There were twenty different classes that would conduct the awakening.
Adarsh was number 48; he would be the last person to receive the awakening.
The Homeroom Teacher, who was also their Magic Advisor, Mayank, was already standing at the very front. The awakening would be conducted in front of numerous people. The student's name was called out, and then they would go up front to place their hands on the Awakening Stone in front of the Magic Advisor.
"Hey, the-one-who-entered-through-the-backdoor, you're not gonna fail the awakening are you? I heard that there are certain incapable people who fail the awakening. A dreg like you should just stop wasting the energy of the expensive Awakening Stone," on a different line up, an old classmate of Adarsh, Hemant said.
Hemant was Kunal's henchman. Kunal personally didn't bully Adarsh because of his background, so instead, he primarily used Hemant to do it.
It was actually possible for the awakening to fail, so Adarsh was genuinely worried about this part. Strictly speaking he was… yeah, a person who had crossed from a different plane. If his physical body was different from the people from here, then that'd be one of hell of a joke.
"Brother Adarsh, just ignore this jerk. Wait until you awaken a Fire element and show him. Then he'll know the meaning behind the phrase, 'Look down on people from a dog's eyes." Sameer, who was placed in the same class as Adarsh said.
Adarsh didn't say anything. If it was a different day, he would've thrown all sorts of insults at Henchman Hemant, however, he wasn't in the mood today. On one hand, it was because he was truly very nervous. While on the other hand, he didn't know why the black pendant he wore around his neck was incessantly shaking.
The black colored pendant was the remnant of the backdoor gatekeeper of his old middle school, Old Somnath. Adarsh suspected that this ring was the reason behind the great changes in the world. That day, Adarsh was wearing this pendant when he fell asleep on the mountain behind his school.
Ever since this morning the broken pendant had been acting like it was possessed, constantly trembling. It shook so much that it made his own hand shake without stopping.
_Screw your mother! Why do you keep shaking?? You're just a stupid pendant, so why aren't you acting like the pendant you are?!_
"Kunal Agrawal!" the homeroom teacher, Mayank, called out.
"Oh, so that's Kunal. He is indeed very handsome, and his grades are the top as well."
"Yeah, I saw him this morning, I like it. I wonder what kind of element he'll awaken? I reckon it won't be crap elements like Water or Light, will it?"
Kunal stood up and immediately heard a few girls in his class chattering incessantly about him. At same time, he also attracted starry-eyed infatuations from other classes.
Kunal wore an indifferent expression. His eyes, however, revealed that he was enjoying others discussing him. He walked to the front and stood before the homeroom teacher, a humble and confident smile on his face.
"Kunal, you're from the Agrawal Family who is renowned for their Ice element right?" Mayank asked with a slight smile.
"Precisely."
"Good, if you awaken the ice element, then you will be superior compared to others. However, don't forget to put in effort too. After all, talent isn't the decisive aspect to everything."
Kunal nodded, but he thought to himself, "Yes, talent can't decide everything, but without talent and family resources, then one would have to live forever at the bottom of the society."
With permission from the homeroom teacher, Kunal slowly placed his hands on the floating Awakening Stone.
A thick, star shaped compass emerged, along with a clear palm print on the Awakening Stone. Kunal seemed tranquil, but his heart was nervous as he placed his hands on the Awakening Stone…
Thanks to his bloodline, the possibility of him awakening Ice Element was very high. However, there could also be exceptional circumstances. If he awakened the Water or Light Element then the Agrawal Family was unlikely to continue attaching any importance to him. After all, there was no way they would waste their finances just so they could find resources suitable to a different attribute.
He placed his left hand on the stone…
The Awakening Stone suddenly emanated a starry radiance. This radiance turned into strips of star marks that appeared to be an extraordinary vein as it landed on Kunal's left hand.
This was everyone's first time seeing the awakening with their own eyes; the students were all tiptoeing as they watched Kunal.
Kunal was standing there unmoving, as though he was suddenly enlightened. He then raised his head slowly…
"Creak, creak, creak~~~~"
A sudden frosty air curled itself around the Awakening Stone.
The air became more and more dense. It actually slowly froze the surface of the Awakening Stone, forming a layer of frost!
"Ice Element! It really is the Ice Element!!!"
Suddenly, a person behind him began yelling. Following this yell, a few girls screeched.
As Mu Bai heard the noises, he opened his eyes in joy!
It's actually the Ice Element! With the Ice Element, it would be easier for him to be taken in by the Agrawal Family. The day where he would soar through the skies was not far. To deal with someone like Adarsh, the dreg of the society, would be like pinching an ant to death… Ah, that's not right. _After awakening the Ice Element, I will become an official disciple of the Agrawal Family. There is no reason for me to lower myself to the level of a beggar._
_I need to set my standards higher. Who knows? I might even have an opportunity to cultivate together with Nandini Agrawal!_
"Very good. It is a very pure Ice Element. I believe an Ice Element Star Dust should be appearing within your Spiritual World. Cultivate harder, and make it grow even stronger!" the homeroom teacher said, with eyes full of praise.
The ability to freeze the Awakening Stone during the awakening meant that the power of his Ice Element surpassed the average person. He was likely to be a very talented Ice Element apprentice, and his future was very promising!
"Next, Prachi!"
After the homeroom teacher said this, a girl with a somewhat confident look on her face came over.
"Alright, Earth Element. The power of your stardust isn't bad at all. It seems like the effort you've put in is showing!"
"Next, Saransh!"
"Also Ice Element."
At this moment, Adarsh tiptoed to watch. He discovered that the person who also awakened the Ice Element, Saransh, caused a layer of faint frosty mist to emerge. It did not freeze the Awakening Stone though.
From this, one could tell that even if this was the Ice Element, Saransh's talent and cultivation was much lower than Kunal.
"Next, Prakhar."
"Hm, Water Element!"
"Ahhh, oh my god, how could I be Water Element? I should be a Fire Element!" suddenly, the classmate called 'Prakhar' called out in bewilderment. The people within the circumference of a hundred meter heard this.
"Don't be discouraged. No matter what Element you cultivate, as long as you can become an Intermediate-level Mage, you will obtain even more recognition."
Prakhar had no other choice. He could only return to his own seat in low spirits.
In fact, the awakening in the beginning was very important. If it was a Fire Element, then one could possess a certain level of combat prowess as a Primary-level Magician. That allowed future cultivation to happen much more easily.
The Primary-level Water Element skill was 'Water Shield,' and its defensive power was not as strong as the Earth Element. If one was not proficient in it, then the effects were not very clear. At the very least, that's how it worked among the Primary-rank Mages.
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Translator: Abhay Mishra
Editor: Abhay Mishra
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