A silence spread across the room. Ray blinked, realizing it was finally his turn.
He stepped forward, ignoring the murmurs trailing behind him.
"Ray? Who's that again?"
"Oh, that quiet guy."
"Yeah, the one who barely talked."
He stood at the center. The runes glowed faintly, swirling up just as they had for the others — but this time, the light didn't grow.
It flickered weakly, like a dying ember.
Seconds passed. The glow sputtered once, twice, and then dimmed entirely.
Confused whispers filled the air.
"Uh… did it fail?"
"Maybe he broke it?"
"No, that shouldn't happen…"
Then, faint text shimmered above him — dull compared to the radiant gold of the others.
[Class: Appraiser]
[Rank: D]
Silence.
Complete, suffocating silence.
"…D?" someone muttered, disbelief in their voice.
"Wait—D as in… the lowest?"
The words hit like stones. A few students laughed awkwardly. Others looked away, pitying.
Even Isolde blinked, taken aback for a moment before masking her expression.
"Well," she said lightly, "it seems not every talent manifests in combat power. Appraiser is… a rare support class."
Her tone was diplomatic, but everyone could hear the unspoken truth:
Useless.
Ray stared at the faint letters floating above him, unreadable expression on his face.
Inside, he sighed.
'Figures. Everyone gets overpowered fantasy classes, and I get a glorified antique appraiser.'
He stepped back to the circle's edge, ignoring the stares and whispers.
When the final student's turn came and went, Isolde raised her staff one last time, sealing the ceremony with a surge of mana that made the runes fade from sight.
"Your awakenings are complete," she declared, her tone returning to regal confidence. "Rejoice. You now stand as heroes of this world — the hope of the human race."
The students broke into murmurs again, but Ray barely heard them.
He just stared at his hands — normal, unremarkable hands — and wondered what kind of twisted joke fate had planned this time.
****
The night arrived draped in velvet silence.
After the awakening ceremony, the students were led out of the grand hall in groups. The palace staff, with soft smiles and elegant bows, guided each of them through endless corridors lined with marble statues and golden sconces. Even the air smelled rich — like incense and lilies.
Their "rooms," if one could even call them that, were not rooms at all. Each was a suite large enough to house a small apartment back on Earth. Polished floors, towering windows veiled by crimson curtains, and a bed big enough for four people. A faint warmth flowed from the glowing runes carved into the stone walls.
Ray stood just inside his doorway, staring at it all in silence.
"They really don't hold back," he thought. "Even a prisoner here would live better than a king on Earth."
A knock came at his door. It opened without waiting for permission.
A maid stepped in — tall, graceful, and dressed in the same black-and-white uniform as the ones from dinner. Her movements were soundless, like a shadow slipping through candlelight.
"Sir Ray," she said, bowing slightly. "I have been assigned as your personal attendant for the duration of your stay. If you need anything, please command me."
He blinked. "Anything?"
Her head tilted, her expression calm and unreadable. "Anything within my ability."
She moved about the room with practiced grace, lighting more candles, adjusting the sheets, arranging a tray of fruits and wine on the table. The way her dress clung to her figure, the subtle scent of lavender that lingered behind her — all of it felt deliberately designed to test restraint.
And judging by the muffled noises echoing faintly through the halls, not everyone was passing that test.
*****
Across the palace, the atmosphere was a mix of disbelief and indulgence.
Some students were laughing, giddy from the attention, playing with magic they had barely learned to control. One boy had accidentally set his curtain ablaze and had to call a maid to douse it — only to end up grinning like a fool when she did it with a spell that looked like liquid starlight.
Others were simply basking in comfort. After the fear and confusion of the day, sinking into soft beds and silk sheets felt like a dream. The sense of danger dulled under the weight of luxury.
*****
Ray sat on the edge of his bed, hands clasped together. His "D-class" rank still echoed in his mind like a bad joke.
Everyone else had awakened something grand — Champion, Archmage, Spellblade, War Priest — even Miss Amy, of all people, had pulled an S-class Battle Instructor.
And him? Appraiser.
"What am I supposed to do with that?" he thought bitterly. "Identify trash faster?"
Still, something about the way the crystal had flickered — the faint pulse before his result appeared — bothered him.
He wasn't sure why, but it didn't feel… complete.
*****
Morning came early.
Soft knocking at every door. The same maids who had attended the students last night now arrived with fresh towels, water, and trays of breakfast. The air was thick with perfume and a strange kind of warmth — a calm before something they didn't yet understand.
In the boys' wing, laughter erupted.
Some of the otakus were already acting as if they owned the palace, calling the maids "my lady" and "fair maiden" with dramatic flair. The maids responded with flawless composure, unfazed and obedient — perhaps even too obedient.
"Man, this is paradise," one of them muttered under his breath as he leaned back in his chair, watching the maid refill his cup.
"First night in another world, and we already have our own attendants. Guess I was born for this."
Ray only shook his head. "Idiots. They think this is a reward."
But even he couldn't deny — this place was designed to soften them. To make them forget what they'd lost.
By the time they were summoned to the training grounds, the fear that had gripped them the previous night was almost gone, replaced by an eager curiosity.
The maids escorted them through the courtyard, where banners fluttered under the morning sun. Beyond the gates stretched a wide, open field marked with stone circles and practice dummies.
Waiting there was Darius Ironveil — his silver armor gleaming, his expression unreadable — and beside him, Isolde Thalora, serene as ever.
"Welcome, heroes," she said, her smile faint but confident. "Today, your real journey begins."
"Before we begin physical training," Darius started, his voice cutting through the morning air, "you need to understand the system you now possess."
He lifted his hand, and a faint light appeared in front of each student. Symbols, numbers, and icons shimmered briefly before vanishing.
"This world operates with a universal tracking system for all who awaken. Think of it as… a mirror of your potential, your progress, and your abilities. It is unique to you — no one else can see it. Only you can call it forth."
He stepped back. "To summon your Status Window, you only need to think about it."
The students blinked, some skeptically.
Ray muttered under his breath, "Sure, why not."
He focused, as instructed, and a pale, floating window appeared in front of him. His name blinked at the top: Ray Walker. Beneath it, a simple layout — Level, Class, MP, AGI, STR, and Skills.
His two skills stared back at him:
[Item Appraisal – Lv. 1][Detailed Analysis – Lv. 1]
Ray sighed. "D-class, two skills. Perfect."
The others quickly followed suit. Almost all of them gasped as their own Status Windows appeared, flickering with details of their awakenings.
Evelyn Hart — Level 1
Class: Saintess (SS)
MP: 120
AGI: 15
STR: 10
Skills:
[Massive Healing – Lv. 1]
[Sanctuary Aura – Lv. 1]
[Mana Purge – Lv. 1]
Noah Pierce — Level 1
Class: Dragon Knight (SS)
MP: 80
AGI: 20
STR: 25
Skills:
[Dragon Strike – Lv. 1]
[Scale Guard – Lv. 1]
[Flame Breath – Lv. 1]
The S-class students had multiple skills, all seemingly overpowered for first-year beginners. A few A and B-rank students had modest skills, but even those were far beyond what a normal human could hope to achieve.
Whispers and exclamations filled the field.
"Did you see her skills? That's insane!"
"My God, he can breathe fire?"
"Wait… she can heal entire groups?"
Even the three otakus were grinning ear to ear, nodding enthusiastically at one another.
Ray, of course, was ignored in the chatter, sitting slightly apart and observing. "Everyone else got a buffet of powers, and I got a snack pack," he muttered.