One Step Immortal

“Is that… Jones? The most outstanding student at Norman Academy?”

A beautiful girl with long golden hair stood frozen in place, staring at the handsome young man in the distance. Her eyes were filled with unmistakable admiration.

Following her gaze, one could see Jones walking along the academy road, his arm affectionately linked with his girlfriend’s.

Passersby cast envious and respectful glances at them. Almost instinctively, someone murmured in praise,

“Senior Jones scored perfect marks in both the academy’s theoretical exams and combat trials. He’s hailed as the greatest genius in the entire history of Norman Academy!”

The blonde girl looked at the girl beside Jones and sighed softly.

“And that’s Senior Catherine… the captain of the academy’s cheer squad. She’s so outstanding and beautiful. I could never compare to her.”

To nearly every female student in the academy, Jones was the man of their dreams.

And today was Titan Awakening Day. With Jones’s ability, it was almost certain he would awaken a Titan of S-rank or higher. From this day forward, the blonde girl and Jones would belong to two completely different social classes.

Ignoring the attention around them, Jones walked forward with Catherine at his side until they reached a large plaza.

At the center of the plaza floated a dazzling crimson crystal—the Awakening Crystal, the only medium through which any person who had reached the age of eighteen could awaken their Titan.

Thirty years ago, a meteor from outer space had crashed into Earth. From that day on, humanity’s nightmare began.

Countless monsters appeared across the planet, slaughtering humans without mercy. Within a single year, the global population plummeted from seven billion to only two billion.

Cities became ruins. Farmland turned into wasteland. Humanity lost two entire continents and stood on the brink of extinction.

But at the most critical moment, nine Awakeners appeared. Through the Awakening Crystal, they successfully awakened Titans and sounded the horn for humanity’s counterattack.

Since then, anyone who awakened a Titan was hailed as a hero of mankind, receiving the highest respect, privileges, and admiration.

Awakening a Titan had become the greatest path to changing one’s destiny and social status.

In the plaza, students stepped forward one after another to attempt their awakening.

Those who succeeded leaped into the air in excitement, jumping several meters high.

Most others, however, collapsed to the ground in tears, their faces pale with despair.

Awakening a Titan was incredibly difficult. The success rate was less than one percent—and awakening a high-rank Titan was even rarer.

“Jones, I’ll go first,” Catherine said.

She planted a warm kiss on Jones’s cheek, then walked toward the Awakening Crystal in her high heels, moving with the proud confidence of a queen.

As one of the most outstanding students of this year’s class, Catherine had every confidence that she would awaken a high-rank Titan.

A faint smile curved on her lips.

But her eyes were cold as ice—dangerous and sharp, like the edge of a dagger.

Besides my usual training, she thought, I also managed to obtain an Awakening Serum. It will increase my chances of awakening a higher-rank Titan. When that day comes… hmph!

Under normal circumstances, the more theoretical knowledge one possessed and the stronger one’s body was, the greater the chance of awakening a powerful Titan.

But there were always exceptions.

To reduce that uncertainty, scientists had developed the Awakening Serum, which greatly increased the probability of awakening a high-rank Titan.

However, it came with a side effect: anyone who took it would never be able to awaken an SS-rank or SSS-rank Titan.

Even with that drawback, the serum was unimaginably expensive.

To obtain it, Catherine had paid a price so great that she refused to think about it.

Catherine had paid a price so great—She refused to even think about it.

“But I will succeed,” she whispered inwardly, her eyes firm. “I must change my destiny.”

She reached out and touched the Awakening Crystal.

The moment her fingers made contact, a blazing red light illuminated the entire plaza.

Boom!

A deafening roar echoed through the air—like the cry of a prehistoric beast.

The stone tiles of the plaza trembled slightly. The tremendous sound drew everyone’s attention as they turned in astonishment.

Above Catherine’s head appeared the phantom image of a cheetah, roaring toward the sky.

“A-rank Titan—Swiftwind Cheetah!” someone shouted excitedly, as if he himself had awakened it.

“Swiftwind Cheetah! That’s one of the most powerful combat Titans! I heard that if you awaken it, you can skip the entrance tests and join the Golden Legion, the third-strongest elite army of humanity!”

Under the crowd’s respectful and flattering gazes, Catherine smiled faintly and walked toward Jones.

After her successful awakening, even her ordinary steps carried an undeniable authority. The sharp rhythm of her heels striking the stone rang through the plaza, each step landing like a hammer in everyone’s chest.

She embraced Jones affectionately.

“Your turn now, Jones,” she said with a smile. “You’re the most outstanding graduate of our class. I’m looking forward to the surprise you’ll create. I’ve always believed that you’ll become the most powerful hero in the world.”

Jones smiled brightly.

His eyes fell on the silver necklace around Catherine’s neck, and unconsciously he touched the identical necklace hanging around his own.

Five years ago, when Jones had been destitute in the slums—so poor that he nearly starved to death during a brutal winter—a little girl had opened her door and given him a coat and a silver necklace.

He could still remember her gentle voice clearly.

“Take this coat to keep warm. And you can sell this necklace for some money to buy food. Stay strong and get through the winter. I believe you’ll become the strongest hero.”

That single sentence had driven Jones forward ever since.

Again and again, when his body reached its limit, he clenched his teeth and pushed through—breaking record after record at Norman Academy.

Jones’s fingers brushed the engraved initial on the necklace—K.

A year ago, he had used that initial and the location of the house to find Catherine. From that moment on, he had pursued her with relentless determination until she finally became his girlfriend.

Jones spoke calmly, yet there was an unmistakable force in his voice.

“Catherine, ever since that winter five years ago when we met, my greatest wish has been simple—to kill every monster on Earth. And then, with the whole world celebrating, hold the grandest and most perfect wedding with you.”

“Five years ago? That winter?” Catherine looked puzzled but said nothing more. She simply patted his shoulder encouragingly.

Jones then walked toward the Awakening Crystal.

His steps were steady, as though the destination before him was not a moment that could determine his fate, but merely the ordinary road home after school.

On a raised platform overlooking the plaza, the principal of Norman Academy watched Jones with a proud smile.

But the smile quickly changed into a flattering grin as he turned respectfully to the man standing beside him—a middle-aged figure dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.

“Mayor Lorne,” the principal said politely, “that young man named Jones is the most outstanding student in our academy’s history. Under normal circumstances, I believe he has a chance to awaken an SS-rank Titan.”

“An SS-rank Titan?” the mayor replied politely.

“If he really succeeds, I’d invest all my assets into his future growth. I might even marry my daughter to him.”

Outwardly he sounded courteous.

But inwardly, he didn’t believe a word of it.

The success rate for awakening even the lowest E-rank Titan was only one percent.

An SS-rank Titan?

You might not see one even among ten million people.

Those who awakened such Titans were geniuses among geniuses. As long as they survived the road ahead, they were destined to stand at the very top of humanity.

“Mayor Lorne, he certainly won’t disappoint you. Please look forward to the Titan he awakens,” the principal said before turning back toward the crowd.

He lifted a microphone.

“Everyone, please witness this Titan Awakening! The young man before you—Jones—is the most outstanding student in the entire history of our academy. He has broken every examination record we have.”

“I am completely confident that he will awaken a high-rank Titan!”

“And in ten days, during the graduation examination, I believe Jones will represent Norman Academy and claim first place in the designated dungeon!”

As the principal spoke, all eyes in the plaza locked onto Jones.

“The best student ever? The principal thinks that highly of him?”

“Of course you don’t know how strong Jones is,” one of his classmates said with pursed lips. “During the combat trial, he defeated twenty elite fighters all by himself.”

Most students watched with anticipation, eager to witness the birth of a legend.

But not everyone shared that sentiment.

Leaning against an expensive Ferrari, a wealthy young man watched with the arrogant gaze of someone born into privilege.

“What’s the point of being talented?” he sneered. “His family’s dirt poor. Without scholarships and special funding from the academy, he couldn’t even afford the training potions he uses every day.”

“Awakening a Titan isn’t that simple. If you ask me, Jones might not awaken anything at all.”

As the academy’s most dazzling genius, Jones had always been the target of jealousy and malice.

Many were simply waiting—waiting for the moment he would finally stumble.

Facing the principal’s expectations, the pressure of the crowd, and the countless gazes filled with hope or hostility, Jones merely raised his hand calmly.

His palm touched the Awakening Crystal.

Boom!

Instantly, the crystal erupted with a dazzling blood-red light, so bright it seemed ready to stain the entire sky crimson.

Crack!

Before everyone’s shocked eyes—

The Awakening Crystal shattered.

“How is that possible?!” the principal gasped, gripping the railing. “The Awakening Crystal is incredibly durable—even missiles can’t destroy it! I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Even the mayor, who had maintained his composed demeanor all this time, could no longer hide his astonishment.

His attention was completely fixed on Jones.

As the crystal shattered, the sky suddenly changed.

Dark clouds surged in like a tidal wave, blotting out the sun within moments. A crushing pressure descended as violent winds swept across the plaza.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared endlessly across the heavens.

At that moment, everyone in the plaza trembled.

An inexplicable fear surfaced in their hearts, reminding them of the most terrifying memories of their lives.

Only Jones remained calm, quietly waiting for the result of his awakening.

“This result…” Jones frowned slightly.

It was only when he saw the outcome that his expression finally changed.