[You have completed your Specialized Class quest.]

[It is time to choose among the options that will appear in front of you.]

Karl and Celeste had been waiting for this moment.

Ever since they had reached level 20 and received their quest, it had been in the back of their minds, a constant reminder that their efforts would one day be judged.

Now, after what felt like an eternity, they had finally reached the [Awakened City], completing their objective.

The system had made it clear that their performance throughout the previous floors would determine their choices.

But since neither of them had been given any direct feedback along the way, there was no way of knowing just how well they had done.

[Judging performance...]

[Selection is being decided...]

A tense silence fell between them as they exchanged a glance.

The uncertainty made Karl uneasy, but looking around, he quickly realized they weren't the only ones experiencing this.

All around them, other awakeners were staring at the same floating panels.

It made sense—after all, the fifth floor was unique.

Unlike the ones before it, this floor wasn't isolated but interconnected with every other [Awakened City] across the world.

That meant that every single person who had reached this stage was now present in this same space.

Karl let out a slow breath.

It was a strange feeling, standing among so many people who had also come this far.

But there was no time to dwell on that.

While waiting for their results, he and Celeste decided to explore the city.

The [Awakened City] was massive, easily large enough to hold 50,000 people.

The streets stretched far into the distance, lined with buildings, restaurants, and various shops that gave it the appearance of a functioning metropolis.

Yet, something about it felt… off.

It wasn't empty—far from it.

There were people everywhere, yet the city itself lacked something.

It was hard to explain, but Karl couldn't shake the feeling that it was more of a construct than a real place.

There was even a sky above them, a soft blue expanse that made it feel like they had stepped into another dimension.

But the illusion was broken by the sight of the dark void barrier encircling the city's edges, a constant reminder that this was still part of the Tower.

[You have entered the first Checkpoint.]

[The Tower's Tutorial ends here.]

Karl wasn't surprised.

The fifth floor was well-known as the first true milestone in an awakener's journey.

Unlike the previous floors, this place served as a reset point of sorts—a place where people could prepare before continuing their climb.

As they continued walking, another system message appeared.

[Once someone clears a checkpoint, they aren't allowed to return to it ever again, no matter what.]

That made Karl pause.

"You can go back to previous floors, but checkpoints are off-limits?" he muttered under his breath.

"Why?"

Celeste frowned.

"Maybe it's because these are safe zones. If you could return anytime, people might abuse it somehow."

Karl considered that.

It made sense—after all, unlike other floors, the [Awakened City] was a place where awakeners couldn't harm one another.

That alone made it valuable.

But at the same time, what if this was just the rule for this checkpoint?

Perhaps later ones wouldn't have the same protection.

Regardless, Karl tucked the information away for later.

He had more pressing matters to worry about—namely, the fact that the entire city was full of people, yet no one seemed to know how to advance to the sixth floor.

It wasn't just him and Celeste.

Everyone else seemed just as lost.

That fact alone was troubling.

"I think we've seen everything," Celeste said after about fifteen minutes.

"There's not much left besides figuring out how to climb."

Karl nodded in agreement.

The city was spacious, but at the same time, it felt… incomplete.

As if it had been built to serve a purpose but lacked life.

He couldn't explain it, but something about the atmosphere made him uneasy.

Before he could dwell on the feeling any longer, a new notification appeared.

[Selection has been made.]

[A word representing your journey until now will be given to you. Several options will appear beside it to complete your class. Choose the one that fits you best.]

Karl's brows furrowed.

A word representing his journey?

He barely had time to process the message before another panel appeared.

[You have proven to know what you were doing, thus making you a "Master" of your path.]

Ding!

[Select the option to complete your Specialized Class:]

[Master of ?????]

Karl's eyes widened slightly.

'Oh… so that's how it works.'

The system had analyzed everything he had done up until now and assigned him a title based on that.

But it wasn't complete—he would have to finish the name himself by choosing from a set of options.

It was an interesting way to handle class selection.

[Here are your five options. Choose wisely.]

[Evolution][Training][Control][Light][Death]

Karl stared at the list, his mind racing.

So if he chose [Death], his class would be [Master of Death].

If he chose [Light], it would be [Master of Light], and so on.

He immediately understood the weight of this decision.

This wasn't just a minor upgrade—this choice would define his entire future in the Tower.

He needed to be careful.

'It's hard to pick… I'll have to go by elimination and try to figure out what each one truly means.'

Another message appeared.

[You cannot seek help from anyone outside the Tower. If you leave before choosing, a random option will be assigned to you.]

That made sense.

If people could ask outside experts, they would simply consult masters of specialized classes and get the best possible choice.

This forced awakeners to rely on their own judgment.

Karl turned to Celeste.

She was deep in thought, staring at something in front of her.

It was clear she was also choosing her options.

"It says we can't ask for help outside, but it should be fine within the fifth floor, right?" Karl said with a small smile.

Celeste looked at him before nodding.

"I think so."

She swiped her hand, allowing him to see her panel.

[Select the option to complete your Specialized Class:]

[????? Mind]

Karl blinked.

"Oh, it's different from mine!"

Excited, he shared his own panel with her.

Celeste's eyes widened as she realized the key difference.

For her, the word she had to choose was at the beginning, while for him, it was at the end.

That confirmed something important—not all specialized classes followed the same format.

"Not all specialized classes are unique," Celeste noted.

"Some people can pick the same one, but I think doing well guarantees a higher rank for it."

Karl nodded.

That made sense.

He then looked at Celeste's options.

[Here are your five options. Choose wisely.]

[Chaotic][Serene][Explosive][Determined][Hopeful]

A smile tugged at Karl's lips.

"Your options fit you as a mage. The mind is important for magic, after all."

Celeste exhaled.

"Yeah… but that means I can't afford to choose the wrong one."

Karl understood that feeling all too well.

She wasn't the only one facing a difficult choice.

They both needed to decide carefully, because once they made their choice, there was no going back.

Karl clenched his fists.

He had come too far to make a mistake now.

"Alright," he muttered, steeling himself.

Here goes.

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