The walls of City 23 looked tired. Their stonework was cracked and scarred from past raids, patched over with steel plates that rusted faster than they were replaced. A number on a map, nothing more. This was no beacon of humanity's strength — it was a city that survived out of stubbornness, not pride.
Zeke stood in the academy courtyard, hands in his pockets, watching the crowd. Today was graduation. Awakening day.
Around him, his classmates were buzzing. Some whispered prayers, others fidgeted nervously, and a few laughed too loudly, as though pretending they weren't afraid would fool fate. Parents filled the stands along the edges of the courtyard, watching with a mix of pride and dread.
Zeke smirked faintly. Not from nerves — just at the noise. They still think today will save them. Most of them have no idea what's waiting outside those walls.
He had no family waiting in the stands. The city had raised him because his grades kept him too valuable to ignore. Top student every year. The genius orphan. But grades didn't matter today. What mattered was what the awakening stone would say.
The awakening stone sat on its pedestal, humming faintly. Its jagged surface pulsed with soft light, as though it had a heartbeat. It was said to connect to the world itself — to awaken whatever power slept inside you.
Names were called one by one. Students pressed their palms to the stone. Light would flare, and a projection above it would show their talent and rank.
"F-rank, Strength Boost."
"E-rank, Keen Sight."
"D-rank, Flame Flicker."
Cheers for a rare B-rank, groans for Fs, polite applause for anything else.
Zeke stood silent, watching. Most people awakened trash. A handful awakened decent. A-rank and above were rare treasures. S-rank and beyond were almost myths — the kind of thing City 23 would never expect to see.
"Next. Zeke."
The courtyard quieted. Heads turned.
"That's the orphan."
"The genius one."
"Bet he's nothing special."
Zeke walked forward, unhurried, and placed his hand on the stone.
Cold. Then burning. Mana surged through his body like liquid fire. His vision blurred, his heartbeat roared in his ears, and for an instant, the world didn't just slow — it stopped.
Then the stone erupted.
Light shot skyward, so bright the crowd flinched back. A projection bloomed above it, larger and clearer than anything that day.
"SSS-rank Talent: Time Control."
The words blazed in the air.
For one heartbeat, silence. Then the courtyard erupted.
"SSS?!"
"Impossible!"
"City 23 produced… that?!"
Officials scrambled to write down the result. Teachers stared, some glowing with pride, others with envy. Students gawked like Zeke had become something inhuman.
Zeke simply withdrew his hand and stepped back, face calm.
Inside, something else stirred.
System online.
A neutral voice echoed in his head as a clean interface appeared before his eyes.
System Notice
Talent Awakened: Time Control (SSS)
Hidden Condition Met: System Activated
Feature Unlocked: Talent Absorption
Talent Absorption
Kill an enemy → absorb one core talent
Duplicate talents combine
Stronger talents may require upgrades before use
Zeke's lips twitched faintly, almost a smile. To the crowd, it probably looked like arrogance. But no one here knew what had really awakened inside him.
Let them think I'm just an SSS talent. The rest stays my secret.
When the ceremony ended, Zeke was told to wait by the dais. Soon a woman in a dark coat approached him, flanked by two escorts. Her steps were sharp, confident.
"Zeke," she said, offering a gloved hand. "Arden Vale. Capital University, Department of Strategic Talents."
He shook her hand. "Ma'am."
"SSS Time Control," Arden said, her tone smooth but intense. "Impressive. You'll report to our local outpost tomorrow at nine for preliminary evaluation." She slipped a black card into his hand. "Don't be late."
Zeke nodded.
"Word will spread," Arden warned. "For now, avoid the outer districts."
She left, vanishing into the dispersing crowd.
Later, Zeke walked to the orphanage. The squat building leaned against the wall's shadow like it had grown tired of standing upright. Inside, Sister Nalia was wiping the table with a rag.
"Zeke." Her face lit with a soft smile. "I heard the shouting from the academy. They said—"
"SSS," Zeke said simply.
Her hand flew to her mouth. Then she grabbed his face, studying him like she could see the change. "I knew it. I always knew you'd be different."
"I'll be at the university outpost tomorrow," he said. "I won't be around much anymore."
A boy peered from the stairwell. "Did you get a sword?"
"Not yet," Zeke said, smiling faintly. "I'll get two. You can have one if you hold it wrong enough to scare monsters."
The boy grinned and ran back upstairs.
Sister Nalia sighed. "Just… be careful."
"I'm careful."
"No," she said gently. "You're precise. It looks the same until it doesn't."
"I won't let them use me."
She hugged him. For a moment Zeke stood there stiff, then he returned it. Then he left, stepping back into the fading light.
That night, Zeke climbed the academy rooftop. The city stretched below, lanterns flickering weakly, the wall silhouettes black against the glowing horizon. Beyond, the wilderness waited.
He opened the System again.
System Status
Active Talent: Time Control (SSS) — Micro-Dilation: slows perception, boosts reflexes
Features:
• Talent Absorption — unlocked
• Fusion — locked
• Shop — locked
Quests:
• First Blood: Absorb 1 hostile talent → Reward: Tier II unlock
• Calibration: Hold Time Control for 10 sec → Reward: +1 Perception
• Scout: Go 1 km beyond southern wall → Reward: Shop unlock
Zeke closed the panel, eyes on the stars. Strength is freedom. Weakness is chains.
Footsteps crunched behind him. Zeke didn't turn.
"Should've known you'd be up here," Instructor Malen said, carrying two steaming cups. "The staff calls this coffee. They're wrong. Drink it before it eats through the cup."
Zeke accepted it.
"They'll come for you tomorrow," Malen said. "Recruiters, sponsors, politicians. They'll try to own you and call it mentoring. Don't let them."
"I won't."
"Good. And Zeke…" Malen looked at him seriously. "You'll make enemies. Don't waste energy proving yourself to them. Just win."
Zeke almost smiled. "I intend to."
On his way back down, he crossed paths with Kade in a narrow alley. The other boy grinned, flanked by two friends.
"You think you're a god because of one lucky awakening?" Kade sneered.
Zeke kept walking. "You're in my way."
Kade grabbed his shoulder.
The world slowed.
Zeke twisted his wrist just enough, and Kade found himself on one knee before he realized he'd moved.
"Try this outside the walls," Zeke said quietly. "That's where people stop getting second chances."
He released him and walked on, leaving Kade red-faced and glaring.
Before curfew, Zeke slipped through the southern gate and walked into the wilderness. The air outside the walls felt different — sharper, freer. The grass glowed faintly with mana under the moonlight.