The chill of the stone floor seeped through the thin soles of Han Sen's shoes. He stood in the center of the Awakening Hall, his hands trembling as he looked at the massive black crystal.
The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and the heavy silence of a thousand eyes. Every teenager in the city was here for the same thing: to discover their worth.
"Han Sen, step forward," the Priest commanded.
The Priest did not look at him. His eyes were fixed on a ledger, his voice as flat and uncaring as the stone walls. Han Sen moved toward the altar, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
He placed his palm on the crystal. The surface was freezing, sucking the warmth from his skin. For a moment, the stone remained dark. Then, a dim, muddy grey light flickered deep inside.
A transparent display shimmered in the air above the altar.
[Name: Han Sen]
[Level: 1]
[Potential: Locked]
A single laugh broke the silence, sharp and jagged. It came from Lu Chen, who stood in the front row with his arms crossed. He didn't say a word, but the way he tilted his head and smirked told everyone that Han Sen was less than nothing.
"Level 1," the Priest muttered, finally looking up. His gaze was heavy with disappointment: the kind one might feel for a broken tool. "Move along. You are wasting the time of those who actually have a future."
Han Sen pulled his hand back. He felt as if the ground were opening up to swallow him. He walked past the rows of students, keeping his eyes on the floor.
He could feel the weight of their stares. It wasn't just mockery; it was the cold realization that he was a bottom-feeder in a world of predators. Even Lin Yue, his childhood friend, kept her eyes fixed on her own boots as he passed.
He left the hall and didn't stop walking until the noise of the city faded. He ended up in the outskirts, where the trees grew thick and the light turned green and soft. He sat on a mossy root, his chest tight with a pressure he couldn't vent.
A golden light suddenly flashed in his vision. It was different from the cold, blue light of the appraisal stone. This glow was warm, pulsing with a life of its own.
[Ding! Infinite Skill System Initializing...]
[Scanning Host Parameters...]
[Level: 1 (Growth Forbidden)]
[Compensation Protocol Engaged: Infinite Skill Points Granted.]
Han Sen stared at the floating text. At the bottom of the screen, a golden symbol sat where his skill point count should be: ∞.
He opened his basic skill tab. Everyone had [Basic Strength], but it was usually a useless skill that gave a tiny boost to lifting power. He focused his mind on the skill and poured points into it.
[Ding! 10,000 Skill Points allocated to Basic Strength.]
[Basic Strength has evolved into: Tyrant's Might (Max Level).]
Han Sen didn't feel his muscles grow larger. Instead, a terrifying sense of weightlessness took over his body. He felt as if the gravity of the world no longer applied to him.
He stood up and looked at a thick oak tree beside the stream. He didn't punch it with anger. He just tapped the trunk with a single finger.
There was a strange hiss of displaced air. For a heartbeat, the forest went perfectly silent. Then, the massive tree vanished into a cloud of fine, white sawdust.
There was no crash and no falling branches. The tree simply ceased to exist.
Han Sen looked at his finger, then at his status screen. He still had 10 Health Points. A single arrow could still kill him. But he looked toward the city, his eyes now cold and steady.
The world had locked his level at 1 because it thought he was trash. Now, he would use those infinite points to show them what a mistake they had made.