After confirming I had been awarded the scholarship to Hero University, I left the building where the Branch tests had taken place with a feeling of satisfaction. I wasn't in a hurry, so I decided to stay a bit longer and observe the other trials. The evaluations, like the Branches themselves, were divided into three categories: mental, physical, and elemental. I chose to head first to the elemental testing area.
With a calm stride, I walked towards the testing zone. The atmosphere buzzed with energy; groups of applicants moved between stations, performing their tests. There were dedicated areas for elemental and physical trials, each equipped with tools, objects, and settings designed to challenge the participants' abilities. My mind was still processing what had happened during my own assessment, but the elemental area quickly drew me in.
Upon arrival, I saw several young people deeply focused on their powers. Some controlled fire, others water or air, but one group in particular caught my attention. Three individuals stood out—not just for their skill, but for how they wielded their abilities with such control and efficiency.
The first was a serious-looking young man who seemed capable of reinforcing any object simply by touching it. I watched as his hand slid across a revolver and it became firmer, more precise. At first, I thought he was only skilled with weapons, but I soon saw him enhance an instructor's Branch with a mere touch. His ability didn't just strengthen objects—it amplified others' abilities too. A versatile and dangerous combination.
The second was different. He manipulated earth and metal with an elegance that captivated onlookers. He shaped metal structures as if they were clay, with smooth, controlled movements. Then, by sliding his palms over the ground, he summoned stone pillars with the same ease. The fluency with which he combined both elements spoke not just of power, but of practice and strategy. A useful Branch in combat, yes, but also vital in rescue missions or critical situations.
The last person who caught my attention was a girl with a gravity-related ability. She didn't just exert pressure on objects, crushing them with her mind—she also controlled multiple objects simultaneously, lifting and manipulating them in the air with impressive precision. I watched as she levitated a pile of debris and moved it around like chess pieces. Her control over gravity gave her a combat advantage and demonstrated extraordinary strategic capacity and mastery of her power.
I felt a mixture of admiration and motivation as I watched them—not just for their abilities, but for the way they used them with such skill. It made me reflect on my own Branch and how much deeper I still needed to delve to reach that level of control and understanding.
I decided to head towards the physical testing area. The atmosphere there was even more intense. Applicants of all shapes and sizes confronted obstacles, raced, and lifted weights. Some stood out for brute strength, others for extreme speed, but something about them seemed predictable. Most relied too heavily on a single aspect of their Branch, which limited their versatility.
Then a boy caught my eye. At first glance, he didn't seem remarkable. He wasn't the strongest or the fastest, and his appearance was unassuming. Yet there was something in his movement that made me look more closely. He didn't depend on just one aspect of his ability; he combined strength, speed, and reflexes flawlessly. Every movement was precise and calculated, as if his body responded with an efficiency others couldn't match.
As I observed, I realized he wasn't just physically capable—he had absolute control over his body. His versatility was astonishing. Navigating obstacles with agility, lifting weights with ease, and reacting swiftly was something few applicants could do. His Branch seemed to enhance all physical aspects in perfect balance—something rarely seen among the others.
What truly surprised me was the naturalness with which he moved. While others pushed themselves to the limit, he seemed to flow, as if everything came easily. But it wasn't indifference—it was control. His ability was so perfected that it looked effortless.
Finally, I noticed another detail: his appearance. Though not muscular, his body reflected a flawless harmony between strength and agility. And his face… even from a distance, it had a quiet beauty—unintentional, yet impossible to ignore. He didn't seek to impress, and yet he did.
For me, the most impressive thing wasn't just what he did—it was how he did it. The elegance and absolute mastery in every movement reminded me how far someone can go when they fully understand the limits and potential of their own Branch.
As fatigue began to set in, I decided to head home. Night had fallen, and the cool evening air helped clear my mind. Along the way, I replayed the day's observations, but my thoughts turned to a theme that had been lingering since I'd begun grasping the magnitude of Branches.
It was common sense: leveling up a Branch was never easy, and the difficulty increased exponentially with each level. Though everyone was born with a level-1 Branch, most people only reached level 2 around the age of 30—if they were lucky. Level 3 was out of reach for most. Only in elite schools like Hero University were people trained for that far-reaching potential.
What fascinated me most was the disparity between those with a normal base Branch and those with truly extraordinary abilities. Even if someone raised their Branch level through effort and dedication, the gap between them and someone with a superior natural foundation would remain vast. Imagine two people with similar powers—both able to increase their strength. While one improves modestly with each advancement, the other grows exponentially. Even if both trained equally and reached the same level, the difference between them would be staggering. Effort wasn't everything—base talent mattered.
When I got home, I took off my shoes and lay down on my bed. I closed my eyes, letting fatigue wash over me. The echoes of the tests and the people I'd watched faded with each breath, but my mind kept working, turning over everything I had witnessed.
I wasn't overly worried about the process of leveling up my Branch. I knew it would be difficult, and most people would never make it. But something inside me told me my ability was different. My Branch was unique, and though raising it would be harder, its potential was limitless. If I focused, if I trained hard enough, I could reach places few could imagine.
The future was full of uncertainty—but also opportunity. An endless array of paths lay ahead, each with its own challenges and dangers. As my thoughts drifted, a sense of anticipation ran through me.
How far could I go?
That question accompanied me as sleep began to pull me under. I didn't know what tomorrow held, but something inside me said things were about to get even more interesting. And in that realization, that sense that everything was just beginning, I found myself smiling—quietly, unseen by anyone else.