Late Again

In a wide, grassy field, a tall, muscular man with golden hair glared at the boy standing before him—the very boy who had knocked out his son's teeth with a single punch.

The boy was Kyle. He had turned 15 just a few weeks ago, and today, he awakened his natural talent—the power that marked the limit of a person's growth and potential.

Kyle stared back at the man, then shifted his cold gaze to the 15-year-old boy behind him—the man's son, with the same golden hair.

"Why should I apologize? It's Sen's fault!"

He shouted, while his father, Baron Ohan, stood beside him, looking concerned. The muscular man in front of them was John—someone they couldn't afford to confront, as he was far stronger than they were.

All Ohan had was the meaningless title of 'Baron', earned by assisting some nobles.

'I can't let anything happen to my son.'

He lowered his head and apologized on Kyle's behalf because he was too weak to fight for him. If only he could, he would've fought the man with everything he had.

Kyle's eyes widened at his father's actions, but then a realization finally struck him. He turned to John with a blank expression.

'Ah… they are far too powerful. There's nothing we can do to them.'

His heart sank as the harsh reality of their world finally set in. It was a world ruled by the strong—and he was simply an average individual. He grabbed his father's arm to steady him and then turned to face John.

"I was the one who hit your son. So, I apologize for my actions."

Kyle's voice was calm, but his fists were clenched tightly, and his eyes were cold.

John's son, Sen, shot him a look of disdain before turning away with his father. As they walked off, Sen glanced back and muttered.

"Tsk, weak ants."

Once they were gone, Ohan looked at his son with an apologetic expression. He had failed him and couldn't stand by him when it mattered—because he was too weak.

"My son..."

But Kyle just shook his head, his face calm and unreadable. He knew that hitting Sen in public had placed his family in danger.

"I'm fine. Really."

He said it, but the light in his eyes had already faded. The word 'ant' echoed in his mind—a cruel reminder of the gap between him and Sen. After all, he had awakened an inferior talent. No matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to close that gap.

'So, what's the point of getting so angry when I'll never reach him in this lifetime?'

***

One year later, in Nyan City, a middle-aged man sat in the dining hall of a modest home, sharing breakfast with his two eldest sons. It was Ohan, enjoying a peaceful moment with his family after a long, tiring week.

The dining table was laid with a simple yet delicious breakfast, but one chair remained empty—even as the meal was nearly over.

Finally, a young boy wandered into the hall, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn. It was Kyle, the youngest son of Baron Ohan.

Just like his father, he had black hair and dark eyes—though the tips of his hair had mysteriously turned a shade of silver.

With a nod to his father, he hurriedly took his seat and began eating without a care.

Baron Ohan sighed as his eyes lingered on Kyle's hair. Suddenly, last month, the tips of his hair had turned silver, and although he'd been worried at first, no health issues were found. Eventually, he let it go. A warm smile crept onto his face as he watched Kyle.

"Late again?"

"Sorry, Father. I overslept."

Ray, Ohan's eldest son, shook his head at Kyle's laid-back attitude. Skipping breakfast out of laziness had become routine for him.

As Kyle munched on a pancake, his second brother, Neon, shot him a mischievous grin.

"My dear little brother, the Royal Academy's holding its entrance test tomorrow to scout new students. You should give it a shot."

The Royal Academy was the most famous institution in Kingdom Escalante, renowned across the East Continent. It held the title of the number 1 academy because its principal was the strongest human in the kingdom.

Each year, the Academy held an entrance exam to find and recruit promising talents.

As long as the candidate wasn't a wanted criminal and was between the ages of 16 and 17, they were eligible to participate.

Kyle choked, his dark eyes widening as he stared at Neon. He knew he met the criteria—having turned sixteen this year—but still...

"Are you talking to me?"

His question was only natural.

After all, even Ray—their older brother with an impressive (A)-Rank talent—had failed the Royal Academy test a few years ago.

How could he, Kyle, with just a (B)-Rank talent, possibly stand any chance?

On their planet, known as the Blue Planet, where many races—such as humans, elves, dwarves, and others—coexisted. Everyone could awaken their talent, which showed their natural growth limit, upon turning 15.

These talents were ranked, starting from the lowest—(F)-Rank—followed by (E), (D), (C), (B), (A), (S), and (SS), all the way up to the most highest, (SSS)-Rank.

Each rank was further divided into three sub-ranks, such as (F-), (F), and (F+).

Once an individual awakened their talent, they could finally wield mana—a magical energy. They would start at the (F-)-Rank and gradually grow stronger, progressing until reaching the end of their talent.

Kyle had awakened a (B)-Rank talent.

It was considered decent—somewhere in the middle—but even after an entire year, he was still stuck at the (F-)-Rank! That's why he had no desire to become a warrior or a mage. In fact, he preferred to keep a good distance from anything related to fighting!

Ray noticed Kyle's blank look, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He was, of course, eager to see his lazy brother face a little hardship, so he quickly chimed in.

"That's a great suggestion, Neon! Kyle, you should definitely participate! Even if you fail—well, you are bound to fail anyway—you'll gain a lot of valuable experience from it."

Their father, Baron Ohan, looked puzzled, but after catching the signal in Ray's eyes, he gave a thoughtful nod. As a merchant and a (B)-Rank who had already reached the limits of his talent, he understood all too well how harsh their world could be.

Both of his eldest sons had faced their share of setbacks, but Kyle, the youngest, was always carefree. He had never forced him or been angry with him, but he hoped that Kyle would one day mature and step out into the outside world on his own.

Ohan knew the Royal Academy's entrance test was challenging, but he wasn't worried. Unlike other academies, the Royal Academy prioritized the safety of all participants.

Also, Kyle was only participating for the experience. He could withdraw if he got injured or felt he couldn't fight anymore.

Kyle glanced at his father and then at his two brothers, feeling the urge to cry. He tried to express his unhappiness to his father, but his feelings were ignored.

With anger in his eyes, he turned to Neon—the one responsible for his misery. A few years ago, this jerk had also awakened a (B)-Rank talent, just like Kyle. Yet he had chosen to apply to a local academy!

'Why the hell do I have to go through the infamous test of the Royal Academy?'

Kyle grumbled. He enjoyed the calm, lazy life he had been living with his family.

From a young age, he had never been a competitive person, and after his mother's death, he became even more withdrawn.

At fifteen, he awakened a (B)-Rank talent, which exceeded his expectations—but then he found himself compared to Sen John, someone his age with even greater talent. Because of Sen's presence, the few friends he had drifted away, making it hard for him to connect with anyone outside his family.

He never told his family the truth; instead, he pretended he simply didn't like making friends—just to keep them from worrying.

'Well, I wouldn't call them friends. They were just passing through my life.'

Ultimately, he gave up on making friends. He practiced basic sword techniques only because of Ray's constant nagging. But that really was the extent of his effort.

Kyle never pushed himself—everything just felt like too much of a hassle. Ultimately, what was the point of working hard when he already knew the limits of his talent?

Well, if he were an (S)-Rank, maybe he would have tried. Sure, he was making excuses for his laziness—but so what?

It was his life.

Now, all he wanted was to live a laid-back life. In fact, he had already mapped out his future. In a few years, he planned to start a business in the city and enjoy a normal life.

He let out a sigh. His dreams of living a normal life were shattered all because of his annoying brother, who was currently stuffing his face right in front of him.

'I wish you'd choke on that food!'

Neon felt a shiver. He looked at Kyle, the only one who could be responsible.

"Are you cursing me internally?"

Kyle blinked innocently and looked around before pointing his finger at his own nose.

"Who, me?"

Neon felt the urge to throw a punch at his innocent face, but he took a deep breath.

'I'll see him suffer tomorrow, anyway!'

Meanwhile, Kyle narrowed his eyes as he looked at Neon again. He was cursing his dear brother again. But it seemed like Kyle didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

'It's not like I will pass the test, so trying it for the sake of experience isn't a big deal...'

He wiped his invisible tears.

'The only problem is whether I can make it through the entrance test with all my body parts intact and in the right places! Shit!'