The BeginningTwo hundred years ago was the beginning of a new change. A mysterious force had appeared, and a ranking system was placed on everyone. Because of this mysterious force, society began to change. People's values started to change, and the structure of the social ladder also changed. At the age of eighteen, one would receive their rank. When ranked, one would look at the user's number. The lower the number, the better it is. The current world population is twenty billion people. Meaning that out of those twenty billion, your ranked number will be ranked out of those twenty billion. The lower the ranking, the better it is. What makes these rankings so important is the prize that they give. Every month prizes from money to power to influence will be given according to one's ranking. These prizes could help increase one's ranking and help one get a better prize. There were many rankings. Such as power ranking and charm ranking, and the most important ranking is the overal

New MeFor the first time, I went outside without being stared at for the wrong reason. It felt good. Everyone that was looking at me was either my face or my rank. Without any distractions, I arrived at the bakery. Checking out the cake stand, there were various kinds that I was interested in taking. "Could I take the chocolate cake?" It was rare for me to eat anything that had chocolate in it. I had a sweet tooth, but it was a shame that I fulfilled my needs. "That would be 55 dollars." The cashier, who was female in her near twenties, smiled at me. I couldn't tell if she was interested in me or valued me as a customer. It was rare for someone to smile at me. My heart started to hurt, seeing that the cake was expensive. But today was my day. And I'm going to do my best to celebrate it. Taking out my money, I handed it over to her. I had six thousand dollars in my bank. For someone who was working for three years, that was pitiful. "You must be strong for someone your age."

Testing My Skill (pt1)"Oh?" The blond little girl looked intrigued by what she had just heard. She grinned wickedly, hearing what my ability could do. She did seem like a spiteful person, so she must have had many enemies who she would want to have some misfortune. "Is your power at the rank of EX ?" "Yes, it is." "Then do you know its limitations?" "No, I just found out what my ability was yesterday." "Found out? Does it mean that you have had it since you were born?" She was pretty sharp in finding the meaning of what I had said. There is a reason why she is a big boss with her personality. "Yes." "I see. Then let's do a little test." Test? I wanted to try the limits of my abilities, but do they have people I could use it on? "Is there someone I could use it on? Cause I really don't think anyone would want me to use it on them here." "Oh, you shouldn't worry about it. They don't have a choice, just go ahead and use your ability on them." The adult world sure is sca

Linsey had instantly teleported me back to my house. The familiar peeling wallpaper and the faint stench of mold greeted me like an old enemy. I stood there for a while, dazed. My body still tingled from the teleportation spell.“Damn… she really threw me back without warning,” I muttered, rubbing my arms. The apartment was silent, except for the faint hum of the refrigerator that hadn’t died yet.I slumped onto my worn couch, staring at the cracked ceiling. Everything that had happened signing that cursed contract, seeing people die in front of me, being treated like a living weapon felt unreal. But the mark glowing faintly on the back of my hand reminded me that it was all true.A red sigil shaped like a broken crown pulsed under my skin.I exhaled slowly. “Obedience, huh… well, at least she’s paying me enough to forget morality.”I dragged myself up and opened the fridge. Half a bottle of water. Nothing else. The reminder of how poor I was before all this hit me again. That was goi

Morning came too quickly.I was awake long before the bell tower rang, sitting on the edge of my bed with the invitation still folded in my hand. The wax seal of the Academy Council glimmered faintly in the dim light.I could feel it even before the system confirmed it someone had placed a tracking charm on the paper.“Typical,” I muttered. “Invite me to a meeting and then spy on me before I even get there.”Leo stirred in his sleep across the room. I dressed quietly, sliding my badge onto the collar of my jacket. The mirror showed a face that looked calmer than I felt. Beneath the surface, my pulse drummed with anticipation.Private evaluation, I thought. Let’s see what they really want.The Council building sat on the highest terrace of the academy, a slab of black stone surrounded by glass towers. Security drones floated above the steps, their crimson eyes scanning every ranker who approached.A woman in a grey uniform waited by the entrance. “Kyle Palmer, Section C. You’re expecte