"Arin Vale! Wake up, or I swear I'll pour water down your pants."
The voice, sharp and half-amused, pierced through the mental fog clinging to Arin's thoughts. He blinked rapidly, as if the very act might push back the twin delusions merging in his mind. His vision split, worlds colliding—flashes of broken cities, mana storms raging, and an ocean of screaming dying stars, all overlaid on the mundane, humming classroom around him.
He looked up. Towering over his desk was Rei —his amber eyes, warm and restless, danced with mischief. A faint, almost imperceptible shimmer of elemental energy played around his fingertips, a common tell for those close to their Awakening.
"You seriously spaced again?" Rei asked, tapping the desk with a mana-dipped pencil. "Don't tell me you were dreaming about history class. Or were you trying to escape Awakening Day by entering a coma?"
Next to him stood Kaela, ever the contrast. She was calm and poised, her uniform perfectly arranged, and her long green hair tied into a single, neat braid that fell between her shoulder blades. She was flipping through an old physical book—one of the few still in print—titled Guardian Tactics: Aegis-Class Protocols. Her eyes met Arin's with mild concern, a brief, fleeting flicker of genuine worry.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice softer than Rei's, pitched only for him. "You look like you dreamed an entire war."
"I… maybe I did," Arin mumbled, blinking again. He glanced around. Students buzzed with a nervous kind of anticipation. Desks clicked shut, murmurs of speculation filled the air, and every other person in the room looked as if they'd downed a shot of raw mana just to contain themselves.
It was Awakening Day. Three years in the making, and now, at seventeen, Arin was about to discover whether he would be hailed as a prodigy—a new shield for humanity—or tossed aside as one of the 'Useless.' The term referred to those whose mana signatures were so weak or unstable that no elemental affinity or specialized class awakened within them. It was a polite term. The actual word students used was 'trash.'
But Arin's thoughts were elsewhere, caught in the echoes of a life that wasn't supposed to be his. He remembered a different Earth—an older one. Cities free of floating towers and crystal spires. Air untainted by mana storms. Forests that didn't whisper in ancient tongues. He knew military ranks from other timelines, ancient tactics for wars never fought, and even the name of a beast that hadn't existed in this world but which haunted his dreams: Aethronis, the Pulse-Eater.
Was this transmigration? The realization had settled in slowly over the last few days, a chilling certainty. Arin's body was not new. His family records matched. His childhood memories remained, solid and familiar. But buried beneath all of it were sharp, crystalline fragments of another existence—another full life—one that guided him like a second, older mind.
"Don't worry," Rei said, clapping him on the back, a rough but well-intentioned gesture. "Even if you awaken as a Trash-Tier Farmer, we'll still let you carry our bags. Someone's gotta haul all our S-Rank loot, right?"
"Gee, thanks," Arin muttered, a flicker of dry amusement in his eyes despite the storm within him.
The heavy doors at the front of the classroom hissed open. Master Helros entered, his black robes swirling with every step, imbued with a subtle, dark mana. The old man's obsidian staff echoed with weight as he walked, its tip glowing faintly with ancient sigils. Half his face bore deep, ritualistic scars, one eye a glowing silver orb, the other long since closed, a testament to battles only a few could imagine. His presence commanded instant silence, a palpable weight in the room.
"Attention," he barked, his voice deep and resonant, laced with the crackle of barely contained elemental force. "Time to proceed to the Hall of Wills. Lineup. Silent formation. This is a sacred rite."
Students straightened, breath held tight, their collective anxiety spiking. They exited the lecture dome, descending down floating walkways surrounded by streaming banners of light, high above the city. The city of Ark—short for Ark Fortress—stretched beneath them. A city born from hope and desperation, it was one of thirteen Ley Cities still holding against the chaos of the outer Wild Dominions, the vital sparks of humanity's survival.
The Hall of Wills came into view. It was not built by human hands; it had grown—a massive lotus of will-crystal suspended in air, born from Earth's Will itself. Its petals shifted in hue with every moment, shimmering with auroras and the deep, resonant pulse of Earth's ancient consciousness. It floated directly over the Will Core, the city's spiritual and defensive heart, and a vibrant ley line nexus.
Crowds had gathered outside the Hall, families, younger students, observers, reporters—all permitted to witness this crucial tri-annual event. A silent tension danced in the air, thick with the weight of expectation. All waited for miracles—or tragedies.
As Arin's class approached the grand entrance, voices rose from the crowd, hushed but eager.
"Isn't that the Frost Family's heir?"
"Yeah, Sean Frost. Guaranteed S-Class at minimum. His lineage is impeccable."
Arin turned, already knowing. Sean Frost was a vision of noble arrogance. Ice-white hair perfectly groomed, violet eyes glowing faintly with mana suppression, his uniform a custom variant stitched with House Frost's prestigious sigils. He moved with the confidence of someone who had never known fear, only privilege.
He stopped directly in front of Arin, looking him up and down with a condescending smirk.
"You," he said, loudly enough for those nearby to hear. "Still here? Thought the trash would've taken itself out by now. Or maybe the Academy finally started a 'Useless' class just for you."
Arin's silence was calm. Calculated. The turmoil of his dreams settled, replaced by a cold, clear focus.
Rei stepped immediately between them, a protective glint in his amber eyes. "Move along, junior popsicle. Some of us actually have a destiny to meet."
Sean didn't blink. His smirk widened. "Let's make it fun then, Rei. If this useless embarrassment awakens anything above A-Rank, I'll eat my sword. Anyone want to bet on the trash?"
His entourage chuckled. A few onlookers, influenced by Sean's confidence and Arin's reputation, laughed nervously.
Kaela muttered, her voice barely a whisper, "Ignore him, Arin. He thrives on drama. Your silence bothers him more than any retort."
"Enough," Master Helros growled, his voice cutting through the tension. A ripple of raw mana radiated from him, silencing the murmurs. "Inside. One by one. This is not a marketplace for your petty squabbles."
Inside, the Hall glowed brighter than the sun. The colossal Will Crystal stood in the centre, branching like luminous veins toward smaller pedestals where students would place their hands. Its presence hummed in their bones, vibrating with ancient memory, with undeniable judgment.
Each student stepped forward when their name was called. They placed their palm on the awakening pedestal. The Will reached into them, read their nature, their soul—and responded.
First was Mara Thesk. A burst of silver air erupted around her. "E-Rank Wind Sprinter!" came the resonant voice of the Hall. Cheers followed from her family's section.
Next, Juno Dalen. A wreath of crackling fire burst from her shoulders, shimmering against her dark uniform. "D-Rank Flame Dancer!"
Then came Rei. His body shone like sunlight trapped in crystal, pure and vibrant. Holy sigils danced on his skin as a blinding pillar of light erupted from the pedestal, engulfing him. "S-Rank Light Knight!" Cheers rang, thundering through the hall. A glowing longsword, forged of pure mana, formed in his outstretched hand, shimmering with noble power.
Rei turned to Arin, a triumphant, half-teasing grin on his face. "Beat that, useless."
Then came Kaela. She stepped up, eyes closed, one hand resting on her emerald braid, her posture radiating serene anticipation. The Will Crystal dimmed around her pedestal for a moment, as if assessing her deeply. Then it exploded in golden brilliance, a protective, shimmering aura. "SS-Rank Guardian!" The echo boomed through the hall, a voice of profound respect. A golden barrier taller than a man shimmered into solid form beside her, intricate mana patterns woven into its surface. Her eyes opened, calm as ever, reflecting the golden light.
Then came the one many had waited for, whispers preceding her like a cool breeze—Lira Vale. She was... different. Graceful. Reserved. Always alone, yet drawing eyes with an undeniable aura of power. Arin watched her step forward, her eyes distant, her presence strangely vast for a mere student. Though none knew it officially, whispers surrounded her: she was the only known descendant of one of the original Thirteen Strongest Guardians, those legendary SSS-Rank Pillars.
She pressed her hand against the crystal. The world went utterly silent. The light in the Hall flickered, dimmed, then returned erratically, as if the Crystal was struggling. Then, not a burst of light, but a silent, swirling mass of black and violet mist erupted around her body. Her outline blurred, her presence flickering at the edge of perception, like a star winking in and out of existence.
"SSS-Rank Void Assassin!" came the whisper, but the voice wasn't the Hall's automated system. It came, deep and resonant, from the Will Crystal itself, a rare and chilling acknowledgment. Lira stepped back silently, her expression unchanged. No smile. No thanks. Just a quiet nod to the watching crowd, her eyes holding an ancient, unsettling depth.
Arin swallowed hard, a dry click in his throat. He barely noticed the next few awakenings, the lower-ranked flashes of mana and the cries of joy or disappointment. His gaze was fixed on the Will Crystal, now faintly glowing with a residual violet shimmer where Lira had touched it.
And then—
"Arin Vale."
His feet moved before he consciously willed them, a phantom string pulling him forward. He ascended the pedestal, the murmurs from the crowd swelling, filled with doubt and pity. He placed his pale, trembling hand flat against the cold, pulsing surface of the Will Crystal.
Nothing.
The Crystal stayed dim, a dull, unresponsive monolith. The crowd's murmuring intensified, morphing from whispers to open jeers. "Is it broken?" someone snorted. "He's so useless he broke the crystal!"
Then—a quiet glow. Purple. Deep. Thoughtful. Not a grand explosion of light, but an internal, resonating hue that emanated from within the Crystal itself, seeping into Arin's hand.
The voice of the Hall, strained, announced: "A-Rank Class: Master Encyclo"
Silence again. Then, confused snorts. "What the hell is that? A walking book?" A wave of snickers spread through the students. "Trash-rank with a new name, more like!" another called out. "Maybe he can memorize our test answers, that's his superpower!"
A few teachers exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions suggesting they'd never seen such an Awakening. One, a stoic woman with a Mana Scythe sigil, stepped forward. "Please, Mr. Vale. Step away from the pedestal. Let the others proceed."
Arin stood silently, his eyes closed for a moment, processing the ridicule, the disappointment, the confusion. It was exactly as he expected, yet the sting was real.
Rei and Kaela, their initial confusion giving way to fierce loyalty, rushed to his side.
"You good?" Rei asked, his voice low, his arm reaching out to steady Arin, who swayed slightly. "Don't listen to them, Arin. It's... it's just different!"
"Arin, what happened?" Kaela's voice was tight with worry, her calm facade crumbling at the unexpected non-event. "It... it didn't even burst. But I felt something..."
As their comforting presence enveloped him, shielding him from the jeers, something profound shifted within Arin. The cacophony of his two Earths, the conflicting memories that had plagued him for weeks, suddenly, with a mental snap, merged into one cohesive whole. The fragments locked into place, forming a single, terrifyingly vast tapestry of existence within his mind. He was not just Arin Vale; he was Arin Vale, transmigrated, a being whose soul held the echoes of a parallel, mana-less world, now irrevocably bound to this one. The Master Encyclo, the Mind Vault, wasn't just a perfect memory; it was the ability to comprehend, integrate, and understand every piece of information, every memory, every reality he encountered, perceiving the underlying patterns and truths of all things.
And as that understanding solidified, a second, more profound wave of energy surged from the Crystal, not outwardly, but inwardly, into Arin's very core. A faint, shimmering outline of a new, complex sigil pulsed on the pedestal where his hand lay, invisible to all but him. This wasn't merely absorption; it was creation.
He was silent for a beat, eyes still closed. Then, the voice of the Crystal, which only he could hear, whispered: "Welcome, Arin, congratulations to Secondary awakening: SSS-Rank skill Craft"
Arin opened his eyes, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. The Will Crystal, which, though still dull to others, subtly vibrated with an immense, restrained power. He felt the vastness of the merged memories, the true potential of his Mind Vault, and the incredible, nascent power of SSS Rank Skill Craft, the ability to fashion new abilities from his sheer understanding and the raw mana around him, tailoring them precisely to any situation. He let those memories, the full scope of his transmigration, settle for now, a private knowledge for a more opportune moment.
"You good?" Rei asked again, concern heavy in his voice.
Arin blinked. "Never better."
Behind him, the Will Crystal pulsed faintly, a deep, knowing thrum. And somewhere in the deep Earth, something ancient stirred, a profound echo of recognition for its unique Host.