Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

"Everyone, this is your last awakening ceremony. If you still fail to awaken, prepare to live the rest of your life as an ordinary human, attending a normal university. Alternatively, you can dedicate these last few months to improving your cultivation and increasing your chances of entering an Academy."

The teacher's voice echoed through the room, his tone firm yet measured. Before him stood rows of students, their expressions a mix of anxiety and hope as they listened to him attentively.

Among them was Michael.

Michael did not belong to this world. Three weeks ago, he had awakened in this body—a body that coincidentally shared his name.

Unlike the Earth he previously lived in, this world granted its youth, aged between the ages of 16 to 18, a chance to awaken a class—a moment that could define their future.

More than two centuries ago, an apocalypse descended upon this world, bringing spatial rifts that spawned hordes of monsters, plunging the world into chaos.

Humanity teetered on the brink of extinction, until fortunately, following the apocalypse, the world became digitised for a select few who would later be known as Awakeners.

Thanks to these Awakeners—individuals gifted with extraordinary powers—thanks to their classes, the apocalypse ended after decades, allowing humanity to finally reclaim their world.

As expected, peace returned to the world, but the allure of Awakening persisted. These Awakeners became figures of importance, and soon, it became a dream of every young person aged 16 to 18 to become one.

However, becoming an Awakener was a rare privilege granted to only a few, and for this group of 18-year-olds gathered in the hall, this was their last chance to Awaken.

Michael was nervous as well, just as his peers. Despite having arrived in this world for a mere three weeks, he understood the significance of this ceremony.

While it wasn't as though all hope would be lost if he failed to awaken, it was undeniable that no path held more promise than becoming an Awakener. 

Under the nervous gaze of nearly a hundred students below the podium, the teacher picked up a file from the table before him and began calling names.

"Lilian Stone!"

"Y-Yes, Sir!"

The first student called was a young woman. Upon hearing her name, she immediately stepped toward the podium, but perhaps due to her nervousness, she stumbled and fell, drawing a sharp intake of breath from the room.

However, no one laughed or made fun of her. On any other occasion, they might have, but today, there was no place for mockery, they all feared that they might fare any better than the student who had fallen.

The teacher, seemingly accustomed to such mishaps, waited patiently for her to get back on her feet and approach him.

When she finally came before him, he wasted no time and gestured toward the transparent orb on the table before speaking evenly.

"This is your third time here, so you know what to do. Just place your hand on the awakening orb. If there's a reaction, it means you've successfully awakened. If there isn't…"

The teacher left his words unfinished, but it made the hearts of every student in the room sink.

Michael felt it too, though he handled it better than the others. Thanks to his steadied maturity coming from his previous life—a life where he had faced numerous challenges before he succumbed to cancer in his previous life, he could keep his composure.

Michael's eyes watched as Lilian placed her hand on the awakening orb on the table between the teacher and her.

From what they had been taught in school, they knew that every Awakener gained not only a class which granted them supernatural powers but also bestowed the ability to connect their consciousness to another world—a mysterious realm filled with treasures and could quickly enhance their prowess.

Though it was often said that this world resembled a game, in many ways, it was not. In fact, it was far more complex and enigmatic.

The awakening orb itself was said to have originated from that very mysterious world.

Just as the teacher said, the girl didn't require any assistance. With a familiarity that made the corner of Michael's eyes twitch slightly, she placed both hands on the awakening orb and waited.

Seconds passed and just as the teacher was preparing to dismiss the girl—who looked like she might burst into tears at any moment due to her disappointment—suddenly froze as the orb began emitting a radiant white light.

Following that, a 'manifestation' in the form of twin swords materialized on her back before disappearing.

"Lilian Stone has successfully awakened a class: Martial Artist!" the teacher announced, his voice tinged with astonishment. His previously stoic expression betrayed clear surprise.

For this group of 18-year-olds, the likelihood of awakening was slim, and the teacher hadn't expected any success. But to think that the very first student called up would do so left him momentarily speechless.

It was a well known fact that the best age to awaken a class was 16, as that was when the chances were highest and their chances of awakening diminished with each passing year.

The moment the students heard the teacher's announcement, the previously quiet hall erupted with noise with excited chatters erupting among the students.

"Wow, Lilian actually awakened? No way!"

"First come, first served?"

"Damn."

"Tsk. To think the fourth-to-last dumbest person in all of Class 3 would awaken."

"You do realize that awakening successfully doesn't necessarily have anything to do with intelligence, right?"

"Shut up! Of course, I know! Can't I just be bitter for a minute? What happened to my freedom to hate?!"

Like his classmates, Michael was pleasantly surprised that the first student to step onto the podium had awakened. No one in their group had expected any of them to awaken, so seeing someone succeed lifted everyone's spirits and reignited a renewed sense of hope within them.

However, that newly lit hope was quickly shattered.

"Mia Keem, awakening failed!"

"Bruce Leen, awakening failed!"

One after the other, from the fourth up to the forty-eighth—every student who stepped on the podium failed to awaken, except for the first female student, Lilian.

By the end, the once-bustling hall had grown eerily silent, save for the soft sobs of those who had failed their awakening.