Out of the original 8,000 participants, fewer than 3,000 students remained, still struggling to stand in the concentrated Reiki field.
The majority had successfully awakened, and above their heads floated glowing, illusory images—representations of their newfound professions.
Ram watched the scene with a mix of awe and envy.
In his past life, families would scrape together money to buy homes for their children, pooling resources from parents, grandparents, and extended family members.
In this world, families had similar priorities, but instead of houses, they focused on securing resources to help their children evolve faster—genetic potions, spiritual fruits, anything to give them an edge.
Ram felt a deep hope that his sister, Lisa, would successfully awaken today, as she stood among the remaining students, still in the middle of her ritual.
Awakening was simple in concept but difficult to achieve. It required being infused with pure Reiki, often delivered through droplets of spiritual essence from Geo-Spiritual Pools—highly concentrated liquid energy pools, believed to be formed by Reiki and Blue Star's core energy.
At first, these pools were rare and hard to find.
But with advances in technology, humans had found ways to cultivate spiritual plants, extract power from high-level monsters, and even brew genetic potions to harness pure Reiki more effectively.
As the minutes ticked by, Ram's attention was drawn back to his sister. Something had changed.
The Reiki around Lisa began to stir, moving as if responding to something within her.
Then, out of nowhere, multiple beastly images appeared around her—illusions of powerful creatures, signaling a successful awakening.
Legends said that the ability to awaken came from the Divine Spirit Tree, a mystical entity that appeared 400 years ago, marking the start of the extraordinary era.
The awakened would form an imaginary Professional Seed in their Soul Sea, where their spiritual consciousness resided.
Once this seed took root, it appeared to them as a professional panel, a system they could understand and use to grow stronger.
Lisa's eyes lit up with joy. After catching her breath and registering her details with the head teacher, she bolted towards Ram and Liam, a radiant smile on her face. "Brother, I did it!" she shouted, her excitement overflowing.
Ram's heart swelled with pride. He smiled warmly at his little sister, reaching out to ruffle her hair affectionately. "I knew you could do it," he said, his voice filled with genuine happiness. "Congratulations, Lisa!"
Curious, Ram activated his ability—his "Golden Finger"—to check Lisa's new stats. He watched as her panel appeared in front of him, revealing her transformation.
A new profession had emerged, and he discerned slight enhancements in both her physique and spirit.
[ Name: Lisa]
[ Age: 18/102]
[ Race: Human]
[ Profession: Tier 1 Beastmaster]
[ Physique: 1.73]
[ Spirit: 2.31]
[ Skills:
Monster Communication Lv 1
Monster Taming Lv 1
Monster Control Lv 1
Soothing Lv 1]
[ Talent: ????]
Her physique had improved by 1.17 points, and her spirit had risen by 0.5, breaking through the threshold that separated ordinary people from Tier-1 Awakeners.
Liam, standing nearby, couldn't hide his curiosity either. "Hey, little girl, what profession did you get?" he asked with genuine interest, his playful tone softening the moment.
Lisa pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm not a little girl anymore, stupid Liam. I'm an adult now!" she protested, though there was no real anger in her voice.
When Ram and Liam heard her words, they both laughed happily, their laughter echoing with the joy of the moment.
"Alright, don't be mad at Brother Liam," Ram said, gently soothing Lisa.
"After all, he helped you out a lot over the years. So, what's your new profession? I'll treat you to lunch, and you can tell us all about it." Even though he already knew through the attribute panel, he still inquired, simply to indulge her eagerness to show off in front of them both.
It had been like this between them since childhood, always teasing and occasionally bickering.
Lisa's expression softened at Ram's comforting words. She nodded hugging him closely, the anger dissipating as she felt his genuine care.
"Okay, fine. I forgive him, just for you," she said, giving Liam a playful glare before turning back to Ram. "My main profession is called Beast Master!" she exclaimed; her excitement evident in her voice.
As Ram listened, a smile spread across his face. "A Beast Master, huh? That's amazing, Lisa!" he exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "So, You'll be able to control monsters. Have you thought about what kind of pet you want first?"
The Beastmaster profession was considered rare, placing it a step above the more common roles many students ended up with.
Professions in this world were divided into four qualities: Ordinary, Rare, Hero, and Lord. The higher the quality, the stronger the profession's attributes and abilities.
A Rare Profession like Beastmaster would give Lisa significant advantages as she grew stronger.
However, it's important to note that these professions are not identical to the Hero and War Lord professions of the Eternal God Tree.
While the Divine Spirit Tree shares a trace origin with the Eternal God Tree, allowing it to have similar abilities.
The potential of Hero and Lord professions is significantly distant from that of the Eternal God Tree, existing on a completely different dimension altogether.
Unlike Monster Summoners, who summoned random creatures from different dimensions, Beastmasters bonded deeply with their pets.
Whenever one of their pets evolved, they would receive feedback, boosting their own growth.
This unique feedback loop allowed Beastmasters to build close, powerful relationships with their animals, growing stronger together.
This made their profession stand out—it wasn't just about controlling beasts but about nurturing and evolving alongside them.
"My head teacher told me not to choose a pet right away," Lisa explained thoughtfully. "He said that with my Rare Profession, top universities would be interested in me, and they could provide me with higher-level pets to choose from."
Ram nodded in agreement. Beastmasters had limits on how many pets they could take, so picking the right creatures with the best potential would be crucial to Lisa's future.
"Let's go tell Father and Mother the good news," Ram suggested. "Then we'll head to lunch. What are you craving?"
"Fire Chicken wings and grilled Chicken Thighs!" Lisa replied eagerly, her eyes lighting up at the thought of her favorite food.
Liam chuckled. "You and your Fire Chicken obsession," he teased, but Ram had already pulled out his Sky Drive, sending a message to their parents about Lisa's awakening.
He also looked up nearby restaurants, finding a spot that specialized in Fire Chicken dishes.
Before long, they arrived at a cozy restaurant with good reviews. It wasn't fancy, but it had the kind of hearty food they all loved. They ordered a variety of dishes and retreated to a private room, ready to celebrate Lisa's success.
Ram's family was small—just five members: his parents, his grandfather, Lisa, and himself. They weren't wealthy, but they lived comfortably, especially considering their prestigious lineage.
Liam, though not related by blood, was a childhood friend of Ram's. Both their fathers were leaders of a third-class mercenary group, commanding over 300 members, most of whom were Awakeners.
Ram's grandfather was a retired soldier, a war hero who had spent over 40 years fighting on the front lines against monster tides and other hostile races.
His mother, on the other hand, held a Life Profession, using her abilities to heal and protect.
As the meal was served, the three of them laughed and talked, their spirits high from the day's events. They shared stories, teased each other, and for a moment, all the worries of the future faded away.
Lisa's successful awakening was a reminder that even in a world filled with danger, there was always hope for something greater.