"A... A... Adrian Wright... S-Rank Hunter!!!"
The coliseum detonated with cheers and applause.
"An S-Rank?! He really awakened as an S-Rank! No way!"
"Leonard’s bloodline is truly divine!"
The entire coliseum was filled with shock and awe. For the first time in a long time, someone had awakened as an S-Rank.
Cain inhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he watched. He had expected something like this to happen, but seeing it in person was far more upsetting.
Adrian slowly descended, his eyes burning with newfound power. Having awakened as an S-Rank, his body would gradually begin to change, filling with power until he was as strong as a Hunter of that rank.
The transformation wouldn’t happen immediately. But even now, the aura Adrian gave off was enough to make Cain shiver where he stood.
Leonard Wright, now on his feet, strode forward, his presence commanding, his golden cloak billowing behind him. With the pride of a king surveying his heir, Leonard embraced Adrian and gripped him by the shoulders.
"I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me."
Adrian met his gaze, golden eyes gleaming.
"Of course not. I was born for this."
Leonard smiled proudly, and Cain, watching from afar, felt his stomach twist.
His father’s expression, that warmth, he had never seen it directed at him. Not once. And deep down, he doubted he ever would.
Even if he awakened with an S-Rank right now, Leonard Wright would always have a first choice, and it was never going to be him.
Across the coliseum, major guild leaders whispered among themselves, their eyes locked on Adrian like predators eyeing their next investment.
"We need to offer him a position immediately."
"An S-Rank Hunter! This changes everything."
Cain forced down the bitter lump in his throat.
Of course it does.
An S-Rank awakening wasn’t just rare; it was legendary. The rank you awakened with was the rank you were stuck with, and Adrian had just cemented himself at the very top.
The top Hero Guilds recognized this and wanted to secure him before rival guilds could even try. But it was pointless. Everyone knew where Adrian Wright was going.
He would join Aegis, the world-renowned guild led by his father. And when Leonard eventually stepped down, Adrian wouldn’t just be a member of the guild. He would lead it.
The applause was still thunderous when the next name was called.
"Emma Sinclair! Step forward."
A striking girl with silver hair and piercing green eyes strode onto the stage, exuding confidence. She wasn’t just another participant; she was one of the academy’s brightest talents, second only to Adrian in raw potential.
As she placed her hand on the Awakening Pillar, a surge of violet energy erupted around her, swirling like spectral blades.
The system’s voice rang out:
[Awakening Complete.]
"Emma Sinclair, A-Rank."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"An A-Rank!"
Not as rare as an S-Rank, but still a force to be reckoned with.
Guild leaders leaned forward in their seats, eyes gleaming with interest.
Unlike Adrian, whose future was already set in stone, she was a free agent, a prize they could still claim.
She exhaled, then smiled slightly before stepping back with confidence.
The ceremony continued.
"Daryl Henson, B-Rank."
"Sophia Langley, B-Rank."
"Isaac Ford, C-Rank."
...
More names were called.
More students underwent awakenings.
And as their numbers increased, the weight began pressing down on Cain’s chest.
"Theo Hernandez, B-Rank."
"Josh Kallen, B-Rank."
Cain bit his lips on seeing his bullies get good ranks. Any guild in the world would accept them with open arms.
I’m sure they’d be looking to join Aegis to unite with their boyfriends.
Caius thought to himself and continued watching.
Hours had passed, and he hadn’t been called forward yet.
"Don’t tell me... Am I going to be the last student?"
Cain thought to himself.
More names were called, and finally, the announcer said:
"There’s only one student left. After this, the ceremony will come to an end."
Cain gasped, his stomach tightening.
He really was going to be the last.
That wasn’t a good omen.
The first person and the last were always the ones people paid the most attention to.
Now every eye in the coliseum was on him.
If he got a good rank, that would be great. But if he didn’t?
No, no, let’s not think about that.
He shook the thought off his mind.
"Cain Wright. Step forward."
The moment his name left the announcer’s lips, the energy in the coliseum shifted.
The cheers didn’t stop completely, but they faltered, replaced by murmurs.
Even if they didn’t know who Cain was, they recognized his surname and immediately pieced everything together.
This was the infamous son of the strongest Hunter alive.
The blight of the Wright family.
Feeling the pressure, Cain inhaled deeply, then exhaled.
He rose to his feet.
This is it. This is my chance.
His boots echoed across the platform as he stepped toward the Awakening Pillar.
The same pillar Adrian had bathed in celestial light.
He paused for a second, his entire body trembling, then placed his hand against the smooth, ancient surface.
For a brief moment, nothing happened; then a faint glow appeared.
Power surged from the pillar, enveloping him in warm energy.
The world blurred, his mind spiraling into the void of awakening.
Cain’s heart leaped.
He could feel something stirring within him.
A spark, and it continued to swirl with power.
Then, all of a sudden, the light flickered.
The energy vanished, and the coliseum grew deathly quiet.
The voice from the obelisk echoed across the arena.
[Awakening Complete]
"Cain Wright... E-Rank!"
The hall remained silent, then someone laughed out loud.
At first, it was only a few chuckles.
Then more and more voices joined in until the entire coliseum shook with mockery.
"An E-Rank? HAHAHA!"
"Isn’t he the son of Leonard Wright?!"
"Oh man, I thought he’d at least get a B-Rank."
Cain’s fingers twitched at his sides, the laughter digging into his skin like rusted nails.
He couldn’t believe it.
"E-Rank?"
The lowest possible tier, barely above civilians who possessed no abilities at all.
There had only been a handful of E-Rank awakenings in history, and not a single one of them had amounted to anything noteworthy.
A Hunter with an E-Tier ability might as well be a joke.
They were useless in battle. A liability in dungeons.
And he had just awakened as one.
Cain’s throat went dry.
He slowly turned toward his father, desperately searching for something. Anything. A little comfort. But what he saw crushed him.
Leonard wore an expression of disgust. Pure, unfiltered disgust.
Cain could tell.
To Leonard, he was already dead.
He turned toward the crowd, and the looks he saw made him pray for the ground to swallow him. He moved to leave the platform, but a low chuckle suddenly echoed in his head.
His head snapped toward Adrian, eyes wide with shock.
That was 100% Adrian’s voice.
"Feeling proud now."
Cain’s eyes widened further.
Adrian’s mouth hadn’t moved.
So how...
Cain’s breath caught as realization struck him.
Adrian could use telepathy?!
"I told you, fool... This is all you’d ever be. Useless and forever inferior."
As soon as Adrian finished, he turned away without another glance.
With the power of an S-Rank coursing through his veins, Cain was nothing but a bug beneath him.
Cain froze, his entire being recoiling from that single, damning judgment.
He could feel the sting of his own weakness carve into his bones.
He hurried off the platform and rushed out of the coliseum without waiting for the ceremony to end.
He just wanted to escape. To get out before the weight of it all crushed him.
The ceremony continued.
Government representatives delivered speeches about humanity’s bright future. Guilds made their moves, offering contracts to promising A- and B-Rank awakeners. Then the ceremony ended.
On every screen, across every broadcast, the world celebrated the rise of a new legend, Adrian Wright, the golden son, the heir to an S-Class legacy.
No one was talking about the five A-Rank Hunters who had also awakened, a major boon to the country.
His awakening straight-up gobbled up the spotlight, and that was because he was the son of a living legend.
Leonard was praised as the man who had gifted the world another apex hunter.
As for Cain, he didn’t exist. No one dared mention his name in connection with Leonard, as if acknowledging him might offend the great Leonard Wright himself.
Well, almost no one.
An anonymous post surfaced later, dripping with passive-aggressive praise:
"Leonard Wright, the man whose influence births nothing but the rarest Hunters. One with the power of the gods, and another with the weakest ability ever recorded. Truly, both one in a million."