Chapter 4: The Shocking awakening 2
The transition from the physical world to the Star Realm was not a gentle drift; it was a violent, multi-dimensional shearing. For a moment, Roman felt as if his soul was being stripped of its skin, layer by layer, until only his core remained—a raw, pulsing spark of consciousness suspended in a void that defied the laws of physics.
When the world finally solidified, the darkness of his physical blindness was replaced by a sensory overload. He wasn't in a classroom anymore. He was drifting in the Star Realm, a vast, shimmering dimension that looked like a deep-sea trench filled with liquid starlight. Above him, galaxies swirled like colorful whirlpools, and beneath his feet, a translucent path of stardust hummed with a low-frequency vibration.
Suddenly, the Bracelet on his left wrist began to vibrate with a heat so intense it felt like molten lead. For the first time since he had awakened in this world, the cold, heavy suppression it exerted on his soul began to relax.
[NOTICE: TEMPORARY OVERRIDE]
[Bracelet Suppression: Reduced by 30%]
[Current Ability Perception: UNLOCKED]
The change was instantaneous. The "blindness" of the Star Realm vanished. Through the lens of his Overlord Soul, Roman didn't just see the realm; he perceived its mathematical and spiritual blueprints. He could see the "Life Threads" of every entity in the projection zone.
To his left, the space erupted in a pillar of crimson light. Ellen stood before a massive, floating nest of sun-bleached bone. A magnificent bird made of living embers and molten gold screeched in challenge, its wingspan wide enough to shadow a small house. It was an S-rank Fire Eagle, a beast of pure destruction. As Ellen reached out, her soul flared like a second sun, and the bird lowered its head, the contract snapping into place with a shockwave of heat.
Further away, in a desolate region of floating ruins and rusted gears, John had found his destination. He stood in a Weapon Graveyard, surrounded by thousands of shattered blades and cracked shields. A single, pristine longsword, pulsing with a silver-white aura, began to hum in perfect resonance with John's "Astral Slash." As John gripped the hilt, the Weapon Spirit merged into his palm, tattooing a silver blade onto his forearm.
Even Brent had found success. In a dense, emerald forest of toxic gas, a wolf with fur made of swirling wind currents circled him. The predator's eyes glowed with an ancient pride as it stepped into Brent's shadow, taming the boy's arrogance into a functional partnership.
Then, there was Roman.
The moment his bracelet relaxed, the Overlord Soul and Lightning Embodiment leaked a microscopic fraction of their true power. The effect on the local wildlife was catastrophic. Nearby beast spirits—crystalline foxes, stone golems, and frost-hawks—all turned toward him. They didn't just approach; they stampeded. They were desperate to form a contract with a soul that felt like the origin of the universe itself.
A Contract Book materialized in front of Roman. Unlike the sleek, digital tablets the Federation issued to other students, Roman's book looked like a weathered ledger bound in dragon-hide, its pages blank and waiting for a signature.
He used the Stat Panel to scan the spirits swarming him.
Crystalline Fox: Grade C - Potential: Mid-Tier
Iron-Claw Bear: Grade B - Potential: High-Tier
Cloud-Stalking Hawk: Grade B - Potential: High-Tier
Roman's brow furrowed. None of them. If I pick one of these, I'll be stuck in the lower ranks of the UTF military forever. I need a ceiling that matches my SSS-rank soul.
He ignored the begging spirits and began to walk. He wasn't using his eyes; he was following the rhythmic, guiding heat of the Azure Stone in his mind. It ignored the crowd, pulling him toward a jagged mountain range where the sky was perpetually bruised with purple clouds and horizontal lightning.
He arrived at the Lightning Snake Habitat. Thousands of serpents slithered through electrified crags.
Lightning Snake: Grade F
Thunder Adder: Grade C
Storm-Coil Serpent: Grade A
Roman reached the center of the valley. There, coiled atop a spire of magnetic ore, was a massive king of the crags. Its scales were polished obsidian, and every flick of its tongue sent a bolt of plasma into the air. It looked at Roman, lowering its head—a creature that usually killed on sight was now offering its throat for a contract.
Roman reached out, his hand inches from the serpent's cold forehead.
Thump.
The Azure Stone let out a warning vibration so sharp it made his head spin. No, it seemed to scream. Not this one.
The guidance pushed him further, past the A-grade king, into a small, damp crevice hidden behind a waterfall of static electricity. There, curled under a thick, glowing leaf, was a tiny, pathetic creature. It was no longer than a pencil, its scales a dull, sickly green. Instead of the fierce lightning of its kin, it exuded a faint, earthy Wood Energy.
Roman checked the stat panel.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED]
Name: Nameless Hatchling (Mutated)
Grade: E-Grade
Current Affinity: Wood (Weak)
Roman hesitated. An E-grade? In a world where even the school-bullies were taming A-grade wolves, picking an E-grade was social suicide. It was "trash."
But the Azure Stone was roaring now. It wasn't just a vibration; it was a resonance of pure, ancient recognition. Roman looked closer at the tiny snake. Deep beneath those dull green scales, his Lightning Embodiment sensed a microscopic spark—a jagged white root that hummed with the frequency of the stars.
"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Roman whispered.
The tiny snake looked up at him with cloudy, golden eyes. It didn't roar. It didn't challenge him. It simply slithered onto his palm and curled around his thumb, its tiny body shivering against his skin.
"Fine," Roman said, a strange, defiant smirk playing on his lips. "If the universe wants me to pick the underdog, I'll play along."
He opened his Contract Book. The pages began to glow with a violet hue as he initiated the Soulchain Linkage. The chain didn't wrap around the snake like a leash; it infused into its very cells. The tiny creature let out a silent hiss of pain and then... peace.
[BOND SUCCESSFUL]
[First Page Bound: Mutated Wood Serpent]
[Sync Rate: 100%]
The Star Realm began to dissolve. The liquid starlight turned back into the sterile air of the classroom.
Roman's eyes snapped open. The cold weight of the bracelet slammed back down, instantly sealing his SSS-rank aura and plunging him back into the familiar, mapped darkness.
He felt a tiny weight in his "Soul Space"—the small snake was already asleep, its presence a faint, warm ember in the back of his mind. Around him, the room was a cacophony of muffled shouts and cheers.
"I got it! A Wind Wolf! A-grade!" Brent's voice was a triumphant roar, followed by the sound of him slamming his desk in joy.
"Fire Eagle..." Ellen whispered nearby, her voice trembling with the realization of her own power.
Miss Vael stood at the front, her tablet glowing as the Star Realm data began to sync with the school's mainframe.
"Silence!" she shouted, her voice amplified by Flux. "The Awakening is over. The Star Realm has closed its gates. Students, form a line in order of your student IDs! We will now record the official grades and affinities of your contracted beasts."
She paused, her eyes scanning the room with a professional coldness. "Your future placement—Warrior, Mage, or Support—and your scholarship status will be determined by what is currently inside your Soul Space. Do not lie. The Assessment Pillar does not make mistakes."
Roman stood up, his hand gripping his cane. He could feel the stares of the other students. They were looking for the "Dual Class Genius" to produce a dragon or a titan. Brent was already looking over his shoulder, a mocking smile tugging at his lips, ready to see Roman's "S-rank" beast.
Roman felt the tiny, E-grade snake shift in its sleep. He didn't care about the line or the scholarship. He cared about the fact that his Azure Stone was finally quiet, satisfied with its choice.
"Let's go," Roman muttered to the small life-force in his mind. "Time to show them exactly what 'trash' looks like."
As he stepped into the aisle, the first student reached the pillar. The recording began, and Roman's heart beat in a slow, steady rhythm. The storm was coming, and he was excited to find out what was hhiding in the little green snake