Alex woke to a harsh, synthetic chime from the terminal—not the gentle alarm of his old life, but a commanding call to attention. He'd barely slept, collapsing onto the narrow bunk after the shock of discovering his phone was useless. He'd missed the 8 pm dinner service; now the terminal displayed: MANDATORY ASSEMBLY – 6. am.
Pulling on the unfamiliar gray uniform—the one the AOC had waiting in his storage locker—he noticed the fabric felt stiff, scratchy, and vaguely energized. His body, too, felt different: lighter, stronger, with a strange, constant hum beneath his skin.
This Awakened feeling was unnerving, like a latent current waiting to be unleashed.
The Assembly Hall
The air in the Awakening Assembly Hall was sharp and cold, filled with the sterile scent of ozone and disinfectant.
This wasn't a place of motivation; it was a sorting station.
Hundreds of new Awakened students—all between eighteen and nineteen—were filing in. They moved across the concrete floor in a nervous, silent stream, uniformed weapons being categorized before deployment.
Unlike the propaganda Alex had seen outside, there were no cheers here, no sense of heroism. They were just resources.
Alex tightened his collar. He saw a poster plastered on a nearby wall: photos of grotesque Dimensional Beasts, chilling Casualty Counts, and maps to emergency shelters. The reality of their mission—and their expendability—was graphically clear.
He took his place in the assigned grid, three rows deep and five lines across, trying to blend in despite the civilian backpack still slung over his shoulder. The atmosphere was a tense mix of excitement, fear, and profound anxiety.
The front of the hall was dominated by a gleaming, metallic spectacle: the testing apparatus. Massive, white floodlights illuminated the area where several figures stood watch: doctors in white lab coats holding tablets, soldiers in heavy armor standing guard, and in the center, a huge, silent, black capsule-type device—the beast.
A sign above it glowed: NEURAL-SPIRITUAL SCANNER (NSS-9).
The legendary machine that could detect and measure a person's Awakening Level, Energy Type, and Potential.
The First Scans
"Newly Awakened Students Must Undergo Mandatory Assessment," a severe voice boomed from the speakers.
The process began instantly.
"Next,"
A woman in a lab coat called, her tablet held ready.
The first boy stepped into the NSS-9 capsule.
The machine hummed, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated in Alex's chest. After only a second, a bright hologram popped up above the capsule:
[Awakening Power Level: E]
[Spiritual Energy: E-]
[Potential Grade: Low]
Snickers rippled through the line. "E-rank? He's basically useless. He'll be on perimeter wall duty until he retires," someone muttered.
The boy walked away, his shoulders slumped in utter defeat.
Alex's jaw tightened. This world was unforgiving.
"Next," the doctor called, emotionlessly.
A girl stepped in. The machine flashed, and the hologram stabilized quickly:
[Awakening Power Level: D]
[Spiritual Energy: D]
[Potential Grade: Moderate]
Soft, relieved claps followed. The girl's shoulders relaxed a bit; she had passed the threshold of utter failure.
Then came the jolt of real talent.
"Next!"
A tall, athletic boy entered. The machine's hum deepened. When the hologram appeared, gasps spread through the hall.
[Awakening Power Level: C+ (Metal Manipulation)]
[Spiritual Energy: D+]
[Potential Grade: High]
"C+! That's insane talent! And D+ spiritual energy!"
"He's promising. A future leader, definitely."
The boy walked out with a proud, confident smirk, fully aware of his standing.
Alex swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. His turn was coming soon.
Near the testing area, three high-ranking officials observed the results. An old man with a long white beard and a plain white uniform spoke, "New recruits are not that impressive, hmm..."
Beside him, a special unit officer was tense, cold sweat beading on his temple. "If we don't get at least a B-rank, I'll be dead," he murmured, perhaps fearing repercussions for the lack of top talent.
The Frozen Queen
"Next!"
This time, the atmosphere changed. A white-haired girl stepped forward—Jennifer.
Several students turned toward her; some excited, some confused, and others whispering about her startling beauty.
"She's so beautiful. Does she have a boyfriend?"
"Shut up, with your face! You think she wants a guy like you?"
"You, two, don't even think about it. She's General Andrew's granddaughter. You don't have a chance."
Jennifer, unfazed by the attention, stepped into the capsule.
The lights in the entire testing chamber dimmed slightly. A low, fierce electric buzz filled the air. A faint heat pricked her skin, followed by a powerful, strange vibration spreading through her chest. Her heartbeat synced with the machine's rising hum.
Thump. Thump. Thump—
The NSS-9 began to flicker. The humming became a jarring, frantic scream. Its lights jerked unnaturally.
The doctor operating the controls frowned, pulling back her tablet. "What…? This reading is irregular."
Students murmured nervously.
A soldier stepped forward, hand on his weapon. "Is the machine malfunctioning?"
"No," the doctor whispered, her eyes wide. "It's… reacting."
The old man—General Andrew—straightened, a sudden, protective look in his eyes. He leaned forward. "Child, be strong, Grandpa's with you."
The special force officer next to him urgently asked, "Check, what the hell is happening?"
The chamber lights dimmed completely for one second, plunging the room into shadow.
Then—the NSS-9 stabilized with a sharp clack. The hologram above Jennifer lit up, blindingly bright.
Students leaned forward, doctors froze, and the soldier blinked. Alex stared, confused and transfixed.
[Awakening Power Level: S (Frozen Queen Transformation, First Form)]
[Spiritual Energy: A+]
[Potential Grade: Top Level]
Dead silence.
Then, the whispers exploded into ecstatic shouts.
General Andrew was visibly overjoyed, his white beard trembling with pride.
The special force officer, who had been sweating moments before, now had a look of stunned reverence.
"Congratulations, lord! In all of Verona, a continent-level genius was born, right here in our lunar base!"
Alex, standing in his place, felt a sickening lurch in his stomach. He looked down at his own trembling hands. Why is God so unfair? he thought.
He had been praying for an E-rank—for a reason to be dismissed.
"Jennifer is a future Field Marshal! She has Field Marshal rank potential!" a random boy yelled, and no one argued.
Alex was next in line.
He had just witnessed the absolute pinnacle of Awakened power.
What could he possibly offer that wouldn't look pathetic next to an S-rank Frozen Queen?
The doctor looked up, her gaze scanning the remaining line.
.
.
.
.
.
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Author's Note:
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