'Wasn't that the Academy?'
Mize's eyes widened slightly.
'A battle broke out there?'
A small, nagging feeling crept up the back of his mind, and before he could stop himself, he was already swiping over to the Academy's official forum.
His fingers tapped quickly, scanning the latest updates.
Then.
He let out a small breath of relief.
The awakening ceremony was still scheduled to take place. Security measures would be tighter than before, but everything was still on track.
Mize leaned back slightly, muttering under his breath.
"Don't care, don't know… as long as I can peacefully awaken, then nothing else matters."
Besides.
"The attacker wouldn't be stupid enough to go back to a highly protected area, right?"
He comforted himself with that thought.
Soon enough, the elevator reached his floor with a soft chime, the doors sliding open smoothly.
But the moment he stepped out.
His nose wrinkled instantly.
A strong, unpleasant odor hung in the air.
Mize frowned deeply, pinching his nose.
"The hell?"
His eyes flickered toward the corner of the elevator door, then up toward the ceiling of the corridor.
There.
A dark stain, almost unnoticeable against the dim lighting, stretched along the upper pipes.
"…Why is it so smelly up there?"
"No one else complained about this?"
His expression twisted in mild disgust.
"Is the pipe leaking or something?"
Whatever it was, he wasn't sticking around to find out.
He hurried down the hallway, escaping the foul scent quickly.
---
The next morning.
The city was eerily quiet.
The once-bustling streets, normally filled with morning rush-hour chaos, lay empty, a stark contrast to their usual energy.
Shops that would have opened their doors by dawn remained shuttered, and the towering skyscrapers stood silent, their reflective windows mirroring the gray morning sky.
Even the air itself felt heavier, as if the city was holding its breath.
Today was Wednesday.
And today was the Awakening Ceremony.
The government had urged citizens to stay indoors, limiting unnecessary movement for the sake of security.
As a result, the entire metropolis, a place that never truly slept, now stood in an unnatural stillness.
Only the occasional drone patrols hovered above the skyline, sweeping the streets below with cold, mechanical eyes.
The scene zoomed in, shifting from the vast, silent city to a single dimly lit bedroom.
It was a familiar space, one that exuded both scattered mess and a quiet neglect.
In the middle of the bed, Mize lay sprawled out, his body half-covered by the tangled silk sheets.
The alarm clock on the bedside table had already ticked past 9:00 AM.
Two hours left until the ceremony.
Yet, Mize remained motionless, still cocooned in the remnants of sleep.
He had spent almost the entire night preparing for today, checking and double-checking every little detail.
At one point, he had even received a small package in the mail.
The lucky potion.
A gift from Derek.
It was supposed to enhance one's fortune for twenty-four hours, a little boost for the upcoming ceremony.
Mize had downed it immediately, expecting nothing more than a bitter medicinal taste.
Only to be hit with the sharp tang of rainbow tarts, followed by an aggressive cough that nearly had him choking on air.
'Well, it worked'
Probably.
Soft beams of morning sunlight began to seep through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the room.
At first, the light was gentle, barely noticeable.
But then, as the sun continued its gradual ascent, the rays shifted, sliding through the thin gaps in the fabric, inching closer.
Until they finally reached the bed.
The warm light spilled over delicate, pale skin, illuminating the faint blue veins beneath.
His long, ink-black hair cascaded over the pillows, a silken waterfall flowing down the mattress.
Every breath he took was soft, his chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic motion.
The sheets were loosely draped over him, exposing one slender shoulder, while the rest of his body remained tangled in the fabric.
There was something fragile about the way he slept, like a porcelain doll, pristine, untouched, yet carrying an air of subtle fragility.
Then.
A faint twitch of his fingers.
A slow, unconscious shift in his breathing.
The light crept further up his face, brushing against delicate lashes, coaxing them into the slightest flutter.
Until, finally, Mize stirred.
A soft groan escaped his lips as he turned his head slightly, brows furrowing in mild irritation.
The warmth of the sunlight was persistent, teasing him out of sleep's embrace.
Then, slowly.
His ruby-red eyes cracked open, glistening faintly in the morning.
"It's bright…"
Mize lifted a hand, shielding his eyes from the invasive morning sunlight.
A small grumble left his lips.
"I should've shut the window."
With sluggish movements, he pushed himself up, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The mirror on the bedside table reflected the scene before him.
A breathtakingly beautiful girl, or rather, someone who should have been a girl, judging from the delicate silhouette.
Mize's long lashes fluttered like falling snowflakes, ruby-red eyes slightly hazy with sleep.
A tiny, sleepy yawn escaped his lips, his expression soft, fragile, and utterly charming without even trying.
Then.
A stretch.
His toes curled, arms reaching high above his head, body arching slightly as his muscles relaxed.
The fabric of his nightwear slid down his shoulder, revealing a stretch of milky white skin, the gentle morning light giving it the faintest tint of strawberry warmth.
Mize exhaled, shaking off the last remnants of grogginess, and his hovered the alarm clock on the side.
"Two hours left… enough time to prepare."
Rubbing his eyes, he swung his legs over the edge, slipping his feet into a pair of soft bunny slippers.
"Bath… bath…"
Still half-asleep, he shuffled toward the bathroom, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The cool morning air mixed with the lingering warmth of steam, causing a thin layer of fog to coat the bathroom mirror.
Mize lazily splashed water on his face, the coldness jolting him fully awake.
Then, with a hand wiping away the condensation, his reflection slowly became clearer.
He blinked.
Staring back at him was.
Perfection.
Or at least, something dangerously close to it.
'70 points gauge... What level was it again? Top beauty among the human race? And then once I reach 80, the beauty will reach inhuman?'
'Sounds crazy... ' he mused.
His once soft, boyish features had refined into something enchantingly delicate, his rosy lips, pale complexion, and large, expressive eyes exuding an almost doll-like quality.
With his long black hair framing his face, he truly looked like a porcelain beauty.
Mize poked his own cheek, feeling the coolness of his skin.
"Amazing… 70 beauty points really did change me a lot, huh?"
His head tilted slightly, studying himself with mild fascination.
Even this small movement, the way his hair gently swayed, the soft press of his fingers against his face, was naturally adorable.
A thought crossed his mind.
"I wonder how many point I currently have"
Mize summoned the status panel, and the moment his eyes landed on it.
A sharp gasp slipped past his lips.
"Quite the changes?"
[Personal Status Panel][Name]: Mize
[Race]: Human
[Title]: Goddess Awakening
[Awakening Status]: Unawakened
[Attributes]
Strength: 4Agility: 6Endurance: 5Spirit: 9Luck: 10 + (15) (Boosted by Lucky Potion – Expires in 24 Hours)[Beauty System]
Beauty Points: 70Cute: 60Charm: 64[Inventory]
Storage Ring (Mid-Stage Blue Grade) [10 cubic meters] – Holds various high-end fashion items, accessories, and four 5-star summoning cards.Lucky Potion Buff (Active) – Enhances luck for 24 hours.[Current Points]: 41,100
(Note: The exchange rate is 1,000 points per 1 Beauty increase. For physical attributes, 10,000 points per 1 increase.)
Mize stared hard at the screen.
He blinked.
Then, just to be sure, he splashed another round of cold water on his face, rubbed his eyes, and checked again.
Yep.
Still there.
His mouth tightened, eyes narrowing as he glared at the panel like it had personally insulted his ancestors.
"Yeah, it changed."
Then, without missing a beat.
"Hey, old fart, care to explain?"
[Host, it is rude to address this system in such a way.]
The system's voice was as calm as ever, but Mize could practically hear the judgment.
He snorted, brushing his wet bangs aside with mild annoyance.
"And you have been picking on me every chance you get."
Tch.
Mize spat into the sink, glaring at his own reflection.
What should have been an intimidating display lost all credibility when his reflection stared back at him with a loli mafia face.
The system coughed.
[Answering the host, the changes were made in preparation for the Awakening Ceremony.]
[Once the host successfully awakens, the system will detect it and update accordingly.]
[The old version was outdated, so this humble one has done the host a favor.]
Mize's lips twitched.
He was still giving the gangster glare, but even he had to admit.
"Yeah, but now I got another question for you."
He jabbed a finger at the screen.
"70 Beauty Points. How many per point is needed now?"
[…]
Silence.
Mize cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing further.
"You understand what I'm asking, right?"
A tense pause.
Then.
[It's a slight increase, Host.]
Mize's brows twitched violently.
"How much."
[…Slight.]
He inhaled deeply.
"Before my inner Asian comes out"
His sleeves rolled up, his stance dropped, and suddenly.
He started bouncing on his feet, throwing mock punches into the air.
Loli Gangster Mode: Activated.
The system finally caved.
[100 points per increase, Host.]
"..."
A long, defeated sigh.
Mize already expected this.
He could smell it.
The faint, rancid scent of capitalism.
"Enough of that," he huffed, waving a hand dismissively.
"Care to tell me why my title is 'Goddess Awakening'?"
A brief pause.
Then.
[Yes, Host. Please listen carefully.]
[It is confirmed with 100% certainty that there will be a mutation during the host's Awakening Ceremony.]
[The host is advised to remain calm at all times.]
Mize froze mid-motion.
His hands, which were undoing the last button of his shirt, paused.
"…Huh?"
Mutation?
[However, the system has already adjusted the Awakening Point.]
[The host's Awakening will now be classified as a Rare Initial Lord Profession.]
Mize relaxed slightly, returning to undressing.
"So… everything's been taken care of, huh?"
[Affirmative.]
Mize sighed.
"Good."
Then, without hesitation, he stepped into the bath.