Kale’s muscles burned with exhaustion, but he welcomed the pain. His fists slammed into the training dummy, electricity crackling from his fingertips with every strike. He had been training relentlessly since his return—testing the limits of his newfound power.

  He had always been weak. Always been the one others pitied or mocked. But now, things were different. The lightning surging through his veins was proof of that.

  “Elena, I’m heading out,” Kale called as he grabbed a towel to wipe his sweat.

  His sister leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “You’ve been pushing yourself harder than usual.”

  Kale smirked. “I have a lot to make up for.”

  She sighed. “I figured. Anyway, did you hear? The U.S.S.A. is holding an Awakening Test today.”

  Kale paused. Every Slayer in the country had undergone that test at least once. It determined their rank, potential, and overall abilities. The last time he took it, he had barely registered as an F-Rank, the lowest classification. But now…

  He clenched his fists. “I’ll go.”

  Elena raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Last time—”

  “I’m not the same as last time.”

  She studied him for a moment before nodding. “Then prove it.”

  The United States Slayer Association Headquarters was packed. Hundreds of Slayers and officials had gathered, their chatter filling the hall. Kale felt eyes on him as he entered. Some recognized him immediately—whispers spread like wildfire.

  “Isn’t that Kale Darven?”

  “The weakest Slayer? What’s he doing here?”

  Kale ignored them and approached the registration desk. The official barely looked up. “Name?”

  “Kale Darven.”

  The official’s pen froze mid-air before he glanced up, frowning. “You do realize you’ve already taken this test, right?”

  “I know. I’m taking it again.”

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  The official scoffed but entered his name. “Fine. Step into the chamber.”

  Kale walked past the sneering spectators into a large, circular testing room. The Awakening Test had three stages: Mana Measurement, Combat Simulation, and Final Evaluation.

  The first test measured mana levels. Kale stepped onto the scanning platform as a blue holographic screen flickered to life.

  “Mana Signature Identified: Kale Darven.”

  The machine hummed as it analyzed his energy. The last time he had stood here, his reading barely registered above zero.

  A low beep echoed through the room.

  “Mana Output: 3,500”

  The room fell into stunned silence. Normal F-Rank Slayers barely reached 300. Even C-Rank Slayers averaged around 1,000 to 2,000. Kale’s reading had tripled that.

  The official in charge blinked at the screen. “That… that can’t be right.”

  The murmurs started immediately.

  “What the hell? Since when did he have that much mana?”

  “Is the machine broken?”

  Kale simply stepped down, unfazed. This was only the beginning.

  The second phase involved a battle simulation against AI-controlled opponents. The test adjusted to the Slayer’s rank, so last time, Kale had fought against weak goblin projections.

  This time, however, the system analyzed his new mana output and recalibrated the difficulty.

  “Opponent Selected: C-Rank Combat Scenario”

  The holographic arena transformed into a battlefield. Five Shadow Hounds, simulated monsters, materialized. Their red eyes glowed, their muscular bodies tensed to strike.

  The fight started immediately. The hounds lunged.

  Kale didn’t move—until the last second.

  CRACK!

  A burst of lightning shot from his palm, incinerating one of the hounds in an instant. The crowd gasped as Kale weaved between the monsters with effortless speed. Another lightning strike tore through two more, leaving behind only crackling embers.

  The last two beasts charged in unison.

  Kale smirked. He was faster.

  In a blur of motion, he appeared behind them, his hand crackling with power. With a final thunderous blast, the creatures disintegrated.

  “Combat Test Complete. Performance Rating: C-Rank Combat Level.”

  The entire facility exploded into chaos.

  The officials gathered, murmuring among themselves. Finally, one of them stepped forward.

  “Kale Darven.” The man cleared his throat. “After reviewing your results, we hereby rank you as a C-Rank Slayer.”

  Silence.

  Then, an eruption of disbelief.

  “Impossible! He was F-Rank just two days ago!”

  “There has to be a mistake! You don’t just jump ranks like that!”

  “Did he awaken a hidden power?”

  Kale ignored the chaos, his gaze steady. He had expected this reaction. But he didn’t care.

  He had taken his first real step toward power.

  Elena approached, eyes filled with a mixture of pride and worry. “Well… you did it.”

  Kale smirked. “This is just the beginning.”

  For the first time in his life, he wasn’t the weakest Slayer anymore.

  And the world was about to find out.