Daniel looked down at the list in his hand.
"The first student... Calen."
A nervous-looking boy stepped forward and stood before the platform.
Daniel gave him an encouraging smile.
"Don't be nervous."
He pointed toward a small, round stone resting on a pedestal.
"This is the Awakening Stone."
"It is a magical artifact discovered inside a dimensional rift many years ago."
"No one knows who created it, but humanity learned how to use it."
"When I tell you, place your hand on the Awakening Stone."
"The stone will release its energy into your body."
"If your body is able to withstand that energy, you will undergo the Awakening and gain the ability to absorb mana."
Calen nodded nervously.
Daniel then pointed to another pedestal beside the first.
Resting on it was a slightly larger, square-shaped stone made from the same mysterious material.
"This is the Evaluation Stone."
"It is another artifact recovered from a dimensional rift."
"Unlike the Awakening Stone, it does not awaken your class."
"After your Awakening is complete, place your hand on the Evaluation Stone and release a small amount of mana."
"The Evaluation Stone will identify your awakened class, determine your potential for growth, and transmit the results to the Federation's analysis system."
Potential was one of the most important factors in an awakened person's future.
It represented the highest realm an awakened individual was generally believed capable of reaching through normal cultivation.
The Federation publicly recognized six levels of potential:
Apprentice, Novice, Adept, Expert, Master, and Grandmaster.
Among them, Novice and Adept were the most common.
Expert potential was already considered the mark of a genius in towns like Boulder.
Those with master potential were rare enough to attract the attention of major families, renowned guilds, prestigious academies, and the Federation Military.
As for Grandmaster, very few people had ever witnessed such talent. To most people, it existed only in stories.
Several students widened their eyes in surprise.
Daniel smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. The process is completely safe."
He turned back to Calen.
"Now..."
"Place your hand on the Awakening Stone."
The entire training ground fell silent as every pair of eyes focused on the boy.
Calen took a deep breath before placing his hand on the Awakening Stone.
The moment his palm touched its surface, the stone emitted a soft white glow.
The light gradually spread through his body.
Calen instinctively closed his eyes as he felt a warm current flowing through every part of him.
A few moments later, the light slowly faded.
Daniel nodded.
"The Awakening is complete."
"Now place your hand on the Evaluation Stone and release a small amount of mana."
Calen did as instructed.
The square-shaped stone lit up with a faint blue light.
At the same time, a nearby monitor connected to the Evaluation Stone displayed the results.
Name: Calen
Class: Buffer (Support Class)
Potential: Novice Rank
Daniel glanced at the screen before announcing the result.
"Calen has awakened the buffer support class."
"His estimated growth potential is novice rank."
A few students looked disappointed for him, while others simply watched in silence.
Daniel looked toward the crowd.
"This is a normal result."
"Not everyone awakens a powerful combat class."
"As I said before, every awakened class has its own role."
He looked back at the list in his hand.
"Next student..."
Time passed as one student after another stepped onto the platform.
Some left with bright smiles after awakening combat classes.
Others looked disappointed after receiving ordinary support classes or low growth potential.
The atmosphere became livelier with each awakening.
Daniel looked down at the list once more.
"Finn."
Finn grinned as he stepped out from the crowd.
Before walking onto the platform, he ran a hand through his golden hair.
"Looks like it's finally time for the main event."
A few nearby students rolled their eyes.
"There he goes again."
Finn only flashed them a confident smile before walking onto the platform.
Following Daniel's instructions, he placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.
A soft glow spread across his body.
After the light faded, he moved to the Evaluation Stone and released a small amount of mana.
Moments later, the results appeared on the monitor.
Name: Finn
Class: Vanguard
Potential: adept Rank
Daniel looked at the screen and announced the result.
"vanguard."
"Estimated growth potential: adept rank."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Adapt rank?"
"That's pretty good."
Finn blinked for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face.
"Haha! I knew it!"
He struck a proud pose and brushed back his golden hair.
"I guess being this handsome comes with talent too."
The students around him groaned.
"Will you stop already?"
Even Daniel couldn't help shaking his head with a faint smile.
Finn happily returned to the group.
As he passed Rowen, he gave him a thumbs-up.
Adept rank potential was considered a good result.
In Boulder Town's lower district, many families would celebrate if their child achieved such potential.
Among the crowd, Finn's parents smiled with relief.
His father let out a quiet laugh.
"I told you not to worry."
His mother nodded happily.
"With Adept Rank potential, you'll have plenty of opportunities. If you continue to work hard, joining a guild in the upper district—or even one in a Tier-2 city—isn't impossible."
Finn proudly puffed out his chest.
"I told you I was destined for greatness."
His parents could only smile helplessly.
However, not everyone shared their excitement.
The representatives from the Valester family remained calm.
The Stonevale Family representatives merely glanced at the screen before looking away.
The local guild representatives showed little interest as well.
To them, an adept-rank Vanguard was respectable but nothing exceptional.
Their expectations were much higher.
They were looking for combat classes with at least Master Rank potential.
So far, not a single student had met that standard.
After several more students completed their awakenings, Daniel looked down at the list once again.
"Kael."
Kael smirked before confidently walking onto the platform.
He placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.
A bright light enveloped his body.
A few moments later, the light faded.
Without hesitation, Kael walked to the Evaluation Stone and released a trace of mana.
The monitor flickered to life.
Name: Kael Stonevale
Class: Sword Master
Potential: Adept Rank
A wave of surprise spread through the crowd.
"A Sword Master?"
"That's a rare combat class!"
Even the representatives from the Stonevale family showed a hint of interest.
One of them nodded slightly.
"A branch family member awakening a swordmaster class..."
He paused before looking back at the screen.
"...A pity. Only Adept Rank potential."
"Still, he'll be of some use to the family."
Kael naturally heard those words.
Although he felt somewhat dissatisfied, he quickly convinced himself that he had at least earned the family's recognition.
With his head held high, he stepped down from the platform.
Daniel glanced at the list once more.
"Aria."
The entire training ground grew noticeably quieter.
Even the representatives from the guilds and the two great families paid closer attention.
After all, she was the younger sister of Ethan—the Red Demon.
Aria took a deep breath before stepping onto the platform.
She gently placed her hand on the Awakening Stone.
Brilliant crimson light burst from the stone, enveloping her entire body.
A few moments later, she moved to the Evaluation Stone.
As she released her mana, the monitor displayed the results.
Name: Aria
Class: Fire Mage
Potential: Expert Rank
The crowd erupted into excitement.
"Expert rank potential!"
"A Fire Mage!"
Principal Eamon, Mr. Harris, and Miss Evelyn all smiled.
Ethan also let out a satisfied smile.
"As expected..."
The representatives from the Valester Family, the Stonevale Family, and the local guilds immediately became interested.
Several of them stood up.
"Miss Aria, our guild would be happy to support your future."
"The Valester Family welcomes talented young awakeners."
"The Stonevale family is also willing to provide resources if you are interested."
Aria politely bowed.
"Thank you for your offers."
"But I'd like to focus on preparing for the Federation's Overall Assessment first."
Hearing her answer, the representatives could only nod.
It wasn't unusual for talented students to postpone such decisions until after the assessment.
Aria quietly returned to her classmates.
Not far away, Kael watched the scene with clenched fists.
Once again...
She had taken all the attention.