Chapter 2: Divine Summoning Technique
Three months ago, on the very day of his eighteenth birthday, his system awakened!
Song Qi, who had been agonizing over which profession to choose, found all his doubts vanish the moment he read the details on his panel.
Summoner!
It had to be Summoner!
Strength, elemental affinity—what worthless talents were those compared to divine-level summoning?
Talents, from highest to lowest, were ranked: Super S, S, A, B, C, D, E, F—eight tiers in all.
Judging by its name, Divine Summoning was at least an S-level talent.
With this talent, his future was assuredly bright!
Song Qi tapped on the panel.
Divine Summoning: The creatures you summon have their quality automatically increased by three ranks! (Summoned beast quality is divided into: Common, Rare, Extraordinary, Heroic, Legendary, Epic, Mythical, and Sacred Spirit!)
Reading the description of “Divine Summoning,” Song Qi’s earlier anxiety melted away completely.
The quality of a summoned beast affected every aspect of its abilities.
Most summoners had the highest chance of summoning Common or Rare quality creatures.
A Rare quality summoned beast, if carefully nurtured and strategically paired with others, could rival professionals of other classes.
Extraordinary quality beasts, at the same level, were even stronger than many other professionals.
A summoned beast of this quality was widely recognized as a treasure worth cultivating.
But what did it mean to directly raise a beast’s quality by three ranks?
It meant that even if Song Qi was so unlucky as to summon a Common quality slime, he could elevate it to Heroic quality—a true little treasure.
If fortune smiled and he summoned a couple of Heroic beasts, Song Qi could march straight to the center of the Seventh District to earn a Genius Professional Medal and receive state subsidies!
For other summoners, the greatest fear was summoning a beast too weak to be worth raising.
But for him…
A beast not worth raising? Impossible.
His lowest starting point was Heroic quality.
“As long as I make good use of my talent, maybe within a year I can move my parents into a home in the city center!”
“And my sister—she won’t have to risk her life in all those dangerous dungeons anymore.”
“After today, everything will get better!”
Song Qi quietly vowed in his heart.
Just then, his classmate’s call dragged him from his reverie.
“Song Qi, let’s go, the homeroom teacher’s already urging us.”
“Coming, coming.”
Song Qi followed his classmates out of the classroom.
…
By now, all eligible students in the Seventh District had gathered in the plaza.
Four schools in total, tens of thousands of students were filled with excitement.
The district’s governor—a figure rarely seen—had even arrived in person, delivering an impassioned speech about the current plight of humanity.
More than a hundred years ago, with the invasion of the Outerworld Demons, humanity had been pushed to the brink of extinction.
But at the critical moment, a hero named Li Er rose from the ranks of mankind!
His talent was nothing short of extraordinary.
Just by observing the monsters wield supernatural power, he grasped the existence of supernatural professions and awakened his own!
He then climbed step by step to a level that even the Outerworld Demon Gods feared.
Afterward, he simplified the process of awakening supernatural professions and spread it among all humankind.
He gave the entire species hope for survival and evolution!
Countless human prodigies benefited, awakening professions and gaining extraordinary talents.
Thus began humanity’s counteroffensive!
After nearly a century of struggle, humanity reclaimed nearly half its former territory from the monsters.
The lands now reclaimed by humans were divided into thirteen regions, collectively known as the Thirteen Districts.
With the governor’s speech concluded, he departed.
The four school principals then took over, and soon the four awakening points were set up.
…
“Next comes the nerve-wracking, exhilarating Awakening!”
“By the way, Song, have you decided which profession you’ll pick? Have you made up your mind?”
Snapped out of his daze by a tap on the shoulder, Song Qi turned to see a dazzling white grin.
It was Wang Zihao, the monitor of Class 2.
A famous rich kid and “know-it-all” of the school.
He was a master of all school gossip. Though his academic scores were only average, his overall performance was undeniably excellent.
Yet throughout high school, whether in written or physical tests, Song Qi had always outperformed him.
Nevertheless, Wang Zihao maintained a great relationship with Song Qi.
As he put it: “For someone from Song Qi’s background to beat me in both academics and physical fitness, he must be truly extraordinary. If I don’t get on his good side now, I might never get another chance.”
“I’ve decided, but you’d never guess it,” Song Qi replied with a smile.
“I wouldn’t guess?” Wang Zihao looked surprised. “Don’t tell me… you want to be a Summoner?”
“Haha, just kidding—don’t look at me like that.”
He laughed and teased.
“I know you’d never pick Summoner. I think you’ll go for something like Battle Mage or Paladin—all-rounder types.”
“You always seem so versatile at school, after all.”
“All-rounder? I suppose you could call it that,” Song Qi said, stroking his chin.
The two chatted idly.
Time passed, and students awakened their professions one after another, though most results were mediocre.
After a while—
Boom!
A cheer erupted from the distance.
“Whoa! A-rank talent: Multiple Casting, and the profession is Mage? That’s unstoppable!”
“Who? Who awakened an A-rank talent?”
“It’s Gongsun Wuyue from First High!”
“Multiple Casting alone is powerful enough, and as a Mage? The First High principal must be grinning ear to ear—this year’s bonus is guaranteed!”
“So enviable—not just awakening a high-grade talent, but one that perfectly matches her profession.”
Wang Zihao scratched his head in confusion.
“Seriously? I thought Gongsun Wuyue was that bespectacled bookworm. She’s that talented?”
A B-rank talent was already worth investing in for today’s humanity.
An A-rank talent made one a prodigy of the new generation!
Every year, of the hundreds of thousands who awakened in all districts, only a few thousand managed to awaken A-rank talents.
Let alone one whose profession and talent were a perfect match.
“You know her?” Song Qi asked curiously.
“You don’t?” Now Wang Zihao looked astonished.
“She’s the only student in the Seventh District who’s kept a perfect score in theoretical courses for years.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember—it’s her.”
The image appeared in Song Qi’s mind: a petite, shy girl with round black glasses, always hugging a pile of books, cheeks flushing at the slightest provocation, still with a hint of baby fat.
A regular at the district library.
Song Qi had seen her there a few times while researching, but he hadn’t paid much attention—nor had they ever spoken.
No wonder he hadn’t recalled her at first.
“Wait, look—a big shot’s arrived.”
Everyone looked up.
A richly dressed lady descended from the sky and approached Gongsun Wuyue.
She was quickly recognized as the vice principal of Second High!
A high-level Mage, at least level sixty!
After a few words, the lady took Gongsun Wuyue away.
“Wow, the vice principal herself came to recruit her?”
“Envy! Why couldn’t it be me?”
“Tsk tsk, she’s probably going to take her on as a disciple. Gongsun Wuyue’s future is limitless now.”
“Shameless! The Second High vice principal came to First High to poach talent?”
“They had no choice. The First High principal and vice principal aren’t Mages—what, were they supposed to force Gongsun Wuyue to take an Assassin or Warrior as her mentor?”
“True.”
There was a brief ruckus at First High, but the principal soon restored order.
The awakening ceremony continued in an orderly fashion.
Gongsun Wuyue’s appearance seemed to start a trend, as several more A-rank talents soon appeared, though their talents and professions didn’t align as perfectly.
Thus, there was no repeat of the vice principal’s dramatic intervention.
Soon, it was Song Qi’s turn.
“Next, Song Qi from Class 4, Senior Year, Third High—please come to the stage.”