Rhys, Miles, and Cade arrived at the Ascenders Association headquarters in Meldom with excitement written all over their faces.This was the day they had been waiting for ever since they awakened.In a few hours, they would finally know what kind of future awaited them.As they joined the long line of newly Awakened teenagers waiting to be tested, the conversation naturally drifted toward universities and the costs that came with becoming an Ascender.Cade let out an irritated sigh.“You know, the more I think about it, the more this whole system feels like a scam.”Rhys looked at him with a grin.“Oh? Here we go.”“I’m serious,” Cade insisted. “Families that aren’t Ascenders aren’t even allowed to own more than one Tower Gold Coin. How are normal people supposed to save money?”He threw his hands into the air.“Then you look at the tuition fees. Any decent university on Floor Zero costs at least five to seven thousand Tower Gold every semester. There’s no way anyone from a normal fami

As more Ascenders Association staff rushed into the chamber, their attention was immediately drawn to Rhys’s back.No one looked at the unconscious boy for long.Their eyes were fixed on the mark that had appeared across his skin.For a moment, the room was completely silent.Then someone spoke in a trembling voice.“Tell me I’m not the only one seeing this…”Another official swallowed hard.“No… I see it too.”No one dared to step any closer.Spread across Rhys’s back was a massive black tattoo that stretched from his shoulders all the way down to his waist.Every line was impossibly precise.There wasn’t the slightest flaw in its design.It looked less like a tattoo and more like a masterpiece carved into his flesh by the hands of a god.At the center of the image stood a humanoid figure.It possessed two magnificent angelic wings, yet its face belonged to a devil.The contrast was unsettling.Everything in the mural was deep black except for two details.The first was the blood.Bri

Rhys slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a pounding headache that felt like someone was striking his skull with a hammer.His vision blurred for a few seconds before gradually coming into focus.Everything around him felt strangely distant.He blinked several times, trying to clear the dizziness clouding his mind.The first thing he noticed was the room.It was far too luxurious to be an ordinary hospital ward.The walls were spotless, expensive medical equipment surrounded the bed, and large windows allowed warm sunlight to pour inside.Then he noticed the people.His eyes widened.Sitting across from him near the window was Guildmaster Ren. The usually composed man leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, quietly watching him.Emma sat beside him, dressed as elegantly as always, looking every bit as professional as she usually did.On the other side sat another familiar face.Daren.The Vice Guildmaster of the Tigers Guild.One of the strongest Ascenders on Eart

Rhys was given two choices.The first was the path recommended by both Ren and Riley.He would enroll at the University for Nourishment of Young Talents as an ordinary student.His true talent would remain a closely guarded secret.His identity as the Champion of Sol would also be buried.The Association would publicly dismiss the leaked video as an elaborate fake. Every official statement would deny that the branding had ever happened, and over time, they hoped public interest would fade.Behind the scenes, however, Rhys would become one of the most heavily protected people on Earth.He would officially join the Tigers Guild, where an elite security team would be assigned to him at all times, both on Earth and inside the Tower.Only a handful of trusted people would know the truth.His SSS talent.His Champion’s Mark.Everything.The secret would stay hidden until Rhys himself decided he was strong enough to face everything that came with revealing it.Ren believed it was the safest p

A new home had already been prepared for Rhys.It was a sprawling mansion worth hundreds of millions of dollars, located beside the Church of Sol in Upside.The estate had originally housed more than twenty clergymen, but the moment the Church decided it would become the Champion’s residence, every one of them willingly moved out without a single complaint.None of them saw it as a sacrifice.To them, it was an honor.The mansion’s security was just as extravagant.More than a dozen elite Ascenders, each of them beyond Floor 40, were assigned to guard the estate day and night.Ancient runic formations surrounded the property, forming multiple layers of magical protection that could repel even powerful intruders.Pope Vincent had spared no expense.After what had happened to Violet, he refused to take even the smallest risk with Rhys’s safety.Rhys stood in the middle of the enormous entrance hall, staring at the luxurious interior with an expression that looked more troubled than impre