The last student had stepped down from the Awakening Platform.
A few students exchanged high-fives while some faculty members offered applause. The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with excitement and relief.
Ethan sat quietly among them.
His back was still stiff and his mind was stuck remembering that black sky and the broken land within his realm.
He slowly clenched his finger.
"I'm already behind..."
While everyone else was already thinking about what type of world they would build.
What type of godhood to focus on.
Ethan was still trying to figure out how to make his realm survive.
....
Before the noise could settle, a sharp bell rang throughout the hall.
Then a holographic panel slowly unfolded above the front stage.
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[All individual Divine Realms have been successfully awakened.]
[Next Phase: Initial Race Card Selection]
[School-issued Tier 1 Cards will be accessible for the next 24 hours.]
[You may also bring your own Race Cards for integration.]
[Reminder: Only Tier 1 to Tier 3 Cards are permitted in demigod stage.]
[Limit: 12 integrations in the first year of godhood.]
[Race integration will begin tomorrow.]
[Good luck, students.]
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The light started fading out.
"I hope they have that Tier 3 Iron-Scaled Lizard."
"My mother informed me she has sent me a courier with Tier 2 Drakefolk Card!"
"Hurry up, we'll get stuck with Goblins or Slimes if we wait for too long."
Dozens of murmurs broke out at once.
Ethan stayed where he was.
The professor had already left, and most of the students were already making their way toward the adjoining card exhibition hall.
He watched them go, though his thoughts were still stuck on his own realm.
Race cards, huh…
The system's interface hovered faintly in the air in front of him.
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[Divine Realm Analysis Complete]
[Current Divine Realm: Polluted Wasteland]
[Resource Availability: Low]
[Growth Efficiency: -70%]
[Suitable Biological Characteristics:]• High Toxicity Resistance• Low Nutritional Requirements• Ability to Consume Organic Waste• High Environmental Adaptability
[Recommended Race Categories:]• Slimes• Fungoid Lifeforms• Scavenger Species• Undead
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Ethan stared at the analysis for a moment before closing the interference.
He stood up and headed out, his footsteps light, but his mind racing.
The moment he entered the exhibition hall, he was immediately captivated by the vast array of giant projections of race cards floated above rows of glass cases, each one displaying a different creature.
Students were crowding around them, excitedly discussing what they had found.
"Did you see the Azure Blinkfox? It can teleport instantly within a five-meter radius!"
"I heard A-Class students can access rare cards from the school's restricted collection."
Ethan glanced at a group of boys walking past, their custom-tailored coats bearing the emblems of their respective families.
Back in my world, survival meant fighting over canned food. Here, survival meant choosing the right race card.
His gaze returned to the displays.
Rows upon rows of basic cards filled the exhibition hall. There were thousands of them, each containing a different possibility for the future.
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—[Race: Slimekin]
Gel-based organisms with no intelligence but capable of absorbing trash and splitting under stress.
Trait: [Adaptive Absorption]
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—[Race: Goblinkin]
Small humanoids with low intelligence and an overwhelming instinct to reproduce. Their numbers can grow rapidly under suitable conditions.
Trait: [Rapid Breeding]
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—[Race: Cinderbugs]
Insects born in volcanic zones. Known for fast breeding and glowing carapace.
Trait: [Thermal Colony]
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—[Race: Mossfolk]
Plant-based humanoids that grow in clusters. Passive and weak alone, but highly effective when living in groups.
Trait: [Life Bloom]
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—[Race: Dusk Imps]
Nocturnal shadow beings who thrive in low-light environments.
Trait: [Shadow Step]
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Many more races caught his attention, each suited to a different environment—ice, desert, water and sky.
"I don't need a race that is strong. It just has to survive and adapt in my realm."
His steps carried him to the far end of the hall, where the lights were dimmer and the crowd noticeably thinner.
This was where the less popular cards were displayed.
He lightly brushed a hand over a cold glass panel, causing a card to illuminate.
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[Race Card: Saplingkin]
Tier: 1
Description: A peaceful plant-based race that thrives slowly under proper care.
Environment Compatibility: Forests, Nature-Dominant Biomes
Traits: [Photosynthesis], [Root Memory]
Reproduction Rate: Low
Combat Ability: Very Low]
----------------------------------------------
He stared at the card, acknowledging its limitations. It lacked combat capability, reproductive speed, and adaptability to harsh conditions.
Objectively, it was a terrible choice.
But Ethan's eyes remained fixed on the tiny image of the Saplingkin.
"Still..."
He remembered the metal skies.
He remembered walking past the same crumbled city tower every day, its broken screens flickering choppy as drones buzzed like flies.
Ethan slowly exhaled.
The Saplingkin… it wasn't powerful, but it reminded him of something humanity in his past life had forgotten:
Hope.
"If it can't survive in the world I've been given..."
His fingers rested against the glass.
"...then I'll make a world where it can."
The panel changed.
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[Select Saplingkin?]
[Warning: Current Divine Realm presents extreme environmental incompatibility.]
[Estimated Survival Rate: 7.3%]
[Proceed Anyway?]
----------------------------------------------
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the little Saplingkin one last time.
Then he smiled.
"Proceed."
----------------------------------------------
[Saplingkin selected.]
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The card faded from the display.
Ethan slowly turned away, slipping his hands into his pockets.
He had no idea if the little creatures would survive.
Behind him, the speakers crackled.
"All students, please finalize your selection within the next 24 hours. The Integration Ceremony will begin tomorrow at 10 a.m."
Ethan continued toward the exit.
"Let's see if I can make something grow."