In the year 2000, the world changed overnight.
One ordinary morning in late spring, gates of light tore open across every continent. Monsters poured out like a tidal wave of nightmares, mana saturated the air with an electric hum that made skin tingle and hair stand on end, and billions Awakened gaining classes, skills, stats, the whole litRPG package straight out of some forgotten video game. Governments collapsed in a frenzy of chaos, only to reform 25 years later under the iron grip of the newly powerful. Academies sprang up like weeds in cracked concrete, designed to train the next generation of "Hunters," "Mages," "Knights," and everything in between. Society reorganized itself around Awakening Rank and combat potential. The strong ruled with unchallenged authority. The weak were pitied or worse, exploited like disposable tools.
At Saint Azure Academy, one of the top institutions in the rebuilt Eastern Coalition, 17-year-old Kai stood at the back of the Awakening Chamber during the monthly evaluation ceremony. He was short, barely scraping 5'3", with black hair falling messily over eyes that were already an unnatural, piercing blue like shards of ice under moonlight. He wore the standard black uniform jacket: high collar, silver epaulets gleaming under the chamber's harsh lights, intricate wheel-and-gear embroidery that symbolized the academy's focus on precision and power. But on his slender frame, it hung a little loose, making him look even smaller amid the crowd of taller, bulkier students.
Kai shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum. *Shit, is it time already? God, please give me a good class. Please.* His palms were slick with sweat, and he wiped them discreetly on his pants. Because of his height, he'd been looked down on literally and figuratively since high school. Even here at the academy, where strength was supposed to be everything, the stares and whispers followed him like shadows. I don't want to be looked down on anymore. Not here. Not ever.
The crystal orb in the center of the chamber pulsed with ethereal light, humming softly as each student stepped forward to place their hand on it. The air was thick with anticipation, a mix of excited chatter and nervous breaths. Kai watched from the shadows, his blue eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the others.
"Rank A Flame Sovereign!" the orb's automated voice boomed, and the student a tall guy with fiery red hair pumped his fist in triumph. The room erupted in cheers, claps echoing off the high ceilings.
"Rank S Thunder Empress!" Next was a girl with sharp features and crackling static in her hair. She smirked confidently as jealous murmurs rippled through the crowd. More applause, louder this time.
Kai's turn crept up faster than he expected. His stomach twisted into knots, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He swallowed hard, forcing his legs to move as he approached the orb. The crystal felt cool and smooth under his palm, almost alive, vibrating with raw mana. For a split second, nothing happened. Then, violet-black energy swirled inside like a brewing storm, forming jagged spatial rifts that looked like cracks in reality itself. The orb shuddered violently, lights flickering as if it might shatter.
Class: Space Mage (Rare)
Rank: S
The announcement hung in the air, the orb's voice clear and final. Kai's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching in his throat. *S-rank? Space Mage?* A rare class that could teleport, manipulate dimensions, and launch attacks from impossible angles. It was a dream for any mage stay safe, strike from afar, control the battlefield. His lips twitched into a faint, disbelieving smile, his fists unclenching for the first time that day.
But the room's reaction was immediate and cutting.
"The heck?..... He awakened Space Mage? The class that can teleport and even attack? The best for mages is to stay safe shit, what kind of luck is that?" A boy nearby, who had just awakened a D-rank Fire Mage, snorted loudly. His face twisted in envy, brows furrowed as he crossed his arms, glaring at Kai.
"Heh, worry about yourself. See, that's the short king. God knows when he'll die in the gates," a girl beside him chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She flipped her hair dismissively, her lips curling into a smug grin as she leaned against the wall. But then she paused, tilting her head. "But that's an S-rank class, you know? A rare one, and there are only three S-ranks this yearthe Thunder Empress, that assassin from the metropolitan city, and now him."
Kai ignored them, though their words stabbed like knives. His expression hardened, jaw clenching as he pulled his hand away from the orb. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, a mix of pride and simmering anger. *S-rank. Rare class. And they still see me as a joke.* He walked to the side of the chamber, weaving through the growing crowd of students still waiting their turn. His steps were deliberate, shoulders squared despite the whispers trailing him like smoke.
More students awakened after him some with cheers, others with groans of disappointment. Finally, the last one finished, and the principal stepped onto the raised platform at the front. He was a towering man with a grizzled beard and an aura of raw power, his voice booming over the speakers. "Everyone, as you have already awakened and your classes have been assigned, take the rest of the day off. Rest up. Tomorrow, training begins in earnest."
The chamber doors swung open, and the students filed out, buzzing with energy. But the whispers started almost immediately, low and mocking, carried on the breeze as groups formed in the hallways.
"It's the exam, right? Lol, God knows how Kai will pass. He'll need a team to cast those spells safely," one boy said, chuckling as he nudged his friend. His eyes flicked toward Kai, who was lingering near the exit.
The friend laughed, shaking his head. "Heh, are you serious? Why would we join that shortie? I'll join Razor's team you know, he also awakened the S-rank Shadow Assassin. That's real power."
Kai could hear every word, his enhanced senses from the awakening picking up the slights like echoes in a cave. His fists clenched again, nails digging into his palms until they left crescent marks. The Space Mage is undoubtedly strong, but it takes time to cast attack spells. Teleport spells don't even take time that's why they're called scaredy-cats for running, with their low survival rates in gates. He gritted his teeth, blue eyes flashing with defiance. Fuck these guys. I can at the very least survive. I'll make sure of it.
He walked out of the chamber without a word, the cool academy air hitting his face as he stepped into the sunlit courtyard. His knuckles whitened from the grip, and a storm of thoughts raged in his mind frustration, determination, a burning need to prove them all wrong.
That night, alone in his dorm room, something far darker answered his rage.
The room was sparse: a single bed, a desk cluttered with academy notes, and a window overlooking the darkened campus. Kai sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, his face illuminated by the faint glow of a mana lamp. His expression was a mask of exhaustion and fury brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes distant as he replayed the day's humiliations. Why me? Why always the short one, the joke?
Suddenly, a crimson notification bloomed in his vision like blood spreading on black glass, startling him upright. He blinked rapidly, his heart skipping a beat as the holographic text materialized, sharp and insistent.
[Incubus System Awakening Sequence Initiated]
Host: Kai krownwell
You swore vengeance. Good.
Primary Trait Granted: Paralyze (EX-Rank)
Description: With a single thought, lock any target's body and mana flow in absolute stasis. No resistance. No counter. Duration: Until you release it. Cost: Minimal mana (scales with target's level).
Bonus Effect (Incubus Nature): Paralyzed targets suffer amplified sensitivity. Pleasure and pain are magnified .×10 exp gain . Essence drain on contact = rapid level-up fuel.
First Mission: Make them regret. Reward: Unlock Passive Arousal Induction.
Kai's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth falling open slightly. He leaned forward, rereading the text as if it might vanish. Huh? Incubus? Are you serious? I awakened as a Space Mage, and now a system that says I'm an incubus?* A nervous laugh escaped him, short and breathless, his hand running through his messy black hair. And what's this EX-rank? I've never seen it in this world, ranks go from E to SSS, and this skill doesn't even have a limit or anything. How is this broken? A skill given like that, and what's with the lewd incubus nature? But... ×10 exp gain? Hell, that's too good.
He stood up abruptly, pacing the small room, his mind racing. A smirk tugged at his lips now, replacing the earlier frustration eyes gleaming with a newfound predatory glint. Absolutely. I will make them regret not choosing me as their teammate. Every last one of them.
The system pulsed once more, as if acknowledging his resolve, and Kai felt a surge of dark energy course through him, warm and intoxicating. The short king had just been handed his crown. And he was ready to wear it.