Kael Veyron was the kind of person the world didn't notice.
Not especially ugly.
Not especially handsome.
Not popular.
Not invisible.
Just… forgettable.
Even teachers hesitated when saying his name.
"Kael… Varon?"
"Veyron, ma'am."
"Yes, right. Sit down."
Every day looked the same. Waking up too early. A crowded bus. A gray school. Conversations that never involved him. And that constant feeling of being an extra in everyone else's story.
But today was different.
Today, the entire city was holding its breath.
Because today…
was Awakening Day.
In the world of Zelendia, everyone received their ability between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Some gained powers capable of changing their lives. Others received talents so weak they remained ordinary citizens.
But everyone went through the ritual.
And today, it was his school's turn.
The classroom buzzed with excitement.
"If I get Rank A, I'm dropping out immediately."
"I'm aiming for Rank B minimum."
"I want a fire ability. Flames are cool."
Kael dropped his head onto his desk.
"I just want a power that lets me sleep longer…"
His friend Riven turned around.
"You have zero ambition."
"I have realism."
Riven had been grinning like an idiot all morning.
"Imagine if we both become hunters!"
"Imagine you become an accountant with a muscle power."
"Shut up."
The classroom door slammed open.
The principal entered with two men in black uniforms.
Silence fell instantly.
"Students. Follow the Awakening agents to the gymnasium."
No one spoke.
No one breathed.
The moment had arrived.
---
The gym had been completely cleared.
At the center floated a massive crystal, hovering inches above the floor. It pulsed like a luminous heart. Unknown symbols rotated around it.
The Awakening Crystal.
Each student stepped forward one by one.
Hand on the crystal.
Light.
Result.
The first screams came quickly.
"Rank C!"
Applause.
"Rank B!"
Cheers.
A girl collapsed crying after receiving Rank F.
A boy trembled with joy after getting Rank A.
Every revelation carved a destiny.
Kael watched with strange detachment.
As if none of it concerned him.
As if the world was spinning… but not around him.
"Riven Kaast!"
His friend stepped forward.
Hand on the crystal.
A burst of red light exploded.
Ability: Muscle Reinforcement
Rank: C
Riven screamed.
"YES!"
He turned toward Kael triumphantly.
"We're gonna be rich!"
"Don't talk too soon…"
"Kael Veyron!"
His heart skipped a beat.
Alright.
Here it was.
He stepped forward.
The crystal felt… cold.
Not physically.
But in the air.
As if space itself rejected him.
He placed his hand on it.
Nothing happened.
A murmur spread through the gym.
"Did it bug?"
Then the light appeared.
Black.
Not dark.
Black.
A darkness so pure it swallowed color itself.
The symbols around the crystal froze.
Time seemed to hesitate.
A message appeared in the air.
Ability Obtained: SSS — Divine Misfortune
Silence.
Complete.
Total.
Even the Awakening agents stepped back.
Someone laughed nervously.
"Is that… an error?"
A second message appeared.
We apologize.
The class exploded with laughter.
"The system apologized?!"
"What kind of loser ability is that?!"
"SSS rank bad luck?!"
Kael blinked.
"…Seriously?"
The crystal cracked.
A sharp sound echoed through the gym.
The agents screamed:
"IMMEDIATE EVACUATION!"
Too late.
The floor exploded.
A red portal opened beneath Kael's feet.
He fell.
The last thing he saw was Riven's horrified face.
Then—
silence.
---
He slammed onto stone.
The air smelled like blood and metal.
A red sky.
Endless ruins.
A dungeon.
Not a small one.
A catastrophe dungeon.
A message appeared.
Critical Failure Detected.
Activating Divine Misfortune.
Kael stayed on the ground.
"Of course…"
New Ability Unlocked:
SSS — Cosmic Refusal
Something moved in the shadows.
A monster emerged.
Gigantic.
Impossible.
Its eyes locked onto Kael.
He understood instantly.
I'm going to die.
The creature struck.
The world shattered.
Then—
repaired itself.
Like a film rewinding.
The blow never happened.
The monster staggered back.
Confused.
The message flickered.
Reality refuses your death (1/1)
Kael inhaled slowly.
"…I hate my life."
The monster roared.
And charged.