The moment the teacher called Gonad’s name, his shoulders stiffened. A flicker of nerves passed through his eyes, but he kept his expression steady.

  Ha… it’s finally my turn.

  Gonad walked up to the altar.

  “Okay, place your hand on the Awakening stone,” Orkard said, guiding him as he had guided everyone else.

  Gonad’s palm touched the stone.

  A subtle chill spread through the air—cool, like mist over deep water—yet at the same time there was a heavy, rolling pressure, like unseen currents flowing all around them. Orkard’s eyes narrowed, trying to pin down the feeling.

  On the altar, Gonad murmured two words under his breath. “Tidal Dominion…”

  The phrase made Orkard’s expression sharpen. That settled it.

  “Awakened soul: Ocean Soul,” he announced. “Hybrid rare soul. Innate skill: Tidal Dominion.”

  The plaza exploded into whispers.

  “What? Even that average?looking guy awakened a rare hybrid soul? Ocean Soul?” Student 18 protested. “That’s not fair. Tsk. I bet I can awaken an even better soul. Now I’m getting confident.”

  Student 17 snorted. “You dumbass. Not just the soul—did you not hear Master Orkard mention the skill? Tidal Dominion. That’s the recorded skill that can balance the power difference between beasts or cultivators of the same level, if it’s learned and understood properly. To awaken that, your mind has to grasp fluidity and heaviness at the same time. You think you’ll get a rare soul just because someone else did? Tsk.”

  “You’ll see…” Student 18 muttered.

  “Student Eighteen, step up,” the teacher called.

  “Ha, coming…” He strutted to the altar and placed his hand on the stone.

  A faint, fluid aura flickered around him for a heartbeat.

  Ocean Soul again? Orkard thought—then shook his head. No. This is just water.

  “Water Soul,” he said aloud. “Innate skill: Water Bubble.”

  Student 17 laughed openly. “Wow, clean and clear. You really did awaken something ‘fluid’ like you said. But you accidentally picked a low grade, right? Hahaha.”

  Student 18 lowered his head and walked down, disappointment written all over his face.

  The ceremony moved on.

  “Next student.”

  “Wind Soul, Wind Blade.”

  “Teacher: Torc Harnel.”

  Torc stepped onto the altar and placed her hand on the stone.

  Instantly, the light around her flared in a familiar way. Many students recognized it—it matched the first Light Soul vision from earlier.

  “Light Soul,” Orkard confirmed. “Innate skill: Light Prism.”

  Students murmured in envy.

  “Oh man, she’s lucky.”

  “Light Prism is one of the top?grade skills among Light Soul techniques…”

  “Carg Capster,” the teacher called.

  Carg walked up and laid his hand on the stone.

  In just two seconds, the atmosphere warped. Light became dark, then flipped back. Shadows turned bright; the air felt solid for a heartbeat, then fluid again. Hot wind became cold and then hot again. Rules of the environment seemed to invert for an instant.

  Orkard’s eyes widened. He didn’t need to see any more. This wasn’t just something he had read about; he had witnessed a similar phenomenon once before—when the natural order’s rules bent for a second.

  “Awakened soul: Rune Soul,” he announced loudly. “Innate skill: Natural.”

  Only as he spoke did the deeper realization settle in: Rune Soul with Natural as the innate skill… that was a combination that belonged among the rare of the rare.

  Orkard looked directly at Carg. “Carg Capster,” he said, voice steady but urgent, “do you want to become my disciple? Not just mine—you would also receive teachings from my own master, who stands at the peak realm.”

  Carg’s composure cracked; happiness flashed in his eyes, but he hesitated. “Sir… I would like to discuss it with my family first.”

  “No problem,” Orkard replied. “Remember this: as far as I know, you are the first person in recorded history to awaken this specific combination. Under a good master, you will learn a lot and improve very quickly.”

  Carg bowed his head. “Yes, sir. I will definitely remember this.”

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  “Good. Then let us continue the ceremony.”

  The teacher consulted the list. “Next: Aarna Asval.”

  Aarna stepped onto the stage, expression calm. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Allens.”

  “Ha, I remember you,” Orkard said. “You’re Harina’s sister, right? Yes, it’s good to meet you again.” He nodded toward the stone. “Place your hand on it calmly.”

  She did.

  The air around the altar grew noticeably hotter.

  Students began whispering.

  “Oh ho, what a pity. She’s so pretty, but looks like her luck isn’t special after all.”

  “Maybe her understanding is just like ours, haha. I thought she’d awaken some rare soul like Aashna.”

  Others clicked their tongues. “Tch, I really thought she would be different…”

  Aashna, however, kept her eyes fixed on the altar without blinking. She felt something the others didn’t.

  The heat intensified. The sky above the stone took on a reddish hue. Most assumed it was just a stronger Flame Soul with a good skill—but the vision did not stop there.

  From the red sky, a small bud began to form, swelling and unfolding, all made of fire. Petals of flame bloomed outward, layer after layer, shaping into a burning lotus. From within its center, for a brief instant, something else tried to emerge—something most people missed, their eyes captured by the flaming lotus itself.

  “Fire Lotus Soul,” Orkard declared. “Combination soul.”

  At that exact moment, he heard Aarna’s voice, the words of Awakening escaping her lips—not the usual scattered whispers, but a single, heavy concept.

  “Nirvana,” she said quietly. “Liberation.”

  “Innate skill: Nirvana,” Orkard added, his tone more serious.

  He leaned closer, speaking only to her. “Always keep your mind calm, Aarna. Until you reach the Integration realm, you must be careful. The skill you’ve awakened is extremely advanced—normally used only by Ascendant?realm experts. You have it as an innate skill. Good luck.”

  Aarna nodded once. “Understood, Mr. Allens. I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you.”

  Some students were still staring, stunned. Others looked outright frightened.

  “That skill… if she loses control, we’ll be burned to a crisp…” someone muttered.

  “Next: Miron Tuberlin,” the teacher called.

  Miron walked to the altar with a pale face, remembering far too clearly his attempt to flirt with Aarna in class. He avoided looking in her direction and simply placed his hand on the stone.

  “Shadow Soul,” Orkard said. “Innate skill: Shadow Clone.”

  Miron’s shoulders relaxed instantly. Compared to many, a medium?grade soul and a strong skill were more than enough. His relief lasted—right up until he glanced down from the altar and saw Aarna speaking casually with WINI and Gonad.

  How dare that trash talk to my goddess, he thought, teeth grinding. After an awakening like that, she’s on another level entirely…

  “Next: Winay Hecksopian,” the teacher announced.

  WINI walked straight to the altar and placed his hand on the stone without hesitation.

  In just one second, the clouds above the altar split apart, as if something had cleared a path through them. Larger, billowing cloud?forms appeared, with light streaming between them like drifting rays. The pattern kept repeating—clouds forming, being cleared, then re?forming bigger, as though space itself were being folded and unfolded.

  It all happened within seconds, but it was enough. Students exchanged uneasy glances.

  Everyone knew from books and history records that such large?scale phenomena appeared only when unique?type souls awakened.

  Yet Orkard still watched, analyzing.

  Inside the mind space, WINI stood alone.

  There was no landscape, no ground, no sky—just empty space stretching in every direction. Many others in history had lost themselves here; whenever this phenomenon appeared, the Awakener’s consciousness was said to be staring directly at the “void behind the world,” something normally visible only to Ascendant?realm cultivators.

  WINI’s mind remained calm.

  There is always something. We just have to find it.

  He observed the emptiness, but there was nothing—only space, blank yet endless. Then the realization struck him.

  What I’m seeing is space. And at the same time, this is void.

  Understanding clicked into place. His soul was, without doubt, a Void Soul. But Awakening the soul was only the first step; now came the harder part—awakening an innate skill.

  His mother’s words surfaced in his memory.

  “Void is eternal… and at the same time, void is nothing.

  Space is everything… and at the same time, space is nothing.”

  He turned those lines over and over, trying to grasp them fully. Still, the void showed him nothing. No shapes, no paths. Just pure existence that refused to change.

  Then, slowly, another thought formed.

  If nothing that enters the void changes it—not even by a fraction—does that mean anything that falls into it is treated as nothing? Actions, attacks, phenomena… all canceled, all erased?

  Void doesn’t react. It cancels.

  That tiny shift in understanding—barely a fragment, perhaps a quarter of what his mother hinted at—was enough. It gave him the mental foothold to shape a concept.

  A skill that does what void does.

  A skill of pure cancellation.

  Outside, the vision had grown larger. To the watching students, it looked as if space itself were collapsing for an instant, and WINI’s figure on the altar blurred—vanishing into the phenomenon for a heartbeat, then reappearing. Most assumed it was part of the vision and kept their eyes locked on the sky, not on his expression.

  Only when the phenomenon finally subsided did everyone’s gaze fall back to the altar.

  “Awakened soul: Void Soul,” Orkard declared. “Innate skill: Cancellation—‘Cancel’ for short.”

  Silence fell like a curtain.

  “What kind of skill name is that?” someone whispered. “This is the first time I’ve heard anything like it.”

  Orkard’s expression was complicated. “Listen,” he said, addressing WINI but loud enough for others to hear. “Do not lose hope just because of this soul. Even though Void Soul is a unique type, there are very few records praising it. Most cultivators who awakened Void Souls lived ordinary lives, following standard cultivation paths without relying much on their soul. But that does not mean it is worthless. You understand?”

  WINI met his gaze. “Okay, Sir Orkard. I’ll remember. Thank you.”

  From the crowd, Peble’s voice rang out, grating and loud. “Hahaha! Trash awakened a trash soul! Uhuhuhaha! What else is it? ‘Cancel’ means his own skill cancels itself before it even activates, uhuhuhaha!”

  His two followers roared with laughter beside him.

  “Silence,” the teacher snapped. “Do not make noise during the ceremony.” She turned to WINI, her tone softening. “WINI, don’t worry. This isn’t everything. You still have many ways to grow stronger. Be firm.”

  WINI honestly had no idea why she was trying so hard to comfort him—but he nodded anyway. “Understood, Teacher.” He stepped down from the altar.

  “WINI… are you okay?” Gonad asked quietly.

  “Oh, keep that sympathetic look to yourself,” WINI replied. “I know what I awakened better than anyone, don’t I? So stop. I’m satisfied with my Void Soul.”

  From somewhere in the crowd, two faint sighs rose at the same time.

  “Ha… worried for nothing,” someone muttered.

  The ceremony continued.

  “Peble,” the teacher called.

  He strode up confidently and placed his hand on the stone.

  “Stone Soul,” Orkard said flatly. “Innate skill: Stone Throw.”

  Gonad couldn’t help it; he laughed out loud. “Looks like the trio all awakened the same soul type. What should we call them? Stone Gems?”

  Many students joined in the laughter. Peble’s face went dull with despair.

  One by one, the remaining students awakened their souls. By the end of the ceremony, roughly three?quarters had gained common?grade souls; the remaining quarter awakened medium or rare types—and among them, a single unique soul stood apart.

  Void Soul.