Tommy opened his mouth, looking at Kieran's impassive profile, but ultimately swallowed the words that had reached his lips. He simply gave Kieran's shoulder a heavy pat, sighed, and said nothing more. He understood that what Kieran needed now probably wasn't hollow comfort.
The Awakening Ceremony continued, but after Kieran's earth-shattering "fiasco," the subsequent students' awakenings seemed mundane and uneventful. Soon, the final student had completed their awakening.
The Headmaster stepped back onto the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the students below with their varied expressions. He cleared his throat, and his powerful voice echoed across the plaza.
"I hereby declare this year's Awakening Ceremony officially concluded!"
"Congratulations to all students on successfully embarking on the path of a Profession Holder! Regardless of the profession you awakened, this is merely the starting point of your life. Your future achievements will depend on your effort and determination!"
His words temporarily dispelled some of the strange atmosphere in the plaza, and the students refocused their attention on him.
"Tomorrow morning, the academy will open the 'Novice Trial Dungeon' prepared specifically for you!" the Headmaster continued. "The monster strength within the dungeon is strictly controlled, roughly between Level 1 and Level 10. It is the best place for you to familiarize yourselves with your abilities, accumulate practical combat experience, and increase your levels."
"Remember, one month from now, the academy will hold an aptitude test! Your test results will directly impact the educational resources you receive in the future and your eligibility to be noticed by the Empire's top institutions! I hope everyone will give their all, achieve good results, and enter the academy of their dreams!"
The Headmaster's words ignited the fighting spirit of most students, especially those who had awakened combat professions and excellent common professions. They were eager to begin, their eyes shining with desire for power and the future. In contrast, the corner where Kieran stood seemed somewhat subdued.
After the ceremony concluded, the crowd began to disperse. Kieran ignored the faint murmurs and laughter trailing behind him and left the academy directly.
His home was located in the eastern district of Verdan City, in a neighborhood that was not wealthy but was clean and tidy. A small sign hung by the door – "Celia's Cozy Pet Shop."
Pushing the shop door open, a wind chime rang clearly. The interior smelled of hay and pet food. A few fluffy juvenile Moonlight Foxes poked their heads out curiously from their cages, and a brightly feathered Songforest Parrot preened its feathers on a perch.
"Kieran? Is that you back?" a gentle woman's voice called from the inner room. Shortly after, a woman wearing an apron emerged. She had a gentle face with slight traces of time at the corners of her eyes, but her eyes remained bright.
She was Kieran's mother, Celia, a daily profession holder whose profession was [Pet Breeder].
"Mom." Kieran responded, the indifference on his face melting slightly.
Celia hurried forward, concern etched on her face as she took his hand. "How did it go? Was the ceremony smooth? What profession did you awaken?" She had clearly heard about the potential risks and opportunities of the Awakening Ceremony, her eyes filled with tension and anticipation.
As a mother, she keenly detected the lingering shadow in her son's eyes and immediately realized the ceremony might not have gone well.
She quickly composed her expression, using a soft yet firm voice to comfort him. "What's wrong? Did you not awaken a good profession?"
She paused, trying to lighten the mood with a lighter tone. "It's alright, you know. If you had awakened a combat profession, you'd be out there every day grinding monsters, diving into dungeons, and I'd be worrying constantly about your safety. Actually, awakening a life skill profession is pretty good too. It's stable, isn't it?" She would rather her son be ordinary and safe.
Seeing the genuine, unfeigned concern in his mother's eyes, a wave of warmth washed over Kieran, mixed with a tinge of bitterness. He gave a wry smile and decided to tell his mother the truth.
"Mom, my profession is a combat profession," he began, pausing as he saw his mother's eyes instantly light up, then added the latter part, "and... it's a hidden profession."
"What?!" Celia was visibly stunned, then a glow of joy and surprise spread across her face, nearly making her jump up from her spot. "Really?! You're not only a combat profession holder but also a hidden one?!" This was absolutely wonderful news!
However, seeing the lack of joy and the deeper helplessness on her son's face, Celia's heart tightened again. Kieran knew he couldn't only report the good news.
"Mom, I awakened as a 'Mech Soulmaster'. It's a hidden combat profession, but..." He sighed, his voice dropping lower. "Without an exclusive, soul-bound mech, this profession of mine might be worse off than the most ordinary life profession..."
After speaking, Kieran shook his head, his face etched with the helplessness of reality.
Celia was momentarily stunned, a flicker of barely perceptible disappointment passing through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by even stronger tenderness and encouragement.
She squeezed his hand firmly. "It doesn't matter, child. No profession is inherently noble or humble. As long as you work hard, you will always find your own path. Just like me, taking good care of these little lives, isn't that meaningful too?"
She pointed towards the pets in the shop. "Your father, back then..." Her voice cut off abruptly, her eyes dimming for a moment.
Kieran's father, a once somewhat renowned [Shield Warrior], had permanently remained there during a high-difficulty dungeon exploration ten years ago, covering his teammates' retreat. This was a shared pain for both mother and son.
"I understand, Mom," Kieran said softly, changing the subject. "I'm a bit tired. I'm going to my room first."
"Alright, go ahead. I'll call you when dinner is ready." Celia lovingly ruffled his hair.
Kieran responded quietly and then went up to his room on the second floor.
He locked the door behind him, leaned back against it, and let the true exhaustion and confusion show on his face.
He walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, unconsciously recalling the cold voice he had heard in his mind during the awakening.
'Aqua?' He called out with a hint of uncertainty, in his mind.
[I am here. Detected host has awakened the Mech Soulmaster profession. Final activation conditions met.]
[Activating core abilities...]
[Psionic Knight bound successfully!]
[Inherent profession skills loaded!]
[Basic mech skills loaded!]
A series of clear prompts sounded in his mind. Simultaneously, a semi-transparent blue screen, visible only to him, materialized before his eyes.
[Name: Kieran]
[Profession: Mech Soulmaster]
[Level: 1 (0.00%)]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Spirit: 20]
[Physique: 10]
[Equipment: None]
....
[Mech: Psionic Knight]
[Strength: 300]
[Physique: 270]
[Agility: 260]
[Inherent Profession Skill]
Soul Link
Type: Passive/Activation
Effect: Permanently binds spiritual power to the mech core, allowing for the summoning or recall of the Psionic Knight at will.
Trait: In a state of deep link, even without fully piloting the mech, the user can temporarily (current limit: 60 seconds) utilize partial skill effects or project miniature versions of the mech's weapons.
Mech Skills: (Inherent to Psionic Knight)
Photon Slash (A)
Type: Ranged / Area of Effect
Effect: Channels energy through the mech's broadsword to release a high-energy blade of light that deals damage to enemies in its path.
Aegis Projection (A)
Type: Defensive / Short Duration
Effect: Instantly deploys a sturdy energy shield in front of the mech, capable of effectively blocking physical and energy-based attacks.
Boost Dash (A)
Type: Movement / Melee Engagement
Effect: The mech dashes with explosive speed towards a designated direction, rapidly closing the distance to a target.
...
Looking at the data that had suddenly appeared on the panel, Kieran's eyes lit up sharply. All his previous confusion and disappointment were instantly replaced by immense joy and surprise.
He hadn't lied before! At the moment of awakening, he truly had nothing! The real power had only descended upon him now, accompanying Aqua's full activation!
That staggering Strength of 300, Physique of 270, Agility of 260!
Terrifying!! This was absolutely terrifying! What kind of insane stats were these?! And out of the four skills listed, three were actually A-rank!
In this world where resources were inherently scarce, even C-rank skill books were exceptionally rare and precious, let alone A-rank ones!
If a C-rank skill book were put on the market, it would cost at least one million Solaria coins!!
The crux was, you couldn't even buy them if you wanted to! Yet this newly activated mech came pre-equipped with three incredibly powerful skills!!
This was the true terror of the "Mech Soulmaster"!
"So that's it... It wasn't that I had nothing, but that it wasn't activated yet." Kieran murmured to himself, a light of excitement and understanding flashing in his icy blue eyes.
Recalling the mockery and schadenfreude from his classmates during the ceremony, Kieran now couldn't help but let out a cold sneer!
A useless profession? I now possess the strongest profession!! The ridicule and pity he had endured now seemed utterly ridiculous.
The Novice Trial Dungeon? Monsters between Level 1 and 10?
For his fellow students, that would be a challenge requiring carefulness and teamwork.
But for him now, it would be the perfect hunting ground to test the capabilities of his "Psionic Knight," and... to rapidly harvest experience points, widening the gap between himself and everyone else!
...
'Aqua, are you still there?' He suppressed his excitement and called out in his mind.
[I am here.] The clear synthetic female voice responded immediately in his consciousness.
'Briefly describe your functions.' Kieran needed to understand this system's capabilities.
[Primary functions include: environmental scanning, material identification, database retrieval, real-time tactical advisories, etc. I can serve as your tactical coprocessor and intelligent core.]
Aqua's response was concise and direct, the information presented straight into his thoughts.
'That sounds really good.' Kieran responded in his mind, his tone lightening slightly. 'I'll be in your care from now on then, Aqua.'
[Understood. I will provide support as needed.]
Feeling Aqua's calm yet reliable response, a smile unconsciously spread across Kieran's face.
With the power of the Psionic Knight and Aqua as his exclusive intelligent assistant, he suddenly found himself looking forward to tomorrow's trial.