The city of **Arken fall** rose like a scar against the horizon.
Steel walls reinforced with runes. Watchtowers humming with mana cannons. Above the main gate, a massive inscription glowed faintly:
> **"AWAKENERS ARE HUMANITY'S SHIELD."**
Farhan stood in line.
Hundreds of awakened civilians waited with him—some nervous, some arrogant, some pretending not to care. This was the **Central Awakener Registration Bureau**, the place where lives were categorized into ranks, usefulness, and expendability.
He looked ordinary.
Too ordinary.
No visible aura. No weapon. No confidence that screamed power.
That alone drew glances.
---
### **SYSTEM WINDOW (VISIBLE TO HIM ALONE)**
> **Name:** Farhan
> **Tier:** 1 (Martial Apprentice)
> **Talent:** ⚡ Lightning (F-Rank)
> **Hidden Authorities:** Shadow (Locked) | Space (Locked) | Life (Locked)
> **Stats:**
>
> * Strength: **18**
> * Agility: **22**
> * Endurance: **20**
> * Perception: **19**
> * Will: **21**
> **Power Points (PP):** **312**
> **Tier Progress:** **+ (500 PP required)**
The panel vanished.
No one noticed.
---
Inside the bureau, the air smelled of metal and disinfectant. Clerks sat behind reinforced glass. In the center of the hall stood the **Awakening Evaluation Obelisk**—a black crystal pillar that pulsed when touched.
"Next."
Farhan stepped forward.
A middle-aged evaluator with tired eyes glanced at him.
"Name?"
"Farhan."
"Place your hand on the obelisk."
He did.
The crystal flickered weakly.
Symbols appeared in the air.
> **ELEMENT: LIGHTNING**
> **PROFESSION POTENTIAL: COMBAT**
> **RANK: F**
A pause.
Then murmurs.
A clerk snorted. "Another F-rank lightning? That's rare in the worst way."
Lightning was flashy—but unstable at low ranks. High stamina drain. Low control. Most F-rank lightning awakeners burned out early or died in low-tier dungeons.
The evaluator barely looked interested.
"Tier?"
"Zero," the system recorded officially.
Farhan said nothing.
The obelisk didn't measure tiers precisely—only **perceived output**. His control was restrained. Calculated.
Intentional.
"Assigned status: **Civilian Combat Support**," the evaluator said.
"Eligible for F-rank dungeon assistance or city emergency response. No solo clearance."
A stamp hit the document.
Judged. Filed. Forgotten.
---
As Farhan turned to leave, a group nearby laughed.
"Did you see that? Lightning F-rank."
"Guess sparks don't mean power."
"At least healers can get jobs."
Public humiliation didn't come with shouting.
It came with **dismissal**.
Farhan walked past them without reaction.
Inside, something cold settled.
Not anger.
Focus.
---
Outside the bureau, the city roared with life. Transport convoys. Mercenary squads. Dungeon entry notices flashing on public boards.
One caught his eye.
> **DUNGEON ALERT**
> **Type:** Goblin Nest
> **Rank:** F
> **Casualty Rate:** Low
> **Reward:** Minimal
Low risk. High frequency.
Perfect.
---
That night, Farhan stood at the dungeon gate.
A swirling green distortion in the air, guarded by bored city soldiers.
"No solo entry," one guard said lazily.
"Protocol."
Farhan showed his newly issued badge.
F-rank.
After a moment's hesitation, the guard waved him through.
"Try not to die."
The world twisted.
---
## **INSIDE THE DUNGEON**
The smell hit first.
Rot. Blood. Wet stone.
Goblin voices echoed—sharp, broken laughter.
Farhan exhaled slowly.
The dungeon reacted.
A goblin lunged from the shadows.
A flash of lightning snapped through the dark.
The goblin collapsed—smoking.
---
### **SYSTEM NOTIFICATION**
> **Enemy Killed: Goblin Scout (F-)**
> **Power Points Acquired: +12 PP**
Another goblin screamed.
Then another.
Farhan moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Precise.
Each death fed the system.
---
### **SYSTEM WINDOW (UPDATED)**
> **Power Points (PP): 356 → 389 → 417**
He felt it—the invisible pressure building.
Not strength yet.
Potential.
At the heart of the nest, a **Goblin Brute** roared.
Larger. Armored with bone. Eyes burning red.
A mini-boss.
The fight was brutal.
A cracked rib. Burned nerves. Blood on stone.
Lightning tore through the brute's skull.
Silence.
---
### **SYSTEM NOTIFICATION**
> **Enemy Killed: Goblin Brute (F Boss)**
> **Power Points Acquired: +96 PP**
---
### **SYSTEM WINDOW**
> **Power Points (PP): 513**
> **Tier Progress: + (AVAILABLE)**
The "+" icon pulsed.
Farhan stared at it.
This city thought he was nothing.
The system didn't.
He reached out—
And touched **+**.
---
The dungeon trembled.
His body screamed.
Every stat doubled.
Bones reinforced. Muscles tightened. Perception sharpened violently.
No light. No explosion.
Just evolution.
---
### **SYSTEM WINDOW**
> **Tier:** **2 — Martial Apprentice**
> **Stats (Post-Breakthrough):**
>
> * Strength: **36**
> * Agility: **44**
> * Endurance: **40**
> * Perception: **38**
> * Will: **42**
Farhan stood alone in the dark.
Breathing steady.
Above ground, the city slept—unaware that something it had dismissed had already stepped beyond expectation.
And this was only the beginning of the arc.