Kael sat at his desk, hands clenched around a black, sleek phone he found by the nightstand.
No lock. No password. Lucky.
Just a blank home screen with a few icons and a blinking mana-signal in the corner. Everything else was quiet too quiet.
He kept refreshing the screen.
Again.
And again.
His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum.
Aetherion Academy.
The place where fates were made or shattered.
Would they take him?
He wasn't sure if he deserved it. His core was unawakened, and as far as he could tell, he had no formal sword art or training. No titles. No magic.
Just a famous sister.
That's probably the only reason they'd...
His phone vibrated.
Kael flinched.
Slowly, he tapped the message icon.
> "Dear Kael Vernier, you have been accepted into Aetherion Academy. Your official orientation will begin in six months. Glory to the Empire."
For a moment, Kael just stared.
Then "YES!" he shouted, jumping to his feet.
Fists pumping, a grin breaking across his face. He spun around once, laughing like a man who'd just cheated death.
But slowly… the rush began to fade.
"Wait…" he muttered.
They accepted me.
With an unawakened core?
No sword art? No achievements?
His smile faded slightly.
It's probably because of her.
His sister. The SS-ranked master. A legendary figure wrapped in quiet mystery.
He sat down again.
Staring at the screen, he whispered, "System…?"
Nothing.
He focused harder.
"System."
And then it appeared.
A soft chime echoed in his head as a faint translucent screen shimmered before his eyes.
---
Name: Kael Vernier
Age: 16
Level: 1
Sword Art: None
Core: Unawakened
Class: None
Title: The Anomaly
HP: 100/100
Stamina: 100/120
Exp: 0/100
Strength: E+
Agility: D-
Endurance: F-
Intelligence: D
Perception: F
Willpower: D
Mana: ??? (Locked)
---
Skills:
1. Copy – Can copy any skill.
Catch: Skill can't be way above him. Can only use it at 50% proficiency.
2. Adaptation – Skills used on him lose 10% proficiency. Increases with level.
Catch: Doesn't work on skills vastly above him.
3. Shadow Lord – Borrows the Shadow Lord's abilities. Boosts all stats by 50%. Allows shadow manipulation and object creation.
Catch: Leaves user severely drained for days.
4. Battle Perception – Predicts an opponent's next move.
Catch: Doesn't work if the opponent is too powerful.
5. Story Distortion – Create skills or alter story/reality with thoughts.
Catch: High-rank skills or major changes consume large point amounts.
6. Improved Cognitive Abilities – Processes information at abnormal speed.
Catch: Causes mental exhaustion afterward.
7. Calm Mind – Complete mental stability under pressure.
Catch: None.
Story Trait:
Son of Shadows – Stealth and awareness dramatically increase at night or in darkness.
Kael leaned back in his chair, breath shallow.
"The Anomaly?"
He blinked.
Then smiled again but this time slower. Sharper.
He wasn't ordinary. He wasn't weak. He was just… unrealized.