"Welcome, aspirants. Your journey from different distant towns must have been tiring. I'm Gunner Hero… I'll be in charge of conducting today's awakening."
A gentle, short round of applause followed.
After a brief speech and introducing the three major guests who had just arrived, he began explaining the process.
He introduced the Ether Injectors—the devices used for the awakening. Then the Data Chairs, machines that revealed one's Path and class through colours and numbers.
A few more speeches followed before the teenagers were finally called to the stage.
The first batch of fifteen teenagers stepped forward nervously.
Only eight successfully awakened.
Two were revealed to possess Villain Paths of C and D Classes and were arrested on the spot.
Stronger villains were unpredictable after all. They could easily hide among the aspirants, waiting for an opportunity to take a high class villain and escape… or assassinate a promising hero.
Light heard people whispering behind him.
"That's why awakenings are public, they could have gone free, spreading fear and pain…"
Another voice cut through in acknowledgement.
"Villains hide among us until it's too late, all thanks to the ingenuity of today's science."
He watched calmly as more people stepped onto the stage.
Some went home depressed, others with pride, and some were arrested like the first two.
The order was alphabetical, so he kept paying attention since his turn was close.
Light, seated quietly but observant, soon heard his name called.
Lyra was also in the same batch.
His heart began beating faster.
Instinctively he looked toward Lyra, who flashed him a reassuring smile.
When he reached the stage, the official in charge gestured for him to sit.
Metallic clicks echoed as the man tightened the straps around his wrists and ankles, locking Light firmly into the Data Chair.
For a brief moment his mind wandered back to the villain awakeners who had been arrested earlier.
The Ether Injector was a slim silver cylinder mounted behind the headrest of every Data Chair. Inside it swirled an ethereal blue substance known simply as Ether.
When activated, a thin needle injected a controlled dose into the user's bloodstream, forcing their dormant power to awaken.
Normally this awakening occurred naturally on an aspirant's exact sixteenth birthday.
However, scientific research had discovered that the process could be safely accelerated using Ether Injectors anytime after the age of sixteen—when their Ether Channels had matured enough to handle the energy.
The official began counting down professionally.
His voice carried a faint hint of disgust.
It wasn't unusual. Anyone who looked at Light's worn clothes could instantly guess his social status.
The man's hostile voice didn't trouble him much, since he has already experienced worse… He had once been thrown into a road gutter filled with crap. The man he stole from had called it generosity, claiming death would have been kinder. Nothing Lyra knows of.
"5
4
3
2
1…
Initiating Ether Injector."
Light felt the sharp needle approach the back of his neck.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as the cold metal seemed to hover against his skin.
For a brief second, it felt as though the needle itself was breathing, blowing behind his dreadlocked hair.
Then, pain flared... A sharp sting pierced the base of his neck.
The pain vanished almost instantly, replaced by a strange warmth spreading through his body.
The warmth moved slowly, flowing through invisible pathways beneath his skin.
Not exactly veins…
They were Ether Channels.
Special biological conduits meant to carry Ether through the body.
The sensation was alien and uncomfortable, yet Light endured it silently.
After nearly a minute, something strange happened.
He felt a small sphere settle inside his sternum.
He couldn't feel it physically, but somehow he knew it was there.
The process was accompanied by a bright stream of light that shot out from the chair beneath him.
The energy traveled through thick cables connected to the device and surged toward a massive crystal placed on a table a few steps away.
Light knew the crystal's glow would decide his fate.
For a few seconds the crystal absorbed the energy quietly.
Then suddenly, it began glowing furiously white, soon Light's body followed.
The officials and nearby observers instantly looked away.
Even Light had to squint as the brightness intensified.
Someone shouted proudly from the three VIP seats.
"A prodigy!"
Below the crystal, a digital display rapidly counted upward.
The numbers climbed.
50%
100%
200%
500%
800%
Finally stopped at 1000%
The display flickered before the words appeared:
Light didn't understand the error message, but the number caught his attention first.
Three zeroes.
That meant A-Class.
The crystal was releasing a positive glow, which meant color of the hero path.
Before he could react, an ethereal white screen appeared in front of him.
At the same time he noticed another brilliant light glowing beside him.
He turned his head and saw Lyra.
Her glow was just as intense as his. Her long-messy-silky blonde hair fluttered wildly within the radiance.
Their lights began to merge, forming a brilliance so powerful it spilled beyond the building.
Anyone witnessing the glow from outside might have thought the sun had finally descended to the earth.
Light smiled instinctively at the sight.
He was just realizing it, Lyra's Class Measurer had also reached ERROR at 1000%.
The screen in front of him began displaying information.
---
[Welcome, Aspirant]
[System Class: SSS]
[System Name: Zenith's Half Blessing]
[User: Light]
[Path: Hero (Hero of Light)]
—
'Wait, SSS…?'
Light had never heard of that rank before.
'Could it be the legendary S-Class?
But why three S instead of one?
Did that mean… my class is even higher?'
His narrowed eyes widened eyes in shock and excitement as he wanted to laugh and cursed back at life for the twist.
The text flickered which made him frown.
Then suddenly…
---
[ERROR…]
System Override Detected
Override Successful
—
The white interface shattered like broken glass, replaced by an ominous purple one.
The words changed.
The bright white light he constantly released flickered violently, before a new one leaked out.
---
{Welcome, Destroyer}
{System Class: SSS}
{System Name: Umbrael's Vengeful Wrath}
{Host: Lightless}
{Path: Villain (Light Eater)}
{Rank: Outcast — Level 1}
{Current Dread Index: 0.10%}
{Global Dread Index: 0.00%}
{Ether Points: 20/20}
{Villain Points: 0}
---
{Dominators: (1) Umbrael's Shadow}
{Shadow Ability: Gluttony}
Gluttony Explanation:
Shadow grows stronger by devouring the souls of every being killed by you, while manifesting their abilities.
The more souls Shadow consumes, the farther host drifts from humanity.
Current Soul Capacity: 0 / 10 (Switchable)
{Shadow Rank: First Dominion Halo}
---
{Current Active/Passive Skills: None}
{Active Quests: None}
---
{Access Villain Store At Rank: Outcast — Level 5}
—
The intense white glow surrounding Light finally shifted.
The color slowly deepened. White became violet, violet became dark purple.
An ominous aura spread across his body.
Light froze in shock as his body continued evolving.
The purple energy surged through the cables connected to the chair, pushing back the white light entirely.
The massive crystal on the table reacted.
Its bright glow warped. White faded, replaced by dark purple.
The digital display beneath the crystal went completely black.
Then smoke began rising from it.
The official standing closest to Light suddenly collapsed, clutching his head in agony.
Everyone within five meters instinctively retreated.
Lyra was still glowing with pure white light.
Almost unconsciously, her energy began resisting Light's corruptive aura.
The calm brilliance surrounding her clashed against the sinister purple radiating from him.
She too was mentally stunned by what was happening.
To the audience watching from afar, it looked as if two higher beings were fighting for dominance.
Suddenly… A quiet voice spoke amidst the rows of teenagers.
"Dissonant Field."
A fully cloaked figure floated slowly toward the disoriented Light.
The moment the words were spoken, chaos erupted across the hall.
Everyone present became instantly disoriented.
Some people collapsed and began bumping into others.
Several aspirants ran forward only to suddenly reverse direction and repeat the same movement in a loop.
Others staggered aimlessly, unable to understand where they were.
A few even started climbing the silver support pillars in confusion… only to fall down and try again.
The cloaked figure approached through the chaos, he reached for Light's shackled arm.
Seeing the opportunity before him, he moved quickly.
But just as his hand approached…
A powerful voice rang out.
"Debuff Nullification!"
One of the VIP Guild Leaders sprang from his seat.
His body moved with terrifying speed, rushing toward the cloaked figure faster than most people could perceive.
The other two guild leaders reacted immediately as well.
One dashed toward Lyra, placing himself between her and the chaos spreading across the hall.
The final guild leader remained behind.
Above her raised right palm burned a massive, dense, destructive fireball, the swirling flames illuminating the entire chamber as she prepared to strike.