"...While it's true that awakening a Combat Class offers the most prestigious future in this world, Lifestyle and Crafter Classes still hold immense potential."

  "Especially Crafter Classes. For those of you from more affluent backgrounds, as long as you put in the work and grind your skill proficiency, you will be highly sought after wherever you go. You won't be second to any Combat Class; in fact, you might even surpass them..."

  Quentin, the homeroom teacher in his thirties, paced the front of the room, droning on during this final pep talk before the Class Awakening ceremony.

  Even though his words were common knowledge, every student in the room hung onto his every word, terrified of missing a single detail.

  Today was the day—the unified Class Awakening for every high school senior.

  Tucked away in a corner of the classroom, Lucian’s heart hammered against his ribs as he waited for the ritual.

  He was a transmigrator. Three years had passed since he arrived here from the Azure Star.

  Over those three years, he had gained a clear understanding of this world.

  It was a reality fused with game mechanics, a world thousands of times larger than the Azure Star.

  Here, Secret Realms and Dungeons were everywhere, and monsters roamed the land.

  Everyone could hunt these monsters to gain EXP, materials, and even equipment to empower themselves.

  The world had evolved various professions. Everyone could undergo a Class Awakening at Level 10 to obtain greater power.

  Governments established schools specifically to train the youth for survival. Teachers would lead students into Beginner Secret Realms and the wilderness to fight and gain experience, aiming for everyone to reach Level 10 before their eighteenth birthday—the day of the Awakening.

  Classes in this world fell into three broad categories.

  First were the Combat Classes. As the name suggested, these were professions with combat capabilities, such as Warriors, Mages, and Archers.

  The second category was Crafter Classes.

  Fewer people awakened these, but their power was undeniable. They could manufacture specialized items that buffed Combat Classes, making them significantly stronger.

  Common Crafter Classes included Enchanters, Magic Item Makers, and Alchemists.

  While Crafter Classes were highly popular, producing these items required a massive amount of materials. Without a wealthy family or a clan to back them, it was nearly impossible to train a Crafter Class to a competent level.

  Then there was the final category, the base of the pyramid and the most common path: Support Classes.

  These were widespread roles like Chefs, Herbalists, and Miners.

  Those who awakened these classes were destined to live as commoners, barely earning enough to survive.

  Lucian’s aunt, Kara, was a prime example—she was a Chef.

  Lucian was an orphan and had lived with Kara, who was only eight years older than him, since he was a child. Their lives had been incredibly difficult.

  Back then, Kara had awakened as a standard Chef. After saving up for a long time, she finally managed to buy a recipe for 'Steam Buns' that restored a small amount of HP. That was how she started her bun shop, earning just enough to put food on the table.

  It was that very shop that allowed Kara to raise Lucian.

  Because of this, Lucian knew better than anyone how brutal life could be if one failed to awaken a powerful Combat Class.

  Over the last three years, he had witnessed firsthand the hardships his aunt endured just to pay for his schooling.

  His greatest wish was to awaken a Combat Class. He wanted to hunt monsters for materials and clear Dungeons for equipment drops—anything to give his aunt the life she deserved.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "...I’ve just received word. The Awakening Altar has been set up. Stay in your lines and follow me to the field!" Quentin’s voice snapped Lucian out of his thoughts.

  The classroom erupted with excitement. Finally, the moment of truth had arrived.

  Their entire futures would be decided today.

  Lucian remained silent, preparing to follow the crowd to the field, when a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind:

  [Ding—Eligible host detected. Super Treasure Map System is binding...]

  [Ding—Super Treasure Map System bound successfully!]

  A system!

  It was the standard equipment for every transmigrator. Even though it was three years late, Lucian knew that better late than never.

  He suppressed his overwhelming joy. While following the class toward the field for the ceremony, he began to investigate the system’s functions.

  He quickly figured out the mechanics: it was simple. He would receive one Treasure Map every day. All he had to do was reach the coordinates marked on the map to claim his reward.

  Treasure Maps were divided into five tiers: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Epic, and Divine. The tier and the location of the map were randomized each day.

  If a map’s coordinates were too far away or difficult to reach, Lucian could fuse it with others of the same tier. Three maps could be fused to create one map of a higher tier.

  For instance, if Lucian was currently in Riverport City but happened to pull Junior Treasure Maps for the Arctic Tundra three days in a row, it would be impossible for him to trek tens of thousands of miles across the world just to dig them up.

  In that case, he could synthesize those three Junior Treasure Maps into a single Intermediate Treasure Map. If the new coordinates ended up somewhere nearby, he could actually head out and claim the prize.

  Overall, the system was straightforward, but it was heavily reliant on luck. If all his treasure map coordinates decided to spawn in high-level danger zones, Lucian would truly be screwed.

  Once he finished familiarizing himself with the system's functions, Lucian followed the crowd to the school’s athletic field.

  A massive, blue-purple crystal pillar had already been erected in the center of the grounds—the Awakening Obelisk. Standing beside it was a middle-aged man draped in a white cloak, clutching a staff that radiated a milky-white halo.

  Using the Normal skill of his Eye of Appraisal, Lucian could see that this man was no ordinary individual. He was a Level 29 Cleric, only a hair’s breadth away from Level 30 and his 2nd Class Advancement.

  At Level 29, having already awakened a Combat Class and mastered the "Class Awakening" skill, he possessed the power to help unawakened players complete their own transitions. This Cleric lived the kind of life that Lucian could only dream of.

  Word on the street was that the fee for conducting a Class Awakening for an entire school was a staggering five million Draco-marks. Lucian’s aunt could sell steamed buns for her entire life and still never earn that much.

  This was the brutal disparity between Combat Classes and Life Classes.

  Lucian let out a soft sigh, focusing his energy on the imminent ceremony. The field was a cacophony of noise, crowded with nearly three thousand teenagers around Lucian’s age. They were all seniors from Riverport Third Academy, every one of them having reached Level 10—the prerequisite for Awakening.

  At this moment, the collective excitement was even more intense than Lucian's.

  "It’s finally happening. I’ve waited so long for this day... I hope I pull a powerful Hidden Class. If the top universities start fighting over me, my family will be set for life!"

  "Buddy, you’re dreaming. Lay off the booze and eat some actual food! A Hidden Class? I’ll be happy if I just manage to become a Combat Class."

  "Exactly. In a class of sixty, you’re lucky if twenty people become Combat Classes. Most people end up as Support Classes, so stop daydreaming about Hidden Classes and get real."

  "I just want to be a Combat Class, even if it's a Knight or a Warrior on the front lines. My parents both have Life Classes, and they’ve suffered so much just to put me through school. I have to make them proud. I have to become a Combat Class so they can finally live a good life!"

  The last student's words resonated with many in the crowd. Whether or not they could change their fate truly depended on the next few minutes.

  Quentin, the homeroom teacher, saw his class descending into chaos and raised his hands high, signaling for silence.

  "Quiet down, everyone! Keep it down!"

  "The ceremony will proceed class by class. We are Class 25, so we’ll be waiting for a while, but please be patient. Everyone will get their turn!"

  With teachers from every class maintaining order, the field soon fell silent.

  The middle-aged Cleric standing by the Awakening Obelisk looked up, his gaze sweeping over the students. He spoke in a slow, booming voice, "The Class Awakening ceremony begins now!"

  "Per your principal’s arrangement, students from Class 1 will come forward in order of their student IDs!"

  It was finally starting.

  The students surged with excitement once more as a boy from Class 1 stepped out of the crowd and approached the Awakening Obelisk, lucky enough to be the very first candidate.

  "That’s Tate from Class 1. He’s a top student. I wonder if he’ll awaken a Combat Class."

  "Probably. I heard that even though he’s only Level 10, his base stats are much higher than the others. Awakening has a random element, but scholars have proven that the stronger your stats, the more likely you are to trigger a Combat Class. It’s pretty reliable info."

  "Shh, he’s starting. Let’s see what he gets!"

  As the Cleric chanted an incantation, the Awakening Obelisk erupted in a brilliant light, enveloping Tate.

  A moment later, a flicker of something different manifested within the glow. A sigil shaped like a ball of flame emerged.

  The crowd gasped in surprise and delight. "Tate really is a genius! He awakened as a Mage!"

  "Damn, he’s set for life! Mages have the highest damage output of any class. Whether he’s out in the wild farming materials or diving into Dungeons, he’ll never have to worry about finding a party!"

  "Man... I’m so jealous..."

  Under the envious stares of his peers, the light from the Awakening Obelisk faded. Tate, his face flushed with pure ecstasy, beamed as he hurried back to his class.