Starlink Federation · Emberflame Province · Scorchfire High.
Morning sunlight spilled onto the training field, where the awakening array still shimmered faintly.
Silver-white runes crisscrossed like writhing serpents, radiating an eerie magical pulse.
Today was the annual Global Awakening Day.
One hundred and twenty senior students sat up straight, their heartbeats nearly drowning out the low hum of the array beneath them.
Principal Hope Branson stood atop the podium, holding a voice crystal, his tone thunderous.
"Students, your three years of theory have come to an end."
"Today, with the help of the Awakening Array, you will take your first step onto the path of legends."
"I hope all of you can become humanity's pride—just like Alister Cole!"
Alister Cole had once been a student of Scorchfire High as well.
Ten years ago, he awakened as a Thunder Paladin.
Now, at level 70, he was considered a national hero, known as the "Lightning Blade of the Empire."
His name was brought up every year on Awakening Day, inspiring new generations of awakened students.
The array at the center of the field had been jointly constructed by the school and the Rune Engravers' Association.
Presiding over it was Hawkins Grand, a level 62 rare-tier class holder known as the Emblem Grandmaster.
He stood still with his eyes closed beside the array, the tip of his staff glowing faintly with swirling runes and traces of lightning.
Such a setup made it clear just how much importance the school placed on this ceremony.
Ryan Blackwood stood among the crowd, his expression calm but his gaze slightly distant.
He was already familiar with how this world worked:
After completing high school, each person would enter the array to awaken their class.
From that moment onward, their fate would be changed forever.
In this world, where magic and class systems intertwined, humans gained experience by clearing dungeons, exploring secret realms, participating in battlefield campaigns, or slaying wild monsters.
With enough experience, they would level up, unlock new skills, and grow stronger.
Combat, advancement, awakening, evolution—this was the universal path of humanity.
The success rate of awakening had long since reached 100%.
But the class one received varied drastically in quality.
The most sought-after were frontline combat classes, followed by support classes.
Even so, Ryan knew better than to judge by category alone.
Many support class holders had still carved their names into history with blazing glory.
"Follow me. Let's move!"
Principal Hope gave the order, and the group of students began filing toward the awakening array.
Ryan followed silently, lost in thought.
What kind of class would he awaken?
No one could say for sure.
Some students who had always performed poorly ended up awakening rare, powerful classes.
Others, who were top scorers, received nothing but a basic support class.
He and Emily Windwhisper had long been known as the two brightest students of Scorchfire High—"The Twin Stars."
But true brilliance would only be proven inside the awakening array.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
Gavin Stone approached with a grin.
"Hey, Ryan. What class do you want to awaken into?"
Ryan glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and said nothing.
Gavin kept talking anyway.
"I mean, it's obvious I'm made to be a Shield Warrior, right? Look at this body—built for armor."
"Just standing in front of a girl would give her full safety buff! One class change and boom, straight into the romance route!"
He wasn't entirely wrong.
With his tall, sturdy physique, Gavin did look like a textbook Shield Warrior.
But Ryan knew very well—the odds of awakening a frontline combat class were less than ten percent.
Out of more than a hundred students here, fewer than ten would likely get one.
Gavin kept rambling beside him.
Ryan responded with a faint smile, but remained silent.
He had always been quiet.
Even with top grades, he didn't have many friends.
Some classmates thought he was aloof.
Others believed he was just socially awkward, even speculating that he had some kind of problem.
"He's just not into small talk, that's all," Gavin once explained helplessly.
But no one believed him.
Ryan never bothered to correct anyone.
He didn't see the need.
The group arrived at the array.
Hope walked up to the old man beside the array and bowed respectfully.
"Master Hawkins, thank you for your time today."
"Just doing my duty," the old man replied, opening his eyes. His voice was deep and calm.
After exchanging a few polite words, Hope turned back to the students.
He pulled out a thick roster and raised his voice.
"I will now call your names. Step into the array when you hear yours."
"Don't be nervous. You've all studied this for years. Just relax, and trust the process."
He glanced at the list.
"First up—Noah Reed!"
A student stepped forward, clearly nervous, and walked into the center of the array.
The runes lit up, and beams of light surged upward.
Moments later, a line of glowing text appeared in the air above the platform.
Support Class: Soapmaker
Noah's face turned pale.
He clearly hadn't expected his future to be tied to… making soap.
Though technically a support class, Soapmaker was considered one of the lowest tiers in the entire system.
From the crowd, a few snickers broke out.
Others sighed quietly.
The Awakening Ceremony had officially begun.