Late at night, the restaurant that had been abuzz with activity throughout the evening finally quieted down.


    Kael Vorn carefully gathered some of the more appealing leftover meat dishes. These were intended to be a special treat when taken home.


    Given his parents'' meager earnings, the family couldn''t afford to have meat every day.


    Once these leftovers were washed and stir - fried at home, they would be a welcome change for his younger brothers, offering them some much - needed additional nutrition.


    By the time Kael Vorn got home, it was well past eleven o''clock. His parents, who were still awake, were sitting in the small living room.


    Hearing the door open, Kael Vorn''s mother quickly stood up. She gently patted his clothes, attempting to remove any lingering dust.


    Then, she took the packed dishes from him and immediately headed to the kitchen to start cleaning them.


    His father gestured for Kael Vorn to sit down. "Did your teacher distribute the application form today?" he asked.


    "Yes, Dad. Here it is," Kael Vorn replied, pulling out the application form. He had already filled it out, leaving only the space for his parents'' signature before it could be submitted.


    His father took the form and stared at the densely - printed words, remaining silent for a while. Then, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "Have you really thought this through?" he inquired.


    "I have!" Kael Vorn nodded firmly.


    Through the billowing smoke, Kael Vorn noticed his father''s hand trembling slightly. Clearly, his father was far from calm.


    "Good! Son, you''re courageous. I''m certain you''ll succeed in Awakening the Spirit!" His father said, patting Kael Vorn on the shoulder with a warm smile.


    "Alright, it''s getting late. Go wash up and get some rest. You''ve got an early start tomorrow," his father added.


    Kael Vorn turned and made his way to his room. As he lay in bed, he could faintly hear his mother sobbing softly.


    Awakening the Spirit was far from a safe undertaking; in fact, it carried an extremely high mortality rate.


    Out of every ten participants, at least three or four would lose their lives. And among the survivors, only one or two would manage to successfully Awaken the Spirit and obtain an extraordinary physique.


    For children from poor families like Kael Vorn, Awakening the Spirit was a genuine life - or - death gamble. But it was also their sole opportunity to change their destinies.


    Success meant a chance to rise above their circumstances, while failure could prove fatal.


    It was understandable that his parents were worried, yet they didn''t want their concerns to influence their son.


    Kael Vorn pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. In the days to come, he needed to be in peak condition.


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    ...


    Early the next morning, Kael Vorn arrived at school. Along with the homeroom teacher, he entered the classroom where the classmates'' application forms were being collected.


    The homeroom teacher stood at the podium, carefully reviewing each form with a serious expression and sorting them into two piles. After a while, the teacher looked up.


    "Classmates, I''ve gone through your application forms. I''m glad to see that over forty of you in our class have chosen to participate in Awakening the Spirit.


    Let''s give them a round of applause!"


    Applause broke out in the classroom. Some students, their faces flushed with excitement, were those who had submitted the forms. Others wore somewhat uncomfortable expressions; these were the ones who hadn''t.


    In Kael Vorn''s class of over ninety students, nearly half had decided to take the risk and participate in Awakening the Spirit, a relatively high proportion.


    "Alright, students participating in Awakening the Spirit, stand up and follow me. The rest of you, stay in your seats," the homeroom teacher instructed, clapping his hands.


    Then, he led the standing students out of the classroom. Some of them felt a bit reluctant to part from their classmates but still followed the teacher determinedly.


    Before long, under the teacher''s guidance, they reached a new classroom.


    This would be their learning space after the class division. Here, they would delve into new knowledge, preparing for the upcoming Awakening the Spirit.


    Their curriculum now included a core course on basic Spirit Realm knowledge, along with two supplementary courses on physical training and wilderness survival.


    Meanwhile, for the students who remained in the original class, these courses would be replaced with others.


    ...


    Awakening the Spirit was a complex process with both straightforward and intricate aspects.


    The simple part was that once these students were exposed to the Spirit Realm''s aura in the days ahead, they would soon be affected by it.


    Subsequently, the Spirit Realm would spontaneously open a planar rift and draw them in.


    The complexity lay in the journey from Blue Star to the Spirit Realm. Traversing the vast expanse of space was extremely dangerous.


    Many would perish in the spatial tunnel. And even upon reaching the Spirit Realm, safety was far from guaranteed.


    The location where each newcomer materialized was completely random. Some might land in resource - rich areas, surrounded by valuable treasures, while others could find themselves in perilous spots, facing immediate danger from hostile Spirit Realm creatures.


    The unlucky ones might even be teleported into the ground, rocks, or a volcanic crater, meeting an instant death.


    This unpredictability was a major reason for the high casualty rate associated with Awakening the Spirit.


    The upcoming courses for Kael Vorn and his classmates were designed to inundate them with Spirit Realm survival knowledge, increasing their chances of making it through.


    Although they were starting to learn about the Spirit Realm now, their ability to retain and apply this knowledge was limited, so they could only focus on essential, general information.


    In addition to knowledge, physical training was also crucial. Once in the Spirit Realm, they couldn''t expect to return to Blue Star right away.


    Most would need to survive there for three to seven days. Thus, survival skills and physical fitness were of the utmost importance. Physical strength was a key factor.


    Unless they were teleported to certain - death locations, the students would have to find safe havens to protect themselves.


    In the Spirit Realm, a vast variety of creatures roamed.


    There was a well - known saying on Blue Star: "The most ruthless criminal on Blue Star is still more humane than the kindest spirit in the Spirit Realm."


    In the Spirit Realm, death was sometimes not the end. There were fates far more terrifying. Souls were often treated as playthings by some Spirit Realm beings, who derived pleasure from torturing both body and soul.


    This was especially true for these young students on the verge of Awakening the Spirit. Their vulnerable bodies were no match for the countless powerful entities in the Spirit Realm.


    ...


    In the following months, Kael Vorn and his classmates immersed themselves in intense studies.


    Their minds were filled with a flood of Spirit Realm knowledge, as if being force - fed.


    Morning classes were dedicated to knowledge acquisition, while afternoons were reserved for physical education.


    They engaged in various exercises, including long - distance and short - distance running, as well as combat training, steadily enhancing their physical fitness and combat skills.


    During this time, Kael Vorn even gave up his part - time job. His body, like a sponge, absorbed knowledge and sustenance, growing stronger day by day.