The next morning, the area outside the Integration Hall was already packed with students.
Some gathered outside the Integration Hall, some talking excitedly with friends and others surrounded by family members who had come to watch the ceremony.
Ethan stood among them, quietly waiting.
His gaze drifted toward the massive clock above the entrance.
9:43 AM.
Seventeen minutes remained.
Around him, conversations came and went.
"Hey! Did you hear? That guy from Sector A actually got a Tier 3 Shadowfang!"
"Seriously? That's insane."
Another group nearby was having a very different argument.
"I heard someone had picked up a basic Slime."
"Slime? Are you serious?"
"That's a terrible choice."
"Maybe it suits their realm. It's not like everyone needs some flashy race."
"But man, some weak-ass race isn't going to get you very far."
"Come on. Doesn't Dragon God or Demon God sound way more badass than Slime God or Goblin God?"
Ethan almost smiled hearing that.
His hand slipped into his pocket, fingers brushing against the confirmation token he had received after selecting his card.
[Saplingkin — Tier 1]
He could still remember the System's warning.
Survival Rate: 7.3%
Seven percent
He had chosen a race that could barely survive in his realm.
And now he was about to find out whether he had made the stupidest decision of his life.
DING. DING. DING
A bell suddenly rang across the courtyard.
"Students, the Integration Ceremony has begun."
"Please begin entering the Integration Hall."
The crowd started moving.
Ethan followed.
Students entered one after another into the ceremony hall.
Ethan waited in silence until his name finally echoed through the door.
"Ethan Moore. Please proceed to Chamber 12."
A few people turned to look.
Ethan's expression didn't change.
Their attention meant nothing to him.
He continued toward Chamber 12.
A faint barrier of light separated the chamber from the main hall, muting the noise outside.
At the center stood a small platform. Strange runes covered its surface, connected by thin golden lines that seemed to pulse faintly.
The walls emitted a faint light in response to his presence.
He took a deep breath.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see if this gamble works."
The system interface activated in front of him.
----------------------------------------------
[Initiating Integration Ceremony]
Realm: [Polluted Wasteland]
Current Hazard Rating: [Extreme]
Race Card Selected: [Saplingkin]
Estimated Survival Chance Post-Integration: [7.3%]
Do you wish to proceed?
----------------------------------------------
Ethan stared at the number for a moment.
7.3%.
Nothing had changed.
He took a slow breath.
"Then let's do it."
Taking a big breath, he stepped forward and placed the silver token on the center of the platform.
Nothing happened at first.
Then the runes began to glow.
Green light slowly spread across the platform.
Ethan felt warmth against his skin.
For a moment, he saw a tiny sprout growing from a crack in the ground.
Then came the pain.
It swept through his body like a violent tide, tearing through every nerve at once.
Ethan dropped to his knees, desperately gasping for air.
The divine link was forming.
Thread by thread, it stretched between his soul and his newly awakened realm.
Then the visions flooded in his mind.
Burned forests, Cracked land, Skies choked with ash.
The same world as before, but this time as a part of him.
But then...
Something changed.
Ethan felt something small beneath all this decay
It was almost impossible to notice at first.
He felt the roots struggling to push forward and grow against the poisoned ground.
A thin green shoot trying to break through the surface.
After some moments, he saw a small plant.
It was weak and fragile.
But it was alive.
Then the System interface flickered.
----------------------------------------------
[Integration Successful (Conditional)]
Race [Saplingkin] has been introduced to Divine Realm.
Survival Probability: Increasing...
Realm Response: [Turbulent]
Spiritual Link: [Formed]
Your realm has accepted your choice.
----------------------------------------------
He stared at the small green sprout still lingering in his mind.
It's alive.
A quiet laugh escaped from him.
Somehow... against all those odds, my gamble worked.
Ethan slowly pushed himself back to his feet.
His legs were still shaking, but the pain was already fading. In its place was a faint warmth spreading through his body.
He could feel his realm now.
After going a first integration with the card, one has successfully entered the demigod stage.
The next race card could be integrated directly through his divine connection.
The chamber doors opened with a soft chime.
The moment Ethan stepped outside, the noise of the hall rushed back in.
Students filled the corridor, comparing their newly integrated races and discussing the changes appearing within their realms.
Some were already celebrating.
Others were frantically checking their status screens.
Ethan moved through the crowd without stopping.
He didn't feel the need to tell anyone what he had chosen.
There was nothing impressive about it anyway.
[A Tier 1 Saplingkin]
In a world where students were already talking about Tier 2 and Tier 3 races, it was hardly worth mentioning.
He eventually found an empty bench overlooking the academy courtyard.
Above the glass dome, faint flashes of light appeared one after another as students completed their integrations.
Ethan watched them quietly.
A desert realm.
An ice realm.
A volcanic realm.
Each one seemed to have something going for it.
Suddenly a loud cheer erupted nearby
"Look at that!"
"My god! His Sandfang Beetle is already evolving!"
Ethan turned toward the crowd.
A student stood in the middle of them, proudly displaying his realm status.
Ethan simply watched.
For them, the first integration was the beginning of something already promising.
For him...
It was the beginning of a new problem.
The courtyard remained filled with excitement.
Ethan, however, slowly leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes.
He had no interest in comparing his beginning with anyone else's.
He only wanted to know one thing.
What was happening inside his realm?
----------------------------------------------
[Realm Status: Polluted Wasteland]
Size: [1 sq. km]
Core Entity: [Saplingkin – 1 Seedling Active]
Air Quality: [Toxic]
Soil Viability: [Low]
Light Distribution: [Irregular]
Progress Toward Stability: [0.8%]
Mood of Realm Consciousness: [Uncertain Curiosity]
----------------------------------------------
Ethan blinked.
Mood of the realm...?
He gave a tired smile.
What is that?
The wording was strange.
A realm wasn't supposed to have a mood.
At least, not as far as he knew.
He was about to dismiss it when another line appeared.
[Minor environmental change detected.]
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Environmental change?"
The System displayed a small projection.
The image showed a tiny patch of the wasteland.
Nothing seemed different at first.
Then Ethan noticed it.
A faint green spot beneath the polluted soil.
His expression changed.
The projection zoomed in.
A tiny root was spreading beneath the surface.
Ethan leaned forward.
"It has already started to change?"
[Natural Mana detected.]
[Saplingkin has begun absorbing ambient mana.]
[Photosynthesis initiated.]
[Growth: +0.01%]
Ethan stared at the number.
+0.01%.
It was almost nothing.
But somewhere inside that polluted wasteland, his first Saplingkin was already beginning to grow.
Ethan's lips slowly curled upward.
This time, he didn't bother hiding it.
He grinned.