Bab 4: SSS-Rank Weakest Awakened!
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AWAKENED: Blood Immunity (SSS)
POTENTIAL: Exhausted
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"What?!"
"No potential?!"
"Blood immunity?! What kind of useless skill is that?!"
The crowd stared at Nex, who appeared utterly shell-shocked. This was normal considering the blow he had just suffered, or so they thought.
They were all wrong. Nex was staring at empty air because a blue screen had just appeared in front of his eyes.
[Large quantity of Aether Detected!]
[Analyzing! Please Standby!]
[Unlocked Status Screen!]
'Holy crap! Really?!'
'Hahaha, Status!'
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Status
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Player: Mad Nex Xander
Race: Looks Human
Class: Unavailable
Rank: Unranked
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- Blood Immunity (SSS)
- Duck Summoning (‽)
- System Seed (‽)
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Wow! Somehow, this game-like interface showed more abilities than the association's device. Nex focused his mind on each, details soon appearing.
- Blood Immunity (SSS): Negates blood-based damage. Very effective when fighting blood cultists!
- Duck Summon (Locked): Every Awakened has the potential to summon a familiar. Yours is a cute duck. ~ Ultimate lifeform: master of the air, land, and sea...More importantly, it QUACKS!
- System Seed (Locked): A gift from a mysterious entity. Who knows when that happened...
[System Seed Detected!]
[System Loading!]
[1%, 2%, 5%...]
'I'll wait, I'll wait for sure!!' Nex glanced at his surroundings with renewed joy. All his immediate worries were gone. So what if his potential was null? He'd soon have an OP System!
While he showed a peaceful smile, Shadow Star grimaced as they slowly backed away from him in regret. Why did they have to invite him to their group?!
As for the old man, he busied himself running more tests with a crazed scholar look.
Every second he'd grab some kind of token, amulet, or tool, bring it closer, and mumble to himself crazily.
Then came the final verdict!
"Trash, an SSS-Tier Failure!" It echoed in the silent room, severing Nex's future as he added.
"No, perhaps calling this one a failed experiment would be more accurate. Those cultists sure are getting creative, using so many bloodlines and the host's potential as fuel..."
"But in the end, they failed: Useless ultimate skill, feeble body, weak soul, and no room for growth. Whatever, get this worthless fool out of my sight!"
That's when Nex became damaged goods, none wanting to have anything to do with him. That's why many scoffed as they saw him approach Shadow Star.
"Pfft- Look at him go!"
"Does he still think he can join them?"
"Hehe, he's in Fantasy Land from denying reality."
The Elf was already showing clear disgust, prepared to reject him harshly. But Nex actually ignored her completely, heading for the tamer instead.
"Xenon, right? Thanks for the help in the cave. I'll remember it, farewell." He suavely waved, making the bystanders chuckle even more.
Right before exiting the room, he turned around one last time. "By the way, anyone recruiting for a party?" He casually inquired.
He was only met with laughter and mocking gazes, even from the F-Ranks. They felt so damn good about making fun of an "S-Class" wannabe, still chuckling as he left.
He emerged in an unfamiliar world.
Large buildings that made him feel tinier than an ant, ferocious-looking passerby, the strange scent of mana permeating the air….Nex took a deep breath.
"So, this is Arcadia, eh?"
"Warning! You do not have the clearance level to be here!" A small golem rushed at him.
"Can you escort me out, little guy? I need a place to stay and a job. Got any suggestion?" He spoke to the creature with a friendly tone.
"Please follow me!!" It glowed reassuringly.
Did he imagine it, or did the thing seem somewhat happy? It didn't take long for them to bond, Nex listening intently to its boundless wisdom.
Arcadia wasn't just any City: it was a moving one.
It used mana stones to navigate a Hellish world infested by impossibly strong monsters. They had to remain in motion to avoid the Wild Apocalypse-Level Behemoths.
The place was under constant attack, both external and internal. Heck, monster-infested portals would spawn all over the place. Luckily, the "God of Order" had blessed them.
Portal in the Wild —> Instantly spawns monsters
Portal in the City —> Forms a Dungeon that can be neutralized by clearing it with an Awakened party (Usually 5-6 members)
"What about immediate safety? How can I ensure I don't die in a ditch?" Nex asked his new teacher, engraving its reply in his heart.
1. Be Respectful
2. Check the Weather
3. Be careful of monsters
Arcadia apparently went through disasters daily. For humanity to survive, infighting was prohibited, but Honor was a good enough reason to kill hence rule number one.
How ridiculous. That random guy at the association had been killed because he had spoken rudely toward his "superior".
Here, strength was everything!
"This world really is crazy. I need to grow and fast!"
[System Loading! Please Standby!]
[Current Loading Rate 80%!]
They had just reached the middle of the South Bridge when Nex's guide suddenly stopped.
"Exiting the Core Area! This unit shall return to—"
"I still need help!" Nex hurriedly stepped back.
There was no way he was letting this mentor go before it had answered all his questions. He asked about everything he could think of, not letting the thing breathe.
[Current Loading Rate 87%!]
The passerby scoffed as they saw a man talking with a lifeless golem. His horrendous state didn't help.
A multicolored hair youngster stopped near them. He wore a long royal blue coat with a four elements symbol on his chest.
"Pfft— Would you look at that, a forbidden romance between a slum dweller and his beloved! Eh, I'm afraid that even scrap is out of your league!" He ridiculed.
Seeing Nex's lack of reaction, he sneered before calling the golem over. "Return to the association and report that a rat made it out of the slums."
Nex watched the golem leave while clenching his fists.
[Current Loading Rate 96%!]
Soon, very soon.
Even then, the annoying guy still remained. "Aren't you ashamed of polluting the place with your presence? You're nothing but a waste of space." The youngster spat.
[Current Loading Rate 98%!]
[Stand Near Active Mana to Finalize!]
Active mana? Was there a difference between ambient and active mana? Did the element matter? Should he try to meet Shadow Star again?
That's when he heard the murmurs of the crowd.
"That's Bartholomeus, right?"
"Yes, a noble with an affinity to all elements."
"This beggar better shut up if he wants to live."
Wait, affinity to all elements?! Nex suddenly looked at the arrogant noble with a brilliant smile. This must be fate: he appeared right when he needed him to!
"Waste of space, you said?" The bystanders watched on, eager for the drama. "People do call me that, but they also call me…the S-Grade Idiot Magnet," Nex replied.
Had he just called a noble an idiot?! The youngster turned purple in his rage. How dared this hobo insult him! Countless spells of various elements started orbiting around him.
"Good, good! For this offense, I Bartholomeus Von C. Nar—"
Oh, it was time for a duel! The crowd inched closer.
"I know, right! It's an horrible nickname, right?!"
"…."
"…."
[Absorbing Active Mana!]
[Current Loading Rate 99%!]
[Initialization in Progress! Please Standby!]
The noble seemed like he had eaten a fly.
He was about to kill the bastard for calling him an idiot, but only then did he recall the man's wording. He said "Idiot Magnet" was his nickname….not that he agreed with it.
Now he was asked for his opinion on the nickname. It wasn't like he'd voluntarily call himself an idiot….
"Yes, it's a terrible nickname. You should really question the people who gave it to you for—"
"Right! That's what I thought when I met Shadow Star earlier!" Nex exclaimed.
"?!?"
What the heck was up with this guy?! This was such a big lie! There was no way the Disaster-Rank party would agree with him spreading fake rumors.
The noble frowned deeply. "You, that's taking it too far with the bluff. You should have a sense of propriety and—"
The crowd was getting heated, expecting Nex to be killed any time for his exaggerated lies. But that's when his face lit up as he waved in the distance.
Far away, Shadow Star couldn't believe their bad luck.
They had barely gotten anything from the last mission reward-wise. Sure they had fended off a Calamity-Level Cultist, but the outcome mattered more.
The Boss had escaped them while they had only slaughtered a bunch of utterly useless minions.
As for the man they had brought back, not only was he weak, but so weak he couldn't even be sold as a slave!
He was too feeble for manual labor, too talentless for anything magic-related, and even his organs couldn't be sold since they were full of weird bloodlines.
They spotted him just as they were sighing about actually making a loss on that mission. The Nex fool was even waving at them, unaware that he had just escaped enslavement.
"Hey guys, how is it going? Brother, Xenon!"
The tamer waved back by reflex, making the crowd exclaim in shock while his companions berated him. "Tch— Why would you wave back?!"
"He likes animals…."
"…."
They expected him to come over and bug them, but he didn't. He was simply waving from a distance as one would do with acquaintances.
This was enough to make the crowd go wild and the noble choke. Who had he almost offended?! Even then, Nex seemed lost in thoughts…
[Initialization!]
[Successfully Activated the…]
Hell yeah! Who cared about Shadow Star! It was finally time for him to shine... But suddenly, he felt a mighty pull on his body.
Oh god, Gravity magic! This power was way too strong to resist! In the back, the assassin winked while Nex's body tumbled straight toward the bridge's edge.
A second later, he was falling into the Abyss, plunging toward the slums. Why?! Wouldn't the guy be punished for the murder?!
The fall was long, long enough for him to see his life flash many times before his eyes.
Long enough to curse that damn assassin a few thousand times.
— Bam! —
Nex fell on an enormous pile of garbage. His leg was bent in a weird direction, but he was alive! But suddenly, he heard countless loud shrieks.
Rule #3: Be careful of monsters
[Initialization Completed!]
A brilliant screen showed up before his eyes as he started chuckling. So what if there were monsters? It was time for the mighty system!
It was time for him to be reborn!
It was time for….
[Error! Initialization Failed!]
FUCK!
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
ClasslessAscension
ClasslessAscension Was this system sadistic? It brought me so much hope, just to take it all away at the very last second. What kind of golden finger is this?! The very bugged kind apparently...
Bloody Journey! 🩸🔥🐥
Weakest SSS-Rank —> Top of the world All for a simple dream...
-- Hadiah diterima