A sudden rustle from behind made him jump.
His heart pounded as he whirled around, only to find—
The broad-shouldered and strong older miner stood there with a calm but amused expression as he crossed his arms.
"You're gonna wake the whole camp sneaking around like that," Mr. Revenant's voice carried a soft authority.
The younger miner sighed while lowering his torch. "Damn it, man. You scared the hell out of me."
Mr. Revenant chuckled before stepping forward. "Shouldn't you be asleep? We've got another long shift ahead of us."
The younger man shook his head and turned back toward the mine entrance. "I thought I heard something."
Mr. Revenant followed his gaze into the black abyss of the mine. "Like what?"
"I don't know…" the miner hesitated. "Just… something shifting. Like rocks moving, but not from a collapse."
Mr. Revenant frowned, then patted the younger man's shoulder reassuringly.
"Relax. If anything dangerous was still lurking around, the Mana Defense Corps wouldn't have extended the barrier this far."
The younger miner let out a slow breath. "Yeah… yeah, you're right."
Still, he cast one last look at the mine's entrance before turning away.
"Just spooked myself, I guess."
Mr. Revenant nodded. "Happens to the best of us."
The younger miner stretched. "Honestly, I just hope we finish soon. I wanna get back home to my little girl."
Mr. Revenant smiled while patting him on the back. "I know how you feel."
He looked up at the night sky with barely visible stars due to the lingering smog from the volcanic land.
As the two men walked back toward the camp, their footsteps faded and silence returned to the mine.
But deep within the darkness…
A low vibration echoed through the cavern walls.
Victor strode through the school halls, keeping his head high despite being nervous. Today was the day he had to commit to his bullshit Awakener identity.
After much deliberation, he had made his final decision.
If anyone asked what he had awakened as—
Sure, it was a lie, but it wasn't like he could just tell people he was using Qi cultivation from a VRMMO. That would either get him sent to a psych evaluation or locked up in some secret facility for "further study."
And besides—his abilities were pretty close to what a Warrior could do.
He had enhanced physical prowess, he could fight at high speed, and his martial techniques would fit into the Warrior class archetype.
'I mean, technically, I'm kind of like a Warrior... just not the awakened kind.'
So, the plan was simple:
If anyone asked, he was a Warrior.
If anyone doubted, he'd flex just enough to sell the act.
If anyone dug too deep… he'd run.
As expected, the moment Victor entered the classroom, all eyes were on him.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear? Victor's a Warrior!"
"No way. I thought only Mary had awakened as one?"
"First Danny, now Victor? We actually have two awakened in class 3C?"
Victor suppressed a smirk as he slid into his seat beside Danny, Max, and Jake.
Jake leaned in immediately. "Dude, did you seriously awaken as a Warrior?"
Victor shrugged. "I mean yeaahh..."
Jake stared at him suspiciously. "Something doesn't add up, what are you hiding?"
Max, still chewing on a snack, frowned. "When you think about it, Assassin Class Awakened are supposed to be faster than Warrior class..."
Danny grinned. "I dunno. I think if you add more points to speed instead of other attributes, you could be faster than an assassin. But seriously, Victor, you can't ignore your other attributes, or you'll be a weak warrior."
Victor leaned back. "Well... you're not wrong. I probably should evenly distribute them more."
Max shook his head. "Eugh awakened talks... I have no idea what you two mcan with all of these points and attributes..."
Before Victor could respond, the classroom door swung open, and Miss Adler stepped in, calling for silence.
But that wasn't what caught everyone's attention.
Behind her, a man in a black suit entered.
His green eyes scanned the classroom and he had a commanding presence that only government officials had.
Miss Adler cleared her throat. "Everyone, settle down. Today, we have a special guest from the Awakened Evaluation Bureau. He's here to check in on our Awakeners before next week's screening."
The man nodded firmly. "My name is Agent Wallace. I will be assessing the Awakened individuals in this class."
His gaze swept the room, landing first on Danny...
Then, his eyes locked onto Victor.
Agent Wallace raised an eyebrow. "You. Victor Revenant. You're the latest Awakener, correct?"
Victor swallowed and nodded. "Uh… yeah."
Wallace's expression remained unreadable. "Warrior Class?"
Victor forced a confident grin. "That's me."
'How the hell is that already public information? I literally only mentioned it this morning?' Victor's mind was racing.
There was a long silence.
Then Wallace pulled out a tablet before tapping a few buttons. "Very well. You will be required to attend the screening next week."
Victor felt a sense of relief. 'Phew. That was easy.'
But then—Wallace continued.
"Since you are a new Awakener, I will need to ask you a few questions. Step forward."
Victor's soul left his body.
Victor stepped up and did his best to look natural.
Wallace scanned him, then asked the first question.
"When did you first manifest your abilities?"
Victor paused for half a second before responding. "Uh… after the Awakening Ceremony. It just… took a while to kick in."
Wallace nodded slowly. "And what skills have you developed so far?"
Victor's brain raced.
"Shit. Think, Victor, think!"
"...Enhanced reflexes and speed," he answered. "And, uh… some basic martial techniques."
Wallace studied him closely.
"Have you undergone any specialized training?"
Victor grinned. "Not officially, but, y'know, I train myself."
Wallace's eyebrow twitched slightly—a small sign that he wasn't entirely convinced.
Then, the final question came.
"Can you demonstrate?"
Victor's heart stopped for the umpteenth time.
The classroom went dead silent.
He had no choice now.
Victor took a deep breath. "Alright. Can I borrow something?"
Miss Adler raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Victor shrugged. "Anything shaped like a weapon."