"I am Saintess Elowen," she said.
"Servant of the Divine Temple."
A murmur spread through the students.
"Saintess…?"
"Divine Temple…?"
Maxwell grabbed Jack's hand.
"Bro… this is real magic…"
Light floating in the air throughout the whole hall.
Elowen raised her hand gently and cast the magic. The noise stopped instantly.
Students opened their mouths, trying to scream or speak but no sound came out. Panic spread across their faces as they struggled.
She was looking at them struggling to speak.
"Okay, raise your hand if you want to speak to only one person at one time."
Some of them raise their hands. She chose one boy.
"You said we're summoned here…right?"
"Yes," she replied.
Then she cast magic on him, "Next."
The girl asked her.
"Why did you summon us here?"
"Defeat the Demon lord," she replied.
Gasps filled the hall—though no sound came out.
"Next"
Another boy raised his hand, fear visible on his face.
"Then….how can we go back to our world?"
"You all need to defeat the Demon lord, then all of you can return to your world." she replied.
"Next"
A boy hesitated, then raised his hand slowly.
"If we want to give up fighting against the Demon lord?" the boy asked very nervously.
After listening to this question all students are shocked because it's an unexpected question but inside some of them want to hear an answer from her.
Elowen looked at him for a long moment.
"If you have the ability to fight against the Demon Lord, otherwise you can become a soldier or be given other work to do in the Imperial Palace, until your other classmates defeat the demon lord."
Relief spread through the students.
Some smiled.
Some felt hope.
Some felt fear disappear.
Everyone becomes happy then they're ready to fight against the Demon Lord. They don't have another choice either.
She released them from magic. They start speaking.
"I can speak now."
"Yes."
"Magic is gone."
Elowen turned toward the center of the hall.
"Let us begin the Awakening Ceremony."
There is a stone platform light coming from that platform.
A knight in silver armor stepped forward.
"You go and stand there and you will awaken skills." Knight said loudly.
"There, you will awaken your skills."
Tom Saviour stared at the platform, his eyes sharp and calm.
"…So this is the start," he thought.
"Everyone," Knight said in a firm voice.
"I will now explain the skill ranking system of this world."
All the students turned toward him and listened carefully.
F Rank - lowest Rank.
E Rank
D Rank
C Rank
B Rank
A Rank
S Rank
SS Rank
SSS Rank - Highest Rank.
"Still experience and practice can make you all perfect."
The knight pointed at the first student.
"You. Step forward."
That student came forward and stood in the center of the platform.
He awakens F rank skill.
The boy becomes sad that he is useless now.
Then one by one everyone awakens skills.
C-rank.
B-rank.
A-rank.
Cheers rose whenever someone got a high rank.
Disappointment followed the low ones.
Finally—
Jack was standing in the center of the platform when a status window appeared in front of him.
[Name -: Jack.
Skills -: Swordmaster(SS) and Earth mage(S)
Strength -: 100
Stamina -: 100
Mana -: 200]
The hall exploded.
"SS-RANK?!"
"TWO SKILLS?!"
"That's insane!"
Maxwell shouted, "BROOOO! YOU'RE Amazing!"
Jack standing and staring at the window.
"I… I'm really this strong?" he whispered to himself.
Tom Saviour watched silently from the side.
Saintess Elowen looked at him carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"…Interesting."
Next—
Jessica stepped forward. She stood calmly on the platform.
Light surrounded her like a gentle glow.
A status window appeared.
[Name -: Jessica.
Skills -: Healer(SS)
Strength -: 100
Stamina -: 100
Mana -: 250]
The light felt warm.
"Healer SS-rank…"
"She's perfect for support!"
Jack stared at her.
"She's… amazing," he thought.
Next—
Maxwell was standing in the center of the platform when a status window appeared in front of him.
[Name -: Maxwell.
Skills -: Water mage(SS) and fire mage (A)
Strength -: 100
Stamina -: 100
Mana -: 200]
Maxwell jumped.
"HAHA! I knew it! Dual-element mage!"
Jack laughed. "You're not bad either."
Students started clapping and cheering for him.
Then—
A thin, weak boy walked forward.
His steps were slow, he was nervous because he was a bully in school, if he has weak skills now then he is also going to bully.
The platform glowed faintly.
[Name -: Michael.
Skills -: Black mage (F)
Strength -: 50
Stamina -: 50
Mana -: 80]
Silence.
Then— suddenly that silence broke.
Laughter.
"Hahaha! F-rank!"
"One's losers always be losers." The muscular boy said.
"Trash!"
A muscular boy and five others laughed loudly.
Michael clenched his fists, his head lowered.
"I knew it…" he whispered.
A muscular boy and five other students are laughing at him; they all are used to bully him.
A muscular boy was standing in the center of the platform when a status window appeared in front of him.
[Name -: James.
Skills -: Fire mage (SSS)
Strength -: 110
Stamina -: 100
Mana -: 200]
James laughed proudly and looked at Michael.
"See that?" he said mockingly.
"Even though I'm powerful—"
He leaned closer.
"—you're still nothing."
Michael's hands trembled.
Jack frowned. "That guy is annoying."
Class leader of classroom -A2, he stepped forward and stood in the center of the platform when a status window appeared in front of him.
[Name -: Ray.
Skills -: thunder mage (SSS) and Holy light (SS)
Strength -: 120
Stamina -: 120
Mana -: 210]
"SSS-ranks…"
"Holy and Thunder…"
"He's insane!"
Ray smiled confidently.
"So this is my power," he said calmly.
James clenched his fists.
"Tch… another monster."
Elowen looked at Ray and Jack.
"…This generation is dangerous," she murmured.
Michael looked at his broken reflection on the platform.
His eyes slowly hardened.
"I may be weak now," he thought, "but I won't stay like this forever."
Tom calmly walked toward the platform.
No excitement. No fear.
He stood at the center.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Some students whispered.
"Did it fail?"
"Is something wrong?"
Suddenly—
BOOOOM!
The platform exploded with light.
Golden light and pure white mana rushed into the sky.
The ground cracked slightly. Wind roared through the hall.
Students screamed and covered their eyes.
"What is this pressure?!"
"I can't breathe!"
Even the knights stepped back.
Saintess Elowen's eyes widened for the first time.
"This… impossible…"
A massive holy sword made of light slowly appeared behind Tom.
Runes floated around him like stars.
A status window appeared—
but this time, it was bigger, brighter, and glowing.
[Name - Tom Saviour
Skills - Holy Sword (SSS), Arch Mage (SSS)
Strength - 150
Stamina - 150
Mana - 500]
"SSS?!"
"Two SSS skills?!"
"That's not possible!"
Maxwell swallowed hard.
"Bro… he's not human."
The holy sword slowly dissolved into light and entered Tom's body.
The pressure vanished.
Tom opened his eyes.
Calm. Cold. Sharp.
Elowen stepped forward, her voice serious.
"Tom Saviour…"
She bowed slightly.
"Blessed by the gods."
The knights knelt on one knee.
"Three Hero-class existence…"
James clenched his teeth.
"I'll surpass him," he growled.
His eyes stopped for a second on Jack…
then on Jessica.
"This world," he thought,
"will not be peaceful."