That dream just now... No—it wasn't a dream.
It was the vision he saw inside the awakening array.
The Demon King. The betrayal. The fallen throne.
That whisper still echoed in his ears.
"Traitors... I will return."
Just then, the familiar yet unfamiliar system voice rang in his mind, breaking the silence of the night.
[System Notification: Passive Skill Activated — "Abyssal Link"]
Type: Passive Skill
Effect: You have established a stable soul link with your contracted demons.
All summoned units' stats +100%
Shared combat vision with summoned units; hidden enemies within range will be revealed
[System Notification: Passive Skill Activated — "Abyssal Endurance"]
Type: Passive Skill
Effect: The abyssal power has reinforced your body, making you harder to take down.
Damage received -15%
If summoned units are present, an additional 10% damage will be shared with them
Immune to one fatal blow (Cooldown: 600 seconds)
Ryan froze for a moment before slowly sitting up.
"Two… passive skills?"
He muttered in a hoarse voice.
His heartbeat had yet to settle, but his mind was becoming sharper by the second.
Not every class received passive skills—and to awaken two powerful, permanent passives at once? Unheard of.
Summon stat boosts.
Shared vision.
Damage transfer.
A survival buffer...
He could feel something deep inside his body awakening.
It was as if he was no longer just a person—but the core of an entire demon legion.
Only now did he begin to understand:
Forbidden Class wasn't just the pinnacle of "rare."
It existed outside the rules.
Even if he was the only one in the world.
…
Ryan stepped down from his bed, sat cross-legged on the floor, and closed his eyes to meditate.
Mental energy was the key to summoning demons, and the rituals yesterday had completely drained his reserves.
Now, he needed to recover.
As his breathing steadied, streams of spiritual energy coursed through his body.
Ryan's consciousness slowly sank into a state of focus.
After thirty minutes, sweat dripped from his brow.
His eyelashes trembled as he opened his eyes.
Fully restored.
Without hesitation, he activated his summoning skill.
Once.
Twice.
Three times...
Glowing summoning circles overlapped across the floor.
One after another, Nightmare Imps emerged from the dark.
Black-skinned, crimson-eyed, lean and agile—they appeared one by one, kneeling in unison before him.
[Summon Slots: 5/5]
[Contracted Unit: Nightmare Imp ×5 (Loyalty: Absolute)]
Their status panels synced automatically:
[Name]: Nightmare Imp
[Race]: Low-Tier Demon (Contracted)
[Strength]: 20
[Agility]: 20
[Intelligence]: 20
[Spirit]: 20
[Endurance]: 20
[Skills]: None
[Loyalty]: Absolute
Their appearance was identical, but their stats had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Ryan stood up and exhaled slowly.
He knew—this was his true first step.
…
The next morning, at the Emberflame Province instance assembly grounds, only eighteen students had gathered.
They were the ones who awakened as main-class combatants the day before.
While the number was small, it was still far higher than Scorchfire High School's usual average.
Principal Hope stood in front of the instance gate, clad in a dark coat, eyes scanning the group with solemn pride.
"I'm proud of you."
His voice was steady and powerful.
"Out of one hundred and twenty students, only eighteen awakened as frontline combat classes. You are among them. You are the future strength of humanity."
"Starting today, the Emberflame Province's beginner instance will officially open."
"You may form teams freely. Enemy strength will dynamically scale based on party size."
Within the instance, you will gain EXP, basic gear, and level progression. Your level will be one of the primary criteria in the upcoming Practical Advancement Exam held next week."
"That exam will determine whether you are accepted into the top university of the Starlink Federation—Aurora Battle Institute."
At the mention of the name, Ryan's eyes flickered slightly.
That school… was the pinnacle. The highest honor. The strongest among the strong.
If he wanted to become the greatest Demon Summoner…
If he wanted to uncover the truth behind the visions he saw…
Then he had to get there.
This wasn't a dream.
It was a goal.
Just then, Gavin yawned and trotted over.
"Ryan, wanna team up? I tank, you nuke, and anyone who touches you eats my shield."
Ryan shook his head. "I'm going solo."
Gavin blinked. "Bro… seriously?"
"Solo gives better EXP efficiency," Ryan said calmly.
"I need to get into Aurora."
That name made Gavin pause. For once, he had nothing to say.
At that moment, Emily stepped in quietly. "You're going solo?"
Ryan nodded.
Emily tilted her chin. "Then I will too. Let's see who levels up faster."
"Good luck," Ryan replied evenly.
Gavin threw up his hands. "You're both going solo? Guess I'm just a walking wall now. What am I supposed to do, shield slam ten mobs to death?"
Not far away, the instance gate slowly opened.
Light shimmered as the awakened students formed loose teams and stepped into the portal.
Ryan walked in last.
Five Nightmare Imps followed silently behind him.
He didn't look back.
His eyes… were already focused on what lay ahead.