The first goblin appeared at the stream's edge exactly when Jonah predicted.

  Small, green-skinned, hunched over the water with its stone axe discarded on the bank. Completely exposed. The creature cupped water to its mouth with clawed hands, yellow eyes half-closed in something approaching contentment.

  Perfect.

  Jonah raised his fist, the signal to hold. His team froze—Martinez and Sarah with spears raised, John gripping his shield, the others tense behind them. Good discipline for civilians thrust into combat.

  He studied the goblin for three seconds. Alone. No pack nearby, based on the lack of additional movement in the tree line. Drinking pattern suggested it felt safe, which meant no backup within immediate calling distance.

  "Martinez," Jonah whispered. "Throat shot. You miss, Sarah follows up."

  The former Marine nodded and shifted his weight, spear drawing back with practiced economy of motion. The throw launched smooth and fast.

  The spear took the goblin through the neck before it registered danger. It gurgled, clawed at the shaft, and collapsed sideways into the stream. Water turned pink, then red.

  A blue screen materialized in front of Martinez.

  [Goblin Defeated]

  [Experience Gained: 10]

  The man stared at the notification, face pale.

  "First kill?" Jonah asked.

  "First... like this." Martinez's knuckles were white on his backup weapon. "Combat is different when they're shooting back from a distance. This is..."

  "Close and personal. Real." Jonah moved past him toward the corpse. "Gets easier. It doesn't get better, but it gets easier."

  He waded into the stream, retrieved Martinez's spear, and checked the goblin for anything useful. Nothing. Tutorial goblins didn't carry loot, just served as experience fodder for new climbers. He returned to the bank.

  "Everyone saw the notification?" Heads nodded.

  "Good. That's how the System tracks progression. Ten experience per goblin at this level. You need one hundred for class unlock. Ten kills each. We're going to farm them methodically."

  "Farm them." Rebecca's voice was faint. "You're talking about killing them like... like it's agriculture."

  "It is." Jonah scanned the tree line. "Goblins respawn every fifteen minutes in tutorial zones. Infinite resource. We rotate kills, ensure everyone hits the threshold, and unlock classes together. No one gets left behind."

  "That's..." David started, then stopped. "That's actually smart."

  "Smart keeps you alive, but its not always enough." Jonah gestured at the stream. "This is a chokepoint. They come here to drink. We set up proper positioning, control engagement, and methodically kill them until we're all System-integrated. Sarah, Liam—drag that corpse into the bushes. They're stupid, but dead bodies make them cautious."

  The two moved to comply, Sarah handling the task with surprising efficiency. Liam looked ready to vomit but forced himself through it.

  Good. The kid needed to acclimate to death early.

  "Positions," Jonah directed. "Martinez, John, Sarah—spear line at the bank, ten meters back. Liam, David, Rebecca—you're reserve and backup kills. I'll call rotations so everyone gets equal experience."

  They assembled with minimal fumbling. Not professional, but functional.

  The second goblin arrived eight minutes later. Cautious, sniffing the air. It spotted the blood in the stream and tensed.

  "John," Jonah called softly. "It's going to bolt. Wait until it commits to running, then throw."

  The goblin's eyes tracked the bloodstain. Its muscles coiled.

  It ran.

  John's spear flew awkward but effective, catching the creature in the lower back. It squealed and went down thrashing. Liam finished it with a sword thrust that nearly missed, but the blade found ribs, and the goblin's struggles ceased.

  [Goblin Defeated]

  [Experience Gained: 10]

  Two notifications: one for John, one for Liam. The System credited assists.

  "Liam, your grip is wrong." Jonah demonstrated proper sword hold without getting close enough to touch. "Thumb along the back of the handle, not wrapped around. Gives you better control for thrusts."

  The kid adjusted, nodded.

  They fell into rhythm.

  Goblin three went to Rebecca—Sarah wounded it with a spear, Rebecca finished it with shaking hands and a sword thrust that took three attempts. She vomited afterward but kept her weapon ready.

  Goblin four was David's. A clean spear throw that Martinez guided him through. The man's hands stopped shaking after the kill registered.

  Five was Sarah's solo. She took it down with brutal efficiency, spear through the eye socket, dead before it hit the ground.

  "Prior training?" Jonah asked.

  "Krav Maga. Three years." She wiped blood off the spearhead with grass. "My instructor said close combat was about committed violence, not technique."

  "Your instructor was right."

  They continued. Goblins arrived in ones and twos, drawn by the water source, dying to controlled ambush. The team's coordination improved with each engagement: fewer fumbles, better timing. Martinez started calling secondary targets without prompting. Sarah and John developed wordless communication for spear coverage.

  Liam's sword work remained sloppy but determined. The kid had natural aggression that just needed refinement. Each kill came faster than the last.

  Jonah rotated everyone through, ensuring equal distribution. He took two kills himself when the rotation demanded it—quick, efficient executions that demonstrated proper technique. The sword felt foreign in hands that remembered staff work and spell-slinging, but his body was adapting to the muscle memory he'd forced into it yesterday.

  By the fourteenth goblin, Rebecca had stopped vomiting. By the twentieth, David's throws matched Martinez's for accuracy. By the thirtieth, even Liam's grip had improved.

  "Last rotation," Jonah announced. "Everyone should be close. David, you're at ninety experience?"

  "Yeah." The man checked his System interface with practiced ease now. "One more."

  The next goblin wandered into the kill zone. David's spear found its throat.

  [Experience Threshold Reached: 100]

  [Class Selection Available]

  Blue screens materialized across the group as the others ticked over their thresholds within the next few kills. Excited voices overlapped.

  "I can pick a class!"

  "There's options, multiple—"

  "Holy shit, look at this one—"

  "Everyone stop." Jonah's command cut through the noise. "Do not select anything yet, not until I review your options."

  "Why?" Sarah's tone carried challenge. "These are our choices."

  "Because the System offers traps disguised as power. High-tier classes that plateau early and powerful options that create weaknesses. I need to see what you unlocked before you commit to a path you can't change."

  "And why should we trust your judgment?"

  "Because I know where every path leads. Show me your screens. I'll explain the problems. Then you make informed choices instead of blind ones." What he said wasn't quite the truth but it was close enough.

  Martinez spoke up. "Let him look. He's been right about everything else."

  The others hesitated, then started sharing their System notifications. Jonah moved through them quickly, cataloging options and preparing arguments against the obvious mistakes.

  But first, his own.

  He pulled up his interface with a mental command that felt like flexing a muscle he'd possessed forever. The blue screen materialized, sharp and clear.

  [Experience Threshold Reached: 100]

  [Class Selection Available]

  [Skills Unlocked – Review Before Selection]

  The skill list appeared first, and Jonah's breath caught.

  [Skills Unlocked]:

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  [Mana Sense] – Rank: Basic

  [Mana Circulation] – Rank: Intermediate

  [Mana Manipulation] – Rank: Intermediate

  [Combat Meditation] – Rank: Basic

  [Footwork: Evasive] – Rank: Novice

  [Footwork: Aggressive] – Rank: Novice

  [Strike Pattern: Basic Thrust] – Rank: Novice

  [Strike Pattern: Basic Guard] – Rank: Novice

  [Defensive Positioning] – Rank: Novice

  [Tactical Assessment] – Rank: Intermediate

  [Leadership: Small Unit] – Rank: Basic

  [Sword: Short Blade] – Rank: Novice

  [Knowledge: Monster Ecology] – Rank: Advanced

  [Knowledge: System Mechanics] – Rank: Expert

  Fourteen skills. Most people unlocked three, maybe four, before class selection. Jonah had forced his body through every pattern he could remember, meditated on mana structures that didn't exist yet, and led a team with authority that came from knowledge instead of charisma.

  The System had noticed.

  More notifications cascaded.

  [Achievement Unlocked: Prepared Mind]

  Unlock 10+ skills before Class Selection

  Reward: +2 to all mental attributes, Skill Acquisition Rate +15%

  [Achievement Unlocked: Tutorial Prodigy]

  Unlock Expert-rank knowledge skill during Tutorial Phase

  Reward: +5% Experience Gain (Permanent), Skill Rank Progression +10%

  [Achievement Unlocked: Unorthodox Foundation]

  Unlock combat and magic skills simultaneously before Class Selection

  Reward: Hybrid Class Options Unlocked, Attribute Flexibility +1

  [Trait Gained: Regressor's Instinct]

  Your knowledge extends beyond normal bounds

  Effect: Pattern Recognition +25%, Danger Sense (Passive), Knowledge Skills rank faster

  The trait made him pause. The System had detected something. Not the full truth of his regression, but enough to grant recognition. Regressor's Instinct. Appropriate, if unsettling.

  But the achievements were what mattered. Permanent bonuses that would compound across levels—the kind of foundation other climbers would kill for.

  He dismissed the notifications and pulled up class options.

  [Available Classes]:

  [Mage] – Tier 1

  Specialization: Elemental magic, ranged combat

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Wisdom

  Growth: High magic power, low physical capability

  [Battle Mage] – Tier 1

  Specialization: Combat magic, medium-range engagement

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution

  Growth: Balanced magic and durability

  [Spellsword] – Tier 1

  Specialization: Blade and magic integration

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Dexterity

  Growth: Hybrid combat, versatile engagement

  [Arcane Scholar] – Tier 2

  Specialization: Advanced magical theory, spell customization

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Wisdom

  Growth: Extreme magic potential, minimal physical capability

  [War Mage] – Tier 2

  Specialization: Military magic, tactical casting

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution

  Growth: Group support, area control, moderate durability

  [Mystic Duelist] – Tier 2

  Specialization: Close-combat magic, enhancement techniques

  Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Dexterity, Constitution

  Growth: Melee/magic fusion, sustained engagement

  The Tier 2 options glowed brighter—higher starting power, better immediate benefits. Arcane Scholar called to him with the same siren song it had the first time—his original class, the foundation that had carried him to ninth-tier spells and made him humanity's greatest mage.

  Also, the class that had gotten him killed.

  Extreme magic potential, minimal physical capability. The words mocked him. He'd pushed Arcane Scholar to its limits, maximized every attribute point for intelligence and wisdom, and sacrificed everything for spell power.

  Then the WyrmKin had closed distance, and his massive mana pool had meant nothing with claws through his chest.

  Jonah studied the other options with critical analysis.

  Battle Mage offered better durability but sacrificed spell power for it. A decent choice for someone who wanted to survive, but it would plateau at seventh-tier magic. He'd seen it happen dozens of times. The balance point between magic and physical stats created an unbreakable ceiling.

  Spellsword was popular, flashy, and effective in early levels. Also a trap. The split focus between swordplay and magic meant being mediocre at both until much higher levels. By the time it came together properly around Level 15, specialists had already surged ahead.

  War Mage was support. Important, valuable, and absolutely critical for large-scale operations. Not what he needed. He couldn't afford to be support when humanity needed champions.

  Mystic Duelist was interesting: close-combat magic, enhancement techniques. The kind of class that could handle enemies at any range. But it was still Tier 2, still came with the immediate power that created long-term limitations.

  His eyes tracked back to the Tier 1 options. Weaker starting point. Lower immediate power. The choices most people dismissed because why take less when more was available?

  Because Tier mattered less than foundation.

  Jonah had lived this progression. Tier 2 classes started stronger but hit walls faster. Tier 1 classes grew slower, but their ceilings were higher. The best climbers, the ones who reached triple-digit levels, almost universally started Tier 1.

  Mage was too narrow: pure ranged casting, no adaptation.

  Battle Mage was better, but still locked into a balance point.

  Spellsword...

  He read the description again. Blade and magic integration. Hybrid combat. Versatile engagement.

  Versatile.

  The class didn't force specialization. Didn't demand he choose between magic power and physical capability. It offered a foundation that could develop in multiple directions based on how he built it.

  His first life, he'd maximized magic and ignored everything else. The class had enabled that mistake by rewarding it.

  Spellsword wouldn't let him ignore weaknesses. It demanded balanced development, which meant addressing every gap in his capabilities. Sword work would force him to engage in melee. Magic would keep him versatile. The hybrid nature meant he could push both paths simultaneously without creating the plateau that trapped Battle Mages.

  More importantly, he knew the progression path. He'd fought beside Spellswords who reached eighth-tier magic and could match dedicated warriors in close combat. The class scaled forever if built correctly. Better yet, he knew how to optimize it even better than anyone else had in his original life due to his memories.

  If built incorrectly, it produced mediocre fighters who died in mid-tier zones.

  Jonah wasn't going to build it incorrectly.

  He selected Spellsword.

  [Class Selected: Spellsword - Tier 1]

  [Initial Attributes Assigned]

  [Intelligence: +3]

  [Dexterity: +3]

  [Constitution: +2]

  [Starting Skill Granted: Mana Blade (Basic)]

  [Starting Skill Granted: Enhanced Reflexes (Basic)]

  [Class Evolution Available at Level 10]

  The power hit him like lightning through his veins. His mana core ignited in his chest, a reservoir forming where none had existed. Small, barely a fraction of what he'd possessed before, but there. Real. Responsive.

  His muscles tightened, coordination improving as Dexterity points rewrote neural pathways. His mind sharpened, Intelligence boosting processing speed and magical comprehension.

  It felt like waking up after decades of sleep.

  Jonah flexed his fingers, felt mana respond to his will. Mana Blade activated instinctively, coating his hand in a thin layer of blue energy. The construct was crude, basic, nothing compared to the techniques he'd mastered.

  It was beautiful.

  He dismissed the blade and turned to his team. They were still reviewing their own options, blue screens illuminating their faces.

  "Alright," Jonah said. "Who's first?"

  David raised his hand. "I've got questions."

  "Show me your options."

  The man shared his screen. Jonah scanned the list quickly.

  [Fighter] - Tier 1

  [Guardian] - Tier 1

  [Gladiator] - Tier 2

  [Shield Master] - Tier 2

  Standard defensive options. David had unlocked shield-related skills and the System offered appropriate classes.

  "You're thinking Gladiator," Jonah said.

  "How did you—yes. It's Tier 2, better stats, better—"

  "It's a trap." Jonah cut him off. "Gladiator specializes in arena combat. One-on-one fights, controlled environments. Works great until you're facing three enemies at once in an open field. Then you die because the class optimized you for the wrong situations."

  "But the stat bonuses—"

  "Are front-loaded. You'll be stronger now, weaker later." Jonah pointed at Guardian. "This one scales. Lower start, but it builds toward group protection, sustained combat, adaptable defense. You'll be twice as effective at Level 20 than a Gladiator who plateaus at Level 15."

  David frowned at his screen. "You're sure?"

  "I've seen it happen dozens of times." Truth, from a future David didn't know about. "Gladiator looks powerful. Guardian becomes powerful."

  The man selected Guardian after another moment's hesitation.

  Martinez was next. His options were similar—various warrior paths with military slants. Jonah steered him toward Vanguard instead of the Tier 2 Shock Trooper class.

  "Shock Trooper is aggressive assault," Jonah explained. "Great until you're exhausted and still need to fight. Vanguard builds endurance and tactical flexibility. Trust me."

  Rebecca had healer options. Her nursing background had unlocked medical skills that translated to magical healing paths. She wanted Field Medic, Tier 2, immediate healing power.

  "No," Jonah said flatly. "Field Medic caps at basic healing and can't adapt past physical injuries. You want Restoration Acolyte. Slower start, but it evolves into full magical healing instead of just first aid with mana."

  She trusted him, selected Acolyte.

  Sarah's options were interesting. Combat skills from her Krav Maga background, but also tactical assessment from watching Jonah's leadership. She had Rogue, Skirmisher, and a Tier 2 option called Striker.

  "Striker?" Jonah asked.

  "High damage, fast attacks, critical hit focus." Sarah read the description. "Sounds effective."

  "It is. Until you face an enemy that doesn't have critical hit vulnerabilities. Then you're a regular fighter with stats allocated for a mechanic that doesn't work." He pointed at Skirmisher. "This one builds toward versatile combat. Hit-and-run tactics, adaptable engagement. Scales better."

  She selected Skirmisher without argument.

  John chose Defender, a straightforward tank class. Jonah approved. The man had the temperament for it.

  Then Liam stepped forward, and Jonah saw the problem immediately.

  The kid's screen showed the standard physical combat options—Fighter, Warrior, Striker. But there was also Mage. And Liam's eyes were locked on it with desperate hope.

  "I want to be like you," the kid said. "Magic. Real power. Not just... swinging a sword like some medieval grunt."

  Jonah's chest tightened. This was the moment. The choice that would define Liam's entire trajectory.

  "Show me all your skills," he said quietly.

  Liam shared his full list. Combat movement, basic sword work, tactical awareness. All standard.

  But there was also something else: Blade Sense (Intermediate) and Combat Instinct (Basic).

  Blade Sense at Intermediate rank. In one hour of combat. Most people took weeks to develop that kind of weapon awareness.

  "You have a gift," Jonah said.

  "For magic?"

  "For the sword." He met Liam's eyes. "That Blade Sense skill? I've seen veteran fighters who never got it past Basic rank. You hit Intermediate in your first real combat. That's not training. That's natural talent."

  "But magic is—"

  "Magic is what I do. Not what you're built for." Jonah softened his tone. "Listen, I'm going to be honest with you. You could pick Mage. You'd probably be decent at it. Maybe even good."

  "Then—"

  "But you'll never be great at it. Your instincts are physical. The way you moved during those fights, the way you adapted to each enemy. That's not magical thinking. That's combat mastery waiting to develop."

  Liam's jaw set stubbornly. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

  "You're right. I don't know your limits." Jonah paused. "But I know that humanity needs great swordsmen as much as great mages. And I know that following someone else's path instead of your own is how talented people die unfulfilled."

  "You're saying I can't—"

  "I'm saying you'd be wasting a gift." Jonah gestured at the Blade Sense skill. "That talent could make you one of the greatest swordsmen to ever climb the Tower. Or you can be a mediocre mage chasing someone else's shadow. Your choice."

  The kid stared at his screen. The Mage option glowed there, tempting, offering immediate magical power and the prestige that came with it.

  "What class should I pick?" Liam asked finally.

  "You've got Swordsman available. Tier 1, pure weapon focus. It'll feel basic at first." Jonah's voice carried certainty. "But with your natural talent, you'll push it further than most people can imagine. Trust me."

  Liam's finger hovered over the options. Mage or Swordsman. Magic or blade.

  He selected Swordsman.

  The relief that flooded through Jonah was unexpected and intense. In his first life, Liam had chosen correctly on his own. This time, Jonah had almost let his own preferences poison the kid's choice.

  "Good," he said. "Now let me show you how to actually hold that sword properly."

  The team's class selections completed, new power flowing through all of them. They were Level 1 now, barely System-integrated, pathetically weak by Tower standards.

  But they had correct foundations. Proper classes. The tools to grow instead of plateau.

  Jonah checked the tutorial timer: 68 hours remaining.

  Plenty of time to start building them into something formidable.

  "Alright," he said. "Class selection is done. Now we start real training."