NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3: Pathetic
[Ability Acquired: Celestial Might (S-Rank)]
The coliseum detonated with noises and applause.
"An S-Rank?! No way!"
"Adrian Wright—he's a born legend!"
"Leonard's bloodline is truly divine!"
Cain inhaled sharply, jaw tightening.
He had expected it, but seeing it was something else.
Adrian slowly descended, his eyes burning with newfound power.
Leonard strode forward, his presence commanding, his dark cloak billowing behind him. He didn't hesitate—didn't falter.
With the pride of a king surveying his heir, Leonard embraced Adrian, gripping him by the shoulders.
"You are the future of the Wright legacy," he said, his voice deep, unwavering.
This, his lips curled into a rare smile, his usual stoic expression melting into something far softer. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."
Adrian met his gaze, golden eyes gleaming.
"Of course not," he replied, his voice smooth, confident. "I was born for this."
Cain, watching, 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 as an S-rank, 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 one you were stuck with, and Adrian had just cemented himself at the very top.
The top Hero Guilds recognized this.
They wanted to secure him before rival guilds could even try.
But it was pointless.
Everyone knew where Adrian Wright was going.
He would join Titan's Valor, the world-renowned S-Rank guild led by his father.
And when Leonard eventually stepped down, Adrian wouldn't just be in 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. Ability Acquired: Phantom Blades (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 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 – Flame Burst (B-Rank).
Sophia Langley – Crystal Armor (B-Rank).
Isaac Ford – Beast Instinct (C-Rank).
...
More names. More awakenings.
Hundreds.
Each one another weight pressing down on Cain's chest.
Hours passed, and then—only one name remained.
His.
Cain's stomach twisted as realization set in.
Dead last.
Fate, you've gotta be kidding me.
That wasn't a good omen.
Now, every eye in the coliseum turned to him.
A voice rang out, firm and unyielding.
"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.
Cain inhaled and then exhaled.
This is it. This is my chance.
His boots echoed against the cold platform as he stepped onto the Awakening Pillar.
The same pillar Adrian had just bathed in celestial light.
His fingers trembled as he placed his hand against the smooth, ancient surface.
Silence.
Then—a faint glow.
Cain's heart leaped.
Power surged from the pillar, enveloping him in warm energy.
The world blurred, his mind spiraling into the void of awakening.
He felt something stirring within him.
A spark.
Then...
The light flickered.
The energy vanished.
The coliseum grew deathly quiet.
A single system notification echoed across the airwaves:
[Awakening Complete]
[Ability Acquired: Low-Tier Support (Rank-E)]
A pause.
Then, the laughter started.
At first, it was just a few chuckles.
Then, more and more joined in, until the entire coliseum shook with mockery.
"Low-tier?"
"An E-rank? HAHAHA!"
"This is the son of Leonard Wright?!"
"Oh man, I almost thought he'd at least get a B-Rank."
Cain's fingers twitched at his sides.
The laughter dug into his skin like rusted nails.
An E-Rank.
The lowest possible tier, barely above civilians who had no abilities at all.
There had only been a handful of E-Rank awakenings in history, and every single one of them had amounted to nothing.
A Hunter with an E-Rank ability might as well be a joke. Useless in battle. A liability in dungeons.
Cain's throat went dry.
He turned toward his father, desperately searching for something—anything.
But what he saw crushed him.
Disgust.
Pure, unfiltered disgust.
Leonard Wright, the legendary S-Class hero, was staring at him with an expression colder than death itself.
Then, without a word, he turned away.
Cain could tell.
To Leonard, he was dead—nothing more than a disappointment, a stain on the Wright name.
A system prompt materialized before Cain's eyes, revealing the details of his ability.
[Ability: Low-Tier Support]
- Effect: Slightly increases stamina recovery for nearby allies (2% per hour).
- Limitations: Cannot be self-applied. Does not stack. Ineffective in combat situations.
Useless. Completely and utterly useless.
Cain's fists clenched so tightly they ached.
His vision blurred, the voices blending together into a cruel, endless chorus of mockery.
Adrian rose to his feet, arms crossed, that ever-present smirk playing at his lips.
Then—Cain heard it.
A chuckle. Low. Amused.
But it hadn't come from Adrian's lips.
Cain's breath caught as realization hit him.
Telepathy?
His head snapped toward Adrian, eyes wide.
And then, with effortless cruelty, Adrian spoke a single word into his mind.
"Pathetic."
Cain's world cracked.
A fresh wave of humiliation crashed over him, and then—like a knife to the gut—yesterday's words came rushing back.
Burn this feeling into your soul, Cain. The helplessness. The humiliation. The pathetic feeling Because tomorrow, when you awaken a worthless rank, you'll realize—this is all you'll ever be.
Cain's body tensed, his entire being recoiling from that single, damning judgment.
Adrian turned away without another glance.
With the divine power flowing through his veins, Cain was no more significant than a bug.
Something beneath notice.
Cain clenched his fists, feeling the sting of his own uselessness carve into his bones.
His vision blurred from the rage, humiliation, and the sheer unfairness of it all
And then, he walked.
Not with defiance.
Not with dignity—just to escape.
To get out before the weight of it all crushed him.
The quiet, empty steps of someone who had nothing left to hold on to.
The ceremony continued with Government representatives giving speeches about the bright future of humanity.
Guilds made their moves, offering contracts to promising A and B-Rank awakeners.
Then it ended an hour later.
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.
Leonard, standing beside him, was praised as the man who had gifted the world another apex hunter.
Cain?
He didn't exist.
No one dared mention his name in connection to Leonard.
No guilds, no recruiters, no whispers of potential. Just silence.
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."