The principal gazed at Alister with a sad look in his eyes. Running this academy for years, moments like these were a common sight for him now.
He knew it was never good to get one's hopes up before the awakening ceremony because hopes like that were often dashed. But when it came to Alister, a part of him wanted to believe things would be somewhat different. After all, he knew all the hard work the boy had put in.
'Such a shame for such a radiant soul to be treated so poorly,'
He thought, knowing Alister's life had been far from easy. Before he had even become a student at this academy, he and his now bedridden sister were living in the wastelands—the world beyond the city's gates, densely populated by monsters.
It is still a mystery to this day how they were able to survive in such a world without talents. But the fact they did always made those who saved them that day believe they were nothing short of miracles. Their lives were preserved so they could one day lead humanity to greater heights.
Magister sighed. The Awakening Ceremony was a day often exposed to the cruel realities of human nature. He cleared his throat, forcing a smile as he addressed the crowd.
"Alright, let's move on to the next student. Chase Turner, your turn."
Chase, wearing a stoic expression on his face, offered Alister a single, cold glance. "This is goodbye, Alister. Don't blame me for this. It's a decision I have to make."
Alister stayed behind in the dusty plaza as Chase walked away, heading toward the crystal.
"We can't be together any longer, Alister," Yanzi said, taking one last glance over her shoulder at Alister, who couldn't seem to raise his eyes from the floor. "People will think things... never mind. Just say goodbye." With that, she left—everyone he cared about was gone.
Alister turned toward Chase just in time to see his palm touch the crystal as blue light erupted. Chase was enveloped in the aura of magic that always emerged from the crystal upon activation. But this time, it wasn't blue. The blue light grew much more brilliant, pulsing a white frequency that struck everyone's eyes blind.
"What—what's going on?" Magister Vance squinted as the storm calmed.
Gasped filled the plaza as an intricate window formed above where Chase once stood, displaying his awakened talent.
"Chase Turner!" Magister Vance shouted. "Awakened Talent: Absolute Zero (Rank S)!"
Cheers followed. An S-rank talent! The strongest of ability for anyone who could command ice. He'd be impossible to defeat!
A smug smile appeared on Chase's face as he materlilzed an ice spear in his grasp.
On command, m he shattered it into a million shimmering fragments that rained down on the plaza, sending chills down the spines of the onlookers.
Alister could only stare, a mix of emotions churning within him. Relief, for Chase had awakened a powerful Talent, and a flicker of envy—a feeling he quickly squashed. But mostly, he felt a need to work even harder.
"But would it ever be enough?" he thought, staring at his open palms. The blisters from training were still there, and doubt crept in—his effort hadn't given him what he wanted so far. He sighed and tried to let it go.
Chase, chest puffed out, met his eyes. "That's how you awaken a Talent, Alister," he said, his tone dripping with pride.
Alister no longer felt the sting of his old friend's words. He stood straighter, a sharp light in his eyes. "I just have to keep moving forward… like always," he whispered. The ceremony hadn't gone how he hoped, but it had sparked something inside him. He wasn't going to let their rejection define him. SSS-rank Summoner or not, he'd find his own way to live in this world—and prove them wrong.
Alister let out another sigh. He was a realist. Despite the lingering pain of being abandoned, he knew life rarely stopped to let you wallow. It was often easier to just let go, even if it was painful. He could get over the pain if he just ignored it. He had learned this lesson the hard way.
"Guess it's best I head over to the dorms and get my things ready to leave," he muttered, turning away from the excited crowd. Even the cheers for Chase seemed distant now, muffled by the sudden silence within him.
As he pushed his way through the crowd, a sudden, unexpected noise echoed in his head—a booming voice. Before he could react, a blinding flash erupted before him, and a bright yellow window materialized before his eyes.
[Host found, system binding…]
The words scrolled across the window in a strange, blocky font, accompanied by a series of progress bars that appeared to be loading.
'A system? What system? I don't understand, is this any different from the already existing talent interface?'
His mind raced with questions. This wasn't anything he'd seen before. He instinctively reached out, a finger brushing against the yellow window. Nothing happened.
[System binded successfully.]
[Congrats, you have gained the status of 'player'.]
[Ding!! Congrats to the player for awakening The Dragonforge - an overlord system.]
Alister's brows furrowed. 'Player? Overlord system?'
This was unlike anything he'd read about in the countless books consumed about Talents and monsters. A strange sense of unease settled in his stomach.
'What is this, some sort of talent window error? Is that a thing?'
'Alright, close the talent window.'
But the yellow screen just floated there, refusing to disappear, leaving him even more confused.
Taking a deep breath, he took a look at the words that were displayed on it. 'Dragonforge… overlord system… it doesn't sound familiar.'
Deciding to approach it another way, he recalled:
'The system window I'm familiar with is blue, and is used to display Talent information... Perhaps this system… could be completely different.' Thought seems bizarre, but it was the only logical conclusion.
With that thought in mind, he mentally called out, 'Talent window.'
Immediately, a familiar blue window materialized beside the yellow one. This one, however, held the information he was familiar with:
「Name: Alister Hazenworth
Age: 19
Talent: Summoner
Talent Rank: SSS
Talent Info: Allows the user to summon monsters from other realms to fight alongside them.
Talent rank bonus: (100% taming success rate).
Strength: 1,806
Agility: 2,193
Intelligence: 2,451
Endurance: 1,548
Mana: 1,200
Dexterity: 566
Luck: 80
Total combat power: 11,260 (Rank E)
Summoning Power: 100%」
Seeing the talent window materialize further confused Alister. 'Two system windows? How is this even possible? What is Dragonforge?'