"I'd kill for something wet right now."
Lukas said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The sun beamed down upon them from the sky, and there was not even a single cloud to protect them from it.
"Like an ice cream," he added to no one in particular.
The boy standing next to him glanced his way but said nothing.
Nobody around him was really talking. They all had other things on their minds as they stared at the empty podium at the centre of the field.
Today was the awakening day, an annual event in which every youth who had turned eighteen years old would be given the chance to awaken their [Class].
It was the single most important moment in a young person's life.
This was the moment that decided whether one would become a Climber, one of the warriors who fought monsters and scaled the tower, or an ordinary citizen with a support role.
Lukas had been standing in the heat for over an hour, but the host of the ceremony still hadn't arrived.
His mind went back to two weeks ago, when he'd transmigrated into this world, in the body of a young orphan named Lukas Valentine who had passed away in his sleep.
At first, Lukas had panicked, especially when he had examined his new memories and found out that he was an ordinary fellow in a world with magic and monsters.
Then the panic had been replaced with excitement as he realized he would have the chance to also awaken a powerful class, and become a renowned climber.
Finally, he'd checked his appearance, his jaw dropping at what he saw. The young man in the mirror was nothing like the tired, average looking man he used to be.
Now, he was 6 feet tall, with a lean build but broad shoulders. He had flowing white hair, and softly glowing red eyes. Complementing the look were his high cheekbones and a straight nose which made him look like he belonged on the cover of a magazine.
Back on earth, he had lived a miserable life as a nobody, bogged down by work and debts. But here, he had a chance to grow past that. To become one of the top 1% as long as he worked hard.
But it all depends on the [Class] he awakens today. If he got a trash class, then his chances would drop dramatically, especially if it was a non-combatant class.
So he clasped his hands together in front of him, and slightly bowed his head downwards, his eyes closed.
"Whatever gods exist in this world, I pray to you, I'm a transmigrator. I didn't ask to be here, but I'm here now. All I'm asking for is just one cheat. Just a single one and I'll be satisfied. Thank you in advance."
"Is that Lukas the rat?" A voice filled with amusement reached his ears.
Lukas looked up to see one of the faces he'd come to hate in his two short weeks here, walking towards him.
Kylo Rivers moved through the gathered youths like he owned the road, his blonde hair shining from whatever hair product he had used.
He was just as tall as Lukas and well built, dressed in clothes that cost more than Lukas' yearly expenses.
Like all elves, he had pointed ears, while his piercing green eyes held a familiar look of contempt.
"Praying for a powerful class, I presume?" Kylo mocked. "I don't know why rats like you even bother. No matter what you do or how hard you try, you can't escape your fate to be trash."
His followers laughed behind him as if he had made a funny joke.
From the new memories he had, Lukas could see that the problem between Kylo and him had started at the beginning of the academy year, when some students had made a ranking of the most handsome men in their grade, and both of them had taken joint first place.
Kylo came from a wealthy elven merchant family, and all his life, he had been told that he was exceptional. That he was better looking and better bred than anyone around him. Especially humans.
So, the idea that an ordinary, penniless human orphan could sit in the same ranking as him had been some kind of insult to him.
Which was why he never missed a chance to belittle Lukas whenever the opportunity presented itself.
"Fuck off, Kylo." Lukas spat, glaring at him.
The smirk on Kylo's face immediately disappeared, replaced by a glare. "What did you just say?"
"I said fuck off." Lukas repeated. "You heard me the first time."
Kylo walked closer, his eyes burning. He looked as if he was about to attack Lukas.
Lukas was ready, his hands balled into fists. Maybe today, he would finally be able to punch that annoying face to a pulp.
Then there was a commotion from the front of the crowd as the ceremony's host finally arrived, climbing the podium.
"Thank your lucky stars." Kylo spat. "Let's see if you can awaken something good and surpass your trash existence."
With that, he walked away, his followers trailing behind him.
Lukas watched them go, before shaking his head and turning to the podium.
"Welcome, youths of Havenhart, to the three hundred and twenty first Awakening ceremony!" The host announced, eliciting a loud cheer from the gathered youths.
After an hour of standing in the heat, everyone was ready for this.
"You have all come of age, and today you would be given the chance to awaken. Some of you will awaken combat [Classes] and go on to become Climbers. Others would awaken non-combat [Classes], but will also become just as useful to society."
"Whichever way the dice may fall, I want you all to know of your importance to our great city." He inclined his head towards them. "Thank you in advance."
And with that, he waved his hand, a pale colored pillar appearing out of thin air to appear on the podium.
The youths in attendance couldn't help but cheer at the sight. The man had to be a [Space Mage] to conjure the pillar like that.
"When your name is called, you will step onto the podium, and place your hand upon the pillar. This will awaken your [Class]."
And with that, he retrieved a list from his pockets and began reading.
"Mary Magdalene."
A shy looking woman walked onto the podium, then tentatively placed her hand on the pillar. In the next second, the blue image of a sword in the shape of a cross appeared above her head.
"[Paladin]."
The girl almost collapsed in relief. She'd awakened a strong combat class, which would help her become a powerful Climber.
She walked down the stairs with a wide grin, accompanied by the claps from the audience. With her new class, many would soon approach her, including the guilds who ruled around here. Her future was all but assured.
The next name was called, and a young man climbed the podium, placing his hand on the pillar. A red image of a cross appeared above his head.
"[Medic]"
This time, the applause was less enthusiastic. While the [Medic] class would give him a relatively comfortable life, it was nowhere near as powerful as the [Healer] class.
While the [Healer] class could directly heal injuries and ailments, the [Medic] class had skills that let it slow bleeding, preserve injuries or increase the rate of natural healing.
One was direct, and one of the most sought after classes by the guilds, and the other was indirect. But that didn't mean he still wouldn't receive offers.
The ceremony continued, and names were called. Several classes were granted, each receiving varying amounts of applause.
There was a [Scout], a [Merchant], another [Paladin], a [Blacksmith], a [Cook], and even a rare [Elementalist].
Lukas watched as each youth received their class, praying for one cheat. Just one.
And before long, the name he had been waiting for was finally called.
"Lukas Valentine."