"159 Force. Not awakened."

  The examiner’s voice was quiet this time, almost like he was trying to keep it a secret. But Axel heard something else in his tone. Excitement.

  “…Not awakened?” Axel’s mind went blank for a second. How was that possible? He could already use two awakening abilities—Recharge and Healing. How the hell did that machine say he wasn’t awakened?

  The examiner pulled Axel aside, lowering his voice.

  "Listen, kid," he said with a smirk. "You just hit 159 Force at eighteen years old. Awakening is just a matter of time."

  Axel stayed silent. The examiner continued, his tone turning serious.

  "When the Force inside a body reaches its limit, the person awakens. That’s why a lot of top awakeners make sure their kids train like hell before awakening—they’re laying the foundation."

  "You get what I’m saying?"

  Axel slowly nodded.

  "The higher your Force before awakening, the higher your potential ceiling. Let’s say a normal first-tier awakener has a bottleneck of 300 Force. But you?"

  The examiner’s smile widened. "Your ceiling could be 400. Maybe even 500." For the average student, the examiner wouldn’t bother explaining this much. But for a genius like Axel, he was willing to take his time.

  "I get it now," Axel muttered. "Thanks."

  So… was he an awakener? By textbook definition—yes. Awakeners were defined as people who could use awakening abilities. And he could. But the machine couldn’t detect it.

  Which means…

  Axel narrowed his eyes. "The machine must be checking how well the Force has fused with the body."

  In other words…He hadn't reached his limit yet.

  When he did— His Force would skyrocket again.

  The thought left Axel feeling both excited and uneasy.

  On one hand, this meant his potential was insane. But on the other… Vince gave him two months. If he didn’t awaken properly by then— He was dead.

  ....

  Axel was still in a daze when a familiar voice rang out. "Axel, you are really my big brother! Fucking awesome!"

  Drayke’s booming voice carried across the field as he and the others—Cassia, Storm, and a few more—came rushing over. The sight of their small, tight-knit group drew envious glances from the other students.

  Cassia grinned and slung an arm around Axel’s shoulder. “Damn, Axel. You’re real good at hiding shit. We were all worried sick about you.”

  Axel blinked, confused. “When the hell did I hide anything? I had said that.” "And then you all said I was mentally ill."

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  “Oh, shut up. You looked like a corpse wrapped in bandages. What else were we supposed to think?”

  Hearing the frustration in his voice, the group burst into laughter.

  “I don’t care,” Cassia said, flipping her hair. “You’re paying for dinner tonight.”

  “Right?” She shot Drayke a look, and he nodded eagerly.

  “Yeah! That test score must’ve made you rich as hell. I heard there's a million dollars in rewards floating around. No excuses, man—you’re treating us!”

  Axel waved a hand, sighing. “Fine, fine. All expenses are on me today.”

  After that came the cultural exam, but honestly, Axel and his friends couldn’t give less of a shit. They just needed to pass.

  They were still joking around when Mason walked over.

  “Don’t get too excited yet, Axel,” the principal said with a knowing smirk. “Come to my office later.”

  That single sentence made the group exchange looks of envy. Axel’s reward was about to drop.

  ......

  “Incredible,” Mason said, staring at Axel with satisfaction. The longer he looked, the more he liked what he saw.

  “As I mentioned before, breaking 100 Force on test day comes with a significant reward. Normally, there’s also a bonus for awakening, but… in your case, even without that, you still qualify for an extraordinary-level reward.”

  Mason leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. “Including the school’s reward and government incentives, your total payout is two million dollars.”

  Axel barely had time to react before Mason handed him a notepad.

  “Write down your card number. I’ll have the funds transferred immediately.”

  “…Two million?”

  “Oh, and that’s not all.”

  Mason reached into his desk drawer and pulled out two small bottles, setting them on the table. “Two Force-recovery Pills and one Vein Pill.”

  Axel raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask, Mason clarified, “I’m sure you already know what Force-recovery Pills do. But this—” he tapped the Vein Pill “—is worth at least three times as much.

  "When you awaken, the Force in your body will fuse for the first time. Taking this pill during that process doubles the effect.

  "Normally, a first-time awakening might boost your Force by 10 to 20 points. With this? It could be 30 or even 40.”

  Axel’s fingers curled slightly. Holy shit. No wonder so few geniuses came from small cities. It wasn’t just talent—it was resources.

  No money? Then tough luck. Pills like these weren’t affordable for the average person. Axel suddenly had a clearer picture of the hidden world beyond this city.

  If it weren’t for his ability to extract Life Crystals from corpses, even two million dollars wouldn’t be enough. These three pills alone? They were worth more than that.

  Mason studied Axel’s expression and let out a chuckle. “You’re not thinking of selling them, are you?” he asked, half-joking.

  Axel snapped out of his thoughts. “No, of course not.”

  “Good,” Mason nodded. “Look, if money’s an issue, you can always apply for scholarships when you get to university. But these—” he gestured to the pills “—this is the foundation of your strength. Never lose sight of the bigger picture.”

  Axel understood immediately. Resources could be replenished. Potential couldn’t. After writing down his bank details and address, he left the principal’s office.

  Mason watched him go, his eyes filled with appreciation. If it were any other kid, he might have warned them about arrogance, told them to keep their feet on the ground.

  But Axel? He didn’t need it. This was a kid who clawed his way out of the slums—he already understood the world’s cruelty. He knew exactly what he had to do.

  Mason turned, glancing out his office window at the students milling around the playground.

  A sigh escaped his lips. “Grey, you were right,” he murmured. A thoughtful pause. Then— Decision made.

  “Next semester,” Mason muttered to himself, “I’ll make him the Dean of Teaching and see if he can bring some real change.”

  Some teachers had connections in the Education Bureau, had tried to persuade Mason to bend the rules, to be “flexible.”

  But he knew damn well— The real key to his career was simple. It all depended on the level of students he produced.

  “Treat! Treat!”

  “I want a feast!”

  Drayke and the others weren’t going anywhere—not when Axel’s reward had just hit his account. Their grins stretched wide, like wolves who had just found their next meal.

  Axel chuckled. “Like I’d run away. Let’s go.”

  With Annabelle joining them at the school gate, the group began tossing around restaurant ideas.

  “How about Rich Man’s Night Banquet?”

  “Or Play Boy?”

  “Temptation Night Bar?” Drayke suggested, eyes gleaming.