What Kind Of Budget, Knock-off Reincarnation Is This?!

The school field of Section 7 was packed—hundreds of young men and women sat shoulder to shoulder, their faces tense, their bodies stiff.

Some swallowed hard, some clenched their fists, while others forced themselves to sit straight despite the unbearable pressure pressing down on their shoulders.

No one spoke. No one even dared to move too much.

Why?

Because today was the most important day of their lives.

The Awakening Ceremony.

For years, they had trained, studied, and prepared for this exact moment—the moment their talent would be revealed, the moment their future would be determined.

This wasn't some simple test where a bad grade meant studying harder next time. There was no next time.

You either awakened a talent today… or you didn't.

Some would soar to the heavens, becoming warriors of unimaginable power, destined to stand among the elites of the world. Others… would be doomed to mediocrity.

In a world ruled by Dimensional Beasts, where the Eleven Dimensional Beast Kings roamed freely and entire cities could be wiped off the map overnight, power was everything.

These weren't ordinary monsters.

They were walking disasters. Cities fell beneath their feet. Armies crumbled in their shadows. Even the strongest warriors feared their names.

And yet, they weren't even the real problem. The real problem was that no firearms could stop them.

Unless you were strong enough.

Unless you had talent.

A strong enough talent meant status, respect, wealth… survival. It meant never having to watch your family die screaming as a beast tore them apart.

It meant never having to live as a weakling, as someone who could be crushed at any moment.

And that was why every single student in the field today was nervous beyond belief.

That was why the usual loud, lively school field had turned into a place of absolute silence.

Then, suddenly—

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

A rhythmic, heavy marching echoed through the air.

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted.

A wave of uniformed men strode into the school grounds, their black and blue attire standing out against the dull green field.

Their presence alone commanded attention—these were officers of the Dimension Management Authority, the DMA.

And they held the key to every student's future.

At their waist, secured in metal cases, were the vials of Dimensional Serum—a rare, priceless substance created through advanced technology.

This serum was the only thing capable of awakening a person's dormant powers.

The crowd stiffened.

This was it. The moment had arrived.

A tall man stepped forward. His uniform was different—it had four silver stripes running down the arms, marking him as a high ranking officer.

His presence alone felt heavy, like he was used to standing in places where life-and-death decisions were made.

The school principal rushed to greet him, speaking in hushed tones. The two men exchanged a few quick words before the officer turned to face the students.

His sharp gaze swept across the crowd, as if measuring them, weighing their worth.

Then, he spoke.

"Students of Section 7."

Every head snapped toward him.

"Today marks the beginning of your journey. You will each receive the Dimensional Serum. If you awaken a talent, a Dimensional Formation will appear beneath your feet. The number of rings in the formation will determine your talent's grade."

His gaze darkened slightly.

"One ring means F-tier, the lowest. Nine rings means SSS-tier, the highest."

A low murmur passed through the crowd.

Nine rings. SSS-tier.

That was legendary. That was the kind of power only one in a million possessed.

The officer continued, his tone unwavering.

"The effects of the serum take anywhere from five minutes to an hour to show results. If you awaken a talent, you will receive a Dimensional Bracelet to track and enhance your abilities."

Another breath passed through the students.

This was it.

No turning back now.

The officer pulled out a tablet, his finger gliding down the list of names.

Then, in a loud, clear voice, he called out the first name.

"Creed Walden."

---

'Wait… What?!'

A tall, strikingly handsome young man froze in place.

What the hell?!

Creed Walden, golden-haired and refined, blinked rapidly as his brain short-circuited.

Did he hear that right?

Wasn't he supposed to be called LAST?!

In every webnovel he had ever read, the main character was NEVER called first!

They always sat in the back, watching everyone else go first, slowly building up suspense before—BOOM! Sudden, shocking awakening!

But no.

His name had been called first.

His very first thought?

"What kind of budget, knock-off reincarnation is this?!"

Internally, he was panicking. Externally, though? Calm.

With a dramatic flick of his wrist, he stood up, adjusting his uniform smoothly. If he was going first, he'd at least make it look good.

As he walked toward the officers, his sharp eyes flicked to the side—

And immediately locked onto something very, very interesting.

A female officer.

Shockingly curvy.

Absolutely stunning.

Her uniform fit a little too well, hugging her body in a way that made his soul want to ascend. If he weren't about to have his fate decided, he might've appreciated the sight longer, but—

'Focus, Creed.'

He finally reached the high-ranking officer, squared his shoulders, and stretched out his hand.

A brief second passed.

Then—

POP.

A tiny sting pricked his skin.

By the time he realized what had happened, there was already a small red dot on the back of his hand—a tiny drop of blood forming.

Creed blinked.

'That's it?'

No dramatic injection? No flash of energy? Not even a cool whoosh sound?

How underwhelming.

'Damn, that was fast.'

Wordlessly, the officer gave him a nod, signaling that he could return to his seat.

Creed sighed, turned around, and walked back.

He glanced at his worn out watch and checked the time.

Now… he just had to wait.

---

Ten minutes passed.

Then, suddenly—formations appeared.

Gasps filled the field as students started awakening their talents. Glowing circles of light formed beneath their feet. Some only had one ring—F-tier.

Others had two, three, or even four!

Creed leaned back, arms crossed, watching the show.

Thirty minutes in, a girl awakened an A-tier Bloodline!

The crowd exploded with cheers.

Creed?

Still waiting.

Fifty-five minutes.

Still nothing.

Creed was starting to panic.

His inner monologue was going wild.

'Okay. Okay. This is fine. Totally fine.'

'It's just a delayed awakening. Happens all the time.'

'Right?'

…Right?

He swallowed. No, no, this couldn't be happening. He was a reincarnated soul from another world! He was supposed to have some broken ability or a legendary talent!

Not—this.

Not the damn 'No Awakening' trope!

If he didn't awaken, what was he supposed to do? Get a job?

A NORMAL JOB?!

The thought sent shivers down his spine.

'This can't be happening! I just reincarnated two days ago and I already KNOW strength is everything in this world!'

'HOW am I supposed to get the beauties if I'm WEAK?!'

And then—

His body spasmed.

Heat flooded through his veins, surging like liquid fire. His vision blurred. His breath caught in his throat.

A pulse of power exploded from within him—

And beneath his feet—

A formation appeared.

A dazzling, blinding, unbelievable formation.

And it was still growing.

---

To be continued.

_____

Power stone Goal!

20 PS - 1 Bonus chapter

50 PS - 2 Bonus chapter

100 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.

Castle - 10 Bonus Chapters!