Seconds ticked by, and Michael could almost hear his heart pounding in his chest. Each student was allocated 30 seconds with the awakening orb—any longer was pointless, as it had been proven through countless trials over the years.
Ten seconds passed.
Fifteen seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Twenty-five seconds…
Just as the teacher began to move, ready to dismiss Michael—whose heart had already sunk into bitterness—the awakening orb under his hands suddenly flared with a brilliant light.
Instantly, a warm sensation coursed through Michael's body, clearing his mind as a newfound surge of strength flowed through him. The manifestation that accompanied every new Awakener soon followed.
A black, gloomy energy swirled around Michael, enveloping his body. A dark staff briefly materialised in his hand for a fleeting moment before vanishing into nothingness.
Michael stood frozen, momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events, until the teacher's voice, equally startled, snapped him back to reality.
"Michael Norman has successfully awakened a class: Necromancer!" the teacher announced.
"Another one?!"
"Necromancer, huh? That sounds powerful and maybe a little bit… evil?"
"Be more confident in your speech brother. It's evil as fuck!"
"Yeah, but honestly? As long as I can awaken a class, I wouldn't even mind if it involved selling my body!"
"Just admit that you're horny bro."
Just like before, the hall erupted in murmurs, though the reaction was more subdued than it had been earlier. It couldn't be helped—unlike the excitement over Lilian Stone's unexpected awakening or the awe surrounding Brian Lian's transformation into a super-genius, Michael's presence at school had always been… negligible.
But that wasn't going to be the case any longer…
Only a few of his classmates from Class 3, Section N8, were present in the hall, and there were even fewer faces he could recognise. It wasn't wrong to say that he didn't know any of them personally.
"Good, good, good," the teacher in charge of the ceremony repeated his word thrice, visibly pleased. It wasn't that he knew Michael; rather, it was a surprise to see three Awakeners emerge from a ceremony he had expected to yield none.
Such results were rare, and a complete failure in Awakening wouldn't have shocked him or anyone.
"Come stand beside me and wait," the teacher gestured, motioning for Michael to join the other two Awakeners.
"Yes, teacher."
Still in a daze, Michael nodded and obeyed. Seeing a new comrade, Lilian and Brian gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement, which he returned automatically.
In truth, Michael's attention wasn't on his surroundings at all. He could barely catch the bits of murmurs his classmates were whispering about him, he was just too preoccupied to care.
His attention was fixed on what had just appeared before his eyes.
A blue, transparent panel that floated before his sight:
*****
[ Name: Michael Norman ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Necromancer Apprentice ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ EXP: 0/100 ]
[ Strength: 1.3 ]
[ Agility: 1.4 ]
[ Constitution: 1.2 ]
[ Intelligence: 4.5 ]
[ Attribute Points: 0 ]
[ Skills: Undead Summoning, Undead Revival ]
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
[ Class Skill: Contract Slot {0/2} ]
[ Gift: Mark Of Origin ]
*****
Michael's mind hardly processed the details displayed on the panel. It was only now that he realized what had just happened.
He had awakened! He had really awakened!
A wave of relief and joy washed over him, loosening the tension that had been weighing on his shoulders, making him finally feel relaxed. While this was only the beginning, the most critical hurdle was cleared. No matter what came next, now that he had awakened, his future brimmed with new possibilities.
Michael let out a deep sigh of relief and turned his attention back to what was left of the Awakening Ceremony.
Only six students remained, and in about four minutes, it could come to a conclusion. Each student would soon return home, left to ponder their future based on the outcome of their awakening.
Now that he no longer felt nervous, Michael's mind was free to wander.
The most pressing realization was his awakened class: Necromancer.
Truth be told, Michael knew little about Awakeners or their classes beyond what was taught at school and overheard in passing. What he did know was that classes were generally categorized into three broad types: Combat, Support, and Lifestyle.
Necromancer seemed like a mix of Combat and Support, but Michael wasn't entirely certain of that.
The school provided only a general understanding of Awakeners, without delving deeper into the subject. Perhaps the higher-ups believed that students who were unlikely to awaken didn't need to know more and would benefit more from using their time on their studies or cultivation.
There was a common belief that if one cultivated before awakening could lead to the activation of a secondary class, given that the person had talent. This made cultivation a widely encouraged practice overall.
Michael wasn't certain if this limited information was unique to Woodstone Public High School No. 3, but he knew one thing for sure—there was no discrimination between classes.
No class was considered inherently "overly weak," as each class theoretically had limitless potential. An Awakener's power depended solely on their own efforts and abilities. According to the teachers, this even applied to Lifestyle classes like Tailors, which were said to hold extraordinary potential.
Michael wasn't sure how true this claim was, but he suspected he would find out soon enough. After all, he was now an Awakener—someone who should earn him recognition from the government.
Just as Michael mulled over his thoughts and was about to inspect the mysterious panel that had appeared in his mind earlier, the teacher's voice pulled him back to the present.
"Alright, that's it for today," the teacher announced. 'For those of you who failed to awaken, remember that failure to become an Awakener doesn't mark the end of our future. During the early days of the apocalypse, at least half of our ancestors—those who played a crucial role in ensuring humanity's survival and advancement—were ordinary people. So what if you didn't awaken?"
A murmur spread among the downcast students below the podium, their spirits lifting at the teacher's words.
Even Michael couldn't help but find himself impressed by the teacher's words. However, he couldn't ignore the harsh reality that awaited them outside the hall. Perhaps some of the students already understood this grim truck, but for now, they needed something to cling to and help them feel better.
One must know that while this world was technically more advanced than Michael's original one, it wasn't all sunshine for the average person out there.
For example, traditional jobs, like bankers, had long become a thing of the past, along with many others. Only a handful of establishments still employed humans for the tasks that machines could do—either out of financial strain or because they wanted to be "classy" like some high-end hotels.
For most people in this world, life was a daily struggle against poverty, with few employment opportunities available for them.
It was only after arriving in this world that Michael truly came to appreciate a saying from his old life: technology can be both a blessing and a curse.
This desperation to escape their current circumstances was one of the reasons why these students so desperately wanted to become Awakeners.
If Michael hadn't awakened, he would have been on the receiving end of the teacher's encouraging words as well.
He knew he was truly lucky.
Sensing his words had struck a chord, the teacher nodded in satisfaction before speaking again.
"The college exams for both regular colleges and cultivation academies are just three months away. Make sure to use this time wisely and prepare seriously. Remember, just because you don't need to attend school again after today doesn't mean you can afford to slack off. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The students, including Michael and the two other newly Awakened, responded in unison.
"Alright, you're dismissed!"
As the students made their way out of the hall, the teacher turned to Michael, Lilian, and Brian. With a warm smile, he said, "You three, follow me to the principal's office."