Shen Liang, eighteen years old, stood tall at 185cm. His black hair framed a sharp jawline, and though slim, his body carried an athletic build. His blue eyes held a calm yet distant glow. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, a green jacket, and black pants, he sat quietly on the second-last bench of the classroom, gazing out the window.
Beyond the glass stood a massive stone, towering nearly 52 feet high, glowing faintly with a strange blend of green and yellow. Students crowded around it—some smiling with joy, others trembling with excitement—as they touched the surface. For this was no ordinary rock; it was an Awakening Stone.
The world hadn't always been like this. Once, life was ordinary. But everything changed when mysterious stones began falling from the void of space onto Blue Star. At first, nothing happened. But soon, humans across the continents began to feel a strange energy—Aura. Those who touched the stones could awaken unique abilities.
With abilities came hope, but also disaster. Cracks in space began to appear, and from them emerged terrifying monsters and demons from another universe. They came not only to slaughter humans but also to seize the Awakening Stones. At first, humanity believed their newfound powers would guarantee victory. But they were wrong. The demons were cunning, powerful, and merciless.
Monsters were varied—some mutated with terrifying intelligence, some capable of flight, others burrowing through the ground. Demons were worse: horned beings, sometimes resembling humans, sometimes beasts, and always dangerous. Their strength rivaled that of the most powerful awakeners.
Although humanity fought back bravely, not every country survived. Some were wiped out entirely, now ruled only by monsters. On the Xianlong Continent, once home to seven provinces, only five remained under human control. Two had fallen to the enemy, and though one province had been reclaimed after brutal war, the struggle continued.
Currently, Shen Liang lived in Qingyuan Province, and today was no ordinary day. It was his Awakening Day.
In this world, every individual awakened their ability at the age of eighteen. The powers were ranked from F all the way to SSS. Only the most powerful families possessed abilities beyond SSS, passing them down to their children and successors. For ordinary people, even obtaining an S or SSS rank was a miracle.
At that very moment, another class was undergoing their awakening ceremony. Soon, it would be Shen Liang's turn. As he pulled his thoughts away from the window, his class was called forward. Forming a line with strict discipline, they walked toward the ground where the massive stone pulsed with power.
Standing beside the Awakening Stone was the school's principal, a towering man of 6'5 with broad shoulders and well-defined muscles despite the wrinkles of age. At sixty, he was already a Level 58 Warrior, a profession that demanded both raw strength and willpower. It was his job to announce the students' awakenings.
"Next—Lan Xueya!"
All eyes turned. She was the class's undisputed beauty—slim, graceful, with skin as fair as porcelain. Her hair was a mysterious mix of brown and black, and her background only deepened the intrigue. No one truly knew where she came from, but whispers suggested her family held immense power.
As she stepped onto the stage and laid her hand on the Awakening Stone, the entire area lit up. Blinding beams of gold and silver shot into the sky. The crowd erupted into gasps. Everyone knew what that meant—an extraordinary awakening.
The principal's eyes widened in disbelief. Even with his decades of experience, he had not expected this. His heart pounded as he read the results.
"Profession—Forbidden Mage. Rank: SSS."
Shock spread like wildfire. Forbidden Mages were legends. Even their lowest-level spells could destroy cities, and at higher levels, they could shatter stars. Unlike other professions, their magic required no cooldowns, allowing them to unleash devastation endlessly. Even a low-rank Forbidden Mage could annihilate opponents far above their level.
The ground fell silent. Everyone stared at Lan Xueya, whose calm figure now radiated an aura of overwhelming majesty.
And Shen Liang, watching from the line, couldn't help but feel his heartbeat quicken. Today would decide his fate.