The giant screen above the arena flickered to life.
Hundreds of students filled the stadium seats, watching the ranking board update.
At Echelon Academy, rankings meant everything.
The higher your rank, the more resources you received.Better training. Better dorms. Better opportunities.
The lower your rank…
The more invisible you became.
Numbers began appearing beside each student's name.
Cheers erupted across the stadium as prodigies celebrated their positions.
Rank 12.Rank 9.Rank 5.
Near the very bottom of the screen, one name appeared again.
Kai Ren — Rank 998.
A few students laughed.
"Still trash."
"Why is he even here?"
"He's the only person in this academy with zero talent."
Kai stared at the glowing number silently.
Second to last.
Again.
Echelon Academy trained the world's greatest prodigies.
Geniuses.
Athletic monsters.
Strategic masterminds.
Kai was none of those things.
He was simply the boy who somehow passed the entrance exam.
And ever since then, he had been the academy's biggest joke.
"Hey, Kai!"
A tall student stepped into his path.
Damon Cruz.
Rank 14.
One of the academy's strongest fighters.
"You're fighting me in the next match," Damon said with a smirk.
The surrounding students immediately gathered to watch.
This was going to be entertaining.
Kai sighed.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Nope."
Minutes later, they stood inside the combat arena.
A massive circular stage surrounded by thousands of students.
The referee raised his hand.
"Match start!"
Damon moved instantly.
Kai barely saw the punch coming.
BAM!
Pain exploded across his face as he crashed onto the floor.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Kai tried to stand again.
Another punch.
Another fall.
The fight lasted less than thirty seconds.
Kai lay on the arena floor staring at the ceiling lights.
The crowd was already losing interest.
Just another pathetic defeat.
Just another reminder that he didn't belong here.
Then…
Something strange happened.
A voice echoed inside his head.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Talent Absorption System initializing…
Kai's eyes widened.
"…what?"
Scanning defeated opponent…
Talent detected: Combat Genius (B-Rank)
Condition met: Defeat opponent to absorb talent
Kai blinked.
Defeat… Damon?
The boy who just destroyed him?
Impossible.
But before Kai could question it further, the voice spoke again.
System unlocked.
Welcome, Host.
Your path to becoming the greatest talent in the world begins now.
Kai slowly stood up.
And for the first time in his life…
He smiled.