"Hey, bro Jin…"
"Jin!"
Hearing that, Jin snapped out of his daze.
"What are you shouting for?!"
"Huh…"
The college student flinched from Jin's strong glare, staring at him with a shocked expression.
"Bro, are you crazy? What are you shouting at me for??"
"I might as well be crazy!"
Jin replied, annoyed. He retracted his gaze and let out a long sigh.
The student sitting beside him was Ericson, a friend of his since high school.
It's truly a mystery how an introverted, silent guy like him ended up having an energetic and rich second generation kid like Eric.
"Crazy! Well, suit yourself!"
Annoyed, Jin ignored Eric's grumbles. He quickly opened his bag and took out his phone.
He connected through the University's WiFi and searched "Awakening Ceremony" online.
Luckily, his own university published an article about it in their own webpage, so he easily found a reputable source.
[Hope Elite Academy Journalism Club]
[Author: Jennie Bluefall]
[In the wake of the 21st century, a special kind of stone was uncovered in a high level secret realm. These stones, when touched, have a chance to awaken an individual's hidden abilities, allowing them to possess mystic supernatural abilities to assist their personal Mira's. However, due to their scarcity, they are only allocated to top academies in the world, used only to cultivate young talents. Such a process is referred to as the Awakening Ceremony…]
"..."
After a few minutes of reading, Jin put down his phone with mixed feelings. He let out a deep breath before organizing the thoughts in his mind.
This world, while similar to his old one, was hugely different.
To be precise, he had woken up in a parallel world.
Certain significant historical events still occurred, but everything had changed during the aftermath of World War 2.
Coming right out of the second deadliest war in human history, all of the nations across the world were unprepared for what was to come.
1947, also known as "The Year The World Ended".
That year, dimensional cracks appeared across the world, some small, while some large. These cracks—now referred to as "Secret Realms", slowly merged with the world and released a large amount of terrifying monsters.
These monsters were greatly resistant to firearms and blunt force, leaving most nations hopeless.
After getting through a global conflict, humanity was once more thrust into a brutal crisis.
These monsters terrorized lands, killed countless civilians, and destroyed countries on their trails.
However, soon courageous explorers discovered that some of the monsters in the Secret Realms were neutral and even kind to humans. These monsters are now referred to as Mira, symbolizing the miracle that came to humanity when they were in despair.
Humanity learned to come into terms with Miras, using them to battle the cruel, monstrous beings released by the Secret Realms. With assistance by their side, humanity managed to get through the crisis and form the World Federation, the symbol of human unity.
As time progressed, humanity developed alongside Miras, creating a society that's deeply entangled with Miras.
As for the Awakening Ceremony… it only started in 2006.
It was only during the 21st century did humanity realize that they could improve their strength as well, not just merely rely on Miras to battle.
Some murals and tattered books found in the Secret Realms support this realization, thus the current century was also known as the Era of Hope.
Jin was silent for a while, processing the overwhelming information. He could no longer convince himself that this was a dream…
Undoubtedly, this is real life.
Everything is real.
He closed his eyes and thought back to his previous life.
He was an orphan.
Besides Eric, he had no other relations, whether it be family or a girlfriend.
In pursuit of a better life, he became distant to the orphanage who raised him, to the women who tried to get close to him, and to the people who wanted to befriend him.
He focused singlehandedly on his academics and personal life.
His health was an afterthought.
He despised the thought of enjoying himself, thinking he was being lazy.
He hated how unfair society is.
Yet, deep inside he desired for a fulfilling life.
Not just a life of being stuck in a cycle of unwanted misery.
Jin opened his eyes, a flash of clarity appearing on them.
"... Isn't this an opportunity to live the life I always wanted?"
Perhaps, nothing had really changed.
He was still the same person, with the same difficulties, but… now he had more opportunities than ever.
And he was damn sure—Jin swore that he would enjoy this life to the fullest.
"Jin Holmes."
On cue, a quiet, but soothing voice called out to him.
"It's your turn, bro! Tell me what ability you awaken!"
Eric shouted in a low voice, giving a thumbs-up.
All the students present in the room were the best freshmen in the university, even the weakest among them was judged to have at least an eighty percent chance of awakening an ability.
And even more impressive, Jin's name was listed among the top twenty freshmen in the university!
Nodding slightly, Jin stood up and waited for Ms. Lisa's signal.
Ms. Lisa nodded.
"Go to the front. Goodluck, I'm rooting for you."
Jin tensed up before he walked to the front.
The Exam Room was large, and besides his class, students from other classes were also in the room. Ms. Lisa wasn't the only teacher either. It was almost like a gathering of the entire freshman batch and faculty staff in one room.
The professor holding the Awakening Stone, whom he recognized as Mr. Marik, reached out the awakening stone towards him.
Once arms reach, Jin held the Awakening Stone.
Zap!
Almost immediately, he felt like a strong, uncomfortable current traveled throughout his body. He felt his body suddenly lighten, while his mind became unprecedentedly clear, as if impurities were washed away from his very being.
Then, after a few seconds, the feeling disappeared.
"Congratulations for awakening your ability, student."
Hearing Mr. Marik's stern voice, Jin recovered from his daze and bowed deeply.
"Thank you!"
Afterwards, he turned around and couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face.
He awakened an ability!