Velcrest Academy Inauguration [4]

Emma froze in her spot beside Naomi. She then let out a small breath when her gaze met Asher's, and he gave her a nod.

A gesture that made Naomi raise her brows.

"Here goes nothing," Emma mumbled to herself and left her spot. She walked cautiously to the stage, her gaze held low to avoid the stares of the other students.

However, those stares weren't in any way negative. If anything, they were like silent encouragement. If only she could let herself hear them.

Asher watched as she placed her palms flat against the stone. The moment she did, the crystal flared to life, emerald-green flames surrounding it.

A vibrant green light burst forth, swirling like vines around her arm.

The ground trembled slightly—not enough to raise an alarm—but a gust of wind moved upward, lifting her hair. It would have sent her shirt billowing if she hadn't held it down.

Gasps echoed across the courtyard. A translucent screen materialized above her head, displaying her class and rank for all to see.

[Arcane–Elementalist: Forest]

[Class Name: Verdant Warden]

[Rank: -S]

A class tied to nature's essence, capable of summoning powerful plant-based constructs, enhancing vitality, and wielding elemental magic.

Murmurs spread through the field from all corners. A high-tier nature class.

Not quite S rank, but far from A or even the standard S—which meant there was a major downside.

And the possibility that she could be deranked without hesitation.

The instructor nodded in approval. "A strong affinity with nature magic. A respectable class. I am proud of you," he said, mirroring Emma's smile before she walked to the side.

"Next… Naomi Sinclair."

At the mention of her name, Naomi flicked her hair over her shoulder. Unlike Emma, she didn't seem nervous. If anything, she looked impatient and excited.

She walked up to the stage, sneaking glances at Tay and Asher to see if they were watching her.

Disappointingly, Tay's gaze remained fixed on his phone, while Asher was focused on Emma and the other instructors.

Funnily enough, they didn't even seem to care whether she was there or not.

She huffed and placed her palm on the stone. The reaction was instant.

A surge of golden light erupted from the crystal, tendrils crackling like lightning.

Symbols flickered around her—elven runes and sigils hovered midair before vanishing.

Her aura shifted immediately, and those with keen eyes could see golden energy radiating from her the moment she touched the stone.

Then, the screen appeared.

[Arcane–Invoker: Elven Magic]

[Class Name: Arcane Sylph]

[Rank: A]

An A-rank class, tied to elves, specializing in high-tier spellcasting. Its mastery of both close and ranged magical combat made it one of the most sought-after awakenings.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Even the instructors exchanged knowing looks. She hadn't awakened a rare class, but an A-rank was still impressive.

However, they already knew she would awaken something, given the measures her father had taken before she arrived.

Naomi smirked, clearly satisfied—not with her awakening, but with the applause she received.

She stepped back beside Emma, who gave her an impressed nudge. Then, she smiled at Asher, only for him to avert his gaze almost immediately.

"Is he upset with me?" Naomi asked, slowly shifting her gaze to Tay. He was suddenly looking at her.

She wanted to smile at him, but when he turned to Asher to say something, her expression turned sour. "Did I do something wrong?"

Emma, who noticed her mood change but was oblivious to what had happened, just laughed softly. "I don't think you did anything. What happened?"

"Asher looks like he's mad at me. He hasn't even smiled since he saw me," she stated, crossing her arms. Then she turned to glare at Emma. "Did you tell him something?"

"What? …No!" Emma defended. "I told him what you asked me to tell him. And besides, I don't think he's mad at you—he's just a little upset about coming here."

"Why?"

Emma shrugged. "Alya told me he's been really pissed since she stepped into his room." A soft chuckle then escaped her lips.

"She said he forgot he had a sister or even a family—well, until their mom came into his room," she paused to push a strand of her hair back. "I guess he's not really himself."

"More like he's suddenly arrogant."

"Ehhh," Emma laughed a little too loud, earning a glare from the instructors. She mumbled a quick "sorry" before turning back to Naomi.

"You could talk to him later, after the ceremony, and take some food with you—especially soft stuff. Alya says he suddenly likes them."

"When?"

"Before we both left. She texted me and told me not to get him angry, and if he's acting like an idiot, I should get him food—soft buns, to be precise."

"Ash, I see. I could try that."

"Alright," the instructor's voice came again.

Tay was next. He looked relaxed, unfazed, as he walked up to the stage.

The moment his hand made contact, the stone pulsed with a deep crimson and dark blue hue. Unlike the girls, there was no gust of wind or crackling energy.

But as the stone glowed and energy flowed upwards, the only thing that appeared was a wolf's paw, a bullet, and an arrow marking an X.

The screen then appeared.

[Martial – Assassin]

[Class Name: Locked (Special Grade Weapon Master and Beast Tamer)]

[Alternative Name: SGA]

[Rank: S]

A multiple-class that combined beast taming and weapon mastery, allowing the wielder to form contracts with creatures and enhance their physical abilities in combat.

Something close to a hybrid class—but not quite. It was a rare kind that could dominate battlefields and dungeon raids.

A few students murmured, while others whistled in approval. Tay simply sighed and walked over to where the girls stood.

Naomi whispered a congratulations, and he smiled in response, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

One by one, students stepped up—some awakened powerful classes, others received common ones.

But this year, the ranks S and A were surprisingly common.

Then something strange happened.

A boy stepped forward, visibly shaking. He placed his hands on the stone… but nothing happened.

The silence that followed was suffocating and painful.

A few murmurs started to rise. The instructor checked the stone, then spoke in a cold tone.

"Classless."

The word rang through the courtyard like a death sentence. The boy stumbled back, his face pale with horror.

Another student stepped up when he was escorted to the side, clearly nervous. She pressed her hand to the crystal—again, nothing.

"Classless."

This time, there were whispers, quiet laughs, and a few scoffs.

Naomi leaned closer to Emma, lowering her voice so only she could hear.

"Imagine Asher got a useless class or nothing," she whispered with a smirk.

"Don't say that. He's your boyfriend—you should at least hope he gets triple S. That way, he could protect you, and you wouldn't have to do anything."

Naomi released a low scoff. "I don't care. He's being really mean," she whispered to Emma but made the mistake of letting Tay read her lips.

The murmurs grew louder. Some students shifted uncomfortably, while others exchanged smirks.

Being Classless was the equivalent of being declared useless in this world—no future as a warrior, mage, or even a support role.

Another student stepped forward.

She, too, pressed her hand against the stone, only for it to remain lifeless.

"Classless."