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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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-You have awakened!
-Your characteristic is manifesting!
At a point just two months before turning 17, which was known to be the impossible age for awakening.
At 16, I experienced the awakening I had been longing for so desperately.
“Finally, I too can become a superhuman.”
Not only had I awakened, but I had also manifested a [characteristic], which was an essential condition for becoming a superhuman.
Therefore, I believed without a doubt that I could become a superhuman.
Yes, that was until I received counseling at the ‘National Youth Awakening Center,’ which was mandatory to visit upon awakening.
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The next day, at the National Youth Awakening Center.
“An Ilhan? First, congratulations on your awakening and characteristic manifestation.”
The examiner offered congratulations at the start of the counseling.
I naturally accepted the greeting.
Awakening occurred in only 10% of all humanity, and characteristics manifested in only about 5% of those who awakened.
Having broken through such slim odds, it wasn’t strange to receive congratulations.
“As you probably already know, I’ll explain the basics first.”
“Yes.”
“Since your characteristic has manifested, you should have a status window. It will appear when you think about it, and you can only check your characteristics and skills through the status window. For stats, you’ll need to undergo a separate examination.”
Status window, characteristics, skills, stats, and so on.
These were facts known to anyone who was born and raised in the superhuman era, regardless of whether they had awakened or not.
Therefore, the examiner quickly finished the basic explanation.
“Then shall we talk about your characteristic first? You know how to view the status window, right?”
“Yes.”
“Please let me know after you check it.”
As he said, I immediately visualized the status window.
Then, with an inorganic notification, a translucent screen appeared before my eyes.
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[Status Window]
[Characteristic]
-Shadow of ????
Currently deactivated
[Skills]
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I recited exactly what appeared before my eyes to the examiner.
The examiner’s eyes widened slightly.
“‘Shadow of ????’? And it says ‘Currently deactivated’?”
“Yes. The skills section is blank.”
“Skills are normally acquired later, so it’s normal for them to be empty at the initial awakening, but……”
The examiner trailed off.
After being silent for a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry to say, but An Ilhan, it seems you have an ‘unimplemented characteristic.'”
“……An unimplemented characteristic?”
“Yes, it means your characteristic hasn’t been implemented, so you can’t use it.”
Not being able to use a characteristic, which was the transcendental ability of superhumans and the source of supernatural powers.
I asked again with a dazed expression at the ominous response.
“Is that bad……”
The examiner nodded and continued.
“Rather than bad, well. Let me explain first.”
“Yes.”
“You know how characteristic names are usually clear, right? Like [Strong Power], [Acceleration], [Fierce Flame].”
“That’s what I understand.”
“Generally, characteristics also come with concise descriptions. Things like enhancing the body, or adding flame properties to magical power. Actually, that becomes the way to utilize the characteristic.”
This was definitely something I had heard before.
Because of this, I seemed to understand what the examiner was trying to say.
“But for me……”
“There’s no description, right? Plus, you said it’s marked as ‘deactivated’?”
“Yes……”
“That’s exactly why it’s called an ‘unimplemented characteristic.'”
Literally, a characteristic that hasn’t been implemented, that can’t be used because it’s not activated.
That’s why it’s called an unimplemented characteristic.
Additionally, the examiner added gloomy explanations about when and how the unimplemented characteristic would activate.
He explained that the timing or conditions couldn’t be specified.
“Then does that mean I can’t become a superhuman with an unimplemented characteristic……”
“Well, there might be a few. Have you heard of [Dimensional Traveler]?”
Dimensional Traveler.
If my memory was correct, it was the nickname of a famous S-rank superhuman from the United States.
“Jennifer Quade?”
“That’s right. She’s an S-rank superhuman. As far as I know, there are maybe one or two more? Superhumans famous for having unimplemented characteristics.”
“So that means……”
I felt a slight hope.
But the following words mercilessly crushed that hope.
“That’s all.”
“What?”
“There might be more if you look, but for now, that’s how few there are.”
“Ah……”
A few among the thousands, millions of active superhumans.
That was no different from saying there were almost none.
Unknowingly, my shoulders slumped.
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, the examiner cleared his throat and spoke.
“You said you’re applying to the National Superhuman Academy, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Still, you’ve met the application requirements. Those with unimplemented characteristics are recognized as characteristic holders.”
“……!”
“Now the important thing is your stats. Let’s see.”
The examiner picked up a document from the desk.
It seemed to be the result sheet of the [Stat Examination] conducted prior to the counseling.
“The current result of An Ilhan’s stat examination is……”
Strength 1 stat, Agility 1 stat, Vitality 2 stats, Magic Power 1 stat.
Total of 5 stats.
The examiner sighed at the unimpressive figures.
“With these, admission would definitely be difficult.”
“……”
“Of course, to be precise, it’s still something we can’t determine for sure.”
“Pardon?”
“The stats shown in the current examination are your initial stats, and the growth rate and growth limit of stats differ from person to person.”
“What does that mean……”
“It means stats can be enhanced through training, and one’s aptitude for that can only be known after direct verification.”
“……!”
“Of course, understanding your aptitude requires parallel training and measurement, which might be difficult as a civilian.”
Stats can be enhanced through training.
Aptitude can only be known through verification.
Thanks to the examiner’s words, I felt a little hope.
“So I need to check it myself, right?”
“That’s right. It’s still the application period, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I heard we just need to submit by the end of November.”
“The academy entrance exam will probably be held at the end of December.”
“If I work hard until then……”
“Good luck, I’ll be rooting for you.”
The examiner extended the stat examination document with a faint smile.
I accepted the document and left the counseling room with a respectful bow.
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“……Did I give false hope? It’s going to be meaningless anyway.”
The examiner, left alone in the counseling room, muttered expressionlessly.
He knew.
The growth rate of stats, the growth limit, and so on.
Although aptitude needed to be verified, even that was closely related to initial stats.
These thoughts disappeared in just a few seconds.
“Next, examinee number 117, please come to the counseling room.”
*
“What did they say?”
The moment I left the counseling room, a familiar figure greeted me.
My only family, my father.
“Father.”
“Is there any hope?”
True to his indifferent nature, his question was direct.
Already used to it, and being similar in personality myself, I answered calmly.
“The characteristic seems to be a bust.”
“Then what about that, stats?”
“They seem very low right now.”
“Seem?”
“They said we’d have to wait and see. How quickly and how much they can increase.”
“Hmm.”
Father nodded silently.
There was no sign of disappointment or sympathy.
He simply patted my shoulder lightly and said quietly.
“Do you want to become a superhuman?”
“Yes.”
“Is it because of your mother……, never mind.”
Father started to mention my deceased mother but shook his head.
He then briefly added.
“Do your best.”
“Yes. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just become a carrier.”
Carrier. A profession commonly known as a baggage handler.
Those who had awakened but lacked characteristics or had insufficient stats for the superhuman academy often became carriers.
Though somewhat looked down upon by superhumans, I wanted to infiltrate superhuman society even by such means.
With strong determination.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, father.”
We left the awakening center behind.
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About a month later, at the end of November.
“……My stats seem to be a bust too, father.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Even I, who was normally called a stone Buddha for my stoicism, felt deep disappointment this time.
A month after visiting the awakening center.
I exercised without missing a day, but there was no change at all.
Feeling something was wrong, I searched for information about stat training on the internet and found:
-Stats are difficult to enhance without professional stat training equipment or facilities.
-If you’re born with an aptitude for stat growth, your stats can grow even with self-training. However, this requires an aptitude level where physical changes are perceptible.
-If you have neither, the only option for a civilian to train stats is to invest a lot of time.
I realized the cold reality.
Our single-parent household couldn’t afford professional equipment or facilities.
And since I hadn’t even felt a change, let alone growth, my aptitude was also a bust.
Moreover, with about three weeks left until the superhuman academy entrance exam, time was also limited.
‘This is truly a total disaster.’
As I made a bitter expression without speaking, my father, who had been watching, patted my shoulder.
“What are you going to do?”
“I still want to submit an application. Even as a carrier, an academy graduate has an advantage.”
“I see. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
With those words, father left home for work.
Unlike my mother who had been active as a superhuman, father was a civilian, working as a taxi driver.
That’s why he always left for work at such a late hour, like now.
“Take care, father.”
“Sure.”
After seeing father off impassively.
I returned to my room and sat in front of the computer.
“Should I apply, or not.”
There was about a week left until the application deadline.
Anyway, since my characteristic had manifested, I was eligible to apply.
But because of my miserable stats, I hesitated to click.
“With a total of only 5 stats……”
In superhuman society, including the superhuman academy, value and rank were determined by the total of one’s stats.
Therefore, the entrance exam standard was also the total of stats.
“What was the cutoff line for the superhuman academy entrance exam again?”
I immediately looked it up.
Based on last year’s admissions, the lowest cutoff line was about 8 stats in total.
That was only a difference of 3 stats from my current level.
“Just 3 stats, huh. Easier said than done.”
Despite dedicating a month to training, there was absolutely no change.
For someone like me, 3 stats might be an insurmountable wall.
Though slightly depressed due to the harsh reality.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess.”
I pulled myself together and submitted my application immediately.
‘There’s about three weeks left.’
I’ll try my best.
With that determination, I turned off the computer and threw myself onto the bed.
‘First, I need to make a plan, find information, exercise……’
While making various plans in my head.
“……Zzz.”
I fell asleep just like that.
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The moment I completely dozed off.
-Unimplemented characteristic [Shadow of ????] has been activated!
-Confirming the target’s unconscious state.
-The target’s initiative is being transferred to [Shadow of ????]!
-Checking synchronization rate with the target.
-Current synchronization rate…… [0%]
-Synchronization rate is non-existent!
-[Shadow of ????] will act with an extremely limited part of consciousness!
An anomaly occurred to An Ilhan.
-[Skill] imprinted in consciousness has been activated!
-Synchronization rate is non-existent!
-The efficiency of the [Skill] imprinted in consciousness is drastically reduced!
-Skill [Super Evolution(SS)] is changed to [Rapid Growth(C)]!
-All types of training effects are increased by 4 times!
-Skill [Super Regeneration(SS)] is changed to [Rapid Recovery(C)]!
-All types of rest effects are increased by 4 times!
A shower of inorganic notifications.
Simultaneously, his closed eyelids slowly opened.
Inside them, pitch-black pupils were rippling like shadows.
Thus, An Ilhan unnaturally rose up.
Swoosh- Swoosh- Swoosh-
Suddenly, he started doing push-ups.
Without turning on the light in the room, like a machine, crazily.
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