"Not bad at all," a rough voice said. "You've awakened the lightning element, and your affinity for it is D-rank as well."
Theo felt an electrifying sensation rush through his body as a swirling, purple mass formed inside his gray core.
The next second, he opened his eyes, staring at the faint purple light surrounding the cube.
Like every eighteen-year-old, he had placed his hands on the elemental cube that would awaken his first element.
'Lightning element, that's nice,' he thought, smiling wryly. 'But a D-rank affinity…'
It was enough to find a decent job and live life comfortably. Yet, Theo still felt disappointed.
'I can become a low-level hunter,' he thought, closing his eyes for a moment. 'But a good university is completely out of the question.'
"Come on, Theo," the same rough voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You can admire yourself later, just clear the podium for others now."
Theo nodded, glancing at his teacher before turning to his classmates.
He walked to his seat amid whispers.
"Lightning element, huh."
"I wouldn't mind having that either."
"For real, but my affinity would have to be higher."
Theo pulled his chair back, lost in his own thoughts.
"Hey man," a hand patted his shoulder. "You awakened a great element."
Theo snapped out of his thoughts, forcing a smile as he turned around.
"Thanks, Owen," he said, staring at the person who had been his best friend for years.
"I'm telling you, once I awaken, we're both going to become great hunters!" Owen continued, grinning.
Before Theo could respond, his teacher called another name forward.
"David Whitmore, please head to the stage."
Both Theo and Owen's eyes narrowed as they turned to the front at the same time.
There, a boy walked forward with an arrogant smile, wearing an extremely expensive suit.
"Hope that fucker doesn't get anything good," Owen said, a disgusted expression plastered across his face.
Theo remained silent, his eyes darting between David and the cube.
As David stood on the stage, his gaze swept over the students, stopping at Owen and Theo as a mocking smile appeared on his face.
He reached into his pocket, took out a small red pill, and swallowed it a second later.
"He has a flame pill?!" Owen muttered, astonished. "That thing is practically worth millions."
His astonishment wasn't for no reason. Elemental pills boosted the chances of an individual awakening a certain element, while also slightly improving their affinity.
David reached for the cube confidently, lighting it up in a deep red color the instant he touched it.
"That's amazing!" the teacher said, clapping. "You awakened a mutated fire element, and your affinity is B-rank."
The rest of the class exploded into noise, students turning to one another as they shared their amazement at David's element.
David enjoyed the moment before finally stepping off the stage and heading toward his seat at the back of the class.
As he passed Theo and Owen, he stopped, a wide smirk plastered on his face. "This is the way it should be," he said, voice low. "Your talents are exactly what bottom feeders end up with."
Owen stood up, anger flashing across his face. "Continue walking before I punch your face in."
"Tch, so barbaric," David said, disgust spreading across his face. "Let's see if you can keep talking like that when your parents lose their jobs."
Theo and Owen both gritted their teeth, unable to say anything.
'I need to endure,' Theo thought. 'Once I graduate, he won't be able to bother me.'
Making his father's life even worse by beating up his employer's son was the last thing he wanted to do.
David's smile broadened as he saw their silence. Satisfied, he turned away and rejoined his friends at the back of the class.
The teacher cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Owen Wilson, come up to the stage," he said.
Owen immediately turned around, eyes widening.
"Don't worry, bro," he said, patting Theo on the back. "I'll make sure to awaken something good and put him in his place."
With that, he walked up to the stage, placing his hand on the cube the second he arrived.
The cube lit up in a deep brown color, its light only shining slightly brighter than Theo's.
"Earth affinity, C-rank," the teacher said, nodding slightly.
A wry smile appeared on Owen's face, a flicker of disappointment flashing through his eyes.
The teacher gestured for Owen to return, already turning his attention to the next name on the list.
Just like that, Awakening Day continued for nearly another hour.
Both Theo and Owen sat in silence through it all, contemplating what to do next.
By the time the final name was called, the excitement in the classroom had worn out.
Dozens of students sat in fury or disappointment; some even outright cried after receiving F- or E-rank affinities.
Out of a hundred students, only forty scored above E-rank, and only three awakened B-rank affinities.
Chairs scraped back as the final bell finally rang. Everyone hurried to leave the classroom while the teacher wished them a nice weekend.
Theo and Owen also stood up, exchanged a brief glance before heading outside.
The streets outside the school were louder than the classroom had been. Students poured out in small groups, all kinds of emotions visible on their faces.
Theo and Owen quickly made their way through the dozens of students, walking down the street side by side without speaking.
After a while, Owen let out a breath.
"Hey," he said, trying to sound casual. "It's not the end of the world, you know."
Theo glanced at him.
"D-rank lightning isn't bad," Owen continued, hands shoved into his pockets. "We can still become hunters since my C-rank earth affinity isn't exactly bad either."
Theo nodded slowly. "I know."
A small smile formed on Owen's face.
"I'll see you on Monday," he said, patting Theo on the back once.
"Yeah," Theo replied with a weak smile. "Take care."
Owen turned away at the intersection, already pulling out his phone as he headed home.
Theo watched him go for a second before continuing in the opposite direction, his mind churning.
'It'll take three to four years to get through the Gray and Bronze Core stages,' he thought, kicking a pebble aside. 'If I make it to Silver, I'll gain another element. One that might be better.'
The hope was slim, since the second element usually had a lower affinity, but it was still there.
He let out a soft sigh, jumped over a patch of cracked concrete, and entered an apartment complex.
As he walked up the stairs, he couldn't help but imagine his parents' disappointed faces after hearing the results.
'Why couldn't I have just awakened something better?' Theo thought, clenching his fist.
He quickly shook his head, suppressing the thought before it could linger.
'Getting angry or disappointed over the results isn't worth it,' he told himself, gritting his teeth. 'It's not like the results will change.'
Theo climbed to the third floor and stopped in front of his door.
He hesitated for a moment, fingers tightening around the doorknob. Finally, he quietly opened the door and slipped off his shoes.
The living room lights were on, the soft noise of the television playing in the background.
'They're home,' Theo thought, biting his lip as he held his breath.
Without a word, he headed straight for his bedroom and closed the door behind him.
Only then did he exhale, his back pressing against the door as he slowly slid to the ground.
''I'll tell them later,'' he muttered, staring at the ceiling.
Suddenly, a blue holographic screen popped up in front of him.
Theo froze, eyes wide.
[—Would you rather—]
[1: Upgrade your affinity to the SSS-rank Thunder Dragon's lightning affinity?]
[2: Replace your affinity with the SSS-rank Leviathan's water affinity?]