Sam once again glanced at the majestic blue crystal growing at the center of the arena.
It stood about 30 feet tall, almost five times taller than him; Sam was 6 foot and 1 inch tall.
This crystal was known as the Awakening Crystal, one of the purest forms of mana in existence.
It formed due to the condensation of natural mana over a long period.
Heroes were born with Mana Veins, granting them the ability to absorb mana from their surroundings and convert it into heroic energy within their bodies.
This energy nourished their body, blood, muscles, tissues, and senses, enabling them to break through levels and significantly expand their lifespan.
However, they couldn't access this power because their Mana Veins remained dormant throughout their lives.
It only became possible to awaken the Mana Veins when they turned 16.
To awaken the Mana Veins, they needed to be stirred up with pure natural mana, and this was where the Awakening Crystal came into play.
Awakeners would touch the crystal, and pure, unsullied mana would flow into their body, awakening their Mana Veins.
This enabled them to tap into their dormant powers, if they had one.
While this could be done at home with a soft ball-sized mana crystal, what made this particular overgrown mana crystal special was what followed after successfully awakening a person.
Right after a person was awakened using the pristine mana from the Awakening Crystal, a phenomenon would occur.
This phenomenon showcased the person's potential, talent, and the boundless infinity running through their blood.
This phenomenon served not only as a measure of the awakener's potential but also became a gauge of their abilities and limits.
The more intense and real the phenomenon, the greater the potential the awakener possessed.
There were other factors at play as well, such as the type of phenomenon and its elemental attributes, all related to the awakeners themselves.
Most of the time, the phenomenons were materialized by their unique abilities, adding a layer of complexity and depth to the whole awakening process.
Just by observing the awakeners' demeanor, Sam could discern a basic idea of who might become a pain in the ass once they entered the academy.
He knew that most of these kids were eagerly awaiting their turn to see what kind of phenomenon he would conjure.
As for Sam's thoughts on the matter, he believed it didn't matter much.
If he failed to conjure a noteworthy phenomenon, he would likely be bullied for his perceived weakness.
Conversely, if he conjured a remarkable phenomenon, he would attract attention and likely encounter various troubles.
Sam harbored a slight worry that he might not awaken during the ceremony.
Nevertheless, he resolved to go with the flow and allow events to unfold as they may.
A figure approached the center of the arena and stood before the awakening crystal, capturing everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone, if you could all settle down, we will proceed with the awakening ceremony," the man's voice resonated throughout the arena like a wildfire. He exuded an authoritative aura, utilizing his heroic power to command attention.
"I am Ragnar Blackthorn, the Vice Principal of the Hero Academy. Following tradition, I will oversee this year's Awakening ceremony," Ragnar declared before casting his gaze upon the awakeners and then the general audience.
"Before we commence, let me remind you of something. There are dozens of high-ranking Imperial Knights on the lookout. If anyone dares to attempt anything funny, they will be dealt with swiftly. Consider yourselves warned," he issued a stern warning, scanning the masses before turning his attention back to the awakeners.
"I will call out the names, and the awakeners will get their chance to awaken their potential," he said.
"Now, if you have any questions, now would be a good time."
"Then, we begin. I will reprise once again: this ceremony is just for awakening your potential and nothing more, so don't go out of your way to do anything flashy or show off. Let your phenomenon do the talking," he said before calling out the first name.
"The commoners will be the first ones to awaken, followed by the nobles. For some reason, the noble kids will be called out randomly," Sam learned about this when he read a book about the history of the hero academy.
"Ryan Carter."
Sam returned his attention to Ragnar as he called out the name of a commoner.
The kid walked up to the crystal and did as Ragnar told, placing his hand on the crystal and letting its pure, pristine mana flow into his body.
As soon as it did, the crystal began to glow gently before it began to glow intensely. Not enough to blind one's eyes, but it was somewhat intense.
"Your potential is good," Ragnar nodded at him, then proceeded to call out names one by one.
Sam noticed there was no reaction from the crowd for these awakenings.
They weren't phenomenal nor too intense.
The most reaction the commoners got was intense light strong enough to make one close their eyes.
But that was all.
These were not enough to bring out a strong reaction at all.
In fact, these commoners were actually a lot better than the last year's, but they were not special.
"Cedric Wardrad."
Sam looked at the commoner called with a neutral expression.
He wasn't expecting anything different from other commoners.
But when the commoner boy named Cedric touched the crystal, a phenomenon occurred.
The crystal glowed bright red that slowly turned into something like flames and began to spread to the sky.
"It's a phenomenon..."
"He caused a phenomenon!"
"He must have great potential."
"A phenomenon!" Sam's eyes reflected the mountainous flames in the sky.
The flames took on the form of a fiery, four-legged beast before disappearing.
The boy, Cedric Wardrad, had flames swirling around him before it disappeared into his body.
Then, as if nothing incredible happened, he returned to the exit and disappeared from view.
No one tried to stop him or intercept him, at least not under the presence of the Hero King and Imperial Knights.