Aetherlan Empire, Silverstream Province, Westport City.
The annual Awakening Day had made Westport First Academy much livelier than usual since early morning.
The academy’s central training grounds had been closed off in advance.
The field normally used for combat practice had been cleared, and more than a dozen silver stone pillars covered in runes had been placed around the center.
Lines extended from the base of each pillar, crossing and connecting until they formed a complete awakening formation.
A faint silver-white glow moved through the formation while several awakened professionals stood nearby, carrying out their final checks.
More than a hundred graduating students had already gathered around the edge of the training grounds according to their assigned numbers.
Some kept flexing their fingers to ease their nerves, while others stood in small groups discussing the classes they hoped to awaken.
A few claimed they didn’t care what they got, though their eyes rarely left the formation.
For all of them, this could be the most important day of their lives.
After three years at the academy, they had finally reached their first Class Awakening.
From today onward, each of them would have a class of their own, and the class they received could send their future in a completely different direction.
Standing among the crowd, Kyle Gray glanced down at the number tag in his hand.
[73] There was still some time before his turn.
He put the tag away and looked toward the formation again.
Kyle was usually difficult to read, but even he felt some anticipation today.
He had been in this world for several years now, long enough that most of what once seemed strange had become normal to him.
This world was nothing like the one he remembered.
After the game merged with reality, things that had once belonged only in games—classes, levels, monsters, dungeons—became part of everyday life.
Monsters occupied large areas outside the cities, while secret realms, dungeons, and the far more dangerous abysses could be found throughout the world.
Humanity had gradually built an entire system around awakened professionals in order to survive.
Once someone reached the required age and completed their academy education, they were allowed to undergo Class Awakening.
After obtaining a class, they could gain experience by killing monsters, clearing dungeons, or exploring secret realms.
With enough experience, they could level up, learn new skills, and become stronger.
Of course, awakening didn’t necessarily mean becoming a fighter.
Known classes were generally divided into three categories: Combat, Support, and Life.
Life Classes were the most common, followed by Support Classes, while people who awakened Combat Classes made up only a small portion of the population.
Kyle had checked Westport First Academy’s records from previous years.
Usually, getting around ten Combat Classes out of every hundred students was already considered a good year.
Rare Classes were even less common, and some years passed without a single one appearing.
Until the awakening was complete, there was simply no way to know what someone would get.
“Kyle!” A familiar voice came from behind him.
Kyle turned and saw a tall boy squeezing through the crowd toward him.
It was Gavin Reed.
He looked as though he had rushed all the way here.
His hair was messy, and he had even managed to button the top of his uniform incorrectly.
When he finally reached Kyle, Gavin caught his breath before asking, “What number did you get?” Kyle took out his tag and showed him.
“Seventy-three?” Gavin immediately checked his own.
[91] His expression fell.
“Why am I so far back?” Kyle glanced at him but didn’t answer.
Gavin was used to that.
Everyone at the academy knew Kyle wasn’t much of a talker.
Other people could spend an entire day chatting, while Kyle could sometimes go from morning until evening without starting a conversation.
Gavin had never cared.
“Whatever.
I guess going later isn’t that bad.” He put his tag away and looked toward the awakening formation.
“So, is there any class you really want?” Kyle thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Gavin didn’t wait for an answer.
He patted his chest and continued, “I want to be a Knight.
A really tough one, preferably.
Then when we go into dungeons, I’ll stand at the front with a shield and everyone behind me can rely on me.” Kyle looked him over.
Gavin was tall and broad-shouldered for his age.
From his build alone, a Knight really did seem like a good fit.
Gavin noticed his gaze and grinned.
“You think so too, right?” Kyle nodded.
“I knew it.
At least you have good judgment.” Kyle looked away without saying anything.
What he had actually been thinking was that Gavin’s build did seem perfect for standing at the front and getting hit.
Before Gavin could continue, Principal Edmund Hall’s voice came from the front of the training grounds.
“Everyone, quiet down.” The conversations around them gradually stopped.
Edmund stood near the awakening area.
He didn’t give a long speech.
Once he had confirmed that almost all the graduating students were present, he went straight to the important part.
“You’ve spent three years learning what you need to know.
Once you enter the formation, don’t do anything unnecessary.
Relax and wait for the awakening to finish.” He paused and looked over the students in front of him.
“No one can choose what class they’ll awaken.
Whatever result you get today, don’t assume that one awakening has already decided the rest of your life.” Some of the more nervous students relaxed a little after hearing that.
Edmund turned to the professionals responsible for the ceremony and nodded.
“Let’s begin.” The first students entered the preparation area, and the awakening ceremony officially started.
A low hum came from the formation as silver-white light began moving through its patterns.
Before long, the first result appeared.
[Life Class: Herbal Cultivator] The boy standing in the middle of the formation stared at the result for a moment.
From his expression, it clearly wasn’t what he had been hoping for.
The teacher recording the results checked it and pointed to the right.
“You’re done.
Exit that way.” The boy nodded and walked away, unable to hide his disappointment.
The second student stepped forward soon after.
[Life Class: Tailor] Then came the third.
[Support Class: Scout] The appearance of the first Support Class immediately caused some discussion among the students.
“A Support Class.” “Finally, something besides a Life Class.” “A Scout can join an adventuring party later, can’t they?” The ceremony continued, and more students entered the formation.
Blacksmith, Alchemist, Chef, Archer, Healer…
Some got exactly what they wanted and could barely contain their excitement.
Others were obviously disappointed, but there was nothing they could do about the result.
Kyle stayed near the edge of the crowd and watched quietly.
So far, things were going about as expected.
Life Classes made up the majority, Support Classes came next, and only a handful of Combat Classes had appeared.
As time passed, the teacher in charge of registration looked down at the list again.
“Number sixty-two, Erin Frost.” The name immediately caught the attention of the students nearby.
Kyle looked up as well.
A girl with long silver-white hair stepped out of the line.
Erin Frost.
If Kyle was the recognized top student of their year, Erin was the one who had spent the past three years directly behind him.
The two of them had occupied first and second place in almost every exam.
The only thing that never changed was who stood in first.
As Erin walked toward the formation, she slowed when she passed Kyle and turned to look at him.
Their eyes met.
“Watch closely.” That was all she said before continuing toward the formation.
Gavin looked between the two of them.
“She’s still trying to beat you?” Kyle nodded.
“It’s been three years.” Gavin laughed.
“She really doesn’t give up.” Kyle didn’t mind it.
Erin had always wanted to beat him, but she had never done anything unreasonable because of it.
Usually, the worst that happened was that after exam results came out and she found herself in second place again, she would spend the next few days looking annoyed whenever she saw him.
Erin stepped into the center of the formation and closed her eyes.
Silver-white light rose around her as the formation activated.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
A few seconds later, however, crimson flames suddenly rose around her.
Heat spread across the training grounds, followed almost immediately by a wave of cold air from the other side of the formation.
Fire and frost circled Erin at the same time, and thin arcs of lightning soon appeared between them.
The conversations around the plaza stopped.
The professionals overseeing the awakening became more attentive, and Edmund stepped closer to the formation.
“An awakening phenomenon…” A visible phenomenon during a first awakening usually meant that the person had obtained something beyond an ordinary class.
The elemental energy around Erin continued for several seconds before gradually settling down.
Her result appeared soon afterward.
[Rare Combat Class: Elementalist] The students were quiet for a moment before the reactions started.
“A Rare Class?” “She actually awakened Elementalist!” “It’s a Rare Combat Class!” Even Edmund looked pleased.
Westport First Academy hadn’t produced a Rare Class in several years, and a Combat Class made the result even more valuable.
Erin slowly opened her eyes.
When she saw the result, surprise crossed her face before turning into obvious happiness.
Elementalist.
A Rare Combat Class.
There wasn’t much more she could have asked for from her first awakening.
She clenched her hand, feeling the unfamiliar power in her body, then looked through the crowd until she found Kyle.
Their eyes met again.
Erin didn’t say anything, but Kyle understood what she meant.
Now it was his turn.
He gave her a small nod.
Gavin bumped his arm against Kyle’s.
“Feeling the pressure now?” “It’s fine.” Gavin stared at him.
“You actually answered me?” Kyle stopped talking.
Gavin could only shake his head.
The ceremony continued after Erin’s awakening.
Several more students entered the formation, but after a Rare Combat Class had appeared, ordinary results naturally attracted less attention.
Before long, the numbers reached the seventies.
“Number seventy-one.” Then seventy-two.
Once both students had finished, the teacher checked the list again.
“Number seventy-three, Kyle Gray.” The conversations nearby quieted almost immediately.
Erin, the second-ranked student of their year, had awakened the Rare Combat Class Elementalist.
Naturally, everyone wanted to know what the student who had stayed ahead of her for three years would get.
Erin hadn’t left either.
She stood among the other students, watching him.
Gavin gave Kyle a light pat on the shoulder.
“Your turn.” Kyle handed his number tag to the teacher and walked toward the formation.
He passed Erin on the way.
Their eyes met briefly, but neither of them said anything this time.
Kyle stepped into the center of the formation.
He had waited years for this moment, so even he couldn’t help wondering what kind of class he would awaken.
Once the professional overseeing the ceremony confirmed that everything was ready, he activated the formation.
A low hum filled the training grounds.
The patterns beneath Kyle’s feet lit up one after another, and silver-white light rose around him.
Kyle closed his eyes.
At first, everything seemed normal, but a few seconds later, the formation suddenly trembled.
The professional standing nearby frowned and looked toward Kyle.
The silver-white light surrounding him had begun to dim.
A thin stream of gray-black energy rose from beneath his feet and slowly spread through the formation.
At the same time, the temperature around the training grounds began to drop.
The students gradually stopped talking as they noticed the change.
Edmund’s expression became serious.
Erin turned fully toward the formation, watching Kyle closely.
Within moments, almost everyone had fallen silent.
They had all seen what happened during Erin’s awakening, so they knew what the strange changes meant.
Kyle’s awakening had caused a phenomenon too.