The world exploded... but not literally.
Rather, everywhere, sparks erupted and power grids flickered, causing places across the country to grow dim for a few seconds before everything returned to normal.
Because the students and instructors were at the academy, they didn’t notice any strange phenona.
However, Collete sensed a form of dread rise from the bottom of her heart and couldn’t help taking an instinctive step back.
The sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
She regained her composure almost instantly, and no one noticed the brief reaction.
’No strange phenona?’
Amon furrowed his brows, feeling slightly disappointed.
He glanced toward Dave, waiting for him to announce the results.
"Amon Bane. Class Awakening Successful. Talent: Prefix Extraction. Talent: Unranked."
"An unranked talent?"
A murmur instantly spread amongst the students, their confusion deepening.
The principal’s pupils shrank slightly the mont he heard "unranked", but he quickly concealed it.
However, Amon caught it.
’So my talent isn’t as bad as I thought? At least he didn’t make that reaction when she awakened...’
He pondered thoughtfully, curious about what hidden prospects his talent might hold.
The principal walked forward and addressed the crowd.
"Everyone, calm down. In a few months is your entrance examination. During this ti, strive to level up as much as possible to obtain a chance of getting selected for the university of your choice."
He spoke calmly, gesturing toward the crowd.
"During this break, you can choose to co to school to receive resources from the instructors to aid you in leveling up. Or you can choose to explore Nexus individually."
The school head went on to elaborate further for so ti before finally dismissing the students, knowing they were probably exhausted from standing throughout most of the day.
His gaze drifted briefly toward Amon, and it seed as though he wanted to call him over.
However, he ultimately remained silent.
’Later on, I’ll call him to my office.’
Naturally, there was a reason unranked talents were kept a secret...
...
Amon soon left the school grounds after socializing with his classmates for a few minutes.
He flagged down a taxi.
"To Evergarden Hospital."
The driver nodded.
"That would be five dollars."
Amon hesitated briefly before ultimately paying the fare.
He stepped into the car, and it imdiately pulled away, heading toward the hospital located at the bustling center of the city.
Gradually, Amon left behind the mundane rhythm of ordinary streets and approached towering high-rise buildings. So displayed flashing news headlines while others advertised products they claid would change people’s lives.
{As of recent, 3 A-rank Dungeons have spawned outside Coastlake City. Reports indicate that the governnt is doing all it can to clear all three before they beco detrintal to the public.}
The driver’s lips twitched slightly as he quickly changed the station.
{A blackout monts earlier has been revealed to have been caused by strange occurrences within an S-rank Gate located in the Pyramid of Gaza.}
He snorted.
"Journalists and their fake news..."
The station changed once more.
Soft music began flowing through the car, drawing Amon’s attention away from the two unsettling reports.
He didn’t think much of it.
The governnt would naturally handle the three A-rank Dungeons.
And as for the blackout?
There was no way that was related to him, so he couldn’t be bothered.
Before long, the vehicle slowed to a stop in front of a towering building of marble and glass.
Boldly written across it were the words:
’Evergreen Hospital.’
The letters were painted in vibrant green and seed to radiate a sense of vitality and life.
Amon paid the remaining fare, stepped out of the taxi, and walked inside with unhurried footsteps.
He soon took an elevator to the fifteenth floor where the person he wanted to see was staying.
At this mont, Amon’s playful, teasing attitude from school was nowhere to be found.
In its place was sothing quieter.
Sothing somber.
A gloomy look spread across his face as he stepped out of the elevator and walked toward Room 419.
He paused briefly before pushing the door open.
There, sleeping peacefully, was a beautiful young woman with soft blue hair, a sharp contrast to Amon’s silver locks.
However, there was a familiar resemblance between them, one that connected his handsoness to her unparalleled beauty.
Even in sleep, her lips remained slightly pouted.
She looked like a damsel trapped within a dream.
"Sister..."
Amon’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Walking toward the bed, he gently placed a hand on her forehead, feeling her normal temperature.
He released a quiet breath after checking her pulse and several other things he had picked up from his countless visits.
Following that, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
A rare smile.
"Sister... I... awakened."
His voice carried warmth and excitent.
Normally, his sister would tease him.
She would probably say sothing like:
"So what if you awakened? It doesn’t an you can ever be as strong as , your big sister!"
She would grin and stick out her tongue, losing every bit of the elegance expected from a beauty.
Yet it always made Amon happy.
Extrely happy.
Unfortunately, that smile was nowhere to be found.
Amon’s own smile faltered as he received no reply.
Not even the slightest twitch of her brows.
Not even a movent from her fingers.
She simply remained there.
Unmoving.
He didn’t let it get to him.
Instead, he continued telling her about his day.
About the awakening ceremony.
About the incredible talents he had witnessed.
About everything.
"Sister..."
Amon slowly stood up.
"Now that I’m awakened, I promise I will find a cure for you in Nexus, no matter if I have to cross to the ends of the earth."
There was truth behind Amon’s promise.
On countless forums, he had heard whispers of legendary treasures capable of pulling people back from the edge of death itself.
All he had to do was find one.
Amon made that decision deep within his heart.
It was also another reason he had co to see his sister one final ti before beginning.
Because he was about to put himself through hellish training in order to beco strong enough to explore Nexus properly before the next day.
The anticipation burning inside him was difficult to suppress.
After placing a light, loving kiss upon his sister’s forehead, he left the hospital room.
The door clicked shut.
Inside, only silence remained to accompany his sister.
Suddenly...
Her fingers twitched.
Ever so slightly.
The movent was almost insignificant.
Almost impossible to notice.
However...
It was a sign of sothing astronomically important.
...
Amon left the hospital and took another ride back ho.
By now, the sun had long dipped below the horizon, and darkness had begun spreading through the skies.
An uneasy feeling settled within the driver’s chest.
Every so often, he glanced into the rearview mirror.
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he spoke.
"Young man, I won’t be heading toward that destination tonight. You can keep the change. I have a bad feeling brewing in my chest."
After speaking, he waited for Amon’s response.
"Huh? It’s just barely a few ters to my destination."
The man furrowed his brows and ultimately shook his head.
Seeing this, Amon’s eyebrows twitched repeatedly.
Without saying anything further, he tossed a few dollar bills toward the driver and stepped out of the car.
The instant he did, rain began pouring from the heavens.
’The rain... how nice.’
Amon comnted on the coincidence sarcastically.
As he made his way ho, he thought back to the driver’s words.
Before long, a similar sense of unease crept into his own chest.
’What is this tight feeling in my chest? Is it just because of what the driver said?’
Amon felt as though he might be overthinking things.
Furrowing his brows slightly, he continued forward beneath the relentless downpour.
His house was only a few blocks away.
He might as well see it through to the end.
With that in mind, he quickened his pace.
Suddenly, he noticed a figure lying in the middle of the road.
The figure blocked his path while muttering sothing under its breath.
"He..."
Amon’s mind instantly beca alert as he stared at the figure.
It was too suspicious.
Besides...
’How the hell is he moving with a wound that big?’
Amon muttered inwardly.
A chunk of the man’s head was missing.
Rainwater mixed with blood as it flowed over exposed flesh that writhed unnaturally beneath the storm.
Yet sohow, the man still moved.
He still struggled.
He still clutched sothing tightly in his grasp.
As though sensing Amon’s presence, the man slowly turned toward him.
And reading the movent of his lips, Amon understood exactly what he was trying to say.
"He... help ..."
Lightning tore across the sky.
For an instant, the world beca white.
The figures of both n were illuminated beneath the storm.
One was a silver-haired youth standing in the rain.
The other was a bloodied, unrecognizable figure desperately pleading for a chance at survival.
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