"Alright—students of Red Leaf City, listen carefully."
Officer Bart's voice carried across the Awakening Center, firm but practiced, the kind of tone that had been honed over years of repeating the same instructions to different batches of hopeful faces.
"Form a single line and come forward one by one to awaken your talents. Do not push, do not cut in line, and do not attempt to force anyone ahead of you." His eyes swept over the crowd, sharp and unamused. "Any disputes, arguments, or attempts to cause trouble will result in immediate disqualification from this year's Awakening Ceremony."
The murmurs among the crowd quieted almost instantly.
Before him stood dozens of young men and women—freshly eighteen, their expressions a mixture of anticipation, fear, and barely contained excitement. Some stood straight-backed, trying to appear confident. Others fidgeted, fingers clenched tight as if bracing themselves for a verdict that would define the rest of their lives.
Bart had seen it all before.
Every day, another batch. Another set of dreams balanced on the edge of a crystal's glow.
'Let's see if this batch is my lucky one,' he thought, his gaze lingering just a second longer on the crowd.
He didn't expect miracles. Officer Bart was a practical man—too practical to waste time dreaming about legends. S-rank talents were stories told in taverns, not things that appeared in small cities like Red Leaf. Still… even a solid B-rank or a rare A-rank would be enough to make the day memorable.
And enough to earn him a respectable bonus.
"Alright," he said aloud, clapping his hands once to draw their attention. His eyes landed on a girl standing near the front, her hair tied neatly into a ponytail, posture tense but composed. "You. The girl with the ponytail—you'll go first."
The girl stiffened, surprise flashing across her face before she nodded quickly.
"The rest of you, line up behind her," Bart continued. "Keep it orderly."
Starting with a girl was tradition—ladies first, as the saying went. Bart liked to think of it as courtesy, though he'd be lying if he said habit didn't play a role. Either way, no one ever complained.
As the line began to form, Bart folded his arms, watching closely.
----
"Hooof… I'm so nervous. Wish me luck, guys!"
The boy who spoke was built like a small ox—broad shoulders, thick arms, and a round face that made him look tougher than he felt. Despite his size, his legs trembled slightly as his eyes locked onto the crystal sphere resting on the stand ahead. It shimmered faintly, quiet and patient, as the first girl stepped forward to touch it.
"Shut up, Fatty," another boy snapped in a hushed voice. "You're making me nervous."
This one was the opposite—tall, thin, and fragile-looking, like a stick that might snap in strong wind. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, trying to look composed, but his hands betrayed him. His fingers shook violently, gripping the frame as if it were the only thing anchoring him to reality.
"You guys are really cowards, huh?"
A girl's voice cut cleanly between them.
It was sweet and clear, almost melodic—but the confidence behind it was anything but gentle. She leaned forward with her hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with excitement rather than fear.
"Kael," she said, turning sharply toward a young man beside her, "what do you think? What kind of talent do you think I'll awaken?"
Kael looked at her calmly.
He was handsome in an understated way—clean features, steady eyes, and a posture that felt… too composed for someone his age. At first glance, he looked ordinary, but there was something about him that didn't quite fit. An air of quiet maturity, as if he were older than he appeared. Observant. Measured.
His gaze rested on the girl.
She was unmistakably a tomboy—short hair tied messily, restless energy barely contained, standing like she was ready to sprint at any moment. Calling her "boyish" wasn't quite right. It wasn't that she acted like a boy—she simply acted like a hyperactive child who hadn't learned the meaning of restraint yet.
Kael gave a small nod.
"If I had to guess," he said evenly, "you'll awaken a combat-type beast affinity."
Her eyes widened instantly.
Then—smack!
She slapped his shoulder hard enough to make the thin boy nearby flinch.
"Ah! You know me too well!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing. "Of course! I'll become the legendary beast tamer!"
Her voice rose a little too much.
Several heads turned.
Including Officer Bart's.
He sighed softly and looked back over his shoulder. "Miss," he said firmly, "could you calm down a little? The ceremony hasn't even begun yet. Please celebrate after you successfully awaken a talent."
Outwardly, his expression was neutral—neither annoyed nor amused.
'Another dreamer,' he thought briefly. 'Let's just hope she doesn't get crushed by reality.'
"I—I'm sorry!" the girl said quickly, face flushing red as she bowed her head a little. "Sorry, sorry."
Kael watched her, then sighed quietly and shook his head.
"Calm down, Sarah," he said. "Let's just wait, okay?"
Sarah nodded rapidly, too embarrassed now to meet anyone's eyes.
"…Okay."
----
Finally, the girl stepped forward.
Her movements were hesitant as she raised her hand toward the crystal sphere. Up close, the object felt far more oppressive than it had from a distance—smooth, cold, and faintly humming with power. She swallowed hard.
'Please… just something useful,' she thought. 'Anything that can help me get into a decent university.'
She had no grand dreams of glory. No fantasies of monsters or battlefields. She didn't want to be a legend, didn't want to risk her life chasing some ridiculous title like beast tamer. A stable future—that was all she asked for.
Taking a breath, she placed her palm against the crystal.
For a split second—nothing happened.
Then—
Buzz.
The crystal flared to life.
A vivid purple light burst outward, flooding the platform and forcing several students to shield their eyes. Energy rippled through the air like a pulse, and above the sphere, translucent runes rapidly assembled themselves into a floating holographic panel.
Words formed.
[ Congratulations ]
[ You have awakened a B-Rank Talent ]
[ Talent: Nutrition Optimization ]
[ Affinity: Beast / Self ]
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The girl froze, her hand still pressed against the crystal, eyes wide as she stared at the glowing panel above her. Her mind went blank.
B-rank?
Beast affinity?
Officer Bart stiffened where he stood.
The murmurs that had been carefully suppressed moments ago exploded all at once.
Before anyone else could react—
"A beast-compatible talent?!" Sarah suddenly shouted, her voice ringing across the Awakening Center. "That's a beast-taming talent!"
That single sentence shattered the remaining silence.
"What?! Are you serious?!"
"She got it on the first try?"
"A B-rank beast affinity—are you kidding me?!"
"Damn it, she's insanely lucky!"
"Is she blessed by the Goddess or something?"
"I need to remember her face—befriending her might be worth it…"
Excited voices rose and overlapped, the crowd buzzing with envy, admiration, and raw disbelief.
But at the center of it all, the girl—Mara—stood completely stunned.
This wasn't what she wanted.
She didn't feel joy. Or pride.
Only a strange, sinking confusion.
She wasn't a fighter. She had never imagined herself commanding beasts, let alone risking her life in the wilds. To her, strength had always meant safety and stability—not blood and danger.
Her luck… felt almost cruel.
Officer Bart finally snapped out of his daze.
"Alright!" he barked, authority flooding back into his voice. "Quiet down, everyone."
The noise gradually subsided.
"You—Miss Mara," he said, checking the name as it hovered briefly beside the panel. "Step to the designated area and wait until the ceremony concludes. Your talent will be officially registered with the Beast Taming Agency afterward."
His tone was professional, controlled—though the faint tension in his posture betrayed his excitement. A B-rank beast-affinity on a random batch was nothing to scoff at.
Mara nodded stiffly and moved aside, still dazed.
Kael watched her quietly.
Unlike the others, he wasn't surprised.
'Talents are mostly luck,' he thought calmly. 'Luck… and compatibility.'
From what he had observed since transmigrating into this body three months ago, talent awakenings were rarely about effort or desire. Personality mattered—but luck mattered more.
That was why he had predicted Sarah's result earlier. Her temperament simply screamed combat-type. Whether she'd get it or not, though—that depended entirely on how generous fate felt.
And unfortunately for everyone else…
Sarah was absurdly lucky.
"Nutrition Optimization…" Kael murmured softly, eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "Sounds like a support-type talent."
Not flashy. Not destructive.
But potentially terrifying in the long run.
His gaze shifted back to the crystal sphere. The intense purple light had faded, returning to its faint, steady glow—quiet once more, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
The line moved.
Kael stepped forward as the second candidate move towards the crystal.
He exhaled slowly.
'Let's hope my luck isn't completely terrible like my past life,' he thought.
But even as the thought crossed his mind…
He wasn't entirely convinced himself.
----
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