A while later, after Lexie confirmed that her health bar was full and there was no lasting damage, she got off the couch and peeked into the kitchen, where Aiden seemed to be brewing the most complicated tea imaginable.

  He had about six different mortars of ground herbs and he kept scooping a pinch here and a pinch there into the two different mugs of steaming water, swirling and then tasting the spoon.

  “What are you doing?” Lexie asked and he turned around.

  “Making us some Muan tea,” he said. “It’s your favorite. Sorry, it's taking so long, but it has to be made exactingly to turn out right.”

  “Oh.” She stepped in and sat at the farmhouse dining table slightly too big for the small space. “I thought you were just trying to delay the pre-awakened talk for as long as possible.”

  He smiled wryly. “That too.”

  “Is it that bad?” She asked. She was getting apprehensive with how everyone was acting like it was a terminal disease.

  She supposed she could check her welcome manual to know for sure what it was, but it would be a hassle to search through the pile of topics. Plus, for whatever reason, she wanted to hear it from Aiden. Despite being a villain, she trusted him more than the blue screen in her head. He seemed to care about her, or at least he cared about who he thought she was.

  “Not at all," Aiden said in response to her question. "A pre-awakening isn’t a bad thing. Most people regard it as a very good thing actually. It’s just that, for me it’s a sign that you’re growing up. And I just wish I could slow the hands of time on that, you know?”

  Lexie felt a pang of guilt and a strange yearning. He was saying these things to her because he thought she was his daughter. But she wasn’t. Not really. She had no idea where the real Lexie Sparrowfoot was–possibly back in her body on Earth 2–but Lexie felt like she was robbing the real Lexie Sparrowfoot of a relationship with her father, by taking her place.

  At the same time, Lexie herself kinda wished she had a dad who brewed her favorite tea for her and wanted her to not grow up. On the contrary her real dad, Dr. Eric Evans, didn’t so much as know what her favorite food was. He didn’t spend much time with her as a kid, and seemingly couldn’t wait for her to grow up and finally give him some return on his parental investment.

  Lexie swallowed those feelings and drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for him. When he was finally satisfied with the tea, he filled both flower-patterned cups and then brought them to the table.

  "You must like flowers a lot," Lexie commented as Aiden took his seat. He shot her a look that was halfway puzzled and halfway amused.

  "I don't. But you did."

  "I did?"

  "Yeah. You were obsessed with them when you were younger. It's why I had that painting in your room commissioned. Your mother told me you would most likely gain a botany class at some point. She would talk all about it in her messages."

  "Oh," Lexie didn't know what to say about that, but then another thing piqued her curiosity. "Where is she? My mother?"

  Aiden's face seemed to freeze, and a deep pain flashed in his gaze, as though she'd dealt him a mortal wound.

  "Sorry," she said instantly.

  "No, it's fine." He swallowed thickly, his voice deeper. "Um...she died. A few years ago."

  Sympathy settled in Lexie's chest, both for Aiden and for the other Lexie who lost her mother. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

  He waved his hand as though to brush away the ugliness and then took a sip of his tea.

  “Okay,” he said, in a tone that was forced to be brighter. “Now, to explain pre-awakening, I have to first tell you what awakening is.”

  Lexie nodded. She could tell he needed to change the subject right then and she was eager to find out what the big deal was about pre-awakening.

  “Every year, on a day dubbed System Day, every child who turned eleven in that year’s cycle gets given access to the full System Interface. There, they can observe their full stats window including their rank, class, mana affinity, physical attributes, role points and all that jazz. This is called an Awakening.”

  “So what I’m seeing now, on my system interface, is not the full stat window?”

  “It’s not. You’re a minor so you’re only given the basic information. On System day, you’re given an indepth look into your physical, mental and mana stats and you can choose a class and sometimes get assigned a rank. Your rank can be anywhere from S to C, with S being the highest. Of the ranked individuals, some go on to be system-selected for important roles like [Hero], [Mercenary], [Saintess], [Researcher] and a bunch of others.”

  “A role is like a specialist class? Like a job?”

  Aiden chewed on that. “Of sorts, I suppose. More than that, they’re positions that you must meet certain requirements to fill. So roles are only given through rigorous system testing, unless of course they’re pre-affixed. Since roles have such stringent prerequisites, not every ranked person is suitable for a role. In fact, most of the ranked individuals don’t get a role, only a class. Roles are typically seen as something of a higher prestige and more specificity.” He shrugged. “And not everyone gets a rank either. The ranks only go from S-C because nothing below a C is of adequate strength for the System to recognize. So if you don’t meet that minimum requirement, you’re automatically assumed to be unranked in that discipline. That simply means that you lack the building blocks required to develop ability in a relevant class.” At Lexie’s confused look, he continued. “For example, if you have no mana ranking, you can’t be a mage, with no physical ranking you can’t be a fighter, and with no mental ranking, you can’t be a scholar.”

  “Oh I see. So what if you lack all three?”

  “Then you’re a mundane.”

  Lexie flinched at the term. “Sounds kinda rude.”

  Aiden palmed his cup. “The name isn't ideal but unfortunately we don’t have a better word for it right now.”

  “I feel like ‘unranked’ would have worked just as well, but okay. And so what happens with these…mundanes?”

  He sighed. He seemed almost hesitant to convey the rest. “Well, in that case, your options are limited. Since you’re locked out of any ranked classes, you can only take on unranked ones, which are usually service-based. There are jobs that do take both ranked and unranked candidates, but usually most jobs show a preference for ranked people. It’s also easier to get promoted if you’re ranked.”

  “Oh.” That seemed brutal.

  “Yeah. It's a little more complex but that's the long and short of it. Once your rank is set on System Day, it cannot be changed, only leveled up. Like I hinted at before, one’s rank is decided using affinity and capacity in three measures: physical, mana, And mental. If you have at least one of those beyond the System threshold, then you will receive an S-C Rank in an associated field. A ranked physical score could render you a fighter or a builder of some sort. Ranked mana score usually means mage. Ranked mental score can mean scholar, or cleric, or an expert, or a tinkerer, meister, and the list goes on. There are a also a few combinations of rankings that give you interesting classes. For example, high physical and low mana rankers usually become weaponists. But underneath those broad categories, these are the most common ones.” He smiled at her. “Am I losing you sweetheart?”

  “Uh no, I think I’m good.” She blew out a breath. “So just to recap, three categories where you can get a rank is physical, mental and mana. And if you don’t get a ranking in at least one, then you’re mundane.”

  “Exactly?”

  “Can you get more than one ranking in a single category? Like if you were both an S-Rank Fighter and C-Rank Builder?”

  “No,” he shook his head. “Those are both physical classes and you would have one physical ranking. In that case, an S or a C. What you chose to do with that ranking is up to you. You could choose to be a fighter and then have a subclass as a builder. But it’s typically regarded as pointless to do something like that. You would have to work really really hard to do both and you still wouldn’t be as good at either.”

  Lexie nodded. “Got it.”

  “Yes. And unless you’re pre-affixed, you can choose which class you want, within reason. It also depends on your affinity. But also one thing I want to point out about being a mundane, because it’s important. If you don’t have a mental or physical ranking, that does not mean that you’re not intelligent or physically capable. It just means that…”

  "The system did not deem you worthy,” Lexie completed instantly seeing the system for what it was. Yet another tiered organization of society. You were either genetically gifted with physical attributes, intelligence, or mana, or you were less than.

  Then again, wasn’t that how the real world worked too? Kinda?

  Nah. At least the real world gave you the illusion of a shot.

  But Aiden shook his head. “It’s not a question of worth. It just means that the System did not deem you compatible with any of the ranked classes. Your physical, mental and mana makeup are just not compatible with it, that’s it. There are plenty of worthy classes that don’t require a ranking. Botanist, for example."

  Lexie nodded but she recognized the comforting words for what they were. Pretty lies. Aiden was like those parents that told you that it was okay if you weren’t number one, and that all that mattered was that you tried your best. Lexie’s parents had never been one of those. They had at least been honest with her. They had let her know that she had to be the best no matter what. It was perfection or nothing.

  “This is part of the reason why this is such a difficult conversation to have with a loved one,” Aiden sighed. “Especially when they’re as young as you.”

  “No it’s fine,” Lexie said and took a sip of the tea. It had a melting effect and tasted slightly sweet and cinnamony with a spicy kick. And there was a slight milkiness to it too, almost like a boba tea. All in all, it tasted very...homey. "This is really good.”

  “Thank you. I’ve been practicing.” He beamed.

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  “So what’s pre-awakening? Does it mean that I awakened earlier than others?”

  Aiden mulled it over before he explained. “Yes and no. A pre-awakening is not a full awakening but an acknowledgment from the system that the individual has manifested an exceptional talent or affinity in a particular discipline.”

  “So that means that I’m more likely to be ranked?”

  He nodded. “Yes, you’re pretty much guaranteed a ranking and it’s usually mana-related. As I said, it’s typically a thing of pride for most families. Only about 10% of ranked people ever experience pre-awakening and pre-awakened people often become more powerful over time. No one knows exactly what causes it but it’s said to have both genetic and environmental components. For example, if your parents are both S-ranked, with high mana capacities, then it’s more likely that their child will be pre-awakened, because they have good genetics. But there are also environmental factors like stress and sometimes it’s said that feats of extraordinary bravery can trigger a pre-awakening.” He winked at me over the mug as he sipped his tea. “Extraordinary bravery like saving one’s father from a Level 4 Ghoul.”

  Lexie avoided his eyes, looking down at her tea. She still didn’t think it was all that brave. It was just a video game. I was just playing a video game.

  But she couldn't deny that in that moment, she'd felt a real threat.

  “Usually it’s a combination of genetics and environmental factors,” he said. “Sometimes the top-ranked families intentionally put their children in stressful situations so they can pre-awaken.”

  “Stressful situations like what? Fighting a monster?”

  He nodded. “Sometimes.”

  Lexie gaped. “They would intentionally put their kids in danger just for them to be selected by the system?”

  “More or less. The children first undergo rigorous training with so-called ‘pre-awakening experts’ before they put them through this though and they’re monitored closely to make sure they don’t really get hurt.”

  “Still. That’s pretty insane.”

  Aiden smiled weakly. “Maybe, but to them it’s worth the status symbol.”

  “That’s horrible.” But Lexie was familiar with the type of parents who would do things like that. Parents who only saw their child as a reflection of themselves. They monitored their children’s movements closely, made their kids study every waking moment, just to be able to pass the PSAT. That was the closest reference Lexie had for a pre-awakening, and she assumed an awakening was like the actual SAT.

  Except no one had ever been gored by the PSAT before, she didn’t think.

  “There’s another aspect of pre-awakening that I think you should know about,” Aiden continued, while Lexie tackled the news and vision of running away from killer textbooks. “which is called pre-affixing. This is the tough part, and the part that makes a pre-awakening a death of childhood. Now, since you’re already pre-awakened, on System day, the system assigns a class and occasionally a role to a pre-awakened individual. This is called a pre-affixation."

  "Ok,” Lexie nodded. “Why would this be a negative thing?"

  He took a deep breath before continuing. "Because the system doesn't always pre-affix based on what the individual wants. It's largely due to their skill set but also due to a need in the system. So even if say, you wanted to be a mage, but the system decided the world needs more melee fighters, they would pre-affix you as one."

  "Oh." Now Lexie understood Aiden’s hesitation. Yeah, getting stuck with a class they didn’t want would certainly make anyone resentful. "And you don't have a choice? You can't change your pre-affixation?"

  Aiden tilted his head. “You can,” he said hesitantly, “But it’s difficult and the system discourages it. Some people get around it later by earning an additional class or a sub-class and building up on that instead, but for the most part, it's fixed."

  Lexie frowned as she suddenly realized that she did see something about pre-affixation in her welcome window. It said she'd been pre-affixed as a [CARD USER HERO].

  Shit. It had already happened for her. And she didn’t even know it.

  And what did her pre-affixation mean? She understood the [Hero] part as being a role, but what on earth was a card user?

  Before she could ask though, Aiden seemed to think her silence suggested troubled thoughts and rushed to reassure her.

  "It's not all bad, Lex," he said. "In those months before a pre-affixation, it's possible to nudge the system into a certain class that you want."

  "It is?"

  "To some extent. There are things you can do to earn points in whatever class or role you want, although the system really isn’t clear about what those things are. Like I said, it doesn’t encourage changing pre-affixation. But usually a tutor might be able to help you.” Aiden said. “Also the beauty of being pre awakened, is that you get a head start on that and your skill grows much faster. A tutor teaches you to exploit that, and the idea is to convince the system that you would be great in that class…but again, nothing is concrete. The system might decide it doesn't care about what you're good at if there is enough of a need somewhere else."

  Lexie's mind was spinning, her hands gripping her cup. So that meant that she more than likely couldn't change what the system had given her. She was a [Hero].

  Disappointment shot through her. There went her plan of being a [Researcher]. Unless she could somehow do both.

  But why had the System given her that? Did this world not have enough [Heroes]? Was it because she was from a different dimension? Furthermore, why had she gotten her pre-affixation so quickly, even before her pre-awakening?

  "And pre-affixation always happens after a pre-awakening?" she asked Aiden carefully. "Never before?"

  Aiden nodded firmly. "Yes. Typically pre-affixation happens for the pre-awakened on System day, although it can be delayed sometimes. And a pre-awakening usually happens around your age too, although I'd hoped you wouldn't be pre-awakened. It’s a terrible thing, I think, to decide a child’s future before they even know who they are. Normal affixation isn't even usually recommended until you're about to enter adulthood. And some people never affix."

  “Why wouldn't they?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose they don’t have a strong affinity towards any role or class. The disadvantage is that they never grow any skill to its full potential. The advantage is that they can use the skills they do obtain more fluidly and they’re not bound by the affixation. It’s the reason that I never affixed.”

  “Oh.”

  “Let’s stop here,” he said, putting his mug down. “We can continue the affixation talk in the morning after you’ve had a good night's sleep. There’s still so much to get into with the roles and classes and your eyes are starting to glaze over.”

  “They were?” Lexie thought. She wanted to hear more, but then maybe Aiden had a point. Her head was starting to hurt from all the information she was getting, and she had a feeling he hadn’t even scratched the surface.

  “Wait one more thing,” she said as Aiden stood. “What is a card user?"

  Aiden grabbed the cups from the table and took them to the sink. "Cards are a type of bound magic. So a card user would be a mage."

  "Could a mage also be a [Researcher]?"

  "Yes. A mage is simply a class, but it can aid a number of different [Roles]. [Researcher] is a role.”

  "And what Max said, was he right? If I wanted to travel to other planets or maybe across dimensions would [Researcher] be the best way to do that?”

  “There are a few ways you can achieve that goal.”

  “But becoming a [Researcher] is the easiest way?”

  He sighed and returned, sliding his hands onto her sides and lifting Lexie into his arms. Lexie felt a little awkward at being carried at her age, but this seemed normal for Aiden so she allowed it. Also, he smelled comforting, like cinnamon, nutmeg and pine.

  “I don’t want you to decide anything right now,” he said as they walked. “You’re still so young and being a [Researcher] can be a very difficult life. Lonely, with a lot of time spent holed up in a dark room studying algorithms endlessly day in and day out. Max was only seeing the monetary incentive and the fact that [Researchers] don’t have to face monsters every day, and I suppose to him that seems like a better deal. But not everything that seems better is.”

  Lexie considered his words, but as he reached her room, one thought remained.

  Studying endlessly does sound a lot like me. As depressing as it is, it might be the one thing I'm good at.

  Once she was laid in bed, with Aiden gone, Lexie took a deep breath and then called up the system window again.

  Her memory was right. The words blinked and she tried to figure out what to do now.

  Maybe I need to read up more on roles. Maybe there's more to the [Hero] Role than I understand.

  She went to the manual and looked for the information. Helpfully, she found a Roles tab and opened it up. Man there were a bunch of roles, even for politicians, military and other things. She would take her time to go through them later, but for now, she selected [Hero].

  The description was short and kind of what she expected.

  Yeah that all checked out. The perks were things like a high salary, fame, and fortune, guaranteed entrance and authority in every city of a district, but none of that excited Lexie.

  She clicked back to the Role column and then selected the [Researcher] Role.

  Lexie didn't continue reading past that because she immediately doubled back to that second point. It said that System Developers got unlimited travel credits.

  That was it. That was all she wanted. Her heart raced as she sat up. With those travel credits, she could go home.

  And that pretty much sealed the deal for her.

  Screw being a hero and bringing balance. That was not for her. She had to figure out a way to change her pre-affixation.

  Maybe, since my pre-affixation happened so early, there's still time to change it. Aiden said it was possible to nudge the system into a different direction. Maybe I can do that by studying more, or doing more research-y things. And he did say it was difficult to change a pre-affixation but not impossible. I should ask him tomorrow

  Maybe she was getting ahead of herself here. But if it was at all possible to study her way out of this mess, then she would do it. There was one good thing that her parents instilled in her, and it was the mindset that she could pretty much do or achieve anything she set her mind to. She could ace any test she wanted to, overcome every challenge as long as she put the work in, planned properly, and pushed her body to the brink, barely sleeping or eating until she achieved her goal.

  Perhaps, it wasn’t always the healthiest mindset to have but in this case it worked to give her the confidence she needed to continue. She reminded herself that she got into MIT, a school that only accepted a small percentage of people in the world. She could definitely change her affixation if she worked hard enough.

  Heck she defeated a ghoul today with minimal training and impressed Uncle Max, which she somehow knew was the even harder thing.

  He seemed to think she could become a [Researcher] and he didn’t feel like the kind of person to joke about something like that.

  So, she could definitely do it.

  But the question remained in her mind.

  How did I become pre-affixed before I pre-awakened? Was that what the ‘error’ on my stat screen was for? Does that mean that it was a mistake… and maybe it could be fixed by somehow influencing the system to make me a [Researcher] instead?

  There was likely no correlation between those two things, but Lexie didn’t want to give up on that thought thread. It gave her hope, and she struggled to hold onto all the hope she could afford.

  Lexie wanted to read more about [Research] but her eyes grew weary and she noted how tired she actually was. So instead, she reluctantly waved away the welcome screen and pulled up her inventory instead. Her phone floated in the air. It had somehow gone back to her inventory when she dropped it before the fight with the ghoul. She plucked it out of the air and went back to read through messages from her brother while trying to remain hopeful and not wallow in depression.

  I'll come back, Logan, she told him mentally. One way or another. I'll figure my way out of this mess. I promise.

  She fell asleep with his "Think fast, loser!" ringing in her head.