The Awakening Grounds stood at the heart of Arcanum Nexus like a beating heart of destiny.
A colossal dome of enchanted crystal arched above the crowd, refracting sunlight into radiant motes that danced across polished white marble.
Beneath it, over two thousand candidates stood in disciplined rows, dressed in ceremonial white tunics and iron-soled boots that clinked softly on the runes etched into the floor.
They waited, tense, breath held, hearts pounding, for their lives was about to experience the biggest and most pivotal change of their entire existence.
Today was the Rite of Awakening.
And for most of them, it would be the beginning of greatness.
"Next candidate," the officiator's voice rang out, crisp and cold, amplified by echo-crystals hidden in the spires.
An armored orb descended from the dome's apex, gliding above the marble circle in the center of the platform. It shimmered with layered enchantments; sensors, runic readers, bloodline tracers.
No one knew exactly how it worked, only that it judged.
And its judgement was law.
A girl with pale silver hair stepped forward, face serene but eyes gleaming with ambition. She moved like nobility, back straight, every gesture controlled. Her name echoed through the chamber.
"Elira Vonne. Age sixteen. Noble of House Vonne".
The orb lowered, runes flickered, then…
BZZZ!
~----~
[AWAKENING COMPLETE]
Name: Elira Vonne
Ability 1: [Stormcall]
>Grade: Epic.
>Type: Hybrid.
…
Ability 2: [Aetheric Mind]
>Grade: Rare.
>Type: Support.
…
[Mana Core Quality: Azure Vein]
[Potential Rank: A+]
~----~
The dome exploded in applause.
Recruiters immediately leaned forward, already surfing through her family background, as they saw her as a potential recruit. Not just potential, a priority recruit. Nobles whispered. A Guild Master from the Flamebound Dominion stood, eyes gleaming.
One of the scouts from the Frost Court scribbled a gold-bordered sigil onto a parchment.
Elira smiled politely and bowed, basking in the admiration.
Dozens had gone before her. All of them awakened two, three, even four abilities. Some were rare. A few were even Epic-ranked. And every time, the crowd cheered in adoration.
None of them noticed the boy near the back of the line, standing perfectly still.
His name was Kairo Vale.
He wore the same ceremonial white as the others, but it hung awkwardly on his frame; baggy at the shoulders, sleeves rolled up to expose arms that were more bone than flesh.
His skin bore the pallor of the underfed. His black hair was uncombed, jagged at the ends like it had been cut with a kitchen knife. His boots were secondhand, one sole slightly detached.
He looked nothing like the proud sons and daughters of noble houses around him, and it didn't seem to bother him.
But they knew it.
"Hey, Slumrat," someone sneered behind him. "You forget your trash pass?"
Snickers rippled through the candidates. Kairo didn't move. His gaze was locked on the Awakening Circle. His fists clenched inside his sleeves.
'Just hold on,' he told himself. 'Just… a little longer'.
He had trained alone, starved alone, survived alone. And now, the moment had finally come. The moment of truth.
He would be seen.
A few more candidates were called; lightning users, Bloodhound Berserkers, a flame user with phoenix ancestry. Cheers followed each one, nobles whispering, guilds taking notes.
Then, finally…
"Kairo Vale. Age sixteen. Orphan of Outer Slums".
The silence was instant.
People looked around in confusion. The name wasn't noble. Wasn't even mid-tier. It sounded like a bad joke.
Kairo stepped forward.
He walked slowly but steadily, his jaw tight. His heart thudded against his ribs like a war drum, loud enough he feared others might hear it. His stomach growled; he hadn't eaten since yesterday, but he forced it into silence.
He stepped into the circle.
The orb hovered above him.
The judge frowned slightly, almost surprised he was still on the list. Then, dutifully, he raised a hand.
The runes activated.
BZZZ!
Kairo felt it immediately, a burning thread that ran from the orb into his chest, diving deep, touching something ancient and buried.
He winced, falling to one knee as heat flared across his spine.
Then, the system spoke.
~----~
[AWAKENING COMPLETE]
Name: Kairo Vale
Ability: [Muscle Genesis]
Grade: ???
Type: Unknown
Mana Core Quality: Pale Gray
Potential Rank: Undetermined
~----~
Silence.
Then…
"Muscle… Genesis?"
"Is that even real? Heck, is that even an ability?"
"Sounds like a gym technique, not a power".
"Wait… he only got one?"
Laughter erupted.
"Just one ability?!"
"And it's muscles?!"
Even some of the judges chuckled.
The officiator cleared his throat. "Candidate Kairo Vale has awakened a singular, undefined Special Ability. No visible synergy, no auxiliary cores. Mana grade is pale gray, substandard". He waved his hand dismissively. "Dismissed".
The orb floated upward. The runes faded.
Kairo remained on his knees, head bowed. Not because of the shame. He didn't have the luxury of pride.
No, because something had ignited inside him.
Burning.
Twisting.
Growing.
His fingers curled into the marble as pain shot through his limbs. It was unlike anything he'd felt; not tearing or crushing, but stretching. Like his very flesh was knitting itself thicker.
'What… the heck?!'
A soft tone echoed in his mind.
DING!
~----~
[SYSTEM INTERFACE UNLOCKED]
Welcome, User: Kairo Vale
Activating Primary Ability: [Muscle Genesis]
~ Initialization Complete ~
Muscle Index: 0.1%
Current Body State: Malnourished
Pain Threshold: Low
Next Threshold: 1% - Unlock: [Hypermuscle Creation]
Minimum Daily Energy Requirement: 2,000 Kcal
WARNING: Overuse may result in systemic rupture.
~----~
He gasped.
His arms bulged slightly, veins rising beneath his skin. His legs felt heavier, denser. He could feel his heart pumping faster, stronger. Not from fear, but from change.
He rose slowly, bones cracking, breath shallow.
This… this was power.
Not flashy. Not showy, but real.
He walked away from the circle, ignoring the jeers. His joints ached. His stomach howled. But for the first time in his life, Kairo felt something stir in his chest beyond hunger and pain.
Purpose.
…
Far above, from one of the darker skyboxes, a figure watched. Cloaked in black, face hidden beneath a hood laced with ancient runes, the man leaned forward.
"Muscle Genesis…" he murmured, voice low and thoughtful. "The Forbidden Seed has returned".
He turned to the shadow beside him.
"Track him. Quietly. If it's truly the same bloodline… we may not be too late this time".
…
Kairo exited the Awakening Grounds as the sky began to darken.
The world outside was already moving on, cheers for the next prodigy, contracts being offered, names shouted with pride.
No one would remember the boy with one useless ability.
That was fine.
Let them forget.
Let them mock.
He would remember.
And one day soon… the world would kneel before the only man strong enough to lift it.