"Wow! As expected of the school belle—six career choices?"
"Are all of them combat-type professions? Not a single lifestyle one?"
"Man, I can't even unlock one job, and she has six?"
"Look at how huge her professional light groups are! It's like staring into glowing basins!"
"You know Charles had an A-rank talent and his professional sphere was huge—but Lily's lights? They're easily on another level. At least S-rank… maybe more?"
"Pity..."
"Pity? What's pitiful about that, you jealous fool?"
The audience buzzed with mixed feelings—envy, disbelief, and admiration. Meanwhile, Lily Winters stood calmly in the center of the job transfer circle, unaffected by all the commotion.
Without hesitation, she scanned the six glowing spheres orbiting her, then reached out and touched the darkest, grey-colored one.
Hum~~
A strong flash of light burst from the circle. In mere seconds, the job transfer process completed, and Lily's silhouette shimmered with power.
From his place in the crowd, Ethan narrowed his eyes, watching Lily closely. Something had changed.
"Wait… the calluses on her hands—they're gone?"
Ethan blinked. Those hardened hands were once marked by tireless sword practice. Is this what a successful job transfer does? Does it reshape even the body?
His curiosity briefly shifted back to the intimidating figure on stage—Old Mr. Cole,the high-ranking supervisor. His presence still radiated pressure like a dormant beast.
Meanwhile, the principal of No. 3 Middle School examined the results from the Sacred Stone, frowning slightly—perhaps from surprise or excitement.
It's worth noting: only the talent level is publicly revealed during a job transfer. The actual details of a person's gift remain their private secret—something rarely shared unless voluntarily.
Just as the principal prepared to speak, Old Mr. Cole interrupted with a booming voice.
"Lily Winters has successfully transferred to the hidden profession—'Shadow Swordsman'! Her talent is SS-Rank. Congratulations!"
A hush fell over the room, quickly followed by gasps.
"Shadow Swordsman?! SS-Rank?!"
The principal muttered under his breath, You didn't even wait for me to say it!
Old Mr. Cole turned to him with a grin. "You've found a treasure in No. 3 Middle School. An SS-Rank talent is rare indeed. You talked about increasing your school's resources earlier—I'll remind the higher-ups personally. This level of talent deserves it."
But just as he was about to walk over and perhaps charm Lily into a conversation...
Lily turned and walked away silently.
She returned to her seat with poise and stillness, ignoring the attention, as always.
Old Mr. Cole opened his mouth but closed it again. Forget it. There'll be another chance.
Then came the next name:
"Ethan!"
Finally, it was his turn.
Old Mr. Cole felt that same gaze from Ethan—steady, unwavering.
This kid has been watching me since the beginning. Why? Even though Old Mr. Cole was a Level 40 third-rank professional, Ethan's stare made him uncomfortable.
The principal of No. 3 Middle School noticed the tension and quickly stepped in.
"Ethan, what are you doing? Get in the circle already. No need to worry—just relax."
Old Mr. Cole scratched his head. "That sounds familiar… oh right, I just said the same thing to Lily."
Now it clicked.
Ethan must be close to the principal. Maybe he's glaring because of how I embarrassed him earlier...
But Ethan's mind wasn't on grudges.
Though he had recently awakened in this new world called Blue Star, he still retained the emotions and memories from his past life.
He had been raised in a loving household. His parents were professionals too, though he didn't know their exact ranks.
Even though his time with them was brief, he still remembered the warmth they gave him.
But then one day, they left for a mission—and never came back.
Ethan was only six years old.
Despite having a previous life's memories, he was still a child—and alone.
Fortunately, the principal of No. 3 Middle School took him in. From that day on, the man raised him like family.
That's a debt Ethan never forgot.
So when Old Mr. Cole publicly disrespected the principal, Ethan took it personally.
Still, now was not the time to cause a scene.
Ethan calmly walked into the center of the transfer circle.
Hum…
The energy began to gather. The circle lit up gradually until it shimmered like a rising sun.
From the Sacred Stone, a wave of light swept over Ethan's body—scanning him from head to toe. A moment later…
Hum… Hum… Hum…
One after another, nine glowing light groups emerged around him.
"Nine?!" the crowd gasped.
Even Ethan was taken aback.
The number of choices determined how long a student had to make a decision.
Charles had two jobs—he got three minutes.
Lily had six—she had 30 minutes.
Ethan had nine. That meant nearly an hour.
Plenty of time—but for Ethan, it was a curse.
He had choice phobia.
Back in his previous life, even choosing a meal delivery app took forever. By the time he decided what to eat, he wasn't even hungry anymore.
Now here he was—with nine possible futures staring him in the face.
Just the thought made his lips twitch.
From the side, the principal encouraged him gently.
"Ethan, don't rush. You've got time. Think carefully."
But despite those soothing words, the principal himself was nervously pacing—like a parent waiting outside the emergency room.
Even though Ethan's transfer was clearly successful—and the talent appeared exceptional—the principal couldn't stop worrying.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan began examining the glowing orbs around him.
The light groups were about the same size as Lily's, a clear sign that he might also hold SS-rank talent.
Among the nine, one orb was slightly smaller than the rest. Ethan chose to look at the largest one first, remembering the advice of his instructors:
> Always start with the strongest talent first.
"Hidden Class: Earth Shield Warrior"
Talent: SS-Rank — Earth Barrier
> "Grants continuous energy from the Earth. Defense +300%, Life Recovery +300%, Mana Recovery +100%."
"Not bad," Ethan thought. "That's a tank role—very durable."
Then he moved to the next.
"Hidden Class: Luminous Paladin"
Talent: SS-Rank — Holy Light's Blessing
> "Holy energy strengthens you. Healing skill +200%, Life Recovery +300%, Mana Recovery +200%."
Also impressive—great for support roles and healing. Not as flashy as a DPS fighter, but certainly vital.
As he kept reading through them...
"Crystal Wall Mage,"
"Holy Light Guardian,"
"Radiant Armor Knight,"
"Sacred Tree Druid"…
Ethan frowned.
"Why are they all tank classes?!"
He was stunned.
"Am I that afraid of dying?" he muttered.
Each one emphasized protection, healing, and endurance. Very few offensive or agile roles.
"Who gave me this personality?"
To a person who already had choice phobia, being handed nine nearly-identical options felt like a nightmare.
His head spun.
Until finally—he turned toward the smallest light group.
Unlike the others, it glowed with a strange, quiet intensity.
Ethan stepped forward to get a better look…
---
[To Be Continued in Chapter 4…]