Year 412 of Apocalypse: Divine Descent.
New United Federation, South City No. 3 Advanced School.
At 7 a.m. sharp, Lucien stepped into the classroom just in time.
Instantly, many eyes turned toward him.
As one of the most dazzling figures in the class, he was impossible to ignore.
Despite everyone being merely 200-month-old "babies,"
Lucien stood out with a face rivaling the legendary "Super Invincible Handsome Guy of the Universe"—yes, you, dear reader!
Beyond his breathtakingly handsome features, his towering two-meter frame,
broad shoulders, and steel-forged muscles commanded attention wherever he went.
Lucien ignored the stares and walked straight to his seat at the back of the classroom.
Gazing out the window, he exhaled slowly.
Everyone says high school is full of memories.
But if given the chance to relive it, how many would willingly go back?
Unfortunately for Lucien, he had no choice.
A year ago, he died from overgaming and transmigrated into the body of a high school sophomore.
Back then, he had wept bitterly—absolutely refusing to return to the early mornings and late nights of school life.
But the worst part? He had future knowledge!
With such foresight, why grind at school when he could easily make millions doing just about anything?
Wasn't that a much better life?
Yet, skipping school for half a day earned him a harsh reality check.
He wandered the streets, only to discover...something was off.
He hadn't been reborn—he'd transmigrated!
This wasn't Earth anymore; it was Terra!
More terrifyingly, Terra's people didn't just play online games;
Terra itself was a massive MMO.
Currency? Gold coins, silver coins, copper coins.
And at age 18, every human participated in a Job Awakening Ceremony,
unlocking a profession and embarking on a journey to slay monsters,
explore dungeons, and uncover secrets—all to grow stronger.
Sure, you could choose not to awaken a profession.
But humans weren't the dominant species on Terra.
In fact, their survival could only be described as barely hanging on.
Refusing to awaken meant the government would assign you a spouse.
Your sole responsibility? Reproduce.
In this world, giving up was a pipe dream.
The children born from such unions would be raised in state care.
Lucien's predecessor had been one of those children.
The original Lucien had planned to skip the awakening ceremony entirely,
waiting for the government to assign him a wife and living a peaceful life in the city.
But now, the new Lucien was here.
He wanted nothing more than to become a professional.
Not for glory or ambition—he was simply terrified of dying!
Having already tasted death, Lucien feared nothing more than experiencing it again.
In this world, without strength, even breathing felt like a mistake.
The city walls were tall and sturdy, yes,
but they weren't impenetrable.
Just days ago, a monster horde had breached a city's defenses, leaving no survivors.
Fear became Lucien's ultimate motivator.
Driven by his terror of death,
he had trained relentlessly since the day he arrived in Terra.
His natural physical aptitude had gifted him a powerful, muscular build.
While this wouldn't directly influence his job awakening,
it did grant him a few extra stat points to start with.
Lucien prayed fervently to the gods for a high-tier Warrior or Knight profession.
Both offered solid defense and high HP—essential for survival.
Sure, being on the frontlines wasn't ideal,
but the alternatives—Mage, Priest, Archer, Assassin—were all too fragile.
At 9 a.m., as the first class bell rang,
the crisp sound of heels echoed from outside the classroom.
Moments later, their homeroom teacher, Nina, entered.
Nina placed a silver briefcase on the desk, glancing over the half-empty room.
Half the students had already chosen to forgo awakening,
opting instead to follow the government's reproductive plan.
She sighed inwardly, pitying those students.
Still, they were adults now, entitled to their choices.
Her gaze lingered on four students who remained:
Charlotte, Logan, Durant, and Lucien.
These four were the top achievers in the class.
Especially Lucien.
Though his academic performance left much to be desired,
his fists had pummeled half the school into submission—undefeated.
If these four could awaken decent talents and professions,
the upcoming Professional Entrance Exams might just earn their class some recognition.
Even if just one made it into a top-tier academy, she'd have something to brag about to the principal.
Nina straightened up, addressing the class:
"We're about to begin the Job Awakening.
Anyone still planning to back out?"
She paused, scanning the room. No one responded.
"Alright, line up by student number and name.
When called, step forward and touch the Awakening Crystal.
"Whatever your result, stay calm.
Focus on clearing the Trial Dungeon—your priority is becoming a professional.
"And even if your profession and talent seem amazing, don't get cocky.
Choose a difficulty below normal.
A small reward isn't worth losing your chance to become a professional."
With her instructions complete,
Nina opened the silver briefcase to reveal a transparent crystal orb—the key to the Transcendental Sanctuary,
a special space where Job Awakenings took place.
One by one, students were called forward.
"1: Quinn…"
"6: Yosef…"
"13…"
...
"36: Lucien!"
Half the class was missing, so it didn't take long for his name to be called.
Suppressing his excitement, Lucien stepped forward.
"Good luck," Nina whispered with an expectant look.
Lucien nodded, placing his hands on the crystal.
The world spun. When Lucien opened his eyes,
he was no longer in the classroom but standing in a grand, golden palace.
The walls and ceiling were adorned with intricate frescoes,
so lifelike they seemed ready to leap from the surface.
But Lucien had no time to admire them.
He had just heard something unbelievable.
[Ding! You meet the requirements... Initializing data transfer… Data transfer successful!]
[Ding! Personal Attribute Panel Loading… Loaded!]
[Ding! Inventory Loading… Loaded!]
[Ding! "One-Coin Glitch" Plugin Loading… &$@-!@… Load failed… Loaded successfully!]
[Ding! Welcome to the Transcendental Sanctuary!]
Lucien's fists clenched, his excitement barely contained.
The "One-Coin Glitch", the very thing that caused his transmigration, had returned!
Back on Earth, he'd installed the plugin in a single-player game to bypass grinding and absurdly expensive in-game purchases.
Now, in this MMO-like world, the plugin could do more than break games—it could rewrite his fate.
A profession required money to grow:
skills, equipment upgrades, potions—all cost gold.
But with this plugin, Lucien could have it all for the smallest price.
The realization sent shivers down his spine.
For the first time, he felt truly unstoppable.