A screen flashes in front of Wyn, splitting into two halves. On the left, a list of class names glows softly in pale blue. On the right, a series of videos plays in quick succession, showing what each class can do. Thinking back to her first moments in Eden when she was first creating her avatar, this exact window played. She remembers the Armored Warrior, and various fascinating classes that played back then, and how it all vanished for the sole option of a Basic Mage.

  Just as it had during character creation, the system flickers through dozens of classes, names, and thumbnails flashing by in rapid succession. Slowly but surely, martial classes and other options unavailable to Wyn are stripped from the list. She watches as classes she might have chosen, had she not been locked into the path of a mage, blur past. And though she briefly pines for those lost possibilities, Wyn knows in her heart that her original choice suits her best and that, in time, it will allow her to do incredible things in Eden.

  Wyn cannot stop thinking about her newest quest, The First Branch. Whatever choice she makes now will shape the rest of her time in Eden. It will define her path as a Novice ranker and, in turn, influence her eventual class evolution at Apprentice Rank. Wyn has never cared about min-maxing stats or grinding purely for power. She fights on instinct and grit, learning to adapt within the chaos of battle. Still, she is not one to turn down the chance to grow stronger.

  The system prunes the options down to four class options. She selects the first option, and the split window populates with a description of the class and a video showcasing what the class can do.

  Class Evolution: Battle Mage — Uncommon

  Archetype: Combat

  You move beyond beginner spells and prove yourself skilled in battle. Battle Mages wield many types of essentia, switching tactics on the fly without specializing in any particular form of magic.

  The video begins.

  A narrow market lane stretches ahead, colorful stalls lining the street. Suddenly, a mage clad in thick leather robes charges forward, staff swinging wide. Flames burst from his palm, igniting barrels and scattering crates. People run screaming from the sudden attack as the mage careens through the crowd.

  He stumbles over loose stones but stays upright, sending a wave of essentia downward to keep his nose from bashing into the stone street. Floating parallel to the ground, his eyes find their target and a jagged spear of ice forms in mid-air. With a flick of his staff, the ice spear tears through the air. A guard steps into view, holding up a shield to block the icy attack, but it’s too little too late. The shield shatters into splinters, leaving the guard defenseless. Fear grips him, locking the man into place.

  Just as the mage begins casting another spell, the video fades away. Wyn feels a flicker of recognition while watching the video. This is the way she fights. The mage used every tool at his disposal, and while each individual attack wasn’t enough to dispose of a foe on its own, they were enough to keep him in the fight.

  However, the description of the class gives Wyn some pause. Mom always cautions Wyn against becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none,” and though she despises that adage, it holds some truth. While this class would leave Wyn with many options for the future, it’d also mean not specializing in any particular type of magic.

  She thinks of Tilly and Timnos. Both of them have specialized their approaches to combat. Tilly is an excellent healer, and Timnos’ blue flames are a force to be reckoned with. They have focused their abilities, and their skill in combat has benefited from that choice.

  Psai’s voice breaks the silence. “Controls fight pace with consistent damage output. Adaptable but not specialized.”

  “Practical, but not perfect,” Wyn says, nodding. Her fingers hover over the next option.

  Class Evolution: Beast Mage — Uncommon

  Archetype: Support

  You form bonds with beasts and conjure magic to empower them. Beast Mages focus on buffing companions and controlling summoned creatures instead of dealing direct damage.

  The video shifts to a rocky ridge, washed in soft dawn light. An elven mage kneels beside a massive wolf, its fur shimmering with a faint green glow. Below them, a group of orcs gathers, searching the area. The wolf looks to the mage, waiting for the command to attack. She shakes her head no and begins casting a buffing spell. The mage’s hands trace slow arcs, weaving sigils that pulse with quiet power.

  Muscles beneath the wolf’s glowing fur ripple and tense. It growls low, powerful, and at the mage’s command, charges into a group of enemies, teeth bared and claws raking earth and armor alike. The sound of ripping leather and screaming orcs, permeating the battlefield.

  The mage remains on the ridge, casting orbs that drift lazily downwards toward his wolf companion. These spheres shimmer, casting a soft healing light on the wolf, knitting torn flesh with silent threads of essentia. Another figure appears, fighting the orcs with a large broadsword. He gets hit hard by an orcish axe, leaving him tumbling to the ground.

  The mage snaps a sharp command. Obedient, the wolf halts mid-leap, turns to shield a wounded fighter, then springs back into battle.

  The video fades away as the healing orbs restore the mage’s ally, the glowing wolf the last sight before fading away.

  Wyn frowns. Froggy comes to mind. She likes Froggy, but fireballs feel more reliable than healing an exploding frog hellbent on creating chaos. Wyn wants the power to destroy enemies herself, not to rely on a beast companion to defeat her enemies for her.

  “Not my style,” Wyn says, selecting the third option.

  Class Evolution: Illusionist — Common

  Archetype: Control

  You gain bonuses to illusion spells, improving precision and lowering strain. Illusionists bend perception, disrupting enemies and shaping the battlefield.

  The video shows a narrow, dim alley under the pale light of a single lantern. A mage stands still, calm beneath the dim light, wearing a long trench coat and pointed hat. Wyn can’t help but chuckle at the scene. The only thing missing from this stereotypical film noir scene is the sound of a soft saxophone playing smooth jazz.

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  The woman’s eyes dart left, the flickering light igniting their rich purple hue. Three identical copies of herself slip from her form, flickering like candle flames caught in a draft. The four duplicate figures surround a small man carrying a wicked knife. The knife slashes wide in a warning strike, willing the duplicate mages to back off. At the wave of a hand, the first illusion feints left, collapsing in a burst of sparks. The second twists and falls, drawing out a hidden throwing knife that clatters harmlessly behind the illusionist. The third dances ahead, luring a pursuer into a narrow trap.

  Spotting an opening in the far wall, the small man dashes ahead only to find the opening to be little more than a clever illusion. His face smashes into hard stone, leaving him cornered with no way out. With a practiced swipe, the mage’s dagger finds a weak spot before he can react. Under the flickering light, the alley’s stones glisten, darkened by pooling blood as the video fades.

  Wyn blinks, unsettled. Her secondary class centers on illusions, yet the system remains vague about its true nature. Choosing Illusionist means embracing the mystery; broadening her illusory arsenal while simultaneously narrowing the paths that lie ahead.

  And the whole mage assassin vibe of that video just feels wrong. She wants spells that shape fights outright, not smoke and mirrors that might collapse mid-battle. Wyn already has an ability to cast powerful illusions, so why focus on a class that does something she’s already good at?

  Wyn moves on to the fourth and final option, hoping that it will spark her interest more than the last two options.

  Class Evolution: Rift Dancer — Uncommon

  Archetype: Combat

  You manipulate local space to reposition rapidly. Unlike traditional wizards, the Rift Dancer focuses on clever maneuvering in combat, using clever spells and rapid dashes to confuse and strike at their enemies from behind.

  The video switches to a narrow stone bridge stretching over a chasm. A Rift Dancer stands before a gathering of archers, led by a man in heavy armor. She runs forward, disappearing mid-step. The air shimmers, bending around her like heat above a fire. Arrows fly through the air, shattering the effect as they slam into the stone where she had stood only moments before.

  The woman appears behind the gathered foes and unleashes a wind spell, blasting half of them over the bridge’s edge and into the chasm below, while the rest crash to the ground. The armored leader charges forward, but his target vanishes just in time; reappearing above him to cast another spell. He narrowly dodges as a fireball explodes overhead.

  The archers cease fire, wary of striking their leader as he closes in on the mage. He swings his sword in a wide arc at the ever-teleporting target, but the blade never connects. She moves with fluid precision, weaving just beyond the blades reach. After a tense struggle, the rift dancer finally strikes, delivering a killing blow with a conjured dagger to the neck.

  The video fades, and Wyn’s breath catches. This suits her far better than anything else she’s seen so far. While weaker in terms of pure damage, this class trades magical strength for tactical positioning. It fits the way she likes to fight: clever and unpredictable.

  Psai notes, “High value for solo skirmishes and managing threats.”

  “Looks fun,” Wyn says, eyes glinting with excitement.

  Of the three options before her, the Rift Dancer is the obvious winner. She has some hesitation about it given its lack of damage compared to the others, but the ability to dodge around the battlefield can’t be beat. Above all else, it simply looks fun.

  Reaching out a finger, she goes to select the class, and the screen shimmers, a new option appearing framed in a soft golden light.

  Class Evolution: Apprentice Spellweaver — Rare

  Archetype: Hybrid

  Most mages follow fixed spell structures, casting spells and abilities according to their teachings, but this is not the path of the Spellweaver. Spellweavers reshape spells mid-cast, shifting form and effect dynamically to fit their needs, granting them the ability to craft their own spells to fit their needs. Be warned; this flexibility carries risk. Spellweavers, while carrying great potential, can learn forbidden or dangerous magic, harming the caster. Training is strongly recommended for any Spellweaver.

  The video is quieter, the scene more focused. A mage sits at a desk in a dark room lined with dozens of books. He holds a tiny firebolt in his palm as he traces his finger across lines of text in a book. With a soft word, the tiny bolt of flame shifts, extending out into a thin wire. The mage braids the flaming wire into a ring, then blows on it with a frost spell, hardening the flame into glowing stone.

  He grabs the material, muttering another command as the glowing stone snaps, elongating into a glowing spear. With a satisfied smirk, the mage closes the book and mutters a last command. The spear shatters into glowing motes before gathering into a crystal necklace around his neck.

  The video ends with no further explanation, leaving Wyn with lots of questions. Unlike all the other videos she’s seen, which focused entirely on combat, this class was simply a mage at work in his study, creating and manipulating spells.

  “Psai, what is the Hybrid archetype?”

  “Excellent question! Hybrid archetype classes are exceedingly rare and usually carry significant drawbacks. They combine aspects from different archetypes and allow the user to do more with their class.”

  “What is the Apprentice Spellweaver class a hybrid of?”

  Psai thinks for a moment before responding. “From my limited knowledge of the class system, the Spellweaver class is primarily a Utility class centered around crafting and manipulating spells, with aspects of Combat and Control mixed in.”

  Wyn considers the fourth option. Her heart doesn’t call out to it the way the Rift Dancer class does, but there’s something about it that tickles the back of her mind.

  Logically, the best class for Wyn is probably Rift Dancer or Battlemage; both would complement her strange secondary class and compensate for its lack of damage. Yet, the Apprentice Spellweaver feels fascinating in a different way.

  The potential is obvious and the class itself being called “apprentice” makes her think of the class evolution quest she recieved. If there is such thing as a Master Spellweaver class, then wouldn’t taking the aprentice version lead her down that path?

  As she thinks, she checks the description of the class evolution quest to see if that holds any answers for her.

  Quest: The First Branch

  Description:

  Your two classes resonate with one another in a way the system did not anticipate. Their interaction has produced a branching point; an early divergence in your path as a mage. Most players never encounter such a phenomenon this soon.

  This moment marks your first evolution. The form it takes now will shape the foundation of your magic, but it will not define the end. Eden recognizes patterns in your actions, decisions, alliances, and the forces you allow yourself to wield. These patterns will guide future evolution, though their criteria remain concealed.

  What begins here will shift and adapt over time. The system will not reveal the full list of what is possible, nor how each branch is reached. Only that the path ahead is flexible, reactive, and uniquely your own.

  Objectives:

  Examine the evolution prompt triggered by your rank up - 1/1

  Select the initial branch of your class evolution - 0/1

  Continue playing Eden to develop your Path - 0/1

  Reach Rank: Apprentice - 0/1

  Rewards:

  Varied

  Wyn swallows, doubt creeping through her. The voice in the back of her mind keeps pushing, circling the same concerns. She gets only one chance to make this choice, no re-dos. What if this is the wrong choice? What if there is a better path waiting just beyond her reach? What if this locks her into something she will regret?

  She lets the noise fade, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. Instinct takes over, quieting her doubts and stilling her mind. The Spellweaver class offers no promise of safety or ease, but it aligns with how she thinks. Built on control rather than brute force, relying on wits instead of raw power. If she wants to grow stronger in Eden while staying true to herself, this is the only path.

  Wyn breathes in, slow and measured. The selection prompt waits in front of her, hovering in anticipation.

  She closes her eyes and reaches out a finger, tapping the floating screen to make her selection.

  The system responds at once. Dozens of notifications ding and minimize one after the other. Despite the sudden chaos of sound, a quiet warmth settles in.

  Wyn smiles, small and real.

  Whatever Eden throws at her next, she will meet it as a Spellweaver.