For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Victor's mother sat there, blinking in stunned disbelief.
Victor felt like his ears were playing tricks on him.
"What?" Mrs. Revenant finally whispered.
The doctor nodded. "Congratulations."
His father left behind one final gift.
His mother touched her stomach as tears welled in her eyes.
"H-He always wanted another child…" she whispered.
Victor's chest tightened.
This was amazing news.
But at the same time—
'How can I leave her now?'
He had just barely convinced himself to apply for the second Awakened Academy screening.
He had finally been considering moving forward.
Now his mother was going to be alone, carrying a child.
Would she be okay without him?
Could he really just leave?
Victor gritted his teeth while fighting against the mixture of emotions bubbling inside him.
His mother turned to him and noticed his troubled expression.
"Victor… don't let this stop you."
Victor's eyes snapped up to hers.
"I know what you're thinking." She gave a small, tearful smile. "You're worried about me."
Victor remained silent.
"But I can take care of myself. And now, I have another reason to be strong." Her voice trembled as she touched her stomach."We both have to move forward."
Victor exhaled sharply.
He wanted to believe that.
But something inside him still screamed that leaving now would be selfish.
Victor helped his mother stand, steadying her as they left the medical facility.
As they walked home, his mother gently nudged his shoulder.
"You should still go, Victor."
Victor let out a dry chuckle.
"Mum… I don't know if I can."
She gave him a knowing look.
"If your father were here… what do you think he'd say?"
Victor stopped walking and recalled the proud look on his father's face when he held his own against the Drakenar leader.
He already knew the answer.
His father would have pushed him forward.
His father would have told him to become something great.
His father would have—
"Shit," Victor muttered. "I hate to admit it but you're right."
His mother laughed softly.
"Then go make us proud, son."
The Awakened Screening Facility was absolutely packed.
Up to a hundred late awakeners and those who had missed the first screening for various reasons stood inside, waiting for their turn.
It was a massive indoor stadium-like structure, divided into multiple sections, each designed for specific class-based tests.
There were digital holographic banners suspended high above, displaying:
> "AWAKENED ACADEMY SCREENING – LATE PARTICIPANTS"
The participants were a eexcited, nervous, and overconfident young awakeners, each eager to prove themselves to the government officials present.
Rows of seating areas lined the sides where government evaluators sat, watching over the event.
The hundreds of participants were separated into seven main classes based on their awakenings:
Warriors – Melee combat specialists.
Berserkers – Strength-based brawlers.
Mages – Spellcasters with various elemental abilities.
Assassins – Speed-based fighters specializing in stealth and reflexes.
Summoners – Those capable of summoning creatures for battle.
Healers – Support awakeners who could regenerate health and remove ailments.
Necromancers – The rarest, capable of summoning undead creatures.
Each class would undergo specialized tests tailored to their unique skill set.
However, some tests—like the aptitude test—were universal, since all awakeners possessed a system interface only visible to them.
✔ Class-based abilities
✔ Skill upgrades & unlocks
And today's screening would determine the ranking of each individual based on a point system, awarding better benefits to the strongest.
The head official was a man dressed in all white with green hair named Gareth Vale.
He stood at the center while raising a system-activated clipboard that automatically called out names, projecting the names onto a holographic screen.
A tall muscular teen stepped forward.
> "Proceed to Section C!"
Lance ran off to where the Berserkers were being assembled.
> "Proceed to Section D!"
One by one, names were called and youngsters stepped forward, declaring their classes before getting sent to their respective testing areas.
The name calling went on for several minutes—
The room fell silent.
Nobody stepped forward.
The officials glanced at each other.
Gareth sighed and called the name again:
> "Victor Revenant?!"
After a brief awkward pause, Gareth shook his head.
They continued down the list.
After all the names had been called, the first tests officially began.
Outside the massive facility, Victor sprinted towards the entrance completely out of breath.
He was still processing everything—his mother's pregnancy, the pressure of leaving her, and his mixed emotions about this entire screening.
As soon as he reached the facility entrance, two security guards in dark navy uniforms stepped in front of him.
"Halt. State your business."
Victor stopped in his tracks while panting. "I'm here for the screening. "
"Screening is already in progress."
"I… I know. But I... I'm on the list... My name's Victor Revenant."
One of the guards checked a holographic tablet.
After a brief scan, the guard narrowed his eyes.
"Your name was called nearly fifteen minutes ago. You failed to respond."
Victor gritted his teeth.
"I had… a family emergency."
The second guard who happened to be taller and stockier, crossed his arms.
"Look, kid, I don't know what your excuse is, but the rules are the rules."
Victor glanced past them at the open testing areas inside.
The first batch of awakeners were already going through their tests.
If he didn't get in now, he wouldn't be able to compete for ranking.
He clenched his fists.
"Then you should have been on time."
Victor exhaled sharply while trying to keep his composure.
Should he force his way in? He wondered...
But that wouldn't help his case.
He had to think fast.
All of a sudden, a voice interrupted.
"Did you say your name was Victor Revenant?"
The two guards turned sharply to check out the newly arrived figure and their eyes immediately widened in disbelief.
You guys should check out this link if you want to view the video edit I uploaded of Victor =>
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMB1Ve2y6/
It also contains art works for "I Can Only Cultivate In A Game". Enjoy 🫡