"And finally, taking first place in both the monthly Combat and Theory examinations..." Instructor Vance paused, looking down at his digital tablet with a familiar, wry smile. "As always... Icarus."
A collective groan echoed through the spacecraft's classroom, quickly followed by good-natured laughter. Several students rolled their eyes.
"Oh, come on! Leave some points for the rest of us, Icarus!" a boy yelled from the back.
"Why do we even take the tests anymore?" a girl sighed dramatically. "Just hand him the academy trophy now and save us the humiliation."
Sitting near the front, Icarus just smiled. He didn't boast, nor did he gloat, because he didn't need to. He was the golden boy of Marlin Academy. Ever since he was ten years old, navigating the digital avatars in the simulation, he had broken every record. He was the only student in the academy's history—and one of the few on Earth—to ever be graded with a '5-Star Potential'. Everyone knew he was destined to be a powerhouse.
Beside him, Elena, his beautiful fiancée, reached over and squeezed his hand. "First place again," she whispered, her eyes shining with pride. "You're going to get an S-Rank Talent, Icarus. I just know it."
Before Icarus could reply, a blaring siren shattered the calm of the classroom.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The white lights overhead shifted to a pulsing, deep blue. The chatter instantly died down, replaced by a thumping, nervous tension. Every student knew what that alarm meant. The one-year journey through the cosmos was over.
The ship's AI echoed through the intercom, its voice smooth but commanding:
"Attention all cadets. We are approaching the Lazarus World atmosphere. Atmospheric entry in T-minus thirty minutes. Prepare for Talent Awakening."
Instructor Vance clapped his hands loudly, his face dead serious. "You heard the system! Proceed to the Cryo-Hall immediately! This is the moment you have trained for your entire lives. Today, you leave your childhood behind and become true Awakeners!"
The thousand cadets of Marlin Academy marched into the massive, cavernous Cryo-Hall. Row upon row of sleek, glass-topped cryopods stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Icarus stood before his assigned pod, his heart hammering against his ribs. This was it. The moment his 5-Star Potential would finally bear fruit.
"Listen to me carefully," Instructor Vance's voice boomed over the hall's speakers. "When the pods seal, the ship's vents will open. Pure Space Energy from the Lazarus orbit will flood your chambers. It will burn. It will feel heavy. Do not panic! Relax your minds. Let the space energy infuse your bodies and ignite your genetic code!"
"T-minus two minutes to atmospheric breach," the AI announced.
"Get in your pods!" Vance roared.
Icarus climbed into the cushioned chamber. Through the reinforced glass, he locked eyes with Elena in the pod next to his. She gave him one last, encouraging nod. Then, the glass hissed shut, locking him in.
"Breaching Lazarus atmosphere. Releasing Space Energy."
A thick, silvery-blue mist flooded into Icarus's pod. He took a deep breath. The moment the mist hit his lungs, it felt like swallowing liquid ice. The cosmic energy surged through his veins, rewriting his cells, forcing his human body to adapt to the vacuum of space and the magical density of the Lazarus world.
He relaxed his mind, just as he was taught, waiting for the spark.
Outside the pods, the Awakening began. Above every single glass pod, a large holographic screen projected outward for the entire hall to see. It was a security measure, a way for the academy to instantly categorize their military assets.
Ding!
Above a pod in the front row, a bronze light flashed.
[Student: Marcus. Talent: Rock Skin. Rank: E]
Ding!
A silver light bloomed.
[Student: Sarah. Talent: Wind Blade. Rank: C]
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Lights of bronze, silver, and gold began popping up like fireworks across the massive hall. Students inside their pods were staring at each others' holograms. A mix of cheers, disappointed sighs, and gasps could be seen through the glass.
Then, a brilliant golden pillar of light erupted from Elena's pod.
[Student: Elena. Talent: Frost Queen's Domain. Rank: A]
Instructor Vance clenched his fists in excitement. An A-Rank! That was enough to secure Marlin Academy's funding for the next decade.
But the climax had yet to arrive. All eyes—from the students in their pods to the instructors on the viewing deck—turned toward the center of the room. They were waiting for Icarus. The 5-Star prodigy.
Suddenly, Icarus's pod began to tremble. A blinding, pure white light engulfed his entire chamber. It was so bright that Instructor Vance had to shield his eyes. The energy radiating from the pod was suffocating, primal, and entirely alien.
"Here it comes..." Vance whispered in awe. "An S-Rank? No... could it be an SS-Rank?"
The system scanners whirred, struggling to calculate the sheer density of the anomaly inside Icarus's body. The holographic projection above his pod flickered violently. Code cascaded down the screen in a blur of red and white.
Inside the pod, Icarus felt a boundless, formless void settle into his soul. He looked up at his holographic display, a confident smile forming on his lips.
Then, the blinding white light shattered like glass, vanishing into nothingness.
The holographic text finalized with a dull, gray beep.
[System Error.]
[Talent Unidentifiable.]
[Classification: F-Rank]
[Name: Blank]
Dead silence fell over the Cryo-Hall.
Thousands of eyes stared at the dull gray hologram hovering above the golden boy's pod. There was no element. There were no stats. There wasn't even a name. Just... Blank. The absolute lowest grade possible, possessing zero innate power. An F-Rank.
Instructor Vance's jaw dropped. The tablet in his hands slipped and clattered against the metal floor.
Inside his pod, Icarus's confident smile slowly dissolved, replaced by a look of total, uncomprehending horror as he stared at the gray letters reflecting in the glass.
The golden boy of Marlin Academy hadn't just fallen. He had hit rock bottom.