The rain fell in steady sheets over the rusted gates of Gearbound Academy. Lightning flashed, revealing the massive walls that separated the ranked elite from the rest of the world. On the other side stood a lone figure—drenched, shivering, and staring up at the gates like they were mocking him.
Cain Valen.
Rank: None. Gear: Unregistered.
The digital scanner at the gate glowed blue as it analyzed him.
> "Error. No Gear Signature Detected. Access Denied."
Cain didn't flinch. He had heard those words his entire life. He was born in a world where everyone awakened a Gear—a supernatural core granting them powers based on rank, from D-class brawlers to S-class anomalies. But Cain had none. Not a flicker. Not even the faintest pulse. To society, he didn't exist.
But today, he was going to force them to see him.
A sharp buzz sounded as the security door slid open—slow, hesitant. A voice barked from a speaker above:
> "State your purpose, Rankless."
Cain raised his head, eyes burning.
> "I'm here for the entrance exam."
A pause.
> "You have no Gear. This exam is only for those ranked D and above."
Cain's fists clenched. He had forged his own way here—no invites, no sponsorship, no recommendation. Just stolen scraps of information, months of underground training, and a will that refused to die.
> "Let me in," he growled. "Or I break it down."
The line went silent. Then a hiss as the inner gate opened.
Inside, students gathered—confident, glowing with power, each one branded by their Gear. They turned as Cain walked in, water trailing from his boots. Whispers spread.
> "Who's that?" "Is he lost?" "He doesn't have a rank…"
But Cain didn't stop. He walked straight to the registration table, where a tall examiner looked down at him with narrowed eyes.
> "Name?" "Cain Valen." "Rank?" "…None."
A pen scratched paper. The examiner handed him a band. "Trial field C. Don't die."
Cain took the band. His path had begun.
He would either awaken… or show the world what a rankless really was.