In the world of awakeners, strength wasn’t set in stone. Upon awakening, individuals were ranked from E to S, with E being the lowest and S reserved for those with unimaginable power. However, a person’s initial rank didn’t necessarily determine their limits. While awakening at a low rank suggested a lack of natural strength or ability, anyone could break past those boundaries. Through harsh training or in the crucible of life-and-death situations, some could unlock new strength, climb the ranks, and gain more power than they had at the start.
Vincent was a C rank. Neither too strong nor too weak—a middle ground that meant he wasn’t special but wasn’t helpless either. In theory, C ranks had respectable strength, but for someone like Vincent, who hadn’t trained much, it didn’t mean much more than being slightly better than an E rank. Inexperienced C ranks could be easily overpowered if they let their guard down.
The simulation room buzzed with tension as Vincent stepped into the simulation zone. He stood there, unmoving, his sword and gun in hand, staring down the virtual wolves as they materialized around him.
“Why isn’t he moving?” someone whispered from the crowd. “If he doesn’t start, he’s going to get swarmed.”
Another voice chimed in, “Maybe he’s frozen. It’s his first fight, after all.”
The instructors watching the screens frowned. Remaining still at the start of a fight was risky—monsters wouldn’t wait for you to gather your courage. If you didn’t act first, they would, and that could easily lead to being overwhelmed.
Seconds ticked by. The wolves circled Vincent, growling and snarling. One of them lunged at him, aiming straight for his throat.
Vincent moved. With a slight turn of his body to the right, he brought the gun in his left hand up and fired. The sound of the shot rang through the simulation room, and the wolf’s head exploded in a burst of digital blood and fur. Its body fell to the ground.
One down. But there were still three more.
Before anyone could react, the remaining wolves rushed him all at once. Vincent’s expression didn’t change. He quickly shot the wolf on his left, its body collapsing before it could even get close. The other two were faster, lunging at him simultaneously.
Vincent sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the bite of the wolf on his right. As he moved, his sword sliced through the air, cutting through the creature’s head. The wolf’s body fell with a heavy thud, and Vincent barely glanced at it as it crumpled to the ground.
Vincent released his grip on the sword for a moment. While the sword was still rotating in the air, he caught it in a reverse grip. He spun, plunging the blade into the chest of the final wolf. Before it could react, Vincent placed the barrel of the gun under its chin and fired. The wolf’s head vanished in a cloud of data fragments, and the simulation ended.
The room was silent.
Vincent barely moved more than a few feet from his starting position. He hadn’t broken a sweat, hadn’t stumbled or faltered. The instructors exchanged glances, some visibly impressed, others bewildered. None of them had expected that level of calm precision.
“Is it over already?” someone whispered.
“That… didn’t even look hard for him.”
As Vincent walked back to his position, Evan said at him with excitement. “That was amazing, Vincent! You’re really strong.”
Vincent brushed it off as usual. “Just lucky enough to pass. You’re much stronger than me.”
Evan blinked, confused. “What do you mean? I couldn’t do what you just did.”
Vincent didn’t reply, only giving Evan a small nod before falling silent again.
The simulation testing continued, but it became clear by the end that Vincent had set the bar high. The scores flashed on the screen once all assessments were done.
Vincent – 1st.
Gavin – 2nd.
Evan – 3rd.
Shelia – 4th.
As the group murmured among themselves, Carter gathered everyone’s attention. “Your results today will inform the training plans moving forward. Each of you will receive a unique plan tailored to your abilities and weaknesses. This is to ensure that you grow in the areas that need improvement and don’t waste time on things you’ve already mastered.”
He looked around the room, making sure they were all paying attention. “Training begins tomorrow. Rest up, because it’s going to be intense. Dismissed.”
Evan and Vincent left the training room together, Evan still buzzing with excitement from his earlier performance. “I’m just glad I didn’t mess up too badly,” he said with a grin.
As they reached their room, Vincent stopped outside the door. “I’ve got something to take care of,” he said abruptly.
Evan glanced at him, surprised. “You’re leaving?”
Vincent nodded. “Yeah, I won’t be long.”
Evan watched as Vincent walked down the hall, his silhouette disappearing into the distance. Evan frowned, muttering to himself. “He’s a dangerous variable. I need to level up fast.” He glanced around, making sure no one was nearby before quietly whispering,
“System.”
Meanwhile, in the Horizon Guildmaster’s office…
Nina stood before Marcus, a digital tablet in her hands, showing the results of the day’s simulation tests. Her expression was serious, and Marcus listened intently as she gave her report.
“Vincent’s performance was… unexpected,” Nina said, tapping on the screen to bring up a video replay. “He’s a C rank, but he cleared the simulation without breaking a sweat. It’s like he knew exactly how to handle those monsters.”
“That’s an interesting choice,” Marcus said, his eyes narrowing. “Using both a sword and a gun is one of the hardest combinations, especially for someone who hasn’t even held a proper weapon before.”
Nina nodded, glancing at the screen. “Most beginners struggle to focus when they’re handling two different types of weapons. They either rely too much on one or fail to switch effectively between close and long-range attacks.”
Marcus crossed his arms. “Exactly. It’s not about raw strength—it’s about balance. A sword for short-range, a gun for long-range. If you can master both, you can cover almost any situation in a fight. But for someone with little to no experience, pulling off that kind of coordination… it doesn’t make sense.”
Marcus leaned forward, watching the footage carefully. “What about Evan?” he asked.
Nina switched to Evan’s video. “He’s impressive as well, but something’s off. Evan isn’t just fast or strong—it’s his ability that’s carrying him through. His technique is still rough, like he’s a beginner. There’s no way he’s just an E rank.”
Marcus narrowed his eyes as he replayed the video in slow motion. “Evan’s hiding something. No E rank should be this good, even with an ability backing them. His raw potential is far beyond what’s normal for his rank. We’ll need to watch him closely.”
“And Vincent?” Nina asked, glancing at the footage of him again.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, his expression puzzled. “Vincent’s harder to read. His technique is too refined for someone with no official experience in monster fighting. It’s almost like he’s fought before… but according to his history, he hasn’t.”
Nina frowned. “You think he’s been hiding something too?”
“Maybe,” Marcus said slowly. “But with Vincent, it’s not about raw power or speed. He’s too calm, too controlled. It’s like he’s been in situations like this before—enough to become numb to it. It’s difficult to say.”
He glanced back at the screen, replaying Vincent’s simulation once more. “Stick close to him, Nina. He can become a great portion of power in the near future.”
Nina nodded, though her mind was already racing ahead, trying to figure out just who these two really were.
