After their intense gaming match, Leo leaned back, trying to catch his breath. The room was messy, cluttered with old snacks, tangled wires, and the flickering console screen—but it felt comfortable.
Leo glanced at Kael. "What are your skills? It's okay if you can't tell me… confidential and all."
Kael grinned. "I'd say my skills are A-rank. Definitely above average."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "A-rank… huh."
Then he shook his head, a small sigh escaping him. After all, he hadn't awakened yet.
As the excitement of the game faded, Leo glanced at Kael again. "By the way… where are your parents? Why are you the only one here?"
Kael shrugged casually. "They're working for the government. Really busy. That's why you're here instead of back home."
Leo nodded quietly. He didn't push further.
When he finally left Kael's house, he took a moment to look around. It was a simple one-story home—not rich, not poor—just enough. Yet, something was strange. A faint, swirling presence of mana lingered in the air, almost invisible, weaving softly around the walls and corners of Kael's house. Leo blinked but didn't mention it.
Outside, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, painting the streets in a warm, golden light.
The walk back toward the Academy's vicinity would take about an hour. Kael's house was southwest of the Academy, and Leo would walk alone for the first thirty minutes.
As he moved along the quiet streets, Leo's mind wandered—and worries surfaced. Thoughts of his mother gnawed at him. She had been ill for some time, and he needed at least 100 USD to buy the medicine she needed. But he didn't have it.
And now… after failing the Awakening, his confidence was shaken. Everyone else had power. Everyone else had awakened… and he hadn't.
He let out a heavy sigh, his bag weighing on his shoulder—not just from books, but from the weight of responsibility and uncertainty. The world was harsh. Life was harsh. And now… he didn't even know if he could do anything to help.
Leo's footsteps echoed faintly against the cobblestone streets. He felt lost, confused, and frustrated.
Then… a strange sensation prickled at the back of his mind. A faint, uneasy current—different from mana, different from anything he had felt before—whispered at him. Danger. Something was coming.
Leo froze, his heart skipping a beat. He scanned the street ahead, his instincts screaming that something wasn't right.
Suddenly, a commotion caught his attention. People were running—panicked, shouting, fleeing down the street.
As he peered closer, his eyes widened. Among the chaos, he saw it: a big rat—
7 feet tall, massive, teeth bared, eyes glinting with hunger.
He recognized it immediately from the books. A Level 2 Boss monster. Strong. Dangerous. Not something you could kill with normal weapons.
Leo's chest tightened. He was still unawakened. He had no active mana, no special skills to rely on.
His mind raced. Attack? Run? Hesitate? Every instinct screamed that fighting was impossible.
The monster's eyes locked on him. It let out a sharp squeal and advanced.
Leo's hands shook slightly, gripping his bag. The weight of being unawakened, of being left behind, hit him fully.
Without thinking, he turned and started running, dodging through the chaos of panicked civilians. His legs pumped hard, his breath sharp in his chest, and the faint current stirred again—quietly, almost like it was watching him flee.
The monster's squeals and the sounds of panic echoed behind him as he raced down the streets, desperate to put distance between himself and a danger he wasn't ready to face.
And that's where the chapter ends—Leo, unawakened, running for his life from a Level 2 Boss monster, the world around him chaotic and unforgiving.