When the Global Speed Ranking Event was announced, the entire academy went crazy.
Only the fastest players could qualify.
And at the top of the leaderboard stood:
Blaze Hunter — Rank #1.
An SSS-Speed Talent holder.
Arrogant. Untouchable. Unbeatable.
And at the very bottom?
Ethan Cole — Level 1.
No talent.
No sponsors.
No support.
Just determination.
The students laughed when Ethan registered for the Speed Trial.
"You?" Blaze smirked. "You can't even clear Level 2."
Ethan said nothing.
Because only he could see the blue screen floating before his eyes.
🔔 Hidden System Activated
Skill: Steady Growth
Effect: +1 permanent speed after every completed lap
Condition: Never stop running.
It wasn't flashy.
It wasn't explosive.
But it stacked.
The race began.
Blaze exploded forward like lightning.
The crowd roared.
Ethan started slow.
Very slow.
"Embarrassing," someone whispered.
But he kept moving.
Lap after lap.
+1 Speed
+1 Speed
+1 Speed
Blaze glanced back and laughed.
"He's still crawling."
Halfway through the trial, Blaze slowed down, confident in his massive lead.
"What's the point of trying?" he mocked.
Ethan didn't reply.
He just kept running.
Breathing steady.
Eyes forward.
No stopping.
Final lap.
Blaze felt something strange.
Footsteps.
Behind him.
He turned.
Ethan was there.
Not explosive.
Not flashy.
But relentless.
+1 Speed
+1 Speed
+1 Speed
Blaze panicked and sprinted.
But Ethan's growth had stacked too high.
Step by step.
He closed the gap.
And in the final seconds—
Ethan crossed the finish line first.
Silence fell over the stadium.
Blaze stared in disbelief.
"How…?"
Ethan wiped the sweat from his face.
"I never stopped."
That day, the academy learned something.
Raw talent shines fast.
But consistency builds monsters.
And sometimes…
The slowest start creates the strongest finish.