Velcrest Academy Inauguration [3]

The Academy grounds were packed with students, their voices blending with the low hum of pulsating energy from the podium.

Most spoke casually with their friends, guessing the class they would awaken. Others remained silent but confident, while the rest prayed for a successful and powerful awakening.

Asher stood with Tay at the back of the crowd, arms crossed and expression blank.

Tay, on the other hand, had his gaze fixed on his phone, so engrossed in whatever he was reading that he hadn't noticed Asher's stare.

Asher didn't share their excitement, not because he didn't understand it, but because he was silently trying to piece together everything he had observed and predict the outcome of his own awakening.

In this world, specifically Velcrest City, where the population keeps rising and the citizens are kept away from the outside world, except for those assigned to international duties, for reasons best known to the leaders.

The city alone has been a mystery to everyone, why dungeons appeared there, why the city has a lot of hidden secrets, including the extinct races.

And finally, why the city has asylums, and a massive tower, for no reason.

Velcrest was a city where different races lived among each other, humans had to be gifted to keep up.

Some were born with magic, while others absorbed the energy around them and evolved, thus awakening various skills, talents, and classes.

Upon reaching a certain age (usually 18-20), individuals underwent an Awakening Ceremony.

Where the school or organizations evaluated their potential and assigned them a Class, along with an initial set of Skills and Talents.

Velcrest Academy focused on admitting students with unique traits. Three factors determined admission:

First, the age, anyone who wanted to be admitted into the academy, is supposed to be 18 years old, and if the individual was 17, there was a possibility they would be considered.

Second, the individual's race, hybrids, humans, elves, kitsune, other normal and habitable races were allowed.

And finally the class an individual belonged to.

The most common classes, were Martial Classes, followed by Arcane, and lastly, the rarest, Hybrid Classes.

Martial Classes included Warlord, Champion, Assassin, and Monk. These classes focused on physical combat and were always placed on the frontline in battles.

Arcane Classes, as the name implied, revolved around magic and spell-based abilities. Few Arcane users had actual combat experience, and they often fought alongside Martial Class individuals.

This category included Elementalists, Invokers, Illusionists, Healers, and, in rare cases, Necromancers.

Hybrid, Legendary, and Hidden Classes were the most unique and difficult to awaken. These classes combined various abilities, often evolving from basic ones into something far more complex.

They included Enchanters, Summoners, Tacticians, Shadow Manipulators, Lich Lords, Dragon Knights, and Chronomancers.

Most of these were evolutions of common classes, but they were difficult, sometimes impossible, to awaken. Luckily, it had been years since the last recorded Hybrid or Legendary class awakening.

Based on what he had observed and the letter he received, Asher was certain he would awaken something.

He just wasn't sure if it would be useful. Not that he particularly cared, but at the very least, he wanted something that could help keep his mother alive.

The grand courtyard was an open rectangular space with raised platforms, surrounded by towering marble pillars on each edge, their surfaces inscribed with runes and symbols.

At its center, on a raised platform, sat a large, glowing crystal ball that pulsed with light and an unimaginable amount of energy.

The Mana Detector, also known among students as the Inauguration Stone, was a rare artifact said to reveal the true potential of those who touched it.

And for those daring enough to mine such a relic, the stone could be used for their own benefit.

Asher noticed Naomi stealing glances at him, as if expecting him to call her over or say something. But he didn't. If she wanted to talk to him, she could come to him herself.

And if not, he wasn't in the mood anyway.

Five instructors stood atop the raised platform, which appeared to float in the air, their expressions blank, except for the man who had stepped forward.

They had witnessed this spectacle countless times before. To them, this was just another year, another batch of hopefuls, another day of judgment.

All were dressed in black, with the academy's badge displayed on their breast pockets.

It gave Asher an irritating feeling that the students would be forced to wear uniforms as well.

But he didn't let that bother him. Not yet.

"All first-years will step forward and place their hand on the stone," one of the instructors announced.

"Your class will be determined and recorded. Your ranking will be assigned based on its potential and compatibility, and then we will move on to distributing everything you need, as well as your receipts for your fees."

The moment he spoke, silence fell almost immediately. One could even hear a pin drop despite the sound of the pulsating ball.

"The names will be called starting with those who performed well, followed by those who scored above average, then those below, and finally, the outstanding students."

Just as the last few years, Velcrest Academy selected its students based on their exam scores and overall performance during the evaluation.

First was the written test, conducted three months ago, which assessed the students' intelligence across various subjects. Even foreign knowledge was tested.

Their understanding of cultivation, magic, and beasts was prioritized before anything else.

A month later, the oral test was conducted, where instructors evaluated the students' vocabulary and proficiency in various languages, including some from Asher's past life.

Finally, the physical test took place, consisting of a series of activities designed to measure the students' physical abilities and strength.

Mental, emotional, and physical resilience were all scrutinized, and somehow, this year's results had impressed the instructors.

"As you all know, if you do not awaken a class or receive anything above an F-rank, you will be sent home to prepare for the next exam."

Which would take place a year later.

"I advise you all to pray and keep your fingers crossed, because for many of you, this might be your last chance."

A murmur spread through the crowd. Each student was allowed only three attempts. The academy kept strict records to prevent anyone from repeatedly taking the exam.

The lucky ones awakened on their first trial, while the unlucky ones had to wait for their second or third.

Naomi was a good example of the unlucky ones, while the rest of the students were first-timers. Since her father was a board member, she had been allowed to take the test at sixteen.

It was unfair, but as the saying went, money moves mountains.

"Without wasting any more time…" The instructor's voice echoed across the field, returning the courtyard to silence. Then, he called the first name on the list.

"Emma Lockwood."