Night settled quietly over AEGIS PRIME, the vast campus gradually dimming as students returned to their dormitories.
Inside his room, Zael sat alone.
The faint glow of the city outside filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the floor. His expression was calm, but his mind was anything but.
With a thought, a familiar panel appeared before him.
---
[SYSTEM STATUS WINDOW]
[STATUS — ZAEL]
Level: 19
Profession: Sovereign Strategist (Combat Scholar)
Strength: 68 (142)
Agility: 74 (155)
Vitality: 70 (138)
Perception: 81 (160)
Mana: 95 (220)
(Values in brackets = superimposed attributes)
(Profession in brackets = public)
---
[TALENTS]
Supreme Blessing (Mythical)
→ Allows all lower-grade talents to evolve beyond their limits
→ Passively enhances compatibility with all skills
Ascendant Echo (Mythical)
TRAIT —
Creates perfect autonomous clones based on user's current state
Clones inherit skills and partial talents
Clone can learn skills and awaken new talents
Damage transfers as fatigue instead of injury
SUB-TRAITS
• Ascendant — Synchronizes user with clone, granting access to clone stats & skills temporarily
• Echo Clone — Creates temporary clones at 50% health
---
[SKILLS]
Blade Domain (Legendary)
Creates a controlled combat field that enhances blade speed and precision
Void Step (Legendary)
Instant short-range displacement
Resonance Strike (Mythical)
Stores absorbed force and converts it into destructive counterattacks
Night Sever (Legendary)
Armor-bypassing strike that damages internal structures
Phantom Split (Legendary)
Creates layered afterimages to confuse perception
(Afterimages share attack value but cannot use skills)
---
Below the skill list, smaller lines displayed the mastery levels.
All of them showed the same result.
Mastery Level: 0
Though each skill had accumulated a few proficiency points, the numbers were painfully small.
Zael frowned slightly.
"Too slow…"
He had been using these abilities constantly — inside the dungeon, during training, even during the sparring sessions.
Yet the growth was minimal.
After a moment, he opened the AEGIS PRIME internal forum and searched for discussions about skill mastery progression.
A few minutes later, the answer became painfully clear.
Three major factors determined proficiency growth.
1. Use your skills.
Repeated usage increases familiarity with the mana pathway.
2. Train your skills.
Deliberate practice produces far more proficiency than normal combat.
3. Understand your skills.
The deeper the understanding of a skill's structure, the faster its mastery grows.
Zael leaned back in his chair.
"So understanding matters the most…"
That explained why true experts could push skills to absurd mastery levels.
His mind drifted back to something Professor Seraphine had mentioned during class.
The highest recorded mastery level.
Level 99.
Achieved by a Fifth-Class Professional.
The thought alone made most students tremble.
But Zael wasn't thinking about that.
Because another panel floated quietly beside his status window.
A far more pressing one.
---
[AWAKENING LEVEL TASK — EXTREME DIFFICULTY]
Objective:
Survive continuous combat against opponents above your level for 24 hours
Restrictions:
– No external healing
– No clone substitution
– No retreat outside designated zone
Reward: Awakening Level Advancement
Failure: Talent stagnation for 30 days
---
Zael stared at it for a long time.
His fingers tapped slowly against the desk.
"Twenty-four hours…"
Continuous combat.
Against opponents stronger than him.
And worst of all—
No clones.
That restriction alone crippled his biggest advantage.
Normally, Ascendant Echo allowed him to rotate between himself and his clone, distributing damage as fatigue.
But the task specifically forbade that.
Meaning—
Every injury.
Every drop of mana.
Every ounce of stamina…
Would come from his own body.
Zael began mentally listing possibilities.
Option one.
A dungeon.
But that immediately failed.
Most dungeons had waves, not continuous combat.
And bosses created long pauses between fights.
Option two.
Sparring with multiple opponents.
Also impossible.
No one would willingly fight someone non-stop for an entire day.
Option three.
A monster-dense zone.
But that introduced another problem.
The task required opponents above his level.
Most monsters stronger than him would kill him long before twenty-four hours passed.
He stood and walked toward the window.
The campus lights of AEGIS PRIME glowed in the distance like scattered stars.
Zael crossed his arms.
For the first time since receiving the system…
He had reached a genuine dead end.
Every scenario he imagined ended the same way.
Either the enemies were too weak to count…
Or too strong for him to survive.
"…This task is insane."
His gaze hardened slightly.
Yet strangely—
There was no frustration in his eyes.
Only calculation.
Because if the system had given him this task…
Then somewhere—
Somehow—
There had to be a way to complete it.
Zael exhaled slowly.
For now though…
He had nothing.
And in two days—
They would be leaving for the training camp.
If he couldn't figure something out before then…
His level would remain stuck at 19.
The system panel flickered softly before disappearing.
But one thought lingered in his mind as he lay down.
A quiet, dangerous thought.
"…Maybe the training camp is the answer."
And somewhere deep inside him—
The instinct of a strategist stirred.
Because if the authorities were sending them somewhere dangerous enough…
Then perhaps—
Just perhaps—
It would also be the perfect battlefield for his awakening.
---
The next morning, the campus of AEGIS PRIME buzzed with its usual controlled energy.
Students moved across the wide stone pathways, many still discussing the upcoming training camp that the authorities had announced.
Zael walked silently beside Zane and the rest of their group as they approached the massive Lecture Hall A.
Rows of students were already filing inside.
"Another theory class…" Zane muttered, stretching his arms lazily. "I swear they give us more lectures than combat training."
Zael didn't respond.
His thoughts were still partially occupied with the awakening task that hovered like a shadow over his progress.
Level 20.
So close.
Yet completely unreachable for now.
They found their seats just as the doors closed and a calm, authoritative figure stepped onto the stage.
Professor Avery.
The hall quieted almost instantly.
Professor Avery adjusted the tablet in her hand and scanned the hundreds of students seated before her.
"Good morning."
Her voice carried effortlessly through the hall.
"Yesterday we discussed skill mastery and combat development."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Today we will discuss something far more important."
A holographic panel appeared behind her.
Large letters appeared across the screen.
CLASS CHANGE
A ripple of excitement spread through the hall.
Many students leaned forward immediately.
Professor Avery continued.
"For every awakener, growth does not occur in a straight line. At certain milestones, your class will evolve."
She raised a finger.
"There are five major class changes recognized by the Global Awakener Authority."
The screen updated.
1st Class Change — Level 30
2nd Class Change — Level 60
3rd Class Change — Level 100
4th Class Change — Level 500
5th Class Change — Level 1000
A murmur swept through the hall.
Some students were shocked by how distant the later milestones were.
Professor Avery nodded as if expecting the reaction.
"Yes. The last two are considered legendary thresholds. Most awakeners never reach them."
She paused before continuing.
"But reaching the level requirement alone does not trigger a class change."
Zael's eyes sharpened slightly.
Professor Avery tapped the screen again.
A new term appeared.
CLASS CHANGE TASK
"When you reach the required level, the system will present you with a Class Change Task."
She walked slowly across the stage.
"These tasks are graded by difficulty."
The hologram shifted again.
Grades:
F
E
D
C
B
A
S
SS
SSS
A few students gasped softly at the last three.
Professor Avery nodded.
"You are allowed to choose the grade of the task."
The room instantly grew louder.
A student near the front raised his hand.
"Professor, why would anyone pick a harder task?"
Avery smiled faintly.
"Because the difficulty of the task determines the quality of the class change."
The screen updated once more.
Higher Grade Task → Higher Grade Class Evolution
"For example," she explained, "someone who completes a C-grade task may obtain an ordinary class upgrade."
"But someone who completes an S-grade task may evolve their class into something far more powerful."
Zael listened quietly.
His gaze remained fixed on the hologram.
Professor Avery's voice became slightly colder.
"However."
The screen flashed red.
FAILURE CONSEQUENCE
"If you fail your class change task…"
She paused.
"The system will impose complete stagnation."
The hall went silent.
"No leveling."
"No experience gain."
"No class advancement."
"For a prolonged period determined by the system."
Students exchanged uneasy glances.
Professor Avery folded her hands behind her back.
"This is why most awakeners choose safe tasks."
She continued calmly.
"A moderate grade ensures progress without risking stagnation."
Her gaze swept across the hall.
"But the truly ambitious…"
She tapped the screen again.
The words SSS-GRADE appeared.
"…often gamble everything."
Zael remained silent.
But internally, something clicked.
If class change tasks worked like this…
Then awakening tasks probably followed the same principle.
Higher risk.
Higher reward.
He leaned slightly back in his seat.
Extreme difficulty…
The system hadn't given him an ordinary awakening.
It had given him the highest possible grade.
His eyes lowered slightly as he considered the implications.
If I complete it…
Then whatever came next…
Would likely be far beyond normal awakeners.
But Zael remained calm.
Because while everyone else was thinking about Level 30…
He was still trapped before Level 20.
And the system's impossible task.
Somewhere ahead—
A battlefield awaited him.
He just had to find it.
---
The lecture hall slowly quieted after the initial wave of excitement.
Many students were still whispering among themselves about the class change system. Some were already fantasizing about legendary classes, while others looked visibly nervous about the risk of stagnation.
Professor Avery watched them for a moment.
Then she spoke again.
"Before we end today's session…"
Her voice carried a slightly different tone now—quieter, but heavier.
"There is something most academies do not tell their students this early."
The room immediately fell silent.
Curiosity spread across the hall.
Professor Avery tapped the holographic screen behind her, and the previous display vanished.
A new diagram appeared.
It showed a branching evolution tree.
At the bottom were ordinary classes.
Higher up were rarer ones.
And at the very top—
Several slots labeled Unknown.
"Class evolution," she continued, "is not simply a matter of becoming stronger."
She pointed toward the lower branches.
"These are what we call Standard Evolutions. Most awakeners fall here."
The branches widened upward.
"But higher-grade tasks unlock Superior Evolutions."
Her finger moved further up the tree.
"These are rare, powerful, and often reshape an awakener's entire combat identity."
Students leaned forward in their seats.
But then Professor Avery tapped the topmost section.
The hologram flickered.
The branches near the top were incomplete… almost distorted.
"These…"
She said slowly.
"…are what the Authority calls Transcendent Evolutions."
A faint murmur rippled across the hall.
"They are only obtainable through S-grade tasks or higher."
A student near the back raised his hand.
"Professor… what about SS or SSS grade tasks?"
The room grew even quieter.
Professor Avery paused for a moment before answering.
"Those are not officially documented."
The reaction was immediate.
Confused whispers spread everywhere.
She continued calmly.
"Records of SS-grade and SSS-grade evolutions are extremely rare."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"In fact… there are less than fifty confirmed cases in the last two hundred years."
The room erupted.
"Fifty?!"
"That's impossible!"
"That's like… one in millions!"
Professor Avery raised her hand and the room settled again.
"Most awakeners never even receive tasks of that difficulty."
Her eyes swept across the students.
"And even when they do…"
She paused.
"…very few survive them."
Zael sat silently.
His mind replayed the system message again.
---
[Awakening Level Task — Extreme Difficulty]
Survive continuous combat against opponents above your level for 24 hours.
---
Professor Avery continued.
"The reason these tasks exist…"
She gestured toward the distorted upper branches of the evolution tree.
"…is because the system occasionally identifies individuals capable of breaking normal evolutionary limits."
Her words hung heavily in the air.
"Those individuals are sometimes called…"
She paused slightly.
"…Anomalies."
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Not from surprise.
But from realization.
The system had already pushed him toward an Extreme awakening task.
If difficulty determined evolutionary potential…
Then the reward for completing it…
Might not be normal at all.
On the stage, Professor Avery ended the lecture.
"For now, focus on improving your skill mastery."
She turned off the hologram.
"Class dismissed."
The hall erupted into conversation as students began standing up.
Everyone was discussing one thing.
Class changes.
Rare evolutions.
Impossible tasks.
But Zael remained seated for a moment longer.
His mind was elsewhere.
Twenty-four hours…
Against stronger opponents.
No healing.
No clone substitution.
His fingers tapped lightly on the desk.
For the first time since receiving the task…
A new thought surfaced.
Not about surviving it.
But where he could attempt it.
Because if the system wanted him pushed to the brink…
Then a normal battlefield wouldn't be enough.
He slowly stood up.
Somewhere out there—
A place existed where monsters stronger than him appeared without stopping.
If he could find it…
Then the task might actually be possible.
Behind him, Zane called out.
"Zael, you coming?"
Zael turned toward the exit of the lecture hall.
His expression calm.
"Yeah."
But in his mind, the plan had already begun forming.
---