"The Lord of the Dead arrives, treading upon bones!"
"To look down upon the masses,wielding life and death from the thrones."
"..."
Morintis rubbed his temples,awaked from his daze. He was standing in the school's spacious hall.
The hall was large enough to hold two to three thousand people. He was in his class's line, surrounded by motivational slogans.
"How many times in life can one strive? If not today, then when?"
"Today's hardship is for the happiness of a successful class change!"
"..."
In the middle of the hall, workers from the Class-Change Office were setting up a magic circle.
Morintis had lived in this world for eighteen years. He knew all about this.
This may be a world where games and real life became one. When people turned eighteen, they took part in the Awakening Ceremony to get their class.
What class you got was all about luck. There were three types: Combat, Support, and Life.
Combat classes were the most respected. Life classes were what most people got.
Once you had a class, you could go into dungeons, find secret places, fight monsters for treasure, and become famous on the battlefield. You could earn great honor.
In this world, the strong were respected. The best way to see someone's strength was their Level. Higher level meant stronger skills and more power.
You earned experience by killing monsters in dungeons, secret realms, or on the battlefield. This helped you level up.
A̶f̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶x̶e̶d̶,̶ the land outside the cities was filled with countless dangerous beasts and monsters.
Humans fought hard against these monsters, trying to get stronger and claim more living space.
Now fully awake, Morintis and his classmates watched the magic circle. Today would decide their future.
He was in Cloud City High School, in the Divine Dragon Empire.
This year, more than three hundred students were old enough for their class change. All of them were in the hall today.
"Students, today is a very important day for you. I hope you can all stay calm."
"Your teachers have told you the rules many times. I hope you all get a good class!"
After a short speech from Principal Cheng, the ceremony began.
Looking at his classmates, Morintis felt serious. Their faces showed many different feelings.
He had top grades in school, but your class wasn't based on grades. It is likely random. The low chance of getting a Combat class made everyone nervous.
Even if he didn't get a Combat class, a strong Support class would be okay.
Some Support classes were very important for groups exploring dungeons.
And Life classes weren't all bad. The best Life class users could even change a whole city's economy...
"The magic circle is ready. Please get ready to begin!" a friendly voice said over the speaker.
All the students felt a jolt of nerves.
The teachers helped organize the classes into a line for the ceremony.
Morintis stood in line, wondering what class he would get.
In the past, students with good grades often got Life classes.
Sometimes, students who failed tests got strong Combat classes...
A worker from the Class-Change Office stood by the circle. He had a list of names and started calling them.
"John!"
The boy named John walked out of the line, looking nervous. He stepped into the magic circle.
With a low sound, a soft light glowed around John.
"Class change successful! Life Class: Chef!"
Hearing this, John's face turned white. He knew it might happen, but it still felt bad...
"Look at John's face! He really became a chef!"
"No surprise. His family runs a food stall. Now he can help the family business..."
Principal Cheng watched as student after student got their class—all Life classes so far. He looked a little disappointed.
He walked over to the woman from the Class-Change Office who was watching the ceremony. She had a strong presence.
"Madam Evelyn, thank you for your hard work today."
Madam Evelyn gave a small nod.
Every year, the Class-Change Office sent someone important to watch the ceremonies.
Morintis looked at Madam Evelyn . He could see her information clearly.
«Name: Evelyn Greenwood»
«Level: 55»
«Class: Master Talisman Artist»
After reading this, Morintis felt a flicker of surprise.
Evelyn Greenwood was actually a Master Talisman Artist. Her level was quite high at 55.
Talisman Masters were a very rare Support class.
Their role in team battles, dungeons, and secret realms could be terrifying.
Often, a single talisman imbued with mystical power could slay an enemy commander from a hundred meters away.
In Morintis's class line, a pretty girl with a ponytail was staring at Evelyn. Her eyes were full of respect and hope.
It was Sophia, the school belle of Cloud High School, whose grades were always on par with Morintis.
"Looking at Sophia?" A grinning chubby face suddenly appeared beside him.
It was Leo, Morintis's closest friend in class.
"Morintis, worried the school belle will surpass you? Heh, relax! The class change is too unpredictable."
"But a man needs dreams. What's the difference between a man without a dream and a salted fish?"
"Like me, my dream today is to become a Knight. Strength doesn't matter; being cool is what lasts a lifetime."
After saying this, Leo stared fixedly towards the classes with more girls, his longing obvious.
Cloud High School had once produced a legend named Arthur, who obtained the rare class, Divine Retribution Knight.
He was now nearing Level 90 and was the pride of the entire school, even the province. He was also Leo's idol!
But the chance of getting a Combat class was extremely low, reserved for the peak of the pyramid.
Morintis wasn't very talkative and didn't have many friends in class. Leo was the only one he really spoke with. This gave other students the impression that he was aloof and arrogant.
"Hmph, what use are good grades? The class change doesn't care about grades."
"Right? He might just become a chef in a moment!"