In this world, you either have a system or you don't.
600 years ago, cracks started appearing around the world, no one knew what they were or why they appeared. Not even the empire's greatest scholars.
These cracks were actually dungeons that contained monsters. When those monsters were released, humanity almost perished.
But while all the nobles and commoners were busy screaming about how they were going to die, the crown prince who had been in a deep slumber since the day he was born, woke up.
To be precise- he awakened. As a hunter, with a system that helped him. And soon, many people all over the empire awakened.
Of those who awakened, the crown prince and 4 others awakened as S-rank hunters. Each with their own class.
They were:
Char Blackwood - swordsman
Karia Winter - healer
Maroon Baroon - mage
Vander Lake - alchemist
These four hunters worked together with the crown prince to save the empire.
It's thanks to them that the empire recovered faster than one would expect.
After the empire recovered, the crown prince, who was now emperor, gave each of the 4 S-rank hunters dukedoms as a way to thank them for their help.
These 4 dukedoms are now known as the founding families. Because they were the beginning of the new empire that we have now - the Karavan empire. Named after crown prince Karavan the first ever S-rank.
It's been hundreds of years since the systems first appeared, these days, people (nobles) no longer wait for the 1-in-a-thousand chance to be awakened and instead undergo an awakening ceremony on their 10th birthday.
Sounds great, right?
But what happens if someone everyone expected to awaken as an S-rank doesn't even awaken at all?
"You're a disappointment to the Blackwood name, Cassius." Duke Lucas Blackwood said with his arms crossed
"What do you expect from an illegitimate child?" Duchess Vanessa Blackwood Looked down pitifully at Cassius.
"Tsk, I thought we might finally have another S-rank since he's the son of a Swordmaster and Grandmage, " Count Fettuccine said as if he had made some kind of investment in Cassius even though he didn't even give him a gift for his awakening ceremony.
"Give it up, dear. There hasn't been an S-rank in decades." Countess Fettuccine sighed.
"She's right. That boy tricked us into thinking he would be strong since he was the only child to ever be produced between a mage and a swordsman." Count Rigatoni said
Ever since the systems appeared, no child could be born between parents with different classes, it was like there was some barrier that prevented them from mixing. So when a swordsman and a mage had a child together, everyone was surprised.
"Yes, indeed. A strange anomaly, perhaps nothing more than a fluke on the system's part." Count ravioli humphed.
"Yes, it means nothing. At the end of the day, this boy is just a worthless illegitimate child like any other." Nathan Blackwood, Cassius's older brother, laughed.
Cassius, who was standing in a shallow pool of Elixis- a drug that helps awaken children and connect them to a system- in the imperial hall meant only for the awakening ceremonies of the royal family and the founding families, had to hear all of this harsh criticism.
'Why is everyone like this? They were all smiling at me and giving me gifts just a few hours ago. How could people change so quickly?'
Cassius was too young to understand why everyone started treating him so differently, but it didn't take him long to realize that no one ever cared about him.
They only treated him well because they believed he would be powerful.
After this shameful awakening ceremony, everyone abandoned Cassius. He was treated like a child who didn't exist. Everyone who used to smile and try to curry favor with Cassius stopped.
Cassius- who was very hurt by this sudden change, did nothing but train for the next 10 years.
During that time, He learned everything he could about awakening. Even without the awakening ceremony, there have been cases of people awakening due to sheer hard work.
Cassius hoped to be one of them.
But, those who awakened from hard work didn't have systems. And those who didn't have systems were weak.
He would have to be a Systemless Hunter.
But that was still better than being an unawakened.
After 10 years of training, Cassius finally managed to awaken as an F-rank hunter. Sadly, right after he awakened, his father died in battle.
The sad part- wasn't that his father died, but that now The Trial had to begin
The Trial was a test that all Blackwood children had to take once the head of the house died.
It didn't matter whether they were legitimate or not, they still had to take the test. The Trial Is what determines who becomes the next head of house Blackwood.
The second he entered the forest where 'The Trial' takes place, Cassius was sure he would die at the hands of one of the numerous deadly monsters residing in the forest...
***
" do you want to know a little secret?" Nathan said, holding Cassius over a cliff by the neck with one hand. " It's not your fault that you are so weak."
Cassius would have found those words comforting if it wasn't for the fact his brother was holding him over a cliff.
"Do you know what Elixinot is, Cassius?" Nathan smiled, whispering in Cassius's ears.
'The drug that prevents children from awakening?'
Cassius knew a lot about Elixinot from his research. It was a generally harmless drug, but under very specific circumstances it could prevent children from finding a system, or worse, kill them.
Nathan looked at Cassius's eyes that seemed to shake at the word Elixinot.
"Ah, so you do. " A sadistic grin kept unto Nathan's face, "Then, that makes this a lot easier. "
"Now that father's dead, and I'm about to be the head of house Blackwood, there's nothing preventing me from telling you. " Nathan's grin widened as if he had been waiting his whole life for this moment.
'What does he mean? Elixinot...'
"The cupcake..." Cassius muttered, "10 years ago, during the awakening ceremony... The cupcake?"
Cassius's eyes widened in desperation 'It can't be!'
Nathan smiled, "Have you figured it out already?"
For the past ten years Cassius thought he failed due to his own incompetence. For the past ten years, he trained harder than anyone just so he could awaken.
Nathan laughed, "My mother gave you Elixinot during your awakening ceremony 10 years ago. It's because she loves me."
"If it wasn't for her, perhaps I wouldn't be able to hold you like this now. " Nathan's grip tightened.
"Any last words, casket?" Nathan laughed at what he thought was a funny joke. Cassius -> Casket. You know, because he was about to die.
"W-why?" Cassius groaned trying to pull Nathan's hand away from his neck. It was hard for him to breathe the way Nathan was holding him.
"Pitiful. What a pitiful boy you are, Casket." Nathan gripped his hand around Cassius's neck tighter, as he looked at his legs that were dangling above the abyss.
"Mother only treated you nicely once you were no longer a threat to me." Nathan smiled, "you're not her son. Why would she care about you? Because of you, I had to-"
"When was I ever a threat?!" Cassius jumped up pinning Nathan onto the floor. "All I ever wanted was to live peacefully!"
Cassius started to cry, and his tears fell on Nathan who was pinned beneath him. He looked at him for an answer, but Nathan was too stunned to speak.
'He awakened? How could he awaken? It was already a miracle that his heart didn't explode with the amount of Elixinot he recieved. ' countless thoughts ran through Nathan's head, and he started to feel a little scared. Despite what it seemed like, He wasn't originally planning on killing Cassius, but now... 'I am sorry. You fell off the cliff on you're own, alright? No one can find out about this.'
Nathan held Cassius's shoulders and jumped off onto his feet, before holding Cassius over the cliff again.
Even with awakening fever which made him stronger, Cassius was still considerably weak compared to Nathan who was an A-rank hunter.
Cassius struggled, trying to squirm out of Nathan's arms, but no matter how hard he tried his body wouldn't budge. "Nathan!"
"Goodbye, Casket. " Nathan's smile faded, and his eyes became empty, he proceeded to let go of his younger brother and watch him fall towards the abyss.
"Answer me! Nathan!" Cassius screamed reaching his arms out towards Nathan who seemed to be getting further and further away from him by the second. But Nathan didn't reply, he just stood silent and watched as Cassius went sky-diving without a parachute.
Cassius questioned everything that happened to him. What did he do to deserve this? He gritted his teeth and bit his lip as he watched his tears fly into the air above him.
Cassius fell through the abyss, as he watched Nathan watching him fall without doing anything. He watched until everything faded into the darkness. By then, there was only one thing that was accompanying him, and that was the sound of his screams echoing through the empty abyss.
At some point, he could no longer feel anything, and his screams, the last thing signifying that he was still alive, faded into the distance leaving behind nothing but silence.
He didn't know if he was dead yet, or was still alive, but eventually he got the confirmation he needed when his body violently slammed against the floor.
'I wasn't before, but I'm definitely dead now. ' blood trickled out of his mouth, and he couldn't help but smile softly as he heard Anna's voice in the distance.