The plaza of Sun City Academy was so quiet that even the flutter of banners overhead sounded loud.
Thousands of students stared at the stage.
At the center of it all stood Xavier—calm, composed, completely still.
The Awakening Crystal before him continued to pulse faintly, its glow neither exploding outward nor fading away. It simply… lingered.
Seconds passed.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
Uneasy murmurs spread through the crowd like ripples across water.
"Why is it taking so long?"
"Did the crystal malfunction?"
"Is this… some kind of special awakening?"
Even Principal Edmund frowned slightly.
Yet Xavier showed no signs of panic.
No clenched fists.
No uneven breathing.
So it's one of those, he thought calmly. An awakening that needs time to decide.
He had read about such cases in ancient archives—rare awakenings where the crystal hesitated, as if weighing countless possibilities.
Xavier stood straight, black hair reflecting the sunlight, dark eyes unwavering.
He trusted himself.
Suddenly—
The Awakening Crystal stabilized.
A soft silver glow spread outward. Cool. Restrained. Lacking the overwhelming brilliance of a Legendary awakening.
The principal straightened.
The runes formed slowly, far more subdued than any seen before.
"Class awakened…" the principal announced, his tone neutral, "…Mentalist."
A brief pause.
"…Rare Profession."
Silence followed.
Then—
"What?"
"That's it?"
"A Mentalist?"
The reaction was immediate—and merciless.
Mentalist.
A rare profession, yes—but infamous for its awkward position.
It lacked the raw destructive power of combat classes.
It lacked the reliability and consistency of support classes.
Weak attacks.
Unstable buffs.
Crippling mental strain.
A profession many considered… incomplete.
Disappointment spread visibly across the plaza.
Journalists lowered their cameras.
Some teachers sighed.
The principal's expression softened, but he said nothing further.
Laughter broke out from one corner.
"Pfft—top student gets that?"
"What a waste of looks."
"Mentalist? Isn't that the class that collapses after a few skills?"
Most of the mocking voices belonged to boys.
Jealous ones.
Those who had lived beneath Xavier's shadow for years.
Aditya Roy scoffed openly, folding his arms.
"So that's it?" he sneered. "I expected more."
Madison Caldera narrowed her eyes.
She didn't laugh.
But a flicker of disappointment still crossed her face.
The girls reacted differently.
Some gasped softly.
"That's… unfortunate."
"He must feel terrible…"
"Even so… he's still amazing."
A few exchanged meaningful glances.
Mentalist might not be powerful.
But it was rare.
And more importantly—
Xavier himself was rare.
More than a few girls began quietly calculating.
A genius Mentalist with those looks…
If we support him early…
Some even smiled faintly.
Who would be foolish enough to completely overlook a man like him?
Xavier stepped back from the crystal.
He bowed politely to the principal.
His face showed no anger.
No disappointment.
No bitterness.
If anything—he looked… certain.
So this is what fate shows the world, he thought calmly. Very well.
The ceremony continued, but the atmosphere never fully recovered.
By the time the final student awakened, exhaustion hung thick in the air.
Principal Edmund returned to the podium.
"Students," he said evenly, "today you have witnessed the diversity of paths before you."
His gaze lingered briefly on Xavier.
"One month from now, the Unified University Examination will begin."
A murmur swept through the crowd.
"That exam will determine your placements, rankings, and resources."
He raised a finger.
"Train hard. Level up. Do not allow today to define your ceiling."
His voice softened.
"Even a poor awakening can shine with effort."
The ceremony ended with scattered applause.
And just like that—
Sun City Academy's Awakening Day came to a close.
---
Each student received a standard starter Skill Book.
Xavier accepted his without comment.
He packed his belongings quietly.
No dramatic exits.
No confrontations.
As the campus gradually emptied, he walked alone toward the academy gates.
The sun was beginning to set, casting the streets of Sun City in warm golden light.
Xavier lived in a small rented apartment on the outskirts of the city.
Nothing luxurious.
Just clean. Quiet. Affordable.
He hailed a taxi and leaned back against the seat as city lights blurred past the window.
Number one, he thought calmly. I'll still be number one.
He felt no sadness.
No regret.
Only certainty.
The apartment door closed behind him with a soft click.
The moment Xavier stepped inside—
Pain exploded through his body.
A searing shock surged from his spine to his skull.
His vision blurred violently.
His legs gave out.
Xavier collapsed onto the floor.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Muscles spasmed.
Nerves screamed.
"—!" He tried to gasp, but no sound came out.
What he did not see—
A golden screen flickering erratically before his eyes.
Lines of distorted text struggled to form.
[Hidden Requirement Met]
[Condition: Exceptional Mental Strength — Confirmed]
The screen glitched.
Golden light surged.
[Awaken…]
[Awaken…]
Xavier's consciousness began to slip.
The screen flickered harder, as if something ancient was forcing its way into reality.
And then—
Everything went dark.