A young man rose from his bed, expecting just another ordinary day. Little did he know, this was the final day of his old life. The moment he stepped out onto the street, a sudden, agonizing pain gripped his chest. A fatal heart attack. In an instant, his life was extinguished.
But his story didn't end there.
When his eyes fluttered open again, he found himself occupying an entirely new body. He was now a strikingly handsome eighteen-year-old youth, possessing jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes. Panic washed over him as his consciousness fully returned. Disoriented, he racked his brain, forcing his memories to align... Wait. Didn't I just die?
Glancing around, he noticed a river nearby. Its water was as clear as polished glass, completely transparent. Beneath the surface, he could see peculiar fish swimming lazily—some completely black, while others shimmered with rainbow hues. As he stared at the strange aquatic life, a translucent blue window suddenly popped up right in front of his face.
Startled, he stumbled backward and fell to the ground. Trembling, he read the text on the floating screen:
[Level: 0]
[Strength: 0 | Agility: 0 | Defense: 0]
[Mana: 0 | Mental Power: 0]
His face fell. Everything was at zero? Frantically, he tapped the glowing window, discovering a 'System Storage' tab—its current capacity also sitting at absolute zero. Desperate, he clicked an unfamiliar red button labeled 'System Store'. Another prompt appeared:
[Locked: Unlocks at Level 5]
Filled with a mix of frustration and despair, he began walking downstream. After some distance, his eyes caught a subtle glimmer. Slime monsters! Is this some kind of modern fantasy novel? he thought.
Keeping a safe distance, he tossed a small pebble at one of the gelatinous creatures. The slime instantly swallowed the stone. He noticed the creature lacked eyes; it was reacting entirely to movement. A plan formed in his mind. He hastily dug a pit nearby, lured the slime into it, and then pushed a massive, heavy boulder over the edge, crushing the trapped monster.
A triumphant smile crossed his face. He eagerly checked his system window, expecting a reward notification. Nothing. Peering back into the pit, his jaw dropped. The slime hadn't died. Instead, it had completely digested the heavy boulder, its gelatinous body expanding in size!
Realizing he was completely outmatched, he quietly slipped away, giving the monsters a wide berth.
As he continued his trek, a cloud of dust in the distance caught his attention. A convoy of about ten heavily loaded horse-drawn carriages was approaching. Acting on instinct, he dove into the nearby bushes to hide. He planned to trail them once they passed, but suddenly, a sharp blade thrust into the foliage. A soldier had spotted him!
He narrowly dodged the fatal strike but was immediately captured. Raising his hands in surrender, he shouted, "I'm not a threat! I was just passing by!"
The soldier dragged him to the lead carriage. Two figures emerged: a haughty seventeen-year-old boy with vibrant golden hair, and an older, stern-looking woman.
"Where are you heading all alone?" the woman asked.
The golden-haired boy shot him a look of absolute disgust, completely ignoring him as he retreated into the luxurious carriage.
"I was just passing through... where are you all headed?" the protagonist asked cautiously.
The woman softened slightly. "We are heading to a nearby village. If you wish to travel with us, you may sit in the last carriage."
He thanked her and climbed into the rear carriage, which was packed with commoners and a few youths around his apparent age. He decided to strike up a conversation with an eighteen-year-old boy sitting next to him.
"Hey brother, where exactly are we heading?" the protagonist asked.
"We're going to a village nearby," the boy replied amiably. "They're holding an Awakening Ceremony in a few days. Our convoy is transporting the materials for it."
"An Awakening Ceremony? What's that?" the protagonist asked, genuinely confused.
The boy let out a loud laugh. "Are you not from this world, brother? How can you not know that? It's the most common thing! It's where everyone receives their 'Class'."
The boy then explained that while taking the test in the City was incredibly expensive, it was much cheaper in this village—only 6 Silver Coins. However, the village test only revealed a person's Class, not their specific Rank. The boy also proudly mentioned that his father was a Blacksmith in the city.
By evening, the convoy rolled into the village. As they parted ways, the protagonist asked his new friend one last question: "How can I earn some money around here? I want to take the test too."
"Just register at the local Guild and take on some minor missions," his friend advised.
As night fell, the harsh reality of his situation set in. He had no money and nowhere to sleep. Exhausted, he slumped against the outer wall of the Guild building and drifted into a restless sleep.
When he woke up the next morning, his mind was still foggy, forgetting he was in a different world. He instinctively yelled out, "Mom, bring me my tea!"
Loud laughter erupted around him. Passersby were pointing and chuckling at his outburst. Blushing furiously, he quickly ducked inside the Guild.
After registering, he checked the mission board. Catching slimes offered 3 silver, cleaning the Guild paid 6 silver, and catching 10 black fish from the river rewarded 10 silver. He immediately picked the fishing mission.
The Guild provided him with a terribly rusty net. He spent the entire grueling day by the river. By evening, he had successfully caught the 10 required black fish, along with 8 rainbow fish caught by mistake.
Returning to the Guild, he handed over the black fish, returned the net, and claimed his 10 silver coins. On his way back, he noticed a market stall buying fish. He sold 4 of the rainbow fish for 2 silver, keeping the rest for his own meals.
He found a cheap inn, paying 4 silver for a two-night stay. As he cooked his fish in his dim room, he stared at his floating blue screen. His stats were still painfully at zero. Not a single quest had triggered. Frustrated, he cursed the system out loud, "Are you completely useless? What good are you if you only show me my pathetic stats?"
The Day of the Awakening:
The village square was packed with youths. Scanning the crowd, the protagonist spotted familiar faces: the arrogant golden-haired boy from the carriage, and beside him, a girl with striking white hair and an expression as cold as ice.
The golden-haired boy noticed him and immediately walked over, mocking his ragged appearance. The protagonist simply ignored him. After all, his actual mental age was thirty-five; getting provoked by a teenager felt childish.
As the ceremony commenced, the protagonist watched the process closely. He noticed that whenever a participant stepped up to the main awakening pillar, an attendant would place a large, smooth stone right next to it. Once the participant placed their hand on the pillar, the stone would shatter, releasing a glowing light that revealed their Class. Then, a fresh stone was brought out for the next person.
Ah, he thought to himself, so that's why those carriages were transporting so many of those heavy stones.
Just as the golden-haired boy was preparing to step up for his turn, a sudden, piercing chime echoed in the protagonist's mind. The System interface violently updated.
[EMERGENCY MISSION: Trip the arrogant brat]
[Time Limit: 2 Minutes]
[Reward: 100% chance to awaken a Rare Class]
[Penalty for Failure: 0% chance to awaken]
Panic surged through his veins. With less than a minute to spare, he lunged forward, forcefully shoving the back of the dense crowd. The sudden domino effect sent a random boy stumbling forward, crashing right into the back of the golden-haired noble.
Losing his balance entirely, the arrogant boy pitched forward, his face slamming brutally into the hard awakening pillar! The crowd erupted into muffled snickers and outright laughter.
Furious and humiliated, the golden-haired boy quickly placed his hand on the pillar. His shattered stone revealed his class: Knight.
Next was the cold, white-haired girl. Her stone shattered, revealing her class: Magician.
Then came his new friend from the carriage, who successfully awakened as a Beast Tamer.
Finally, it was his turn. His heart hammered in his chest as he walked past the glaring golden-haired boy. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up and placed his trembling hand upon the cold surface of the pillar...
And in the very next second, everything changed.