Seeing that Song Jie had quieted down, Teacher Li left him alone and proceeded with the standard procedure of questioning and recording the Awakening results of Shen Xingyan and Chu Wei.
Shen Xingyan was about to state his profession. Although the Farmer profession caused him immense disappointment, he was ready to face reality head-on.
However, Chu Wei beat him to it, loudly announcing, "Teacher Li, I awakened the profession of an Elemental Fire Mage! Besides my strength and constitution, which are a little lacking, all my other stats are maxed out!"
As she said this, Chu Wei subtly glanced at Song Jie standing nearby and lightly shook her fist at him. In the early stages of the Awakening, mages, thanks to their ranged attacks, naturally had an advantage over warriors and other melee professions. Chu Wei's gesture was a clear threat aimed at Song Jie.
Hearing that Chu Wei had received the Mage profession, and a destructive Elemental Fire Mage at that, Song Jie immediately deflated. He began to regret his recent behavior, wondering how he could have been so reckless as to anger this "Miss." Given Chu Wei's well-off family background and her outstanding profession, she would surely develop much faster than him. Now, having provoked her, he risked getting a good beating in the future. The displeasure from Teacher Li's recent reprimand instantly vanished, and Song Jie discreetly began to retreat.
The other students standing at a distance, upon hearing about Chu Wei's profession and stats, couldn't hide their envy. Thinking of their own professions, they could only smile bitterly.
Teacher Li, hearing this, nodded approvingly. An Elemental Fire Mage was considered an elite profession in their school. With such a result, their graduating class certainly wouldn't be the worst and would be on par with previous ones.
"And what about your talent?" Teacher Li asked in a softer tone, smiling as he looked at the energetic girl in red.
A teacher's love for good students is an ancient tradition, and Teacher Li was no exception.
"Fire Mastery, increases the power of fire spells by 20%," Chu Wei replied.
Hearing the answer, Teacher Li hastily wrote it down. Such a talent was to be expected, as talents usually corresponded with the profession, and this one was a perfect match for an Elemental Fire Mage.
However, after this, Chu Wei leaned toward the teacher and quietly requested, "Teacher Li, could you record Shen Xingyan's profession information separately? He… please."
As she spoke, Chu Wei, unnoticed by others, put her palms together in a pleading gesture, looking at the teacher with a beseeching expression.
Hearing the request, Teacher Li involuntarily looked at Shen Xingyan, frowning. He seemed to have guessed something but hesitated about whether to speak. Glancing at Chu Wei, who had already awakened the Mage profession, the teacher finally sighed and nodded slightly.
Chu Wei's behavior indicated that Shen Xingyan had likely awakened an even more mundane lifestyle profession than a blacksmith. If so, out of respect for the youth's feelings, it was indeed best not to ask about it publicly.
Seeing that the teacher had agreed, Chu Wei turned to Shen Xingyan and winked playfully. Shen Xingyan could only smile helplessly, saying nothing, but understanding his classmate's kind intentions.
By this time, he had fully come to terms with reality. Since fate had determined he would be a farmer, he would have to follow this path—there was no other choice. In the moment of the Awakening, it was as if he had matured several years. Already precocious due to family responsibilities, he now became even more so and no longer cared as much about what others thought.
On the way, Shen Xingyan reflected: past achievements, no matter how brilliant, were in the past. He had to look forward. Live his life, take care of his sister, try to save up for old age, to exchange for stat points and step outside the base. Do everything he could to fulfill his cherished wish on the battlefield—to destroy the Catastrophes.
The group waited a while longer until everyone from the Northern District had gathered, and only then did they start their journey back.
With the advent of the Primal Energy era, old vehicles had gradually fallen into disuse, replaced by new machines running on Primal Energy. People who had awakened the Blacksmith profession could use their skills to upgrade old technology, significantly improving its characteristics. High-level masters could create new machines, and professional bonuses increased the chances of success. Even small inventions often significantly improved the daily lives of the base's residents.
In peacetime, the Blacksmith profession would likely have been one of the most in-demand, second only to combat specialties. But in an era dominated by battles, the role of blacksmiths, while important, was limited. Only high-level masters capable of creating items effective against the Catastrophes were truly valuable, while beginners were of little use.
In the modernized vehicle returning to the Northern District, Teacher Li specifically sat next to Shen Xingyan and Chu Wei. In a quiet voice audible only to the two of them, he asked Shen Xingyan about his profession and wrote down the answer—this information had to be passed on to the school.
Shen Xingyan answered the teacher's question honestly. As he said the words "Farmer profession," his voice was calm, showing that he had fully reconciled himself to his fate.
Hearing the answer, Teacher Li thought, "Indeed, Shen Xingyan's profession is hard to accept. What a shame that all those years of the boy's hard work went to waste!" Although he felt great regret, as a teacher, there was nothing he could do. Unlike past exams, where you could retake a failed one, the Awakening was an irreversible process.
Teacher Li gave Shen Xingyan an encouraging pat on the shoulder and put away his notepad. According to the rules, no additional information about lifestyle professions needed to be recorded—partially out of respect for the children's feelings and partially because these professions didn't require special attention or development.
Teacher Li thought of other diligent students: some got lucky, awakening promising professions and finding their place in this world. Others, like Shen Xingyan, received lifestyle professions and were swallowed by the crowd. It made him reflect on the terrifying power of fate over people's lives.