Pain.
That was the first thing Leon felt when he opened his eyes.
A sharp, burning pain spread through his chest, as if something inside him had shattered. His vision blurred, and the cold stone beneath his back sent a chill straight into his spine.
"Still alive…?"
Leon coughed, blood staining the corner of his lips.
He lay at the bottom of a collapsed testing arena, broken pillars scattered around him like the remains of a battlefield. Above, faint voices echoed—mocking, distant, already uninterested.
"Is he dead?"
"Not yet. But with that talent level, he might as well be."
"Zero-grade potential… What a waste of resources."
Laughter followed.
Leon clenched his fists.
Zero-grade.
That word had followed him his entire life in this world.
In the Kingdom of Asterion, talent was everything. At the age of sixteen, every citizen underwent an Awakening Trial—a ritual that determined one's future. Warriors, mages, knights, cultivators… all were born from this moment.
And Leon?
He had awakened nothing.
No element.No bloodline.No blessing.
A perfect zero.
Tonight was supposed to be his final test—one last chance to prove he was worth keeping in the academy. Instead, a malfunctioning magic array exploded, throwing him into the ruins like discarded trash.
"If this is how it ends…" Leon whispered, his vision darkening."…then this world is truly unfair."
As consciousness began to fade, a strange sound echoed inside his mind.
[Analyzing host condition…]
Leon froze.
"What…?"
The voice was cold, mechanical, utterly emotionless.
[Host vitality at critical level.][Awakening requirements met.][Initiating System Binding…]
A blinding surge of heat erupted from Leon's chest.
He gasped, arching violently as golden lines of light spread across his skin, forming intricate symbols before sinking back into his body.
[Binding complete.]
A translucent blue panel appeared before his eyes.
[Infinite Growth System – Activated]
Host: Leon AsterStatus: MortalGrowth Potential: ∞ (Infinite)
Leon stared, breathless.
"Infinite… growth?"
Before he could process the meaning, the panel shifted.
[Unique Passive Ability Unlocked]→ Infinite Adaptation:All attributes grow continuously through action. No bottlenecks. No upper limit.
[Warning:]This system does not provide shortcuts.Growth must be earned.
Leon's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
No upper limit.
In a world obsessed with talent caps and bloodline ceilings, this single line shattered everything he had ever been taught.
"So…" Leon whispered, a slow, disbelieving smile forming on his bloodied face."…the weaker I am now, the faster I can grow?"
As if responding to his thought, another notification appeared.
[Condition Detected: Severe Injury][Triggering Growth Response…]
Pain surged—then vanished.
Warmth flooded his body. His shattered ribs knit together. Torn muscles regenerated. His breath steadied as strength returned, not borrowed… but grown.
Leon sat up.
Slowly.
Easily.
Above him, footsteps approached. A shadow loomed at the edge of the ruins.
"Tch. Still breathing?" a voice sneered. "Fine. I'll finish it."
Leon lifted his head.
For the first time in his life, he didn't feel fear.
He felt anticipation.