Kael spoke the word quietly, almost testing it.
"Status."
The air in front of him shimmered.
A translucent blue panel unfolded in midair, lines of light stacking one after another. It hovered close—too close—just inches from his face. The display was sharp and unreal, like something pulled straight out of a sci-fi film, yet it responded smoothly to his gaze, shifting angle as if it knew exactly where he was looking.
----
Status: Kael Soren
Talent: Grave Compatibility (Rank: F)
Description: ????
Stats:Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Endurance: 6
Magic: 11 (Talent Effect: x10)
Mind: 66 (Talent Effect: x10)
----
Kael stared.
For a second, he did nothing but squint—like narrowing his eyes might somehow correct whatever mistake he was seeing.
This was his first time seeing a status screen in person. Even after transmigrating into this world three months ago, experiencing it firsthand felt strange. Clean lines of glowing data, floating in the air, responding only to him.
But his eyes locked onto one line almost immediately.
Talent: Grave Compatibility (Rank: F).
"…F-rank," he muttered inwardly.
And worse—
Description: ????
Kael's lips twitched.
You've got to be kidding me.
Was the System really so unimpressed with his talent that it couldn't even be bothered to explain it?
That irritated him more than the rank itself.
The System was treated as absolute in this world. It governed awakenings, talents, stats—practically everything that determined a person's future. In just three months, Kael had learned one thing clearly:
The System didn't make mistakes.
And yet—
Four question marks.
As if his talent wasn't even worth the effort.
So it really is trash…
The faint sense of unease he'd felt during the awakening—the strange impressions that had briefly stirred in his mind—quietly faded. Maybe he'd overthought it. Maybe nothing unusual had happened at all.
If the System still labeled it F-rank, then that was that.
He let out a slow breath.
At least it's beast-related, he told himself. Plenty of people don't even get that.
With expectations already lowered, Kael moved on to his stats.
Then his gaze stopped.
Magic: 11.
His pupils shrank.
"…What?"
He leaned closer, rereading the number.
It didn't change.
His heartbeat quickened.
That number was wrong. Completely wrong.
Everyone knew the basics. At awakening, most people started with 1 point of Magic—a newborn mana core barely capable of holding ten units of mana.
Two Magic meant talent.
Three?
A prodigy.
Before awakening, mana couldn't even circulate properly through the body.
And he had—
Eleven.
Then he noticed the smaller line beside it.
(Talent Effect: x10)
Kael's mind went blank.
…Ten times?
He dropped his gaze to the next stat.
Mind: 66.
His breath caught.
Mind governed spell control, precision, mental endurance—one of the hardest attributes to raise even after awakening.
And his was sixty-six.
Again, the same note followed it.
(Talent Effect: x10)
What kind of numbers are these…?
Even elite academy graduates would kill for stats like that. And he had them right out of awakening.
All of this—
From an F-rank talent?
His eyes drifted back to Grave Compatibility, those four question marks suddenly looking far less dismissive.
This doesn't add up, he realized. Not even a little.
Before he could think further, Kael felt it.
Someone watching him.
He looked up and met the receptionist's eyes.
She was smiling—but only barely.
It was the polite, professional kind. The kind meant to keep things moving. Not interest. Not curiosity.
More like: Please finish and step aside.
That subtle dismissal annoyed him more than he expected.
His mood dipped, but he pushed it down.
He still needed answers.
Taking a breath, Kael opened his mouth.
"Miss—"
"Kael!"
Sarah's voice rang out behind him, bright and unmistakably excited.
Kael stiffened and turned. The status panel dissolved into motes of light as he did.
Across the hall, Sarah stood on her toes, arm raised high as she waved enthusiastically. Her voice echoed loudly enough to draw more than a few looks.
Near her stood three familiar figures—Mara, the bulky boy, and the thin one.
All of them were staring straight at him.
Kael sighed.
He glanced back at the receptionist. Her smile hadn't changed—still tight, still clearly saying you're done here.
"…Alright," he muttered.
There was nothing more to gain by standing around. He turned from the counter and headed toward Sarah. The moment he moved, her excitement doubled—her waving becoming faster, higher, almost frantic.
Despite himself, Kael felt a small smile tug at his lips.
Whatever.
Even if the numbers didn't make sense. Even if something about his talent felt off.
As long as the System labeled it F-rank, that was all the world would ever see.
Speculation didn't change reality.
As he walked, his fingers brushed his pocket, where his newly issued Beast Tamer ID rested—cold, thin, and utterly ordinary.
F-rank potential.
That label outweighed everything else.
Behind him, the receptionist finally let out the breath she'd been holding. Her smile vanished instantly as she slumped back in her chair.
"Finally…"
With Kael confirmed as the last Beast Tamer candidate of the day, she wasted no time pulling up a game on her terminal, awakenings already forgotten.
----
When Kael reached them, Sarah looked practically radiant.
He raised a brow. "Alright," he said. "What happened? Why do you look so happy?"
"Oh, you won't believe it!" Sarah said quickly. "You know the head of the Beast Tamer Agency? That scary woman?"
Kael nodded.
"She gave us permission to enter the Egg Infant House!" Sarah said, barely containing herself. "She said I can choose any egg or infant beast from the current stock!"
Kael blinked. "That's… generous."
He looked to the others. "What about you three?"
Mara raised her hand hesitantly, cheeks faintly pink. "I—I was approved too. Because of my B-rank talent."
"I see. Congratulations," Kael said sincerely.
Her blush deepened.
He really is kind of handsome… she thought.
Kael turned to the remaining two. Both shook their heads. The bulky boy sighed. "Nah. No free beast for us. They said you need at least C-rank to qualify."
The thin boy nodded, disappointed but not crushed.
Kael stored the information away and looked back at Sarah.
"So when are we going?"
Sarah grinned. "We were waiting for you! Let's go now."
Kael chuckled. "Alright."
It was strange—Sarah had absolute confidence in his awakening, yet she'd been nervous about her own.
She's better at believing in others than herself, Kael thought.
With a faint smile, he followed the group deeper into the Beast Tamer Agency.
----
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