Chicago, Illinois.
Lakefront High School's gymnasium had been packed since early morning.
Parents sat shoulder to shoulder in rows throughout the stands, their eyes constantly fixed on the central area below. Scattered among them were representatives from several universities, dungeon-exploration companies, professional organizations, and scholarship programs invited by the school to observe.
For graduating students, today could be the most important day of their lives before leaving high school.
The Profession Awakening Ceremony.
At the center of the court stood an Awakening Circle nearly ten meters wide. Interwoven silver inscriptions covered the floor, forming a complex magical structure. Each time the ritual was activated, the mana in the air converged, draping the entire area in a faint glow.
One student after another stepped inside.
“Owen Parker.”
A boy with short brown hair left the line, trying to maintain a calm expression as he walked toward the center of the Awakening Circle.
Walter Hayes stood beside the ritual control console. After confirming the information, he activated the system.
The inscriptions on the floor lit up all at once.
Tiny motes of light appeared around Owen before slowly merging into his body. Less than half a minute later, the light gradually faded.
The Display above the ritual area immediately showed the results.
「Awakening Successful」
「Class Group: Combat」
「Profession: Spear Warrior」
A round of applause erupted from the stands.
Owen stood frozen for several seconds before the tension on his face quickly turned to joy.
Combat professions were always the most closely watched group during the Profession Awakening Ceremony. Not because other professions were useless, but because those who possessed combat professions could directly participate in dungeon exploration, monster hunting, and fields that demanded superhuman power.
The next student was quickly called.
“Lucas Reed.”
The Awakening Circle lit up again.
「Awakening Successful」
「Profession: Hypnotist」
The stands did not react as strongly as they had the time before, but several people in the recruitment section lowered their heads and began taking notes.
The ceremony continued.
One student after another stepped into the Awakening Circle and received the profession that would directly affect the course of their future.
No one failed.
After hundreds of years of development, humanity had perfected the awakening ritual to the point that everyone could form a profession upon reaching the required age.
The only question was the result.
What profession would they receive?
How much growth potential would it have?
Would it suit the path they wanted for themselves?
At the back of the line of students in the advanced combat-profession preparatory program, Ethan Mercer watched each result appear on the screen.
The day had finally arrived.
He had been waiting for it for ten years.
Ethan had not been born in this world.
Ten years ago, he had awakened in the body of a child and gradually realized that although the place he lived in was still called Earth, history had taken an entirely different path.
Several centuries ago, the Great Convergence had occurred.
Mana had appeared across the world.
At the same time, dungeons, anomalous zones, and countless creatures that had never existed in human history began to emerge.
The first few years had been a period of chaos.
Conventional weapons still worked, but when facing creatures with mana armor, regenerative abilities, or bodies far beyond natural limits, their effectiveness dropped sharply. Humanity was forced to find a new path to survival.
And then the profession system gradually became the foundation of the modern age.
Everyone could undergo awakening upon reaching eighteen.
Warriors possessed superior physiques.
Mages learned to control mana and cast spells.
Beast Tamers formed contracts with magical creatures.
Scouts developed stealth, danger awareness, and mobile-combat abilities.
There were also countless support and civilian professions.
A skilled Healer could save people who had suffered severe injuries in a dungeon.
Magic Item Crafters supplied equipment to the awakened.
Enchanters improved the efficiency of weapons and armor.
Potion Alchemists created medicines that conventional medicine could never replace.
Even Chefs, Blacksmiths, Miners, and Farmers could develop along paths completely different from those of ordinary people if their professions interacted with mana.
A profession did not determine everything.
But in this era, it was powerful enough to change an entire life.
Ethan understood that all too well.
Over the past ten years, he had read nearly every publicly available document on awakening that he could get his hands on.
Among them was one theory that particularly interested him.
Awakening results primarily depended on individual aptitudes, but everything a person accumulated while growing up—from physical conditioning and knowledge to combat habits—could potentially have some influence.
No study had proven the exact extent of that influence.
But for Ethan, the possibility alone was enough.
He had begun training at a young age.
At first, it had consisted of running, swimming, endurance exercises, and basic movement techniques. As his body developed, the intensity of his training program had gradually increased.
Weightlifting.
Hand-to-hand combat.
Wrestling.
Combat-technique analysis.
Anatomy and biomechanics.
Reaction training under pressure.
Nearly nine years of preparation had turned him into the most outstanding student in line.
Ethan was over two meters tall, with broad shoulders, a thick back, and clearly defined muscles visible even beneath his uniform. His school jacket had to be custom-ordered because standard sizes did not fit him.
But his appearance was only the most obvious part.
Ethan also ranked first in theoretical achievements and practical evaluations within the combat-profession preparatory program.
The principal of Lakefront High School had once remarked that if this student did not awaken to a profession in the Warrior branch, many teachers at the school would have to reconsider how they understood professional aptitude.
Ethan wanted the same thing.
Of all the combat professions, he liked Warrior best.
It was not the rarest profession.
Nor was it the one capable of producing the most dazzling magical effects.
But it matched everything he had prepared for over the years.
Strength.
Endurance.
Hand-to-hand combat.
A body strong enough to stand on the front line, take hits, and crush his opponents directly.
Just thinking about turning nearly a decade of effort into real power made Ethan feel a faint heat in his palms.
A hand slapped firmly onto his shoulder.
“With a build like yours, if you don’t become a Warrior, I really want to know what profession the system plans to assign you.”
Ethan turned around.
Miles Grant was standing beside him.
His friend had slightly messy black hair and was still smiling, but one foot kept tapping against the floor.
Ethan looked down.
“You’re more nervous than I am.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Your foot’s about to drill through the floor.”
Miles immediately stopped tapping.
“I’m just warming up.”
“You started warming up twenty minutes ago.”
Miles was silent for several seconds before crossing his arms.
“Either way, I have a clear long-term goal.”
The Grant family was quite well-off. They owned a business specializing in food, care equipment, and services for contracted creatures. Over the past few generations, several members of the family had also awakened professions related to creature taming.
That was why Miles had always wanted to become a Beast Tamer.
“If I awaken the right profession, my first creature absolutely has to be able to fly,” Miles said. “Once we enter dungeons, I’ll handle aerial observation while you charge straight ahead.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“You haven’t even awakened yet.”
“This is called preparing in advance.”
“You don’t even have a contracted creature.”
“That’s why I need to prepare.”
Ethan laughed.
Just then, Claire Donovan’s voice rang out from the front.
“Everyone, pay attention for a moment.”
The quiet conversations gradually died down.
Claire was the teacher in charge of Ethan’s combat-profession preparatory program. Today, she wore simple business attire, with the school staff badge and authorization to enter the ritual area pinned to her chest.
She looked around once before speaking.
“You’ve already learned everything you needed to learn. I only want to remind you of two things.”
“When you step into the Awakening Circle, don’t try to control the mana, and don’t resist the ritual’s guiding sensation. Stay calm and follow the instructions.”
Claire paused for a moment.
“And second, don’t assume that awakening to a noncombat profession means you’ve failed.”
Several students exchanged glances.
Claire pointed toward the other side of the gymnasium.
Caleb Foster had completed the ritual not long ago and was now standing beside his parents.
His result was still displayed on one of the auxiliary screens.
「Profession: Poultry Husbandry Specialist」
A few quiet laughs rose from the group.
Claire immediately looked in that direction.
“What’s so funny?”
No one answered.
“Prairie Roost Foods, owned by the Foster family, has mana-infused farms, processing facilities, and a food-distribution network across multiple areas of Illinois. Caleb’s profession is almost directly compatible with his family’s business.”
She crossed her arms.
“If he develops it well, his future income could be higher than that of most people with combat professions.”
The laughter vanished at once.
Miles leaned toward Ethan and lowered his voice.
“Ms. Donovan just ruined the fun for the entire school.”
Ethan said, “You can still try making fun of him.”
Miles shook his head.
“His family has a legal team.”
Claire continued giving them a few more reminders before returning to the ritual area.
The group of students ahead had just finished as well.
Walter Hayes checked the list on his tablet and exchanged a few brief words with Claire.
He was over sixty years old and almost completely gray, but his posture remained straight and his stride steady.
Walter was not merely a veteran teacher.
He was also a Level 60 awakened.
Profession: Weather Mage.
It was a hidden profession capable of affecting wind, water vapor, and weather phenomena within a certain range.
Before moving into teaching, Walter had taken part in numerous dungeon-response and monster-emergency missions. His combat experience alone was enough to earn the respect of most students at the school.
Claire handed him the list.
“My next group.”
Walter looked it over and nodded.
“Begin.”
Claire turned back toward the students.
“Jordan Blake.”
Jordan immediately stepped out of line.
He tried to maintain a calm expression, but his faster-than-usual pace gave away how he felt.
When Jordan stood in the center of the Awakening Circle, Walter confirmed his information and activated the ritual.
Silver light rose from the floor.
Mana gathered around Jordan’s body before slowly merging into him.
More than twenty seconds passed.
The ring of light gradually faded.
The result appeared.
「Awakening Complete」
「Class Group: Combat」
「Profession: Scout」
Jordan stood motionless for a beat before clenching his fist.
The student section immediately erupted.
“Scout!”
“Jordan really got a combat profession.”
“That profession makes it easy to find a place on an exploration team.”
“Scouting, tracking, mobile melee—all of it’s useful. That’s great.”
Jordan stepped out of the Awakening Circle, trying to look composed, but he could not hide the smile on his face.
Claire did not waste any time.
“Miles Grant.”
Miles immediately fell silent.
Ethan looked at him.
“Time for your long-term plan.”
Miles straightened his collar.
“Remember. A creature that can fly.”
“Go.”
Miles walked toward the Awakening Circle.
Before entering, he even turned around and raised one finger toward Ethan, as if telling him to wait and see.
Walter activated the ritual.
Light enveloped Miles.
Ethan instinctively focused more intently.
Though he had teased Miles a few times, he genuinely hoped his friend could awaken the profession he wanted.
The Grant family already had experience, facilities, and connections in the contracted-creature industry. If Miles became a Beast Tamer, his initial path of development would be smoother than that of most people in the same profession.
The ring of light began to sink.
The screen displayed the first result.
「Awakening Complete」
「Class Group: Combat」
Miles immediately broke into a smile.
But the next line made him freeze.
「Profession: Card Mage」
Miles looked up at the screen.
Then at Walter.
Then back at the screen.
Walter waited several seconds before speaking.
“It’s complete. You can come out.”
Miles stepped out of the Awakening Circle with a complicated expression.
Ethan watched him approach.
“So where’s your flying contracted creature?”
Miles stopped in front of him.
“Don’t say anything.”
“Congratulations. A combat profession.”
“I spent years preparing to work with contracted creatures, and I ended up awakening as a card user.”
“Still better than a civilian profession.”
Miles sighed.
“What if my first skill is dealing cards?”
Ethan looked at him for several seconds.
“You could get a job at a casino.”
Miles glared at him, but after only a few seconds, he started laughing too.
Though the result was completely different from what he had expected, Card Mage still belonged to the combat group.
That alone put him ahead of a great many people.
Ethan had spent years compiling public awakening data.
The results varied by region and classification method, but combat professions usually accounted for only around fifteen percent.
Most people who awakened entered support, production, or civilian professions.
So Miles really had no reason to complain for long.
The Profession Awakening Ceremony continued.
“Mateo Cruz.”
A support profession.
“Trevor Hale.”
Farmer.
The next student awakened as a Miner.
Another student became a Blacksmith.
After Jordan and Miles, the group’s results began to grow more ordinary. An occasionally noteworthy support profession appeared, but combat professions were almost nowhere to be seen.
Walter checked the list again and frowned slightly.
“This group has fewer combat professions than expected this year.”
Claire, standing beside him, had noticed it as well.
The advanced combat-profession preparatory program could not guarantee that students would awaken to combat professions. It simply brought together students with physical achievements, knowledge, or aptitudes that suited them, helping them prepare more effectively if their awakening went in that direction.
Even so, this year’s ratio was still low.
Claire let out a quiet breath.
“I’ve taught everything I could. The rest isn’t in a teacher’s hands.”
Walter smiled.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A profession is only the starting point.”
Claire looked at him.
“That line isn’t very convincing coming from a Level 60 Weather Mage.”
Walter was silent for a moment before nodding.
“That’s fair.”
Claire scrolled down the list.
Her eyes stopped on the next name.
“But this student is worth waiting for.”
Walter looked over.
Claire pointed toward the back of the line.
“Ethan Mercer.”
Walter immediately looked in that direction.
The tall student standing among the crowd was nearly impossible to overlook.
He observed Ethan for several seconds before asking, “Is that the student the principal mentioned?”
“Yes.”
Walter had heard the name Ethan Mercer more than once.
He ranked first in the program based on overall performance.
He had completed courses in combat analysis, applied hand-to-hand combat, and biomechanics ahead of schedule.
His physical achievements far surpassed those of students his age.
More importantly, he had maintained this preparation for years.
If the theory that habits and individual aptitudes could influence awakening was correct, Ethan was practically a perfect candidate for the Warrior profession.
The principal of Lakefront High School had once called him a natural-born Warrior.
Walter set down his tablet.
After dozens of relatively ordinary awakenings, he was finally interested in the next result.
Claire looked at the list and called out:
“Ethan Mercer.”
Miles lightly elbowed his friend in the side.
“It’s your turn.”
Ethan did not answer immediately.
He looked at the Awakening Circle glowing faintly in the middle of the gymnasium.
Ten years of waiting.
Nearly nine years of preparation.
Everything had finally led to this moment.
Ethan clenched his hand, then released it, stepped out of the student line, and walked toward the Awakening Circle.