CH 1 Mourning And Graveyard Of Salt

“Selene Hoestar! Beast Master Class!” the principal announced.

The girl smiled brightly before hurrying down the stairs. Her friends rushed to her. Her parents cried openly. Her father clapped her shoulder with pride.

“Next! Jayden Lawrence!”

A tall boy with trembling hands stepped forward. He wiped his palms against his trousers before placing one hand on the Awakening Device. The crystal sphere flickered, then gave off a faint, steady glow.

“Mechanic Class! Next!” the principal declared.

Jayden sagged with relief. His friends burst into chatter the moment he stepped down.

“I wish I can get Mechanic Class,” someone muttered nearby.

“Mechanic? Do you know how costly it is to maintain that Class?” another replied.

“It’s costly in the beginning, but it earns tons of money later on. That’s why I want to be a Mechanic! My dream is to be rich!”

“Bah, mechanics are useless. One slap from a monster can kill them! You should pray you become a Martial Artist!”

“F*ck off, you sweaty musclehead!”

The awakening ceremony continued, name after name echoing across the grounds.

There were four starter Classes:

Mage.

Martial Artist.

Mechanic.

Beast Master.

Three hundred years ago, Earth had connected to the Land of Origin. The Land of Origin was a place of treasures and trials. One could level up there, grow stronger, and find relics that could change a person’s fate. It was also filled with monsters, cursed lands, and dangers that did not care about age. It was rumored that countless races from across the universe could enter that land, and humanity arrived there late.

At first, survival was the only goal. But those who managed to endure and reach their first Class Evolution earned something valuable. They gained the right to return to Earth with their power and treasures intact.

From that point onward, travel between Earth and the Land of Origin became possible. With resources and technology brought back from the Land of Origin, humanity advanced at an unprecedented pace and eventually expanded into space. A golden age began.

Now, on the first day of every month, mass awakening took place across the planets owned by Human Federation.

Every person was guaranteed to awaken and be summoned to Land of Origin at midnight on their eighteenth birthday. To increase survival rates, students were artificially awakened one month prior with the Awakening Device. If everyone awakened together, there was a chance they would arrive in the same region of the Land of Origin. Numbers meant safety, especially in the beginning.

“Ren Buttowski!” the principal called.

“Good luck. Go break a leg.” Benjamin grinned and patted Ren’s back.

“Thanks,” Ren said, managing a small smile.

He walked up the steps. Each step felt heavier than the last.

Please, please, please! Give me Martial Artist or Beast Master! I don’t want to be a Mechanic!

He placed his hand on the Awakening Device.

Martial Artist! or Beast Master!

One of them!

The crystal began to glow.

At first, it was normal. Then it brightened. And brightened again.

Within seconds, the light erupted, flooding the entire stage. It was so intense that people shielded their eyes. For a moment, everything turned white.

When the light finally faded, silence swallowed the academy ground.

“Uh… is the light supposed to be that bright?” someone whispered.

That was enough.

“I’ve never seen that amount of light!”

“Did he awaken a special class? Is that even possible?”

“Let me have your children Ren!”

“Shut the f*ck up, Brian! You are a man!”

“So what? The technology these days—”

Ren blinked, still seeing afterimages. His heart was pounding in his ears. He looked at the principal with anticipation.

The principal stared back at him with an expression Ren could not immediately understand. It was not awe. It was not excitement.

It was… pity?

“Ren Buttowski! Mage!”

The word struck like a hammer.

Silence returned to the academy grounds, but it felt heavier than before.

Ren’s thoughts went blank. His face drained of color. The brightness earlier now felt like a cruel joke.

“Go down and say goodbye to your family.” The principal sighed quietly.

Ren nodded stiffly and walked down the stairs.

The students near the front instinctively stepped away from him. Their eyes followed him warily.

“A Mage? How many is that today?”

“Twelfth.”

“I hope I don’t get summoned near those monsters.”

“F*ck, why was the ninth amendment passed? There is no need to keep those monsters alive—”

“Shut up. You want to get executed?”

The light in Ren’s eyes dimmed.

He could hear the cruel whispers and feel the malicious gazes.

He looked at Benjamin, his best friend. Benjamin flinched upon making eye-contact and quickly moved away.

‘I’m a Mage.’ Benjamin’s fear reminded him of that fact.

Fifty years ago, something changed in the Land of Origin, and a catastrophic event occurred.

[Fall of Mana.]

Mana, the source of a Mage’s power, became poisoned.

Any Mage who had even a trace of it turned into a Corrupted One. They lost their minds and attacked anything alive.

That was the start of the Era of Heretical Purge. Humanity fought desperately against the Corrupted Ones. Newly awakened Mages became instant enemies. People began executing them before they could transform.

For ten years, fear ruled the world.

Then the Mana Sealing Bracelet was invented. It severed the connection between Mages and Mana, preventing new transformations. With no fresh Corrupted Ones, humanity eventually suppressed the rest.

Peace returned, though the scars never faded.

The ninth amendment declared that all Mages must wear the Mana Sealing Bracelet. And harming a Mage under the pretext of fear would result in immediate execution.

On paper, Mages were protected.

In reality, they were avoided.

A hollow melancholy filled Ren’s heart.

I’m going to die.

A Mage, who could not use mana, in a land filled with monsters who could crush tanks? It was a death sentence.

The math professor came up to him and made him wear the Mana Sealing Bracelet. He gave Ren a pat on the back, a look of pity, and left.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Ren stared at the bracelet. Then, his eyes moved around, taking in the scenes in the academy ground.

Most people were happy. Even if they did not awaken the Class they wanted, they were still going to the Land of Origin, a place filled with hopes and dreams. They would kill monsters, level up, and forge their own legends.

Only a few had the opposite reaction. They were students like Ren. Students who awakened as Mages.

He could hear cries from their direction. The cries were heart wrenching, as if they were mourning the dead. No, not as if. They were mourning the dead. The Mages might as well be declared dead already.

Ren saw a mother hugging her child with tears.

“Sorry… sob, sob… Mommy is sorry. It’s mommy’s fault… you were born with Mage Class. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Her son hugged her back, crying, “It’s not your fault, Mom. Sob, please don’t say that.”

Ren stared at them.

Just then, powerful hands landed on his shoulders.

“Sorry, buddy. I was late. Work had me caught up.”

Ren turned his head, staring at the man with a powerful physique.

James Buttowski, Ren’s father.

Seeing his apologetic expression, Ren shook his head.

“Don’t worry about being late. I’m a Mage. Being here would’ve just wasted your time—”

“Ren,” his father’s voice cut through his words. “Look at me when you talk.”

Ren met his father’s gaze.

His father’s eyes were clear. There was no sorrow in them. No regret, or disappointment. They were calm and clear like a lake.

And in those eyes, Ren saw his own reflection.

He saw himself standing there with a hollow gaze and an expression that looked far more hopeless than he had realized.

“You are finally looking straight ahead.” His father grinned. “Now, what have I always taught you?”

“…It’s not over until you give up.”

“Correct!” The man’s meaty palm struck Ren’s shoulder happily. “So why are you looking like a dead man already! You’ve been taught about constellations and different monster species around each Base! Use that knowledge to find a Base nearest to you when you arrive in the Land of Origin.”

“But I can’t cast spells—”