The first descendant: My SSS Rank Awakening

Ron's deep blue eyes bounced around the awakening hall. It smelled like sweat and whatever scent came from boys who had rushed here without having their baths.

“Yep, today is the day I die, and this horrible scent is going to be the last thing I remember. Not cool at all.”

The hoodie over his head covered most of his face. He had come to the awakening hall despite all his mother's warnings and pleas because he was tired.

Since the discovery of the awakening serum, which granted powers according to a person's bloodline, a person's class had become their lifelong sentence in society.

Every high school graduate in the city was here. Most were Ron's classmates, including the same people whose assignments he had completed for a few pennies so he and his poor mother could get by.

Somehow, he was still the center of attention. Their eyes wouldn't stay away from him, and they murmured without even trying to make sure he didn't hear them.

“He actually had the guts to show his face here.”

“What is he expecting? Does he think his bloodline will suddenly awaken an SSS-ranked class?”

“I think this is his way of committing suicide. Everyone knows the serum is going to kill him.”

“At least he kept his clothes on this time.”

That brought out the loudest laughter.

Ron simply turned his head away. In his opinion, most of them were as thick-skulled and dumb as hell.

Still, his fate had been decided when he lost the gene lottery and was born into the Arcade family, a bloodline that had never shown any affinity with the awakening serum.

Not even enough to awaken a cleaning class.

He did every dirty job he could find, fought his way through school and bullying, and relied on skills that didn't pin his future on awakening.

Still, he was here today, knowing full well that if he awakened nothing, the serum could kill him.

“I see that you came,” Jessica said. “I guess I lost the wager.”

“Don't worry, hun. You will get back everything you lost once the academy guilds start fighting over me,” Henry replied.

Ron didn't spare Henry a glance. Instead, he looked at the girl standing beside him with her arms wrapped around Henry's shoulders.

Her slender waist, gorgeous model face and perfectly sculpted body were everything to die for.

His hands clenched until blood trickled from his palms.

“You're still angry, baby?” Jessica asked. “It was only a little prank. I needed you to help Henry pass a few tests so he would qualify for the awakening ceremony.”

She had pretended to like him, made him get naked and recorded everything. Then she threatened to send it around the school unless he helped Henry pass his tests.

She sent it anyway.

Ron wouldn't hit a lady, but at that moment, he felt like punching her and that douchebag hard in the face.

“You needed a naked video of me before your boyfriend could pass a few tests,” Ron said. “Yet he is still the one bragging about his bloodline.”

Henry's face tightened.

“Tests don't decide anyone's future. Blood does,” Henry replied. “In a few minutes, guilds will be fighting over me while everyone watches the serum kill you.”

Ron finally looked at him.

“You may be right, but if your blood is so special, it shouldn't have needed answers from the city's trash.”

A few students laughed before quickly covering their mouths.

Jessica's face darkened.

“Enjoy feeling clever while you still can,” she said. “It won't matter when you're lying dead on that stage.”

Henry pulled her closer and smiled.

“After everything you did to help me qualify, paying for your funeral is the least I can do.”

The crowd erupted into another round of laughter.

The awakening ceremony soon began. After the long and boring speech from an S-ranked senior named Vincent, the students walked onto the stage one after another and gulped down the serum.

They placed their hands on the awakening machine for a reading. If they were still alive, Vincent called out their class.

“Jackson Morn. F-ranked combat class.”

Some students cheered. Others laughed until Jackson ran down from the stage crying.

“Jessica Halls. B-ranked healing class.”

The hall became louder as Jessica stepped down from the stage. She looked toward Ron and flashed him a demeaning wink.

He almost puked.

If anything, the only class she should have awakened was that of a witch, a vixen or something else that had to do with deception.

Finally, it was time for everyone's star boy. They had obviously saved Henry for last.

His clan had the highest compatibility with the serum. Some people even claimed that the First Founder came from his bloodline, although the original records that could prove it had disappeared hundreds of years ago.

Guild representatives pushed forward and cheered loud enough to make sure Henry heard them.

Like children begging for cheap candy.

Only Ron wasn't burning with excitement as Henry walked onto the stage.

Vincent handed him the golden vial that the Awakeners Academy reserved for his clan every year. Henry gulped it down gracefully and wiped his lips.

“He didn't die. That is honestly disappointing,” Ron muttered as Henry placed his hand on the reader.

The beeping continued longer than it should have, and everyone held their breath.

Vincent's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

“S-ranked alchemist class!”

The entire hall erupted in deafening applause.

“Oh dear, I was expecting something better, perhaps an SSS-ranked combat class. Still, this will do,” Henry said.

“He is so modest,” one of the girls whose face was already turning purple commented.

Henry barely stepped down before the guild representatives surrounded him like hungry dogs. His parents brought in trumpeters and cakes as though it were his wedding.

People were already leaving when Vincent looked at the final name on his list.

“Oh, there is still one person left.” Vincent paused. “Ron.”

He didn't even bother pronouncing Ron's last name. The voice amplifier made sure the announcement reached every corner of the hall.

The celebration died down as everyone turned toward him, their eyes dripping with disdain.

“Well, he should get on the stage and die already so we can continue our celebration,” someone beside him said directly into his ear.

Ron ignored him and walked onto the stage. He could see the reluctance written all over Vincent's face.

“Where is my vial?” Ron asked flatly.

Vincent reached beneath the case and brought out an old vial covered in dust.

“Are you sure that you want to do this?”

Before Ron could answer, the doors rattled and his mother rushed into the hall, her face covered with sweat and panic.

She gathered her worn-out dress as she ran. It was littered with holes and patches, just like Ron's clothes.

“Please, Ron, you don't have to do this,” she begged. “We can go back home without superpowers. You're smart and hardworking, and that is all I want in a child.”

“Aww, how touching,” the crowd echoed before breaking into laughter.

“They look even more pathetic together.”

“Maybe someone should start a GoFundMe for them.”

Insult after insult was hurled at them. Most people stayed away from his mother as if they could catch a disease from her.

Ron ground his teeth tightly. He couldn't protect the only person in this world who meant anything to him from their daily humiliation.

Whenever someone stepped on her, she told him to remain calm and ignore the rich and powerful because there was nothing people like them could do.

That was what Ron was most tired of. He couldn't protect her, and the powerless were always left at the mercy of the powerful.

“I don't have to do it,” Ron said between gritted teeth. “However, I want to do it.”

He shifted his moist eyes away from his mother, gulped down the serum despite her screams and quickly placed his hand on the reader.

Everyone waited, not for a reading, but for him to drop dead.

Nobody in his bloodline had awakened so much as a cleaning class. That wasn't suddenly going to change with him.

They were wrong.

Instead of Ron lying dead on the floor, a loud beep came from the reader.

“SSS-ranked combat class?” Vincent asked, confused by what he was seeing.

He adjusted his glasses and focused on the reading.

“SSS-ranked combat class!” he exclaimed.