In a world where every child was born with a destiny, the Ceremony of Awakening was everything.
It was the day your soul's calling was revealed. Warrior, Mage, Archer, Tamer, Healer—each class shaped your future, your worth, your life. From the moment the crystal touched your forehead, your fate was no longer your own. It belonged to the gods.
Kio already knew his fate.
And it wasn't a good one.
The temple bell rang once, twice, then a third time—deep and solemn. All of Elderglen village gathered at the stone platform on the hill overlooking the fields. Parents stood behind their children, dressed in clean linen, braided hair, and sandals that hadn't touched dirt in days.
Kio stood near the back of the line.
He was barefoot. His brown shirt was patched. His hair was wild and wind-tossed. He held his worn satchel over one shoulder, more out of habit than pride.
The other kids whispered.
Some laughed.
None looked at him like he belonged.
"Next!" the village elder called. His voice echoed through the clear spring air.
A boy stepped forward—a butcher's son named Taven. The priest placed a glowing crystal against his forehead. For a few seconds, light swirled, pulsing with golden energy.
Then the words appeared in the air above his head.
[Class: Spearmaster – D+]
[Affinity: Earth]
The villagers cheered.
Taven's father clapped him on the shoulder and shouted, "That's my boy!"
Taven grinned, bowed awkwardly, and walked off with a puffed chest.
Kio glanced down at his hands.
Calloused. Strong. Hands that had carried baskets, hauled firewood, washed laundry, and lifted water jugs every morning since he was six.
He didn't expect Spearmaster.
He didn't expect anything.
He just hoped he wouldn't be laughed at.
"Next," the elder said.
Kio didn't feel welcomed, he wasn't even on the original list. His parents had died when he was four. The only reason he was here was because Elra—his guardian and part-time baker—insisted he come.
So Kio stepped forward quietly, uninvited but not unwelcome.
The priest gave him a tired glance. "Name?"
"Kio," he said, voice soft.
The priest hesitated, then nodded. "Place your forehead against the crystal."
Kio stepped forward.
The crystal pulsed. Once. Weakly.
The sky didn't brighten.
The air didn't stir.
No divine wind. No song.
Just two words appeared above his head in dull gray light.
[Class: Villager – F-]
There was silence.
Then laughter.
Not cruel. Not loud. Just… dismissive.
Like seeing a farmer trip over a chicken.
The priest squinted at the result. "Ahem… a rare outcome," he said, as if that would soften the blow. "Villager class. Lowest tier. No affinity."
Someone in the crowd whispered, "That's worse than getting nothing…"
Another chuckled. "They should've let the crystal rest first. Must be tired."
Kio didn't react.
He stepped back, bowed politely, and walked off the platform without a word.
No one stopped him.
Why would they?
He didn't go home. Instead, he walked through the wheat fields until the voices faded behind him. The scent of baked bread, flowers, and sweat from the ceremony blurred into the hum of the breeze.
He sat beneath an old willow tree on the edge of the stream. Its roots twisted out of the ground like veins, gnarled and ancient.
Kio leaned back and exhaled.
"…Villager, huh?"
He tried to laugh, but it caught in his throat.
He had never wanted to be a hero.
But he hadn't expected to be nothing.
Then something strange happened.
A soft tone—like the ring of water droplets on glass—echoed in his ears.
And then, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Skill Acquired: Observe World – Level 1]
Class Skill Activated.
Kio blinked.
That… wasn't part of the ceremony.
His vision shimmered. For a moment, he could see the tree in front of him in sharp detail. Bark pattern. Ant trails. Moisture content. Even the subtle energy running through the roots.
He focused on a nearby squirrel.
[Target: Forest Squirrel]
• Status: Searching
• Health: Good
• Thoughts (Fragment): "Nut. Nut. Nut. Where?"
• Aura: Neutral
Kio choked on a laugh.
"Nut. Nut. Nut," he echoed.
The skill faded a moment later, and everything returned to normal. But a soft glow remained in the corner of his vision—his status window. It pulsed faintly.
Kio – Villager (F-)
HP: 50 / 50
MP: 5 / 5
Skills: [Observe World – Lv.1]
He touched the edge of the screen with his finger—and it rippled.
The world shifted again.
He wasn't supposed to have this.
Villagers didn't get class skills. And definitely not ones with floating menus and hidden data.
His heart beat faster.
"Is this a mistake?"
Or…
Was this something else?
That night, Kio sat on his cot in the corner of Elra's bakery, watching the glow of the skill window fade in and out like a heartbeat. He opened it again.
Just looking.
Just… curious.
He activated the skill once more.
This time, he looked at the stone oven in the center of the room.
[Object: Clay Oven]
• Temperature: 213°C
• Material Wear: 12%
• Risk of Structural Crack in: 14 uses
• Hidden Note: Smells faintly of cinnamon
He stared.
Then he whispered to the window:
"…What are you?"
And the window, this time, responded.
[Observe World has leveled up to 2.]
[Passive Aura Detection unlocked.]
[Fragmented System Access: 0.1%]
And at the bottom, in tiny letters that flickered like dying starlight:
"You are not supposed to see this."