The glow of the Awakening Beam faded from Oscar Everett's body as he slowly opened his eyes.
The world around him returned to color — marble floors, hovering sigils, and dozens of other students standing within their own circles of light. The Hall of Awakening shimmered faintly, its atmosphere filled with quiet awe and restrained excitement.
Not far away, a middle-aged man in a silver-trimmed coat stood observing the students. A faint glint of white light flashed across his pupils — a probe from the Divine Nexus itself.
In an instant, Oscar's stats appeared in his view.
> [Name: Oscar Everett]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 100%]
[Strength: 12] [Agility: 13]
[Physique: 11] [Spirit: 23]
The man's brows arched slightly.
Impressive…
Strength, agility, and physique above the standard ten points were expected — Oscar's file already noted his habit of daily physical training. But that spirit value of twenty-three…
That was something else entirely.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. For a moment, he was reminded of his own youth — and a certain classmate. That man, once an unassuming troublemaker, had awakened with absurd stats and an even stranger talent. Within decades, he rose through the ranks faster than anyone had thought possible. Now, he guarded an entire world as a demigod.
Maybe this kid will be another one of those monsters…
The thought warmed him, and when Oscar looked up, he found the man smiling kindly at him.
Oscar blinked, a little startled. Why is the teacher looking at me like that? Did something happen to my stats?
That man was Yuno Starlet, the homeroom teacher of Divine Nexus Academy's second-year Class B — and by student legend, one of the strictest yet most respected mentors on campus.
When the last student's awakening beam dimmed, Yuno raised a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat lightly.
"Cough."
It was barely audible — yet the entire hall fell silent at once. The chatter of fifty-two newly awakened students died instantly. Excitement dimmed into attentive stillness.
Yuno nodded with satisfaction. "I understand your excitement. I was your age once too. But the Awakening Hall must remain quiet for the next group of students. So—" He pointed toward the glowing archway at the far end. "Line up according to your student numbers. We'll head to the Transfer Hall."
He swept his gaze across the class. "I've reminded you for a month, but I'll say it once more: choose your basic profession carefully. This decision will shape your entire future. Yes, you can change it later… but I don't think I need to remind you how expensive a Transfer Scroll is, do I?"
Fifty-two voices answered in unison:
> "No need!"
A faint chuckle escaped Yuno. "Good. Then let's move."
As they marched toward the Transfer Hall, Oscar's mind wandered briefly.
In this world, the old Earth currencies had long collapsed. Only the Divine Nexus' own currency — Copper, Silver, and Gold Divine Coins — held value.
1 Divine Nexus gold coin = 100 Divine Nexus silver coin = 10,000 Divine Nexus copper coin
One copper coin roughly equaled a single U.S. dollar from his previous life. That made even the cheapest Transfer Scroll — priced at 10,000 gold coins — a distant dream for ordinary people.
In other words, if you made the wrong choice today, you'd better have a small fortune ready to fix it.
Oscar couldn't help smirking faintly. No wonder everyone's suddenly so serious.
By the time their class arrived, the previous group was just leaving. Under the supervision of another teacher, they were being escorted toward the distant Mystic Tower, where freshly awakened students would soon face monsters in a sealed small world — their first true battle.
Oscar felt his pulse quicken.
The path of every senior began with these three sacred steps:
Awakening Hall → Transfer Hall → Mystic Tower.
Activate.
Choose.
Fight.
Now, it was his turn.
Yuno gave the signal. "Begin your transfer process."
Oscar drew a slow breath and focused his mind.
> [Detected: No basic profession chosen. Would you like to begin career selection?]
"Yes."
[Available Professions Detected —]
Martial Path: Warrior, Assassin, Archer
Spiritual Path: Mage, Priest, Mentor
Mechanic Path: Gunner, Engineer, Weapon Specialist
A dozen glowing icons appeared before his eyes — holographic representations of each path.
Oscar studied them silently.
Before awakening, he'd planned to choose a profession purely based on personality and interest. But now, with his Hundredfold Amplification, that logic felt almost unnecessary. With a talent that multiplied everything he gained a hundred times… even a trash-tier class could become divine in his hands.
Still, practicality mattered.
The Mechanic Path was the first to go. He had been hopeless with machines in both lives; the idea of building weapons made him shudder.
Next, he excluded the Martial Path. Warriors and assassins thrived in close combat — and Oscar had no intention of letting monsters punch him in the face for experience. Even archers, while ranged, didn't align with his temperament.
That left only the Spiritual Path — Mage, Priest, and Mentor.
Mage.
The classic spellcaster — master of elemental and arcane forces. Whether one wielded fire and lightning or studied the deeper mysteries of the world, Mages shaped reality through sheer intellect and will.
Priest.
The conduit of divine power. By reciting the tales of ancient gods, Priests called forth miracles — healing allies, smiting enemies, and channeling holy blessings.
Mentor.
The purest form of mental cultivation. Mentors honed the mind and spirit beyond mortal limits. Some created illusions indistinguishable from reality; others could crush planets with a single thought. Their early growth was slow — but their late potential was limitless.
Oscar weighed the options carefully.
Mages wielded power. Priests wielded faith. But Mentors… wielded themselves.
They turned thought into weapon, will into reality.
And if there was one thing Oscar trusted more than gods or elements, it was his own mind.
He closed his eyes.
> "In the Divine Nexus," he said softly, "I choose the Spiritual Master — the path of the Mage."
A resonant chime echoed in the hall. The air around him trembled faintly as his soul linked fully to the Nexus system.
> [Profession Confirmed — Spiritual Master.]
[Initialization complete. Skill inheritance pending...]
Oscar opened his eyes, and in the reflection of the Divine Nexus' light, his irises glowed faintly — a calm blue fire burning within.
The first step… is complete.