"Victor Walker. Next."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Victor rose from his seat with a calm, lethal confidence.
He was tall. Handsome. Broad shouldered. The kind of man who looked born to sit on a throne and judge the world beneath him.
Lucian slowed near the exit. He did not turn around. But from the corner of his eye, he watched.
Victor placed his hand on the crystal. For one heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the world turned white.
A blinding radiance exploded outward. It swallowed the stage. The banners. The ceiling. The air itself seemed to burn. Students screamed and shielded their eyes. The light was not warm. It was absolute.
The mechanical voice that judged every awakening echoed through the gymnasium again.
[Sword God. Rank SSS.]
Silence lasted less than a second. Then the entire gymnasium erupted. Some shouted. Others stared in disbelief. Teachers clutched their chests as if witnessing a divine revelation.
An SSS Rank. The first in Aurora City's history. A planetary peak class.
Teacher Robert's hands were shaking. His glasses slid down his nose as he stared at Victor like a man witnessing a miracle.
Victor stood at the center of the chaos with the same indifferent eyes. He did not grin wildly. He did not boast. He simply accepted it. Like a king acknowledging a crown that had always belonged to him.
Lucian finally pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the corridor. The roar behind him became muffled.
He leaned against the cold stone wall. His breath came out jagged.
In his past life, this moment had been the beginning of the end for him. That same afternoon, Elara had dumped him. Victor had risen like the sun over Aurora City. Lucian had become a shadow beneath his light.
But this time was different. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"I will repay your kindness someday, Victor," he whispered. Not with hatred, but certainty.
Then his thoughts drifted to one person. Jenny. His little sister. His only family this world. In his previous life, he had watched her die. The memory was carved into his soul. Her blood had spread across cold pavement while he screamed her name. The world had not cared.
"Jenny, big brother will protect you this time," Lucian swore to the empty hallway. "Even if I do not awaken a class, I know what to do and what not to do."
A bitter smile touched his lips.
In his past life, inside the Divine Realm, he had accidentally bumped into a wealthy noble. A second generation heir. The kind born with power and protection. Lucian had not apologized. It had not been his fault.
That boy had tracked his identity back to the real world. And murdered Jenny. Right in front of him. He had left Lucian alive on purpose. Alive to rot.
Even till now, Lucian never found the answer why someone would destroy someone's life for a reason like that.
Lucian had considered ending his life more times than he could count. But Jenny's smile had always stopped him. Even in memory.
He had trained like a madman. Day and night. Bleeding hands. Broken bones. Endless hunger. But he had been Classless. A Null. He had been a man trying to fight gods with bare hands.
"I need the energy gun," Lucian muttered as he walked toward the slums.
After their parents died, the Vale family had threw them out and gave them a small settlement. Lucian had chosen to live in the worst district. It was dangerous. Filthy. Falling apart. But cheap. Every saved credit meant more security for Jenny.
He reached their crumbling apartment building. His heart began pounding harder. He was about to see her again. Alive.
He knocked the door. His hand trembled.
The door opened slightly. A small head peeked out behind the door. Her eyes widened.
"Brother! You are back! Come in! I made your favorite curry today!"
Her voice was like a chirping bird.
Lucian looked at her for a few seconds and the dam inside him shattered. He stepped forward and pulled her into a crushing hug. He buried his face into her shoulder. His body started to shake as sobs tore through him. Years of grief. Years of helplessness. Years of watching her die in his nightmares.
Jenny froze at first. Then she gently wrapped her arms around him. Her small hands patted his back.
"Did you fail the ceremony?" she asked quietly. "It is okay, brother. Do not cry. Jenny will awaken an SSS Rank and take care of you!"
She tried to laugh. But her voice cracked too. Tears gathered in her eyes too.
When Lucian heard her crying, he pulled back slowly. He wiped his face. Then he smiled at her. A real smile.
"I will count on you, my angel," he said softly. "I am starving. Let us eat."
They sat in the tiny kitchen. The lights flickered overhead. The walls were stained. The table was uneven. But the curry smelled perfect. To Lucian, it was the most luxurious meal in existence. Every bite tasted like a miracle.
After dinner, he watched her wash dishes.
"I am entering the Divine Realm tonight," he said firmly. Jenny turned. "You already turned eighteen?"
He nodded. "Do not leave the house until I return. Promise me."
She blinked, confused by the intensity in his voice. "I promise, brother."
Only then did he feel slightly at ease.
He went to his room. He knelt beside the floorboards and pulled up a hidden panel. Inside lay a single card. His entire life savings.
"I hesitated last time," he whispered. "I will not hesitate again."
He checked the clock. 11:59 PM.
The Divine Realm.It was an infinite world shared by every intelligent race in the universe. It was a place of tremendous luck and danger interwinded together.
Fifty years ago, humanity had been forcibly summoned there. Everyone over eighteen years old. No exceptions.
Those who awakened Classes became the new elite. They built cities. Formed guilds. Traveled across planets. Those without Classes became trash. Nulls.
While others split mountains with magic, Nulls struggled to kill a single goblin with everything they had.
Entering inside the divine realm for the first time had two methods. Once someone turned 17, they could go through the awakening process, if they had a class, they could enter the divine realm anytime they wanted.
And the 2nd method was universal. Once someone turned 18, they would be forcibly summoned in the divine realm even if they didn't have a class.
If they could kill 5 monsters there, they would also be able to enter the divine realm like those who had classes, anytime they wanted.
Lucian lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
The clock struck midnight.
A mechanical voice echoed inside his mind. [You are now being summoned to the Divine Realm.]
A countdown began. Ten. Nine. Five. One.
The world dissolved infront of his eyes. His room vanished into particles of light. Lucian felt weightless. Pulled through a tunnel of brilliance.
He stood inside a vast white hall. The ceiling stretched endlessly upward. Thousands of teenagers surrounded him. Some were trembling with nervousness, some were excited.
A small glowing pixie fluttered into the air. She sparkled like stardust.
"Welcome, humans!" she chimed. "I am Fiona. Before I give you the introduction, you can see your status panel by saying the word 'Status'"
Lucian did not hesitate. "Status."
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Lucian Vale
[Level: 1]
[Exp: 0]
[Rank: E]
[STR: 5]
[DEF: 5]
[SPD: 4 m/s]
[MANA: Infinite]
[CLASS: Shadowmancer (Primordial)]
His breathing stopped. He stared at the final line. Class: Shadowmancer(Primordial).
In his previous life, he had possessed infinite mana,yes, but had no class.
Without a class, no one could use any skills. So his infinite mana was just like a flower in the vase, with no real uses.
He could have used mana guns, but he never got the the chance. The first day he bumped into that bastard, and he destroyed his life within a day. After killing his sister, he robbed his last saving money too. So he never was able to gather the necessary money to buy the gun.
He even gave an ultimatum to everyone, if anyone helped him, their life would be finished too.
He tapped on the Shadowmancer class excitedly to see the description.