Chapter 54: Responsibility as Hunters

Song Yuan stepped forward and introduced himself to the first-year students. "Students, my name is Song Yuan. I’m the vice principal of the Interstellar Ice Hunting Academy, and I will also be in charge of today’s Awakening Ceremony."

His voice wasn’t super loud, but with the use of magical energy, his voice still echoed clearly across the entire training field. The chatter among the students had somehow fallen silent, and most of the freshmen instinctively straightened their bodies, staring toward him.

Song Yuan looked toward the students, and his sight landed on those young, anxious faces for a while before he slowly said, "I know that you are all nervous today, and I also know what you are hoping for."

"I know that a lot of you hope to awaken as an A-Rank Hunter, or even as a S-Rank Hunter today, since that could lead to a higher possibility of joining one of the top-tier Hunter Organizations, allowing you to live with a stable life in the future. Of course, I know that there are also ones who just hope that they could at least awaken an ability in order to have the opportunity to change their lives."

Then he paused for a moment; a look of pain flickered through his eyes (as if he recalled something) and disappeared in the next second. "However, there is something that I would like to say to you beforehand. If your reason for awakening as a Hunter is to live a comfortable life without paying any price, then I must tell you that you have come to the wrong place, as that’s not how things work here."

"A Hunter who graduated from the Interstellar Ice Hunting Academy must be a hero who is capable of shouldering the responsibility of protecting humanity. They must be someone who has the courage to end every dungeon and return the world to peace. If anyone seeks only the former, then they may leave right now, as this is not the right place for you," he said, his voice sounding indifferent.

After Song Yuan finished his words, the entire training field fell into silence. The freshmen looked at each other; their smiles on their faces slowly disappeared; no one spoke at all.

Song Yuan’s expression was serious. He looked at them calmly, though it still gave the students a lot of pressure. "If you decide to leave right now, I will not look down on you for that. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a better life. However, I have to tell you that being a professional Hunter is totally different from any other job."

He slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the Awakening Stone being placed at the center of the training field. "I don’t care what rank you awaken today. Even if you awaken as an S-Rank Hunter, if you don’t have that belief in your heart, then please don’t waste the resources that our academy provides."

"Living your life as a Hunter is not that easy. From the moment you step into the dungeon, there would only be two things waiting for you. Monsters... and death."

He bit hard on those last words, ensuring that they reached the ears of every student present. "The dungeon won’t go easy on you just because you’re young, nor would it give you a second chance just because it’s your first time entering one. There are nothing but monsters, traps, and disasters waiting for you, trying to take your life. You can gain wealth and fame through completing high-tier missions, but always remember that you are a Hunter."

"So... remember this day. No matter what rank you awaken today, and no matter whether you ever become a powerful Hunter in the future, never forget the reason why you stepped into the Interstellar Ice Hunting Academy and why you decided to become a Hunter."

After finishing his presentation, Song Yuan took a step back and gestured for a teacher to take his place. "Alright, that’s all I have to say right now."

The serious expression on his face slowly disappeared. "And for how far you will go in the future... that would need time to prove," he said as he looked toward the Awakening Stone sitting on the awakening platform again.

"Now... let us begin."

After he finished speaking, the teachers began to arrange the first-year students to line up and prepare for the awakening process. Not long later, the first student stepped onto the awakening platform and with the teacher’s instructions, he placed a hand on the Awakening Stone.

Everyone’s sight was focused on him at the moment, which made him feel a bit nervous. In the next second, a glow slowly shone from the Awakening Stone, although it looked a bit dim.

The teacher beside him took a look at the stone and said, "D-Rank."

The smile on the student’s face froze immediately. The teacher who was in charge of registration seemed to notice his uneasiness and tried to comfort him. "Congratulations on awakening. Remember to go to the Hunter Center after school to register as a professional Hunter."

The student nodded sadly before he walked down the awakening platform as the teacher called the next student. She walked past the first student and took a deep breath before she placed her hand on the Awakening Stone. In the next second, a bright glow shone on the stone.

"B-Rank," the teacher announced.

The student opened her eyes, her face filled with disbelief, and said, "I’m B... I’m B-Rank?! I really became a B-Rank Hunter?!!" She immediately started jumping up and down in excitement.

Her friend was also shocked by what had happened. Just a few minutes ago, she was still thinking of ways to comfort her if she wasn’t able to awaken an ability, and now she found out that she became a B-Rank Hunter. However, she’s still happy for her and immediately gave her a hug when she went off the awakening platform.

Every few minutes, the Awakening Stone would glow, followed by another student stepping down from the platform. Some students’ expressions were filled with excitement while others looked disappointed. Whenever a B-Rank awakening appeared, it would immediately cause some noise among the crowd.