Three hundred years ago, a mysterious tower emerged out of nowhere at the center of the world.There were no warnings. It simply appeared, piercing the skies like a divine needle driven into reality. From that day on, the world was never the same again.
From the tower came monsters—creatures unlike any known beast. Cities were wiped out, and humanity was forced to face the possibility of extinction.
But alongside despair, a blessing also arrived.
Some humans began to hear a voice amid the chaos. Those chosen awakened abilities—powers that allowed them to face the monsters and survive. Over time, these humans came to be called the Awakened, the pillars of a new era.
That… was history.
In the present, inside an enormous hall of polished stone with glowing symbols engraved into the floor, the atmosphere was thick with expectation and tension.
The place was packed with people.
Youngsters with anxious eyes, adults wearing stern expressions, and even a few elderly individuals clinging to one last chance. All of them shared a single goal: to awaken.
Among them stood Eryon Vale, hands in his pockets, wearing a relaxed expression that sharply contrasted with the general nervousness. His eyes calmly swept across the hall, as if everything happening there were nothing more than an inevitable formality.
At the front of the hall rose the Awakening Chamber, a semicircular room guarded by tower officials and soldiers. One by one, the aspirants were called by name and disappeared behind its doors.
Some returned with restrained smiles, others with looks of surprise or excitement.
But not all.
From time to time, someone emerged walking slowly, shoulders slumped, eyes hollow, as if something inside them had broken.
"—Grade F…" someone murmured within the crowd.
There was no need to say more.
Grade F talents: abilities that were almost useless, with no potential for growth—sentences disguised as power. For many, awakening something like that meant the end of their dreams before they had even begun.
Eryon watched one of those poor souls pass by him. There was no mockery in his gaze, only a faint spark of irony.
The line advanced slowly.
Each name spoken increased the tension in the air.
The crowd murmured softly when the doors of the Awakening Chamber opened once more.
A young man came out almost running, eyes shining and hands trembling, unable to hide his excitement. He laughed and babbled incoherent words while several officials nodded with neutral expressions, already accustomed to such reactions.
"—Grade B! It's Grade B!" someone nearby was heard saying.
A decent talent.
Not extraordinary, but good enough to secure a stable future, respect, and a life far from misery.
Eryon observed him in silence.
There was no envy in his eyes, nor excessive admiration. Only calm reflection.
So this is what they call a good talent… he thought as the excited young man disappeared into the crowd, surrounded by congratulations and jealous looks.
Before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, a firm voice echoed through the hall.
"—Eryon. Step forward."
The murmuring died down for a moment.
Eryon blinked, then rose from his seat. As he did, he felt dozens of gazes fall upon him—curious, indifferent. He walked with measured steps toward the imposing doors of the Awakening Chamber.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.
His heart beat a little faster, and his hands clenched and unclenched unconsciously. Even so, his expression remained calm, almost resigned.
But in the end… the result doesn't really matter.
With the enormous debt his father had left behind, and with his sister bedridden by an illness that was slowly devouring the few savings they had left, even awakening a Grade A talent would barely be enough to change the framework of his life.
There would be no immediate glory.
There would be no real freedom.
Only a fight that was slightly less unfair.
The doors opened with a soft hum, revealing the interior of the chamber, illuminated by intense lights and a crystal sphere floating at its center.
Eryon took the final step forward.
A young woman of about twenty-five stood beside the crystal sphere. She wore the official tower uniform: sober, functional, without unnecessary adornments. Her posture was straight, her expression professional, polished by routine.
"Welcome," she said in a clear, formal voice. "I will explain the procedure."
As she spoke, her eyes quickly scanned Eryon, evaluating him without curiosity or prejudice, as if he were just one more among thousands.
"Place your hand on the crystal sphere and keep it there for five minutes. During that time, the tower will analyze your affinity and determine your rank and class. Do not remove your hand, no matter what happens."
Her tone was perfectly neutral.
A speech repeated countless times.
Eryon gave a slight nod and stepped forward until he stood before the massive floating sphere. The crystal felt cold and smooth when he placed his palm against its surface.
At first… nothing happened.
The room remained silent, broken only by the faint hum of the runes on the walls. Eryon breathed calmly, watching the distorted reflection of his own face in the crystal.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Little by little, the sphere began to glow.
It wasn't a sudden burst or a blinding light. The radiance increased steadily, evenly, like a well-controlled flame. As the minutes passed, the light became clearer, more defined.
Decent.
Not bright enough to dazzle the entire room, yet not so weak as to go unnoticed.
When the fifth minute came to an end, the glow stabilized and then slowly faded.
Eryon frowned slightly.
What does that… mean?
Before he could ask, the young woman checked the floating panel beside her. Her eyes moved quickly, and for the first time, a faint professional smile appeared on her lips.
"Congratulations," she said. "From this moment on, you are officially a Rank B Awakened, combat class."
Eryon let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.
The woman continued, turning slightly and pointing to a smaller metallic device covered in glowing lines.
"To register the abilities granted by your awakening, please place your hand here."
Eryon stepped forward without a word and placed his hand on the registration device. The metal was warm, and a thin blue light ran along the engraved lines on its surface, reacting to his touch.
As the system began to activate, the woman resumed her explanation in the same calm, professional tone as before, as if following a perfectly memorized script.
"I assume you already know some of this," she said without taking her eyes off the panel, "but I must explain it anyway."
Eryon nodded slightly.
"Each Awakened gains at least one ability upon awakening their class and rank. These abilities can vary greatly—from skills useful in everyday life… to powers capable of granting the strength needed to face the tower and attempt to climb it."
The light of the device pulsed softly.
"Abilities are classified into five ranks," she continued. "F, C, B, A, and S."
When she spoke the last letter, she paused briefly.
"Generally," she added, "abilities are defined by the Awakened's rank. It is extremely rare for someone to obtain an ability below their rank—and even rarer for the opposite to occur."
Just as she finished the sentence…
The screen flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The data lines distorted for a fraction of a second, as if the system hesitated.
The woman's smile froze imperceptibly.
"—Hm…?"
The device emitted a faint anomalous hum.
It continued flickering for a few more seconds.
The blue light became unstable, alternating between blurred lines and incomplete symbols, until finally the irregular hum shifted into a clear, uniform tone.
The screen stabilized.
Clear text appeared before both of them:
Registered Ability:Comprehensive Physical Reinforcement – Rank BType: Passive (Activatable)Description: Increases the user's strength, endurance, and speed in a balanced manner.
Eryon read the result in silence.
A solid ability, common among mid-rank combatants. Exactly the kind of power one would expect from a Rank B Awakened.
The woman released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and her professional expression fully returned.
In the five years I've worked here… she thought, I've never seen the device flicker like that.
For an instant, even she had feared that some serious error or anomaly would appear—something that would force her to activate unnecessary protocols.
But no.
Everything was fine.
"Congratulations," she said, now with a more natural smile. "Your ability is well-suited for a combatant. With training, you'll be able to make good use of it."
Eryon removed his hand from the device.
The woman took a metal token and handed it to him.
"With this, you may proceed to the nearest guild headquarters. There, you can obtain your Awakened identification and official access permit."
She gave a brief nod, signaling the end of the procedure.
"I wish you good luck on your path."
Eryon held the document between his fingers, feeling its weight beyond the metal itself.
A Rank B.
A standard ability.
Enough to survive.
Not enough to change his destiny.