Ryo's Awakening

The world had different types of jobs—combat, auxiliary, and lifestyle. Only combat and auxiliary jobs had ranks: low-grade, mid-grade, advanced-grade, rare-grade, and legend-grade.

Legend-grade jobs were extremely rare, with only one appearing every few decades in the entire Dawn Empire. Rare-grade jobs were slightly more common—Westwave City would usually see one person awaken a rare job each year, or two in a lucky year.

Among those who had awakened rare jobs were Anaya Sharma, now the Flame Sovereign, and Chu Yang, known as the Holy Mage. Both were highly respected in Yellow Leaf Academy, with Principal Li Jian often praising Chu Yang, and from this day, he would also praise Anaya.

However, the ceremony was not over yet. The magic circle still shone, waiting for the next person.

"Ryo Takahashi," Principal Li Jian called.

Ryo stepped forward without hesitation. He walked confidently across the dusty ground and entered the magic circle. The glowing runes beneath his feet pulsed faintly. Some students watched with curiosity, while others felt jealous. Anaya, leaning against a bench, narrowed her eyes and focused on him.

Principal Li turned to Master Chen Hao, lowering his voice slightly. "Ryo is a sharp one. The second smartest after Anaya."

Chen Hao nodded, a slight smile on his face. "I can tell. His mental strength is stable—not as overwhelming as Anaya's, but still impressive. He has potential."

The air grew still as Ryo stood in the center of the circle. The runes shone brightly—then, darkness appeared.

Instead of fire or light, a deep shadow spread out, covering the circle instantly. The darkness expanded like an endless void, swallowing the surrounding light. The students gasped and stepped back, unable to see through the blackness.

But Ryo could.

Inside the darkness, he saw a battlefield of chaos.

A massive figure stood in the center, its body shifting like a living shadow. Ryo could not see its face, but its presence was overwhelming. He named it "The Dark Shadow" in his mind.

All around, terrifying creatures fought each other. Demons with sharp claws and burning eyes clashed against devils covered in flames. Giant monsters with rock-hard skin and sword-like teeth roared as they trampled the battlefield. Even the weakest creature, a huge brute with a single glowing eye, looked powerful enough to destroy Westwave City in seconds.

Yet, The Dark Shadow controlled them all. These terrifying creatures followed its commands without question.

The vision pulsed, and the darkness spread further. Then, suddenly, it collapsed and rushed into Ryo's body.

The runes dimmed. The shadows disappeared. Above Ryo's head, a strange symbol appeared—twisted, jagged, and surrounded by dark mist.

Master Chen Hao spoke softly, his voice filled with disbelief. "A vision like that… this is beyond rare."

Principal Li stared at the symbol. "What kind of job did he awaken?"

The symbol flickered, revealing its name.

[Hidden Job: ???]