The night before the awakening ceremony was... brutal.
Arthur tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, counting imaginary sheep, breathing in patterns he read online. Nothing worked. It wasn't even anxiety anymore—just that heavy silence before a storm. The kind that wraps around your chest and doesn't let go.
By the time dawn painted the sky in sleepy hues of orange and grey, he'd gotten maybe two hours of sleep. Still, he got up. Brushed his teeth. Splashed his face. Ate whatever his mum left on the table—eggs, toast, and her usual "don't forget to smile today" sticky note. He gave her a half-wave, mumbled something like "later," and left.
The school grounds were... packed.
Everyone was there. Every student from his year, even the ones who treated school like it was optional. Faces he hadn't seen since orientation. The usual cliques had dissolved into a quiet buzz—everyone standing around nervously, eyes darting toward the line of figures near the field.
Arthur squinted.
Strangers.
They didn't wear school uniforms. Most were dressed in either sleek suits or practical combat wear. Some wore long coats and had data pads in hand, whispering to one another and scanning the crowd. Even without knowing who they were, Arthur could feel it.
Talent scouts.
Then it clicked. Today wasn't just the Awakening Ceremony.
It was Talent Scouting Day.
A double-edged sword. The ceremony was already a pressure cooker, but add in scouts from guilds and academies? This day could literally change someone's life. And for the unawakened... it could make or break what little future they had left.
Arthur swallowed hard. The world suddenly felt way too bright.
The staff called names and gradually herded the unawakened students into a separate area of the field. Everyone else, the already awakened and blessed, stayed behind. It felt like being quarantined. Marked. Here are the leftovers. Take your pick.
A few instructors gave them a short prep talk—basic stuff. "Don't panic." "Stay still when the stone activates." "The results will be recorded and visible." The usual song and dance.
In front of them stood a large crystalline structure—jagged, pulsing faintly with light. The Awakening Stone. Supposedly a replica of the artifact found on the first floor of the Tower. A diluted, man-made version, but still powerful enough to force an awakening under the right conditions.
Arthur stared at it. The light was blue, soft, almost soothing. But the stories said otherwise.
Awakening wasn't painless. It was often messy. Some passed out. Some screamed. A few failed altogether. And that was just with normal difficulty. This one... this was worse. An artificial stone with reduced compatibility meant more pressure, more instability. A gamble.
Maybe living a boring life wouldn't be so bad, Arthur thought. No dungeons. No blood. No fighting over loot or dying in some collapsed portal.
Just survive. Maybe open a bookstore or something. I mean, I've been bottom-feeding this long. Might as well do it officially.
"Arthur Knight!"
He flinched. That was... fast.
The instructor's voice cut through the crowd. Everyone turned toward him. His name echoed louder in his head than it should've. Heart pounding, legs heavy, he moved.
One step. Another.
As he approached the stone, his system buzzed to life—something it had never done before.
[SYSTEM RESPONSE DETECTED][AWAKENING COMPATIBILITY: ACTIVE][ENTERING CLASS SELECTION INTERFACE...]
Blue light enveloped him.
And then—
Silence.
He was gone from the field.
Or rather... he wasn't there anymore.
Everything around him turned surreal. The world bent and twisted until he stood in a vast, dark space filled with floating stars and a floor that looked like shimmering glass.
And in front of him—cards.
Massive cards, each one easily as tall as a door. They floated in the air, glowing faintly. Blue, cyan, and right in the center... a single, glowing purple card pulsing with quiet menace.
Each card had a name etched in glowing letters and a short description underneath.
🟦 Knight – The frontline shield. Defensive mastery and high constitution. Loyal, immovable, and designed to protect allies above all else.
🟦 Berserker – The unleashed fury. Thrives on chaos and pain, sacrificing defense for overwhelming offense.
🟦 Healer – The miracle weaver. Uses life energy to mend, purify, and protect. Rare and vital.
🟦 Support – The invisible strength. Buffs, barriers, and battlefield control. Underestimated, but never unimportant.
🟦 Wizard – The elemental scholar. Commands magic through knowledge and calculation. Glass cannon, high damage.
🟦 Archer – The silent hunter. Precision, agility, and deadly ranged attacks. Masters of movement and patience.
🟦 Assassin – The shadow's edge. Fast, quiet, and lethal. High risk, high reward. Masters of burst damage.
🟦 Alchemist – The chaotic thinker. Specializes in transmutation, potions, and environmental manipulation. Unpredictable but versatile.
🟪 ??? – Unknown Class. Description not available.Warning: Incompatible with standard awakening protocols.
Arthur's eyes locked onto the purple card.
It didn't shimmer like the others. It throbbed. Like it was alive. Like it was watching him.
His system flickered again.
[A Unique Class Has Responded To Your Soul.][Warning: Choosing this class may alter your fate permanently.][Proceed...?]
Arthur took a shaky breath.
"Of course," he muttered, almost laughing. "Of course it's purple."
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and that is 847 words woohooo lets go slow and steady wins the race