Class Awakening Part Two

As the murmurs of the nobles began to settle, another student confidently stepped forward.

The pressure left in the wake of Renji's awakening was intense, and for a brief moment, the other summoned heroes exchanged nervous glances.

Kenta, however, scoffed and rolled his shoulders.

"Damn, Renji. You really had to set the bar that high, huh?" He stepped forward confidently, placing a hand on the crystal.

"Well, guess I'm up next!"

The crystal flared to life once more, its radiance enveloping Kenta as the runes above it shifted and reformed.

The crystal flared to life under Kenta's touch, its green light swelling until it bathed the throne room in an emerald glow.

The glyphs materialized again, swirling.

Name: Kenta Mori

Class: Berserker (A Rank)

Level: 1

Health: 1800/1800

Mana: 800/800 [Single mana ring]

Strength: 350

Agility: 250

Endurance: 300

Intelligence: 90

Skills (Slots 3/4):

War Cry 〔Active 1st Order Basic B Rank Skill〕: Boosts the attack power of self and allies within range by 15% for 30 seconds.

Battle Frenzy 〔Passive 1st Order Basic C Rank Skill〕: Attack speed increases by 20% when health drops below 50%.

Reckless Charge 〔Active 1st Order Basic B Rank Skill〕: Dash toward an enemy, dealing damage but temporarily lowering defense.

The runes faded, and an excited grin spread across Kenta's face.

"A Berserker, huh? Figures. Guess that means I get to smash things without holding back!" He clenched his fists, clearly excited.

The nobles spoke again.

"A Berserker! Those are rare outside the northern clans!"

"His Strength stat is even higher than the Paladin's!"

"But his Intelligence… Well, Berserkers aren't known for strategy."

"A fine class for a warrior, one that thrives in the chaos of battle."

"Yes, though his skills are of the first order, he still possesses great potential."

"A Berserker and a Paladin? A fitting contrast. One fights with discipline, the other with raw instinct."

Takashi elbowed Miko, grinning. "Bet he'll just smash everything and ask questions later."

Miko snorted. "At least he's got some survival instincts. Unlike someone who'd probably stop mid-battle to fix their hair." She shot a pointed look at Renji.

Kenta, meanwhile, pumped his fist. "Hell yeah! Berserker sounds awesome! I'm awesome! Smashing stuff is my specialty, after all!"

Kenta turned to Renji with a smirk.

"Looks like we'll be leading the charge together, eh, Mr. Protagonist?"

Renji crossed his arms and chuckled. "Just try not to get left behind."

"Pfft. You wish."

Kenta then turned to Riku, who was slouched against a pillar like he had a better place to be.

"C'mon, Riku! Your turn next!"

"Maybe you'll get a super crazy class and blow everyone's minds!"

Riku sighed, not bothering to lift his head. "Pass. I'll do mine last."

Renji smirked. "Scared the crystal'll call you out for being a lazy bum, Takatsuki?"

Riku's lifeless eyes flicked toward him. "Says the guy who'd probably polish his sword more than he'd use it."

Miss Tanaka pinched the bridge of her nose. "Focus, everyone. Aya, you're next."

Aya bounced forward, phone already raised for a selfie. "Time to show the kingdom what real star power looks like!"

One by one, the remaining heroes stepped forward, each receiving their class and skills, though none caused quite the same stir as Renji.

Aya Fujisawa became an Illusionist (A Rank) capable of powerful illusions and hypnosis.

Takashi became a Spellblade (A Rank), wielding both swordsmanship and magic.

Miko became a Venomancer (B Rank), a poison-based magic user with abilities that enhanced toxins and debilitated enemies over time.

Souta gained the Spirit Painter (B Rank) class, an extremely rare and mystical role where his artwork could manifest into reality, summoning creatures and landscapes from his sketches.

Haruka obtained the Martial Saint (A Rank) class, a powerful hand-to-hand combatant with techniques that combined both physical prowess and spiritual energy.

Yuto became a Golem Mage (A Rank), capable of using earth magic to create golems to aid him in battle.

Now, only Miss Aiko Tanaka and Riku remained.

Miss Tanaka hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward with a composed expression. Meanwhile, Riku simply yawned, clearly in no rush.

The room fell silent as Miss Tanaka approached the crystal. Her expression was calm, but her hands trembled faintly.

The nobles leaned forward, all curious about what this hero—who appeared to be the teacher to the rest—could possibly manifest.

When her palm touched the crystal, the green light exploded into a constellation of swirling starlight.

The glyphs burned gold, and the voice echoed louder than ever:

Name: Aiko Tanaka

Class: Star Sage (SS Rank)

Level: 1

Health: 1300/1300

Mana: 2900/2900 [Triple mana ring]

Strength: 100

Agility: 150

Endurance: 180

Intelligence: 400

Skills (Slots 3/4):

Celestial Mandate 〔Active 2nd Order Advanced S Rank〕: Temporarily halts all enemy actions in a wide radius, "freezing" time for 5 seconds (1 use per day).

Stellar Revival 〔Active 2nd Order Advanced A Rank〕: Revives a fallen ally with 30% health but drains 100% of her mana, rendering the user unconscious.

Guiding Star 〔Passive 1st Order Basic S Rank〕: Boosts the party's critical hit chance by 10% while she's conscious.

Renji's smug grin completely disappeared as he saw this.

As the dazzling golden glyphs faded, the throne room remained silent. The nobles, usually quick to murmur and judge, were momentarily speechless.

Then, they spoke again, each voice filled with awe and shock.

"A Star Sage… an SS-Rank class!"

"To think she possesses such power…!"

"She can halt time itself for five whole seconds? That's beyond anything we've ever seen."

Then, one noble's voice cut through the murmurs, his tone laced with both astonishment and concern.

"She has the power to bring back the dead…"

He swallowed hard.

"But isn't that the greatest miracle of the Holy Saint herself? If she can revive the fallen, then wouldn't that… trivialize the authority of the Holy Order?"

A hush fell over the room at those words. Even the king's expression darkened slightly, his gaze shifting toward his advisors.

The Holy Order was the most powerful and influential religious organization on the continent of Alkira.

It had existed for centuries if not a millennial, uniting countless kingdoms under its divine teachings.

At its heart stood the Holy Empire, an independent kingdom ruled by the Saint, the highest spiritual authority in the world.

The Holy Order had churches spread across every major kingdom, acting not only as places of worship but also as centers of governance, education, and even military recruitment.

Their divine warriors, the Templars, were among the strongest elite forces in history, some of them were even the legendary heroes who once sealed the Realm Eaters.

Any nation that opposed the Order found itself ostracized, its economy crushed by religious embargoes or outright invasion by holy crusaders.

The Saint was revered as the divine messenger of their god, the supreme leader of the faith.

Though she held absolute authority, the title of Empress was never used.

The Order claimed she was merely the Guiding Light, a sacred figure leading people toward salvation, rather than a ruler imposing her will.

This distinction kept her influence strong while avoiding the image of direct rule.

For centuries, the power to resurrect the dead had been considered a miracle exclusive to the Saint.

Even then, it was said to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, reserved for only the most worthy souls. If this summoned hero, Miss Aiko Tanaka, could do it at will, then the Order's authority would be called into question.