In this world, talents were carefully ranked according to their power and rarity.
The ranking system ranged from F to SSS.
F-ranked talents were considered the weakest and most common, while SSS-ranked talents were extremely rare and possessed overwhelming power.
However, there existed another classification beyond these ranks.
A rank known as U — Unique.
Unique talents were abilities that existed only once in the entire world. No other person could possess the same talent. Whoever awakened such a power would become the sole wielder of that ability.
In addition to ranks, every talent also had mastery levels.
Talent mastery ranged from Level 1 to Level 10, with Level 10 representing complete mastery over that ability.
As Nox continued examining the glowing system interface before him, he noticed something surprising.
All three of his talents were ranked U — Unique.
But that was not the only thing that caught his attention.
Another ability appeared in the list.
Fire Manipulation (Acquired).
Nox frowned.
"Acquired?"
Everyone in the world knew a simple rule.
A person could only possess three talents.
Yet Nox clearly had four abilities listed.
He thought carefully about it.
Then a realization struck him.
"The person who cursed me…"
Nox remembered what Fenrir had said about sensing another power within him.
"What if… I took that ability from him?"
If his Talent Steal ability truly worked the way it sounded, then the fire manipulation ability might have been taken from the one who cursed him at birth.
For now, Nox made an important decision.
He would keep his talents a secret.
Revealing such abilities too early could attract dangerous attention. Instead, he would quietly train and investigate the identity of the person who placed the curse on him.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Derek, Joey, and Jaret had already returned.
They reported to King Alf about what had happened in the Cursed Forest.
However, they carefully hid one crucial detail.
They never mentioned pushing Nox toward the Fenrir.
Instead, they claimed that Nox had been separated from them during the chaos.
The king immediately sent skilled scouts into the forest to search for the missing prince.
But the forest was vast and dangerous.
After hours of searching, the scouts returned with grim news.
They had found no trace of Nox.
Most believed that the young prince had died within the cursed woods.
When Mary heard the report, her expression darkened.
"You took him into that forest knowing he had no talent?" she demanded angrily.
Eliza stood beside her, her eyes filled with tears.
"You knew he was weaker than you!" she shouted at the boys.
Derek and Joey remained silent.
King Alf stood quietly.
He knew the forest's reputation.
Very few people survived inside it.
And although he felt sorrow for his youngest son, there was nothing he could do now.
Or so he thought.
The following day, chaos erupted outside the palace gates.
A massive wolf-like creature was approaching the royal walls.
The palace guards immediately drew their weapons and prepared for battle.
"It's a Fenrir!" one guard shouted.
The soldiers quickly formed defensive positions.
But as the creature came closer, the guards froze in disbelief.
Someone was riding on its back.
A small figure.
Prince Nox.
The Fenrir calmly stopped near the palace entrance.
Nox stepped down from the beast's back.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the enormous wolf shimmered with light.
In an instant, its body dissolved into energy and formed a small bracelet around Nox's wrist.
The guards stared in shock.
Mary and Eliza rushed forward the moment they saw him.
"Nox!" Mary cried.
She wrapped her arms tightly around her son.
Eliza hugged him from the other side, tears streaming down her face.
"We thought you were dead!"
Nox smiled softly.
"I'm okay."
Behind them, Derek and Joey stood silently, their faces pale with shock.
Nox looked at them for a moment.
But he said nothing.
For now.
He knew that if he remained silent, they would eventually make another mistake.
And when they did…
He would be ready.
That night, Nox returned to his room and rested.
The following day, he finally confronted his half-brothers.
They tried to threaten him as usual.
"You should stay quiet if you know what's good for you," Derek warned.
But this time, things were different.
Nox calmly released a small portion of his aura.
A powerful pressure filled the room.
Both Derek and Joey suddenly collapsed to their knees.
Their eyes widened with fear.
They could barely breathe.
"Impossible…" Joey whispered.
Nox looked down at them with calm eyes.
"Be careful what you say next time."
He turned and walked away.
The two boys remained frozen in fear long after he left.
From a nearby corridor, King Alf had witnessed the entire scene.
He watched silently as Nox disappeared down the hall.
Later that evening, the king summoned him to the royal office.
When Nox entered, the king carefully examined him.
"You have awakened a talent," Alf said calmly.
It was not a question.
The king released a powerful aura to test him.
Normally, even experienced warriors struggled under such pressure.
But Nox remained standing.
Unaffected.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across the king's face.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Go and rest."
Nox nodded and quietly left the room.
Three years passed.
During that time, Nox secretly trained his abilities every day.
Through constant practice, he managed to raise the mastery of most of his talents to Level 3.
However, one ability remained unchanged.
Master of All Abilities.
No matter how much he tried, its mastery level never increased.
Still, Nox remained patient.
His time was coming.
Only one month remained before he would finally enroll in Brim Academy.
And this time, he would not be going alone.
Jaret would be joining him as well.
For the first time in his life, Nox felt truly prepared.
The world that once called him weak…
Was about to see his true strength.