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The Awakening Day
The next morning, Leo woke up early, his nerves keeping him on edge.
He moved through his routine quickly—brushing his teeth, taking a shower, and eating breakfast—before booking a cab to the Awakener Association.
As the car sped through the streets, Leo's anxious expression didn't go unnoticed.
"You got a problem, kid?" the cab driver asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. "If you don't mind sharing, maybe I can help."
Leo hesitated for a moment before sighing. "It's nothing… Today's my 18th birthday, and I'm going for my awakening. I'm just worried about what class I'll get."
The cab driver chuckled. "Worried about that, huh? Kid, listen—your class doesn't decide your future. Your hard work and choices do. Doesn't matter what you awaken as; what matters is what you do with it."
Leo blinked, then smiled. "Thanks, old man."
As the words sank in, Leo realized—why was he even worrying?
Even if he didn't awaken a combat class, so what? He had his past life's knowledge! In his old world, he had been a tech genius. If nothing else, he could use that knowledge to recreate novels, TV shows, and games from Earth. After all, entertainment here was boring as hell.
The cab soon pulled up in front of a large building with "Awakener Association" written in bold letters across the entrance.
Leo stepped out and turned to the driver. "Thanks for the advice, old man."
The driver grinned. "No problem, kid. Good luck with your awakening!"
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Inside the Awakener Association
Leo entered the building and spotted the front desk, where a pretty receptionist sat. Smiling, he walked up to her.
"Beautiful Sis, I'm here for the awakening."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "What a smooth talker. Wait here, I'll call someone to take you to the awakening room." She dialed a number, speaking briefly into the receiver.
A few minutes later, a bald man with a scar across his face stepped out from a hallway. His expression was unreadable.
"Follow me," he said.
Leo obediently followed the man into a room containing a large crystal orb surrounded by monitoring equipment.
The bald man pointed at the crystal. "Place your hand on the Awakening Crystal. The monitors will display your class."
Leo took a deep breath and pressed his palm against the cool surface.
Suddenly—
[Ding! Mana detected. Class awakening is starting…]
A strange warmth spread through his body.
[Ding! Class awakening successful. User has awakened:
— Class: Mage
— Class: Mechanic (Hidden)]
Leo's eyes widened. Duel Classes?!
This had never happened in history.
If word got out, people would want to study him—or worse, experiment on him.
He barely had time to process the information before another notification appeared.
[Ding! A class scan is about to begin. Would you like to display your awakened classes?]
Leo's heart pounded.
"Hell no."
"System, hide my Mechanic class. Only show Mage."
[Acknowledged.]
A moment later, the monitor displayed:
{Class: Mage}
{Affinity: None}
The bald man glanced at the screen and nodded. "Alright, you can remove your hand now. You've successfully awakened as a Mage. Head back to the front desk to collect your ID card."
Leo quickly left the room, his mind still spinning.
---
Back at the front desk, the receptionist recognized him immediately.
"That was fast," she said. "Your ID will be ready in a few minutes."
Leo waited patiently until she handed him a sleek, metallic card.
"Here you go," she said. "This ID is proof of your awakening. You'll need it to enter the Tower or make purchases through the Awakener Association. If you lose it, you'll have to pay a fine for a replacement—so don't misplace it."
Leo took the card with a grin. "Got it. Thanks, Sis!"
Then, without wasting another second, he bolted outside, hurriedly booking a cab back home.
He needed time to process everything.
Because this… changed everything.
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