Blue Star, Longxia Federation, Sea City Military Academy.
On the Awakening Ceremony grounds, brilliant flashes of light burst forth one after another. All new cadets at Sea City Military Academy were undergoing their Profession Awakening today.
Fang Zhou stood in the ranks, a hint of anticipation in his steady gaze.
Decades ago, the world underwent a dramatic change. Demons invaded, and humanity entered the [Era of Myth]. People could now awaken a Profession, master Skills, raise their Tier, and increase their power. They fought various monsters on Blue Star and in the Mythical World, carving out a space for humanity to survive. Without a doubt, the [Era of Myth] was the age of Awakened Professionals.
However, Professions had their strengths and weaknesses, and no one could say for certain which one they would awaken. The cadets who awakened before Fang Zhou had mostly received mainstream Combat Professions like [Warrior], [Archer], or [Knight]. There were a few with [Mage] Professions, and support-type Professions were even rarer.
"Fang Zhou, step out and prepare for your Awakening!"
At Instructor Lu Hu's command, Fang Zhou stepped forward. The increasingly boisterous line of cadets fell silent for a moment.
"I wonder what Profession Fang Zhou will awaken?"
"Judging by his aura, I bet it'll be [Priest]!"
"I think so too! It would be such a waste if someone that handsome didn't become a [Priest]."
A few bright, pretty female cadets in the line whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with curiosity. Although they had just enrolled, Fang Zhou had already made a name for himself in their company. He was the orphaned child of a martyr, possessed an exceptional physique, and had top marks in his academic courses. Most importantly, he had a face as handsome as jade, with eyes as bright as stars.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the array began to spin, gleaming brightly.
Suddenly, Fang Zhou felt a wave of dizziness as his vision split in two. One perspective remained in the Awakening Array, while the other found itself in a desolate land covered with bones and shrouded by a blood moon.
What the heck is going on?
CRACK. CRACK.
A faint sound echoed as Fang Zhou raised his hand.
In his second perspective, what appeared before his eyes wasn't a hand at all, but clearly a skeleton that had turned yellow and black with age. Following the sharp-angled joints down, Fang Zhou saw slender yet sturdy arm bones, a neatly arranged ribcage, and long leg bones.
He then felt his own head. It was smooth and round, a surprisingly pleasant sensation. He had an empty nasal cavity, a neat row of white teeth, and hollow eye sockets from which azure phantom flames burned.
It was the classic image of a skeleton.
"Awakening successful—attribute panel activated!"
Before Fang Zhou could process his shock, a transparent panel materialized before him.
[Name] Fang Zhou
[Profession] Undead Mage
[Tier] Apprentice · Lower
[Attributes] Strength 1, Constitution 1, Agility 1, Spirit 2
[Status] Soul Split
[Equipment] None
[Skills] Summon Skeleton (Apprentice-level, Beginner)
[Clone] Skeleton
[Soul Power] 0
An Undead Mage? A Skeleton Clone? An attribute panel? After eighteen years as a transmigrator, has my cheat ability finally arrived?
Fang Zhou's expression remained calm, but inside, his heart was a surging tide of emotion.
"Fang Zhou, what are you spacing out for? Get out of there!"
Outside the array, Instructor Lu Hu's shout broke his train of thought. With everyone watching, Fang Zhou didn't dare to dwell on it. He slowly adapted to his split perspective and stumbled out of the Awakening Array with unsteady steps.
Seeing this, Lu Hu at his side seemed to misunderstand. He coughed lightly and said in a serious tone, "Fang Zhou, don't lose heart! The [Undead Mage] Profession may be the most... uh, the one with the most *potential* for now, but it has great research value. A true man never gives up. Where there's a will, there's a way! You might just be the one to blaze your own path!"
Fang Zhou was momentarily stunned but quickly understood the instructor's meaning. In the few short decades of the [Era of Myth], fewer than a hundred people had ever awakened as an Undead Mage. Therefore, the [Undead Mage] was a textbook Rare Profession. According to the logic that the rarer a Profession, the greater its potential, this class should have produced countless powerhouses and shone with dazzling brilliance.
Unfortunately, an Undead Mage's Cultivation required an incredibly close connection to the Undead World. Life and death are fundamentally opposed. As living, breathing humans, how could they possibly comprehend the world of the undead? For decades, the most powerful Undead Mage had only reached the [Gold] Tier, and their combat power was far weaker than other Professions of the Same Tier.
The lack of powerful predecessors meant there was no complete Skill Tree inheritance to follow. For a novice, this was undoubtedly the worst news possible. As a result, [Undead Mage] had perennially topped the list of humanity's weakest Professions.
But... the Undead World?
Fang Zhou glanced at his Skeleton Clone and the death-infused Otherworld, and a bold guess suddenly formed in his mind. While he pondered this, a dejected expression appeared on his face. He saluted the instructor before stumbling back to the ranks.
The other cadets all looked at Fang Zhou with pity. A moment ago, he had been full of spirit, like a star of tomorrow. Now, because of his awakened Profession, he was fated to be nothing more than a useless pretty boy. That feeling must have been terrible.
They didn't disturb this "dejected soul," and the Awakenings continued in an orderly fashion. Bursts of brilliant light flared up again and again, accompanied by cheers or sighs.
Soon, all one hundred cadets in the company had successfully awakened. Not a single one had failed. Even someone as stern as Instructor Lu Hu couldn't help but beam with pride. A one-hundred-percent success rate was an outstanding achievement, even at the elite Sea City Military Academy.
Lu Hu looked at the somewhat noisy ranks and barked, "All units, attention!"
The cadets instantly snapped into formation. Lu Hu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Cadets, Awakening is only the first step!
"Right now, you are merely fledgling apprentices.
"Beyond that, Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Glory Champion, and even the Legendary Crown are all waiting for you.
"I hope that today, you are proud of your profession, and tomorrow, your profession will be proud of you!
"Everything for the Human Alliance!"
The cadets responded in unison, "Everything for the Human Alliance!"
"Good!" Lu Hu glanced at the "dejected" Fang Zhou before continuing, "Allow me to explain the arrangements.
"First, you will all be granted the rank of [Junior Sergeant] and given F-level clearance. This will allow you to claim two apprentice-level Skill Books from the Human Alliance Skill Library for free.
"Second, you will soon register the initial skill you awakened today on your personal terminal. If it's a brand-new, unrecorded skill, you will receive a generous contribution point bonus!
"Third, one month from now, Sea City Military Academy will open the [Simulation Battlefield] to test your practical combat skills. Outstanding performers will receive generous rewards.
"Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Begin registering your skills now."
Fang Zhou activated the personal terminal on his wrist and, following the prompts, registered the [Summon Skeleton] skill in the Human Alliance Skill Library.