The awakening ceremony continued long after Aaron stepped down from the platform, but for him the noise of the hall had become strangely distant.
Students were still being called one by one. Every few seconds the Awakening Core would glow, revealing another person's future. Some results were met with cheers, others with sighs of disappointment.
Aaron heard it all, but none of it truly registered.
His attention was focused on the voice that had just appeared inside his head.
System.
If this had happened three months ago on Earth, he might have assumed he was dreaming or losing his mind. But this was a world where the boy three rows ahead of him had just been announced as a B-rank Pyromancer, and a girl near the back had burst into tears after receiving an E-rank Weaver class. In a world like this, a voice in your head wasn't madness.
It might just be an opportunity.
He continued walking until he reached the student area again, where Rei followed him with a deeply conflicted expression.
"I'm really sorry," Rei said quietly.
Aaron blinked.
"Pfft, Why?"
"You awakened an E-rank class," Rei said, lowering his voice. "Laborer is basically a support role for construction teams. Most hunting squads won't even consider someone with that class."
He hesitated before adding, "You could still work inside the city though. The infrastructure department hires a lot of Laborers."
Aaron looked at him for a moment, then laughed softly.
"You already planned my entire career?"
"I'm being serious!" Rei said quickly. "Life inside the city isn't bad. It's safe. Way safer than going outside the walls."
Aaron didn't argue. He just rubbed the back of his neck and let his gaze drift toward the platform, where the last few students were finishing their awakenings.
"Every year countless awakened hunters died while trying to clear those zones." Rei continued,"Only people with strong combat classes could survive there consistently."
An E-rank Laborer had no business fighting monsters.
At least, that was the common belief.
Aaron rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Tell me something," he said.
"What?"
"How much experience do you get for killing a monster?"
Rei looked confused by the question.
"That depends on the monster's level and your team size," he replied. "But low level creatures usually give around ten experience points."
Aaron nodded slowly.
Ten experience points.
If the system inside his head was telling the truth, that number might become very interesting.
Before he could ask anything else, the instructor's dean voice rang out from the platform again.
"The awakening ceremony is now complete."
The final student stepped down from the pedestal while the instructors began recording the results.
Groups of students immediately gathered together, excitedly discussing their classes.
Some people looked thrilled.
Others looked like their world had just collapsed.
Aaron quietly observed the crowd.
The difference between ranks was already shaping people's futures.
Students with B-rank or A-rank classes were being congratulated by teachers and officials from the Awakening Bureau. Those individuals would likely receive invitations from prestigious training academies or powerful hunter guilds.
Meanwhile, students with D-rank or E-rank classes stood off to the side, their expressions far less enthusiastic.
Society in this world valued strength above almost everything else.
And strength began with your class.
"Aaron."
A calm voice suddenly called his name.
He turned around.
Their homeroom instructor, Mr. Chung, was walking toward them with a clipboard in his hands. Mr. Chung was a middle-aged man who had taught their class for nearly three years, and although his expression was usually strict, today it seemed slightly gentler.
"I've reviewed your awakening result," Mr. Chung said.
Aaron nodded politely.
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Chung glanced at the paper again.
"Laborer class. Rank E."
Rei Lang shifted uncomfortably beside him.
Mr. Chung continued, "Don't look so disappointed. The Laborer class may not be suited for combat, but it has advantages in physical endurance and tool efficiency. Many city development sectors prefer hiring awakened Laborers because their stamina is significantly higher than ordinary workers."
Aaron listened patiently.
He could tell the teacher was trying to soften the reality of the situation.
Mr. Chung then added, "If you wish, the academy can recommend you to the city's development department after graduation."
"That's very kind," Aaron said with a polite smile.
Mr. Chung nodded before moving on to speak with another student.
As soon as the teacher left, Rei exhaled loudly.
"Well," he muttered, "at least you won't starve."
Aaron chuckled.
"Your expectations for me are really low."
"What do you want me to say?" Rei replied helplessly. "You awakened the weakest class in the entire list."
Aaron didn't argue.
Instead, he lowered his gaze slightly.
Because at that moment the mechanical voice in his head spoke again.
Ding.
The sound was faint but unmistakable.
A translucent panel appeared in his mind, as though projected directly onto his consciousness.
....
[Effort Theft System Successfully]
Player: Aaron Emegrey
Class: Laborer
Rank: E
Level: 1
System Rule: All rewards obtained by the host will be amplified by unknown Factor.
.....
Aaron studied the panel silently.
It looked almost identical to the status screens from the games he used to play on Earth.
Another line of text appeared beneath the panel.
[Beginner reward detected.]
[Reward: 2 copper coins]
Aaron blinked.
Two copper coins?
That sounded extremely ridiculous.
But before he could react, the panel flashed again.
[Reward amplification activated.]
[Final reward: 20 copper coins.]
[Want to convert copper coins converted into real Copper coins?]
[yes/no]
He choose Yes option.
Aaron stopped breathing for a second.
Two... became twenty?
He instinctively touched his pocket.
A faint metallic weight appeared there, as if something had been quietly placed inside without anyone noticing.
He slipped his hand into the pocket.
His fingers immediately brushed against a small pile of coins.
Twenty copper coins.
His mind raced.
If the system truly multiplied all rewards by unknown factor...
Then even the smallest gain could become enormous.
Aaron slowly exhaled.
He forced himself to remain calm so Rei wouldn't notice anything strange.
"Hey,"Rei said suddenly, "what are you staring at?"
Aaron looked up.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"Thinking about what?"
Aaron glanced toward the massive city walls visible beyond the academy.
Those walls protected Lemuria City from the wild zones where monsters roamed freely.
Most people inside the city believed someone like him had no reason to ever cross those gates.
But Aaron was beginning to suspect something very different.
If killing one monster gave ten experience points...
Then with the system's effect, he would receive unknown number of experience.
And if a monster dropped a single item...
He might receive a random number of items, or better, he might receive a better version of the item.
Even a supposedly useless E-rank class might become terrifying under those conditions.
Aaron smiled faintly.
"Tell me something," he said to Rei.
"What now?"
"When do new hunters usually go outside the city for the first time?"
Rei stared at him like he had gone insane.
"Outside the city? With an E-rank Laborer class?"
Aaron simply shrugged.
"I'm curious."
Rei rubbed his forehead.
"Normally students join beginner hunting teams a few weeks after awakening. The guilds organize training groups to help people level up safely."
He paused before asking suspiciously, "Why?"
Aaron looked toward the distant horizon beyond the city walls.
A quiet excitement stirred in his chest.
Because for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he had found something that truly belonged to him.
The system.
And the possibilities it offered.
"Just wondering," he said lightly.
But deep inside, he was already thinking about something else.
If two copper coins could become twenty...
Then what would happen when he obtained his first real reward?
The answer to that question might change everything.