The Awakening Hall had never been this loud.
Rows of students in gray academy uniforms filled the marble chamber, whispering nervously as golden magic circles lit up one after another.
At the center stood a crystal pillar taller than a grown man.
One by one, names were called.
"Rylan Storm!"
A tall boy stepped forward confidently. The crystal flared bright blue.
Wind surged through the hall.
The examiner's voice echoed.
"Advanced Skill: Gale Spear!"
Gasps erupted.
"Lena Valcrest!"
Golden light burst outward.
"Rare Skill: Saint Barrier!"
More applause. More whispers.
At the back of the hall, Kael Arden stood quietly with his hands in his pockets.
Sixteen years old. Brown hair. Unremarkable face. Completely average.
He had no famous family.
No noble bloodline.
No special talent anyone knew about.
He just hoped for something useful.
"Kael Arden!"
That was him.
He walked forward, heartbeat steady but loud in his ears.
Don't ask for legendary.
Just don't be useless.
He placed his palm against the crystal.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then a small flicker of red light.
The examiner squinted.
"Basic Skill: Fireball."
A few scattered claps.
Then the whispers started.
"Just basic?"
"Pretty common…"
Kael forced a small smile.
Fireball wasn't terrible. Plenty of adventurers used it early on.
The crystal glowed again.
A thin arc of pale green sliced through the air.
"Basic Skill: Wind Blade."
Someone laughed.
"Ouch. Double basic."
"That's rough."
Kael lowered his hand.
Two entry-level skills.
No passive talent. No rare trait. Nothing flashy.
Just average.
The examiner cleared his throat. "That concludes—"
A sharp sound rang in Kael's mind.
[Hidden Authority Detected.]
[Compatibility between acquired skills: 87%.]
[Skill Combination System Initializing…]
Kael froze.
What?
The world around him continued normally. Students chatting. Teachers writing notes.
No one else reacted.
Another message appeared.
[Skill Combination System Activated.]
[You may fuse compatible skills.]
[Starting Combination Points: 3]
His pulse quickened.
Fuse… skills?
That wasn't possible.
Everyone knew that.
Skills were fixed at awakening. Permanent. Unchangeable.
Yet the words hovered clearly in his vision.
A small panel appeared:
Fireball
Wind Blade
[Combine?]
This had to be a hallucination.
Right?
Kael swallowed.
If it's fake, nothing happens.
If it's real…
He mentally selected both.
[Combine.]
For half a second, nothing changed.
Then
The crystal pillar exploded with spiraling red and green light.
Wind roared.
Flames twisted into a rotating arc above his palm.
Students screamed.
"Control your magic!"
"I'm not doing anything!" Kael shouted.
The spinning fire suddenly burst outward—
BOOM!
A shockwave of heated wind knocked over three chairs and singed the examiner's sleeve.
Silence filled the hall.
Smoke curled upward.
Kael stared at his hand.
A new notification appeared.
[Fusion Successful!]
[New Skill Created: Flaming Arc]
[Rank: Uncommon]
[Combination Points Remaining: 2]
[Title Unlocked: First Innovator]
Uncommon?
His breath caught.
He had never heard of Flaming Arc.
The examiner slowly turned toward him, eyes wide.
"What… did you just do?"
Kael opened his mouth.
He had no explanation.
Around him, students stared in disbelief.
Fire and wind were common elements.
But no one
No one
Could create a brand-new skill on the spot.
Another system message blinked.
[Congratulations.]
[You have stepped outside standard skill logic.]
Kael stared at the spinning ember fading from his palm.
Average?
Maybe not.
And somewhere deep within the crystal pillar—
A faint crack appeared.