Ding!
[You have awakened the EX-Ranked profession: Spirit Summoner.]
The massive reaper loomed over Karl, its hollow eyes glowing faintly beneath the shadow of its hood.
Without a word, it raised a skeletal hand and snapped its bony fingers.
The dark void quaked violently, ripples spreading like shattered glass across an infinite black canvas.
In an instant, the darkness shifted and warped, solidifying into a sprawling, desolate cemetery.
Ancient tombstones jutted out of the cracked earth, shrouded in an unnatural mist.
The air was thick with the scent of decay and the faint, chilling wails of restless spirits.
[This is the Spirit Cemetery.]
The reaper's voice resonated, a deep and hollow tone that seemed to bypass Karl's ears and speak directly to his soul.
[This is the home of your summons.]
A new notification appeared before him:
[Current Spirit Cemetery Space: 0/5]
"What the hell is this?" Karl muttered, taking a step back.
The oppressive atmosphere of the cemetery closed in around him.
From the graves scattered throughout the cemetery, faint, ghostly blue lights began to rise.
One by one, they solidified, taking on terrifying forms.
A hulking minotaur with cracked, blood-stained horns emerged from one grave, its crimson eyes blazing like embers.
From another, a colossal dragon took shape, its translucent, skeletal wings stretching wide as it let out a deafening roar.
A third grave split open, revealing a serene yet eerie angel, her feathered wings shimmering with a haunting glow, her eyes devoid of warmth.
Dozens more spirits began to rise, each more horrifying or awe-inspiring than the last.
[This is your power, Spirit Summoner.]
The reaper's voice echoed once more, carrying an unspoken challenge.
[But...]
It snapped its fingers again, and in an instant, the spirits and tombstones vanished.
The sprawling cemetery dissolved, leaving behind only a desolate field of grass and skeletal trees swaying in the phantom breeze.
[Your cemetery is empty.]
The reaper's hollow gaze seemed to pierce through Karl as it spoke.
[Find a way to fill it. Good luck.]
Then, slowly and deliberately, the reaper raised its colossal scythe, its blade gleaming with a spectral glow.
[This might hurt.]
[Or not. I wouldn't know. I never got hit by that thing.]
It swayed the weapon toward Karl, the edge slicing through the fabric of reality itself, its chilling presence reaching deep into Karl's very soul.
[If anyone discovers that you possess an EX-Rank profession, it would bring you great peril.]
[I have shackled its true power in the deepest recesses of your soul. Find a way to break these chains and unlock its full potential. For now, you should be safe.]
The reaper swung its scythe with a dreadful finality.
The moment the blade connected, Karl felt a cold, burning sensation shoot through his body, as though his soul was being branded.
And then, as suddenly as it had all begun, it was over.
Karl blinked, snapping back to reality.
The eerie void was gone, replaced by the familiar surroundings of the playground.
Victor's voice rang out, loud and clear:
"Karl Bloodborne, Rare profession: Spirit Summoner, SSS-Rank!"
The announcement sent a wave of cheers rippling through the crowd.
Students clapped and shouted, some with awe, others with envy.
Celeste stood among them, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Though frustrated that she wasn't the sole star of the day, a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Damn," she muttered under her breath, her sea-colored eyes glinting with a spark of determination.
Though they were rivals, a part of her welcomed the challenge.
Deep down, she hoped their rivalry would last, as she found it fun.
'So to him, hiding a profession is just making it go from EX-Rank to SSS-Rank huh,' Karl thought.
"Alright, show us what you can do," Victor urged, and everybody waited.
In opposition to Celeste, there was no fancy display when he awakened, since everything happened in that dark space.
Instinctively, he opened up his status panel.
[Name: Karl Bloodborne]
[Profession: Spirit Summoner (EX-Rank)]
[??? (?-Rank)]
[Level: 1 (0.00%)]
[Strength - 7] [Stamina - 6]
[Agility - 5] [Mana - 5] [??? - ?]
[Spirit Cemetery: 0/5]
[???: ?/?]
[Skills: Spirit Flames (F), Spirit Summoning (EX)]
He had unlocked his profession, obviously, and his attributes were rather average.
Seems like there was more to it, as some panels were available but only displayed a ???.
But what interested him were the [Spirit Cemetery] and his [Skills].
The former was just the place that had appeared in that black void, where his spirits would reside.
And the latter...
[Spirit Flames (F-Rank)]
[Proficiency – 0%]
[Effect: Summons a spiritual flame that be launched at a target, burning their soul.]
"Huh."
This was the basic skill of his profession.
By the way, skills range from F-Rank all the way to EX-Rank as well, the rank at which it starts when you acquire it usually determines its strength.
You can then enhance their strength and power by using them, thus increasing your proficiency, or using items.
It depends.
[Spirit Summoning (EX-Rank)]
[Proficiency – Maxed]
[Effect: Absorb the spirit of the dead and control them.]
[All other effects and powers have been chained.]
There was a single little problem with all of that, though.
"Huh," Karl scratched his head.
"Go on, Karl," Victor smiled, "Show them!"
"Well, It's not that I don't want to, but I quite literally can't, my skill seems to have some sort of condition or whatever?"
If he needed to absorb the soul of the dead, it meant that he first needed to kill monsters.
"Oh, it's fine," Victor nodded reassuringly, "Some skills come with specific activation conditions, and those tend to be the most powerful."
"Thank you for your understanding."
None of the students dared to mock someone with an SSS-Ranked profession.
To do so would be sheer stupidity.
Yet even then...
"That bastard got lucky..."
"If I awaken an SSS-Rank profession, I'll get rid of him."
"We should really beat him up, even such a profession would be powerless at level 1, right?"
"What's that condition gonna be anyway?"
All they could do was speculate about Karl's skill and what unique condition might unlock it.
Karl returned to his spot, and the ceremony continued.
One by one, every student completed their awakening until the last name was called.
Overall, 12 people got an S-Rank profession, 4 got an SS-Rank, and 2 got an SSS-Rank.
'Above average in terms of rare professions, that's good,' Victor couldn't help but smile.
When it was over, Victor stepped forward, bowing slightly as the magic circle began to dissipate into motes of light.
"The students from other schools across the empire should be done as well," he muttered under his breath, a serious look crossing his face, "That means it's about to begin."
By "it," Victor referred to the first challenge faced by all newly awakeners: [The Novice Trial].
This trial was unavoidable, a place designed to push every individual to their limits, forcing them to adapt and utilize their newfound abilities.
It was a true test of survival.
It is apparently located below the first floor of the [Tower of Trials], but no one really knows since you can't go back to it once you finish it.
By the way, the [Tower of Trials] is one of the main wonders of this world.
It reaches as high as the sky goes, meaning that it is impossible to see how big it is, and how many floors are there.
It was the place everyone wished to climb, though there were several risks as each floor has its own challenges.
And you need to complete the previous floor to move to the next.
Basically, the [Tower of Trials] was everyone's goal when becoming an [Awakener].
It also held the highest amount of opportunities for growth.
Failure was not an option, and death in the [Novice Trial] meant permanent death.
Suddenly, a crisp system notification appeared before every student:
[Announcement]
[The Novice Trial for all newly awakened will begin shortly.]
[Do you want to participate?]
[Yes] [No]
If you got a profession that was really bad, you obviously could refuse and thus not risk your life for no reason.
But of course, the majority of people, Karl included, clicked on [Yes].
With a soft whoosh, the message flickered like a dying flame, and a blinding light enveloped the students.
"Good luck!" they all heard from Victor.
Karl's surroundings vanished in an instant.
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed.
[Novice Trial Commenced.]
[Objective: Survive and reach Level 10 to challenge the "Trial Boss"]
[Failure to meet these conditions will result in death.]
The eerie glow of the panels faded, leaving Karl standing alone in an unfamiliar landscape.
A shiver ran down his spine.
The trial had begun.