The hall was packed. Everyone from Horace Smith's class was here, along with every other class in his year. They knew why they were here — the Awakening Ceremony. At the end of their last year in high school they would all get the chance to awaken Unique Traits and enter the Tower of Testing — a demi-plane with four difficulties ranging from Easy to Nightmare. Their clear time in the tower mattered, as if they wished to attend an Awakener university, these scores and their written tests would decide their entry. Of course the more elite institutions had their own specific trials, but with a good clear time on Medium difficulty you would be able to enter a decent academy.
Horace himself was... unassuming. He had messy brown hair, brown eyes, and was neither strongly built like some of his classmates nor thin like a twig. The one thing he had going for him was that he was scarily smart — having aced his tests, he wanted to just get a decent clear time on Medium difficulty.
He had no big goals, unlike some of his classmates. There were a few young masters and mistresses who had consumed mana-enhancing and strengthening items to help them perform better, which he as a ward of the state had never had access to.
And so when the principal called for a single-file line, the teachers and assistants handing out the Awakening pills, he went without much hope, listening to the principal's speech.
"Today, all of you shall receive the Gift of Gaia. As many of you know from your history lessons, two hundred years ago our goddess awakened from her slumber, her bloodied tears blessing the first seven awakeners while our world was under attack from the greedy Lizardfolk. These seven are our forebears and you shall today follow in their footsteps. Now. Take the Gift of our goddess and enter the Tower of Testing!"
At his order everyone took the pills into their mouths and chewed. The reaction was instant — light enveloped them all and their bodies shuddered.
The lights came in many colours and strengths, the one around Horace tinted golden at a manageable intensity. He saw some others whose light dwarfed his, mainly the playboy of their school, Terence Oran.
Once the light subsided a holographic screen appeared before his eyes, much like he had been taught.
[Thank you for accepting my blessing, oh my child.]
He shivered at it. The goddess Gaia was known as a kind and caring goddess, having been too weak to resist the god of the Lizardfolk who specialised in bloodshed. However, humans — her creations and children — were very quick to agree on one simple thing: they would protect their goddess.
Of course many knew this decision was fuelled by the fact that the Seven Totems had pushed heavily for it, but that part was left out. Horace wasn't surprised when he thought about it — humans were undeniably capable of great good but also great evil, such as greed. It surprised him even less when he recalled some old documents describing how the First Totem, White Wolf, had killed multiple greedy businessmen who tried to monopolise Gaia's blessings.
He breathed deeply as he softly said, "Thank you for blessing me, oh Gaia. Status," making the grateful message be replaced with a larger screen. However, as he did, he frowned.
[Horace Smith, Level 1, Classless]
Experience: 0/100
Strength 1
Agility 2
Endurance 1
Intelligence 5
Perception 2
Unique Skill: Time Dragon's Blessing
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What surprised him most was the fact he couldn't see the skill's description. Thankfully this wasn't a rare occurrence — some skills came with unusual triggers and so were hidden. Once someone fulfilled the trigger, they could use it reliably and see its full effects.
He couldn't ponder it for long as the teachers started moving the line along to the weapon selection and the teleportation circle. It was truly massive, but what made it different from other circles was that instead of a digital screen where the operator input coordinates and the circle adjusted accordingly, this one had a rotating outer layer and a simple four-choice selection — Easy, Medium, Hard, and Nightmare.
Most people before Horace chose Medium. He understood why — even though it was the Tower of Testing, they could still die. Some braver ones chose Hard, mainly the young masters and mistresses. Of course, before any of that, everyone took a weapon from the rack.
Horace himself selected a simple bastard sword. He had some practice with it and could hold the basic stances, but obviously nothing that would earn him Skills through the Gift.
And then he selected Medium difficulty. As he did he heard a loud crack and looked away, his hand brushing over Nightmare.
The person behind him dropped their weapon. He didn't envy them as he stepped forward, and once he arrived in the middle he saw the circle rotate, adjusting to his choice.
It was too late when he realised it had rotated too far, the circle lighting up and his body being transported into the first floor of the Tower of Testing.
He landed in a circular chamber, inside a circle he knew was the protective barrier that would disappear the moment he stepped out of it.
And in the middle of the chamber stood a twisted being, about as tall as a young teenager, with hands so long they reached its knees. In those hands it held two small stone daggers.
And above it floated its name.
[Abyssal Goblin, Level 15]
"Fuck..." Horace cursed as he stared at the goblin.
And then with a soft pop the barrier disappeared and the magic beast rushed at him.
His last thought was simple.
'Right. The protection ends after a minute.'
Before the goblin's two daggers slammed into his body — one into his chest and the other into his neck.