1.01.2 The Awakening ceremony.

Those who run away after awakening are generally considered dangerous. These individuals often don't want their abilities discovered or to work under the League of Awakeners (LOA). In exchange for being artificially awakened, most awakeners are placed under the direct regulation of the LOA, effectively owned by them.

For most people, this isn't an issue since their abilities rarely require interference from the LOA. But in those rare instances where someone awakens a unique or powerful ability, they become potential seeds to be closely monitored.

However, another reason exists for why some choose to become runners.

"Commence the awakening," ordered the LOA officer to the staff overseeing the magic circle management.

"Principal Jalgan, ensure the guards remain vigilant from this point on," she added, her expression tinged with worry.

The process of artificial awakening was entirely controlled by the LOA, and without them, it couldn't happen at all. This created problems for certain groups and organizations looking to recruit fresh talent without being detected.

These groups often approached promising seeds with offers: unlock a powerful ability, escape from the ceremony grounds, and they would grant them new identities and protection before integrating them into their ranks. Considering the sheer number of orphans these days, it wasn't difficult to sway disillusioned kids down this path.

To prevent such runners, security was always tight. The two LOA officers present were there not just to oversee the ceremony but also to deal with any disturbances caused by awakenings.

"Please take the stage, Principal Jalgan," the head officer requested as the magic circles were prepared.

As he had done countless times before, Jalgan began his speech. "Children, today is the day your lives will change forever…"

The students, however, paid him little attention. They were consumed by their own thoughts, dreaming of the potential hidden within their blood and the wealth they might acquire once their abilities awakened. Greed flickered in their eyes, silently urging the principal to hurry and start the ceremony.

"With that, I wish you all awaken wonderful gifts to help build a bright future for humanity," Jalgan concluded.

As his words ended, the magic circles lit up, their glow growing brighter as the ceremony began. Jubilation spread among the students—until it was replaced by pain.

Cries filled the air as the effects of the awakening drug took hold. Violent energies surrounding the students surged into their bodies, forcing their way to the pill. The process was agonizing, leaving many in a state of paralyzing weakness.

Jeremy felt his organs scream in pain, but his muscles were too stunned to let him move or cry out. Yet what surprised him most was the boy in front of him. Dan sat hunched over, silent, his arms wrapped around his legs like a frightened child.

'Does he feel no pain?' Jeremy wondered.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

'Eyes hurt… pain…' Dan thought, his mind barely able to process anything through the agony. Blood tears streamed from his eyes, hidden by his posture.

But it can hide from the eyes of mortals, but it can't hide from the machine. In the logistics room, a technician noticed an anomaly. "Sector G7 is reporting a violent rejection." he announced, causing the faces of officers from LOA to look at the screen with some worry.

Rejection—a phenomenon barely understood. It occurred when the body rejected awakening energies, causing catastrophic damage. The lucky ones died quickly. The unlucky ones suffered prolonged agony, their existence becoming a closely guarded secret of the LOA.

"Find the individual and remove him before the students notice," the officer ordered. Rejected individuals were swiftly taken out of the awakening field to prevent unnecessary suffering.

And following her order, it didn't take long for a Returner, a hollow-eyed man with a ghostlike presence, to appear in the middle of the ceremony. Before Jeremy could even register his presence, the man scooped up Dan and disappeared into the void, reappearing moments later in the hospital.

"Saved just in time," the Returner muttered, his gaze falling on Dan's bleeding eyes. "It's not a complete failure. Part of his body has accepted the awakening aura." He turned to the frozen staff, his voice sharp. "Don't just stand there. Move. Others will arrive soon."

With that, the hollow-eyed man vanished again, leaving the hospital staff to exhale in relief.

"Principal Jalgan really went too far this time, bringing a calamity like him here," one nurse whispered.

"Focus on the boy," the doctor snapped, silencing the gossip. "Run a test and confirm if he awakened any talent, however small."

In this world, talents were graded from 1 to 9, with 1 being the weakest. These grades didn't determine the specific ability a person awakened but rather their cultivation potential and which path—Physique, Spirit, or Mind—they should follow. These three paths formed the foundation of Pugilists, Spiritualists, and Mages, though the systems were more complex than that.

"Nurse, bring the reader. Let's check his talent before we send him to the ER," the doctor ordered.

The test was simple. A blood sample and a scan quickly revealed the results.

"The talent grade is 0/0/1... he's a failure," the nurse reported, her voice a mix of relief and pity.

"Send him to the ER. The rest of the kids will be arriving soon. Hopefully, none of them will be as injured as this one," the doctor said.

"What about his ability? It could still be something useful," a male nurse suggested hesitantly.

The doctor's glare silenced him. "If you can wake him up and have him use it, go ahead. Otherwise, stop wasting time."

The nurse lowered his head. "I... I apologize."

Abilities, unlike talents, were harder to measure but equally important. A weak talent might doom someone to mediocrity, but a unique ability could still make them valuable.

There had been cases before, like the woman who could turn her blood into any potion she drank. Her weak talent made her body unable to absorb the potions, limiting her growth. Yet she was protected like a treasure by a powerful consortium, her absurd ability alone granting her value.

The pain was unbearable. Jeremy didn't know what was happening around him, but his father's warnings echoed faintly in his mind.

Suddenly, a cold sensation washed over him, soothing the pain and replacing it with a surge of strength.

"Huh?" Jeremy gasped as he regained clarity. He became the third person to wake from the ordeal, appearing almost unharmed.

"Jeremy Reinhardt, come forward," a voice called out, breaking him from his daze.

Jeremy looked around, confused but obedient. He walked to the invigilator, who scanned his face with a sharp, practiced efficiency.

"Take this," the invigilator said, handing him a small token. "If you feel any discomfort, you can visit the doctors after your testing is done." The invigilator pointed toward an empty door across the room before dismissing him.

Jeremy nodded and turned to leave, still distracted by the strange oddity he felt within him. He examined his arms, noticing they looked the same but somehow felt... different.

On his way to the testing area, he noticed two other students moving in the same direction—a girl he didn't recognize and someone he did.

'Yydvin,' Jeremy thought, his face tensing with worry as his gaze settled on the boy.

Yydvin looked different now. Taller, leaner, and with a single horn protruding from his head, his presence exuded an intimidating confidence.

"What happened to your body?" Jeremy asked cautiously.

"It awakened its potential by abandoning mediocrity," Yydvin replied, his tone as arrogant as ever, but lighter now—almost as if a great burden had been lifted from him.

"What about the fool you were with?" Yydvin asked mockingly, a sneer tugging at his lips.

Jeremy flinched, guilt flashing across his face. For a moment, he'd completely forgotten about Dan.

Yydvin smirked at Jeremy's reaction, his voice dripping with disdain. "As I expected. Your kind only knows how to wear the face of kindness when others are watching."

"Yydvin, there's no need for such vitriol," Jeremy replied calmly, unwilling to rise to the provocation. "I made a mistake... I'll look for him after I'm done testing."

"Mistake, you say?" Yydvin began, clearly ready to needle Jeremy further.

But before he could continue, the invigilator nearby shouted, his voice firm and commanding. "Students! Go to the testing area. Don't make me repeat myself."

Yydvin clicked his tongue but bowed to the invigilator in mock respect before moving on. Jeremy fumed silently for a moment before shaking his head, his gaze drifting back toward the crowd where he had been standing earlier.

Among the sea of faces, Dan's figure was nowhere to be found.

"Hopefully, nothing bad happened to him," Jeremy murmured, guilt gnawing at him as he turned and entered the testing area.