The next morning, Lucian Vale arrived at school early. He followed the homeroom teacher into the classroom, and soon, everyone submitted their application forms.
Standing at the front of the class with a stern expression, the teacher began flipping through the stack of papers, sorting them into two separate piles.
After a moment, he looked up.
"Everyone, I've reviewed your applications. I'm pleased to see that more than forty of you have chosen to participate in the awakening process. Let's give them a round of applause!"
Applause echoed through the classroom. Some students beamed with excitement, their faces flushed red—these were the ones who had submitted the form. Others, clearly less comfortable, looked away awkwardly—those were the ones who hadn't.
There were just over ninety students in Lucian Vale's class. With nearly half of them opting in, the participation rate was actually quite high.
"Alright, those of you who are taking part in the awakening, stand up and come with me. Everyone else, stay seated."
The teacher clapped his hands once and turned to leave.
Some students hesitated at the thought of parting, lingering in their seats for a few extra seconds, but ultimately rose to their feet and followed the teacher out of the room with firm steps.
Before long, under the teacher's guidance, the group arrived at a different classroom.
This would be their new classroom from now on—post-placement.
Here, Lucian Vale and the others would begin learning a new curriculum, geared specifically toward preparing them for the upcoming awakening.
Their new schedule now included a primary course titled Basic Knowledge of the Ethereal Plane, along with two secondary classes: Physical Conditioning and Wilderness Survival.
As for the students who stayed behind in the original class, those three subjects would be removed from their curriculum and replaced with more conventional electives.
…
Awakening—it was both simple and complex.
Simple, in the sense that once a student came into contact with the aura of the Ethereal Plane, infection would happen swiftly. The Ethereal Plane would then, of its own volition, open a rift in space and pull them in.
That was the simple part.
The complex part came right after.
The journey from Aurelia to the Ethereal Plane required passing through a dimensional corridor, a space riddled with chaos and uncertainty. Some people never made it out. They died in transit, torn apart by the unpredictable forces between worlds.
And arriving in the Ethereal Plane didn't guarantee safety either.
Everyone was teleported to a random location.
You might be lucky and land in a resource-rich region, surrounded by valuable materials and rare artifacts—a jackpot waiting to be claimed.
Or you might find yourself in a lethal danger zone, dropped right next to hostile Ethereal Plane creatures.
That usually meant instant death.
Some unlucky souls were even teleported into solid matter—into dirt, into rock, or worse, into the mouth of an active volcano.
Dead before they even knew what happened.
This randomness was one of the main reasons the Ethereal Plane had such a staggeringly high mortality rate.
That's why the purpose of their new coursework was simple: equip the students with just enough knowledge and survival skills to increase their chances of staying alive—however marginally.
Even though they were now being taught Ethereal Plane theory and survival tactics, there was only so much they could absorb in such a short time. What they learned would be broad and general, not specialized.
In addition to theoretical instruction, there was physical training—a critical component.
You didn't just visit the Ethereal Plane and return right away.
A typical person would need to survive there for at least three to seven days before they could reenter Aurelia.
Which meant staying alive during that time was absolutely essential.
Without strong physical fitness, your odds were slim. Assuming you didn't get dropped into a death trap on arrival, your next objective was simple: find shelter and protect your life.
And in the Ethereal Plane, that was no easy task.
It was home to countless lifeforms, many of which were vicious, cunning, or utterly alien.
There was a well-known saying in Aurelia:
"The most sadistic serial killer in Aurelia is still kinder than the gentlest elf in the Ethereal Plane."
In that world, death was often not the worst thing that could happen.
There were far worse fates.
For certain creatures in the Ethereal Plane, a soul was nothing more than a plaything—something to break and remake at will. They could inflict torment upon body and spirit in ways that defied imagination, and take genuine pleasure from it.
This was especially true for vulnerable newcomers—like teenagers.
Their immature bodies and undeveloped strength made them easy prey. And the Ethereal Plane was filled with predators far, far stronger than them.
…
In the days that followed, Lucian Vale and his classmates dove into an intense and rigorous new routine. Over the course of several months, their heads were filled with knowledge of the Ethereal Plane—facts, survival techniques, warnings, and strategies.
Their mornings were spent in classrooms, poring over maps, anatomy charts, and lecture slides.
Their afternoons were given over to the physical.
Long-distance running. Sprinting. Combat drills. Conditioning exercises.
Bit by bit, their bodies were being pushed past their limits—tempered like steel.
During this period, Lucian Vale didn't take any part-time jobs.
Not even one.
The school cafeteria now provided him with three full meals a day, enough to meet his nutritional needs.
He needed it. His body was like a sponge—soaking up every drop of knowledge, every bite of food, converting it all into strength.
Every single day brought him closer to the moment that would define the rest of his life.
…
In the blink of an eye, the semester was drawing to a close. After several months of intense training and study, Lucian Vale's body had changed dramatically—like it had been inflated with strength. Even his height had shot up noticeably.
Now standing over six feet tall, Lucian Vale was packed with lean muscle. His body was solid, powerful, but without any unnecessary bulk.
Classes had ended. What came next was a full week of rest—a break intended for students to recover and mentally prepare for what was ahead.
Shouldering his backpack, Lucian jogged down the familiar streets toward home.
"…The time is 6:11 PM on June 7th. The eleventh major permanent military base on the Ethereal Plane for Solsten has officially been completed. The first wave of stationed units has been confirmed. According to reports, the list includes…"
"Lamb noodles, twelve credits a bowl!"
"…"
The loudspeakers of shops lining the streets blared out news, prices, and advertisements, but none of it slowed Lucian's pace. Even at six in the evening, the sun of June still baked the concrete beneath his feet. The air radiated heat like an oven.
He darted across the street and quickly ducked into the shade of a nearby apartment block, sticking to the shadows as he ran along the road.
Soon, a weathered residential complex came into view. Lucian took the steps three at a time, climbed to the fourth floor, and pushed open the front door to his family's apartment.
His parents hadn't gotten off work yet. His two younger brothers were likely still on their way home—one attending boarding school in middle school, the other just finishing elementary school for the day.
Lucian opened the fridge—a decade-old model that had seen better days—and pulled out a few ingredients before starting dinner.
The factory where his parents worked didn't provide meals, so whenever Lucian was home, he made sure food was ready when they arrived.
The children of the poor grow up fast.
Though that phrase was rarely said with praise.
More often, it simply meant poor kids had to start working earlier. If there were another way, who would choose to labor at such a young age?
By a little after seven, both parents and the youngest brother were home. The family of four sat quietly around the table, eating dinner together.
It was a simple meal: three dishes and a soup—tofu stew, stir-fried eggs, and seaweed egg soup.
Lucian's cooking skills were decent. After all, he'd been helping around the house since he was a child, and his part-time job at a restaurant had taught him a few extra tricks from the kitchen staff.
At the dinner table, Liam Vale, his father, was the first to finish eating. He set down his chopsticks and looked at Lucian and his younger brother.
"Lucian, I got you something. It's in your room—go try it on later and see if it fits."
"Alright."
Lucian finished his meal quickly, then headed into his bedroom.
His room was incredibly small. Besides the bed and a modest desk, there was barely any space left. Books were stacked in every available corner.
A cardboard box sat on the floor.
He opened it—and was stunned to find a stab-proof vest inside.
Lucian tore off the packaging and checked the label. It was from a well-known brand—this vest alone had to cost over ten thousand credits.
Together, his parents earned barely four thousand a month. That income had to support not only their family of five, but also two elderly grandparents back in their hometown. Scraping together ten thousand credits would've taken years.
Lucian's grip on the vest tightened.
It was a gift born of love and sacrifice—but based on what he had learned about the Ethereal Plane, the vest's actual usefulness was extremely limited.
There were very few things on the Ethereal Plane that a vest like this could block.
When real danger struck, Lucian knew the smartest move would likely be to kill himself quickly, rather than risk a slow, horrifying death at the hands of something unimaginable.
…
A week flew by.
After saying goodbye to his family, Lucian returned to school.
Today was the day. The day of awakening.
The school grounds were buzzing with noise and movement. Students from regular classes weren't attending today—only those registered for the awakening were present.
The front gate was packed. Many parents had personally driven their children to school for this occasion.
"Lucian Vale!"
A familiar voice rang out.
Lucian turned and saw Veil, his deskmate, sprinting toward him.
Veil was decked out with gear—straps, bags, tools, and gadgets clinking all over his body.
"You're wearing a stab vest too, huh?" Veil had sharp eyes. He spotted the vest under Lucian's jacket instantly.
"Yeah."
"Check me out—I've even got stab-proof pants!" Veil yanked up his pant leg proudly to reveal the gear underneath.
Lucian didn't react much. He was used to Veil's antics by now. The guy came from a relatively well-off middle-class family. His parents owned a small business, and their daily life was comfortable.
"Here, I brought something for you."
Veil tossed over a small black pouch.
"What is it?"
Lucian caught the bag and unzipped it while asking.
"Survival kit! Pretty solid, huh? Big brother's looking out for you!"
Veil slung an arm around Lucian's shoulders, his gear clinking with every move.
Lucian looked inside. The kit was packed—sharp utility knives, a first aid kit, a rope, fire-starting tools, and a handful of other practical supplies.
A solid survival pack.
"Not bad… you're a damn good brother."
Lucian chuckled, and for once, the words came straight from the heart.
The bag didn't look like much, but it was clearly worth at least a thousand credits.
Veil might have been immature and a bit loud, but he was a true friend.
Soon after, their homeroom teacher gathered the students and led them onto a waiting bus.
Awakening wasn't something that could be done casually in a school building—it required a designated, heavily monitored facility.
The students boarded the bus, buzzing with excitement, chattering about their dreams of awakening and the extraordinary lives that might follow.
The teacher sat quietly at the front of the bus, smiling at their enthusiasm. But as he looked at the group, that smile began to fade.
Because he knew—at least half of these kids wouldn't be coming back.
After more than two hours on the road, the convoy finally arrived at a remote facility outside the city.
This was the Awakening Base, guarded by a full unit of national soldiers tasked with ensuring the safety of both the site and the students about to enter it.
Stonebridge was just a small county town, but it had five high schools. Over three thousand students had come for the awakening.
As bus after bus pulled in, the facility grew increasingly crowded and chaotic.
Lucian's class was ushered into a nearby building. Inside a classroom, the homeroom teacher walked in holding something in his hand—a crystal sphere, roughly the size of a pomegranate.
All eyes locked on the object.
"Everyone, this is the simulator version of the Awakening Orb. I'm going to show you how it works."
Standing at the front of the room, he began demonstrating the orb's use. This was just a model—it didn't contain any real awakening power.
Still, the students leaned in, watching his every move. What they were learning now might determine whether they lived… or died.