Chapter 3: Starting Class: Rogue

Kael's eyes flickered open to a familiar sight—a vast, cubic room bathed in an eerie white glow. No visible light sources, yet the space was perfectly illuminated. He knew this place. He had been here before.

Just like last time, the edges of the room rippled with strange distortions—fractures in space, like cracks in a fragile glass pane. Occasionally, patches of reality glitched and shimmered, as if struggling to maintain coherence.

At the center of the room stood a lone pedestal, floating weightlessly above the smooth, featureless floor. And atop it—a figure.

Faceless. Robed. Silent.

Kael narrowed his eyes. It's the overseer.

The being neither moved nor spoke, only stood there, an unmoving silhouette of mystery. Even now, after everything, Kael still couldn't discern a single feature beneath the dark hood.

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.

"..."

The silence stretched.

Kael exhaled through his nose. Fine. If you're not going to talk first, I will.

"Aren't you going to give me a rundown of what's happening?" he asked, voice laced with boredom.

At last, the entity moved.

"...Welcome, human."

Its voice didn't originate from any single direction—it came from everywhere, whispering from all angles at once, like echoes of thoughts that weren't his own.

Kael suppressed a shudder. Even the second time around, that was still creepy.

"I am the one in charge of your transition into the Tower."

Same words. Same monotone delivery. Kael listened, unimpressed.

"Your planet and universe have been selected by the System for participation in the Tower. Integration has been successfully completed. I am sure you are confused. Before we begin, do you have any questions?"

Kael tilted his head. Hah. Like hell I'm confused.

"None. Continue."

There was a pause.

The faceless entity did not respond immediately. It simply stood there, unmoving. If it had a face, Kael had no doubt it would be frowning at him right now.

Huh? That's new.

Then, in an almost imperceptible tilt of its hood, the overseer spoke.

"How… odd. This is the first time a human has displayed such a reaction."

Kael raised an eyebrow. So, even the System finds me weird?

The overseer tilted its head, as if scanning him.

"Most of those who are chosen exhibit confusion, fear, or panic. You, however, remain calm. You do not ask questions. This is… abnormal."

Kael smirked, rubbing his ear lazily. "Yeah, people always told me I was a weird kid. But whatever. Why don't you just get to the point already?"

Despite his nonchalant tone, Kael's mind was working fast. So, the System isn't aware I've reset? Good. If it suspected anything, it could've wiped me out or thrown me onto a higher floor immediately. But instead… it's just confused.

It was perfect.

"Very well," the overseer said. "Soon, you will be transported to the Tower's tutorial floor, where your fate will be decided. Before that, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the System that has been provided to you."

Kael blinked. "System?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

As expected, the moment the words left his mouth, a translucent blue panel materialized before him, hovering in midair.

—STATUS—

Name: Kael Shizer

Race: [Human (F) - Lvl 0]

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Health Points (HP): 60/50

Mana Points (MP): 50/50

Stamina: 50/50

Attributes

Strength: 7

Agility: 8

Endurance: 5

Vitality: 6

Fortitude: 6

Perception: 10

Willpower: 6

Intelligence: 5

Wisdom: 5

Attribute Points: 0

Titles:

N/A

—END STATUS—

Kael's expression darkened.

Seeing all his stats reset to such pitiful values felt like a gut punch. Gone was the power he had painstakingly built up in his past life. No more powerful titles. No more overwhelming strength.

Damn it. Even my titles? Do you know how hard I worked for those boosts?!

The only silver lining? Everything was exactly as it had been the first time.

It's like getting your save file deleted in your favorite game. But… this time, I know all the cheat codes.

He let out a slow breath. Resetting wasn't the end of the world. If anything, it was an opportunity. He knew what mistakes to avoid. He knew how to power-level efficiently. He knew what stats to prioritize.

A fresh start—this time, on his terms.

Kael's gaze flicked to the Race section. Just as he expected, a small prompt expanded to provide an explanation.

Human (F) – The foundation of humanity within the Tower, ranked among the lowest tiers. Common in newly initiated floors, humans are neither the strongest nor the fastest, yet they are among the most adaptable races in existence. Bonuses per level: +1 to all attributes, +1 free attribute point.

F-rank human, huh…

Kael sighed. Seeing that F next to his race still stung. He remembered how agonizingly slow it had been to evolve his race the first time. The grinding. The countless near-death experiences.

But at least now, he knew what he was in for.

His eyes drifted to the Class and Profession sections.

Classes were specialized roles, granting unique abilities, stat bonuses, and skills. Professions, on the other hand, were like side jobs—Blacksmith, Alchemist, Merchant—each offering their own benefits.

Right now, he wasn't too concerned with professions. What mattered was his Class.

Kael stretched, cracking his neck. "Woooow, this is like a game," he said, tone exaggerated. "How do I unlock a Class?"

The overseer remained unphased.

"...Before entering the tutorial floor, you are permitted to choose your class."

With a single motion of its robed hand, a new system panel materialized before Kael. This one had a scroll wheel.

[Please Select Your Starter Class]

Kael grinned. Now we're talking.