My Enchanted System

Chapter Four

Master duke stood beside her, his presence commanding and unshakable.

"Place your hand on the enchanted crystal ball, " he instructed.

Akira nodded with confidence. She reached out pressing her palm against the smooth surface of the enhancement crystal ball.

The moment she did, darkness swallowed the entire hall.

A heavy, suffocating blackness 

Gasps filled the air. Some recruits stepped back, others clutched their chests In fear. Even the master duke narrowed his eyes as he observed the phenomenon.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, the darkness disappeared.

The crystal pulsed once, then settled.

Master duke glanced at it and immediately understood. He turned back to the expectant crowd.

"Akira has received the ability of the best manifestation!" He announced.

The hall erupted with cheers. Some recruits clapped, others whistles, but all eyes were on the girl who had just received an extraordinary gift.

Master duke handed her a folded uniform." Here is your hunter's uniform. I will personally mentor you to become a great hunter."

Akira took the uniform, wearing it with pride before stepping down to stand among the newly awakened recruits.

"Woah, this is insane..." Riley muttered, completely awestruck.

He shifted the weight of his bag, still stunned by what he had just witnessed, but his hands fumbled.

The bag slipped from his grasp and hit the ground, spilling swords, daggers, and bows across the floor.The entire hall fell silent, then all eyes turned to Riley.

"Who are you, boy?" Master duke asked.

Riley's heart hammered in his chest as he immediately knew to gather the scattered weapons.

Before he could finish, a ur moved at inhuman speed, it was master duke.

The hunter leader appeared right in front of Riley within seconds, his piercing gaze locked into him.

"Who are you, boy?" His voice carried an overwhelming authority.

Riley swallowed hard. He could barely breathe.

"Um...um... I'm the grandson of the blacksmith," he stuttered. " The famous blacksmith." Riley replied.

Master Duke's expression hardened. "Mr Daniel?"

"Yeah, yeah...he asked me to deliver their weapons to you. He's kind of sick, that's why he sent me instead," Riley rushed to explain.

Master duke relaxed slightly before studying him closely.

"I see..." The hunter leader paused. " What ability do you have?" Master duke asked Riley.

Riley froze, he already knew where this was going.

"Um....I haven't touched the enchanted crystal yet..." His voice came out hesitant, barely above w whispering.

A stirring murmur ran through the recruits. Some gasped, others exchanged looks of shock and amusement.

Master Duke's brows furrowed. " What?How old are you?" He asked.

"N-Nineteen..."Riley answered, his voice crackling slightly. "My grandfather never let me get abilities. He said it was too dangerous to be a hunter." Riley added.

A few chuckles rose from the crowd.

"Nineteen?, and he hasn't even awakened?!" Someone yelled.

"Is he serious?" Another whispered.

Master duke ignored the murmurs. He looked Riley in the eyes and asked, " Do you want to become a hunter?" He asked.

Riley's mouth went dry, he wanted to say no, to walk away, to hide from the embarrassment.

.

But instead, his heart spoke.

"Yeah .. I've always wanted to be a hunter." His voice was soft, but the desire in it was real.

Master duke smiled. "Then let's do it."

Bekfr Riley could even protest, master duke grabbed him by the arm and started walking him towards the stage.

"Um....sir...sir!, I don't think I'm ready!" Riley panicked, trying to pull away but it was too late.

The crowd was watching, there was no backing out now.

Riley stood beside the enchanted crystal ball, his entire body shaking.

Master duke placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It is time, Riley. Your wishes will be granted. Just touch the crystal ball and focus." Master duke said softly.

Riley hesitated, what if he wasn't meant for this?, what if his grandfather had been right?

His hands trembled, but he took a deep breath and pressed his palm against the crystal.

Nothing.

The crystal ball remained still, no flow, no light, joy reaction.

Master Duke's expression shifted from confidence to concern.

"Strange." He frowned. "Try again, Riley, focus." Master duke said.

Riley tried again, and again, and again, nothing happened.

The whispers in the crowd grew louder 

"Wait... he's not getting any abilities?"

."hah! Even the crystal doesn't want to give him power!"

"Is he broken or something?"

Laughter rippled through the hall.

Riley's vision blurred. His hands clenched into fists, his breathing became shallow.

"Enough." Master Duke's voice cut through the noise, but the damage was already done.

The humiliation sank deep into Riley's bones.

He felt like his entire existence had just been publicly invalidated.

"Why what's going, I can keep trying, maybe it's broken..let me keep trying" Riley was already trembling.

"Riley if you keep trying, you are likely to die...if you keep forcing yourself on the crystal...you could be destroyed" master duke.

"Come-on, don't do me like this, Icaj I try one last time, perhaps I wasn't focusing properly" Riley muttered with sadness.

"I'm sorry Riley, but you could die if you keep trying... perhaps it's not your destiny to become a hunter, guess your grandfather was right all along" master duke replied.

"No, no, no sir" risky pleading.

"You're a good kid, you will be just fine without those abilities " master duke replied calmly.

Without thinking, Riley grabbed the bag of weapons, shoved it into master Duke's hands and ran.

He didn't look back, he just ran.

Tears burned in Riley's eyes as he sprinted down the endless stairs, barely able to send through his blurred vision.

The mocking words echoed in his head.

"Even the crystal doesn't want him!"

"What kind of loser doesn't awaken at nineteen?"

"He's nothing but a weakling."

His chest ached, his mind screamed.

By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, sobbing into his hands.

He couldn't go home like this, his grandfather had warned him, he had been right, Riley wasn't meant to be a hunter, he was meant to be nothing.