"Alex!"
Just as Alex stood before the gate of Abyssal Academy's Fifth Division, contemplating the path that would one day lead him to the divine halls of Kunlun Academy, a deep, familiar voice echoed from afar.
He turned his head, and saw a towering figure charging toward him with thundering strides.
It was a young man, easily three meters tall, built like a gargoyle carved from stone. His rugged features caught the morning light, striking and unforgettable.
—Gregory.
Even after an entire lifetime, Alex recognized him in an instant. This was the loyal friend who had stood by him during his darkest days.
In his previous life, their bond began here at the Fifth Division, forged in shared hardship. Even when the world turned its back on Alex—when his awakening revealed nothing but a pitiful D-rank talent, and the entire city shunned him—Gregory never wavered. He stayed by his side, all the way until that final, fate-defining battle in the bloodstained North.
"You're not a kid anymore, and yet you still run like a giant bear," Alex laughed, punching Gregory's iron-hard arm.
The giant of a man responded with a goofy grin. "Heh heh, I was just too excited! Guess what, Alex, yesterday I—"
"Successfully awakened?"
"A talent of Grade A?"
"…How the hell did you know that?" Gregory's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you can predict divine revelations now?"
Alex simply smiled without answering.
Of course he knew.
In his past life, Gregory had awakened an elite A-rank combat talent—Fury of Floro, a gift centered around rage and protection. Once enraged in battle, he was like a wrathful god descending upon the battlefield.
Among A-ranks, it was a kingly talent, and it was precisely what enabled Gregory to shield Alex through countless wars and battles on their way up.
This time, they would fight side by side once more.
"Let's fight together before the Trials begin!" Gregory declared.
In this world, the Trials were the sacred rite of passage for all aspiring Godsmiters.
The entrance examination consisted of two parts:
The first, a written test on foundational knowledge and codices of arcane law;
The second, the core trial for any aspiring Godsmitter—the Combat Potential Evaluation.
Only those who had reached Level 3 and successfully undergone talent awakening were eligible to register.
Now, there were but fifteen days left until this year's examination.
Students across every academy were racing against time, and for late awakeners, these final two weeks were the line between life and death, between genius and mediocrity.
Alex gave a slight smile and raised his hand, summoning his psionic interface:
[Name]: Alex Eliot
[Level]: 3 (1%)
That single glance was enough to make Gregory's eyes light up with surprise and joy.
"You've awakened too!" Gregory said with genuine delight. "That's perfect—let's go register for the Combat Evaluation together!"
All awakened Godsmitters were required to undergo official monitoring and documentation by the Federation—a regulation upheld for millennia across the continent.
Each academy was equipped with its own "Combat Evaluation Bureau," which opened daily at noon to allow students to log their talent and level data.
The two made their way into the academy building. Their classroom, Senior Year Class 8, belonged to the elite track of the Fifth Division.
Though it couldn't compare to the Royal Academy where noble heirs and prodigies gathered, it was still known for its strong cultivation environment and reasonably good resources.
Many students had already arrived.
Most had completed their awakening rituals. Some possessed decent talents, while others had simply hired "proxy hunters" using spirit coins to drag them through monster zones, barely grinding their way to the third novice level.
Compared to them, Alex and Gregory's late arrival made them seem slightly… behind the curve.
But no one dared to question Gregory.
His tower-like frame and the violent rumors that trailed him had long convinced many nighttime bullies to switch careers—some now sold pancakes.
As for Alex…
Aside from a few who still remembered, most had already forgotten the name that once shone like a star in this place: "The Heir of House Eliot."
And yet—there were always some who couldn't resist tearing open old wounds.
"Well, well—if it isn't Alex!"
A tall, lanky boy with fiery red hair called out mockingly across the room.
—Brown.
Another short-haired, muscular teen followed with a sneer, his voice dripping with sarcasm:
"Isn't that our former young master? What, still haven't awakened yet? Tell you what—get on your knees and call me 'grandpa,' and I'll take you into a dungeon to farm some XP!"
A burst of laughter erupted around them.
They were infamous throughout the Fifth Division—Brown and Leon, the school bullies.
They weren't even native students of the Fifth Division; they had been "air-dropped" in from Second Division. Their backgrounds remained a mystery, but their arrogance was unmatched. Even teachers gave them a wide berth.
In his past life, Alex had been puzzled by their sudden hostility—
Until he later uncovered the truth:
These two weren't random troublemakers.
They had been secretly planted by Manfred, with one purpose—to humiliate him.
Now reborn, Alex met their taunts with a face as calm as still water.
Only a glimmer of cold, abyssal light flashed through his eyes.
"What is it you're short on—dungeon teammates? Or someone to teach you a lesson in humility?"
Gregory's eyes blazed with fury. His sleeves were already rolled up to the elbows.
"You dare disrespect my brother? If I don't rip your mouths to shreds, I'm not a Gregory!"
His massive frame loomed like a mountain, and the two bullies immediately paled.
Even though they were already Level 5 Novices, Gregory—now awakened and overflowing with violent potential—was not someone they wanted to fight.
"Heh... You better watch yourself," Brown sneered, forcing a grin. "If you lay a finger on us, don't blame us for striking back."
The air in the classroom grew thick with tension, every breath weighted with pressure. A fight was about to erupt.
But just then—a voice, sharp and icy as frost, cut through the air from the doorway:
"—Are you done making noise?"
A sudden, crushing wave of psionic might swept across the room like a mountain descending.
In an instant, silence fell.
Even Brown and Leon immediately slunk back to their seats, their faces composed like proper students.
Every head turned toward the door—
There stood a woman, twenty-five or twenty-six at most, clad in the deep-blue uniform of a high-ranking instructor.
Her fitted shirt, fastened with silver clasps, was impeccably neat. A pair of dark violet heels accentuated her long, elegant frame.
Her gaze was sharp, her expression cold as winter frost.
She was the homeroom instructor of Class 8, a high-ranking Godsmitter mentor—Janice.
[Level]: Godsmitter Class · Level 61
[Position]: Kunlun Tactical Alliance · Dispatched Instructor (Abyssal Academy Branch)
She was one of the youngest mentors in the entire Fifth Division—and also the Federation-appointed Special Examiner for the Entrance Trials.
"Anyone who disrupts class again," she said, her voice low and glacial, "will have their exam eligibility revoked and be publicly disciplined by the Tribunal of Order."
Every word struck like a hammer.
No one dared utter a sound.