Rise of The Underdog

Chapter 1: Few More Hours

The clang of dishes. The hum of voices. The occasional impatient snap of fingers.

Just another night on the first floor of ‘The Ember Pavilion’, where the weak served, and the strong didn’t bother saying two simple words, ‘thank you’.

He slipped through the tables, his expression unreadable. He was a ghost among the ones with glowing hands and gleaming eyes. Some had sparks dancing over their shoulders. Others had strange shadows dancing at their feet. One woman at Table 12 had a floating crystal blade that followed her like a pet.

Kyle had none of it. Just a tired body and a fading hope. 

One hand balanced a tray full of empty plates, the other gripped a scratched-up bill reader. His worn-out shoes barely made a sound against the marble floor. He moved like someone used to not being noticed because most of the time, he wasn’t. Or worse, when he was noticed, it usually meant trouble. 

He sidestepped a spilled drink with barely a twitch, adjusting the tray as he passed a long table of partying D-rank Hunters, midway through their fourth bottle of Emberbrew. 

“Hey, watch it, Dustborn!” one of them barked as Kyle passed too close to his chair.

The guy’s elbow swung wide on purpose, Kyle knew the move. He ducked without thinking, the tray tilting slightly but holding steady. The Soulbound burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.

“Careful, Metalhead,” another chuckled. “You’ll kill the poor rat before his shift ends. Then who’ll clean our table?”

Kyle didn’t respond. Just a small nod and he kept walking. He’d learned long ago that reacting only made things worse. 

At the next table, a C-rank Earth Soulbound was halfway to black out, almost dead drunk, slouched in his chair with a half-eaten plate of lava beef in front of him.

“Oi!” the man shouted as Kyle passed. “You, dirty null, you won’t ever be happy. Why you are here, you cheating bitch?”

Kyle paused, confused. His heart beat hard, this guy must have the Inspect skill, else he would have treated him as a Dustborn, the lowest class soulbounds, like most guests present here. He prayed hard that this guy wouldn't report him to authority, as he couldn't afford another fine.

The man squinted at him, then suddenly picked up his half-full mug and flung it toward Kyle’s legs. 

Hot broth splashed across Kyle’s already stained pants. 

“Ha! Looks better on you anyway,” the Soulbound sneered, before bursting into hearty laughter. 

Kyle bit down on his tongue. His heart thumped, not from fear, but from anger buried so deep he was afraid of what might happen if he let it out.  

‘Don’t react. Don’t make a scene. Just... walk away.’ 

He did. Limped, really. The broth had soaked into his socks. 

No one helped him. No one even blinked. Just another poor waiter without power getting pushed around. Normal.

But still, he felt relief somehow, as he won't be reported. 

He just had to hold on to midnight. 

He reached the service hallway near the kitchen and leaned briefly against the wall, letting out a shaky sigh. 

His arms were sore. His feet ached. He hadn't had a full meal in two days, just a few leftover scraps from a careless guest the night before. But he didn’t care about that. 

Not tonight. 

More importantly, when he glanced at the cracked screen on his patched-up OptiCom, the number flashing back made his chest tighten with relief. 

'I am going to get 100 CR! Enough for two more doses of Lia’s potion.'

That was all that mattered. He could already imagine her tired smile when he handed her the little glass bottle.

Maybe, just maybe... he could even grab a cupcake from the cheap corner stall she liked with the tips he got today. The thought of giving the cupcake to Lia brought a rare smile to his face.

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

It was worthy of his hard works through the whole month.

'Hang in there, Lia. Just a little longer.' 

He barely noticed the other employees who walked past him, whispering, sneering, but never loud enough for the manager to hear. 

“That boy’s still working here? Seriously?”

“Guess the boss likes cheap labor.” 

“Boss won’t take such a risk. Perhaps he lied to boss about his age. What a pathetic liar.”

He didn’t defend himself. He didn’t even look their way. For the last two years, Kyle had worked dozens of odd jobs just like this one—illegally, quietly, always under the table. So, it wouldn’t matter if someone whispered behind his back. Just not reporting would be a blessing.

‘Nulls aren’t allowed to work until they awakened at eighteen.’ He heard it so many times during the times someone reported him.

Yes, the government provided just enough credits for food and shelter until every citizen awakens. But just enough wasn’t enough. 

Not when Kyle’s little sister, Lia, needed medicine. 

Not when healers and alchemists charged triple if you were a Dustborn orphan with no powerful talent user relatives to back you up.

So Kyle worked. Night after night, job after job. Delivering meals. Cleaning filthy alleys. Carrying packages through back doors, always under someone’s boot. 

He’d been slapped, shoved, underpaid, overworked—and never once did he complain. Because complaining could have risked everything.

If the government found out he’d been working illegally? That was it. No more stipend for a while. Just fine and detention.

No credits could be earned.

And without credits, there won't be any healing potions... Lia would die. 

So he kept his head down. Endured everything. Smiled when they cursed him. Apologized when they hit him. 

Because that’s what it meant to be a Dustborn in a world ruled by powerful Soulbounds.

But tonight, that would change.

Tonight at midnight, he would awaken. 

Finally, finally... the system would recognize him.

He could only hope to be the exception, among those five percents who would get talents above Rank D even if having Dustborn parents. 

Just if he could get even a decent talent, B or C-rank elemental affinity, maybe a rare psychic-type talent or crafting talents with good formulas as skill. He could apply for a proper license to enter the dungeons through the world system. 

Finally, He could be a licensed Hunter and join a guild. Entering dungeons with a real team would be very easy that time. He wouldn't have to fight for scraps. No more crawling through backdoors. 

'Just a couple of hours to go...'

If things went right, even if the gods were even half-listening, he could finally earn enough to buy the Moonlight Potion. The only thing that could cure her fully. Making her free from the burning pain on her legs. Let her walk again like others... 

He smiled faintly to himself. Wishing for the better future that was yet to come...