"Let me go next."
Upon hearing the voice, everyone instinctively turned their heads toward the source—and saw that it was Shion.
Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, Shion stepped forward with firm and composed strides.
"Damn... it's the class leader! As expected of her—so brave!"
"Yeah, not surprised she stepped up."
"I wonder what kind of skill she'll awaken? It must be something amazing, right?"
The teenagers began talking excitedly. Many of the boys had a crush on Shion and were eager to see what kind of power she would awaken.
On the other hand, some of the girls felt jealous and irritated. For teens their age, seeing a girl more admired and popular with the boys felt like a painful blow to the ego.
One of those who disliked Shion was Carol—the second most beautiful girl in class. Unlike Shion, who carried a stern and unapproachable presence, Carol stood out with a soft, flirtatious charm.
Her golden-brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She had a slender figure and a chest larger than most girls her age.
Of course, compared to Shion, she was still a step behind. The outfit she wore clung to her body, highlighting her curves.
Even with a cream-colored cardigan wrapped around her, her large chest still stood out.
If this were a manga or light novel, her type would definitely be described as a "gyaru."
'I hope she fails and only awakens an F-rank skill,' Carol muttered with a cold snort.
Everyone knew there was tension between her and Shion. It wasn't because of a fight or any past grudge—but because of a boy: Axel.
Since entering high school, Carol had liked Axel and wanted to be his girlfriend. His looks, family background, and exceptional abilities had completely captivated her.
Besides, she was making her high school debut at the time and wanted to stand out among her peers.
Unfortunately, that dream never came true. Axel didn't return her feelings—instead, he fell for Shion.
Ironically, Shion never responded to Axel's affection, and the three of them ended up trapped in an unresolved love triangle.
As a result, Carol's hatred for Shion grew stronger over time. Even now, she still considered Shion her rival.
Meanwhile, Axel's eyes lit up as he saw Shion step forward. With a cheerful tone, he called out, "Good luck, Shion. I'm sure you'll awaken a high-ranking skill!"
Shion responded with a calm nod. "Thank you."
She walked past Axel without even a glance, leaving him frozen in place.
"Huh..." A soft sigh escaped his lips. "She's still as cold as ever. Maybe I just need to try harder to win her heart."
Instead of feeling discouraged, he grew even more determined. With his newly awakened S-rank skill, he was certain he'd become a powerful figure in the future.
And when that day came, he would prove to Shion that he was the best.
"Place your hand on the crystal orb, girl," Quinella said softly.
Shion gave a slight nod and placed her right hand on the crystal orb.
Buzz!
In an instant, the crystal glowed brightly.
At first, it was purple—but then, it suddenly burst into a dazzling golden light.
"S-rank skill?" Quinella exclaimed in astonishment, shielding her face with her arms.
In all her years, she had never seen a single group awaken more than one S-rank skill.
Even if the previous four groups were combined, the total number of S-rank awakenings could still be counted on one hand.
Yet now, only two people had activated their skills—and both of them were S-rank!
The golden light slowly faded and eventually vanished. Then, above Shion's head, a golden letter appeared—just like Axel's before it—the letter S.
"S-rank!? That's insane! The class leader got an S-rank too? This is unreal!" One of the boys shouted in disbelief.
The others quickly joined in. Many were stunned, amazed—and some were so jealous they clenched their jaws in frustration.
Among them, Carol was the most affected. Her eyes reddened, and her fists trembled with fury.
'How can she be this lucky? It's so unfair!' She growled under her breath.
But no matter how hard she tried to deny it, the truth was right in front of her: Shion had awakened an S-rank skill. Like it or not, she had to accept it.
'Shion's amazing... I'm so jealous,' Shin murmured with a small sigh.
If someone had asked whether he wanted to awaken an S-rank skill, of course the answer would be yes. But he also knew the odds were nearly impossible.
"Congratulations, Shion. I didn't realize you awakened an S-rank too—that's amazing," Axel said enthusiastically.
Shion, however, remained as composed as ever.
"Thank you," she replied curtly.
Once the excitement died down a little, Quinella turned to the others and asked, "So, who's next?"
At that, everyone looked around at each other—then suddenly raised their hands in excitement.
"Let me go next, Goddess!"
"No way! It's my turn!"
"Seriously? You were all silent earlier, and now you're fighting for it?!"
A small commotion broke out as they eagerly scrambled for their turn.
But after seeing Axel and Shion awaken S-rank skills, such a reaction was only natural. Earlier, Quinella had clearly stated that the chance of awakening an S-rank skill was only one percent.
Yet what they had just witnessed completely defied expectations. Two people—Axel and Shion—had both awakened S-rank skills!
Quinella simply smiled at the scene. Yet behind her eyes, a trace of mockery flickered.
"All right," she said, clapping her hands once. The sharp sound was enough to silence the room instantly.
She pointed to a teenager with an unremarkable appearance and ordered, "You. Step forward."
The boy looked pleased and proudly emerged from the crowd.
"May I place my hand now, Goddess?" he asked politely.
"Go ahead," Quinella replied with a small nod.
With her permission, the boy placed his hand on the crystal orb.
A white light immediately flared from within the orb—but within seconds, it faded, and a letter appeared above his head: E.
'E-rank skill...? How could this happen?' He muttered in disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had imagined awakening a rank B, maybe even an A—or, if fortune favored him, an S. But instead… an E!
Quinella's expression remained composed, but her gaze turned cold. A hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, though she masked it with a practiced smile.
"Next," she said flatly.
The atmosphere shifted. Silence returned, and everyone began glancing nervously at each other. The fear of awakening a low-rank skill slowly crept back into their hearts.
But someone still stepped forward. It was Daniel—one of the boys who used to bully Shin.
He was short and overweight, with a round face and slightly slanted eyes. His hair was cut close to the scalp, giving him a rough, unimpressive appearance.
Quinella's brows briefly twitched in distaste when she saw him, but she said nothing.
"Place your hand on the orb," she said calmly.
Daniel nodded eagerly and pressed his hand against the crystal.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, a dull gray light flickered... then faded without a trace.
Moments later, a black letter appeared above his head—F.