"Blue talent seed. Good. You may enter for the awakening."
"Next… Walter."
Standing on the stone platform, the grey-cloaked man barked his command. His face was long, his beard even longer, and his voice was just as intimidating as his appearance.
Behind him, a massive gate shimmered. At its center, a swirling vortex of divine light flashed, and swallowed the figure with blue talent seed.
In front of the platform, between ancient towering pillars, a line of teenagers watched the scene with excitement.
Walter, who stood at the front of the line, couldn't stop himself from glancing back at the others as he stepped forward.
"Hah… only a few left. Even if I embarrass myself too much, fewer eyes will see it," he muttered under his breath.
Soon after Walter arrived, the grey-cloaked man lifted a transparent orb into the air, like conjuring a spell, and brought it toward Walter, signalling him to place his hand on top.
The orb's edges caught the light of the vortex behind, glowing faintly as Walter placed his hand on it.
His heartbeat spiked as the orb rapidly changed colors: white, gold, blue, red, green… until the orb froze on a deep, pitch-black colour.
The grey-cloaked man's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Trash! I thought of him someone with normal talent, but he turned out to be trash. Matt I lost my bet."
A boy in a white shirt sneered, scraping dirt from under his nails as if he had owned the place.
His comment opened the floodgates. The others didn't hold back from rubbing salt into the wound.
"Look at his guts—this country bumpkin thinks he can awaken?"
"Doesn't he know? A black talent seed has no future. Just live your leftover life quietly, fool."
"Poor guy must've stumbled in by mistake."
"Yeah, a poor lost lamb."
While surrounded by mockery and jeers, Walter looked only at the grey-cloaked man, whether he could enter for awakening or be rejected, everything depended on this man.
Walter had lived in this world for seventeen years and understood how things worked here.
This world was like a real-life game. When people reached a certain age, they awakened their talent seed and became eligible for the Origin Gate trial.
Combat classes, mage classes, summoner classes, or livelihood professions classes—one's future path depended on their individual trial.
In a world where humans wielded divine power and demons and monsters also ruled their respective vast lands and had rich heritage, both sides were locked in unending war.
But the color of one's talent seed was the deciding factor. The brighter and more colorful, the better the future.
And black…
Black was an omen of misfortune.
"Boy, a black talent seed is nothing but cursed garbage," the grey-cloaked man finally said.
"I'm not trying to mock you. But those with black seeds die inside the gate. If not all, then 99% of them. And even the survivors only get useless livelihood classes—maybe some tiny boost in strength or perception. Only a rare handful ever became mages."
"So… Do you still want to enter?" he asked.
Walter clenched his fist.
"Hm… Yes. I still want to."
The man glared at him for a moment… then sighed internally.
I've done what a gatekeeper should do. If fools don't value their lives, why should I force them?
"Alright, Walter. Once you enter the Origin Gate, you're on your own. No one can save you from whatever awaits inside. If you die, it's on you. If you accept that… proceed."
This reminder wasn't meant only for Walter—it applied to everyone, but the gatekeeper still hoped this stubborn boy would reconsider.
To everyone's surprise, Walter walked straight toward the gate.
"Life is short. Today I can live by relying on others… but what about tomorrow? Or the day after? Only true strength lets a person live a life beyond expectations." Walter recited in his mind, and was about to step into the portal when a voice called out from behind.
"Boy. Before you go inside… you can leave a message for your family." The gatekeeper sighed softly.
"Don't bother. My family doesn't care about me. So I'll let go of that grace."
Walter smiled, a touch of self-mockery in it.
"Oh? Where is your family?"
"Well, my surname is Wayne. From Northern Dushaan.
Just tell them… I won't be a disgrace to them anymore."
The crowd froze, even the grey-cloaked gatekeeper was stunned.
Walter didn't see their reactions, nor did he care. He had already pressed his hand against the vortex.
The world distorted, his vision blurred, dizziness overtook him.
As the portal pulled him in, a voice, cold echoed inside his mind.
[Welcome to the Gate of Origin]