Chapter 2: Into The Unknown

While Karl was trying to find a way to awaken his powers, the guards were making the rounds, checking which new students were already awake. Those with the most powerful bodies always woke up first, but it had only been half a day of travel, and they weren't expecting anything yet. "Sir, there is one active room already. Room 12a, a boy named Karl, no family name recorded." The patrol guard reported back to his commander in the front of the train. "What is his class? Have we seen him activate any skills yet?" The General asked. "Nothing yet. He appears to have a nonstandard Class marking, three claw marks." The guard replied. The General gestured for his assistants to go look for the details on this class, but even after a few minutes had passed, there was still no news. Other markings in their records were close, but nothing exactly like that one was found. "Well, then he will have to awaken on his own. I hope that the boy has good luck or thick skin, he's going to need it if he turns in a blank sheet for his assignment when he gets to the Academy." It wasn't unheard of for a student to get the mark but fail to awaken their powers immediately, even if they followed the instructions. Some would have gotten a nonstandard starting skill, and some were just worthless at using the power that had been given to them. The General even recalled a case where a child had awakened the Mage class, but didn't have enough mana to cast any spells until nearly the end of the first semester. In the end, that student had proven to be a dismal failure, and had run away during a school outing to live the life of a commoner without ever getting past the beginning of the first level of his training. That was the fate of many of the students who never learned to awaken their skills. Either because they were completely unsuited to the abilities that they had received, or because they had a marking that no guidance could be issued for, like the three claw marks boy in room 12a. The Divine Serum was a modern invention, created after extensive research of an astonishing archaeological find at a holy site under an ancient World Dragon Cathedral had detailed the inner workings of an ancient Divine Device known as the System Stones. The device itself was broken, but an initially unidentifiable power within it remained. Using the stones as a guide, and after decades of study, the Serum had been created to attune humans to that power and give the Golden Dragon Nation a chance to overtake the military might of their neighbours and change the fate of their citizens. What did it matter if the Ocean People had water Magic to guard their ships against the rockets and guns of the Golden Dragon fleet? Now, they had mages of their own. Even if the untamed monsters of the Beast Lands attacked, they had warriors and guardians with powerful skills that could cut down the most ferocious magical creatures with ease. That was the strategic value of the Divine Serum, and the reason that every student who was found to be compatible was taken in by the military and intensively trained in the duties and responsibilities that came with being a protector of the nation. Life wasn't all military training and duty, though. If it were, there was an absolute certainty that the serum compatible and freshly empowered future guardians of the nation would rebel against authority and either turn traitor or stage a coup. So, they were treated as the legendary resources that they were, able to live in luxury all their lives on the condition that their power was enough to justify their salary. Once they could pass all the tests that the Golden Divine Academy placed before them, they would even receive official titles from the church, and a collection of legal and social benefits to match. Society had always belonged to the rich and powerful, but now the phrase had taken on an entirely different meaning. Karl was blissfully unaware of the topic of the observers' conversations, and while they were discussing the likelihood that he might not be able to awaken his powers in time to keep up with his classmates, Karl was preparing to ask the passing guards for advice. "Sir? Pardon me, but my skill marking doesn't seem to be in the book. Could I be missing a page?" He asked as the uniformed guard passed by again. "Not in the book, eh? Tough luck there, son. The book only covers the common markings, the ones that ninety percent of the new students get, but there are others possible. The injections are a mysterious divine force, and sometimes they give out results that nobody understands. The best I can tell you is to try everything, and whatever feels right probably is. If you're lucky, you'll awaken some powers before your classes start. Between me and you, you want to awaken those powers before you get to the Academy, the elite students are particular about the power rankings, and if you don't, you'll be starting school from the very bottom." "Thanks. But have you ever seen a marking like this?" Karl asked curiously. The Guard rolled up his sleeve and showed off the picture of a bear paw, the mark of a Druid, and according to the guide, a nature magic user with an affinity for animals. "Since it's a little like mine, and seems to involve animals, perhaps try things related to either animals, or unarmed combat. There isn't much you can do to attune with nature on a busy train, but the windows open a little if you need some fresh air. That's what I had to do, I couldn't awaken my powers without some attachment to nature. In fact, I didn't awaken them on the train at all, they woke up as soon as I touched the trees on the way to the Academy Gates." The guard explained. "Thanks for the help." Karl called as the guard walked away. He didn't seem to be big on talking, or perhaps he just didn't want to get Karl's hopes up. But the advice gave him something to go on.