100X Returns System: I Dominate the Age of Gods

Chapter 394. A chance to change lives - 1

The training grounds of the city guards looked very different from their usual state today. Instead of soldiers drilling with weapons or officers barking commands across the field, a large gathering had been organized beneath the open sky.

Several city officials stood upon a raised podium, carefully directing the crowd and arranging the attendees into orderly rows.

As more people arrived, the atmosphere gradually shifted. Conversations died down as instructions spread through the gathering.

Officials moved quickly between the lines, reminding everyone to remain silent and maintain proper posture. The sense of anticipation grew heavier with every passing moment.

Standing before the podium were several thousand youths, all of them approaching the age when they would undergo their awakening within the next year. Most were thirteen years old, with only months remaining before the event that would determine the course of their futures.

The announcement that the newly appointed Crown Prince of the Eternal Sun Empire would personally address them had drawn an unprecedented crowd.

Yet despite the significance of the occasion, hope was a rare sight among the assembled youths.

Most of them came from poor families. They did not belong to noble bloodlines, warrior clans, or influential households blessed with generations of cultivation and resources. Their clothes were worn, their frames thin from years of hardship, and their expectations painfully modest.

For many of them, simply surviving the awakening process without complications would already be considered fortunate.

The restless murmurs that lingered throughout the crowd suddenly disappeared. Footsteps echoed from the direction of the platform. Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.

A young man slowly ascended the stairs leading to the podium, and the moment he appeared, countless eyes widened.

The youths had never seen someone carry such an aura before.

It was difficult to explain. It was not merely confidence, nor was it simply authority. His presence seemed to naturally command attention, causing people to unconsciously straighten their backs and focus on him.

Following behind him was an entire procession of important figures. Senior officials, military officers, and noble representatives all accompanied him. Among them stood the City Lord himself, a figure many commoners would never have the opportunity to see in person.

The robes worn by the young man were exquisitely crafted, embroidered with patterns so intricate that many of the children had never seen anything comparable.

Most of them immediately guessed his identity. The few who still harbored doubts received confirmation a moment later.

As soon as the young man reached the center of the platform, a loud announcement rang throughout the training grounds.

"The Crown Prince of the Eternal Sun Empire has arrived!"

The declaration echoed across the field. A ripple of shock swept through the gathering.

William calmly walked to the center of the stage and allowed his gaze to drift across the sea of faces below him. Thousands of children stared back.

While traveling through Veridian Province, William had reached a simple conclusion.

Since he was already here to address the tribal situation and stabilize the region, he might as well begin laying the foundation for something far more important.

Talent recruitment. Most people only paid attention to individuals after their awakenings.

William knew better.

From the very moment he had arrived in this world, he had possessed knowledge that most people lacked. He knew that the awakening process was not entirely random. The condition of the body before awakening could significantly influence the final result.

Unfortunately, ordinary people knew nothing about such matters.

Children born into noble families received training, nutrition, and specialized guidance from an early age. Commoners spent those same years working in fields, carrying heavy loads, or performing labor simply to help their families survive.

Many of them suffered from chronic malnutrition. Their bodies never developed properly.

Their potential was diminished before they were ever given a chance to discover it.

Today, William intended to begin changing it. And Veridian Province would be the first place where that change started. After allowing the silence to settle, William finally spoke.

"I believe introductions are unnecessary at this point."

"My identity is already known to all of you."

"I do not intend to waste time with empty speeches or meaningless promises. The opportunity I am about to present will only benefit those capable of recognizing its value. Whether you choose to act upon it or not will be entirely your decision."

Many of the youths exchanged uncertain glances. They did not know what to expect.

William’s gaze swept across the rows before him.

"But before I speak of that opportunity, let me ask all of you a question."

His voice became slightly firmer.

"When I look into your eyes, I see no expectations for the future. I see no ambitions. I see no dreams."

"I only see exhaustion. None of you breathe as children should. Your shoulders are tense. Your eyes are wary. You stand here as if life has already taught you to expect only disappointment."

A few heads lowered unconsciously.

"Perhaps that is understandable."

His voice softened. "From the day you were born, most of you have known only struggle."

"You have experienced hunger. Many of you have gone to sleep on empty stomachs. Many of you have endured winters wondering whether your families would survive until spring."

The crowd’s expressions slowly changed.

"Your bones have never known the comfort of a proper bed. Your tables have rarely held enough food. For most of your lives, survival has been a greater concern than dreams."

The youths frowned in confusion. They still could not understand where the Crown Prince was leading them. Was he mocking them?

William allowed the silence to linger before continuing.

"I am sure at least some of you have already realized a simple truth that there is no guarantee of another life beyond this one."

The field became deathly still.

"No one truly knows what awaits beyond death."

His voice echoed through the training grounds.

"No one knows what tomorrow holds. No one knows whether they will die from illness, from hunger, from cold, or simply from misfortune."

Several children instinctively clenched their fists. The words struck painfully close to reality. For them, even basic survival was not something fully guaranteed.

"Tell me."

William’s voice rose.

"Have you never wondered why life appears so unfair?"

The crowd looked toward him.

"Why do some people soar through the skies while others spend their entire lives struggling for a piece of bread?"

"Why are some born with every advantage while others fight from the moment they take their first breath?"

Beside him, Derek felt cold sweat forming on his forehead. Several officials shared similar expressions. They could hardly believe what they were hearing.

"Is His Highness trying to start a rebellion against his own empire?" one of them wondered silently.

Even though many of them were not personally responsible for the hardships faced by ordinary citizens, they understood something fundamental.

When poverty worsened, people rarely blamed circumstances. They blamed those who ruled.

Meanwhile, William continued without hesitation.

"Do you believe life is fair?"

His voice thundered across the grounds.

This time, something changed. The youths below were no longer merely listening.

The words had reached them. The frustrations they had buried for years began stirring within their hearts.

William watched their reactions carefully.

Then, after allowing the silence to stretch for several moments, he spoke one final sentence.

"Anyone who wishes to bridge the distance between the sewers and the skies may step forward."

That was the last thing William said before turning quiet.

Meanwhile, among the crowd, waves of murmurs spread quickly; the words had been truly uplifting, but the guts to step forward were a different thing entirely.

Not everyone had the guts to step forward in front of the crown prince and the city lord, not that they had been oppressed in any way; it was just an instinct passed on from their parents who had lived in oppression by the church.

Still, not all stones were rocks; some were gems too.

Slowly, the hesitation began breaking apart. One by one, children stepped out from their rows. Their movements were uncertain at first, but determination gradually replaced fear.

They came from different backgrounds and different families, but they all shared one thing. They genuinely wished to cross the impossible distance between the gutters and the heavens.

William watched quietly as more than a few hundred children stepped forward.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He nodded, feeling satisfied with the responses, and observed the ones who had stepped forward with omniscient eyes. He noticed their destiny halos suddenly turn brighter than the ones who had hesitated.

"Very well, the rest can leave while the ones who stepped forward may stay," William ordered.

Another wave of confusion and fear spread; yet under William’s aura, everyone who was ordered to leave left at once. Now, out of the thousands, only a few hundred remained.

William addressed them. "Congratulations, you have taken the first step towards the skies."