…
The 118th year after the Cataclysm. Awakening Square in Base 6. The annual Awakening Ceremony was underway.
"Shen Xingyan, are you nervous?" asked a charming girl in a bright red dress, standing among the enormous crowd. The naive spontaneity of childhood had faded, replaced by the freshness of youth, and her soft voice gave listeners a cozy, comfortable feeling.
"A little, but I'm okay," replied the slender youth named Shen Xingyan, though the involuntary bobbing of his Adam's apple betrayed his inner turmoil.
After answering, Shen Xingyan remained focused on the front, showing no desire to continue the conversation with the girl.
Hearing this, the girl glanced sideways at the boy, whose words didn't align with his true feelings, and pouted slightly. Her mood brightened noticeably, and she, too, fixed her gaze forward, watching the giant white screen in the center of the square.
The scorching sun mercilessly beat down on the ground, but the hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in Awakening Square showed no signs of discontent. This was the decisive moment that could change their fate. Each pair of eyes was filled with tension, as if they were taking an ancient human exam, but beneath the anxiety flickered a light of hope. They gazed at the screen, as if seeing their brilliant futures through it.
Time ticked by slowly, and finally, as noon approached, the supreme commander of Base 6 appeared directly in front of the giant screen, causing a wave of excited cheers. No one was surprised by his sudden appearance—everyone had long heard of the commander's miraculous abilities.
Looking at the middle-aged man suspended in the air, the crowd was filled with admiration and a desire to emulate him. With the commander's arrival, his voice, without the aid of any devices, simultaneously sounded in the ears of hundreds of thousands of people:
"My children, the time has come again to determine your fate. Every time on days like this, my heart is filled with apprehension! One hundred and eighteen years ago, our Blue Planet suddenly increased in size hundreds of times, after which the release of 'Primal Energy' began. All living beings, including humanity, became stronger. But before the countries of the world could adapt to these changes, the planet was overrun by strange creatures of incredible power, which no human could contend with. Humanity suffered heavy losses and was nearly wiped off the face of the Earth.
Fortunately, our heroic ancestors fought using what was then still effective firearms, and managed to repel the attacks of these disasters, giving us a chance to recover. However, as the catastrophes absorbed the Primal Energy and became stronger, the effectiveness of weapons decreased. But heaven did not leave us without a path to salvation.
At that critical moment, the same miraculous screens as the one behind me appeared all over the world. After our research, we discovered that every person who reached the age of 18, upon passing through these screens, awakens their profession and a supernatural talent. Then, using the 'Star Source' known to all, we can empower ourselves and master the proper methods of using Primal Energy, increasing the might of these incredible abilities.
It is thanks to these abilities and the fearless struggle of our ancestors that we were able to survive. Let us raise our hands to the sky in a sign of respect for them!
The commander fell silent and solemnly raised his right hand to the sky, his gaze filled with profound sorrow. Everyone present repeated the gesture; even children of three or four years old imitated the adults, their small faces expressing solemnity and reverence.
After a minute, everyone lowered their eyes, and the commander continued:
"Now it's your time to contribute to the cause of humanity. I sincerely hope you awaken good combat professions and talents, injecting new strength into our base! And one last piece of advice: no matter the results of your Awakening, never give up. The future belongs to you! The Awakening begins now!"
As soon as the commander finished speaking, the giant white screen instantly turned bright red. This red color seemed to possess a magnetic force, further igniting the fighting spirit of the hundreds of thousands of people, making their hearts beat faster.
"Those in charge of each district, begin entry according to the predetermined order. After the Awakening, register and wait in your profession's designated area!" a voice rang out, and all the districts stirred into motion.
Base 6 was divided into five major districts: East, South, West, North, and Central. The Central District was undoubtedly the most privileged—home to people who had made outstanding contributions to the base and their families. It was a place the residents of other districts dreamed of.
The way to get into the Central District was simple—earn combat merits. With enough merit, one could move there without a hitch. Of course, those who awakened super talents were also invited to the Central District for special protection and training, but such people were extremely rare.
Thanks to its stable conditions, the Central District represented the largest group at the Awakening Ceremony. Watching the children from the Central District be the first to enter the red screen, the residents of the other districts could not hide their envy.
Shen Xingyan and the girl named Chu Wei were no exception. Watching the rushing crowd, Shen Xingyan clenched his fists tightly, as if trying to grasp something intangible.
Chu Wei noticed his state and understood his feelings perfectly. Although they were both from the Northern District and attended the same school, their family circumstances were very different.
Shen Xingyan's parents had died in a catastrophe eight years ago, and since then, the ten-year-old boy had taken on the responsibility for himself and his younger sister. This had made him more mature and farsighted than his peers. This Awakening truly could change his fate, and in his place, she would probably be even more nervous.
Realizing this, Chu Wei gently patted Shen Xingyan's arm and encouraged him with a look, calming his nerves. The young man, who had been continuously reassuring himself, gave a slight smile in return. His clenched hands stopped trembling, and they moved forward together with the flow of people.
As he approached the huge screen, Shen Xingyan felt his legs involuntarily tense up, but before he could compose himself, the crowd pushed him inside. At that very moment, he felt as if a seed had sprouted in his mind.
Shen Xingyan knew—the awakening of his profession and talent had begun! Although this sensation was new to him, it didn't feel alien; his teachers had constantly talked about this process in school. At a moment like this, it was important to remain calm and let the process run its course, which would be beneficial for the future development of his abilities.
But before Shen Xingyan could fully savor this state, he was suddenly ejected from the screen, and his heart sank. The school had taught them about the various signs that accompanied the Awakening, and Shen Xingyan remembered them well. Such a rapid ejection meant that his chances of awakening a combat profession had sharply decreased.
Realizing this, Shen Xingyan panicked and hastily looked at the black card that had appeared in his hand. After the Awakening, everyone received a similar identification item, known as a "Star Card." It recorded the owner's profession, personal information, as well as communication and trading functions. But most importantly, it was through this card that people could connect to the "Star Source."
Shen Xingyan quickly pressed the card to his forehead and checked the information:
Name: Shen Xingyan
Number: 118120431-9527
Profession: Farmer
Professional Skill: 1. Consuming a certain amount of Primal Energy points increases the growth rate of crops in a specified area by 10%. The larger the area, the greater the energy consumption. Duration: 10 hours. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Strength: 10 points
Agility: 10 points
Constitution: 10 points
Spirit: 10 points
Health: 100/100 points
Primal Energy: 18/18 points
Stamina: 10/10 points
Physical Attack: 10 points
Magical Attack: 10 points
Defense: 10 points
Speed: 10 points
Talent: Summon Skeleton—summons a skeleton monster with all stats equal to 1 for combat (cooldown: 24 hours).
Money: 0 gold, 0 silver, 0 copper
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