Tenebrous Wolf

"Listen up, you lot!"

A sharp voice echoed.

"I demand your full attention! Anyone who interrupts me will be expelled from the ceremony!"

The commanding officer's gaze swept across the gathered students like a blade.

"Today, your future will be tested. Fail, and you might as well kiss your dreams goodbye!"

"That's not fair, sir!"

The officer's head snapped toward the source of the voice. His eyes quickly locked onto a student who had spoken without thinking.

"Oi! You! The foolish boy over there! What did you just say?!"

The student stiffened. "I said, yes sir!

"Good. Now say you're a foolish boy!"

"I'm a foolish boy, sir."

"I can't hear you! I bet your mother moans louder than that!"

The boy shouted with teary eyes. "I'M A FOOLISH BOY, SIR!!"

"That's very good. Next time, don't speak when I'm talking, you little brat!"

Silence fell over the vast military base. The tension and air quality seemed thick enough to choke on.

They were the students of No.23 High School.

The students' gazes flickered to the massive machinery beside the officer. The expressions of the soldiers varied.

Some fidgeted nervously, afraid of failure, while others brimmed with excitement and hope.

After all, this was the day they would abandon their humanity and step into a new world.

However, one student stood apart.

At the far back of the group, a young man remained still, his expression unreadable. At a glance, he looked utterly unremarkable and forgettable, even. Even so, there was something unsettling about him, like a fleeting image glimpsed in a train window, one that lingers in the mind long after it's gone.

His jet-black hair was a tangled mess, his skin slightly tanned, and his eyes, twin voids, held no spark of life. His unsettling appearance combined with his pale complexion, he looked less like a living person and more like an echo of an individual.

A chilling presence.

Despite his eerie appearance, he wasn't particularly imposing. His physique was barely above average, which was a result of mandatory training rather than dedication. Frankly, he didn't look like someone who could hold his own in a street fight, let alone a battlefield.

Even so, he was standing here on this day.

Klaus Schwarz, 181 centimetres tall, 18 years old male.

His hollow gaze landed on the cylindrical giant machine at the podium where the commanding soldier was standing and barking like a dog. Of course, the machine was far more impressive than the soldier himself.

Furthermore, the machine seemed to be glowing faintly.

Klaus scoffed.

"So this is the crystallization of human ingenuity. I believe it was called Omega, was it?"

His lips curled into a wry smile.

"Whoever named it definitely has unique naming sense."

While pondering the creator of , Klaus sifted through the information he had reviewed countless times.

Hundreds of years ago, humanity faced an invasion from the demon race. Creatures that humans had once dismissed as mere folklore. Stories and myths had painted them as terrifying, but reality proved far worse.

No one understood the demon race.

No one knew their origins.

No one knew how to fight them.

Caught off guard and utterly unprepared, humanity crumbled beneath their assault, reduced to little more than subjugated cattle. Even the world's greatest military forces attempted a counterattack, only to discover a grim truth that human technology was useless against them. Additionally, all sorts of mutation occurred, and all were harmful to humans so their numbers dwindled much faster.

Fortunately, a miracle occurred that gave humanity hope for survival. Unknown individuals with supernatural abilities that could combat the demonic powers of the demon race started to emerge, and soon, the tides of war slowly shifted to humanity's favor.

«Ascendants.» Those who surpassed their human origins and entered the territory of gods.

You can probably guess where this story is going.

The Ascendants rose against the demon race during the Great War, crushed their forces and dove them back into the so-called Demon Realm. With their victory secured, they sealed the gates, ensuring that no demon could ever cross the boundary between worlds again.

Of course, that was what the historical records claimed. But the thing about history was that It rarely tells the whole truth. Klaus was already aware of this truth, but there was nothing he could do. Only the high ranking military officials would know the full picture.

"If someone wants the full story, they have to join the military and climb the ranks… but is that really necessary just to learn the past?"

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"It's nothing."

Klaus shook his head. The female student who had asked the question studied him for a moment before silently turning her gaze forward.

He also shifted his gaze forward.

At the front, Sergeant Griffin stood beside Omega, his hands clasped behind his back, posture rigid and authoritative.

Other officers remained on standby throughout the area, but here, Sergeant Griffin was the one in command.

After scanning the students one by one, Sergeant Griffin finally spoke, his voice booming across the area.

"As you all know, today marks the day of your Awakening Protocol. You will awaken your unique 'Attribute'— along with the abilities it grants."

"Many believe that Omega bestows powers upon humans, but that is a misconception. It does not create abilities, it merely awakens what already lies dormant within you. Your potential is determined by the very blood running through your veins."

"Even if you fail to awaken an ability, there is still a place for you in the military. So don't be discouraged if fate does not favor you today."

Klaus resisted the urge to scoff. How considerate, Sergeant. Almost makes it sound like you care. But your real intent is clear, you just need more bodies to throw into the machine.

Disregarding his thoughts, Sergeant Griffin raised his voice.

"Let the Awakening Ceremony begin!"

The air grew tense. Students who had been lost in their daydreams were snapped back to reality, their hearts pounding.

"ID No. 023-722, step forward!"

A student hesitantly approached and placed their hand on Omega. Seconds passed. Then a full minute.

Nothing happened.

"Failed. Next!" Griffin's voice was devoid of sympathy.

The student lowered their head in silent acceptance and stepped away.

"ID No. 023-578, step forward!"

Another student approached.

"Failed. Next!"

Then another.

"Failed!"

And another student stepped out.

"Failed!"

"Failed!"

"Failed!"

The process repeated over and over. Each failure chipped away at the students' confidence. Expressions darkened. Shoulders tensed. Whispers of anxiety spread through the group.

Time dragged on, and still, no one had awakened their Attribute.

An Attribute was an individual's innate trait, a confluence of their spiritual essence and magical affinities, manifesting as a unique power.

Without one, they would never become an Ascendant, or rise transcend their limitations.

If Klaus were just another hopeful teenager, maybe he'd be nervous too — perhaps clinging to naive optimism, hoping for the best.

But that kind of hope had been crushed long before he reached adulthood.

That's what happens when misfortune and suffering grind a person down.

Once my time in the military is over, I can always find a stable job and leech off someone else. Hoping for anything more would just be greedy.

Klaus didn't think there was anything wrong with that mindset.

According to recent statistics, the probability of awakening a unique Attribute was 1 in 100,000. The chances of awakening a truly exceptional one was a staggering 1 in 1,000,000 percentage.

If he awakened, that would mean he was more gifted than 100,000 others, which was already an unlikely scenario.

This was reality, not some fairytale.

With that, Klaus folded his arms, disinterested, and shut his eyes.

How long did this continue?

One by one, students stepped forward, underwent the test, and returned to the crowd with defeated expressions. The cycle repeated—call, test, fail—until, at last, another individual was called forward onto the stand.

Klaus finally opened his eyes, his gaze landing on a familiar figure.

A young man, likely his age, with neatly combed dirty-blonde hair and striking brown eyes. His features were sharp, with a chiseled jawline that gave him an air of confidence. Standing at approximately 188 centimeters, he towered over most of their peers.

His name is Adrian Falkner.

The kind of person Klaus preferred to avoid.

He didn't know much about Adrian's personality. The white male looked like the approachable type, someone you could have a decent conversation with. But actually engaging with him was simply too risky.

And the reason was simple.

For example—

"Ahh! Oh my, isn't that Adrian?!"

"Even from this angle, he still looks so dreamy~"

"Do you think he'll awaken?"

"Of course he will. Are you seriously asking that? He's from one of the Main Clans. Even if he awakens a low ability, I've never heard of someone from a Main Clan not awakening."

"I see, I see. That's true. I'm so jealous."

Klaus sighed.

Listening to that guy's overly passionate fans was exhausting. Back in school, Adrian was practically a celebrity. He had a pretty face, so, of course, he had a legion of admirers.

Mostly girls, of course.

And the other boys hated him for it.

There was even an incident where a new female student worked up the courage to ask him out, only to be relentlessly bullied by jealous girls until she transferred schools.

Strangely enough, even some guys became targets just for being around Adrian. Klaus never understood why. But that was exactly why it was best to keep his distance.

I heard that a man's jealousy last longer than women, but a woman's jealousy is honestly more frightening.

As that thought crossed his mind, Klaus inadvertently trembled.

At the same time, Sergeant Griffin scanned Adrian before speaking with the same professionalism as before.

"Place your hand on the machine."

"Understood."

Adrian nodded and pressed his palm against the orb at the center of the device. Almost instantly, the machine trembled before glowing with an intense light.

No one had seen this phenomenon before, yet everyone instinctively understood what it meant.

"Ahh! He really awakened!!"

"Ahahaha! Didn't I tell you he would?!"

"Damn it… Why him and not me…?"

Sergeant Griffin's eyes widened a little in shock.

As the light faded from the machine, a faint light emerged and covered Adrian's body at once.

The sergeant let out a hearty laugh.

"Congratulations on your Awakening, Apprentice! You're truly a beast among men!"

"Your words are wasted on me, sir." Adrian scratched his cheek, looking somewhat bashful.

"I'm just stating facts. Also, can you show us what Attribute you awakened?"

Sly bastard. So this was what he was after, huh?

Klaus shook his head.

The awakening device, known as Omega, merely unlocked a person's dominant abilities sealed within, it didn't have the capacity to reveal them. Perhaps it was intentional, but the instructors always asked the newly awakened to demonstrate their talent.

The intent behind that was painfully clear. If Adrian was smart, he'd already know how to handle that question.

The intent behind that was painfully clear. If Adrian was smart, he'd already know how to handle the question.

"Um, I'm sorry, sir, but I don't fully understand my ability yet. Would it be alright if I displayed it another time?"

"Is that so? That's fine."

Sergeant Griffon chuckled, but the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.

Even so, he quickly masked it and addressed Adrian with the same level of respect.

That was the influence not just of an awakened, but of someone from a major clan.

With his awakening complete, Adrian stepped away from the machine and returned to his initial position in the crowd.

All eyes were on him, as if he were the protagonist of some grand story. Countless gazes followed his every move, yet he didn't spare them a single glance.

Klaus couldn't help but wonder if this was what it meant to stand at the top.

Indeed, the world was cruel and harsh.

Soon, an ID number he recognised was called.

"ID. No. 090-999, step forward!"

It was his ID number.