"Hehe! The GEMS are mine!"
An eerie laughter echoed in a medium-seized modern, dimly lit room as a 16-year-old boy with prominent dark circles under his crystal-like blue eyes, tapped non-stop on a gaming console.
Skyler's gaze was fixed on the computer screen in front of him, which sparkled with countless colors, as he deliberately—ahem, no, accidentally—led all his teammates to their demise after they had defeated all the enemies and the last boss monster.
Sadly, in the end, only he remained in the game to claim the reward: a massive chest overflowing with gems that were, in truth, of no use to anyone except for their beauty.
Instantly, the tiny chat box in the corner of the game interface erupted with accusatory messages as his now-dead team members unleashed a barrage of curses.
Skyler chuckled and, with a swift tap, activated the built-in microphone in the headphones resting on his ears.
"Come on, guys, how can you doubt me? All of your deaths were truly accidental!"
Such an innocent tone... it could deceive anyone into believing he was blameless, even if he had sold them right in front of their very eyes. Unfortunately, that didn't apply to the players in this particular game, where he was quite famous for his devious nature!
Still, they could only grit their teeth in frustration, knowing very well that this jerk had muted their voices long ago! They had invited 'Player Sky' to join the team solely because of his exceptional skill, and that's where they made a mistake!
They should have listened to the other players who told them that the moment this jerk discovered that the final reward of the game was something sparkling, his entire team would 'accidentally' die, leaving him as the only survivor to claim the treasure!
Skyler ignored the chat and watched with glee as his character in the game took the treasure box. But before he could open it, the door to his room was flung open loudly, causing him to jump from his chair.
His first instinct was to shut his computer by pulling out the plug, but unfortunately, it was already too late. The she-devil had caught him red-handed this time.
He turned around only to find a beautiful woman clad in a nightgown standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and a stern expression. Skyler mourned the loss of his treasure box mentally, which he hadn't been able to open, and feigned a gasp, clutching the top of his blue checkered pajamas.
"Mum! You scared me!"
The woman narrowed her blue eyes, which were similar to Skyler's but lacked the clear crystal-like brilliance. Her hair was a mess, showing that she had just woken up.
"Skyler Ironhart! How many times do I have to tell you not to stay up playing games so late at night? Go to sleep now, or we will be late for the testing center tomorrow!"
Like a disobedient child pretending to be obedient when they heard their mother call their full name, Skyler nodded instantly. Due to the light streaming in from the door, his ash-brown hair shimmered like dark gold.
Skyler winced when Riya Ironhart slammed the door of his room shut, silently lighting a candle for his father inwardly. Hopefully, old man Johnson would survive the night. His mother looked extremely pissed.
Finally, silence returned to the room filled with sparkling trinkets and walls cluttered with poorly executed hand-drawn sketches that seemed to try to capture the essence of runes, talismans, and inscriptions.
Skyler walked toward his bed, positioned opposite the computer table. It was already 11:55 p.m. at night. He was excited, but he could not stay awake the entire night again.
Tomorrow, he had a big day ahead! He was finally going to awaken his elemental affinity and potential to become one of the 'Lights'—awakened individuals who fought against monstrous creatures, villains, and entered the famous 'Battle Royale' that descended a thousand years ago to prevent calamities!
In Eldoria, one of the safest and most technologically advanced planets in the Universe, where diverse races coexist, every inhabitant—human or otherwise—awakens their natural elemental affinity and potential upon reaching the age of 16.
These elemental affinities are categorized into eight main elements so far: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Space, Light, and Darkness (or Shadow).
Each of these nine primary elements encompasses its own sub-elements and unique abilities. Like, water can branch into ice, enabling users to manipulate cold temperatures and create snow.
One can also awaken affinity with more than one element. Individuals who awaken affinity with two natural elements are called dual elementists, those who awaken affinity with three are referred to as tri-elementists, and those with four are known as quadruple elementists, and so on. However, having more than five affinities is extremely rare and has not been seen thus far.
Lastly, the potential—defined as an individual's mortal capacity for growth and development with all the elements they had awakened—is evaluated using a 25-star rating system divided into five tiers:
Novice (1-5 stars), Adept (6-10 stars), Epic (11-15 stars), Legendary (16-20 stars), and Mythic (21-25 stars). Each star within these five tiers is further divided into three stages: initial, middle, and final.
Skyler, as the son of a man who is a 8-star dual elementist with a 15-star potential and a woman who is a 7-star tri-elementist with a staggering 18-star potential, has high hopes for his upcoming affinity test.
He has inherited his mother's beauty and his father's intelligence, much like his older sister, who awakened as a dual elementist two years ago with a 20-star potential. So, who can blame him for being optimistic?
That's why his heart shattered completely the next morning when he went to the sole public testing center in Nowan City with his parents, only to awaken with a single affinity for the 'Light' element and a mere 1-star potential in front of countless people.
Many people at the center recorded videos of the scene, chuckling and murmuring words of pity about his misfortune.
Skyler told himself inwardly that it was okay; again and again, to prevent himself from crying and breaking down in front of his parents and so many others.
It was uncommon, but he had heard many stories on the news about individuals who discovered ways to enhance their potential. He wouldn't admit defeat and would find a way to elevate his own potential.
However, the optimistic and childish youth within him finally died when he saw the look of disappointment and embarrassment on his own older sister's face. He couldn't even stop her as she turned and left.
Jenny Ironhart had returned to Nowan City for the first time in two years since being recruited by the 'Starlight Academy'—the number one academy on the human continent that trains 'Lights'—as all those with a potential of 15 stars and above are teleported to participate in the Battle Royal, whether they wish to or not, at the age of 20.
She even brought all her friends along. But who would have thought that Skyler would make her lose face in front of her crush?