The Titan Awakener Academy stood as a towering beacon of power in the heart of the city, its pristine white walls stretching toward the sky, gleaming under the artificial sunlight. Massive energy barriers flickered at its borders, forming an impenetrable shield that only those with authorized academy IDs could pass through.
To the outside world, this academy was a symbol of hope—a place where awakeners, humanity's strongest warriors, were forged. But inside, it was a battlefield where only the elite thrived, and the weak were trampled underfoot.
Ron knew this all too well.
He walked through the academy's bustling courtyard, his hands tucked into his pockets, his expression unreadable as he passed groups of students dressed in immaculate uniforms. Their badges gleamed, displaying their awakening ranks and power levels, a clear reminder of their superiority.
They barely spared him a glance—until someone decided to make his presence known.
The Hierarchy of Power
The academy functioned on a rigid hierarchy.
At the bottom were Level 1-10 awakeners—the newcomers who had just awakened their abilities. Most students entered this stage at the age of sixteen, when they participated in their first Awakening Ceremony, touching the alien crystal to receive their system and first skill.
Beyond them, at Level 20, the real competition began. Skills were awarded every 10 levels, making Level 20 awakeners significantly stronger than the rest.
At the top of the student ranks stood those in the Level 30-50 range, the prodigies, the heirs of great families, the ones destined for leadership. Some even had multiple skills due to rare system evolutions.
And then there were the truly terrifying ones—students on the verge of breaking Level 60 and beyond, monsters who could crush cities single-handedly.
These were the academy's chosen. The ones who received the best resources, the best training. The ones who ruled.
Ron?
He didn't even have a system.
He was an anomaly, an outsider among the gifted.
And the academy had no patience for outsiders.
Mockery of the Weak
"Look who's still hanging around. The academy's greatest disappointment."
Ron's steps halted.
He turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered student striding toward him, surrounded by an entourage of arrogant smirks and sneering faces.
Leo Graves.
The top-ranked first-year. Level 25 already, despite the average student being barely Level 10 at this stage. He was the heir of the Graves family, one of the elite awakeners who controlled major academies and military divisions. His Earth Titan attribute gave him monstrous strength and an almost unbreakable defense.
And worst of all—he loved stepping on those beneath him.
"Surprised you're still here, Ron," Leo smirked, his voice dripping with amusement. "You're really hoping the Awakening Ceremony will bless you, huh?"
Ron met his gaze calmly. "You're really hoping I care?"
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd, but it wasn't at Leo—it was at Ron.
Leo's smirk didn't falter. "You should. You see, people like me? We rise naturally. But you… you have no system. No power. No future."
Ron's fingers twitched slightly, but he forced himself to remain still. Not yet.
Leo stepped closer, towering over him. "People like you are just background characters in our stories. You exist to be stepped on."
The watching students chuckled, nodding in agreement.
"What a waste of a scholarship spot," one of them whispered.
"He should just quit before he embarrasses himself further."
Ron's eyes remained steady. Words were just words.
Leo scoffed at his silence. "I'll give you some advice, orphan. When the Awakening Ceremony happens, just pray you get something remotely useful. But I doubt even fate will bother with you."
He turned, flicking his hand dismissively, his group laughing as they walked away.
Ron clenched his fists.
The Awakening Ceremony… his one chance.
The Awakening Ceremony: A Chance at Fate
Once a year, every student who had yet to awaken was given the opportunity to touch the alien crystal—a relic extracted from fallen extraterrestrial invaders.
The crystal resonated with the soul, unlocking a system and granting an ability that determined a person's entire future.
The academy lived and breathed by these awakenings.
A-Rank awakeners gained the best resources and were immediately scouted by powerful guilds.
B-Rank and C-Rank awakeners were strong, but had to fight for opportunities.
D-Rank awakeners were the bottom of the barrel, treated as cannon fodder.
And those who awakened nothing?
They were trash.
Failures.
Expelled from the academy and cast into ordinary society, doomed to live as weaklings in a world where strength was everything.
Ron had one shot.
He refused to fail.
The Road to Strength
That night, long after the academy had quieted down, Ron sat alone in his small home, staring at the ceiling.
He had spent years studying, training his body, refusing to accept weakness. But all of it meant nothing in a world ruled by systems.
Unless…
His fingers traced the old book on his table.
"The Path of Cultivation."
It wasn't just a fantasy. It was real.
A path beyond the system. A path that didn't rely on fate's blessings.
Ron took a deep breath. He wasn't afraid of failing the Awakening Ceremony.
Because no matter what happened—he would forge his own power.
And when that day came…
The world would regret ever looking down on him.