When the results appeared, he felt as if his soul was plucked from his body as he stared at the monitor.
[0] - (Heh, luckily you're the main character, so I have your back!)
Seeing the results that is zero, it is even far worse than the other, since they had numbers while he had none.
"You did not pass. Take a seat, young man," William said softly.
He did not comfort him because he saw it in his eyes. That no amount of comfort could help; Asher didn't respond but looked down and returned to his seat.
Some of his classmates felt pity for him, as he had no chance.
Since he has zero Aether, it means that he does not possess an Aether Core. Without an Aether Core, he will live a normal life, just like others who experienced a failed awakening.
Although not having an Aether Core is considered rare, it signifies that no amount of waiting will change his situation. He must accept this reality.
To put it more simply, a person born without an Aether Core has no chance of awakening, regardless of how old they get. In contrast, a person with one Aether Core has a 0.00000000001% chance of awakening, even if they are old and nearing death. At least there is still a possibility for them to awaken.
While he had none, Womp Womp.
As he reached his seat, he was overwhelmed by emotions that felt like a tidal wave. Krieg, seeing his expression, felt saddened by his luck.
He was about to comfort him, but he hesitated. Instead, he said, "Hey, if you want to talk about it, we can go have a drink." He suggested this because he knew that trying to comfort him might only make things worse.
As he was looking down at his table seat, he just shifted his head and brokenly smiled.
"I'm fine, Krieg. I am just surprised, but thanks," he finished as he stared at his table in a daze.
Krieg the fatty just nodded his head as William Tendil was done with his work, " the passers are a total of 17 students have passed: 7 girls and 10 boys. Given that there are over 41 students, this result is good," he shouted at the center while counting the check marks.
Closing the briefcase and the note, he stood imposingly at the center of the room. "To those who have failed, you can still get yourself checked for one week. If the results don't change after that, then I believe it will be unnecessary to explain further," William addressed the group.
Their spirits were lifted, except for Asher, who remained unresponsive.
William looked at the student who received a zero and felt pity for his bad luck. He then said farewell, as he had work to do.
The teacher stepped onto the platform, clapping his hands to grab everyone's attention. "Congratulations to those who passed! And for those who didn't, don't feel too bad—there are plenty of other jobs besides becoming an Awakener," he said with a reassuring smile.
"Also, remember, you still have one week to get rechecked in case your Aether Core increases to 100. So, before you start thinking about suicide or jumping off a cliff, at least wait until the week is over!" he added, a playful grin on his face.
The students hearing this were speechless, committing suicide for this reason? They are not idiots to kill themselves for that reason.
Some of them were hoping that their Aether Core would increase since they had no control over it.
However, having one week will help, especially the student whose Ather Core scored 99.
For Asher, there was zero, so it was useless even if he waited until the end of his life.
"That will be all for today's class," the teacher announced.
"Considering the mixed emotions many of you must be feeling, continuing with lessons wouldn't be appropriate. The dean has approved an early dismissal, so go home and take some time to rest," he said, sharing the good news with a warm smile.
Hearing this, they picked up their respective bags and left the classroom one by one. Ishnehaya also left since staying in the classroom was boring.
The only two left are Asher and Krieg, as the fat guy waits for Asher to snap out of his daze. The teacher, seeing this, feels bad for him as well.
Asher was a good kid and a very consistent and hardworking one, but too bad, really too bad.
He thought as he walked towards the two. Upon arriving, he patted Asher's hair, ruffling it.
"Asher, don't be sad. I know that what you're feeling right now is really tough, but don't let it overwhelm you. Go home for now so you can rest and calm down," Allan Mabera comforted him.
Hearing what his teacher said, he just smiled and bowed as the two of them left. He did not speak as Krieg and he went down the stairs.
When they arrived at the gate, Krieg held his arms when they were about to go their separate ways.
"Do you need me to accompany you? I'm free if you need some animal support," Krieg joked, but his face was serious.
Asher shook his head, feeling his heart warm. "I'm fine, Krieg. I just need some time alone. I'll go help Amara manage the store," he responded, which finally made Krieg let go, and he left.
When Asher was gone from his view, the fat Krieg also walked away. Asher took some detours on the road and arrived at their small shop, but he found it was closed, so he left the place.
Taking the road to his home, he arrived at the front door of their house. Getting inside, he saw Amara sweeping the floor.
Hearing the door open, she glanced and was surprised that Asher was back early. Seeing his looks, she was confused.
"Did you have an early dismissal? Why the long face? Don't tell me..." She did not finish her words as she ran towards him.
Giving him a tight hug, Asher was surprised by the sudden embrace. He felt a warmth spread through him as he stood there motionless.
Realizing what she was doing, her face turned red, but she didn't let go. After a moment, she leaned back to look at him.
"Asher, it's okay. You can just help me in the shop if you're planning to stop school," she comforted, holding both of his hands.
Her face was red, as she looked at him dotingly. Asher's sad look slowly disappeared as his heart beat fast when being held.
He could not help but blush. "When this school year ends, I will help you manage the shop since my path to becoming an awakener is no more," Ashed replied with a smile, as the two of them locked gaze.
Amara's heartbeat quickened as she finally stepped back, feeling shy and flustered. "I'll… I'll clean the house first. Your room's already done, so, um…" Her words trailed off awkwardly as she turned away.
Taking a few hurried steps, she made her way toward the door leading to the living room, avoiding further eye contact.
The house was modest but comfortable. It had two floors and three rooms, each with its own space.
Asher smiled warmly as he walked towards his room after climbing the stairs, seeing that it was perfectly neat and clean.
"I mean, becoming a seller is not bad," he said as he sat in the bed.
It was still early in the morning, and feeling restless, he picked up his phone. Scrolling aimlessly, a live broadcast caught his attention.
On the screen, a female reporter stood aboard a boat, her hair plastered to her face by the relentless rain and wind.
Behind her loomed a massive island, shrouded in storm clouds and eerie mist.
"This just in," the reporter began, her voice strained as she fought against the weather, "a new dimensional rift is set to appear on Lulu Island. Based on the energy wave readings, experts are warning that this could bring a disaster far beyond what we've ever experienced—a threat exceeding the already devastating Country-Level Disasters of the past."
Her words carried a heavyweight, and the camera momentarily panned to the island, where the atmosphere seemed to ripple ominously, as though the air itself was charged with problems.
"In the last century, we barely survived the horrors of a Country-Level Disaster," she continued, her voice trembling.
"Entire cities were wiped off the map. Families, lives, and peace it was all lost. And now, researchers from the Resource and Research Division(RRD) predict that this rift will open in three years, bringing something even worse."
The reporter's tone shifted, her dread giving way as she gripped the microphone tightly.
"But we are not giving up. My fellow humans, we have four years to prepare. To fight. To show these beasts that humanity will not fall quietly into oblivion!"
Her voice rose with emotion, a mix of fury and desperation, as she stared into the camera.
"We've lost too much—our families, our friends, our homes—but we are not done yet. This is our chance to prove that we can endure, that we can stand against hell itself!" she bellowed.
As the broadcast ended with the image of the island, foreboding and still as if waiting for the moment when it would unleash chaos once more.
Asher seeing this clenched his hand, his eyes were helpless as he lay down in the bed, with a low thud.
He's helpless now; he does not know what to do. So he got up and decided to be useful for today
That is to help Amara clean the house.
Seeing him help, Amara was still too shy to speak. As he let him mop the floor, afternoon came, and Lilia arrived and heard this news.
She comforted him, but he was fine now. They also heard the news that was spreading in every channel as they were in the living room watching TV.
Hearing that another disaster was going to happen, they were very helpless since they were just normal people.
Night came and they have their meal, as Asher took a bath he decided to sleep his heavy mind.