Upon hearing the elder's speech signaling the start of the awakening ceremony, the participating students displayed expressions ranging from nervousness to excitement.
One by one, the disciples made their way to the center of the room, near the projector screen.
The projector screen was a sophisticated magical device powered by rune magic.
The first disciple was a boy with a sturdy build. He approached the center and placed his hand on the projector.
Suddenly, a two-meter-tall blue shield materialized in front of him. It was only a projection of his class and affinity.
The screen displayed in large letters:
[D-rank Lightning affinity.]
[Class: Knight.]
"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, thrilled that his lightning affinity had been confirmed. Lightning was considered one of the rarest and most powerful affinities.
"Not bad."
"He should have a good future within the family."
"Good enough."
"Lightning knight… budget Thor, but acceptable."
Murmurs spread among the guests as they discussed the boy's results.
Shadow, watching from afar, remained calm, showing little interest. He looked like he came here by accident and was too lazy to leave.
The next disciple was Iris, the girl with pink hair. She placed her hand on the projector, and a pink bow appeared, accompanied by the crackling sound of lightning.
[B-rank Lightning affinity.]
[Class: Archer.]
Iris's face lit up with a wide smile.
Everyone seemed astonished at her results. Her class, combined with her affinity, almost guaranteed a bright future. It was basically pre-ordered."
Next, another disciple stepped forward—it was Derek.
With a confident smirk, he placed his hand on the projector.
A surge of lightning burst outward, forming a fast, flickering afterimage around his body like he was splitting through space itself.
[B-rank Lightning affinity.]
[Class: Lightning Striker.]
Derek grinned, clearly satisfied. Confidence increased by +200%. Humility removed.
"As expected."
"Another B-rank?"
"The Stormgards truly don't disappoint."
The murmurs grew slightly louder, impressed by the back-to-back results.
The disciples continued, one after another, with almost no failures.
Failure rate: disappeared. Like common sense in noble families.
It was only natural for a family like the Stormgards to have such a high success rate; not only did they possess talent, but they also trained rigorously to ensure such outcomes.
Suddenly, another disciple stepped toward the projector—it was Mia. All eyes followed her gentle steps toward the center of the hall.
Thorn, Elena, Selene, and the guests watched with anticipation.
Shadow crossed his arms, a small smile forming on his face.
Mia looked at the elder, who gestured for her to place her hand on the projector.
Silence...
After a full minute, nothing happened. No reaction at all.
Everyone pretended not to panic… badly.
The guests exchanged confused glances. Mia had shown tremendous potential while growing up. She had absorbed double the mana in her mother's womb, which had, in turn, weakened her brother. With parents among the most fearsome in the kingdom, it seemed almost impossible for her awakening to fail.
The smile on Shadow's face widened. He already knew what was coming.
'Adults should have more patience,' he thought.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from the projector as it shattered into thousands of pieces, followed by a tornado of lightning swirling around Mia.
The guests instinctively stepped back.
"This is..." the Raven King rose from his seat, unable to believe his eyes.
"She's a mage with an S-rank lightning affinity!" Queen Elara's voice resounded.
Both Kael and Seraphine, the prince and princess of the kingdom, both possessing S-rank Water affinity, stared at Mia in astonishment, struggling to believe what they were witnessing.
"That's impossible!"
"An S-rank affinity?!"
"Did I just witness the birth of a monster?!"
"Technically… yes. A very expensive one."
The crowd erupted in amazement as they realized they were witnessing something extraordinary.
"You did a good job training this monster," Marcus said to Selene, who grinned from ear to ear.
"I only showed her the way; it's all her doing," she replied, satisfied to be Mia's mentor.
Magnus, the Stormgard family's head and Thorn's father, wore a frantic grin. He turned to Thorn and Elena.
"Good job, son. That's how you plant a good seed." Magnus said as if,
Stormgard parenting philosophy: agriculture-based excellence.
Elena's face flushed with embarrassment, while Thorn puffed out his chest.
"Hahaha, Patriarch Magnus, you've grown old, but you still manage to surprise me," King Riven said with laughter.
"I won't beat around the bush, old friend. I want your granddaughter to be engaged to my son Kael. He's an S-rank Water affinity mage—I think they'd be a match made in heaven," King Riven proposed, unwilling to let such a prodigy slip away.
'Heaven was not consulted for this decision. Love story sponsored by power dynamics.' Shadow thought to himself.
"Ho ho ho! I'd be honored to accept your proposal, Your Majesty. But the decision is not mine to make," Magnus said, turning to Thorn.
With everyone's eyes on him, Thorn glanced at Elena for confirmation. She smiled and nodded.
"It's our honor to accept your proposal, Your Majesty," Thorn said.
The room erupted in cheers, laughter, and applause as the parents' approval was announced.
The faces of the other families darkened. They knew such an alliance would only strengthen the Stormgards' power and influence.
Shadow, observing from afar, felt happy for his sister. He knew his clarity pill had greatly enhanced her awakening; otherwise, she might have achieved only an A affinity at best.
Feeling there was no longer any reason to watch, he turned to leave—only to be blocked by two figures in the uniforms of the Eternal Light Organization. They were followed by a man who looked like a living corpse.
It was the hunter that Shadow had kept hidden in the secret hut.
"Where do you think you're going, you vile creature?"