Chapter 1: The Day I Was Measured
The day the system measured Kevin Dawin was the day the world decided what he was worth.
The Awakening Hall shimmered with golden light, its vaulted ceiling reflecting the brilliance of newly awakened hunters. Runes carved into the obsidian platform glowed beneath trembling feet as one student after another stepped forward to receive their destiny. Cheers erupted when high ranks appeared. Tears fell when mediocrity was assigned. This was the day futures were written in stone.
Kevin stood at the back of the line, hands clasped behind him, watching Luke Derin bathe in applause.
Luke's awakening had been spectacular.
Golden mana spiraled around him like a crown. The air itself bent under the weight of his presence as the system window projected above him in radiant blue.
Growth Rating: A.
The hall erupted.
Guild representatives rose from their seats. Cameras flashed. Even instructors who rarely showed emotion smiled with pride. Luke turned slowly, acknowledging the admiration with practiced humility. He looked powerful already. Certain. Chosen.
Kevin felt something twist inside his chest.
He and Luke had trained together since childhood. They had sparred in empty fields, raced through forests, talked about becoming top hunters together. But in that moment, as Luke stepped down from the platform surrounded by praise, the distance between them felt immeasurable.
"Kevin Dawin."
His name echoed through the chamber.
The murmurs quieted as he walked forward. The obsidian platform felt colder than he expected. He placed his palm against the Awakening Stone.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a faint, unstable glow flickered around him — not radiant like Luke's, not explosive like the B-Rank before him. It was thin. Fragile. As though even the system hesitated.
A translucent blue screen materialized above his head.
Name: Kevin DawinCombat Talent: RecycleGrowth Rating: FMana Capacity: FPhysical Potential: FFuture Assessment: Negligible
The silence lasted exactly two seconds.
Then came the laughter.
It started with whispers. Then snickers. Then open mockery.
"F-Rank?""Is that even possible?""Recycle? What is he supposed to do, clean dungeons?"
Kevin's ears rang, but he kept his expression neutral. He stared at the word that mattered most.
F.
A single letter.
A verdict.
Guild scouts who had briefly glanced at him now looked away entirely. One of them crossed out his name without hesitation. Another shook his head as though disappointed in a defective product.
Luke approached slowly, the fading shimmer of his A-Rank aura still visible around his shoulders.
"That's rough," Luke said, his tone light but distant. "I didn't expect that."
Kevin forced a small smile. "Yeah. Guess I got unlucky."
Luke's eyes drifted toward the description window floating beside him.
Talent Description:You may absorb and repurpose discarded energy or broken objects.
Luke let out a soft laugh. "So… you recycle trash."
More laughter followed.
Kevin stepped down from the platform, the weight in his chest growing heavier with every step. No one stopped him. No one called out encouragement. The instructors had already moved on to the next name.
By the time he exited the hall, the celebration behind him had resumed as if he had never existed.
Outside, the sky was gray.
Screens mounted on buildings replayed Luke's awakening ceremony. Headlines scrolled across them in bold letters:
"A-Rank Prodigy Emerges!""Luke Derin — The Nation's Future Shield!"
Kevin walked past the crowd unnoticed.
His system interface flickered softly in his vision.
You have not activated your talent.
He slowed.
Activated?
He focused inward, concentrating on the word Recycle. Nothing happened.
A group of students passed him, still laughing about the ceremony.
"Hey, F-Rank," one called mockingly. "Recycle this."
A crushed metal can landed at Kevin's feet.
It rolled once and came to a stop.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Kevin stared at it.
His interface pulsed faintly.
Discarded Object Detected.Absorb?
His heartbeat quickened.
Absorb?
He hesitated only a second.
Yes.
The can dissolved into particles of dim blue light and flowed into his palm. Warmth spread through his fingers, subtle but undeniable.
Minor Metal Fragment Acquired.Physical Reinforcement +0.1
Kevin froze.
His body felt… slightly heavier. Slightly denser. It was almost imperceptible, but it was real.
He flexed his fingers slowly.
The warmth faded, but something remained.
Growth.
Tiny.
But growth.
For the first time since the awakening ceremony, his breathing steadied.
Then the sky shook.
A deep vibration rippled across the city. People screamed as a tear of darkness split open above District 17. Swirling mana crackled violently around the forming gate.
Emergency sirens blared.
Warning: E-Rank Dungeon Gate Opening.All registered hunters respond immediately.
Kevin looked up at the swirling void.
Luke's voice echoed from across the street as reporters surrounded him.
"My first hunt as an A-Rank," Luke declared confidently. "We'll clear it fast."
Applause followed him as he headed toward the forming dungeon.
Kevin looked at his status window again.
F-Rank.
Then at the gate.
If the world had decided he was trash…
Then he would collect everything it threw away.
And build himself from it.
Without another word, Kevin began walking toward District 17.
He did not know it yet.
But that dungeon was the first thing the world would discard.
And Kevin Dawin was very good at recycling.