"Rank F...? How is that possible?"
Daniel stood frozen, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Just moments ago, he was confident he'd awaken an S-rank, like Axel and Shion. But reality proved otherwise—he had received an F rank!
It was even worse than his friend earlier, who had only gotten an E-rank.
"Pfft!" The boy with the E-rank couldn't hold back his laughter. "Daniel, you're so unlucky! F-rank? That's just pathetic!"
The mockery made Daniel's blood boil. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the boy with seething hatred.
But contrary to what he expected, the boy didn't show the slightest hint of fear.
With his arms crossed and an air of calm confidence, the boy taunted, "Still want to act tough? Go ahead. But remember, this isn't school anymore—and you're not the class bully here. So don't blame me if you end up flat on the ground."
As he spoke, a greenish glow lit up his left hand. He clenched it tightly and raised it forward, ready to strike at any moment.
Daniel's fury quickly faded, replaced by fear. Only now did he fully realize the situation—this wasn't school anymore. This was a strange, unfamiliar place, full of uncertainty.
And worst of all, he had just awakened an F-rank skill—the absolute lowest.
If he picked a fight now, there was a real chance he'd be beaten senseless without being able to fight back.
Nervously, Daniel suppressed his arrogance and forced a stiff smile, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Sorry, Renald. I was just joking—don't take it seriously," he said, his voice laced with fear.
"Hmph!" Renald snorted coldly. "Alright, I'll let it slide this time. But don't push your luck. Next time, I won't be so forgiving."
Those words reignited Daniel's anger, but he could only grit his teeth and swallow it silently.
Quinella, watching the exchange, simply shook her head in disapproval.
'These two really are trash,' she scoffed inwardly.
After Daniel, the rest began stepping forward one by one to awaken their skills.
Just as Quinella had expected—there were no more S-ranks.
Most of them received C, D, E, and even F ranks. But that wasn't surprising, considering the odds of awakening even a B-rank skill were only around twenty percent.
Still, a few did manage to awaken A or B ranks. One of those who awakened an A-rank skill was Carol.
She was thrilled at first, but the moment she remembered that Shion had awakened an S-rank, her joy quickly soured into envy.
"Johan, you're amazing! You awakened a B-rank skill!" Daniel shouted excitedly, though a hint of envy slipped into his tone.
Beside him, Kael gave a small nod and patted Johan's shoulder in quiet acknowledgment.
"Daniel's right, Johan," Kael sighed. "You're lucky to get a B-rank. Just look at us—Daniel got an F, and I got an E. With ranks this low, how are we supposed to survive in a world like Solira?"
Johan smiled proudly at the praise. Wrapping his arms around both friends, he said confidently, "Don't worry about it. As long as you stick with me, you'll be fine. Just relax."
His words brought a sense of relief. Daniel and Kael exchanged glances, and smiles slowly spread across their faces.
"Since you said that, I believe you. From now on, I'm calling you boss," Daniel declared with pride.
"Boss? That sounds cool! Alright, I'll call you that too, Johan!" Kael added enthusiastically.
Johan chuckled and didn't object. "Then it's settled. From now on, you're my guys—and my friends. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
In a place as unfamiliar and uncertain as this, forming a group brought them a sense of security.
They had known each other since middle school, so trusting one another came naturally.
"Look at that," a voice suddenly piped up nearby. "Isn't that Shin—the gloomy guy? He's the last one to step forward. I wonder what kind of skill he awakened?"
The three of them instinctively turned their heads and saw Shin walking toward Quinella.
A faint smile appeared on Johan's lips as he asked, "What rank do you guys think that weak guy will awaken?"
Daniel shook his head dismissively. "Of course, rank F. What else could it be?"
Kael nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Daniel's right. It's definitely F-rank."
They didn't like Shin and often looked down on him—not out of spite or personal grudge.
They simply enjoyed bullying people weaker than themselves—and Shin happened to be one of them.
While the crowd began to murmur, Shin stepped forward and stopped in front of the crystal orb.
Thanks to his tall build, he barely needed to look up to meet Quinella's gaze.
"May I touch it now, Goddess?" he asked politely.
"Of course, please," Quinella replied with a nod.
However, her eyes flickered with surprise and confusion.
'How strange,' she muttered under her breath. 'Why does he give off such a familiar aura? Or... is it just my imagination?'
As Quinella drifted into thought, Shin took a deep breath and placed his palm on the crystal orb.
Surprisingly, no light appeared—not even a flicker. The sight stunned everyone, including Quinella.
"What's going on? Is the tool broken?"
That was the first thought that crossed everyone's mind.
But then—
Boom!
A burst of multicolored light exploded from the crystal orb. The blast was so intense and blinding that no one could keep their eyes open.
"What's going on? How can multicolored light appear?" Quinella shouted in a panic.
Each rank had its own distinct color—S was gold, A purple, B yellow, C blue, D green, E white, and F gray.
But multicolored light? That had never existed—not even in the records of history!
"Shin..." Shion whispered anxiously, raising her arms to shield her face.
As tension surged and the atmosphere grew increasingly unstable, something completely unexpected happened.
A massive mouth appeared in the sky and swallowed the multicolored light surrounding Shin—then shot straight into his body.
Seconds later, the vibrant light vanished, replaced by a dense, radiant black glow.
After a full minute, the black light slowly faded, and above Shin's head, three letters emerged in pitch black: FFF...