Chapter 1: Awakening in Another World
Kaito Sakuragi opened his eyes to a blindingly white light. For a second, he thought he was still in the office break room, trapped under the flickering fluorescent lights. Then came the voice a calm, omnipresent voice that echoed in his mind.
"Welcome, Kaito Sakuragi. You have passed from your previous life. A new destiny awaits you."
Kaito blinked. Wait… destiny? Did I just die?
Before he could process, a menu-like interface appeared in front of him, floating midair:
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Class Assigned: Apprentice Sage
Skills Available: 0
Magic Affinity: Average
Kaito squinted. "Sage…? Sounds weak. Like, really weak."
Another prompt appeared:
[SYSTEM ANOMALY DETECTED]
Secondary Class Selection Available: Yes
Kaito's heart skipped a beat. Secondary class? This… this isn't normal, is it?
He skimmed the list: Knight, Archer, Thief… Battle Strategist…
Kaito grinned. "If I'm stuck being a weak sage, I might as well make it OP."
Secondary Class Selected: Battle Strategist
Immediately, the world seemed to click into place. Threads of magical energy, invisible before, now flowed around him like rivers of light. Calculations, probabilities, enemy weak points all came into perfect focus.
"Okay… this is insane." Kaito muttered. His new dual-class system allowed him to combine raw magical power with tactical genius.
A small orb of fire appeared in his hand. Tentatively, he tossed it. The fireball hovered midair, perfectly stable, before expanding to engulf a nearby boulder. When the dust cleared, the boulder had been reduced to glowing embers.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook violently. A hulking figure, covered in moss and jagged stones, rose from the forest edge. A Forest Golem, Level 3.
Most adventurers would panic. Most would flee.
Kaito smiled. "Alright… let's test this out."
He raised a hand, calculating probabilities in his mind. The golem had a 67% chance of countering a direct attack and a 33% chance of succumbing immediately to a fire spell. Using his dual-class synergy, he cast:
Meteoric Arcane Strike: Fireball + Tactical Amplification
The fireball expanded into a swirling inferno, shaped perfectly to trap the golem without harming the nearby trees. In less than three seconds, the golem collapsed in a heap of smoldering stone.
Kaito dusted his hands off. "Hmm… that was easy."
From the forest, a small creature peeked out: a fox-like being, about the size of a cat, with sparkling blue eyes. It stared at him curiously.
Another familiar, huh? Could be useful.
Kaito knelt and extended a hand. "Don't worry, little guy. You're safe."
The creature jumped into his arms, purring or at least, making a purring noise. Perfect. My first companion.
As he stood, the sun set over the horizon of Arvandor, painting the sky in golds and purples. The voice returned.
"Adventurer Kaito, your journey begins now. Many will challenge you… many will fear you… but only you hold the power of dual-class mastery."
Kaito smirked. "Bring it on, world. Let's see who can actually keep up."
And so, Kaito Sakuragi, Apprentice Sage / Battle Strategist, began his life in a world far stranger and far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.