The very back of the hall felt distant, almost detached from the rest of the world.
At the very last bench, a man sat lazily, completely out of place.
His legs were propped up on the table, crossed carelessly at the ankles. His posture lacked even the slightest hint of discipline or awareness of his surroundings. While everyone else was dressed in formal or semi-formal attire, he wore nothing more than simple shorts and a loose shirt, as if he had just wandered in from his home.
A few students whispered.
Who was he?
Why was he acting like that?
Before anyone could approach him or question his behavior, the man moved.
He slowly stood up.
Not hurriedly.
Not with purpose. Just… lazily.
He stretched slightly, then let out a long, unrestrained yawn, as though the entire gathering bored him to no end.
Then—
He snapped his fingers.
The moment the sound echoed through the hall, everything changed.
Every single light went out.
The sudden darkness swallowed the room whole, cutting off conversations mid-sentence. A few gasps broke through the silence. Someone dropped something.
Before panic could rise, the projector flickered to life.
A soft glow illuminated the front of the hall.
Displayed on the massive screen was a familiar sight—a world map.
The continents, the oceans, the boundaries… everything appeared exactly as they had all learned since childhood. Seven continents. A complete and unquestioned truth.
The man began walking.
Slow. Unbothered. Casual.
He stepped down from the last row and made his way through the aisle, his hands tucked loosely into his pockets. His footsteps echoed softly in the quiet hall as all eyes gradually turned toward him.
No one dared to stop him.
No one even spoke.
By the time he reached the center platform, the silence had become absolute.
He stopped in front of the projection screen.
Then he spoke.
"Some of you already know," he said casually, his voice calm but carrying effortlessly across the hall.
"But I'm only going to explain this once."
There was no authority in his tone.
No force.
Yet somehow, no one dared to interrupt him.
He raised his hand and pointed at the glowing map behind him.
"This," he continued, "is the world as normal people know it."
His fingers shifted slightly.
Seven continents glowed faintly on the screen.
"A complete picture," he added, almost mockingly.
Then, without warning, he lifted two fingers and swiped them to the right.
The screen responded instantly.
The map changed.
At first glance, it looked similar.
The same oceans.
The same general shapes.
But something was… off.
The differences became clear within seconds.
The room grew colder.
The map now showed more than seven continents.
Four additional landmasses had risen—immense and otherworldly, defying all known geography. Despite their strange distortions, they carried an uncanny sense of belonging, as though they were always part of the same world.
Sam's mind reeled.
What… is that?
Is this some kind of joke?
The man had already stepped fully onto the center platform.
He spread both arms wide, as if presenting a grand performance.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Welcome," he said, "to the real world."
The words landed heavily.
He lowered his arms and turned slightly toward the screen again.
"As you can see," he continued, "this map still contains the seven continents you're familiar with."
He paused briefly.
Then added,
"But it also contains four more."
His tone remained calm, almost bored.
"Together," he said, "those four continents are larger than the seven combined."
Including Sam, several others were in disbelief, yet somehow convinced.
"On these continents," he went on, "the supernatural isn't fantasy. It isn't a fairy tale."
He turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"It's reality."
No one spoke.
No one even shifted.
"You," he said, pointing casually toward the audience, "and me—we're called Awakened."
The word lingered in the air.
"But don't misunderstand," he added. "Fundamentally, we're no different from normal people."
A few brows furrowed.
Confusion deepened.
"If you go by official records and documents," he continued.
"anyone can activate their system."
A pause.
Sam's eyes widened the moment he heard the word "system."
Then—
"Yes," he said, almost amused.
"You heard that right."
"System."
The word hit harder this time.
Many in the hall stiffened.
Some instinctively glanced at nothing, as if expecting something to appear in front of their eyes.
"You've all recently started seeing it," he went on. "Haven't you?"
Silence confirmed everything.
"These systems," he said.
"will define your lives from this point onward."
He began pacing slowly across the platform.
"Each system is different. Some are growth-type. Some function like games. Some offer unique abilities, while others provide methods."
"There are even systems that don't provide anything at all."
A few people tensed.
"They simply display your status," he added.
Then he glanced toward the audience again.
"And in this room," he said plainly, "six of you have exactly that type."
A heavy silence followed.
No one moved.
No one reacted.
But tension spread like wildfire.
After a moment, the man let out a quiet sigh.
"Honestly," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "why do I always get stuck explaining this?"
It didn't sound like a complaint meant for them.
It sounded… genuine.
He shook his head slightly and continued.
"As Awakened, we fight," he said.
"We enter dungeons. We explore unknown regions across those four continents."
His voice remained steady.
"We deal with what unawakened people never even realize exists."
He paused.
Then added,
"Monsters. Beasts. Things that would wipe out humanity if left unchecked."
A chill ran through the hall.
"The seven continents," he continued, gesturing toward the familiar parts of the map, "are protected."
"By an ancient barrier."
His voice dropped slightly.
"Powerful enough to keep those creatures out."
A brief silence followed.
"That," he said, "is why unawakened people live their lives without ever knowing the truth."
He clapped his hands once.
The sound echoed sharply.
Instantly, the lights came back on.
The sudden brightness forced many to blink.
The illusion was gone.
The hall returned to normal.
The man stretched slightly, looking completely uninterested again.
"I'm tired," he said bluntly. "So let's get this over with."
A few people stared at him in disbelief.
"If anyone has a question," he added, "I'll answer one."
He raised a finger.
"Only one."
A pause.
"If not," he continued, "head to the second floor. Get your system details and register yourselves as Awakened."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then—
Three hands shot up.
The man glanced at them briefly, already knowing what they wanted to ask. He seemed unimpressed..
Meanwhile, Sam sat frozen.
His mind was racing.
Questions flooded his thoughts.
Too many.
What should he ask?
What mattered most?
What—
"Four more continents…"
The words slipped out before he realized it.
His voice wasn't loud.
But in the silent hall, it didn't need to be.
Sam froze.
His eyes widened.
He quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Too late.
The man had already turned toward him.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the entire hall seemed to disappear.
Then the man spoke.
"Alright," he said casually.
"That's the question I'll answer."
Every head turned toward Sam.
He felt the weight of their gazes instantly.
The man placed his hands in his pockets again.
"The four continents," he said, "are called—"
He paused briefly.
Then spoke each name clearly.
"Vortexara."
"Askaithyia."
"Ulgolantia."
"Eldoria."
The names echoed through the hall.
Strange.
Unfamiliar.
Yet they carried a weight that no one could ignore.
The man gave a small nod, as if that settled everything.
"And that," he said, "is all you need to know for now."
He turned away slightly.
"Now move," he added lazily. "Second floor."
The session was over.