A boy slept on his desk, his messy black hair blowing in the wind. His name was Vincent Schwartz, a handsome boy with dark red eyes.
He looked pretty short, with a frail figure. He slept in a classroom with white walls filled with many sheets of paper and marks. An old wooden desk cushioned his face.
The loud chattering of students resounded around him while he continued to sleep.
A classroom filled with children who desired to fight inside the dungeons. They all trained for over five years with the school to reach this moment. It was the day they would awaken their class!
A beautiful girl stood beside his desk, her long blonde hair with slight curls at the tips whispered beside him.
"Vincent, you're so cute when sleeping. Fufu!"
Her body seemed to shudder after her words, then moved to her desk.
Vincent's eyes opened momentarily after the quiet words, and the red eyes moved towards her. He then shifted his head, able to peek at the girl while hidden. His mind felt a little stunned like his dreams had entered reality.
The girl, Odette Von Conzelmann, was a former crush of Vincent and his childhood friend. Although the pair felt a connection, alas, she dated another man.
He could only blame himself for not confessing and trying harder to make her his. Because his mother was stronger enough to force their relationship to be accepted, Vincent wanted to do it on his own, with his power.
'Odette is strange sometimes… I wonder why.'
Odette's eyes filled with despair and seemed dull as she walked away.
She felt like a trapped canary, unable to be honest with herself as prying eyes constantly reported her actions and words.
'I hate this life. Will he smile if I run to him and beg him to accept me? Maybe I should fight back?'
She shook her head and pulled out her chair before sitting down while a man with a shaved head and brown eyes greeted her with a nod and a smirk.
This boy was her current partner, arranged by her father.
His name was Dirk Kirchwey, and he was someone she found vile. Odette dated this because her father ordered it, not by choice.
Dirk traced her eyes, filled with affection and longing. He noticed the boy, who seemed to sleep with his head down, gritting his teeth.
His family used various deeds to pressure this girl's father to drive them apart; although he planned to marry her after graduation, that was only to use her special half-beast bloodline to rise.
A low growl sounded from his lips, which caused her to shudder and look down. "Don't even think about it. I will tell your father."
'Shall I make that little cunt jealous? He needs to leave the picture. Odette will marry me, and he cannot stop it.'
His eyes narrowed like a snake which watched both Vincent and Odette before he said with a loud voice that resounded through the classroom.
"Odette, your father said we will be married in six months if my talent is good enough, right?"
Dirk was a very immature and insecure male; he wanted to be the top of everything and combat magic or looks; sadly, Vincent was far more attractive despite being physically and magically weaker.
So he always tried to trick or coax him into making him look stupid, using his affection towards Odette or the fact he was poor. But he did this secretly because Dirk was a hypocrite that only Odette herself could retaliate against.
Not only was his father a wealthy merchant, but his lover was the highest-ranked mage from this year.
Most people didn't know the entire story after all.
Odette used to spend the days together with Vincent as children, most of the adults claiming they were joined at the hip.
He was not only her first friend, but her first love, and the support and little things he did were why she became a mage.
However, one day a servant of the Von Conzelmann house discovered her in the slums with a boy and reported back to the master.
Thus their time together ended prematurely; her father became strange and temperamental around this time. He would sometimes smash things or beat the maids for little things, and upon finding this out, he swore to separate them forever and find her a fiancé.
Her mind then jumped to that horrible night when her freedom and future were changed forever; she could still feel the pain from that night in her cheek as her father raised his hand and slapped her face, causing a dark red bruise.
"No matter how wonderful his adoptive parents are, this boy is a mangy dog with no future or true family. I cannot let you join with his impure blood; the mere thought of you dating a boy with elven blood disgusts me!"
"He is our sworn enemy! The enemy who killed your grandmother! Yet you wish to marry him as the heir to the Von Conzelmann house?"
Odette couldn't respond to his words. Because she was a mere child who just wanted to be with Vincent, how could she understand the dark world of adults?
So the next day, she was made to wear a restrictive collar; this would shock her with lighting magic should she think about Vincent in any form of goodwill. He then arranged for countless servants, from children to the elderly, to watch her actions.
Her thoughts returned to the loud classroom with many people mocking Vincent, yet he remained silent with a faint smile on his pink lips.
'Father, I understand the pressure and importance of the house. Yet my heart still longs only for him, even four years later. When you lack focus, I will break free and become his woman!'
The door suddenly slammed open, and various cracks enlarged this cheap classroom, then hit the wall. A bald man entered, his face filled with scars and an enormous smile. He wore a tattered brown robe and held a black binder, almost looking homeless.
He swung his arms around as a vibration of mana burst through the room with a vibrant light. An upbeat melody followed his movements as a joyful song sounded inside the room.
"Students, ah, my heart's support! It's time you have all been waiting for!"
Firecrackers popped off behind his head, which filled the room with a cloud of light smoke.
"Alright now, sit down! It's time to see what wonderful futures you all have!"
The man held a binder in his right hand and tossed it into the air.
They watched it explode in a flash of light, blinding them and forming a large rectangle box that slammed down on his desk with a resounding thud.
Its lid slid open to reveal enough round balls to match the number of students in the room.
"Now then, my wonderful students! These are the balls you've been dreaming of for all these years! Oh my god, you said?"
"Yes! These are the awakening spheres!"
"Oh, my Gawd! Swallow one of these bad boys, and you will awaken your hidden power that sleeps in your left hand. Some may even gain a special class or bonus talent!
"A gift from the gods up above!"
The man then dropped his strange tension and muttered, "Well, that's what the dumb bald priests say!"
"You're bald!" said the classroom in unison, which caused the teacher to fall to his knees and fake cry.
He shot to his feet a moment later, taking out a comb for the remaining hair on his shimmering head.
"Don't mind the minor details! This Janik is a good guy. His hair is hidden in another dimension to give you boys a chance with the ladies. Haha! See my handsome face!"
"Hahaha, no way, your sparkling teeth and squint eyes look hideous, teacher!"
Janik again fell back, leaning against the wall with tears in his eyes. 'Ah, teacher's heart is frail and will shatter, my harsh students.' Once he finished acting, he stepped forward like a circus promoter and began speaking loudly.
"Now, please line up and prepare to swallow one of these to awaken."
'Hmph, my talent was a mere low-class mage as a student. I truly hope you guys can gain something special. This old man is too bitter even to feel jealousy anymore.'
His students stood up straight away.
They were filled with anticipation and delight, eager to gain strength to earn money and escape this doomed city. Their city was called Verina, named after a noble who reclaimed this land from the dungeons.
Their city is in the east of the human kingdom, Ulkan. This city had only poverty, corruption of nobles and dungeons. People who lived in the slums could not stand this life and dream of better lives.
Ulkan was a small nation flanked by two immense empires at constant war.
— The demon empire of Vandis was a vast land filled with monsters and demons that desired only to crush their enemy, the Phoenix Federation, and all other races. These barbaric races rarely ally with others; only the dungeon's threat forced their hand.
— The Phoenix Federation is a group of races ruled by one woman. The Elven Queen Astoria leads the forces to counter the demon assault. Every 500 years, they will switch the race leading to avoid any stagnation. But those wretched elves love power, so nobody would be surprised if they remained in control longer.
—The nation of Ulkan was merely a buffer zone for the many collisions between these two giants. It was merely a facade of an actual country.
Neither of the two empires cared about this small human kingdom. They kept it because the Elves and Demons didn't wish to deal with the countless small dungeons within this small human lead kingdom. Their only purpose was to keep the small dungeons inside their kingdom contained.
However, 3000 years ago when the first dungeons first appeared. Before the great fog surrounded the continent, the lands were vast, with countless human kingdoms that existed at the pinnacle of the world. These facts have now been lost over many years. So now, thanks to the fog, people have forgotten their glorious past.
People tried to pass through the fog and discover what existed past the horizon. But over time, they needed to remember the long and detailed past of their planet, Neduria.
"Vincent, wake up! It's time to improve your life!" Janik said with a thrilled voice.
This boy always worked the hardest in all his classes; although his aptitude was above average, his small height and weak body held him back.
'Vincent, what is the matter? Have you lost that burning passion which made you train so hard? All these years, you tried harder than everyone here. I know more than anyone else! Don't give up now. Let me see you shine!'
Janik always felt empathy towards Vincent while watching him train more than double the others, felt a sense of kinship, and was reminded of his youth.
However, Janik wished for Vincent to awaken a unique talent so he could feel rewarded.
He paced towards the desk Vincent slept on, raised his hand and slapped him on the back, then poured a dark mana like a healthy drink into his slap.
His blow caused Vincent to wake up feeling shocked by the powerful force, slapping his head on the desk and stumbling backwards.
'Ah, this teacher is so damn passionate I can feel my brain shaking. Did he cut my lip?'
Vincent could taste a little iron in his mouth before his eyes opened, no longer tired. He spent all night training to the limit to improve himself as much as possible.
Although it was stupid, how could he feel satisfied with not working until the last moment?
'I made a terrible choice by staying up all night with Mother. Her punches filled me with so many cracked bones and bruises. Yet I feel more robust, so let's forgive her.'
He gave his teacher a bitter smile; Janik Kindler was a forceful but passionate teacher. This man would help a student no matter how slow or lacking and never abandon them. Sometimes he even left food for Vincent, who stayed to train after school ended.
'Let's not do this. I don't want to make this kind of teacher sad!'
Vincent didn't wait for his teacher to speak, instead watched his excited classmates and gave a soft smile.
They wondered what this guy was smiling for and wanted to punch him before he bowed deeply to everyone three times to the left, centre and right.
"I am very sorry! Last night I got so excited I couldn't sleep! Can you all forgive my delay?" He said, with a voice almost melodic like a siren, which enchanted and soothed both genders' feelings of anger.
Most people forgave him instantly and then nodded to him with a friendly smile and thumbs up.
Dirk ignored him and turned around in a huff. He didn't want to see Vincent getting more popular. Odette looked to the side, although Vincent always felt there was a reason for her change. He couldn't control his emotions fully to find out.
There was no need to make things worse, though, and he hurried to join the others.
"What a loser. Short and incompetent! No wonder Odette chose someone else." A boy stated his name was Armin Oppert, someone who sucked up to Dirk. Talented in business and money.
However, Dirk elbowed him in the side as if to silence him, and Vincent would never believe this guy or his actions.
They fought many times in the past over stupid things. 'Are you stupid? What would happen now if you insulted that guy? Don't affect my image with your stupid words. I don't need your help to put this whelp in his place!'
"He might be short and useless now, but who says he cannot soar into the sky like a blazing phoenix after today? Not only is his face the most perfect I've ever seen in this world! He is kind and helps people!" said a soft voice.
Her name was Felia Wildner as she leaned on her palms. She smiled at Vincent with a delighted face.
'Ah, this strange girl sometimes protects me, and others tease me. I cannot figure her out.' Vincent thought to himself while rubbing his soft chin. Women were beyond him. All he knew was the violent women back home that spoke with their fists and chores.
Vincent still looked at the pretty girl and flashed her a soft smile. She was called Felia, one of the most popular, beautiful girls in class. Her words stopped him from being bullied countless times, and although a little strange, he liked her deep down.
Felia looked towards him with a deep blush. This girl had held a secret crush on this boy for years and couldn't find the time to reveal her feelings. Her actions were always to keep pressure from rising too high on him. She didn't want to solve all his troubles, yet couldn't stand seeing it when everyone ganged up on him.
Janik ignored the children while he placed a sphere into his palms and sat on the edge of his desk. He tried to look cool, but the bald head made him look stupid. 'This atheist can only pray now. I hope those elusive gods can bless each of these children.'
Vincent rolled the strange orb in his hand, his thoughts filled with his beloved adoptive mother and sister. He wished for a class and talent that could one day protect them.
With a loud grunt, Janik leaned back and told them the basic information needed.
"Remember, there is only one chance if you miss this. It will trap you in this horrible city for life. I will call out your names and then help you awaken in order.
Be careful; sometimes, people can change race, looks or sex. Be prepared!"
His voice resounded with a slight magic sense, then settled in as silence filled the classroom.
"Once you swallow the orb, it will fuse with your body and allow you to generate mana."
Janok grasped the device from his table; it could intercept and read a person's mana and convert it into data.
"Raul Gramlich, would you like to do the honours? You can use the awakening agent. Good luck!"
A chubby boy with ginger hair stood up; his belly shifted the wooden desk to the side with a loud squeak.
"Y-yes, sir!"
Raoul swallowed the orb quickly, his body filled with a strange green colour, like vines in an abandoned building.
A large image appeared at the front of the room, filled with various information.
Raoul Gramlich | Human | 18 years old
Shieldbearer
Talent:
Unbreaking Will
Reduce the damage you take by half. You can avoid one fatal blow a day.
Raoul ran around the room before one of the substitute teachers took him to the designated classrooms. He hoped to be sent to the best class, 7S, while the worst was 1D. The students marvelled at this strange scene and felt happy for him.
"Odette, you've worked hard this year! I hope you gain everything you desire and break the dark chains that bind you!" Janik said in his raspy old man's voice.
Odette straightened her body. Her fingers held the colourless orb as she nodded to the teacher and peered at Vincent before she swallowed the sphere.
A brilliant blue flame filled the room moments later as phoenix cries sounded. Janik opened his mouth wide; the pressure from her mana even affected him. 'I am proud to be called your teacher, Odette! What a splendid flame.'
Odette Von Conzelmann | Half Human/Phoenix | 18 years old
Fire maiden
Talent:
Loved by flame.
All fire spells deal more damage. Reduces fire damage taken by 20%.
"WOW!"
'Why is my woman outshining me!?' Dirk thought with a bitter face.
Odette left the classroom with some other teachers, only watching Vincent as she left with small tears of joy and a sense of determination filling her eyes as she shuddered and trembled constantly.
"Alright! Quiet, or I'll expel the lot of you! Haha,"
"Dirk Kirchwey, do yourself proud!"
Dirk Kirchwey | Human | 19 years old
Lance Knight
Talent:
— Lance Knight
Damage inflicted with a lance doubled. Able to mark an ally for protection, lowering their damage taken by 40%
"YES! I can become a knight!"
Dirk's eyes welled up with tears. He may have been at odds with Vincent but also received his clap. Vincent knew Dirk didn't actively start their fights. It was mostly his ugly jealousy, and so he congratulated.
Dirk was nothing special compared to Odette, but the boy himself achieved his goal from childhood.
Dirk looked towards everyone in the class and then gave us a bow. He wasn't a jerk on purpose; Dirk was just highly competitive. His hand slapped Vincent on the shoulder as he passed.
"I hope you can forgive my actions. I was under too much pressure and had no room to spare. Good luck, pretty boy Vince!"
Dirk's voice came out of nowhere. Vincent looked confused. He never expected this guy to apologise while distracted. Felia was told to start her awakening by Janik.
'Like I believe your damned lies; there's no way it was just because of that! How about you stop being fake...' Vincent thought to himself.
'Damn freak, just wait until I bang the girl you love within a year. Then enjoy how I flaunt her naked body in front of you after all the boys in class use her in turn!'
Felia Vilda Dreth'ar | Moon Elf | 19 years old (193)
Talent:
—Fated lover
Choose a single person to bond with forever.
Each time either pair gains a level, both will earn a bonus attribute point. A maximum of one point can be given at a time. Sometimes there may be bonus points for the first few levels linked.
"I declare as the fourth princess of the Phoenix empire! My beloved muse! Vincent Schwartz, my fated person!"
Felia seemed to enjoy the loud noise from all the girls in the class. Delight filled her face after she spilt her secrets. Not only was she the princess of the elves, but she confessed to the weakest runt in the academy. It was big news for these impressionable teens.
Janik left the room in haste to confirm this revelation.
Vincent raised his head after his name was called. He felt a strange red string penetrate his chest and bind with his heart.
Suddenly, the vague feelings of another person's passion, delight, fear and nerves fill his mind. He could not feel them all the time; it was like a tide that came and went. Still, her sincere feelings and also her dark secrets filled his mind.
'Strange, what are these vague feelings of love and desire? Is this what you thought when being close to me, Felia?' Vincent thought to himself, looking at her cute face.
The red string that penetrated his chest burned into a blazing fire. He suddenly felt his connection to her strength.
'Despite her smile and bright actions, this cute girl's true heart and thoughts are filled with pain, despair and resignation?'
The pair matched eyes.
Her beautiful white hair with a small clip on her right side.
The rest was flowing down her back and no longer hiding her long, pointed ears and tanned skin, no longer pretending to be flat-chested as her large E-cup breasts filled her uniform upon breaking the illusion.
On her pelvis was a faint tattoo. It looked like those drawn in the books about demons of fertility. He wondered why it suddenly appeared and thought maybe it was because of her talent.
This was the authentic form of the fourth Elven princess, Felia Vilda Dreth'ar.
Vincent thought this girl was extraordinary.
He met her many years ago when he pretended to be a knight in the city slums, and when they met, he thought her dark skin and pointed ears were pretty.
They then spent several days playing together as he protected her from the bad guys, who might see her beauty as too tempting.
'Playing together as children could not be this drastic, right? This girl is too kind, her talent seems to be a single usage, yet she used it on me.'
He dreamed of becoming a dungeon knight and surrounding himself with powerful women. She would gain attributes from his levels, and he, from hers, seemed valuable for them both.
In this world, people get 1 point per level.
Felia looked towards Vincent with glazed eyes. She wished to speak with him, as her eyes fixed on his body, wanting to know his feelings.
Sadly, a dark elf woman pulled her by the arm and escorted her to the exceptional classroom.
The woman was called Narara. She was wearing exotic armour filled with trinkets and bones from her hometown. These showed her high rank in her tribe.
It took several minutes before a rather tired and sweaty teacher, Janik, returned.
Janik looked towards Vincent and gave him a nod and a wide smile. He wanted the best for this kid, constantly training no matter the weather, even when sick.
'I want a combat job! Please... Not a farmer!'
His classroom was now empty, as most of the people had left. Only a few that wished to see his joke waited at the end.
"Here it goes…."
Vincent brought the clear orb to his lips, then swallowed with one gulp. Moments later, a burning sensation filled his body. Unlike the others, his body filled with a thick oily sweat, and he felt another powerful presence deep inside him.
Something connected to him, but unlike Felia, he controlled everything about her.
A strange display appeared in his vision, like his teacher's magic, but had extra things that made it more detailed.
He thought they needed special tools to read this. Yet Vincent could see even with his eyes closed and just a little focus.
[Welcome to the Demonic choice system!]
[You have two choices!]
[Maximum charm and summoning profession]
[Knight class with average status, an epic grade weapon and two talents]
[Choose One]
—|Vincent: 'Eh? System? Choice? Did everyone else get this, or is it just for me?'
[Please make a choice]
—|Vincent: 'Well... I know it's vain, but I enjoy being good-looking. If I was ugly, would Felia have bound with me?'
"I choose the first one!"
There was a moment of silence in the room; when he opened his eyes, the entire classroom became frozen in time. The mechanical voice once again spoke inside his mind.
[Congratulations! Unlock the Class Summoner]
[Adjusting status and calculating talent]
Vincent Schwartz | ??? | 18 years old
— Summoner Lv 0
Height: 5ft 2 inches (157cm)
Talent: Supreme Charm, Plunder
Strength 1 | Agility 1 | Stamina 1 | Wisdom 1 | Intellect 1 | Charisma X |
[Abilities: Identity (Common), Mana Missile (Uncommon), Mana Shield (Uncommon)]
'What? Why is my status all 1? I am like a piece of paper, but Felia's talent can help fix this... I don't know whether she can see into the future or she's just my lucky star!'
His eyes opened now with a bright sparkle. He felt a sense of confidence that had never happened before. The teacher and others seemed shocked. They wondered why he changed so much despite only awakening. He appeared a confident and passionate boy now.
[Gained Skill Identify!]
[Learned new spell! Mana missile]
[Learned new magic! Mana shield]
Vincent himself felt excited. He was forced to watch his sister and mother work so hard in the past. His mother would become haggard from all her hard work, but finally, he could contribute to the family.
'Father, don't worry about us now. I can protect Mother and Milla for their entire lives!
[A High ranked Ice Spirit requests to form a contract!]