Quite a few parents had already brought their children to the academy gates, their faces filled with excitement and confidence.
The annual awakening ceremony was about to begin today.
This would be a moment that changed their fates. Talented students might soar to great heights, while those without talent would be relegated to ordinary lives, their futures perhaps already set in stone.
Li Chen stood silently by the window, his lips twitching and his eyes seemingly a little dim.
Su Zhe had been called away by his father, and now the classroom was empty. Perhaps everyone else was laughing and chatting with their families.
"Awakening?" Li Chen murmured. He sat down in his seat and said nothing more, thinking quietly.
Soon, people began trickling into the classroom. They were all students, laughing and chatting.
"Did you hear? A girl in the class next door awakened on her own yesterday, and it was a C-rank ability! I'm so jealous!"
"What's there to be jealous of? Isn't today awakening day? She was a few days early, but isn't it all just awakening? Whether we become dragons or worms depends on today."
"..."
Their words reached Li Chen's ears without stirring much of a reaction. Just as the student had said, after today, they would either be dragons or worms. They would either soar into the clouds and look down from on high at the ordinary people struggling through life, or become one of those ordinary people themselves.
Just then, a pleasant voice sounded beside Li Chen's ear. "Li Chen, you're here so early today. I thought you'd be late again."
A figure had walked up to him. She wore a black dress that fell past her calves, and her skin was as smooth and fair as cream. She did not seem fully grown yet, and her face still retained a trace of girlishness, but she was stunning all the same.
Li Chen's expression did not change. He even avoided her ardent gaze a little as he replied, "I am a little early today, but what does the eldest miss of the Canglan Family want with me?"
The girl smoothed her soft black hair with one hand. Her eyes were bright and dazzling as she smiled and said, "I awakened yesterday. I'll probably be going to the Imperial Capital Sequence Academy."
"Which academy will you go to?"
Li Chen raised his eyes slightly. He had actually noticed the faint aura above her head long ago, so he knew she had awakened even without her saying it. He also understood what she meant by coming over.
Li Chen said calmly, "You getting into the Imperial Capital Academy has nothing to do with me."
"I haven't awakened yet, and even if I do, I might not be able to get into the Imperial Capital Academy. This world values talent and strength. I understand that the gap between us is far too obvious."
"Give up..."
He naturally knew about the Imperial Capital Academy. Teacher Yu used it to motivate the students every day; at least in Li Chen's eyes, it was the best academy in the country.
The girl smiled faintly, her red lips curving upward. She did not mind. After fixing her brilliant gaze on Li Chen for a few seconds, she said, "It's all right. Even if you can't get in, wherever you go, I'll go too."
Li Chen fell silent...
He did not understand what sin he had committed. In other people's eyes, she might be a goddess high above them, but in his eyes, she might just be a passerby in his life. This world was deeply unequal, and he understood that he had none of those things: authority, influence, ability, or strength. Besides, he did not want to have much to do with love.
He also understood the gap between them. She was the little princess cherished in the palm of the Imperial Capital's Canglan Family, and she would one day take the helm of the family. There was nothing but a vast gulf between them, so Li Chen did not want to get involved with her in the slightest.
Li Chen turned to look at the bright sky outside the window.
She said nothing more either and quietly withdrew. A trace of crimson seemed to flash through her eyes, though, as she murmured, "You're mine."
Soon, the bell rang for class.
Su Zhe returned as well, though he now had a large bump on his head. Looking extremely excited, he whispered, "Chen-ge, I just heard some huge news. A special team from the Twelve Zodiac is coming to our academy to keep order today. Apparently, they're here to protect us and make sure we get through the awakening ceremony safely."
"The Twelve Zodiac?" Li Chen was somewhat shocked. He had not expected the incident in Magic City to have alerted even a special team. Could the cult really be planning to target the students, just as he had thought?
The Twelve Zodiac consisted of twelve squads, each made up of seven people. No matter which city they went to, they wore masks. If you saw strange people wearing masks of the twelve zodiac animals, please do not panic. They were heroes who protected humanity.
"Yeah! I heard it's the Chenlong Squad, the strongest of the Twelve Zodiac, that's coming. I was so excited when I heard!"
"The Chenlong Squad! The strongest squad in our country."
Su Zhe looked extremely excited, as though he was preparing to show off his abilities at the awakening ceremony later. Perhaps the Chenlong Squad would take a liking to him.
"The Chenlong Squad?" A trace of recollection seemed to flash through Li Chen's eyes, but he quickly came back to his senses. Perhaps they were just passing by the academy and would protect the students during their awakening while they were at it.
After all, special teams were busy with missions every day.
On second thought, it was unlikely they could spare the time to come keep order. Besides, it was only something Su Zhe had heard; whether they would come at all was another matter.
Tap, tap, tap~
Footsteps sounded, and the neatly dressed Teacher Yu walked into the classroom. He seemed particularly formal because today was awakening day. He had even changed into a new suit and put gel in his hair.
Who knew which female teacher he was going to flirt with?
The whole class fell quiet after he entered.
"Ahem... ahem..."
"I won't waste words. You should all have been notified today that the awakening ceremony will begin shortly. Whether you rise above others or become ordinary people, you'll have your answer soon."
"But I would rather you became ordinary people. At least then you wouldn't have to fight bloody battles against enemies or go to the border to guard the passes against the monsters in the Black Mist."
"Some of you may look up to those Sequence users high above everyone else, or awaken remarkable talents and find yourselves very well-paid jobs."
"Or perhaps become people who protect humanity's prosperity."
"But as for whether things will go as you wish, you should keep a level head. Whether the result is good or bad, it's all predestined. Don't let your ability affect your life or your state of mind."
He spoke very quickly, but everyone was used to it. Afterward, he waved for everyone to follow him out of the classroom.
The academy was large, and the group of students soon arrived at a circular soccer field that was already packed with people. Many parents were not allowed inside and could only wait outside.
Their line already stretched a long way back, because theirs was not the only class that needed to awaken. There were many other classes as well.
"Chen-ge, I'm so nervous!" Su Zhe's face was somewhat flushed, and his eyes held a little panic, but more than that, excitement.
Unlike him, Li Chen's expression had not changed, but his hands were already clenched. His life lay before him, and whether he would live a life of his own or spend his whole life simply getting by would depend on this.
In fact, the two of them were holding up quite well. A good number of classes that had already completed their awakenings were coming out through a back door to the side. Many of the students looked terrible, and quite a few even had tears in their eyes.
These were the students who had failed to awaken.
That was how this world was: cruel, but also very fair.
Su Zhe touched the bump on his head, which had yet to go down. Looking a little afraid, he said, "Chen-ge, you don't think I'll really awaken as a foodie, do you? I don't want another taste of my dad's loving iron fist."
Li Chen merely watched quietly as the line neared the entrance. He did not answer.