[Congratulations! You have received: C-Rank Talent - "Fire Mage"]
"Fire mage?" Marcus whispered, the words barely audible as crimson flames danced across his skin without burning him.
The girl stared in shock. "You got a C-Rank talent?" Her voice rose, drawing more attention to them.
The color surrounding Marcus told her his talent. Every awakener knew the spectrum. Brilliant gold for S-Rank, silver for A-Rank, blue for B-Rank, red for C-Rank, green for D-Rank. For women, C-Rank was respectable but unremarkable.
For men? It was practically unheard of.
The crimson aura pulsing around Marcus's body might as well have been a beacon. Heads turned throughout the plaza. Even the attendants dealing with the rejected boy paused to stare.
"How is that possible?" someone whispered.
"A male fire mage?" another voice questioned.
Marcus flexed his fingers experimentally, watching tiny flames dance between them. The magic responded to his thoughts, growing and shrinking with his focus.
It felt... right.
Natural.
As if he'd been doing this his entire life.
In the distance, Jasmine stood frozen, mouth hanging open. Beside her, Liana nudged her sharply, but Jasmine couldn't seem to close her jaw.
Elara and Kayla stood in the crowd, their expressions that of shock. Elara looked thunderstruck, just like Kayla's.
"Impossible, he actually awakened a C-rank talent at the age of seventeen," Kayla said, her voice tight with disbelief.
The murmuring grew louder.
"When was the last time a male scored above E-Rank?"
"I've never seen it in my lifetime..."
Marcus stood awkwardly in the center of attention, unsure what to do with his hands or his newfound talent. The flames danced between his fingers, responding to his nervousness by flickering erratically.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the other side of the plaza.
"A-Rank talent!"
"It's really an A-Rank talent!"
Like a school of fish changing direction, the crowd's attention pivoted away from Marcus toward a tall, fit woman enveloped in brilliant silver light. The aura around her pulsed with power, causing the very air to shimmer.
"Isn't that Lady Athena, daughter of the marchioness?"
"It is! I heard she inherited the Super Strength talent from her mother."
"Wow. She'll definitely be chosen to enter the Empress Academy."
The silver-haired Empress on the platform straightened slightly, her bored expression briefly interrupted by something resembling approval. A-Rank talents were the second-highest tier—true elites destined for greatness.
Athena, feeling the Empress's gaze, executed a perfect aristocratic bow, one arm across her chest, head lowered just enough to show respect without subservience. Her silver aura continued to pulse magnificently.
Marcus released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The sudden shift of attention was both relief and—strangely—disappointment. For a brief moment, he'd been the center of this world's focus.
"Don't think this changes anything," Jasmine hissed, having finally pushed through the crowd to reach him. "C-Rank or not, you will still be weaker than me."
Indeed, though most attention had shifted to Athena, more than a few curious gazes remained fixed on Marcus.
"What happens now?" Marcus asked Jasmine.
"Now? Now everything changes."
Before she could elaborate, a sharp crack echoed across the plaza. The massive crystal at the center suddenly erupted in blinding light, before a shimmering border manifested around the platform, enclosing all the awakeners inside.
"Let the game begin!" the announcer declared with unexpected enthusiasm.
"H-Huh?" Marcus stuttered.
Without warning, the newly awakened talents turned on each other, their powers flaring to life.
"W-What the—" Marcus barely dodged a fireball that seemed eerily similar to what he could now produce.
"Hurry up, idiot. Stay next to me, I'll protect you," Jasmine commanded, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her. Her aura—a brilliant blue indicating B-Rank—flared to life around her.
Marcus glanced at her with suspicion. 'Does this girl hate me or what?'
"What if someone gets killed by accident?" he asked, eyeing the chaos unfolding around them.
Jasmine rolled her eyes so dramatically that it was a wonder they didn't fall out of her head. "Idiot. No one dies on this border. Once your health reaches a critical point, a bubble forms around you and teleports you out."
She deflected an incoming attack with ease, her talent, whatever it was, forming a shield of blue energy.
"Why are you asking so many questions? This is common knowledge." She turned to glare at him. "Are you doing this to annoy me? I won't protect you anymore."
"No, no. I'm sorry," he quickly responded, mentally kicking himself. Of course, this world's Marcus would know the ceremony's details.
'The novel never mentioned this part,' he thought frantically, watching teenagers blast each other with elemental powers.
A scoreboard materialised in the air above them, ranking participants by their performance. Athena's name sat at the top, her A-Rank talent already having eliminated three competitors.
"Listen," Jasmine hissed, deflecting another attack. "You need to show what you can do. After your awakening, everyone's watching. If you don't fight, you won't get anywhere. I protected you at the beginning because it's the most dangerous part, but now you should get going."
"But I don't know how to—"
"Figure it out!" She shoved him forward just as another fire mage approached. "Your power responds to your will. Just focus!"
The approaching fire mage—a girl with short red hair—smirked at the sight of Marcus. "Heard there was a male with fire talent. Should be easy points."
She launched a fireball twice the size of Marcus's head directly at him.
Time seemed to slow down. Marcus felt heat building in his core, responding to the threat. On instinct, he thrust his hand forward.
Fire erupted from his palm—not a controlled ball like his attacker's, but a wild, pulsing wave that devoured her attack and continued forward.
The girl's eyes widened in shock just before the flames engulfed her. She screamed—more from surprise than pain—and then disappeared in a bubble of light.
[Elimination confirmed: Marcus of House Windcrest - 50 points]
The scoreboard updated, placing Marcus somewhere in the middle ranks. Not impressive compared to the elites, but far better than anyone had expected from a male participant.
Jasmine stared at him, momentarily speechless.
"That..." she finally managed, "was strong."
Across the arena, other competitors had noticed. Several changed direction, now moving towards him with predatory intent.
'Shit. I might have overdone it.'
For the first time since he'd arrived in this world, Jasmine gave him something resembling a smile.