While he was in the taming space, Cloud remained unaware that time moved differently there. To him, it seemed he had been inside for only about thirty minutes, perhaps even less. Yet, upon returning, he noticed that night had fully fallen, and the world outside remained as silent as ever, with flakes of snow clinging to his window. In the unnerving darkness of his room, he began searching for his phone, which he had hidden beneath the makeshift bed.
Yes, he owned a phone. Lying to Carly was essential to rid himself of her, and to him, that justified everything. Moreover, the phone had not been purchased; it had been stolen. That fact, however, seemed irrelevant since he had never seen its original owner. Though he had occasionally contemplated finding the person who had forgotten it at the rundown arcade, he did not actually attempt it. He abandoned the thought, convincing himself that the device was a gift from the gods. Supporting that theory, the phone bore no password.
From that moment onward, he willingly accepted the so-called divine gift, never removing the valuable item from his room for fear it might be taken. The irony was not lost on him.
Finally, after a painstaking search, his hands made contact with the phone. He retrieved it and powered it on, checking the time. It was 11:56 p.m.
Cloud rushed to light the lantern in his room using the last stick of matches he had. This time, the fire was not for warmth. He had only recently been roasted and needed the winter's cold to soothe the burning pain lingering in every corner of his body. He made sure to close the lid, keeping the flames contained so the heat would not spread.
"Phew."
Once that was done, he returned to the system. He summoned the Skill again, now able to read through it properly, away from the Taming Space and the forced summons of Cataclysm beasts.
[New Skill: Devouring Combustion (Lv.1)]
[Description: A mid Skill belonging to The Devouring Crown, allowing the wielder to devour abilities or offensive attacks directed at them in battle and convert them into fuel to ignite powerful flame combustions. This skill cannot be transferred or enforced into an Item.]
Cloud, out of habit, began stroking his chin.
'Hehe. That's well deserved, and honestly, this will be really useful in battle. However, I will need to learn to use it efficiently. Sadly, I cannot enforce it into an Item.'
Though it was considered a mid Skill for the Draconic God, for him it was extraordinarily powerful. Cloud felt a renewed determination to tame the Dragon, knowing he could use any Trait or Skill it possessed without restriction. The only drawback was that this Skill could not be enforced.
He had heard of Awakened humans enforcing their Skills into weapons, enhancing their destructive or defensive potential. That was one reason all special weapons used by Awakened individuals were called Soul Weapons, aside from the fact that each could possess a unique, high-level Skill. Wealthy families often purchased powerful Soul Weapons for their children at prices so steep that even twenty years of savings would not afford the most basic model.
For now, that was of no concern to him. In terms of Transferable Skills, it was common knowledge that individuals could share Skills if their main Ability was compatible and the Skill was transferrable, which this one was not. Not that he had any intention of doing so anyway.
Nonetheless, he still had much to learn. Cloud was eager to try out the Skill, but it could not be activated outside of battle, leaving little for him to practice at the moment. He decided to turn off the lantern to conserve the remaining gas and attempted to sleep despite the burning pain coursing through his body. He could not even change out of his charred clothing.
'Thanks for the Skill, but I really still hate you, dumb lizard.'
Cloud lay down on his makeshift bed without a pillow. It was uncomfortable, but he had grown accustomed to it as a form of comfort. Worse, he would have to sleep on an empty stomach tonight, and tomorrow he would need to find a way to earn even a small amount of money to feed himself. This was his normal routine, yet he did not blame himself for it. No, it was the fault of others. He had no part in it, but now it was his responsibility to change it or continue living this way.
The latter was not an option he would accept.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, the phone he had left on the ground lit up with a notification. He turned his head toward it nonchalantly.
'What is it now? I should have turned it off.'
Cloud grimaced.
He slowly rolled from the makeshift bed onto the cold floor, savoring the relief it brought to his aching body. A couple of minutes later, he stretched his hands and lifted the phone above his head.
The notification headline read: "Great News! You have been offered a Special admission, dear Awakened Student."
The peasant boy stared at the message blankly. His mind struggled to process the information, but the moment it clicked, he leapt up in shock with his mouth wide open.
"Wait, what!?"
Cloud rushed to tap the notification to read its full contents.
___
Awakened Academy
Official Special Admission Notice
Recipient: Cloud Cloudy
Awakened Identification Number: Generated
Rank Classification: E Rank
Grade Evaluation: Celestial Grade
Ability Type: Rare Tier — Beast Tamer
Dear Cloud Cloudy,
Following the completion of the Continental Awakening Assessment and the final review conducted by the International Awakened Association in collaboration with the Academy Council, you have been granted Special Admission into the Great Awakened Academy.
The Great Awakened Academy stands as the first established and highest-ranking Awakened Academy on the continent. It is an institution known for producing elite Awakened individuals and housing prestigious students from all regions of the world.
After thorough evaluation of your Awakening results, ability classification, and overall metrics, the Council has approved your placement as a Special Student under full scholarship sponsorship.
As a Special Student, the following provisions apply:
Complete exemption from all tuition and academic fees.
Full boarding accommodation within Academy premises at no cost.
Free access to every facility.
Provision of all required academic materials and essential equipment.
Eligibility for monthly financial stipend throughout your enrollment period.
You will not be required to pay any monetary fee during your entire duration at the Academy.
In addition, you have been listed among the Top 200 candidates across the continent to receive immediate admission this year without delay.
Furthermore, based on your overall assessment score and ability evaluation, you are officially ranked among the Top 10 highest-performing Awakened candidates of this year's continental Awakening cohort.
Your enrollment date is scheduled for seven days from the issuance of this notice. Detailed instructions regarding arrival procedures, identity verification, assessment, and dormitory assignment will be transmitted to this device within forty-eight hours.
Failure to confirm acceptance within three days will result in automatic forfeiture of this admission offer.
We anticipate your arrival and future contribution to the advancement of Awakened society.
Signed,
Academy Council
Great Awakened Academy
Under Authority of the International Awakened Association.
___
After reading the message, Cloud's eyes widened even further. He had been offered admission to the Great Awakened Academy in less than twenty-four hours with a special admission.
There was no doubt…!
'Damn! The gods are starting to favor me! Finally, it's about time I grow. This is the real beginning of my story.'