My Special Ability is Growing Muscles

The combat arena was supposed to be quiet at this hour of the day; a place where freshers tested themselves in controlled matches, sharpening their edges.

But the moment Kairo stepped through the gate, dragged by Mira's relentless hand, silence fell like a hammer.

It was the first time that he entered the chamber where the combat arena was, and his arrival elicited an immediate reaction.

Dozens of heads turned, and whispers spread like wildfire.

"That's him… the Slumrat who survived the Demon attack."

"Fraud. It must've been luck."

"I heard he only has one ability… Muscle Genesis? What a joke."

"What's he doing here?"

Kairo froze.

He lowered his head, trying to will himself into invisibility. 'MIRA!!!' He screamed in his mind to no avail.

Yes, he was hungry. Yes, he allowed Mira to drag him here, but still, he had expectations of what he wanted.

Afterall, to solve his food problem, he was ready to sacrifice a bit. All he wanted was a quick duel, contribution points, and food. But the weight of their gazes crushed that hope.

And just like that, he realized… low key was no longer possible.

Mira smirked, arms folded. "Told you. You're famous now, whether you like it or not."

Before Kairo could reply, three nobles stepped forward at once, practically tripping over themselves to challenge him. They didn't know what brought him here today, but every one of them was eager to have a piece of him.

They wanted to be the first to expose the fraud. Each of them carried the smug arrogance of pedigree, announcing their family names like banners.

The presiding instructor who was in the combat arena at the time sighed and raised a hand. "One at a time please. The rest of you, back in line."

A boy with golden embroidery on his tunic smirked, stepping into the circle.

His mana flared faintly around his body, nothing special, but enough to impress the untrained as he smiled widely. "The name's Darius Halford, never forget it. Don't blink, Slumrat, this'll be over quick."

The crowd chuckled.

Kairo rolled his shoulders, his shriveled frame betraying the hunger tearing at him. His stomach growled audibly as laughter rippled through the spectators.

"Rules," the instructor barked. "No killing, victory is by incapacitation or surrender. Begin!"

It started immediately.

Darius, Kairo's challenger lunged first, fast, slashing downward with a training blade glowing faintly with mana reinforcement. The crowd roared as his strike whistled through the air…

Only for it to stop dead in its tracks.

"…!"

Under the shocked gaze of the dozens of students present in the combat arena, Kairo caught the blade with one hand, killing all of its momentum without even moving an inch from where he stood.

His thin arms bulged as muscle fibers surged beneath his skin, his veins glowing faintly. His gaunt frame seemed to ripple with suppressed power.

'What strength…!' Gasps cut through the arena.

Darius was also stunned. Heck, he was confused.

But before he could process what just happened, Kairo's other fist drove forward in a straight, simple, and brutally efficient punch.

BAM!

The sound echoed like a drumbeat.

In one moment, Darius stood still, then he folded. And the next, his body flew backward, crashing across the arena floor before crumpling in a heap as his weapon clattered away.

"…"

Silence.

The instructor raised his hand after a brief check. "Winner… Kairo Vale."

The silence broke into chaos. Nobles shouted, some in outrage, some in disbelief even as the others whispered with awe.

Mira's grin stretched from ear to ear. "See? One punch, and problem solved."

Kairo flexed his aching hand, his chest heaving. He was still starving, still weak, but the truth rang through the arena.

Even hungry, he was a menace.

The murmurs rose, sharpening into new whispers.

"Damn, he's dangerous!"

"No, he's a monster."

But not all of them learned to fear him though.

"I want the next fight!"

Kairo glanced at the eager faces lining up, his stomach growling again. He muttered under his breath, "Guess dinner's going to take a while."

The crowd roared, the target on his back now brighter than ever.

…

Elsewhere, in one of the academy's private lounges, a holographic projection replayed the duel.

Adrain Cross leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a calculating light. "Muscle Genesis… and he shut the noble down with one strike, even in that condition," he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Interesting." His tone wasn't envy, rather, it was the cool curiosity of a predator testing the shape of another's claws.

…

In another room, Valek Drakar scoffed, lounging with his feet up.

His crimson eyes narrowed, venom lacing his voice. "Slumrat tricks," he sneered. "He caught one noble brat off guard and now the sheep think he's a lion. Pathetic," his fists clenched unconsciously. "I'll break him myself."

…

In another room, Selene Duskbane tilted her head, her pale fingers brushing the edge of the projection.

Her phantom-like voice was calm and thoughtful. "He's different..."

"His hunger didn't stop him, it pushed him. That kind of will… it's dangerous". A small smile tugged at her lips. "Dangerous is fun."

…

In the upper spire of Nexus Academy, Principal Aelthar sat behind his desk, watching the same duel unfold on a larger crystal display. His expression was unreadable at first, but as Kairo's punch landed, his brows furrowed.

He reached for a rune-inscribed console, pulling up Kairo Vale's student records as data scrolled across the screen from his background, to his age, Awakening… and then he saw it.

[File Name: Kairo Vale]

[Special Ability: Muscle Genesis]

[Classification: Unranked]

Aelthar froze.

His eyes narrowed. "Unranked?" His voice was a low whisper.

It was unheard of. Every ability in recorded human history had been ranked by the System upon Awakening. To see "Unranked" wasn't just an error, it was an impossibility.

"Why has this not been brought to my attention since?" He mused.

He leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard as intrigue sparked in his ancient eyes. "A muscle-based ability that defies classification… and he survived an E-Rank construct, now this."

The crystal replayed Kairo catching the blade with bare hands, then crumpling his opponent in one strike.

Aelthar's lips curved into a faint smile. "What are you, boy? A mistake of the System… or something new altogether?"

He clasped his hands, interest burning brighter. "Either way, you just made yourself a piece on the board I can't ignore."