Awakening Starts

The next day ,

Xavier's heart raced as he made his way to school after having breakfast. Today was the day that would determine his fate, whether he could become a Tower Runner and embark on the extraordinary journey he had been eagerly anticipating, or remain an ordinary individual for the rest of his life. The weight of this crucial moment filled him with nervousness and anticipation.

As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the atmosphere of anxiety that permeated the entire school. Every student seemed on edge, engaging in hushed conversations about their nerves and how they had spent a restless night. The tension in the air was palpable, and Xavier could sense the gravity of the day ahead.

Feeling the collective nervous energy, Xavier hurriedly made his way to his classroom and quickly settled into his seat.

After a while, Alex also joined Xavier and sat beside him, his anxiety evident in his trembling hands and nervous expression. He opened up to Xavier, expressing his deep nervousness, "Xavier, I'm extremely nervous. I can't stop shivering. I don't know what I'll do if I fail to awaken."

Observing Alex's evident shivering, Xavier reached out to comfort his friend by placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. With genuine concern in his voice, Xavier replied, "Hey, don't worry! I don't think we will be that unlucky to not awaken. I believe we'll be among the 50% who do."

Xavier's words were intended to offer reassurance and hope to ease Alex's nerves.

In the past, when the tower first descended on Blue Star, people of any age were randomly chosen, but the selection rate was only 500 people every year. However, about 30 years ago, the criteria shifted, and now only students who were 16 years old were eligible for selection. This change significantly increased the number of people who could become Tower Runners, as the selected percentage became 50% of all 16-year-old students worldwide every year.

After hearing what Xavier said , Alex can be seen at ease and not shivering as was before .

After some time, Mr. Johnson entered the classroom and stood in front of the blackboard.

"Students, today is a significant day that marks the beginning of a new journey. Some of you will be selected as Tower Runners, while others will become Society Contributors," he announced.

The students listened intently, the nervousness evident on their faces, especially when they heard about Society Contributors. Those who failed to awaken would have to accept an ordinary life.

"I sincerely hope that everyone in this class succeeds in awakening. However, we must acknowledge that it's a challenging task. Remember, even if you fail to awaken, the school will not abandon you," Mr. Johnson reassured them.

He continued, "This year, there are 2000 students appearing for awakening worldwide, and only 1000 will successfully awaken. So, the chances of awakening are 50-50. It all depends on luck. I will call each student's name one by one, and they will come to the podium for the awakening process."

With these words, Mr. Johnson began calling out the names of the students.

"Zack Sin," called Mr. Johnson. Upon hearing his name, Zack nervously walked up to the podium. Mr. Johnson instructed Zack to place his hand on the violet-colored sphere, a tool given by the tower to assess the lucky Tower runners. The room filled with anticipation as they waited for any sign of movement in the sphere.

After a moment, the sphere remained still, showing no response.

With a sigh of disappointment, Mr. Johnson regretfully declared, "Awakening failed!"

Upon hearing those words, Zack stood motionless for a brief moment, seemingly unable to process the reality of the situation. It was evident that he had hoped for a different outcome. After Mr. Johnson gently prompted Zack to return to his seat, he snapped out of his trance and dejectedly made his way back to his seat.

The atmosphere in the classroom became even more tense, as everyone realized the reality of the awakening process.