU SEEM TO BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

  // THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE SYSTEM GAVE HINTS TO SIMILAR QUESTIONS BUT THEY ALWAYS ENDED IN A GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

  // THE REASON YOU ARE BEING MADE AWARE OF THIS IS THAT YOUR AMBITIONS REMAIN UNTAINTED BY THE GREED FOR POWER OVER OTHERS.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  // SO FAR.

  // KNOW THAT CHANGING YOUR WAYS WILL RESULT IN BEING BARRED FROM ANY FUTURE ASSISTANCE FROM THE SYSTEM.

  The System gave him time to consider the words that Lev was grateful for.

  My suspicions keep proving correct. The System looks out for all sentient beings equally but disapproves of power-hungry races. Humans easily qualify for that.

  There was not much to consider. Lev couldn't see himself wanting to rule the masses or waging wars regardless of how much power he amassed. At worst, he would act on his own to remove some criminals or the like which shouldn't be against the motives of The System.

  "Go on," Lev asked, voice low and carefully far from commanding.

  // VERY WELL.

  // THE OTHER REASON IS YOUR HIGH POTENTIAL FOR A HUMAN. YOUR TITLES SPEAK TO YOUR CAPABILITIES.

  // THE WAY TO HELP HUMANITY IS BY UNLOCKING A SECOND CLASS FOR YOUR SPECIES.

  "WHAT!?"

  Lev immediately regretted the outburst. No hell descended thankfully.

  "Second Class? How is that even possible?"

  // NOT IN THE WAY YOU ARE THINKING.

  // A SECOND CLASS WOULD BE UNLOCKED BY SACRIFICING A LARGE PORTION OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE FIRST CLASS.

  // ATTRIBUTES WILL BE LESS EFFECTIVE, SKILLS WILL BE WEAKER, AND CLASS BENEFITS WILL BE LESS POTENT.

  // THE OUTCOME WILL BE MUCH HIGHER AVERAGE STRENGTH OF YOUR SPECIES BUT IT WILL BE FAR FROM HAVING TWO CLASSES OF THE SAME STRENGTH AS THE ONE THEY CURRENTLY DO.

  // NEXT GENERATIONS WILL HAVE LESS SKILLS PER CLASS AS WELL. SO WILL THE NEW SECOND CLASS FOR THE CURRENT GENERATIONS.

  "Wait, wait. So the current humans will have an even weaker second class than the future generations?"

  The idea was still mind-boggling to Lev but The System spoke with such certainty that he couldn't help but believe it. Not that he had any reason not to.

  // CORRECT.

  // THE SYSTEM ESTIMATES THAT THE CURRENT GENERATIONS WILL GET FOUR SKILLS FROM A SECOND CLASS. THE CLASS BENEFITS WILL ONLY BE HALF AS STRONG AT THE START.

  // FOR THE LATER GENERATIONS, BOTH CLASSES WILL HAVE SIX SKILLS PER CLASS AND ONLY SLIGHTLY WEAKER BENEFITS.

  Lev's excitement spiked as a thought crossed his mind but the System shot it down instantly.

  // ONLY ONE CLASS MAY AFFECT THE MANA POOL THROUGH BENEFITS.

  "… What about a second Wisdom Boost?"

  // POSSIBLE BUT HIGHLY UNLIKELY. YOUR SOUL IS FAR FROM POTENT ENOUGH TO HANDLE IT AS IT IS.

  Well, that sounds like a worthy goal. Strengthen my soul to its limits.

  "What do I need to do to make this happen?" Lev asked, determined to see it through no matter what.

  // BECOME AN ASCENDED.

  "Ascended?"

  // IT IS THE UNIVERSAL TERM FOR BEINGS WHO EVOLVE BEYOND THE THIRD THRESHOLD.

  // BEYOND LEVEL 1000.

  "That was already my plan. Nothing else?"

  // NORMALLY, THE SYSTEM WOULD REQUIRE MORE DATA THAN JUST A SINGLE ASCENDED.

  // HUMANITY'S CASE IS AN EXCEPTION. THE SURVIVORS OF THE SOUL NEXUS, OR MONARCH AS YOUR KIND CALLS THE PLANET, ARE THE LAST REMAINING HUMANS.

  // IT WAS DEEMED NECESSARY TO FORCE MEASURES TO ENSURE THEIR SURVIVAL.

  Lev's heart sank as the words digested. The refugees that came to Monarch were the smallest in number, only one of many ships.

  Nobody else survived?

  He allowed himself a few minutes of silence. That was a loss greater than anyone expected. Even Lev was holding out hope that there would be humans out there, overjoyed to see the survivors of Monarch eventually return to reclaim the Empyrean lands.

  Now he knew better.

  The news only stroked the fire in his heart more. He would do everything in his power to ensure that the refugees didn't meet the same fate.

  "Thank you for telling me this, even if I will forget about it."

  The System didn't acknowledge his gratefulness. Lev didn't mind.

  "My second question is, How do we keep surviving on Monarch?"

  Lev was pretty hopeful about their chances. The Exalted could even deal with weaker fourth-threshold monsters when teaming up. Surely survival was not a foregone prospect.

  // YOU MIGHT, BUT HUMANITY CANNOT.

  Just like that, The System dropped another bomb.

  "Why…" Lev asked in a whisper, on the verge of tears. He had one goal, and even The System deemed it impossible.

  // MONARCH IS FAR BEYOND THE LIKES OF HUMANITY TO THRIVE ON.

  // THE CONTINENT YOUR KIND LIVES ON IS ONE OF THE LOWEST MANA DENSITY REGIONS ON THE PLANET.

  // THIRD AND FOURTH THRESHOLD MONSTERS ARE AS COMMON AS GOBLINS AND ORCS ON OTHER CONTINENTS.

  // THE SEAS ARE HOME TO BEINGS THAT CAN EASILY EVISCERATE THE CONTINENT ON A WHIM, AND SO ARE THE HIGHEST PEAKS.

  // THERE ARE MUCH SAFER PLACES AWAY FROM MONARCH.

  There are much safer places away from Monarch… Lev repeated in his head. He took deep, steadying breaths and blinked back tears, uncaring that there were no tears in reality, just the mental effect.

  It was not completely hopeless.

  His element, barriers, was only going to shine whenever humanity was ready to leave Monarch, so he still only had to get strong enough to make that a reality. He had seen what the Exalted could do. It would only get more ridiculous for someone an entire evolution beyond that.

  He just had to get there.

  "Show me the evolution options."

  The System did just that, condensing four bright stars of different colors out of nowhere in front of him. Each was as big as his fist, brimming with unrealized potential.

  Four of them. Good start at least.

  Lev put the morbid conversation behind him to focus fully on the evolutions. It somewhat helped that he could do absolutely nothing for humanity as he was right now, so the only path was forward.

  The path forward was right in front of him.

  Lev instinctively knew how the process worked. Just like when he had gotten a class, there were no descriptions, only impressions.

  He started from what felt the weakest to him, which was not weak at all. The first option, represented by a silvery-white star, radiated a palpable sense of physical strength and extreme sharpness.

  Lev peered deeper, finding himself in a robust barrier armor with two glaives in his hands. They both far eclipsed Stargazer, able to cut apart any first-threshold monsters apart with ease.

  His armor moved at speeds that would put most warriors to shame, slashing and cutting apart entire waves of monsters with his deep reserves of mana.

  Lev pulled back, decoding what he had learned. The class was fully focused on physical strength, even if it came from his mind. It probably lost the Mana Capacity and Regen bonuses in exchange for something else but the class was still extremely strong.

  He wouldn't pick it, but the "Cool factor" alone made it a pretty good choice.

  The second option was a… crafter class. His mentor had somehow predicted this option in advance.

  The star was shifting in color, representing a myriad of elements that could be used in barrier crafting. The main draw of the option was a much deeper mana pool than the previous option, as well as permanent barriers at Adept rank.

  Perception also received a tremendous boost, which seemed to be the norm in crafting. Precision was the name of the game, after all.

  Lev allowed himself a few moments of crafting fantasies before moving on, to the second last option.

  The second last star was… intense. Lev tried to swallow at how potent it felt, though the motion obviously failed. There was no physical body.

  It was pale blue, faithfully representing pure mana. Lev prepared himself and dove deeper into the class.

  Mana. There was so much mana packed into the class that Lev just took it in for a few seconds, jaw metaphorically hanging. There was barely a start and end to it.

  Shaking himself out of the reverie, Lev eagerly looked at the rest of the class. His barrier armor underwent a qualitative change, now possessing some sort of armor enhancement active. The disks were, unfortunately, no longer a part of the equation as his class fortified all physical combat while making his barriers even more resilient.

  The focus on different mana types was even more prominent, now a crucial part of all melee fighting. Lightning imbued Stargazer as Lev's punches released shockwaves of fire, decimating everything in his path.

  Lances of fire, lightning, earth, wind, and water hovered behind him, ready to be shot at a moment's notice. His barriers also lasted way longer than the current 30 minutes, though they were not permanent.

  Lev shakily pulled back. There was no mention of Enchanting or Crafting but that was fine. They weren't supposed to be relevant before Master anyway.

  The class was incredible. It was an incredibly potent mix of mage and warrior, both paths as strong as a full class. It was an ideal class, something Lev wouldn't hesitate to pick.

  If only the last option wasn't calling to him like no other option did.

  Lev hesitantly pulled his eyes away from the pale blue star and gazed upon the majestic bright blue pulsing with restrained mana.

  This was a mage class.

  "… System. Why am I feeling a weird attraction to this class?"

  // IT IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURANCE.

  // YOUR CURRENT CLASS RESONATES WITH IT THE MOST, THOUGH ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS OPTION.

  // FATE ALSO PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS. THE RESONANCE INDICATES SOME GRAND EVENT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WITH THIS CLASS.

  // KEEP IN MIND 'GRAND' DEPENDS ON YOUR OWN PERCEPTION OF THE IDEA.

  What does that say about me who wants to go past the limits of the System?

  Lev didn't know but it at least sounded like quite the adventure. There was also something about Fate sounding like a very real, tangible thing but Lev ignored that. He would forget about it anyway.

  Shrugging those thoughts away, Lev peered into the bright blue ball of raw power.

  The first impression, like the previous option, was a fuck ton of mana. It outshone even the last option, with so much mana that Lev didn't know how to even use.

  The second thing that stood out was the little physical capability. The barrier armor was just a linear upgrade to his current armor, simply more resilient.

  That was where the downsides ended.

  The rest of the class was like a vast chasm of destructive potential. His active disk skills would transform into projectile enhancement skills, with his passive skills further empowering them to the extreme.

  Lev could see himself flying freely with a dozen projectiles ready to be shot at unsuspecting distant enemies. His perception let him see much further than before as his projectiles thrummed with the prodigious amount of imbued mana.

  The main focus of the class was bombardment from afar, like Sherron's class except with more elements.

  While the class flatly sucked in physical power compared to the previous option, it was vastly superior in terms of mage prowess.

  It was a tradeoff, and Lev was inclined to take it.

  He had already realized that, while enjoyable, melee combat wasn't something he excelled at. Mana followed his whims with extreme ease that he was starting to realize might not be normal, while his physical body just… didn't. It was much harder to use Stargazer than he had first anticipated, and glaives being a difficult weapon to use didn't help either.

  The previous option would surely help with that, but that would undermine his unnatural talent at Mana Manipulation.

  Not to mention that it was simply more fun. He loved the feeling of manipulating large amounts of mana.

  The System had taken the first two options away at some point. Lev didn't mind because the last two were the clear winners.

  He gazed at the pale blue hybrid class for a long few seconds before sighing in regret. He would've chosen it in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the last class.

  Lev stretched out his hand and grabbed the bright blue star in his right palm. It shivered for a moment before dissolving into his skin.

  I hope I made the right choice… Lev thought as unconsciousness claimed him, oblivious to the 'grand' event right around the corner.