Chapter 1: 10 Heroines, 9 School Belles, Either Ice Element or Sparks
Chapter 1: Chapter 1: 10 Heroines, 9 School Belles, Either Ice Element or Sparks
Qingzhou City First High School.
"Student, where are you poking? Aim properly before you stick it in, okay?"
On the school’s athletic field, a teacher with a curvy figure steadied a machine with both hands and spoke with some impatience.
"I’m sorry, Teacher. I... It’s my first time."
Beside her was a chubby student in a school uniform, who was now scratching his head in embarrassment.
The teacher just nodded.
’She was speechless. It was everyone else’s first time, too.’
’She had done this sort of thing with many students who were also first-timers.’
’But the others had all aimed correctly on their first try.’
’This one in front of her was the clumsiest she’d ever had.’
However, the Awakening ritual had to continue, so she could only say patiently, "Student, let me say it again. Just insert your finger into this hole. You don’t have to do anything else, just wait for the result."
"I... I understand, Teacher."
Perhaps because he was nervous, the chubby student’s hand was shaking violently.
With great difficulty, he finally aimed for the hole on the machine and stuck his finger in.
[BEEP! Verification successful. Name: Luo Xing. Gender: Male. Senior Class 7. Eligible for the Awakening ritual.]
As Luo Xing’s finger entered the machine, it emitted a sound.
Only then did the teacher nod slightly. "Go on into the Array."
This was one step of the Awakening ritual: identity confirmation.
The glowing Array behind them was the true Awakening Array.
Luo Xing walked into the Array, and a burst of light enveloped him.
Among the people waiting in line below, a young man was watching this scene with curiosity.
The young man was tall and slender, with delicate features, deep black eyes, and a face with sharp, distinct lines that still retained a hint of softness.
The young man’s name was Fang Xiu.
He was also one of the students undergoing their Awakening today.
Unlike the others, who were all more or less nervous, Fang Xiu’s face showed only anticipation.
That’s right. He had been looking forward to this moment for five years.
Ever since he transmigrated to this world, Fang Xiu had been filled with curiosity about it.
Because in this world... there were Demon Beasts.
About three hundred years ago, portals to other worlds began to appear across the globe.
From these things, later called "Gates," a never-ending stream of Demon Beasts emerged.
After an initial period of chaos and slaughter, people known as the Awakened began to appear among humanity.
Relying on the Talents they gained through their Awakening, they hunted Demon Beasts and sealed, destroyed, or closed countless Gates.
Through continuous exploration, they discovered that by connecting an Array to one of these Gates, they could induce an Awakening in people.
Of course, this was also the key to distinguishing between the Awakened and ordinary people.
And the age of eighteen was the optimal time for this Awakening.
When he first transmigrated, he found himself an orphan, his parents both dead.
In a novel, this was a textbook protagonist’s life.
A standard Hell-mode beginning.
Unfortunately, in the five years since, no so-called "system" or cheat had appeared.
’Just as I thought, novels are all lies.’
Fortunately, in this world, even ordinary people had a chance to rise up.
As long as he could awaken a Talent today, he would have the chance to become a true powerhouse.
As the light faded, Luo Xing walked out of the Array.
"A... A... Level A Awakened Talent, Archer!"
The teacher at the side stared at the display on the machine and spoke in disbelief.
’This chubby kid who couldn’t even aim straight actually awakened an Archer’s Talent.’
’And it was even Level A.’
"Hahaha..."
Just then, a laugh that made you want to punch someone echoed from the Awakening Array.
Then, the figure of the chubby student emerged. "I’m an Archer! A Combat System Talent, and a Level A! We’ll see who dares to look down on me now!"
As he spoke, he mimed drawing a bow with both hands. "SWOOSH!"
He looked incredibly smug.
"Wow, he’s so hot!"
"How did I never notice how charming he was before?"
"There was a hottie like him in our school? If I’d known, I would’ve made a move on him sooner!"
"Didn’t you say you don’t like chubby guys?"
"I don’t like chubby guys with no power!"
Quite a few girls began to whisper amongst themselves.
The once plain and unremarkable Luo Xing had suddenly become a hot commodity.
Many of the girls who had awakened F or E Level Talents, or who had failed to Awaken at all, started giving him flirtatious looks.
Level A.
In any given year at the school, you could count the number of times one appeared on a single hand.
What’s more, he was an Archer from the Combat System.
It was safe to say that Luo Xing had, in an instant, become someone others could only look up to.
Just then, the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped.
Though it was clearly June, snowflakes began to drift down.
Weather like this couldn’t possibly be natural.
Clearly, someone’s Awakening was causing a phenomenon.
And any Awakening powerful enough to cause such a phenomenon had to be Level S or higher.
"Who is it?"
Fang Xiu frowned slightly and glanced around.
He quickly found the source—the other Awakening Array.
The teacher in charge of that Awakening was frozen in shock.
"A natural phenomenon... It has to be at least S Level."
"Oh my god!"
"Who is that?"
"I just saw! It’s the school beauty!"
"Which one?"
"Chu Qingxue!"
There were two school beauties at this high school: one was wild and fiery, the other was cold and aloof.
The one Awakening now was the latter, the ice-queen beauty, Chu Qingxue.
’Out of ten female leads, nine are school beauties,’ Fang Xiu mused. ’And it’s always either the Ice Element or Fire.’
Fang Xiu watched the young woman as she walked out of the Awakening Array.
Her blue hair flowed in the wind, framing her delicate features and perfect figure.
She cast an indifferent gaze at her surroundings.
A glint of blue light flashed in her eyes.
"Chu Qingxue, Ice Mage, S Level!"
After a moment of shock, the teacher in charge of the Awakening quickly announced.
His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone on the athletic field heard it.
S Level.
And an Ice Mage from the Combat System, no less.
Watching this scene, the students who had yet to Awaken were all filled with excitement.
Fang Xiu was no exception.
At that moment, he reached the front of the line and stepped forward, ready to undergo his own Awakening.
"Excuse me, can I go first?"
Just as Fang Xiu was about to insert his finger, a female voice came from his side.
He turned his head and saw a girl in a revealing outfit standing next to him.
Fang Xiu recognized her. It was the school’s other beauty—Lu Yu’Er.
He hesitated for a moment but still nodded.
Soon, Lu Yu’Er walked into the Array.
The result came out quickly as well.
"Lu Yu’Er, Fire Mage, D Level."
The teacher in charge of the Awakening announced after looking at the data on the machine.
Everyone was stunned by this result.
The two school beauties had been competing, both openly and secretly, for three years. In this moment, a clear winner was finally decided.
Lu Yu’Er walked out of the Array, biting her lip tightly.
From the side, Fang Xiu could see that her eyes were welling up with tears.
Noticing Fang Xiu looking at her, she glared at him, her eyes filled with resentment.
It was as if she blamed Fang Xiu for all of this.
In response, Fang Xiu simply shook his head, verified his identity, and walked into the Awakening Array.
"Hm?"
After Fang Xiu stepped into the Awakening Array, his vision suddenly went black.
It was as if he were in a deep abyss, so dark he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.
’Is this the Awakening?’ he wondered, a little confused.
’Fang Xiu hadn’t been able to see what other people’s Awakenings were like, so he didn’t know if this was normal.’
Resigned, he could only stand there obediently inside the Awakening Array.
And at that very moment.
A crimson light emerged from the darkness before him.
It looked like a pair of eyes, glowing with a blood-red light and staring right at Fang Xiu.
As these eyes watched him, Fang Xiu discovered that he was suddenly unable to move.
[Ding! System loading complete!]
Just as Fang Xiu was paralyzed, a clear voice sounded in his mind!