The morning of the Awakening Ceremony arrived.
Tianlan Magic High School.
September 1st holds so many meanings, especially for school children.
Today is the first day of mage school, the day I will undergo my magical awakening.
Tianlan Magic High School was buzzing.
Thousands of fifteen year old freshmen stood in perfectly aligned rows on the massive outdoor athletic field, whispering nervously to one another.
For a simple resident of a small town like Bo City, a magic school is practically the only chance to become an elite mage.
The problem is, without an Awakening Stone, it’s impossible to awaken magic.
Awakening Stones are not cheap, but that’s not the main issue.
The state is obligated to closely monitor their distribution, so extracting this resource without the blessing of the Magic Association is considered highly illegal.
As a result, the Awakening Stones are held exclusively by the Magic Association, the most important magical organization in the country, which has a branch in every city.
All magic schools and large clans are required to request a certain number of Awakening Stones from them.
Therefore, Tianlan is the only place that can make a mage out of me.
Since it is the only magic school in Bo City, every applicant should be grateful for the chance to attend.
Tianlan Magic High School had its own distinctive uniform: dress pants and a white T-shirt underneath a tracksuit bearing the school’s badge.
Since the academy focuses heavily on combat and practical magic, the uniform is designed to be as athletic as possible to allow for freedom of movement.
Boys wear tracksuits with a predominantly blue tint, while girls wear red.
Mages must be highly mobile.
Monsters will not stand still and wait for you to complete a star path to fire at them; at the very least, you need to be able to run away.
About fifteen minutes later, a thousand future students of Tianlan High School, myself included, lined up by class in the wide school courtyard.
Most of the fifteen year old boys and girls were nervous and couldn’t help but smile anxiously.
However, there were also those who looked forward to their upcoming studies with their heads held high.
While I was steeling my heart with determination, Principal Zhu addressed everyone from the main stage.
A mustached man with thick eyebrows, he spoke about how every mage must strive for self improvement for the benefit and protection of humanity.
Not everyone was listening to the principal.
I saw many bored looks in the crowd, but the man was saying all the right things.
“I want each of you to become a great mage!
But don’t forget why you’ll be shedding sweat, blood, and tears along the way!
Beyond the borders of our calm and peaceful cities, terrible danger lurks!
It is the duty of every mage to protect their home from monsters!
Please remember that!” The headmaster’s loud voice, amplified by magic, sounded suitably pompous and inspiring, even if half the students hardly understood the gravity of his words.
“Let the Awakening Ceremonies begin!” the principal’s voice boomed.
After his grand speech, we were dismissed to our classrooms.
This year, there were twenty first year classes, some with fifty students, some with slightly more, and some with a little less.
I was placed in Class 8, alongside Mo Fan, Mu Bai, and his group.
During our journey toward the classroom, Mu Bai and his cronies constantly ridiculed Mo Fan for getting in through the back door.
I didn’t stop them, but I encouraged Mo Fan by reminding him that the failure rate when using an Awakening Stone was very low.
At least that calmed him down.
When we entered our classroom, our homeroom teacher, Xue Mingsheng, stood beside a pedestal that held a perfectly spherical, faintly glowing Awakening Stone.
It looked like a piece of polished obsidian swirling with trapped, dormant energy.
“Come take your seats.
I will call you according to your ranks,” Mr.
Xue said.
Once the class settled down, he conducted a roll call to check whether everyone was present.
“Mu Bai,” Mr.
Xue called out first.
Mu Bai put on a smug face, as usual, and started walking toward the platform.
Many students who had been my classmates previously whispered, asking why I wasn’t called first since I was always at the top of the class.
Mr.
Xue quickly silenced them.
“Everyone gets their turn.
Keep quiet in the classroom.”
The room fell silent.
I knew this was the result of Mu He’s internal politics; the purer the Awakening Stone, the better the chance a student has to awaken a strong element.
I didn’t object because the order couldn’t be changed just because I wanted to go first.
Mu Bai placed his hand on the stone.
The temperature in the immediate vicinity plummeted.
Frost crept up the pedestal, and a brilliant, icy blue light flared from the stone.
“Ice Element!” Mr.
Xue cheered, clapping his hands.
“Excellent!
A pure, strong Ice talent!”
Mu Bai smirked, casting a condescending glare directly at Mo Fan and me before stepping down.
“Zhang Xiaohou,” my name was called next.
The entire class fell silent.
I was the undisputed top scholar in the exams.
I had a reputation for flawless academics, unparalleled athletic ability, and a polite demeanor that made every teacher love me.
I took a deep breath.
‘This is it,’ I thought.
‘Fifteen years of waiting.’
When I walked up to the pedestal, I calmed my mind to the best of my ability.
No one can truly remain calm knowing magic will be awakened the second they place their hand on the stone.
“Just relax, Xiaohou,” Mr.
Xue said gently.
“Clear your mind.
Empty your spiritual world, and let the stone guide you.”
I didn’t need his advice.
Thanks to my [Meditation: Lv.
20], clearing my mind was as easy as blinking.
I placed my right hand onto the cool, smooth surface of the Awakening Stone, closed my eyes, and sank into my own consciousness.
The darkness of my spiritual world was vast and empty.
But the moment the stone’s energy flooded my system, a violent tremor shook the void.
A speck of light ignited in the darkness.
It was the brilliant, purple glow of the Lightning element.
Residual bolts of purple lightning danced across my palm, spreading rapidly outward toward my classmates.
Seeing this, Mr.
Xue instantly cast a Level 1 Intermediate Light Magic spell, connecting 49 stars into 7 star paths to form a star map in mere seconds.
He conjured a Holy Shield, safely blocking the volatile lightning radiating from my awakening.
The stronger the elemental reaction during an awakening, the stronger the talent.
That was a basic rule everyone in the world knew.
My incredibly strong lightning awakening and Mr.
Xue’s use of Light magic as a shield immediately attracted the attention of all the neighboring classes, drawing crowds to our room.
I wasn’t surprised by their reaction; Lightning magic is a rare commodity at Tianlan because of its unmatched destructive power against monsters.
The stardust materialized in my mind, spinning rapidly like a miniature galaxy.
But as I watched it, I felt a strange, familiar sensation.
I opened my eyes.
The Awakening Stone was glowing with an incredibly intense, almost blinding purple light.
“Lightning element!” Mr.
Xue shouted, his eyes wide with shock.
“And what incredible elemental density!
This is a top-tier Lightning Awakening!”
I slowly pulled my hand away, and the electric gale immediately subsided, leaving my classmates and the onlookers staring at me in absolute awe.
I also received a notification from my System, but I didn’t look at it at that moment.
A slow, predatory smirk finally touched my lips.
‘I am going to be a nightmare,’ I thought.
I stepped down from the podium and walked back to my spot.
Mo Fan looked at me, his jaw slack.
“Monkey…
that was awesome.”
“Don’t worry, you will also awaken a strong element,” I encouraged him.
I had already noticed his hands were sweaty due to the stress of the ceremony and the little possibility of an awakening failure.
After my performance, all the other classes returned to their respective rooms.
Mu Bai glared at me as I had just kicked him in his balls and destroyed his future generations.
Mr.
Xue continued with awakening the others.
Interestingly, due to the impressive Holy Shield he had conjured to contain my lightning, a lot of people instantly changed their negative opinions on Light magic.
The ceremony progressed.
Zhou Min awakened Fire magic, Zhao Kunsan awakened Wind magic, Wang Sanpang awakened Earth magic, and He Yu awakened the Water element.
Finally, it was time for the man of the hour: Mo Fan.
“Mo Fan,” Mr.
Xue called out.
POV: Mo Fan
My heart was hammering against my ribs with such violence as I walked toward the pedestal that I was certain the entire Class 8 formation could hear its frantic rhythm.
I was the backdoor trash, the kid whose father had to swallow his pride, bow his head, and beg the wealthy Mu clan for a chance at this school.
“Mo Fan,” Mr.
Xue Mingsheng called out again, impatient.
“Move it along.”
I didn’t answer.
I just gritted my teeth and marched up the wooden steps.
I finally mustered the courage to place my hand on the Awakening Stone.
But right as I began to focus…
“LIGHTNING!
HEAVENS ABOVE, IT’S THE LIGHTNING ELEMENT AGAIN!”
The scream traveled like wildfire.
“Class 7’s Xu Zhaoting!
He awakened Lightning!
I saw the purple arcs!
It’s the Lightning element!”
Without a second thought, the crowd flooded toward Class 7, even our homeroom teacher abandoning his post to go look.
Seeing this, I slammed my palm onto the Awakening Stone.
It was colder than ice.
As I closed my eyes, I forced myself to sink into the deep, dark void of my own spiritual world.
It was silent.
Then, the world shattered.
A violent, jagged spark ignited in the back of my mind.
It wasn’t the red of fire.
It was a terrifying, brilliant shade of violet.
‘Lightning.’
I had also awakened the exact same element as Monkey.
But before I removed my hand from the Awakening Stone, something astonishing happened.
A crimson stardust ‘Fire’ awakened right next to the Lightning.
I didn’t just awaken one element; I awakened two.
I stared at the dual galaxies in sheer awe.
I quickly decided I wanted to hide my lightning for now, so that when I finally showed it in battle, people would definitely be surprised.
When I opened my eyes, thinking no one was left to watch, I froze.
My best friend, Zhang Xiaohou, was still standing there, watching me intently.
He had a look of genuine shock on his face when he saw the dual glow.
For my part, I quickly placed a finger over my mouth and muttered for him not to speak.
He simply nodded in understanding.
Mr.
Xue finally remembered he was supposed to be doing his job and whipped around, his eyes locking onto the glowing stone.
“Mo Fan?” he stammered, his face turning an ash gray color.
“The Fire element…
the density…
It’s pure!”
The class finally turned back around.
I looked at Mu Bai, watching the shock turn his face white, and savored the sheer disbelief in Zhao Kunsan’s eyes.
I didn’t say anything else.
I just walked back toward my seat, calmly turned to Monkey, and whispered, “We will talk later.”
“Okay,” he replied.
To be continued…