Tommy Slessus had always been fascinated by the stories of Adventurers—the heroes, the superhumans who roamed the land wielding power beyond imagination. They were the ones who could manipulate fire, fly, or heal with a mere thought. Every child dreamed of awakening their system, that unique force that allowed them to access their true potential. But dreams, as Tommy was beginning to learn, rarely matched reality.
Some people awaken their system naturally, while some have to go through the forced awakening. A process where the mana inside the person is forcefully drawn out in order to awaken the system.
The air inside the Adventurers Association's headquarters was thick with anticipation. Tommy stood in line, his heart racing. In front of him were a dozen or so other hopefuls, each clutching a small crystal in their hands, the key to unlocking their future. The crystal was a relic from the ancient days, a catalyst for awakening. Once touched, it would resonate with the mana within the person, triggering the manifestation of their system.
Tommy had saved up for years—working menial jobs, enduring ridicule from those around him who claimed he'd never make it. But he was determined. One hundred thousand dollars—his entire savings plus multiple loans, a small fortune—spent to make sure he would become an Adventurer.
He was standing at the precipice of his future, ready to prove them wrong.
"Next!" A voice from the front snapped him out of his thoughts. The examiner, a stern-looking man with sharp eyes, waved him forward.
Tommy's hands clenched around the crystal, his palms sweating. He took a step forward, his breath shallow. He had no choice now. He had to awaken. He couldn't fail.
This was the moment he had been waiting for all his life, the moment he would become one of the legends, one of the superhumans.
Many thoughts flew through his head; what power would I get? Would I get an inmate talent?. All of which he waved off. He didn't care about what he get as long as he becomes an Adventurer.
The examiner's eyes bored into him as he gestured for Tommy to place the crystal on the activation pad. "Let's see what you've got."
Tommy hesitated for a moment, then pressed the crystal to the pad. The room seemed to grow still. The light from the crystal began to pulse, glowing a deep blue. His pulse quickened. The room filled with a low hum as the air around him thickened with energy.
Then, nothing.
The hum faded, the light dimmed, and Tommy's heart sank.
This didn't happen for other people, Tommy thought to himself as his dream of being an Adventurer crumbled before his very eyes.
The examiner's expression remained unchanged, but Tommy could feel the disapproving stares from the others. The quiet murmurings began, as they all turned to glance at the failure before them.
"You're a Glitch," the examiner said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Impossible. You're the first one in over a century. You can't access a system."
A "Glitch." The term used for those who couldn't awaken. The cursed few who walked through life without the ability to harness mana.
Tommy's chest tightened. His legs felt weak, his mind racing. Glitch. The words echoed in his head. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He had spent his life trying to avoid this fate. But here he was, standing in front of the very people he had hoped to join—mocked and condemned.
"Hey, look, it's a Glitch!" A voice from the crowd rang out, followed by laughter. Tommy's face flushed with embarrassment. He could hear the whispers. "What a loser." "Just a waste of space." "What a joke."
He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore them, but it felt impossible. They were right. He was a failure. A glitch in the system that no one cared about.
The examiner sighed, rubbing his temples. "Get your adventurer's license, kid. You still have to register. But don't expect to be more than a street rat with that kind of luck."
Tommy barely heard him. His world was spinning. How could this happen? He had spent so much—he had done everything right! And yet, it wasn't enough.
"Come on, we don't have all day," the examiner said, shoving a piece of paper toward Tommy.
Tommy's fingers numbly took the paper, his heart pounding in his chest. He forced his legs to move, stepping away from the platform and towards the registration desk. He had failed the awakening, but he could still get a license. Even if it meant staying at the very bottom, he was still an Adventurer.
The clerk behind the desk barely glanced at him as she processed his registration. "Glitch or not, you're an adventurer now," she said flatly, stamping the papers.
Tommy didn't say a word as she handed him his license. His name was printed in bold, along with his designation: [Level 0 Adventurer.]
The words felt like a weight on his shoulders.
He was a Glitch. The first person in a century to fail the Awakening.
The others in the hall continued to laugh, some even pointing as he walked out the door. Tommy didn't care anymore. It didn't matter that they mocked him. He had the license. He was still an adventurer. And now, he would have to prove that he was more than the title they gave him.
As he left the building and stepped into the busy streets of the city, Tommy knew his journey had only just begun. It didn't matter that he didn't have a system. He would find his own way. The world was full of challenges, and he was ready to face them—Glitch or not.