Noel pushed the heavy glass doors of the Awakening Chamber and stepped into the room, his palms slick with sweat, and a nervous expression on his face. The faint hum of Mana-infused machinery echoed softly through the hall, and the scent of rift stones mixed with something faintly metallic lingered in the air.
The lobby was brightly lit, illuminated by a dome of Mana-light panels overhead. It had smooth grey walls, minimalistic décor and a glowing Mana crystal embedded in the center of the room.
The lobby itself was quiet, but it was far from empty. A few dozen youths sat on the plush velvet sofas, scattered across the room. Some of them were bouncing their knees nervously, while others leaned back confidently, chatting with their friends or scrolling on their phones. A girl sitting on the far right was muttering something under her breath, clutching a good luck charm tightly. Another boy in a sleek coat kept glancing at the doors to the awakening chambers, his foot tapping nonstop on the polished marbles.
I guess I'm not the only one who is extremely nervous. Noel thought bitterly as he made his way to the registration desk. He scribbled his name on the digital panel before stepping back. The moment his name was confirmed on the list, the nerves he was trying to hold back came rushing back in full force. He sat down on one of the vacant seats, his heart hammering loudly in his chest.
The minutes passed by quickly, and the number of people in the lobby thinned steadily with each passing minute. There were some new faces that joined him in the lobby, but Noel paid them no mind. His future was wholly dependent on the chance that he awakened, and he was so nervous himself that he didn't have the time to think about anything else.
"Noel Augustus?" a crisp, cold voice suddenly called out, jolting him out of his thoughts.
He stopped fiddling with his fingers and looked up.
A tall woman with a slender build and striking features stood at the entrance of the chamber corridor. Her hair was neatly tied into a high bun, and her pristine white uniform looked like it had never known a wrinkle. She held a tablet in her left hand, and her sharp eyes barely glanced at him.
"Yes." Noel replied nervously, rising to his feet.
"It says here that you've tried to awaken twice and failed both attempts," the woman—Jill, according to her name tag—stated flatly, not bothering to hide the disinterest in her tone. Her eyes scanned the data on the tablet with a small frown.
"Yes," he mumbled inaudibly, dropping his gaze.
"Then you should be aware that this is your final chance," she continued flatly, her voice devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
"According to the rules of the Hunter Association, if you fail to awaken a third time, you will be permanently banned from further attempts. You will no longer be eligible to awaken or become a registered Hunter." Jill stated coldly.
"Yes." Noel whispered, his voice even smaller.
He was painfully aware of this rule. After all, he had seen several people fall victim to it.
The rule might seem cruel at first glance, but it was meant to spare people from chasing a path they were never meant for. Since one could never awaken past the age of 18—barring some rare anomalies—the three-attempt limit was implemented to prevent the youths from wasting several years on a fruitless endeavor and turning them away from the path of becoming a Hunter early on.
"Very well. Alright then, let's get started with your awakening."
"Follow me." Jill said indifferently, turning around.
***
The Awakening Chamber was plain and cold, just like he remembered. Smooth silver walls lined with glyphs shimmered faintly with Mana flowing through the glyphs. A transparent cylindrical capsule—which was the awakening pod—stood in the center of the room, wired to a dozen systems and anchored by a polished black Mana stone on a raised platform.
Jill walked to the control unit and motioned for Noel to step inside the awakening pod.
He swallowed hard and muttered a short prayer under his breath, and then stepped into the pod. The moment he did, soft restraints locked around his arms and ankles, and the glass doors slid shut with a faint hiss.
"We'll begin the sync, so remain still." Jill's indifferent voice echoed through a speaker.
The awakening lit up in pale blue, and a cool sensation spread through his limbs as the Mana stabilizers activated, calming his erratic heartbeat. On the other side of the glass, Jill monitored his vitals with an indifferent expression.
Noel gasped as a surge of heat suddenly bloomed in his chest, and the black Mana stone above him began to glow, humming as it resonated with his Mana core. His vision blurred, and breathing became very difficult for him.
As the Mana surged into his body, he felt like he was being unraveled from the inside out. The heat burned hotter in his chest, and at the same time coldness pricked at the edges of his skin, with images that weren't his flashing behind his eyes — bones rising from the ground, a black magic circle pulsing beneath his feet, and something ancient whispering in a tongue he didn't understand.
A few seconds later, the world tilted, and then everything went dark.
***
Noel woke up to the sound of hissing glass. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious for, but when he woke up, he felt groggy and heavy. He stumbled out and collapsed to his knees, frantically gasping for air.
This was not his first or second attempt to awaken, but this time around, he could tell that something was different. He could feel the weight of something inside him, and he could feel like a thread had been connected between him and the world around him.
What's going on?
Was it a success?
"Your vitals are stable, so I guess congratulations are in order then." Jill said as she scanned him.
"Congratulations. You've successfully awakened." Jill said flatly.
"I did?" Noel blinked up at her, disbelief etched on his face.
It was too good to be true!
"Yes." Jill said indifferently, typing away at the black tablet in her hand as she spoke.
"What you're feeling right now is Mana. It is what sets you apart and your identity as an awakened. One moment." She walked over to a terminal and retrieved a thin, black card, which was the standard-issue proof of Awakening.
However, Noel barely paid attention to her words or actions, as he was completely over the moon.
He had done it! He had awakened!
Yes! I did it!
I successfully awakened!
Now, I can be a Hunter, make millions of credits, and pay for Julius' medical fees!
His eyes burned, and his chest was shaking. For a second, he even thought he might cry.
Jill soon reappeared in his line of sight, and without a word, she handed it over to him.
Noel reached out and took the Hunter Card with trembling fingers, his heart thundering in his ears as he lowered his eyes to read it.
Name: Noel Augustus
Class:Necromancer
Rank: F
Affiliation: None
Status: Cleared
His breath suddenly caught in his throat, and a loud ringing sound echoed in his ears.
He stared at the word Necromancer like it might change if he looked long enough.
"This has to be a joke, right?" he muttered, but there was no response to his question.
He looked up, but Jill was already back at the terminal, preparing for the next appointment, paying no heed to his disbelief.
Noel looked back down at the card, but it was still the same, glaring right back at him.
Class: Necromancer.
Noel stared at the word for a long time, the exhilaration he was feeling from awakening seconds ago nowhere to be found.
Necromancer.
Not Berserker. Not Elementalist. Not Healer.
Hell, he'd even take the Swordsman class! Anything but this!
Just one word, and the future he'd been celebrating seconds ago was shattered completely.
A class no Guilds wanted. A class no one hoped for. A class most people scorned.
That was what the class he awakened.