Chapter 83: Preparation and Play
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The city was bustling with excitement as the annual Awakening Ceremony took place. All across the region, 18-year-olds gathered for their chance to awaken their latent potential. This event was a milestone for every individual, determining their class and setting the course for their future.
Dabi recalled his own awakening, which had taken place the previous year. Back then, the ceremony had been massive, with over 200,000 participants. He'd felt the energy and anticipation in the air, but this year, the numbers had nearly doubled. The city was now filled with over 450,000 people, all eagerly awaiting their turn to awaken.
Reports quickly spread about the extraordinary number of Legendary and Rare class awakenings. It was a year unlike any other, with many achieving rare and powerful classes that would shape the world around them.
However, Dabi wasn't interested in knowing about the awakening ceremony news. He had his own priorities. While the city celebrated, Dabi focused on something else—his second semester final exam.
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Dabi sat in his room, books and notes scattered around him. He had a gift—a photographic memory—so memorizing the vast amount of information required for the exam wasn't an issue. He could easily recall every fact, every theory, but understanding them was a different challenge.
"I can remember everything," Dabi muttered to himself, "but understanding the reasoning and causes behind these theories… that's what matters."
He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to process the information in his head. Dabi knew that true mastery came not from memorization alone, but from a deep understanding of the principles behind magic, mana control, and elemental theories.
Slowly, he pieced everything together, connecting ideas, figuring out the "why" behind each concept. The second semester exams were approaching fast, and he wasn't going to let anything distract him.
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Later that evening, Dabi decided to take a break from his studies and check his status window. He focused his mind, and the familiar blue screen appeared in front of him.
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Name: Dabi
Level: 77
Class: Sovereign of Space (Mythical Class)
Strength: 116
Agility: 120 (+10 from the ring)
Endurance: 108
Intelligence: 83
Mana: 1000
Memory: 59
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Dabi studied the numbers, particularly his Mana stat, which now stood at an impressive 1000. He smiled, satisfied with how much his mana control had improved over time.
"My mana control is definitely better than before," he thought, "but there's always room for more practice."
Determined to further improve his skills for the upcoming exam, Dabi decided to practice his mana control outside. He grabbed his pets—Fen the baby Fenrir, Whity the white tiger, and Nyx, the void spirit—and headed to the yard of his house.
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In the yard, Dabi sat cross-legged, his pets sitting beside him as he focused on his mana. He felt the flow of energy through his body, guiding it with precision and control. He had to be ready for the exam, especially since the mana control portion would be key to his performance.
As he concentrated, he heard a familiar sound—the excited chatter of his younger siblings, Eli and Mira.
"Dabi!" Mira's voice called out. "Are you playing with Fen, Whity, and Nyx without us?"
Eli chimed in, "We want to play too!"
Dabi snapped out of his focus, smiling as he looked up at his siblings. He wanted to tell them he wasn't playing, that he was training, but he decided against it. It didn't matter. Seeing their excitement made him want to join in.
"Come on then," Dabi said with a grin. "Let's all play together."
Eli and Mira rushed over, their laughter filling the yard as they joined their brother and the spirit pets. For the next hour, the three siblings and their three pets played together, running around, laughing, and forgetting about the stress of their responsibilities.
For a brief moment, the worries of exams, training, and the future faded away.
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