Chapter 1: Academy

In a classroom, a teacher explained the topic of study to the students present. The room was quite spacious, accommodating approximately forty students. In the last row, a 15-year-old boy with black hair and brown eyes listened attentively. He was about 5'6" tall. To his right sat a frail boy of the same age with blond hair and rare green eyes, standing at 5'1".

"Zakir, what do you plan to do after classes?" asked the frail, blonde-haired boy. Zakir, who was focused on the lecture, turned his head toward his friend and said, "Jack, I've been saving points for the gravity training room for a whole year. I think I've saved enough. I'll train there today."

Jack's shoulders slumped with disappointment. Zakir was his only friend in the academy, and they were also dorm mates. Jack was very weak, and no one else wanted to be friends with him except Zakir, who had saved him from bullies on more than one occasion. Zakir was not weak; in fact, he was very strong for a normal human, but this was an academy for Awakeners, who were typically much stronger than average. Awakening was an artificial process requiring an awakening stone. Some people refused the awakening stone from the academy for various reasons. Most often, it was because they had an aptitude for magic and chose that path instead.

Zakir's reasoning for refusing the awakening stone was different. Accepting it from the military academy meant automatic conscription upon graduation, and he was unwilling to compromise his freedom. He wasn't from this world and wanted to explore Zamar freely. Military life would likely restrict that freedom.

"Plus, I also want to find the best awakening stone for myself," Zakir thought.

After classes ended, Jack headed to his room alone, while Zakir made his way to the training section of the academy. The academy was vast, almost as large as a small village, situated in a remote location for reasons unknown to Zakir.

Upon arriving at the training section, Zakir went straight to the gravity control room. He chose an empty room and entered. Inside, a controller displayed the number "1," indicating normal gravity. Zakir checked his stats before adjusting the gravity.

“System, show my status.”