Rain had been falling over the city since late afternoon.
By night, it had turned into a quiet, endless drizzle that painted the streets in silver reflections. Streetlights glowed through the mist, and the occasional car passed by with the sound of tires sliding across wet asphalt.
Inside a small apartment on the fourth floor of an aging building, the flickering light of a television was the only illumination.
The room was simple.
A small sofa.
A wooden table with scratch marks.
A single bookshelf with only a few old textbooks.
A bed in the corner.
The apartment looked less like a home and more like a temporary resting place.
On the sofa sat Arin Kade.
He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the television.
The news anchor's voice echoed through the quiet room.
"Tomorrow marks the annual National Awakening Ceremony, held simultaneously at universities across the country. Thousands of students will discover their talents and take their first step toward becoming hunters."
The broadcast changed to footage of a battlefield.
Hunters fighting monsters.
Explosions lit the sky.
A man in shining armor smashed a giant creature into the ground.
A mage raised her staff and summoned lightning that tore through dozens of monsters.
The reporter continued enthusiastically.
"Experts believe many powerful talents will awaken tomorrow, especially among students from famous hunter families."
The camera switched to interviews.
One young man stood proudly beside his parents.
"My father is an A-rank hunter. My older sister awakened B-rank last year. I'm confident I'll awaken something strong too."
Another student laughed confidently.
"My family has produced hunters for three generations!"
Arin stared at the screen quietly.
Then he reached for the remote and muted the television.
The room became silent except for the sound of rain tapping against the window.
He leaned back slowly and exhaled.
"Hunter families…"
He repeated the words softly.
In this world, talent was supposed to be random.
But everyone knew the truth.
It wasn't.
Strong hunters almost always came from strong bloodlines.
The children of powerful hunters awakened powerful abilities.
The children of famous mage families awakened rare magic.
Genetics mattered.
Bloodline mattered.
Family mattered.
Arin had none of those.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Outside, the city lights shimmered through the rain.
Cars moved along distant streets.
People were still awake somewhere in the city, probably talking about tomorrow's ceremony.
Excited.
Hopeful.
Dreaming about power.
Arin rested his forehead against the cold glass.
"I guess I shouldn't expect anything."
His voice was quiet.
Not bitter.
Just honest.
Arin had lived alone for most of his life.
When he was six years old, a dungeon break occurred near the city.
Monsters escaped the dungeon and attacked nearby areas before hunters managed to contain them.
His parents had died that day.
He never learned what their talents were.
He never learned if they were hunters.
All he knew was that after that day, he grew up in an orphan facility.
The government supported children who lost families during dungeon disasters.
But support didn't mean comfort.
It meant survival.
He grew up watching other children receive visits from relatives.
Watching them leave the facility when family members came.
Arin never had visitors.
Eventually he left the orphan system and moved into this small apartment with government assistance.
Tomorrow was supposed to be the moment his life changed.
The Awakening Ceremony.
But he had already accepted the likely result.
Most people with no hunter lineage awakened nothing.
Or at best…
A weak talent.
Arin walked back to the sofa and turned the sound on again.
The news anchor was now speaking with a well-known hunter.
"Statistics show that over seventy percent of A-rank and above hunters come from established hunter families."
The hunter nodded.
"Bloodline compatibility plays a major role in awakening high-tier talents."
Arin turned off the television completely.
Darkness filled the room.
He rubbed his eyes slowly.
"No point thinking about it."
Tomorrow would come.
And tomorrow would confirm what he already believed.
He lay down on the bed.
Rain continued tapping against the window.
Outside, the city kept moving.
Inside, Arin closed his eyes.
But sleep came slowly.
Because somewhere deep inside his chest…
A tiny, stubborn hope still existed.
Helios National University had never looked this crowded.
Thousands of students gathered in the central courtyard.
The large stone plaza was packed with people.
Excited voices echoed everywhere.
At the center of the courtyard stood a raised platform.
Floating above it were several glowing blue crystals.
The Awakening Stones.
Objects discovered inside ancient dungeons many years ago.
Each one had the ability to reveal a person's hidden talent.
Arin stood near the back of the crowd.
His hands rested quietly in his pockets.
He listened to the conversations around him.
"Do you think I'll awaken fire magic?"
"My cousin awakened B-rank strength enhancement."
"I just hope I get something useful."
Some students laughed nervously.
Others looked pale with anxiety.
For many people, today would decide their entire future.
Finally, a professor stepped onto the platform.
His voice echoed through loudspeakers.
"Students, please quiet down."
The crowd slowly fell silent.
"Welcome to the Helios Awakening Ceremony."
He gestured toward the crystals.
"Twenty years ago, humanity discovered dungeons and the monsters within them. Since then, awakened hunters have become the backbone of our survival."
Students listened carefully.
"Today, each of you will place your hand on the Awakening Stone. The stone will reveal your talent and its rank."
He paused briefly.
"Ranks range from E to SSS."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
SSS rank.
A level so rare that many people doubted it even existed.
"Remember," the professor continued, "rank is important, but it does not determine your worth as a person."
Some students nodded politely.
Most clearly didn't believe that.
"Now," he said, "we will begin."
Students stepped forward one by one.
Each touched the crystal.
Each result appeared above the stage.
"E-rank: Physical endurance."
"D-rank: Water manipulation."
"C-rank: Wind magic."
Some students celebrated.
Some looked disappointed.
Some walked away silently.
Time passed.
Then—
"Arin Kade."
His name echoed through the courtyard.
Arin felt thousands of eyes turn toward him.
He walked forward calmly.
The platform felt strangely quiet as he stepped onto it.
The Awakening Stone floated before him, glowing faintly.
"Place your hand on the crystal," the professor said.
Arin raised his hand slowly.
This probably won't change anything.
His palm touched the crystal.
For one second…
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The crystal exploded with blinding light.
The entire courtyard was flooded with brilliant energy.
Students shouted in shock.
The stone vibrated violently.
The professor stepped backward.
"What is happening?!"
A glowing interface appeared above the stage.
And a mechanical voice echoed through the courtyard.
[Talent Detected]
The light intensified.
[Rank: SSS]
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
SSS Rank.
The rarest possible talent.
And it had just awakened in front of thousands of witnesses.
The professor stared in disbelief.
"Impossible…"
Students erupted into chaos.
"SSS rank?!"
"Did the system malfunction?"
"Who is that guy?!"
Arin himself stood frozen.
He barely heard the shouting.
Because suddenly…
Another message appeared before his eyes.
But no one else reacted.
Which meant…
Only he could see it.
[Hidden System Activated]
[Unique Talent: Infinite Armory]
[Primary Ability: Infinite Ammo]
[Weapons Unlock Every 10 Levels]
[Hidden Talent Detected]
[Unlock Requirement: Level 100]
Arin's heartbeat accelerated.
A system…?
Another message appeared.
[Starting Weapon Unlocked]
[Weapon: Basic Handgun]
[Ammo: Infinite]
Arin slowly removed his hand from the crystal.
The crowd was still in shock.
The professor forced himself to speak.
"Arin Kade… SSS-rank talent confirmed."
The courtyard exploded with noise.
But Arin's thoughts were focused on one thing.
Infinite ammo.
If this system was real…
Then every gun he unlocked would have unlimited bullets.
No reload problems.
No supply issues.
Just endless firepower.
He stepped down from the platform.
For the first time in his life…
People looked at him with awe.
Fear.
Respect.
Arin walked out of the university gates.
In the distance, a swirling portal floated above the ground.
An E-rank dungeon.
Hunters gathered near its entrance.
Arin looked at it quietly.
Tomorrow he expected nothing.
Now…
Everything had changed.
He clenched his fist slightly.
"Level 100…"
Whatever the hidden talent was…
It must be extraordinary.
Arin began walking toward the dungeon.
But he stopped just before entering.
Because something else awaited him first.