CH.2

Ain was beginning to understand just how broken the system was. The potential of Construct Arsenal was insane. If he could understand anything thoroughly, he could recreate it and store it. This meant that, as long as he had the knowledge, he could have an entire armory or even recreate complicated machinery.

"Wait... if I study something like a spaceship, could I reconstruct that too?" Ain mused aloud, his mind running wild with possibilities. "I really could become unstoppable with this."

But before he could let his imagination run too far, he shook his head. "Alright, first things first. I need to awaken my Attribute Talent today. No point dreaming about spaceships when I can't even punch properly."

As the awakening ceremony loomed, Ain realized it was his first real test in this new world. His previous body had no outstanding traits except for his overwhelming charm, but he needed more than that to survive in a world filled with powerful beings.

After breakfast, Ain dressed and left the house, heading to the awakening center. The streets of Helical City were bustling, with people excitedly discussing the upcoming ceremony. Everyone anticipated seeing who would awaken powerful talents, especially from the younger generation.

As Ain made his way, he noticed that people stared at him, particularly the girls, who couldn't seem to take their eyes off him.

"Ugh, right… the charm," Ain muttered under his breath, pulling his hood up to shield his face. He quickened his pace.

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In the Auditorium of Windscepe High School, third-year students sat in their seats, waiting for the awakening ceremony to begin. Their faces—those of 18-year-olds on the cusp of adulthood—were filled with nervousness, anticipation, and excitement.

It didn't take long for the wait to end as an old man with white hair stepped onto the podium. He was the principal of Windscepe High School. Behind him stood a group of teachers, watching the students with expectant eyes.

"Students," the principal began in a clear, authoritative voice, "today is the day of your awakening. I hope that after this, all of you will be able to enter the Awakened Beings University, become strong, and contribute to our nation."

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle over the audience. "Now, you will be called in order based on the results of your written exams. First up is Andreas Virla from third-year class A."

"Yes!" Andreas responded quickly, his voice strong and confident. He walked up to the podium, all eyes following him as the first student to undergo the ceremony.

He moved toward the Awakening Platform, where a round crystal was placed at its center. Beneath the crystal, wires connected it to a large screen overhead. Andreas took a deep breath and placed his hand on the Awakening Crystal, closing his eyes as if trying to sense something.

The once colorless crystal suddenly emitted a bright light. After about five seconds, the light faded, leaving behind a faint Wind Stigma with two dots of light under the pattern. This indicated that Andreas had successfully awakened with a Wind Talent.

The screen above the platform flashed with his information:

[Name: Andreas Virla

Awakened Attribute: Wind

Potential: ⭐⭐]

Seeing the result, Andreas let out a sigh of relief. His awakening wasn't extraordinary, but it wasn't disappointing either.

In this world, awakened attributes were divided into three categories.

The first category was called the Common Awakeners, who usually awakened nature-based attributes like wind, fire, water, and the like. These were the most frequent and widely understood abilities.

The second category, Rare Awakeners, emerged with mixed attributes, where two natural elements would combine to form new powers, such as Ice from the combination of water and wind or Mud from water and earth.

The final category was known as Unique Awakeners. These individuals didn't awaken any elemental attributes. Instead, their abilities were one of a kind—so unique, in fact, that no other person could have the same power unless the original holder died.

Yet, awakening a unique attribute was like rolling dice with fate. While some people received extraordinary abilities, 90% of those who awakened unique attributes ended up with powers so useless they were virtually untrainable.

However, there was one advantage Unique Awakeners had over everyone else: they could learn any elemental technique, regardless of their awakening. The downside? The effects were much weaker than those of the elemental specialists. For example, a fire awakener could conjure fireballs the size of basketballs, but a Unique Awakener could only produce fireballs the size of tennis balls, even with the same technique.

Despite this, Unique Awakeners had a significant drawback—their growth and learning rates were ten times slower than those of Common and Rare Awakeners. Most who received a unique attribute gave up on the dream of becoming an awakened fighter, opting instead to become scientists or engineers to advance technology in the Human Federation.

The principal nodded to Andreas and gestured for him to step down, signaling for the next student to take the stage.

As the ceremony continued, excitement buzzed through the students. Most watched the platform eagerly, but there was a notable distraction.

While many kept their eyes fixed on the Awakening Platform, some—mainly the female students—stole glances toward the back of the auditorium.

It was hard not to notice. Sitting quietly at the back, there was a man with long, light-blue hair and an astonishingly handsome face. His features were perfectly balanced, making him stand out even among the hundreds of students. He had a slender figure and exuded a calm, gentle aura, like the older brother everyone wished they had. Any boy sitting near him instantly paled in comparison.

He was, without a doubt, the most handsome student at Windscepe High School. Girls crushed on him endlessly, sending him love letters daily over the past three years. Many envied his looks and the constant attention he received.

This man was none other than Ain Richter.

Ain, widely known as the "charming prince" with a cold demeanor, was now exuding an uncharacteristically warm aura. The girls noticed the difference, but they didn't seem to mind; it only made him more appealing.

Meanwhile, Ain, who had become the object of their attention, groaned inwardly.

'Ugh... I never thought being in this body would feel this overwhelming,' he thought, sighing to himself.

Since arriving at school, Ain had been trying to figure out how to act. In the end, he'd decided to go with the flow and be himself—or rather, the version of himself that fit this new world. But somehow, it had backfired spectacularly. The new Ain wasn't used to this kind of attention, and despite the calm expression on his face, he was a bundle of nerves.

Time passed, and the ceremony continued. Finally, Ain heard his name called.

"Third-year, Class B. Ain Richter," the principal announced.

The moment Ain's name was spoken, the entire auditorium shifted. Everyone, from teachers to students, turned to look at him. The teachers' faces were full of pride and expectation, while the students' expressions were mixed—boys filled with envy and jealousy, girls with admiration and curiosity.

Under the weight of their stares, Ain stood and made his way to the Awakening Platform.

On the platform, Ain's gaze fell on the crystal ball. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on it.

Suddenly, the crystal emitted a blinding light, so intense that many had to look away. Ain felt a surge of energy course through his body—warm, powerful, and completely foreign. For a moment, time seemed to stretch, though the entire process only lasted a few seconds.

Then, Ain felt something awaken deep within him. A strange, new power was coming to life.

Just as he began to sense this new energy, the system's voice rang in his mind, and his two system-granted abilities activated.

The moment they activated, Ain felt his mind break free of an invisible shackle. His thoughts became sharper, faster—almost frighteningly so. He stood frozen in place, eyes closed, trying to understand what had just happened.

Meanwhile, everyone else turned their attention to the screen above the platform. When Ain's status appeared, the entire auditorium fell silent in shock.

[Name: Ain Richter

Awakened Attribute: Unknown (Unique)

Potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]

"A full 5-star potential!" someone exclaimed, breaking the silence. "That's the highest possible potential in the Awakening Stage!"

Excitement spread among the teachers and the principal. Five-star potential was a monumental achievement—something rarely seen.

The students were awestruck. Some were impressed; others were envious.

"Damn! So high!"

"He maxed out potential values in one go!"

Among the human population, only a handful of people in history had ever awakened with 5-star potential. Those that did often became key figures within the Human Federation.

Potential was ranked on a 5-star scale, where 1 star represented average talent, and 5 stars signified a monstrous level of genius. A 5-star Awakened could progress ten times faster than a 1-star. It was an astronomical difference.

However, the excitement quickly died down when they saw Ain's attribute: Unique. The initial hype was tempered with a dose of reality.

Unique attributes were a double-edged sword. Although Ain had 5-star potential, his progress would still be slowed due to the nature of his unique attribute, which hindered growth by tenfold. The two effects essentially canceled each other out, leaving Ain's growth rate more like that of a 1-star talent.

The realization made many students sigh with relief.

'At least it's balanced,' thought some of the envious boys.

As Ain opened his eyes, he quickly summoned the system's status window to check his newly awakened ability. The symbol on the crystal ball had confused him—he had never seen anything like it before.

The dark purple stigma on the crystal seemed to resemble... a head?

[Name: Ain Richter

Awakened Attribute: [Characteristic of Ant]

Skills: [Extreme Computing Power: Lösen Algorithm], [Construct Arsenal]

Companion Beasts: None

Combat Strength: Entry - Beginner]

Seeing his awakened attribute, Ain broke out into a cold sweat.

"You've got to be kidding me..."