Hew.
Hew.
Hew.
The birds chirped softly.
The morning started just like every other boring day in Starcrest City.
Students rushed across the academy courtyard, bragging about their cultivation levels, elemental affinities, and the new flashy powers they awakened from their wealthy families.
Meanwhile, Kayden Arin, 16, quietly tightened the straps on his worn-out backpack and slipped through the side gate before anyone could block him.
"Another day, another reminder that I'm at the bottom of the food chain," he muttered.
Kayden wasn't talentless—he just hadn't awakened anything yet.
No elemental affinity.
No spirit root.
No flashy power.
Nothing.
Even his homeroom teacher called him "the most average kid in the history of cultivation academies."
Kayden didn't mind being average.
He minded being ignored like furniture.
Especially when geniuses kept rubbing it in.
As he reached his classroom door, a tall boy stepped in front of him, arms folded. Rayden Wolfe, the academy's lightning prodigy.
"Well, well," Rayden smirked. "The energy around you today looks even weaker than usual."
Kayden sighed. "Good morning to you too."
"Try not to embarrass the class during the Awakening Test later," Rayden said. "They might think you're a civilian who wandered in by mistake."
Kayden brushed past him. "Relax. I'll stand in the corner where disappointments belong."
That actually made a few students laugh, making Rayden even more annoyed.
But Kayden didn't bother. He just dropped into his seat, rested his cheek on his hand… and tried not to think about the test. Again.
---
Later… Inside the Awakening Hall
The hall glowed with floating runes, crystal pillars, and an artifact at the center shaped like an ancient silver cube.
"Step forward," the instructor called. "Place your hand on the artifact. Let it measure your energy root."
One by one, students placed their palms on the cube.
Brilliant colors shot out—gold, blue, crimson, emerald—each one showing a rare or powerful awakening.
Until it was Kayden's turn.
Everyone went quiet.
He placed his shaking hand on the cube, expecting nothing.
But the opposite happened.
The cube didn't glow.
It buzzed.
Then it rattled.
Then—
BEEP! SYSTEM ERROR. DATA OVERFLOW. ENERGY CLASSIFICATION INVALID.
"What—? That's never happened before!" the instructor shouted.
The cube suddenly shone with blinding white light, symbols spinning around Kayden like crazy.
Students backed away.
BEEP! SYSTEM ATTACHED TO HOST. UNLIMITED SKILL SLOTS ACTIVATED. INFINITE LEVELING PATH UNLOCKED.
Kayden blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
The instructor stumbled back. "This—this shouldn't be possible…"
Rayden stared. "No way… he triggered a system?! How?!"
Before Kayden could ask anything, a glowing interface popped up in front of him.
CONGRATULATIONS, HOST. YOU HAVE AWAKENED:
'THE SUPREME INFINITE ASCENSION SYSTEM.'
Kayden froze.
"…I awakened what?"
The system replied cheerfully:
GOOD NEWS! YOU CAN NOW LEVEL UP FOREVER.
BAD NEWS! EVERYONE IS GOING TO FREAK OUT.
Kayden swallowed hard.
"…Oh great. A system with a sense of humor."
The hall erupted into chaos.
And just like that—
The most average kid in the academy became the most dangerous anomaly in the entire realm.
---
The Awakening Hall instantly turned into a storm of shouting.
"He glitched the artifact!"
"No way someone like him awakened a system!"
"Is this a prank?!"
"Teacher, check again—maybe the cube is broken!"
Kayden stood there, frozen, as the glowing interface hovered inches from his face like an excited pet.
HOST STATUS:
• Name: Kayden Arin
• Cultivation: Unawakened (for now!)
• Skills: None (but unlimited slots available!)
• Level: 1
• Special Trait: Infinite Growth Potential
Kayden blinked hard. "Okay… that's not suspicious at all."
The instructor rushed to the artifact, scanning it with trembling hands.
"This device has existed for 600 years! It's never malfunctioned! How could it—"
BEEP!
CORRECTION: THIS IS NOT A MALFUNCTION. THE SYSTEM HAS SUCCESSFULLY BONDED WITH THE ONLY COMPATIBLE HOST.
Kayden whispered under his breath, "So it picked me on purpose…?"
Rayden stepped forward, sparks crackling around his fingers. "This must be rigged! He's weaker than a stone! How can he awaken something this rare?!"
Kayden took a tiny step back. "Hey now, let's not electrocute people during school hours."
The system chimed:
HOST WARNING: A HOSTILE GENIUS IS APPROACHING. RECOMMENDATION — ACQUIRE A SKILL IMMEDIATELY.
Kayden's heart dropped. "Acquire… how?!"
EASY! JUST TOUCH ANY ENERGY SOURCE. I WILL HANDLE THE REST.
Rayden pulled back his fist, lightning gathering.
"Let's see if your 'system' can save you from this—!"
"Rayden, STOP!" the instructor yelled—
But he was too late.
Rayden's lightning shot forward, but before it could hit Kayden, the system flared with a bright blue flash.
ENERGY DETECTED. COPYING… COMPLETE!
NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC LIGHTNING RESISTANCE (LEVEL 1).
The lightning hit Kayden's chest—
—and fizzled out.
Kayden didn't even feel a sting.
Rayden's jaw dropped. "W-What…?!"
Kayden looked down at himself.
"I'm… still alive. That's good."
The system sounded smug.
CONGRATS! YOU SURVIVED YOUR FIRST ATTACK! WOULD YOU LIKE A CELEBRATION SONG?
Kayden shook his head rapidly. "No! No songs!"
The instructor burst between them.
"That's ENOUGH! Rayden Wolfe, you will be held responsible for attacking a student during an official awakening!"
Rayden pointed at Kayden like he'd seen a ghost.
"But he—he copied my lightning! That's not fair!"
Kayden lifted his hands defensively. "Don't look at me. I have no idea how any of this works."
The instructor exhaled a shaky breath.
"Kayden Arin… please follow me. The principal needs to see this."
Kayden gulped.
Meanwhile, whispers spread like wildfire:
"He copied an elemental ability instantly—!"
"That's impossible…"
"Is he some kind of hidden monster?"
"Or a chosen one?"
Kayden pressed his palm to his face.
"I just wanted a normal day…"
---
Moments Later — Walking Down the Hallway
The hall was quiet. The instructor seemed nervous, watching Kayden like he was holding a ticking bomb.
Kayden whispered to the system, "Hey… what exactly are you? Why me?"
The system responded:
I CANNOT REVEAL THAT INFORMATION YET. HOST MUST LEVEL UP FIRST!
"…Of course."
HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU THIS:
YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS WORLD CAPABLE OF INFINITE ASCENSION.
Kayden's breath caught.
"What does that even mean…?"
Before the system could reply—
The doors ahead opened.
A woman with silver hair stepped out: Principal Aria Nightfall, one of the strongest cultivators in the entire city.
Her presence alone made the air feel heavy.
She studied Kayden quietly.
"So… you're the boy who awakened the anomaly."
Kayden tried to smile. "That's me. The… glitch."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Step inside, Kayden. We have much to discuss."
Kayden swallowed hard.
This day was only getting crazier.
---