Elric sat in the far corner of the Awakening Hall, the noise of the ongoing ceremony muffled by the constant hum of thoughts racing through his mind. He was still grappling with the reality of the system, a hidden power lurking just beneath the surface of his weak façade. The other students may have seen only the label of his F-rank talent, Flame Spark but they didn't know what truly lay within him—the Creator System.
Focusing inward, he called up the system once more, willing the menu to appear.
[Creator System Menu]
Soul Points: 0
Talents:
Flame Spark (F-Rank)
Healing Blood (F-Rank)
The meager list in front of him felt almost like a cruel joke. Two F-rank abilities. He should have been devastated, like any other student would be. But Elric wasn't like them. He had learned long ago that the face of reality was only skin-deep—true power was always hidden.
He allowed himself a moment to reflect on his passive talent. Healing Blood. F-rank, and seemingly unimpressive. But as he focused on the description provided by the system, it became clear that it was more than just a minor boost to his recovery. It wasn't just that his blood healed—it healed rapidly, whenever he was injured. It meant he could push himself harder in battle, take risks others couldn't, and endure damage that would leave others in the dirt.
It was a small consolation, but Elric was a patient man. He had to be. He had learned patience on that fateful night seven years ago, when he had been forced to watch his parents die, powerless to save them. But powerlessness was not something he would accept again.
From his corner, he watched as the rest of the students continued to undergo their awakenings, the cold detachment in his green eye contrasting with the heated swirl of thoughts behind it. The holographic displays floated above each student's head as their talents were revealed, and the ranking system went about its brutal work of determining their futures.
One student stepped up—a girl with sharp features and fiery red hair that seemed to blaze like the talent she would soon be judged by. Elric appraised her closely, his mind clicking into action.
Name: Sara Lyell
Talent: Fireball (D-Rank)
Passive: Heat Resistance (D-Rank)
A D-rank. Her talent was superior to his on paper, but only just. He narrowed his gaze, processing the potential implications. Fireball was certainly stronger than Flame Spark , as it allowed for a more focused and destructive burst of fire. But the talent itself was limited by her overall capabilities and growth. D-rank talents, while not exactly common, weren't that impressive either in the grand scheme of things.
He could see her chest swell with pride, though, as she walked off the platform, confident in her superiority. Elric simply stored the information. If he ever faced her in combat, he would be ready.
Another boy stepped up, his frame bulkier and more imposing. He looked like the kind of person who had spent far too much time in a gym, perfecting his body rather than his mind. Elric observed him with the same calculating detachment.
Name: Kaden Frost
Talent: Earthquake Punch (C-Rank)
Passive: Hardened Skin (C-Rank)
Kaden's broad shoulders relaxed as the crowd reacted with quiet admiration. C-rank was something to aspire to. His talent, Earthquake Punch, gave him the ability to create shockwaves with his strikes, making him a formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat. His passive, Hardened Skin, would make him durable—someone difficult to put down.
Elric's eyes flicked to the instructors on the upper balcony, their expressions carefully neutral as they watched each result unfold. They were waiting for the next true talent, someone with enough potential to catch the eye of the academies. The odds of someone awakening an A-rank or higher were low, but the possibility kept everyone on edge.
As another batch of students went through the process, Elric's attention drifted, taking in the room's details. The hall was more than just a building; it was a monument to the city's rigid caste system. The upper levels, with their wide, clean balconies and private viewing booths, were reserved for the elite—those who controlled the flow of talent. The lower levels, where the students stood, were cramped, cold, and devoid of warmth.
The architecture was telling. The vast disparity between those above and those below was written into every beam and panel. Everything was designed to remind the unawakened of their place, while those with power looked down from their literal high ground.
Elric's eye traced the path of one of the drones that hovered above, its sleek, metallic surface reflecting the faint light of the room. The drones were everywhere in the city—artificial sentinels tasked with monitoring the populace. In a world as technologically advanced as theirs, it was easy to forget that these floating machines were once hailed as a breakthrough, a marvel of humanity's progress. Now, they were just part of the landscape, as much a symbol of control as the city walls themselves.
Outside, beyond the safety of the walls, there were far worse things than drones. Beasts and creatures from the untamed lands roamed freely, their existence a constant reminder of humanity's fragility. And in the far reaches of the solar system, where mystical races ruled, humanity was little more than an afterthought.
Elric had read about them—the elves of Venus, with their mastery over nature and storms; the dwarves of Mercury, who forged weapons capable of tearing through metal and flesh alike; and the demons of Saturn, who reveled in chaos and destruction. Compared to those beings, the students in this hall, with their small flames and stone fists, were nothing.
Frog at the bottom of the well, Elric thought, echoing an ancient saying. They had no idea how vast the universe truly was, how insignificant their struggles would seem to the powers beyond Earth.
But Elric had always been different. His gaze never wavered from the larger picture. Even as a child, he had understood the world in ways others couldn't. He could see past the immediate, the obvious, and into the mechanisms that moved behind the scenes. While other kids dreamed of glory, fighting in the arenas or becoming legendary warriors, Elric dreamed of something far more dangerous: control.
He wasn't interested in just power. Power was fleeting. The talents that these students were awakening would make them strong, yes, but they were all just stepping stones. No one here, with their limited perspective, understood the true depths of the solar system, the forces at work, and how fragile their little bubbles of security really were.
He wasn't content with being another cog in the machine. No, Elric intended to become the one turning the gears.
As another student, a lanky boy with a nervous twitch, stepped forward to the Awakening Platform, Elric closed his eyes, sinking deeper into his thoughts. The system pulsed gently in his mind, waiting for him to unlock its true potential. It felt like an itch he couldn't quite scratch, always just out of reach.
The system's real power… he mused, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his knee. He had been given a glimpse with the two talents, but he knew there was more, far more than he had seen. He needed to learn how to control it, to use it on his own terms. The appraisal function was one thing, but there had to be more than just observing others.
How many soul points would it take to create something new? Something truly powerful? He had yet to gain any soul points, of course, but that didn't stop his mind from wandering down the possibilities. Could he upgrade his existing talents? Could he create techniques or weapons from nothing? The mere thought of the possibilities sent a cold thrill down his spine.
His thoughts were interrupted when the lanky boy's hologram lit up. Elric blinked back into reality, watching as the display revealed his talent.
Name: Markus Valen
Talent: Shifting Illusions (D-Rank)
Passive: Enhanced Agility (E-Rank)
The crowd's reaction was muted. D-rank was decent but not extraordinary, and the passive Enhanced Agility was nothing more than a slight boost to speed. Markus shifted awkwardly on the platform, clearly embarrassed by the lackluster response to his abilities.
But Elric's mind was already spinning. Shifting Illusions—that could be useful. An opponent who could manipulate perception would pose a significant challenge, especially in a fight. Most people underestimated the power of illusion, but Elric could already think of dozens of ways to turn that talent into a deadly advantage.
The boy, however, seemed lost, almost defeated by the revelation of his rank. That, more than anything, made Elric shake his head. It wasn't the talent that mattered. It was the wielder. A weak talent in the hands of someone smart, someone ruthless, could become a weapon far more dangerous than brute strength.
Elric's gaze drifted back to the instructors. They hadn't flinched at Markus's talent. Their eyes remained locked on the holographic displays, waiting for the one talent that would make their trip to this sub-city worthwhile.
As the ceremony dragged on, the gap between those who would become something in this world and those who would fade into obscurity became painfully clear. A few C-ranks here, several D-ranks, a scattering of F-ranks that drew pity and mockery from the crowd. Nothing truly impressive, nothing that screamed potential for greatness.
And yet, Elric didn't care. It was all noise to him. All that mattered was his system, the quiet, subtle force at his fingertips that no one else could see. While the others measured their worth in the ranks assigned by this ceremony, Elric measured his worth in the potential he knew he could unlock.
When his time came, when he was finally able to collect soul points and feed them into the system, it wouldn't matter if his talent was F-rank or A-rank. He would shape his future with his own hands.
As the last student stepped off the platform and the crowd began to disperse, Elric's mind was already elsewhere. The Awakening Ceremony was just a formality, a step he had to take to play along with society's rules. But the real game, the one he was playing in the shadows, had already begun.
He stood up from his seat, straightening his uniform and blending into the sea of students leaving the hall. His eyes remained cold, calculating, as he moved through the crowd, unnoticed, unremarkable. Just another F-rank talent in a world filled with stronger, more capable individuals.
But that was the point. Let them underestimate him. Let them think he was nothing.
Because Elric knew the truth. He was more than just an F-rank. He was a creator. And in a world ruled by power, the one who could create had the true advantage.
As he stepped out of the Awakening Hall and into the bright, artificial light of the sub-city's streets, Elric felt the system pulse again, as if reminding him of its presence, urging him forward.
The real journey was just beginning.
End of Chapter Two