The roar of laughter echoed across the royal arena.
Thousands of nobles, knights, and servants filled the marble stands, their voices blending into a storm of ridicule that seemed to shake the entire palace.
At the center of the arena stood a single figure.
Prince Kael Draven.
Or as the entire kingdom preferred to call him—
The Trash Prince.
His clothes were dusty, his lip split open, and blood trickled slowly down the side of his face. Yet he remained standing, his back straight despite the humiliation burning through his chest.
Across from him stood the crown prince, Lucian Draven.
Tall. Handsome. Powerful.
Everything Kael was not.
Lucian casually spun a gleaming sword in his hand, his golden armor reflecting the bright afternoon sun.
"Look at him," Lucian said loudly, his voice echoing across the arena. "The royal family's greatest disgrace."
More laughter erupted.
A group of young nobles leaned over the railing, watching the scene with open amusement.
"I heard he still can't even summon mana," one whispered.
"Sixteen years old and still powerless," another scoffed. "How embarrassing."
Kael heard every word.
He always did.
Sixteen years of mockery had sharpened his ears more than any blade.
At the highest balcony sat the king himself, watching with cold indifference. His expression remained blank, as if the boy being humiliated below was not his own son.
That hurt more than the laughter.
Lucian took a slow step forward.
"Tell me, little brother," he said with a cruel smile, "why do you insist on embarrassing the royal family by existing?"
More laughter.
Kael clenched his fists.
Not from anger.
From restraint.
If anger ruled him, he would have broken years ago.
"I didn't choose to be born," Kael said quietly.
Lucian tilted his head.
"Oh? So now the trash prince has something to say?"
The crowd leaned closer.
Lucian raised his sword and pointed it directly at Kael's chest.
"Today is the royal selection tournament," he said. "A day meant for warriors, not weaklings."
His smile widened.
"So why don't you kneel, admit you're worthless, and save everyone the trouble?"
The nobles immediately began chanting.
"Kneel! Kneel! Kneel!"
The sound spread like wildfire through the arena.
Kael's fingers tightened.
His nails dug into his palms until blood formed.
Sixteen years.
Sixteen years of being ignored.
Sixteen years of being mocked.
Sixteen years of being treated like he didn't belong in the royal family.
All because he had been born without mana.
In a world where power meant everything, Kael Draven was powerless.
And that made him worthless.
Lucian's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Last chance."
The crown prince lifted his sword.
"Kneel."
Silence fell over the arena.
Thousands of eyes locked onto Kael.
Waiting.
Watching.
Enjoying the humiliation.
Kael slowly lifted his head.
His dark eyes met Lucian's golden ones.
"I won't kneel."
Gasps spread across the arena.
Lucian blinked.
Then he laughed.
A cold, amused sound.
"You won't kneel?"
His sword suddenly moved.
The strike was so fast the crowd barely saw it.
SLASH!
Pain exploded across Kael's chest as the blade sliced through his clothes, throwing him violently across the arena floor.
His body crashed against the stone.
The crowd cheered.
Lucian lowered his sword casually.
"You see?" he said. "Trash always ends up on the ground."
Kael tried to move.
His body refused.
Pain burned through every muscle as blood slowly spread across the arena floor beneath him.
The sky above looked strangely distant.
Blue.
Endless.
Beautiful.
So this is how it ends…
Not in battle.
Not as a prince.
But as a joke.
The arena blurred as his vision darkened.
Voices faded.
The cheers became distant echoes.
And then—
A voice spoke.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Inside his head.
[Host detected.]
Kael's eyes twitched.
[Scanning host compatibility…]
A faint blue light flickered before his fading vision.
[Compatibility: 100%]
The voice continued.
[God-Level System initializing.]
Kael's heart skipped.
System…?
His breathing grew shallow.
Was this… a hallucination?
Or death?
The voice spoke again.
[God-Level System successfully activated.]
Suddenly, a glowing blue screen appeared before his eyes.
HOST: Kael Draven
Age: 16
Status: Critical
Strength: 2
Agility: 2
Mana: 0
Another message appeared.
[First Quest Generated.]
Kael's fading eyes widened slightly.
QUEST: Survive the Crown Prince's next attack.
Difficulty: Hell
Reward: Divine Talent – God Core Awakening
His heart pounded weakly.
Divine… talent?
Lucian's voice suddenly echoed above him.
"Still alive?"
Kael's vision shifted.
Lucian stood over him, sword resting on his shoulder, looking almost disappointed.
"You're tougher than I expected."
The crown prince raised his sword again.
"But don't worry."
His smile turned darker.
"I'll fix that."
The blade lifted high into the air.
The crowd watched eagerly.
Some nobles even leaned forward.
Everyone knew what was about to happen.
The trash prince would finally die.
Lucian brought the sword down.
"Goodbye, little brother."
Time slowed.
Kael's eyes stared at the glowing screen floating before him.
Survive the Crown Prince's next attack.
His body screamed in pain.
His strength was nearly gone.
But something strange burned deep inside his chest.
A spark.
A small, stubborn flame.
Sixteen years of humiliation.
Sixteen years of silence.
Sixteen years of being treated like nothing.
If he died now…
Nothing would change.
Lucian would remain the perfect prince.
The nobles would keep laughing.
The king would never regret abandoning him.
Kael's fingers slowly pressed against the arena floor.
The stone cracked slightly.
Lucian's sword descended.
Closer.
Closer.
The crowd held its breath.
Then—
Kael moved.
His body twisted violently to the side.
Lucian's blade slammed into the ground where his heart had been.
BOOM!
The stone shattered.
The arena exploded with shocked gasps.
Lucian's eyes widened.
Impossible.
Kael rolled across the ground and forced himself onto one knee, breathing heavily.
The blue screen flashed brightly.
[Quest Completed.]
A powerful surge of energy exploded through Kael's body.
His heart thundered.
His veins burned like fire.
The system spoke again.
[Reward granted.]
[Divine Talent: God Core Awakening.]
A terrifying pressure burst from Kael's body.
The air inside the arena suddenly trembled.
Lucian took an instinctive step back.
"What…?"
Kael slowly stood.
The pain was gone.
Something else had replaced it.
Power.
Raw.
Endless.
For the first time in his life—
Mana surged through his body.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
The nobles who had been laughing moments ago now looked confused.
Lucian frowned.
"That's impossible."
Kael lifted his head.
His dark eyes were different now.
Colder.
Sharper.
Stronger.
Another blue screen appeared before him.
New Ability Unlocked:
Divine Perception
Kael looked at Lucian.
And smiled.
Not the quiet smile of a broken prince.
But the calm smile of someone who had just discovered a terrifying secret.
The system voice echoed once more inside his mind.
[Welcome, Host.]
[Your journey to godhood has begun.]
Lucian tightened his grip on his sword.
For the first time in years…
The crown prince felt uneasy.
And the entire kingdom had no idea—
The prince they called trash had just awakened something far more dangerous.
Something divine.
Something that would soon shake the entire royal family.
Because hidden among them…
A god had just been born.