"Congratulations. You have awakened the Mythical Ability: First Immortal Cultivator's Chosen Descendant."
Silence...
The rainbow light slowly faded, but the weight of what just happened pressed down on the entire auditorium. Then the whispers began.
"Did we really just see that?".."That was rainbow, right?".."Who was in that booth?!"
Clark stood frozen inside the pod, heart hammering against his ribs. Mythical...
Not legendary.
Not epic.
Mythical.
He stepped out. The moment his face became visible. The entire room went dead silent again.
Then suddenly "My goodness, babe! I knew you were going to awaken something good!" Sarah's voice rang out clearly through the auditorium.
Every head turned toward her. Then slowly back to Clark. Then chaos erupted! Students shouting, Teachers arguing, Phones coming out. Someone yelling, "The rankings! This changes everything!"
Clark barely heard any of it.
First Immortal Cultivator's Chosen Descendant… What does that even mean?!
He walked back toward Sarah, her eyes shining with excitement. "You did it," she whispered, grabbing his hands. "You actually did it."
"I… don't even know what I did," he admitted.
He suddenly felt very small. Very exposed.
"SILENCE!"
The principal's voice boomed through the auditorium."The ceremony is still ongoing! The next group has already missed their numbers. I will allow it this once due to… extraordinary circumstances. But you will not get another chance. Return to order immediately."
Reluctantly, the room settled.
Clark and Sarah began heading toward the exit when a teacher intercepted them.
"Clark?"
"Yes?"
"Come with me. Immediately."
Clark stiffened. "Is something wrong?"
"Because you awakened a Mythical ability, your system implant will be performed right away."
Clark blinked. "Right now? There's a mandatory one-month stabilization period..."
"Not for you."
The teacher's tone left no room for argument. Outside, a black vehicle waited at the curb. Clark and Sarah climbed into the back seat.
"Why are we rushing?" Clark asked quietly.
The teacher stared straight ahead. "I'll explain after the implant. Afterward, there will be a meeting. You, the principal, and your parents."
A meeting? With the principal? Clark felt a knot form in his stomach.
The rest of the ride passed in heavy silence.
At the hospital, the teacher marched straight to the front desk.
"I need the Chief of Medicine. Immediately. It's urgent."
Within minutes, a woman in a white coat hurried toward them. She stopped cold.
"Clark?" Her eyes shifted. "Sarah?" Then they narrowed. "Why is my son here? What's going on?" Clark swallowed.
Right. His mom was the Chief of Medicine.
The teacher spoke quickly. "Ma'am, your son must receive his implant immediately."
His mother's expression hardened. "That's impossible. There's a one-month waiting period. His ability needs to stabilize. If we interfere too early, it could damage the awakening permanently."
"I have approval for the newest implant model," the teacher replied. "No waiting period required. The school is covering the full cost."
His mother's eyes widened slightly. That implant was rumored to cost more than most houses. "Why," she asked slowly, "is my son worth that kind of investment?"
The teacher hesitated. "…Because he awakened a Mythical." Silence fell...
Sarah's hand tightened around Clark's. His mother stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time."…Open an operating room," she said finally. "Get our best implant surgeon."
Clark lay back in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything was moving too fast. A nurse inserted an IV, Machines hummed, Footsteps echoed.
A man entered the room, tall and calm, wearing surgical gloves. "Good morning. I'm Doctor Clay. I'll be handling your implant procedure." He scanned the file. "Oh. Carrie's boy. That explains a few things."
Clark forced a small smile. "Am I going to be okay?" Dr. Clay met his eyes directly. "You're receiving the latest-generation implant. No activation delay. No synchronization lag. However..."
His tone shifted slightly "your body still needs time to adapt. Three weeks minimum. Use it sparingly until then."
Clark nodded.
"What does the implant actually do?" Sarah asked from beside the bed. "It links his awakened ability to a structured system interface," Dr. Clay explained. "Without it, abilities are unstable and unmeasured... even dangerous."
"Dangerous?!" Clark's stomach dropped.
The anesthesiologist stepped forward. Dr. Clay gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, Clark," he said calmly. "Let's see what a Mythical looks like."
The world began to blur. Sarah's face was the last thing he saw.
Then...
Darkness.