Chapter 16: Unveiling of the Awakened

BOOOOM!!! 

BOOOOM!!! 

BOOOOM!!! 

BOOOOM!!!

As the image flickered on the screen, a thick cloud of smoke obscured the projection, making it difficult to discern what was happening. The silence in the room was palpable as everyone watched with bated breath. Gradually, the smoke began to clear, revealing a figure amidst the haze. The sight was so unexpected that a look of disbelief spread across the faces of everyone in the spacious room, especially on Mr. Hanz, whose expression was a mix of surprise and confusion. The tension in the room was thick, and it was clear that something significant had just occurred.

The man's face displayed a range of emotions so distinct that if Gabriel were present, he could have matched each expression with the corresponding emoji commonly used in digital communication. His countenance was a complex tapestry of joy, sadness, confusion, and perhaps even a hint of shock or frustration. It was as if he were wrestling with a multitude of conflicting thoughts and emotions, and his face served as a canvas that vividly portrayed his inner turmoil.

Mr. Hanz appeared to be lost in thought, shaking his head and furrowing his brow in deep concentration. After a few moments, he murmured almost under his breath, "There seems to be something wrong!" The words slipped out almost accidentally, as if he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't realized he was speaking out loud. The sudden utterance left him looking even more perplexed, as though he had stumbled upon a troubling realization he couldn't quite articulate.

Noticing his unintended outburst, Mr. Hanz quickly took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. Initially, he believed that no one had overheard his comment, but he was taken aback when a voice unexpectedly responded to his words.

"How can you say that, Mr. Hanz?" asked someone with a loud yet pleasant voice.

Mr. Hanz looked at the person who had spoken.

He was met with a pair of deep green eyes, brimming with intelligence. Coupled with the glasses she wore, she gave off the impression of a woman of considerable knowledge.

"Miss Claire," Mr. Hanz acknowledged, looking at her.

"So?" Miss Claire asked again, her tone insistent. At the same time, all of his colleagues, including the principal, fixed him with burning gazes, waiting intently for his reply.

Mr. Hanz hesitated before responding, but he eventually opened up, saying, "He is one of my students. I was in charge of their awakening ritual..." He began to elaborate on the awakening ritual that had taken place just two days prior.

During the conversation, Mr. Hanz revealed that Gabriel had successfully awakened a support class, and had not awakened any offensive skills. This revelation caused confusion among the group as they tried to understand how Gabriel had managed to perform such feats. Despite their confusion, they all continued to listen attentively as Mr. Hanz shared more details about the awakening ritual.

As Mr. Hanz continued his explanation, someone suddenly interrupted him with a question that cast doubt on his account. "Mr. Hanz, are you absolutely sure about what you saw? Maybe you made a mistake? Perhaps Gabriel awakened a combat-focused class?"

In response, Mr. Hanz spoke with conviction, "I cannot be mistaken about this, James. You see, at the precise moment when Gabriel's Mana Orb lit up, it displayed three distinct colors. The first light indicated the grade of talent the student possessed, the second light revealed the class the student would awaken, and the third light indicated the specific ability the student would receive. So, rest assured, my dear friend, what I saw was accurate and unmistakable."

Mr. Hanz addressed his colleagues, explaining that the first light on Gabriel's Mana Orb was blue, indicating that he possessed a rare talent, classified as blue level. This talent, while not extraordinary, was certainly above average. He paused to ensure everyone had understood before continuing.

He then described the second light, which was silver, signifying that Gabriel belonged to the support class. This meant that his skills would be primarily focused on providing support to his teammates.

As he was about to describe the third light, which was green, James interjected, stating that green represents healing-type skills. He concluded that Gabriel's initial skill should therefore fall under this category.

Mr. Hanz nodded in agreement. "Correct! We all know that the purpose of the Mana Orb is to guide students, helping them understand the direction they should take to achieve Class Advancement. However, it doesn't provide a detailed explanation of the skills they acquire along the way."

Miss Claire, appearing skeptical, raised an important question, "But how did he acquire an offensive skill in the first place?" The teachers present were taken aback by her question and fell into deep thought, engaging in further discussion to find an answer.

As the discussion continued, confusion spread among them, and they seemed to be making no progress. To refocus the conversation, Principal Dhalmer intervened. He reminded them that the purpose of this assessment was to identify potential candidates who could join their ranks in future battles. He emphasized that as long as a student had the necessary abilities, they should refrain from prying into the secrets of their strength.

He paused, took a deep breath, and released an aura of authority, like a king on his throne addressing his subjects. He looked at the teachers before him and continued speaking in a loud, clear voice, stressing the importance of focusing on the candidates' abilities rather than the origins of their skills.

"Passing the assessment is all that matters," the principal declared, his voice resonating through the room. "It signifies that they possess a will strong enough not to give up easily." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Though we currently live in peace, we cannot ignore the fact that countless monsters still watch us with wide eyes and drooling mouths. These students, who will bear our torches, are the ones who will fight against them in the future."

He continued, his voice firm and resolute, "This is the will of fire that our ancestors have passed down to us, generation after generation." As he finished speaking, the principal turned to the teacher in charge of the holographic screen and nodded, signaling that it was time to shift the focus to the other participants in the assessment.

As the holographic projection shifted, Gabriel, who had been the center of their discussion earlier, suddenly found himself surrounded by four figures they had previously overlooked.

...

**Gabriel Stone's POV**

A few seconds after the explosion...

"Ahhhhhhrrrrrrgggggg!!!!" Gabriel screamed in pain.

He felt as though his skin were being torn away, his flesh burned, his blood evaporated, and his bones crushed.

He fought against the pain, trying desperately not to lose consciousness. He wanted to cry, but no tears came.

Little by little, he watched in horror as different parts of his body began to turn to ash.

As he experienced this agony, Gabriel couldn't help but wonder: despite the unbearable pain—pain from his skin separating from his flesh, pain from his burning muscles, pain from dehydration throughout his body, pain from his bones turning to ash—why was his spirit still awake? It shouldn't be possible. No matter how strong his resistance to pain, he should have lost consciousness and died within seconds of the explosion enveloping him.

Minutes passed, though they felt like years to him. Yet he remained conscious. He no longer felt pain, as he no longer had a body to feel it. Just moments earlier, he had witnessed his entire body gradually turn to ash until nothing was left. The overwhelming pain that should have been his strongest emotion was now replaced by a deep sense of wonder.

He saw floating rocks, shattered tree limbs as thick as thighs, leaves as long as half a hand, strong gusts of wind, liquified mud, and broken fragments of stone. All these elements were being drawn toward the center of a ball of light—a swirling mass of energy in the sky, right where he had been standing.

Then, suddenly, he saw something that caused his mind to seize.

"Th...th..this...!!!" he stammered in shock and disbelief, his breath catching in his throat.

Before he could fully process the events unfolding before him, he heard a voice—a loud, clear voice that resonated in his ears.

[Detecting two similar soul energies nearby. 

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Initiating soul fusion.]