Everyone watched the Awakening ceremony with serious and focused expressions.
Time quietly passed, and before long, all the students had completed their Awakenings. The Awakening ceremony finally came to a successful conclusion.
The results of Silverwood Elite School this year were exceptionally impressive, with a total of 35 students successfully Awakening.
Among them were:
1 S-Rank Talent
1 B-Rank Talent
3 C-Rank Talents
6 D-Rank Talents
8 E-Rank Talents
16 F-Rank Talents
This year’s results far surpassed those of the previous year, with the total number of Awakened students nearly doubling.
Moreover, the appearance of Evelyn, an S-Rank Talent, would undoubtedly be the biggest surprise for Silverwood Elite School this year.
Silvwood City had thirteen high schools, and this time, there was no doubt that Silverwood Elite School would take the undisputed first place.
Based on these results, the resources the school received this year were expected to be several times greater than in previous years.
The younger generation was the true wealth of this world—the hope of humanity in its battle against the monstrous alien beasts. And schools were the cradles where this younger generation was nurtured.
Students with powerful Talents were undoubtedly a school’s greatest resource.
The Awakening ceremony had successfully concluded.
Those who had successfully Awakened were all beaming with excitement, while those who had failed were either deeply dejected or looked at their successful peers with envy.
Although they were still students of the same school, from this moment onward, their lives would gradually head down completely different paths.
"Quiet down, everyone. Please listen to me."
The Dean of Students stepped onto the stage once again.
"First, congratulations to the thirty-five students who successfully Awakened their Martial Souls. However, those who failed to Awaken should not be discouraged. Talent Awakening is never an easy feat."
"After all, only a small minority of people can become Martial Artists. Most of us will remain ordinary people."
"However, that doesn’t mean your lives will become bleak from this point onward."
"You can still live a fulfilling life. You can still attend ordinary universities."
"And you can still pursue whatever dreams and goals you wish to achieve."
"Becoming a Martial Artist does not mean you’ll immediately rise to greatness."
"Becoming a Martial Artist means shouldering the responsibilities that come with it. You must venture into the Wilderness to fight against monstrous beasts. You may even have to go to the front lines of the starry sky and fight desperately against powerful alien beasts. Countless Martial Artists have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of this path. It is both an honor and a responsibility."
"Even Talented individuals face a high mortality rate."
"So, there’s no need to worry about your circumstances. Just do your best, live your life, and walk your own path. There’s no need to envy others, and there’s certainly no need to feel inferior."
...
The Dean of Students, with his signature "Mediterranean" hairstyle, still had plenty to say, and every word he spoke carried weight.
Fortunately, his speech had the desired effect. Many students who had been feeling dejected gradually regained their spirits.
Life would go on.
Talent was not everything.
Lucian had already successfully Awakened his Talent, so he didn’t feel much about the Dean’s words.
But when he imagined what his life would have been like if he hadn’t Awakened his Talent—continuing to live in the slums while watching his grandmother struggle day after day—he simply couldn’t accept it.
He had to give his grandmother a better life.
He had to let her see a brighter tomorrow.
He absolutely could not allow her to spend the rest of her life trapped in the slums.
...
"Students who were unsuccessful in Awakening, please return to your classrooms now. Study hard and prepare for the college entrance examination. Work toward getting into the university of your dreams."
"Those who successfully Awakened, please stay behind. You will come with me to the Spiritual Energy Room."
Soon, out of more than a thousand students, only the thirty-five who had successfully Awakened remained.
The group followed the Dean of Students to the Spiritual Energy Room.
"This is the Spiritual Energy Room our school has prepared for newly Awakened students. Because it contains a Spirit Gathering Array, the concentration of Spiritual Energy here is ten times higher than that of the outside world."
"Next, I will issue each of you a Martial Artist Personal Terminal."
"Once you authenticate your identity through the Personal Terminal, you can choose a Cultivation Technique that matches your attribute."
With that, Principal Warren instructed the Dean of Students to distribute the Martial Artist Personal Terminals.
Lucian and Evelyn received theirs as well.
They were watch-like communication devices that required iris recognition and fingerprint authentication.
Everyone was already familiar with such advanced technology, so the authentication process was completed quickly.
Soon, the Martial Artist Personal Terminals were securely worn around their wrists.
The Martial Artist Personal Terminal didn’t have many functions. It had only three basic features:
Communication, Missions, and Cultivation Techniques.
"The Communication function uses satellite communication, so you can make calls even from space.
"This will be an essential tool for you when you eventually enter the battlefield or venture into the Wilderness to hunt monstrous beasts. If you encounter danger, you can use it to send an emergency distress signal and contact nearby Martial Artists for assistance.
"The Missions section is your best option if you want to take on missions, earn money, or obtain various resources after entering university.
"The most important feature of the Missions section is Military Merit. Military Merit Points are earned by hunting monstrous beasts on the battlefield or in the Wilderness. They can be exchanged for valuable resources or used to increase your military rank.
"The Cultivation Techniques section is, as the name suggests, where you can choose Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills. It contains Cultivation Techniques of various attributes, as well as Martial Skills of different types.
"As newly Awakened individuals, you have certain privileges. You can currently apply for one Cultivation Technique and two Martial Skills.
"This is a welfare benefit provided to newly Awakened students. In the future, if you want higher-grade Cultivation Techniques or Martial Skills, you’ll have to exchange Military Merit Points or money for them."
Fearing that the students might not understand how to use the device, Principal Warren also gave them a brief explanation of the Personal Terminal’s basic functions.
"You can now choose your Cultivation Technique. After that, select a room here and settle in. For the next month, all of you will Cultivate in the Spiritual Energy Room."
"As your teacher, I must remind you of one more thing: your Martial Soul is both your Talent and your limitation.
"Your choice of Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills must be compatible with the attributes of your Martial Soul. Only by choosing Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills that match your Martial Soul’s attributes can you fully maximize your Cultivation speed and potential.
"For example, if you possess a fire-attributed Martial Soul but choose a water-attributed Cultivation Technique, your Cultivation will become far less efficient. You may end up putting in twice the effort for only half the results, which will undoubtedly limit your Cultivation speed and hinder your growth.
"The same principle applies to Martial Skills. You must choose Martial Skills that complement the attributes of your Martial Soul."
"Of course, some Martial Souls possess multiple attributes, allowing you to choose Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills from different attributes. However, don’t try to bite off more than you can chew.
"Try to choose the Cultivation Technique with the highest compatibility with your Martial Soul’s attributes. Focus on one path, devote yourself to it, and refine it to perfection.
"During the Awakening process, you should have already learned about your Martial Soul’s innate Talent and its characteristics. But remember—this information is your secret. Never reveal it to anyone.
"This is your trump card, but it is also your weakness."
...
Principal Warren continued speaking for quite some time, explaining how to use the Martial Artist Personal Terminal, how to choose suitable Cultivation Techniques, and the precautions they needed to keep in mind during their future Cultivation.
After understanding everything, everyone chose a room.
Lucian and Evelyn each selected their own rooms as well.
Once inside, Lucian looked through the Cultivation Technique options displayed on his Personal Terminal and fell into deep thought.
The available Cultivation Techniques were divided according to attributes, with roughly ten major categories.
There were the five basic elemental attributes—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—along with special attributes such as Wind, Lightning, Ice, Darkness, and Space.
Lucian ignored the Cultivation Techniques belonging to other attributes and immediately entered the Darkness category.
There were dozens of Cultivation Techniques available, but three in particular caught his attention.
Assassin Type Cultivation Technique — Shadow Kill Secret Canon
A stealth and assassination-oriented Cultivation Technique that leaned heavily toward the Shadow attribute, emphasizing speed, concealment, and lethal attacks.
Dark-Type Cultivation Technique — Eternal Night Demon Codex
A Cultivation Technique that excelled within the Dark Domain, greatly increasing combat power in environments filled with darkness.
Physical Body Dark Type Cultivation Technique — Floating Pagoda Mysterious Skill
A Cultivation Technique focused on strengthening the Physical Body Domain. Its cultivation method was extremely powerful, domineering, and fierce.