A sea of 1,000 elite students from various prestigious academies had gathered in the city's Grand Coliseum for the Awakening Ceremony, while millions more tuned in worldwide to watch.The air crackled with anticipation, the weight of destiny pressing upon every young soul waiting for their moment.Bright spotlights illuminated the circular platform at the center, where the future of humanity would be determined. Multiple Awakening Pillars lined the arena floor, allowing for efficient testing throughout the day and ensuring that every student would get their chance.The event was prestigious enough to draw the most powerful figures in the world—S-Class heroes, high-ranking guild leaders, and government officials—all present to scout promising talent.Among them sat Leonard Wright, the legendary hero himself, alongside elite guild representatives, their eyes locked onto the stage, eager to claim the strongest awakeners before their rivals could.This was where the strong were revealed,

Cain trudged through the city streets, his mind numb from the humiliation at the Awakening Ceremony. As he moved along the neon-lit sidewalks, hushed murmurs followed him.Passersby glanced his way, some whispering behind their hands."That's him, right? The guy from the Awakening Ceremony?""Yeah... Cain Wright. I heard he got a rare low-rank E-Tier skill. Must be humiliating.""What a joke. How can someone from the Wright family be that weak?"Cain gritted his teeth, his fingers curling into fists. He forced himself to keep walking, ignoring the quiet laughs and pitying glances.The ache in his nose made every breath painful, but it was nothing compared to the hollow pit in his chest.He just wanted to get home, lock the door, shut the world out, and figure out his next move.But as he approached his apartment, his steps slowed. Something was wrong.The entrance door wouldn't budge.He tried his key, but the door wouldn't open. Then he noticed the new locks, the metal glinting coldl

Five hunters in sleek suits, their insignias gleaming under the neon lights, advanced swiftly toward the table where the dealer and buyer sat with practiced precision, their weapons drawn."Damn it."Cain cursed under his breath and quickly withdrew to his seat.How did he not expect the Guild Association agents to be on the move? If he had been able to find the dealer, wouldn't the Association be able to do the same?He should have seen this coming."You're surrounded! Don't even think about running!" one of the agents barked, a dagger glinting in his grip as he stepped forward.The dealer stiffened, his breath hitching as he stuffed the package back into his coat. His gaze snapped to the buyer, who, unlike him, remained unnervingly calm. Then, in a flash, the buyer struck.A ripple of mana burst out in a sharp, precise explosion, and the approaching hunter barely had time to react before he was blasted off his feet. His body crashed into a nearby stall, shattering wood and sending f

Its speed caught Cain off guard, and he barely managed to react in time, his body moving on instinct as he threw himself to the side.The creature shot past the spot he had been standing in a second ago, its claws scraping harshly against the ground as it skidded and twisted mid-motion with unsettling control.Cain scrambled back to his feet, his breath coming out sharp and uneven as his eyes locked onto it, his mind racing to make sense of what he was dealing with. But before he could process it any further, a screen suddenly flashed into existence in front of the beast.[Cinder Rat. Rank-E]"Cinder Rat," Cain repeated under his breath, the name settling uneasily in his mind.The creature wasted no time charging at him again, its movements just as fast and aggressive as before, and this time he didn't hesitate.He immediately turned and ran because there was no way he was stupid enough to try fighting it barehanded.And as he ran, another screen flashed into view, this time directly

Thick smoke spread across the clearing, swallowing a pack of Cinder Rats, the uneven sound of skittering claws echoing from within.A figure moved through the haze with steady purpose, appearing only for an instant before vanishing back into the smoke. His blade flashed again and again, each strike followed by the dull thud of another body hitting the ground.The Cinder Rats couldn't fight back.The smoke swallowed their vision, leaving them disoriented and blind, while the figure moved with quiet certainty. Through one of the abilities this figure possessed, every living thing around him burned bright in his awareness, their heat signatures standing out clearly against the shifting haze, allowing him to track them with ease and bring them down before they could even register his presence.One by one, they fell, and in a matter of moments, only two Cinder Rats remained.The figure stepped forward, emerging from the smoke in a faint surge of heat.His outfit clung close to his body, da