Professor Meera gazed at the entire class with her characteristically wise, piercing eyes. Once she was satisfied that every student had grasped the basic concepts of monsters and skill stones, she turned smoothly and activated the large holographic screen board. Soft blue and white lights immediately bloomed across its surface, casting an ethereal glow over the rows of attentive faces.
"Listen carefully," Professor Meera's cool yet crystal-clear voice resonated through the classroom, "now that you all have a foundational understanding of monsters and skill stones, I would like to make an important announcement on behalf of the university."
Every student sat up straighter. The air thickened with a palpable mix of curiosity and nervous tension, the kind that made hearts beat just a little faster.
"Today marks your third day at Lightborn University. On the fifth day, you will undergo the Talent Awakening Test." Professor Meera scanned the room and asked, "Does anyone here know anything about Awakened Humans?"
A heavy silence fell over the class. Not a single hand rose.
Then Laksh slowly stood up from his seat. His voice trembled slightly with nervousness, but he gathered his courage and spoke. "Professor, I know a little. People who manage to awaken their talent, who can fight monsters and protect humanity… they are called Awakened Humans."
Professor Meera gave a small nod, her expression softening just a fraction. "Yes, that is partially correct, but the reality of what it means to be an Awakened Human is far more complex than that simple definition."
She turned toward the holographic screen. A detailed 3D status screen model began rotating slowly in mid-air. Clear numerical values for Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Intelligence glowed brightly, along with empty slots where skills would later appear.
"When you enter the awakening event on the fifth day, each of you will be confronted with a status screen similar to this one. It will display your four core stats — Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Intelligence. It is possible that some basic skills might appear, but on the first day, skills will not show because skills are only obtained through skill stones."
Professor Meera paused, letting her words sink in as she observed the class. "For normal humans, every stat sits at exactly 10. However, when a student goes through the awakening program, their stats reveal whether their talent will awaken or not. If any one of the four stats exceeds 10, that student will be selected as an Awakener and will be allowed to continue in the Awakener course here at Lightborn University."
Laksh immediately raised his hand again, his voice urgent. "And what about those whose stats remain exactly 10 in every field? Will they have to leave the university?"
Professor Meera smiled gently, as if she had expected the question. "No, that is merely a rumor. Students whose stats stay at normal human levels will still be permitted to remain at the university. They simply will not join the Awakener course; instead, they will pursue normal academic studies."
A heavy weight lifted from Laksh's chest. He had been terrified at the thought of being separated from his four friends. Whether he became an Awakener or not, staying together with Krish, Rudra, Mahi, and Yug mattered more to him than anything else. None of them knew yet who among the five would awaken and who would not, but the idea of parting ways was something they all refused to accept.
Krish asked calmly, his tone steady and respectful, "Professor, could you tell us anything more about the Awakener event?"
Professor Meera looked across the entire class before bringing up additional data and images on the screen. "The full details of the awakening event are kept strictly confidential by the university. Sharing them is strictly banned. However, students from powerful families often receive some prior information because of their connections. Still, I can share certain basic facts that are not restricted."
She continued, "When any student turns eighteen, they must enroll in a university. In our country, there are many universities, and at the national level, Lightborn University ranks in the top two. Every university conducts this awakening event as a mandatory procedure. Each student receives a personal status screen, and their stats are thoroughly evaluated. If any of the four core stats — Strength, Agility, Vitality, or Intelligence — rises above 10, that student is officially recognized as an Awakener."
Mahi leaned forward eagerly. "Professor, what do the different colors of talent mean? White, Yellow, Purple, Black — how do these ranks actually work?"
Professor Meera displayed images of four distinctly colored talent stones on the screen, each glowing with different intensity.
"So far, only four types of talents have been observed in humans. White is the most basic, Yellow is slightly better, Purple is even stronger, and Black is the rarest of all. A Black talent appears in perhaps one in millions or even billions."
She explained patiently, "Suppose someone awakens an agility-based talent. If it is White rank and they later obtain a skill like Shadow Step, they will still be able to use the skill, but their proficiency and natural affinity will be low. However, if the same skill is paired with a Yellow-rank talent, both proficiency and affinity will be significantly higher. That means the skill's speed, power, and control will all be noticeably better."
Rudra interrupted with a practical question. "So if I'm a strength user and I want to learn an agility skill, do I first need to increase my proficiency? And does a good talent help with that?"
"You understood perfectly," Professor Meera replied. "Increasing proficiency requires dedicated practice. But if your talent rank is high — Yellow, Purple, or especially Black — both proficiency and affinity grow much faster. White talent makes the process difficult, but not impossible."
The entire class listened with rapt attention, the holographic images casting shifting colors across their focused faces.
Professor Meera concluded with one final announcement. "There is another important notice. On the sixth day, after the awakening test, we will go on a university tour. We will explore the entire campus because you are all new here, and it is essential that you become familiar with every section of Lightborn University."
At that moment, a girl from the back row raised her hand. Her name was Ruhi — she came from a poor family, yet her eyes burned with genuine curiosity.
"Professor, are you yourself a Soul User? Or a normal human? Or something in between?"
Professor Meera smiled faintly. "I am a Soul Expert. And I am an Element-type expert."
A boy named Piyush Sen immediately spoke up. Piyush came from a once-good family whose reputation had suffered badly in recent years, which was why he had not been accepted into any high-ranking class. Still, from a young age he had been given some basic knowledge about Soul Users.
"So you are an Intelligence user?" he asked.
Professor Meera looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I belong to the Intelligence user category, but I am a Mana user. When Intelligence users fulfill certain hidden requirements, they evolve into Mana users and gain the ability to wield elemental powers from nature itself."
Another girl from the back asked excitedly, "Does that mean we can also become other types of users? Like Hidden, Special, or Mystic users?"
Ravi, a student seated near the front, added, "Yes, I've heard that if a user fulfills hidden requirements in their field, they can become a Hidden, Special, or Mystic type user."
Ravi also came from a once-reputed family, but their reputation had collapsed long ago. Now only a handful of users remained in their lineage.
Professor Meera smiled again. "The rough idea you all have is not entirely wrong. However, for today's class, this is all I can share. We will discuss Ability Users in more detail tomorrow. Time is up for today."
Professor Meera switched off the holographic screen and walked out of the classroom with her usual composed grace.
The room slowly began to empty as students gathered their things and filed out into the corridor, voices rising into excited murmurs.
The five friends stepped outside together. A quiet sense of relief now softened Laksh's expression, yet new questions were already swirling in the minds of Krish, Rudra, Mahi, and Yug — questions about talent colors, hidden requirements, Mana users, and the looming awakening test that would decide their futures.
They had no idea that the awakening event on the fifth day was not merely a test. It was a gateway that would forever alter the course of their entire lives.
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