In a class full of the heirs of elites, Ben was desperate to prove that the Todds were more than just some merchants who made a fortune based on pure luck.

  Grinning, Ben could already see the stunned faces of his peers when they trembled in fear as they saw his bloodline. After all, his family has spent a good chunk of their money to get the winning bid on this bloodline.

  The chamber filled with smoke, slowly dissolving the black crest on the back of his hand. Like open floodgates, pure power poured out, Ben's muscles swollen up with strength.

  Laughing maniacally, he felt his strength surge as he envisioned the envious gazes of his peers. Green emerald-like scales began to cover his skin. His fingernails fell off, the sharp claws of a lizard replacing their place.

  His pants stretched before ripping, and a strong, muscular tail swung around like a slithering snake. Jaws slowly ripping open, it was slowly transforming into the snout of a draconic lizard.

  Feeling his evolution, Ben cackled. This was it. He was finally going to make a name for himself.

  But as a few seconds passed, he realized that something was wrong.

  The strength that was generated by the bloodline was still accumulating, but there was only so much his body could hold.

  Pounding on the glass, he tried to signal to Arthur that he was losing control. But when he saw Arthur's cold stare, Ben knew that he was done for. It was he who ignored the advice from Arthur.

  As Ben kept pounding on the glass, the other students finally realized that something was wrong with Ben.

  Seeing that the instructors weren't going to help Ben, Sean rushed towards the glass chamber. The grotesque look of the abomination who was once called Ben stunned Sean for a split second.

  Regaining his composure, Sean signaled for Ben to put on the suppression bracelet. With what was left of his sanity, Ben barely slipped his scaly wrist through the tight bracelet.

  As the suppression bracelet began to work its wonders, the green humanoid lizard slowly shrunk down back into Ben's human form.

  Tumbling to the ground with his heart thumping with fear, Ben thanked Sean with tears streaming down his face.

  "Get back in line immediately," Arthur shouted sternly, warning Sean. "I did your job, and that's how you thank me?" Sean replied, not believing how shameless the instructor was acting.

  Once the suppression bracelet was activated, the glass chamber slowly depressurized as it began to open. "Get back!" Nightingale shouted, losing her cool.

  Still deciding to ignore the orders, Sean was going to step inside the chamber to help Ben. But before he could react, a green flash struck his chest, sending him tumbling back with broken ribs.

  Some of the students screamed in fear as they saw a nasty wound stretching across Sean's chest.

  "Help me, help me," Ben mumbled, crawling towards the glass doors. "Sir, do we need to manually close the chamber?" one of the assistants asked.

  "Leave it open," Arthur said, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a golden suppression bracelet.

  As he walked towards the glass chamber, he began to lecture the class. "There is a fine line between temptation and opportunity. This is what happens when you cross the line," Arthur said, standing in front of the glass doors.

  As Ben emerged from the white smoke, the whole class gasped in terror. Blood was seeping out from his eyes. "Hungry," Ben hissed through his jagged fangs, as emerald scales began to cover his body once again.

  The suppression bracelet on his wrist shone brightly before shattering. Roaring like a dragon, the monster lunged towards Arthur.

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  Ignoring the snarling beast that was aiming to rip off his face, Arthur continued with his lecture.

  "Once you leave your ivory towers, this is what you will be confronted with. You are either going to be terrified to death for being too weak or delighted that you have the strength to combat these monsters. I sincerely recommend the latter," Arthur said. His golden bracelet suddenly glowed red.

  Before Ben could rip off Arthur's head, he suddenly felt a strong force slam him right to the ground. Arthur's hand suddenly turned pitch black, and the force intensified, pushing him harder and harder into the ground as the tiles under him cracked.

  The class was in awe, seeing a monster who sent Sean flying with a single swipe being taken down so easily by Arthur.

  None of the students knew what powers Arthur had; no one except for Nathan. Though Nathan had heard stories, seeing the power of a gravity specter still shocked him.

  But Arthur wasn't done with his small lecture. He lifted Ben by his throat. "All of you have a large chance of encountering ferals once you enter the fields. Remember, there is only one way to deal with ferals," he said coldly as he tightened his grip. The seven-foot lizard was convulsing in agony as the hand on its throat clamped down.

  Within a split second, Ben's throat was crushed by Arthur's deadly grip. The lifeless corpse fell to the ground, eyes wide with fear.

  "Once they are taken over by their bloodlines, they are no longer humans. It doesn't matter who they were before becoming feral. Exterminate immediately or many more would suffer," Arthur said, with a hint of sorrow behind his eyes.

  The once cheerful atmosphere was replaced by a sense of dread. The kids finally realized the price that came with wielding such powers. The abilities came with a price, a price that some of them might not be able to afford.

  Seeing the solemn mood of the kids, Nightingale tried to lighten up the mood. "Just remember to have on your suppression bracelets at all times, and you will be fine," she said with a shade of optimism, while simultaneously healing Sean's broken ribs easily.

  "We shall resume with the awakenings," Arthur said, picking up the clipboard he had dropped earlier when facing Ben.

  With no one volunteering for the next awakening, Arthur decided to call random names from the list. "Elise," Arthur called out, surprised that there was someone without a family name.

  Looking at the girl nervously walking towards the chamber, Nathan could only imagine the pressure she must be feeling.

  Unlike the other classmates who were from renowned families or rich merchants, Elise was the only one in the class who came from the outskirts. She was different. She was allowed to join despite her background, all because of her pure talent and hard work.

  But now, with the awakening, everything could change. If she awakens a weak bloodline, her low potential will be deemed unworthy of the government's investment.

  Her hand was still trembling as she stood inside the glass chamber. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down as the white gas began to cloud everything.

  Elise felt her consciousness being tugged out of her body, and she instantly panicked. She had read so much about how you should guide the power through your veins and other similar textbooks on awakening, but no book said anything about losing consciousness. Was she about to turn into a monster just like Ben?

  As she opened her eyes, she found herself in pure darkness. The smell of rust instantly flooded her nose. She was much too familiar with that smell. It was the smell of death and chaos.

  The darkness was suddenly exiled by a crimson moon. The full moon dyed the burnt earth beneath her feet bright red.

  The beam of moonlight lit up a blood-red trail in front of her, almost like a red carpet welcoming her arrival. Following the glowing path, she found herself in front of a withered tree that reached high into the night sky like a skeletal hand.

  Circling on top of the trees was a whole unkindness of ravens. Their pitch-black bodies took on a red tint as they reflected the blood-red moonlight.

  As she carefully approached the dead tree, a large bird suddenly appeared right in front of her. It was the skeleton of a bird with small patches of rotten flesh clinging to the bones, but it was almost three times the size of Elise.

  Instead of freaking out, Elise felt a sense of warmth residing inside the hollow holes where the raven's eyes once were.

  "I have been waiting for your arrival," the skeletal bird spoke, its voice wise but indifferent. "You are now one of the kin of the Queen of Ravens. Your fears will be no more when you wake up. Remember, hatchling, a raven always takes what they want, be it with force or with wit," the raven said before vanishing.

  Opening her eyes once again, Elise was covered by dark feathers. "Impossible," Nightingale exclaimed. Her nymph bloodline was trembling because of the aura of death surrounding Elise.

  "A-grade bloodline of unknown Corvidae deity, unknown transformation," Arthur said with disbelief. Whatever bloodline Elise awakened, she would probably become one of the greatest warriors in the city.

  But what followed shocked Arthur even more, to the point that he finally lost his calm demeanor. Without putting on the suppression bracelet, the black wings that sprouted from Elise's back disappeared. She returned to her normal form without the assistance of the bracelet.

  "Perfect integration," Nightingale mumbled. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Suppression bracelets were used to limit one's bloodline to their own body's limits.

  But for some, their mind and body would be able to accommodate their bloodline's requirements. This phenomenon was named perfect integration, which was not that uncommon with weak bloodlines but rare with strong ones.