"How... why... no, this has to be wrong."
The thought looped endlessly in Han Trystan's mind as he stared at the glowing screen of the Awakening Terminal. His breath caught. His heart felt numb.
All around him, the murmurs started. First in confusion. Then disbelief. Then mockery.
"Wait... E-rank?" someone muttered, as if the words themselves were cursed.
"...Is that even combat-usable?"
"Maybe he summons flying books!" another voice cackled, triggering a wave of laughter.
Some turned away, shaking their heads in pity. Others smirked in triumph, delighted that the so-called "young genius" was just a glorified librarian.
But Han? He stood frozen, his posture still, his expression unreadable. Not because he wasn't affected—he was. Inside, he felt like screaming. Like punching something. Like crying.
But outside... silence.
How was he supposed to save Serenya with this? He had trained until his muscles tore. Meditated till his mind bled. Prayed like he had nothing left to lose—because he didn't.
[Skill Awakened: Book Formation – E-Rank]
"What the hell does that even mean?" he whispered to himself. "Build a library mid-battle?"
"Please move aside, sir. Next candidate," the tired attendant at the side of the machine said, barely glancing at him. She'd seen hundreds like him before. Another dream broken. Another soul shattered.
Han quietly stepped down and followed an assistant into a side room, his steps heavy. There, he was handed a small metal badge—a personalized a device linked to his awakening.
It pulsed once in his palm, sending a rush of energy through him. It registered his essence, his skill, his class.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed from the badge.
[Registered: Han Trystan – Class E – Rank 99999]
His lips twitched. He wanted to laugh. Not out of amusement, but disbelief. Rank 99999? Couldn't they at least lie to him? Round it up to 9000?
But despite the heartbreak, Han wasn't completely broken. Not yet.
You see, skill rank wasn't everything.
Even someone who awakened with a B-rank skill would still start at the bottom of that class. If they proved themselves—defeated threats, helped cities, earned achievements—their badge would auto-update, slowly pushing them to greater heights. A select few even managed to cross classes, reaching Class A or even the fabled Class S.
In this world, your class and class rank defined everything—your value, your future, your very place in society. You could possess a powerful B-rank skill, but if your class didn't evolve with it, you'd still be stuck scraping the bottom of the hierarchy.
The Awakening machine—the device that drew out one's latent potential—determined both your rank and class. And then there was the badge. An advanced tech marvel, it tracked threat levels you overcame and auto-promoted your rank accordingly. It was one of countless innovations that had reshaped Earth in the Power age.
All of it... came from one man.
Class S. Hero Rank 4.
The man who rewrote the laws of science and power itself.
To be honest, for Han, reaching Class S now felt like nothing more than a distant fantasy. A dream blurred by the cold sting of reality.
Han closed his eyes. Pipe dream. That's what it was. A damn pipe dream.
Suddenly, a voice shattered the stillness of the room.
"No, no! Please! There must be a mistake! Let me try again!"
Everyone turned to the commotion. A man—older, disheveled, clinging to the front desk like a drowning man to driftwood—begged, eyes red and wild.
"You awakened E-rank," the assistant said sternly. "Test results are permanent."
"But what the hell is 'Wind Breeze'?! I waved my hand and barely ruffled my own hair!" The man demonstrated, raising his palm. A tiny gust of wind rustled his hair like a cheap fan.
"My daughter's in the hospital! If I can't get into a guild, I can't afford the surgery! Please, let me try again! Just one more time!"
The room grew still. Everyone watched.
But the assistant had had enough. With a sharp snap of her fingers, a burly security guard stepped in. Without ceremony, he grabbed the man by the collar.
"No! Please! She's only six!" the man cried as he was dragged toward the exit. "Let me save her! Please! Someone—help me—!"
Then the doors slammed shut. Silence.
Han clenched his fists.
He had never felt so helpless. So angry.
E-rank awakeners were treated like trash—less than non-awakeners, who at least had the excuse of being powerless. But E-ranks? They were jokes. Failures. Weightless dust beneath the heels of the world's elite.
Han looked at the badge in his hand. It glowed faintly. E.
He wanted to crush it.
Instead, he walked away.
As he stepped outside, he spotted a tall figure watching him from a distance—Silverwing, the Class A hero he met that morning. The man said nothing, only shook his head slowly, pity in his eyes. He had seen Han shows great fighting skill before. He knew how skilled he was with his fists, how fast, how determined. But that badge in Han's hand? It erased everything.
Han scoffed internally. Keep your pity. I never asked for it.
Just then, another figure entered the hall—graceful, armored in white. The son of a noble from Central City. Everyone whispered as he passed, assuming he was already Class B at least.
As he walked by Han, his sword slipped loose from its belt and clattered to the floor. Han instinctively picked it up. The moment his hand touched it, he felt its weight, its power. A power weapon...
"Don't touch what isn't yours," the young man scoffed, eyeing the badge in Han's hand with thinly veiled contempt. The glint of the 'E' rank shimmered under the light—a mark of insignificance in their world.
Han didn't respond. He couldn't be bothered. He simply turned and walked away, his silence louder than any retort.
He hailed a cab to Velmora, a city not too far from Serenya. The driver chatted, but Han barely listened. He rolled down the window, letting the wind slap his face as the cab sped along the highway. He told himself he wanted to feel the breeze... but truthfully, he just needed to cool his head.
He had trained. Prayed. Hoped.
All for what? To awaken some grand ability that could protect Serenya—his home. His people. And yet, when his moment came... all he got was Book Formation. A skill that sounded more like a librarian's trick than a weapon.
By the time he arrived in Velmora, the streets were buzzing with life. But Han felt like a ghost among them. He found a bench in the crowded plaza, slumped down, and let his head hang low.
His fingers itched with habit, and before he realized it, he raised his hand—thinking of Metal Burst Man, his favorite comic from childhood. With a soft glow, the book appeared in his palm.
A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
""That's really all I got..." he muttered.
Mom. Dad... I'm sorry. I tried. I really did.
But it looks like I've failed you.
He exhaled deeply, his expression calm despite the storm churning inside. But peace was fleeting.
"Run! Everyone, run!"
The scream ripped through the plaza like thunder. Han's head snapped up.
Chaos. People scattered in all directions, panic etched deep into their faces. Shouts rose, footsteps pounded, and in the distance—
A thunderous bang split the air just as Han stood up, his eyes locking onto the source of the disturbance.
What he saw wasn't a creature—it was a nightmare brought to life.
It stood taller than most men, its skin a rough, thick green that glistened under the city lights. Its tongue hung obscenely low, nearly reaching its thighs, writhing like a serpent. But the true terror was in its claws—long, black, and curved like blades forged for butchery.
Han's stomach clenched. He knew this kind of creature. He'd seen it once before. And that encounter hadn't ended well.
"Someone—contact a Hero Guild!" a man shouted from the crowd, his voice shaking. Han's gaze drifted to him—he looked pale, terrified... and soaked. The man had wet himself.
But Han already knew the truth.
There was no Hero Guild in Velmora.
Just like Serenya, this city was on its own. Even if another city hero guild sent heroes, they'd take some time to arrive. By then, the death toll would be devastating.
Most of the people here weren't awakened. Just like back home, the majority were stuck at E and D ranks—barely above civilian status. That thing... it was a Bronze threat. Normally, it'd take at least a team of C-rank heroes to bring it down.
Han's hands curled into fists as the beast let out a guttural roar and tore through a storefront, debris exploding in every direction. Screams echoed through the streets as people scattered like ants.
He wanted to do something.
But what could he do with a useless skill like Book Formation?
Gritting his teeth, Han turned and sprinted into a narrow alley, heart pounding. A storm of thoughts raged in his mind—was running the right choice? Would he regret this? Could he even make a difference?
One voice screamed in his head: If you fight, you die.
A small voice shattered the chaos.
"You monster! Stop destroying my city!"
A young boy—no older than six—stood in the open street, clutching a stone. He hurled it at the creature. It hit the monster's head with a dull thud... and bounced off harmlessly.
The monster slowly turned, locking its pitch-black eyes on the child.
"Liam! Run!" his mother cried out from down the block.
But Liam couldn't move. He was frozen—paralyzed by fear. Sweat poured down his small face as he stared up at the monster, who now loomed over him. One clawed arm rose high, ready to strike.
I'm going to die, the boy thought in horror.
A flash of movement cut through the smoke and dust.
The beast's arm slashed downward—too slow.
He looked up, dazed, now several meters away—cradled in the arms of someone who had just performed a flawless mid-air somersault.
White and black strands of hair danced in the wind.
Cool, calm blue eyes met his own.
"You alright?" Han asked softly.
Liam nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah... I think so."
Han set the boy down, stood to his full height, and turned to face the monster, which was now stalking toward them with slow, deliberate steps.
"Now run," Han said, eyes still fixed on the creature.
The boy nodded, but before turning, his gaze caught something—blood.
A deep wound carved across Han's back, still fresh, staining his shirt with crimson.
He got that... saving me, the boy realized, his eyes widening.
"Thank you... so much," he whispered, before dashing off, his small figure disappearing into the crowd.
Then turned to face the beast.
"I've made my choice," he said quietly, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest.
"E-rank or not... I will protect them."