Chapter Two: Awakening Day
Today was supposed to be the most important day of her life.
At exactly six in the morning, the alarm in her apartment chimed softly, filling the quiet bedroom with a pleasant melody before gradually increasing in volume. The sixteen-year-old girl opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for several long seconds, remembering exactly what day it was. Her stomach tightened almost immediately.
Awakening Day.
Every year, on this exact date, students between the ages of sixteen and eighteen across Atheria were given their opportunity to awaken. The youngest candidates were given the best chance, and although there was no guarantee that someone would awaken at any age, most families hoped their children would succeed as early as possible. Today, she was finally old enough to stand before the Awakening Orb herself.
She slowly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, trying to calm the nervous flutter that had already started in her stomach. She had been preparing for this day since childhood, yet somehow all those years of preparation had done very little to make her feel ready. Her family had taught her cultivation techniques, arranged private lessons, and made sure she understood the basics of mana, but awakening remained something nobody could force.
She got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom, glancing at herself in the mirror as she passed. Her long hair was slightly messy from sleep, and the expression on her face looked almost comically serious. She stared at herself for a moment before quietly muttering, "You can do this."
The words sounded unconvincing even to her.
After washing up, she showered and changed into the uniform of her school. She checked her appearance several times before finally deciding that she looked presentable enough. Her school uniform was simple compared with the clothing she normally wore at family functions, and she preferred it that way. At school, she could almost pretend that she was an ordinary girl.
Almost.
She picked up her bag and stepped outside her apartment. A black sedan was already waiting at the curb below, its polished surface reflecting the morning sunlight. Her family's driver had arrived precisely on schedule, as he did every morning, and he stepped out to open the rear door for her.
"Good morning, Young Miss," he said with a warm smile. "Big day today."
She gave him a small nod before getting into the car.
"Very big day," she muttered.
The driver closed the door and walked around to his own seat. A few seconds later, the vehicle pulled away from the apartment complex and smoothly entered the morning traffic.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke. The girl stared through the window at the city passing outside. Tall buildings rose along the streets, magical advertisements floated above shops, and automated vehicles traveled alongside conventional cars. A few cultivation academies had enormous banners hanging from their buildings, advertising courses and promising to help students achieve greater heights.
Normally she would have found the city fascinating.
Today, she barely noticed it.
The driver checked the rearview mirror and saw her expression.
"Young Miss, don't be nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not."
She gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"I said I'm not."
"Then I suppose the fact that you've been squeezing your fingers together for the last five minutes has absolutely nothing to do with it."
She immediately released her hands and looked down.
The driver chuckled softly.
"Everyone gets nervous before awakening. Even the people who pretend they don't. Your grandfather probably looked nervous before his awakening too."
"He wouldn't admit it."
"No, he definitely wouldn't."
That made her smile slightly.
The driver continued speaking in a reassuring tone. "You've cultivated since you were young. You've trained properly. Your foundation is stable, and your family has given you every opportunity available to you. Whatever happens today, you haven't failed."
She looked out the window again.
"But if I don't awaken..."
"You'll still be you."
She remained silent.
The driver continued, "And your family will still be proud of you."
She knew he was trying to help, and she appreciated it, even if she didn't know how to respond. Her family had never openly told her she was worthless without an Awakening, but expectations had a way of existing without being spoken. Being the granddaughter of one of the most powerful Awakeners in the world made ordinary expectations feel much heavier.
"I just don't want to disappoint everyone," she finally whispered.
The driver smiled gently.
"Then don't think about everyone. Just think about yourself."
She didn't answer, but his words stayed with her as the car continued toward the school.
After nearly twenty minutes, the vehicle finally stopped outside the enormous campus of her school. Hundreds of students were already arriving through the gates, accompanied by parents, relatives, or school staff. Some looked excited, others terrified, while a few were pretending to be completely uninterested in the entire ceremony.
She stepped out of the car.
"Good luck, Young Miss."
She paused.
"Thank you."
The driver gave her one final encouraging smile before she turned and walked toward the school entrance.
Inside, the atmosphere was completely different from an ordinary school day.
Students gathered in nervous groups, speaking quietly about classes they wanted, chances of awakening, and what they might do if they were lucky enough to become Awakeners. Some were discussing combat classes, others talked about support abilities, while a few already had their hearts set on becoming legendary figures despite not having awakened yet.
She walked through the crowd quietly.
She recognized several classmates and received a few greetings, but she mostly responded with small nods. She wasn't particularly social, and on any normal day she might have avoided large groups entirely. Today, however, everyone was anxious enough that nobody seemed particularly interested in judging anyone else.
Eventually, the students were directed toward the school's grand assembly hall.
The hall had been prepared specifically for Awakening Day. At the front stood a raised platform with a single transparent orb resting on a pedestal. The Awakening Orb looked almost too simple for something capable of determining the future of countless young people.
She stared at it from her seat.
That small crystal contained the possibility of changing her life forever.
At the front of the hall, one of the teachers stepped onto the podium and waited until the students gradually settled down.
"Good morning, everyone."
The response from the students was quiet and uneven.
"Good morning, sir."
The teacher smiled faintly before continuing. "Today is an important day, but I want all of you to remember something before we begin. Awakening is an opportunity, not a guarantee. Some of you will awaken today. Some of you will not. Neither outcome determines your value as a person."
The girl lowered her gaze slightly.
The teacher continued explaining the ceremony, reminding everyone that they would approach the Awakening Orb individually and place their hands upon it. If the orb reacted, the system would recognize their awakening and assign their class. If nothing happened, their attempt would simply be recorded as unsuccessful.
She had already heard all of this countless times.
She still listened carefully.
One student was called first.
The boy walked toward the platform nervously, his shoulders stiff and his hands visibly trembling. Several students watched him with barely concealed curiosity as he placed both palms against the orb.
Nothing happened.
Thirty seconds later, the teacher gently told him to step aside.
The boy returned to his seat without saying a word.
Another student was called.
Then another.
Some walked confidently. Others looked as though they wanted to disappear into the floor.
One after another, they touched the orb.
Some failed.
A few succeeded.
Whenever someone awakened, a wave of excitement spread through the hall as their new class was announced. The students who had awakened were guided toward the side of the stage while everyone else watched them with a mixture of admiration and envy.
The girl kept waiting.
Her name had not been called yet.
She tried to remain calm, but each successful awakening made her heartbeat slightly faster.
What if hers didn't happen?
She immediately stopped herself.
No.
She had prepared.
She would do what she could.
Eventually, the teacher looked down at the list in his hand.
His eyes paused.
Then he raised his head.
"Next."
The room grew strangely quiet.
He read the name.
Her heart stopped for half a second.
"Please come forward."
She slowly stood.
For the first time that morning, every sound around her seemed distant.
She could hear her own footsteps as she walked toward the platform.
The Awakening Orb seemed larger with every step.
She stopped before it.
The teacher gave her an encouraging smile.
"Don't overthink it. Just place your hands on the orb and let the system do the rest."
She nodded.
Then she placed both hands against the crystal.
Nothing happened.
One second passed.
Then five.
Ten.
Her heartbeat grew louder.
Twenty.
She could almost feel everyone's eyes on her.
The teacher glanced at the timer.
Twenty-five seconds.
She swallowed.
Maybe this was it.
Maybe she had failed.
The Awakening Orb suddenly lit up.
A brilliant surge of light erupted from the crystal and spread across the entire platform, forcing the girl to instinctively close her eyes. Warmth flooded through her body, traveling from her palms into her arms and then through every part of her body. It felt as though something that had always been sleeping inside her had finally opened its eyes.
A translucent blue interface appeared directly in front of her.
[Awakening Successful.]
Her eyes widened.
Before she could even process those words, another notification appeared.
[Class Acquired: Demon Summoner]
For several seconds, she could do nothing except stare at the words hovering before her. She had awakened. Somehow, despite all the doubt she had carried with her that morning, despite the possibility that she might have spent years cultivating for nothing, the Genesis System had recognized her.
The teacher standing in front of her had also noticed the reaction, and his normally composed expression had changed completely.
"Demon Summoner..."
He repeated the name quietly before looking toward the other teachers.
"It's a Rare Class."
The words immediately caused the hall to erupt.
Students began whispering among themselves, some excited, some confused, and others already trying to figure out what sort of abilities a Demon Summoner possessed. Rare Classes weren't common enough for every student to have encountered one personally, and the girl's heart began beating faster as she realized that the class she had received was already considered exceptional.
But before she could look up at the teacher, another window appeared in front of her.
[Genesis System Status]
[Name: Elara Veyne]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Class: Demon Summoner]
[Level: 1]
[EXP: 0 / 100]
[Strength: 26]
[Agility: 28]
[Constitution: 24]
[Intelligence: 96]
[Free Stat: 0]
[Class Skills: Demon Summoning Ritual, True Name Discerning, Minor Pact Binding]
[Innate Talent: Evolve]
[Gift of Genesis- Travel To Genesis World]
She stared at the panel.
There was so much information yet so little.
Her eyes moved from one line to another, eventually stopping at the last two.
Evolve.
And below it.
"What..."
The word slipped from her mouth.
She had heard about talents before. If awakeners were rare, Talents among Awakener were even rarer, talents were not the same as skills or anything really. Class skills came naturally from the class itself, while talents were innate abilities unique to the individual who possessed them.
Evolve
The name was simple enough.
She looked at the Evolution Points beneath it.
Forty-eight thousand.
She had absolutely no idea what they were for, but she could already see a single option beneath the number.
[Evolution Points may be used to evolve entities.]
Her eyes brightened.
"So I can use them?"
The system remained silent.
She stared at the panel for another few seconds, waiting for perhaps some additional explanation.
Nothing came.
Of course.
The Genesis System didn't care whether she understood what she had received. It merely recorded what existed and presented the information to her.
The girl slowly smiled.
She had no idea what her class meant or what this meant but she was sure of one thing, This was time to celebrate. She had awakened.