Note took a deep breath, stepped away from his parents, and began walking toward the massive Awakening Stone.
Every step felt heavy. The grand arena of the Magic Tower was dead silent, with thousands of eyes watching his small back. He walked up the short stone steps until he was standing right in front of the giant crystal.
The Mage looked down at him with a gentle smile.
"Place both hands flat against the stone, child," the old man instructed.
"Do not force it. Let the nature's mana flow into you."
Note nodded. He raised his trembling hands and pressed them flat against the smooth, cold surface of the crystal.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Note closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his ears.
'Please,' Note thought.
'Let me have magic. Let me be strong.'
Suddenly, a warm sensation sparked in his chest. It rushed down his arms and into the stone. The giant crystal began to vibrate. A faint red glow appeared in the very center of the stone, quickly spreading outward. Within a single second, the entire massive crystal turned into a blinding, brilliant shade of crimson.
The crowd erupted into loud cheers.
"Fire Element!" the Saint-rank Mage announced, his voice echoing across the arena.
"A powerful, destructive affinity. Good job, boy."
Note opened his eyes. He was grinning from ear to ear. Fire! He got the Fire element! He could already imagine himself casting massive fireballs and fighting off monsters.
But just as he was about to pull his hands away and run back to his parents, a strange, mechanical chime rang out inside his head.
[Ding!]
A blue holographic screen suddenly appeared in the air right in front of Note's face.
Note gasped, stumbling back a step. The old mage didn't react, and neither did the crowd. Only Note could see the floating blue screen.
This was the 'Status Window'.
Everyone in Astrix knew about it. The moment a person awakened their mana, the World's will is connected with their soul. It was a mysterious force that governed the laws of magic, presenting a person's exact capabilities in a simple, easy-to-read Status Window.
Note eagerly looked at the floating blue screen to see his stats.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Note
Age: 12
Race: Human
Title: [The Fated Villain], [Hated by Heaven], [Cursed by Destiny]
Talent: F+
Rank: Awakened (Initiate)
Affinity: Fire
[ATTRIBUTES]
HP: 15/100
MP: 25/100
Strength: 9/50
Dexterity: 11/50
Endurance: 10/50
Intelligence: 15/50
[SKILL]
1. [None - Locked]
Note's smile completely vanished. His face went pale.
'Talent... F+?'
He stared at the letter, hoping his eyes were playing tricks on him. But the text didn't change. F+ was practically the lowest talent rank a person could possibly get.
In the world of Astrix, power was strictly divided into twelve ranks: 1.Dormant
2.Awakened
3.Expert
4.Master
5.Saint
6.Sovereign
7.Paragon
8.Ascendant
9.Demi-God
10.God
11.Divine
12.Celestial
Normal, powerless people were Dormant. Right now, Note was an Awakened. But a person's Talent grade decided their absolute limit.
With an F+ talent, Note would hit a solid brick wall at the 'Expert' rank. He could train for a hundred years, risk his life in a thousand Dungeons, and drink rivers of expensive potions, but he would never, ever break past the 'Expert' rank. He would never become a 'Master'. He would never become a Saint like the old man standing next to him.
His dream of becoming a powerful hero was completely dead on arrival.
But as Note read further down the screen, his disappointment quickly turned into sheer terror.
He looked at the 'Title' section. Normally, young Awakeners didn't have any titles. Sometimes, a noble child might get a title like [Hard Worker] or [Loved by Mana].
But Note had three titles. And they looked completely bizarre.
He nervously focused his eyes on the first title, opening its description.
[The Fated Villain]
[Description: The strings of fate have marked you as the enemy of the world. You are destined to stand against the light. Heroes will naturally rise to strike you down, and society will instinctively reject your existence. You're Fated to be the Ultimate Villain of the Whole universe.]
Note felt a cold chill run down his spine. 'Enemy of the world? What does that mean? I am not a bad person!'
He quickly opened the second title.
[Hated by Heaven]
[Description: Your very existence angers the natural order of the world. Your natural luck is severely decreased. The world itself will place obstacles in your path.]
He swallowed hard, his hands shaking as he opened the final title.
[Cursed by Destiny]
[Description: Tragedy will follow your footsteps. Peace is an illusion for you. Disaster is drawn to your soul, and those who stand too close to you will eventually be pulled into the abyss.]
Note stopped breathing. He stared at the text, feeling completely paralyzed.
These weren't just bad titles. They were a death sentence. The System was telling him that he was destined to be a villain, that heroes would try to kill him, and that anyone close to him would face tragedy.
'Anyone close to me...' Note thought, his eyes slowly looking over at the crowd.
He saw Clara and Elian standing behind the noble section. Clara was waving at him happily, a proud, beautiful smile on her face. Elian was giving him a thumbs-up. They loved him so much. They gave him everything.
If this Status Window was right, simply being near them would bring disaster to the Vance family.
"Next person!" the announcer shouted, reading from his scroll.
"Elara Dawn!"
The loud voice snapped Note out of his frozen state.
He looked around in panic. Did the Mage know? Could the old man read his titles? Would the city guards arrest him right now for being a 'Fated Villain'?
Note didn't wait to find out.
He turned around and started running.
"Note?" Clara called out, her smile dropping in confusion as her son sprinted past her section.
"Note, where are you going?!"
Note ignored her. He pushed past the legs of the tall nobles, ignoring their angry mutters. He kept his head down and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He burst through the shimmering barrier of the Magic Tower's entrance and ran out into the bright, sunny streets of Vane.
He ran until his lungs burned and his legs ached.
Eventually, he found a secluded, narrow alleyway between two closed shops. It was quiet and shadowed, far away from the massive crowds celebrating the Awakening Ceremony.
There was a broken wooden bench sitting against the stone wall. Note climbed onto the bench and curled into a tight ball. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms.
He tried to hold it back, but he couldn't.
*Sniff...*
A tear rolled down his cheek, soaking into his black suit.
*Sob...* *Sob*
Note started crying. He cried because his dream of being a 'hero' was ruined. He cried because he was terrified of the world suddenly hating him. But most of all, he cried because he felt like a monster. He didn't want to be a villain. He just wanted to be a normal kid.
*Sob...* *Sniff*
He sat in the quiet alleyway for a long time.
"Note!"
A panicked voice broke the silence of the alley.
Note looked up, his eyes red and puffy. Clara and Elian were running down the alleyway. Clara's expensive blue dress was covered in dust from running through the streets, and Elian looked completely breathless.
"Note! Oh, thank the gods!" Clara cried out.
She rushed forward, dropped to her knees right in the dirt, and pulled Note into a tight, desperate hug. She pressed his face against her shoulder, running her hand through his messy black hair.
"Why did you run away?" Clara asked softly, her voice shaking.
"You terrified us, sweetheart."
Elian walked up and knelt beside them. He placed a warm, heavy hand on Note's back. He looked at Note's tear-stained face and sighed softly.
"It is your talent rank, isn't it?" Elian asked gently.
Note sniffled and looked at his father.
"I saw the way you looked at the empty air," Elian explained.
"You were reading your Status Window. You got the Fire element, which is amazing. But you look devastated. Did you get a low talent grade?"
Note bit his lip. He looked at Clara's worried face, then at Elian's comforting eyes.
'I cannot tell them about the titles,' Note realized.
'If I tell them I am cursed by destiny and hated by heaven, they will worry themselves to death. Or worse... they might be afraid of me. I have to keep the titles a secret.'
Note wiped his eyes with his sleeve and nodded slowly.
"Yes," Note lied, his voice cracking.
"I... I got an F+ talent. The interface says my absolute limit is the 'Expert' rank. I can never be a Saint. I can never be a hero."
Elian smiled warmly. He leaned forward and ruffled Note's hair.
"Is that all?" Elian asked with a soft laugh.
Note blinked in confusion.
"Is that all? Father, it means I am weak."
"Note, listen to me," Elian said, his voice firm but kind.
"You are Note Vance. You are the heir to the largest merchant guild in the Central Continent. You do not need to be a Saint-rank mage fighting monsters in Dungeons. You can hire a dozen Saint-rank mages to fight for you!"
Clara pulled back and wiped the tears from Note's cheeks.
"Your father is right," Clara smiled.
"We do not care about your rank, Note. We just want you to be safe and happy. Besides, an Expert rank Fire mage is still incredibly impressive. You can use your fire to warm my tea when it gets cold!"
Note stared at his mother. A small, bubbly laugh escaped his lips.
"Heheh..."
"I am not a walking tea-warmer, mother," Note protested, a tiny smile finally breaking through his sadness.
"Oh, you definitely are," Clara teased, poking him in the stomach.
"Hahehehhe..."
Note laughed out loud, leaning into his parents. Their warmth made the terrifying titles in his interface feel a little less scary. Even if the whole world became his enemy, he knew his parents would never turn their backs on him.
Elian stood up and offered his hand to Clara, pulling her to her feet.
"Come on," Elian said.
"Let's get out of the city for a few days. The Awakening Ceremony always makes the capital too noisy anyway."
"That is a wonderful idea," Clara agreed. She looked down at Note.
"How about we go to the countryside and visit your Grandma's house? A change of scenery will be nice for you. You can show her your new Fire magic."
Note nodded quickly.
"Okay. I want to see Grandma."
"Then it is settled," Elian smiled.
The family walked out of the dark alley together. They found their carriage waiting on the main street. Note climbed inside, sitting between his parents. As the horses began to trot forward, leaving the massive shadow of the Magic Tower behind them, Note looked out the window.
His journey as an Awakener had officially begun. He had a terrible talent and horrifying titles, but as the carriage rolled toward the peaceful countryside, Note made a silent promise to himself.
'I do not care what the interface says,' Note thought, his amber eyes glowing with determination.
'I will never become a villain. And I will protect my family, no matter what it takes.'