People enter the Tower wearing whatever they had on at the exact moment of Gaia's Call.
Weapons and artifacts are allowed—but only up to three items. Anything beyond that, and Gaia simply doesn't call you. Because of that, some people prepare in advance, wearing a three-piece armor set or carrying a custom-made weapon some even take a class card.
I didn't take anything.
Not because I didn't want to—but because I had nothing left to take.
Shortly after I dropped out of school, I sold my father's equipment. Most of it was mage-oriented gear, and while it wasn't suited to me, it probably would've helped during my Ascent. At the time, I didn't think that far ahead.
"Mom, I'm heading out now," I said, turning toward the door.
She looked up immediately. "Where are you going? You just got back."
"The Bureau," I replied. "I want to register and get my ID tag."
She frowned. "You're that excited you haven't even eaten? Sit down and have breakfast before you go."
At the mention of food, my body had already started moving toward the table.
"Yeah… I should eat first."
After breakfast, I left the house and took a bus to the city's Dimensional Bureau Office. The ride took about fifteen minutes.
The moment I stepped inside, I approached the front desk.
"Good morning. I'm here to register as an Awakened."
The lady behind the counter glanced up and pointed to her left.
"Use one of those terminals. Select 'New Awakened', fill in the required information, and submit it within ten minutes. You'll be called in for final assessment."
I followed her instructions and filled out the form.
Name: Lucen Noctis
Age: 16
Date of Birth: Juve 06
Trait: Restriction
Rank: Adept
Class: Classless
Ordeals Completed: (Optional)
Stats: (Optional)
I left the optional fields blank and submitted the form. Seven minutes later, my name was called.
I was led into a room on the right. I had seen three others enter before me—each one came out after about two minutes.
When I entered, the Bureau officer gestured for me to take the seat opposite him.
"Lucen Noctis, right?" he asked.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"Place your hand on the slab in front of you."
I did as told.
The slab glowed a deep purple.
The officer's expression sharpened. "You've gained a class?" he asked.
"No, I haven't."
"That's odd," he muttered. "Your mana form is defined. A Classless Awakened should appear colorless on the scanner. But yours shows Nether mana—purple."
"My affinity is Astral Flame," I explained. "After its evolution, my mana changed as well."
He studied me for a moment. "Are either of your parents Awakened?"
"Yes. My father was… before he passed."
"Oh. My apologies," he said sincerely. "I needed to ask. I don't often handle second-generation Awakeners. Their parents' guilds usually manage their registration—they only come here for assessment."
He tapped the desk lightly. "Now, explain your trait."
I did.
After listening, he nodded. "I'll need a demonstration. Restrict my left hand."
"Okay."
> [Target Greatly Exceeds Your Rank]
[Left Arm Sealed for 25 Seconds]
The officer flexed his arm, then frowned as the restriction took hold. For the next twenty-five seconds, he examined it carefully. When the seal lifted, he looked at me again—this time with clear interest.
"That's enough," he said. "You're done. Go collect your chip and terminal at the counter."
"Thank you," I replied, standing up.
At the counter, I spoke to the same lady from earlier.
"I'm here for my terminal."
"Name?"
"Lucen Noctis."
She retrieved a short but elongated box and placed it on the counter.
"Do you have any formal training?" she asked. "If not, you can apply for our one-month training and orientation program."
"I have partial training. I was a student at Celestial Academy before I dropped out due to financial issues."
"I see," she said. "Even so, I recommend the orientation program."
"Thank you for the advice. I'll consider it."
I walked away and sat on a nearby bench, opening the box.
Inside was a strap and a sleek display—similar to a wristwatch, though it could be worn anywhere. It functioned as an identification device and granted access to essential resources, including Bureau training forums.
The moment I touched the display, it lit up.
> Physical Contact Established
Mana Imprint Required for Total Access
Please release mana onto the rear scanner.
I complied.
The screen went dark, then lit up again.
> Mana Imprint Registered
Name: Lucen Noctis
Personal ID: VRS-499
Profile Status: Incomplete
A complete profile could only be obtained after assessments.
Assessments were monthly examinations conducted by the Association for everyone who awakened that month. They were held on the last day of the month.
I had 22 days until the Juve Assessment.
Until then, the terminal's functions were limited—mostly allowing access to the Tower.
The Bureau offices were all built around Tower entrances.
Accessing the Tower from anywhere else was restricted to those who had just turned sixteen during Gaia's Call. Everyone else needed to enter through designated portals. Each Bureau branch had one, and some powerful guilds could even construct private portals—though doing so required an immense amount of essence.