Slade looked at the man standing before him — tall, broad-shouldered, slightly out of breath, like he'd sprinted the entire hallway just to get here.
For a brief moment, something warm flickered in his chest.
At least this isn't one of those tragic abandoned-child clichés, he thought.Good family, check.
Mrs. Willson quickly explained everything — the sudden collapse, the failed Awakening, memory loss, and the "no superpower detected" part that clearly hurt her most.
Richard Willson listened silently. His sharp, stern expression softened — not much, just enough to show that behind the intimidating aura was a father who cared.
He stepped closer and placed a hand on Slade's shoulder.
"Don't worry, son. You'll remember everything soon. And even if you don't, we're with you."
Slade blinked.A dad with emotional stability? Respect.
He nodded slowly. Serious face, serious voice… solid dad points.
Richard turned to the doctor, signed the documents, and then looked at Slade again.
"Now that you're awake, let's go home. You'll rest better there."
Mrs Willson guided Slade out of the room, supporting him as he walked.His legs still wobbled like wet noodles — but hey, at least no wheelchair. Small victory.
🚗 Outside the hospital…🚗
The moment they stepped outside, Slade's jaw nearly dropped.
A sleek, obsidian luxury car was parked at the entrance — so polished he could see his stunned reflection.
Forget "car."This was a statement: I have money and I'm not subtle about it.
As they got in, he couldn't stop himself from blurting out most logical question,
"Uh… are we rich?"
Mrs. Willson smiled as if she'd been waiting for that reaction.
"Yes, very much so. You don't have to worry about allowances."
Richard smirked through the rear-view mirror.
"Financially, we're doing great."
Slade sank back into the leather seat. The cushioning swallowed him like a cloud.
Rich parents, nice car, supportive mother, serious dad…
Is this a scam? Did I die and get compensation?
He tried to keep calm.
"So… do you guys also have superpowers?"
Both parents exchanged a very subtle 'who should tell him?' glance.
Mrs. Willson answered first, like announcing a grocery list.
"I have A-Class Pyrokinesis."
Richard followed:
"I'm an S-Class Techno-Mancer. My abilities interact with machines and Essence."
"And your grandfather," she continued proudly,"possesses S-Class Superhuman Strength."
Slade blinked, connecting the dots instantly.
He turned toward his father with a grin. "So, Dad works at a tech company… and Mom's literally hot?"
Richard choked.Mrs. Willson covered her laugh behind her hand.
"At least your humor survived," she said warmly.
Slade breathed out slowly.Good. He was still funny — even if his life wasn't.
After a moment, he looked up again, curious. "So… what was I like before? You know, before all this?"
Mrs. Willson's expression softened. "You were a good boy."
Mr. Willson immediately snorted. "Good boy? annoying, loud, and a walking disaster magnet."
He paused, then added with a grin, "But at least you were good at it."
Slade smiled awkwardly. Great. Even before memory loss, I was still a walking headache.
🕒 On the way home…
As the car rolled smoothly down the road, Slade's eyes wandered.
Slade stared out the window. Flying vehicles zipped overhead, holographic billboards flickered, and pedestrians wore the same sleek wrist device.
Everyone.Even his parents.
"What's with the matching watches? Family subscription? Fashion trend?"
Mrs. Willson shook her head, amused.
"That's not a normal watch. It measures Essence Energy — and the person's Essence Value."
"Essence Energy?" Slade tilted his head. "And that is…?"
"Your life force," she explained."Mental. Physical. Spiritual energy. It fuels superpowers."
Slade hummed thoughtfully.
"So… power bank for abilities. Got it."
Richard added:
"Once we reach home, I'll give you one. It'll show your Essence value."
Slade raised an eyebrow.
"So even without a power, I still have Essence?"
Mrs. Willson nodded.
"Everyone has Essence. Powers just use it differently."
Slade leaned back.
I may not have powers, but I have battery life. Cool.
🏛 The Willson Residence
The car rolled through tall gates and into a property so massive it needed its own map.
The villa appeared.
Glass walls.
Marble steps.
A fountain shaped like a dragon vomiting water.
Slade's soul briefly left his body.
Rich. Very rich. Ultra-rich.
Two elderly figures stood waiting near the entrance, along with a butler and maids lined up neatly.
Before Slade could react, the old man rushed forward like a missile and crushed him into a bear hug.
"Slade! My boy! How are you feeling?"
Slade blinked, suffocating inside an affectionate chokehold.
"Uh… other than my legs feeling like noodles, I'm fine."
His grandfather laughed — a booming sound that vibrated through the bones.
"You'll be running tomorrow!"
Can't walk. Running tomorrow. Yep, logic checks out.
Inside, the living room looked like a collaboration between a billionaire and a Greek god. Slade sat carefully on a sofa that looked like it rejected peasants.
His parents explained everything — memory loss, failed Awakening, hospital.His grandparents listened quietly, concern etched into every wrinkle.
Finally, his grandfather nodded thoughtfully.
"We should still think about his college. I'll get him a seat at Venus University through special quota."
Slade froze.
Slow head turn.
"…College?"
"Yes," the old man repeated cheerfully. "You're eighteen."
Slade pressed a hand to his temple.
"Ow. The word college… hurts me spiritually."
His grandmother sighed.
"At least his jokes didn't suffer memory loss."
🔷 Essence Test
Richard walked over, holding a sleek black Essence Meter.
"Here. Wear this."
He said, handing it to Slade.
"This will measure your Essence value. Just wear it — it'll scan automatically."
Slade strapped it on, curious. The band tightened on its own, the display lighting up in a cool blue glow.
A faint hum filled the room as the device started scanning.
The screen blinked a few times… then beeped.
Everyone leaned closer.
[Essence Value: 1164]
[Superpower: Error]
[Stage: Attunement]
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Mrs. Willson's smile froze.
The doctor (who had followed them home for observation) looked like he'd seen a ghost, whispered:
"T-That reading is impossible…"
Richard frowned.
"Even S-Class barely reaches 1000."
Slade blinked at the watch. "Uh… did I just break it?"
The doctor shook his head slowly, stammering. "N-No… it's functioning perfectly… but this reading is… impossible."
Richard stared at the screen. "Initial Essence value over a thousand, but no power detected? That can't be right. Even S-Class Awakened barely reach this level."
Mrs. Willson covered her mouth. "Richard… could it be a mutation?"
The doctor shook his head.
"No. It's functioning perfectly. He's… an error."
Everyone stared at Slade like he had personally violated the laws of physics.
Slade blinked back. "Why is everyone looking at me like that? Alright…Value 1164, Power None. So basically, I'm a high-quality mystery box. Great."
His grandfather cleared his throat., "Well, at least your Essence value makes you more than qualified for college requirements."
Slade raised an eyebrow. "So… what's considered normal?"
"For a newly awakened? Around 100 to 1,000, maximum. Yours being higher means you're either a mutation or some kind of hybrid superpower waiting to awaken."
Slade said slowly. Mutation or hybrid, huh? Sounds fancy. Probably means 'we have no idea.'
This statement choked everyone present
They turned their head, as if they were not looking at him
Slade blinked slowly.
So I'm above S-Class… without powers.
🥊 Truth Behind His Coma
Slade sat straight and grew serious for a moment, and looked at his family. "Can someone tell me… why exactly was I in the hospital?"
The maid standing nearby — Amelie, as she now recalled — hesitated before speaking softly.
"Young Master, during the Awakening Ceremony you failed to manifest a superpower."
"Then Damien Cross challenged you to a duel."
"He had just awakened an S-Class Gravity ability, and he used your engagement with Miss Lia William as provocation."
Slade's brows shot up.
"So my fiancée was used as a power-up button?"
Amelie nodded nervously. "You refused the duel, but he didn't take the rejection well. He accidentally used extra force and—"
"Put me in a coma," Slade finished dryly. "Lovely. A romantic love triangle and a near-death experience in one package. Five stars."
His grandfather slammed his hand on the armrest. "Forget that boy! I demanded an explanation from the Cross family. They claim it was an accident — said he couldn't control his power right after Awakening. They called it an accident."
Slade smirked. "Classic villain excuse number seventeen."
The old man huffed. "He won't dare touch you again. The Cross family knows better if they try to start another incident with us."
Slade leaned back on the couch, smiling faintly. Sure they won't.
He glanced again at the glowing "ERROR" on his wrist.
And something tells me next time, I won't be the one hitting the floor.
Still staring at the flickering numbers, a thought struck him.
"Hey, Grandpa, what if I don't want to make this Essence Value public?"
His grandfather raised a bushy eyebrow. "Not public? Why ever not? A high Essence reading could polish your reputation — show your potential as a future Awakened!"
Slade tilted his head.
"Yeah, but if I make it public, I'll have to deal with reporters, Bureau people, and maybe a few random cults calling me The Error Messiah. I prefer low-profile survival before full knowledge."
The old man blinked, unsure how to respond. "You… have a strange way of thinking."
"Thanks, I try."
Then Slade looked toward the maid, Amelie. "Hey, you were there, right? During that duel. You saw what happened. Tell me — did my fiancée say anything when I got sent flying into a coma?"
Amelie hesitated, glancing at Mrs. Willson for permission. When the woman nodded, she spoke softly.
"At first… Miss Lia didn't say anything. She just looked shocked. But after you lost consciousness, she told Damien Cross that she would report everything to your grandfather."
Slade leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly.
Didn't stop the duel… but reported it after. Figures.
He gave a small, knowing nod. "Got it. Just confirming my suspicion."
Then, after a moment of silence, he looked around the room at his family."One more question."
Everyone waited.
Slade exhaled slowly, then said, "If I told you I want to break my engagement with Lia William… would that be okay?"
The room froze.
Mrs. Willson's eyes widened. Mr. Willson looked genuinely surprised. Even his grandfather, who'd seen decades of chaos, blinked in disbelief.
"You what?" Mrs. Willson stammered. "You want to end the engagement?"
Slade nodded calmly. "Yeah. Call it post-coma clarity. I just… don't think I'm cut out for dramatic love triangles."
Silence stretched for a long second. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, finally realizing something important in this-
Dead silence.
They finally understood:This Slade… was not the old Slade.
He leaned back, smiling faintly.
"From now on… I write my own script."