F-rank. The worst rank, barely above that of an ordinary civilian. Evan’s stomach sank as the implications settled in. Most F-rank Awakeners never became professionals. At best, they followed licensed Awakeners into Rifts as Harvesters, cleaning up after battles rather than fighting them. Many simply abandoned the profession altogether. And now he was one of them. How?
Sure, he was physically weak and had no combat experience, but this assessment only measured mana capacity and output. Actual combat ability would be evaluated later during the licensing exam, after he completed basic training. After managing to cast spells with magic crystals, he had expected at least D-rank, or E-rank if he was particularly unlucky. But F-rank? How could his mana capacity possibly be that low?
[(σ≧▽≦)σ]
Seeing the System's comment, he desperately wanted to punch it in the face... if it had one. It was definitely the System's fault, along with that stupid curse.
"Evan," Reid said, placing a hand on his trembling shoulder. "It's okay. F-rank isn't that bad."
"Oh, it is," the Assessment Specialist said, adjusting his glasses with a finger. "Personally, I would recommend that Evan not pursue the path of an Awakener. He should just give up. Complete the mandatory training, then focus on his civilian studies instead of taking the licensing exam. With you being an A-rank Awakener, there is no need for him to follow in your footsteps."
Reid shot the man a cold look. "Thank you for your input, but we'll be leaving."
He helped Evan to his feet and led him out of the assessment room. Standing outside beneath the evening sun, Reid rested a hand on Evan's back and lowered himself slightly to look at his younger brother. Evan kept his head down, his bangs hiding his eyes.
"Evan..." Reid said.
"AAAAAARGH! That stupid four-eyes! I want to break his nose!" Evan yelled, raising both fists toward the sky. "'Just give up.' What a load of crap! How about he gives up on that receding hairline and just goes bald already!"
Reid blinked.
"No... no, maybe I should help him out. I'll pluck out every last one of his shedding hairs. Let's see how he likes that. Yeah... yeah... that's a great idea. Or maybe I should pour bleach on his head."
"Calm down," Reid said, patting him on the head and snapping him out of his increasingly murderous muttering.
Evan looked up, his face flushing as he realized Reid had overheard him planning several crimes.
"You seem to be taking this better than I expected."
"What? Being F-rank? I was already sort of expecting it," Evan replied. "I'm more annoyed that the guy was so smug. How does someone with that attitude keep his job? Doesn't he know an aspiring Awakener's heart is as fragile as a maiden's? Maybe I should write a complaint letter... no, I'll upload a video to ClipTok. I'll make it a thirty-part exposé. 'Assessment Specialist Ruined My Life: Part 1.' Yeah, public shaming would be far more effective than a complaint letter. Those government dogs would probably just protect one of their own."
"Alright, let's get some dinner first," Reid said as he steered Evan toward the parking lot while Evan continued muttering about increasingly elaborate ways to get revenge on the Assessment Specialist.
They ended up at a cozy, family-run Indian restaurant tucked between a convenience store and a tailor shop. Reid ordered butter chicken with garlic naan, while Evan went for chicken biryani with a side of crispy vegetable samosas. The delicious food lifted Evan’s mood enough to quiet his dark mutterings for a while.
After finishing their meal, they still had some time before visiting hours ended, so Evan suggested stopping by the hospital to check on Marcus and his cousin. The kid was awake and talking with Marcus when they arrived. Unlike the scared, pale-faced boy he had met back at the Rift, Tyler now looked noticeably healthier, a warm flush in his cheeks and a more relaxed, open expression despite the bandages wrapped around his body. Evan opened Tyler’s status window.
[Name: Tyler Reed]
[Age: 10 years old]
[Status: Awakened]
[Rank: C]
[Title: -]
Evan squinted, wondering whether Tyler hadn't been cursed like he had, or if his You're Not Supposed To See This ability simply wasn't high enough yet to reveal hidden statuses. Glancing at Reid, he noticed a slight frown on his brother's face.
"Hey, Evan! You look much better than yesterday!" Marcus said, waving. "I heard you got discharged this morning."
"Yeah. My brother treated me," Evan replied. "I figured you might want him to tend to your cousin too."
"Is that okay?"
Most civilians had to rely on doctors and weeks of recovery. Receiving treatment from an A-rank Healer was a luxury few could ever hope to receive.
"Of course," Reid said.
He walked over to Tyler and held out a hand. The young boy looked up, then glanced at Marcus. After Marcus gave an eager nod, Tyler placed his hand into Reid's broad palm.
"It won't hurt at all," Reid assured him before channeling Sacred Light through Tyler's body, mending his injuries.
Evan crossed his arms, wondering whether Reid had discovered Tyler's curse. Several seconds later, the golden light faded, leaving Tyler sitting there looking as good as new.
"How do you feel?" Reid asked.
"I'm all better!" Tyler said with a toothy grin.
"That's good." Reid ruffled the boy's hair. "I've healed your cousin, but you should still have a doctor examine him just to be safe."
"Thank you!" Marcus said.
Although Reid smiled back, Evan didn't miss the brief frown that crossed his brother's face. It seemed Tyler had been cursed just like Evan. Ryusei really wanted to keep everything buried. Reid knew how to deal with curses, but this one seemed beyond anything he could simply undo on the spot. Otherwise, Tyler would've reacted very differently after being healed. After chatting with Marcus a little longer, Evan and Reid excused themselves and headed home.
Just as Evan was about to go to his room to take a shower, Reid unexpectedly spoke. "Evan, what do you think about coming with me to District 1?"
Evan froze.
"Now that you're a registered Awakener, you'll have to complete your mandatory training. You could attend Central Awakener Academy with me."
"Yeah, but I figured I'd just take the part-time program while staying at my current school," Evan replied. "I mean, that guy had a point about me not following in your footsteps. I should probably focus on my studies instead of going all in on becoming an Awakener. So why do you want me to move to District 1? There's an Awakener academy here in District 20 too."
He almost laughed at the thought of joining Reid. Central Awakener Academy was hardly the sort of place an F-rank Awakener belonged. "And have you forgotten how expensive everything is in District 1? I know your tuition is covered by a government scholarship, but I definitely won't get one. Then there's the cost of living."
"I've saved enough money, and if it isn't enough, I can complete the Basic Healer Training so I can start accepting patients," Reid replied.
"And what about my school? I still haven't graduated. Do you want me to leave everything behind? For what?"
Reid pursed his lips. "I know it sounds unreasonable, but... it would ease my mind if you stayed close to me for now."
Seeing the tension on Reid’s face, Evan understood. His recent kidnapping, coupled with the revelation that an S-rank Awakener suspected of practicing Demonic Arts had become involved with him, had put Reid on high alert. If someone like that had managed to infiltrate society, who was to say the government hadn’t been compromised as well? Then there was Tyler’s curse.
It wasn’t as though Evan was particularly attached to his school. Honestly, he wouldn’t have minded skipping classes altogether. The real problem was that Reid wanted him to enroll at Central Awakener Academy and move to District 1.
Every instinct he had as a reader was screaming at him. That place sounded exactly like the kind of setting where the main plot would kick off, with all the important characters gathered in one place and trouble lurking around every corner. It reminded him of those transmigration novels where the protagonist starts out as some insignificant minor noble before inevitably making his way to the capital. First, he’d accidentally bump into a princess, then offend some arrogant young master, stumble upon a hidden imperial conspiracy, get kidnapped once or twice, and somehow end up saving the entire empire.
Yeah... no thanks. If he had any say in the matter, Evan would have postponed his trip to District 1 for as long as possible. But judging by Reid’s resolute expression, his brother had no intention of letting the matter drop.
"Let me think about it first," Evan said.
"I'm really sorry, Evan. I know I can be overbearing sometimes," Reid said.
"No, it's my fault too. I did make you worry by getting kidnapped."
With that, Evan excused himself and enjoyed a well-deserved hot bath. After changing into his pajamas, he glanced at the stack of textbooks on his desk. Was there even any point in doing his homework and keeping up with his classes now that there was a good chance he'd be enrolling in an Awakener academy as a full-time student? He threw himself onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow. He wondered if there was any point in struggling against this.
"What do you think, System?" Evan asked.
[New Quest!]
[Objective: Enroll in Central Awakener Academy as a full-time student]
[Time Limit: 14 days]
[Reward: ■■■■■■]
"Yeah, figures," he muttered, not even the slightest bit surprised. There was no way the System would pass up the chance to make his life even more difficult. It was probably laughing at his suffering right now.
[(￣▽￣)]
He raised his middle finger at the System window.
Present Evan officially resigns. Future Evan can handle it, he thought before drifting off to sleep.
***
When Evan woke the following morning, he felt much calmer than he had expected. Maybe a good night's sleep really could fix almost anything. Stepping out of his room, he found Reid in the entryway lacing up his running shoes.
"Evan, it’s rare for you to wake up this early," Reid said. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"No, I slept well," Evan replied. "Are you heading out for a jog?"
"Yeah, do you want to join?"
Evan considered it for a moment and nodded. He returned to his room, changed into running clothes, slipped on his sneakers, and joined Reid outside a moment later. A cool breeze brushed past them as they set off, the streets of the District only just beginning to wake. They kept a steady pace as they moved through the residential blocks, the streets still mostly deserted around them. They eventually turned into a nearby park, where the path curved between rows of trees and wide stretches of grass. The air here felt fresher, carrying the faint scent of dew and soil.
"Back in District 1, I usually jog around the Central Awakener Academy track," Reid said. "It's pretty big, but I sometimes run outside too. That District never really slows down, unlike here. Even at this hour, there are still plenty of people out and about."
"You like it there?" Evan asked.
"Not too bad, I suppose, but I prefer it here since you are here."
Evan rolled his eyes at that. "And now you are trying to get me to live in District 1."
"I know you must hate it since I am basically ripping you away from your friends and familiar places, but it would really be safer if you stayed close to me. I can't exactly commute from District 1 to 20 often. If something like that happens again, I wouldn't be able to protect you in time."
Looking up at the morning sky, with its soft mix of dark blue and orange, Evan wondered why the world had to be so cheerful and nice when he was possibly making his worst decision to date after getting transmigrated. Not that he had much choice, but still...
"So what other great things are there in District 1?" Evan asked.
Reid’s eyes sparkled at the question. "Well, there is this new chicken sandwich chain that is popping off. They are pretty new, so it might take several years for them to arrive in District 20, but I think you will like them. Ah, Nova Dome is also relatively close. We might even visit it."
"And watch what? Since when are you into idol groups and music?"
"Who knows? It seems pretty popular with young people, and you were the one who told me I should try new things," Reid replied. "I also heard a popular idol group is performing... Stellaris, was it?"
Evan shook his head. He couldn't imagine someone like Reid becoming an idol fan. The morning sun climbed higher as they ran. Watching Reid's animated, cheerful expression, Evan figured that even if things did go to shit, his brother, an overpowered protagonist, should be able to handle everything. Yeah. Best not to overthink it.