Three hundred years had passed since the First Awakening: The Harbinger of Cataclysms… the day when portals suddenly tore through space.
At first, people thought it was some kind of elaborate technological stunt... a prank. But after one month, those thoughts were crushed under the relentless horde of demons and monsters. The air back then had reeked of ozone and burning metal, and the cries of the first cities swallowed by the hordes still haunted humanity's oldest recordings.
No earthly weapon was able to kill them, and some creatures could even withstand nuclear attacks without a single scratch. The thunder of explosions had echoed across continents, yet the monsters had walked out of the fire, unscathed.
As humanity began to lose hope…
Thirty days after the monsters first emerged from the portals, every living human began awakening talents... without exception.
Some talents were weak, useful only for things like making delicious food or reading faster. Others, however, were powerful, allowing people to control fire, water, and many other forces. The smell of singed earth and the hiss of boiling air soon became symbols of humanity's desperate counterattack.
With the help of these talents, humanity began to fight back. They also started exploring and conquering new emerging "Portal Dungeons," a name coined by the otakus of that era.
These talents were ranked from F to SSS, where F was considered the weakest, even worthless, and SSS was the strongest.
Later, it was discovered that when a child turned ten years old, they would awaken their talent without exception.
And so today, in a vast stadium buzzing with anticipation, countless ten-year-old students waited for their turn—to shine brightly or fade into obscurity. The faint smell of polished wood and the distant chatter of the crowd hung in the air, mixing with the hum of the Orb's energy.
At the center of the stadium stood a massive orb, its interior resembling a starry realm of the universe. It pulsed faintly, emitting a soft, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate through the floor.
It was the Talent Revealing Orb.
"Edgar Vincent."
The old man standing before the orb, serving as the ceremony's supervisor, called out. His voice, though steady, was slightly rough, like gravel dragged across stone.
A boy with black hair and a handsome, almost cute face stepped forward. Several girls glanced at him with hearts practically glowing in their eyes. The soft rustling of clothes and the faint squeak of shoes against the platform followed him.
As he ascended the slightly elevated platform, the old man instructed,
"Touch the orb and let the energy pass through you. Don't fight it."
Edgar nodded, already aware of the procedure, yet refrained from showing off.
Placing both hands on the towering orb, he felt a warm sensation spread and envelop his body. Then, the air grew cold, and a faint scent of dust and decay swept across the stadium. From the ground, holograms of skeletons began to rise, forming a ghostly army. Behind him, a massive black scythe materialized, exuding an aura of death.
The old man's voice rang out.
"Talent: Soul Necromancer.
Potential: SS rank."
The moment his words echoed through the stadium, everyone's eyes widened. The whispers of the crowd built into a trembling murmur, like leaves rustling in a storm.
Though only ten years old, they might not have known many complex words, but they knew exactly what "talent" and "potential" meant. All around, gazes turned toward him, filled with admiration… and envy.
Somewhere to the side, a boy watched all of this with fascination.
"Mom, mom, see! He awakened an SS-rank talent!"
The woman beside him nodded.
"Yes, I can see that. I'm sure you'll also awaken a powerful talent… You have to."
The boy nodded cheerfully.
"Uhmm, uhmm! I will awaken a powerful talent!"
As the mother and son spoke, the ceremony continued.
After several weak and strong talents were revealed, the old man called another name.
"Aria Heartwale."
A girl stepped forward, her white hair, pure white eyes, and pale skin making her look like a being not of this world. Neither boys nor even girls could take their eyes off Aria. The low gasp of the crowd was almost like a soft breeze sweeping through the stadium.
Her beauty was something that could not be overlooked… even though she was only ten years old.
She ascended the elevated platform without waiting for instructions and approached the orb. As the warm sensation flowed through her body, a blinding white light burst from the orb. Two luminous hands materialized behind her, their form almost divine, and a faint fragrance like fresh rain filled the air.
The old man's voice trembled as he spoke, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Talent: Soul Affinity
Potential: SSS."
The entire stadium fell silent for a heartbeat. Not only did she possess SSS-rank potential... which had last been seen a hundred years ago but her talent was related to Affinity. Though talents tied to specific elements or concepts could be powerful and rewarding, an affinity, given the right resources, could easily surpass these concept-based talents.
No less, her affinity was Soul Affinity. While her father was also the greatest researcher and scientist specializing in talents and talent-related phenomena, her future was bright like a shining sun. Even then, the crowd still struggled to process what they had just witnessed.
Edgar looked at Aria with hazy eyes.
'She's perfect for me. I have the talent of Soul Necromancer, which is connected to her affinity… there's no one better suited than me, especially with my SS rank. It's not like someone is going to awaken an SSS-rank talent again…'
As Edgar was lost in his own fantasies about Aria, the old man called out another name,
"Etro!"
The mother looked at her son and spoke lovingly.
"Go, son, and awaken a powerful talent."
"Mhm, Mom."
He stepped onto the elevated platform and, after listening carefully to the old man's instructions, placed his hands on the orb. A warm sensation filled his entire body.
The orb suddenly turned pitch black, like a void… but that was all. There was no projection behind him, no vision of any kind. The faint hum of the stadium seemed to vanish, replaced by an uneasy silence, and a sharp tang of metal seemed to cling to the air.
The old man stared at the results, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"K… kid, touch the orb again. Properly."
Etro, confused, did as he was told. The children watching exchanged puzzled looks.
"Don't tell me… he has an SSS-rank talent too?"
"No way."
"Yeah, yeah. If not then why would the old man make him touch the orb again?"
"Exactly. Look at the old man's face… his face is literally screaming, 'I'm shocked to the core.'"
As the murmurs spread, the results appeared once more. The old man's voice trembled as he read them out, as though he had just witnessed something that made him feel his entire life had been a lie.
"Talent: None.
Potential: Zero."
Silence.
Complete silence filled the stadium. Even the faint scent of dust and the distant cry of a bird outside seemed to underline the enormity of the moment.
Everyone knew that every person possessed a talent… without exception.
…Well, there is an exception now.