Federation-Affiliated · Abyssal Edge Martial Academy · Hall of Divine Awakening.
With the herald's final resounding proclamation—
"Class Eight · Alex Elliott!"
—the entire Hall of Divine Awakening fell into a brief hush.
Step by step, the young man emerged from the crowd. His stride was unhurried yet steady, every gaze in the hall drawn to him alone.
"Alex, give them a show they'll never forget."
From behind, Gregory shot him an exaggerated wink, murmuring with complete confidence. He had never once doubted his brother-in-arms' talent, and had been waiting for this moment to explode into brilliance.
On the outskirts of the crowd, Brown and Leon exchanged a grave look.
"He really came," Leon whispered, his palms already damp with cold sweat.
"Didn't that man already set up barriers? He shouldn't be able to awaken any high-grade talent!" Brown's eyes locked on Alex's back, his jaw tight. "But… the way this kid walks—he doesn't look like a cripple at all."
Elsewhere, upon the main dais of the Hall, the elderly Principal Gu Weir Thousand-Mirror—garbed in silver-white war robes—slowly opened his eyes.
"He is Harley's son."
A glimmer of light stirred in the old man's gaze as it followed the youth ascending the platform.
"If his bloodline remains unextinguished… today, Fifth High may gain another true Godchosen."
Alex came to a stop, expression unreadable, and slowly raised his right hand—placing it gently upon the Stone of Divine Appraisal.
It was a mysterious orb, floating at the very center of the platform, its entire body forged from starmetal meteor crystal. Possessing a direct link to the laws of fate itself, it was a Mythical-grade artifact in the truest sense.
In the next instant, the Stone shuddered violently—erupting in blinding radiance!
Not the pale violet of A-rank.
Not the crimson brilliance of S-rank.
But something that stole the breath from every throat—
—a seven-colored divine light!
The light poured down like an inverted river of stars, a meteor shower cascading from the heavens—transforming the entire Hall of Divine Awakening into what felt like the vaulted palace of a god's own kingdom.
"What is that?!"
"A miracle… has a miracle descended?!"
The onlookers' jaws had already dropped, cries of shock rippling through the ranks of students.
Even the registrar standing on the high platform stared in disbelief at the boundless divine brilliance, terror flickering in his eyes.
"S… se-seven colors… this is…"
His voice trembled as he fumbled for the registration tablet, all but squeezing his spiritual power dry.
In the crowd, Lois's usually languid gaze sharpened with an intensity she had never shown before.
The girl who had moments ago silenced the hall with her S-rank Shadow talent now took two unconscious steps back, a fine sheen of sweat on her cheek, her eyes locked on Alex like a predator sensing an unknown apex rival.
"This isn't a normal talent fluctuation… This is the echo of some ancient existence."
She murmured to herself, her fingers faintly trembling.
"SSS-rank…"
"Damn it… Didn't they say he'd only awaken some trash-tier talent?!"
Brown's face had turned deathly pale, his lips quivering uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Principal Gu Weir's expression had grown darker than ever. Without a word, he pressed a palm to the defensive magic seal hidden within his sleeve, as if ready to suppress some cataclysmic phenomenon should it descend.
The entire hall held its breath.
After several heartbeats, the boundless light slowly receded—until finally, on the surface of the Stone of Divine Appraisal, words emerged:
[Talent Grade: D]
[Talent Name: Redistribution]
[Potential Assessment: None]
Dead silence.
Every expression in the hall froze in place.
"…What?"
"Say that again?"
"D-rank?! Is this some kind of joke?"
Gregory's raised fist hung motionless in the air, his whole body rigid as though struck by lightning.
Lois's brows knitted tightly as she whispered under her breath:
"Impossible… That presence just now could never belong to a mere D-rank."
The middle-aged registrar snapped back to his senses, his tone now heavy with disappointment and mechanical detachment:
"Grade Twelve, Class Eight—Alex Elliott. Awakened D-rank talent [Redistribution]. Meets the qualification for the Godslayer Trial."
His eyes had gone cold, no longer addressing him as "Student Alex," but rattling off the result like reading from a ledger before hurriedly keying the information into the rune tablet.
"D-rank… with seven-colored divine light… Could the Stone of Divine Appraisal be faulty?"
"It cannot be wrong!"
The old principal finally spoke in a low voice:
"The Stone of Divine Appraisal is a relic of the gods. Its judgment is a Fated Revelation—beyond the power of mortals to alter."
The crowd froze, even more baffled than before.
Brown and Leon, however, broke into twisted, gloating smiles.
"I thought we were done for—turns out the brat's just a piece of trash."
"D-rank Redistribution… can't even learn proper combat arts with that garbage talent."
"Even your father Harley couldn't save you now."
Among them, only Gregory remained firmly at Alex's side.
"I don't care what this Redistribution is—my brother can still punch your faces into pig heads."
He rolled up his sleeves and jabbed a finger at Brown.
"Come on then, say that again."
Brown's mouth twitched, but he didn't dare push further, retreating with a scowl.
Alex stood calmly on the high platform, his gaze fixed on the "false judgment" given by the Stone of Appraisal.
[D-rank]… perhaps the only rank in existence that could not truly be determined.
[Redistribution]—nothing more than a veil concealing its true nature.
He knew well that the seven-colored brilliance could not have been a lie.
It was the mark left behind when his awakening tore through the very web of the laws—light that no chain could obscure, the truth itself laid bare.
If the Stone of Appraisal cannot measure an SSS-rank Redistribution… then perhaps I have already stepped beyond the scope of its recognition.
Lowering his gaze, the corner of his mouth curved upward.
That second talent—[Infinite Ascension]—remained dormant, as if it were some ultimate power that would only awaken when the right trigger appeared.
"—Grade Twelve, Alex, appraisal complete. Step down."
The middle-aged official's tone was now cold, his expression indifferent, all interest gone.
Without a word, Alex descended from the high platform of the Divine Appraisal and returned to stand beside Gregory.
Everywhere he turned, mocking, scornful, and doubtful gazes pressed in on him.
Yet his expression stayed calm, his eyes as still as an ancient well.
Having lived three lives, how could he possibly care about the stares of mere ants?
He was waiting for the next true contest—
—and just as he expected, it came quickly.
Principal Gu Weir raised his right hand and pressed it down lightly. The entire Hall of Divine Awakening fell silent at once.
"Students, hear my command."
"I am here today not only to personally reward Lois for her S-rank awakening, but also for a matter of special authorization from the Federation."
"—By Federal decree, our academy will immediately open a Novice-Rank Battle Examination Secret Realm."
"This realm will be opened only once, lasting three hours. All results within will be fully counted toward combat performance evaluations and may serve as an intensive boost for the college entrance trials."
"All students who have completed their registration are to assemble at the training grounds within twenty minutes, prepared to enter and undertake the trial."
At his words, the hall erupted into chaos.