I glanced at the spot on my wrist, my watch had totally gone invisible but left a glow of its shape, I tapped twice, the familiar glow flickered, forming a dim-blue hologram in front of me and my level reading was still zero.
Level: 0. "Since I wore this thing," I muttered, "my level's been stuck at zero, is it broken or something?"
I was sure in the whole class I wasn't the only one with a zero level reading. And now that I remember, after break I left my desk and went to sit behind Ayumi, there was a guy seated behind me, and Saito was at the last desk, further back. I sat near the window, letting my eyes drift outside, the wind blew in softly, brushing through my hair, sweeping the front strands across my face. And then... I remembered something, something someone once told me though no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't clearly remember who it was.
The Nie race exists in Japan, a term for those born from the union of Africans and Japanese, it started only a few years ago, when a group of Africans from different regions travelled to Japan for different reasons. They built lives here, quietly, purposefully and from their union, the Nie were born, we aren't spread out like the others, but we exist enough for people to whisper our name like a strange tale they half believe.
People stare like we're myths that somehow stepped out of their bedtime stories and here individuals are ranked by generations, not by age nor wealth but by power. From the First Generation to the Ninth, everything depends on what ability you're born with... or what awakens inside you later.
If you're born with one? You're a lyk - one who had acquired and If it comes later? You're a kyl - one who has acquired and if you have nothing at all or you're still waiting for something to spark ‐you're a kylyk and those with more than one ability are called mayana.To me? That's an idiot, not that I care, it's all lame anyway, this whole system, the names and rankings, one day I'll rewrite them all, that's for sure.
Mayana are ranked Tenth Generation and above, depending on how many extra abilities they've got. Two, three, maybe four, though no one's ever had more than two.
They think it makes them special, that the name sounds cool. It just sounds dumb to me... I wish I could meet the old geezer who came up with these ridiculous titles, I'd pluck out every one of his teeth just for fun, too bad he was one of Lumiya's first inhabitants and he died a long time ago. But hey... not that I care.
In this world, power is everything, the ability to manipulate any force, whether born from your own strength or drawn from the natural world, determines your worth and they gave each generation a title:
1st Generation: Water, they can create water or manipulate what already exists, calm, rushing, still, or raging, it bends to their will.
2nd Generation: Sand, they can summon sand from thin air or command the deserts like loyal beasts, grains become blades in their hands.
3rd Generation: Thunder, raw crackling power, they don't just call lightning, they become it. Every movement, a storm waiting to erupt.
4th Generation: Magma, they walk with fire beneath their feet, earth splits, heat roars, and molten rock flows wherever they point.
5th Generation: Fire, pure flame, whether igniting from breath, skin, or thought, they burn bright, burn fast, and burn everything.
6th Generation: Sound, they wield vibrations like weapons, a whisper can deafen, scream can shatter stone and their silence? Worse.
7th Generation: Age, time is a mask they wear, they can make you younger, older, or erase your identity by time altogether. It's an illusion, wrapped in truth, cloaked in fear.
8th Generation: Life and Death, they can decide when you live and when you stop, they can curse one with sickness, end you in an instant, or bring the dead back whole although they have limitations.
But if they fall? Only another Eighth can return them, I am really not a fun of the 8th. They tear themselves apart with every use, which saves the rest of us the trouble.
Pathetic.
9th Generation: Time, the most unstable of all, they bend past, present, and future like threads in a fraying rope. The only ones who can challenge the 8th but barely.
Yeah, they all sound powerful and dangerous but one day I'm going to change everything, the names, the rankings, the system, every single thing. This world doesn't know what's coming because right now... I am just a lyk, and I await to awaken more.
Ahhh... whose words were those again?
In reality those where my own words.
I snapped back to reality when the classroom door opened suddenly and Ms. Yuna came in dead serious and annoyed. She wasn't alone that time, we were joined by Class A's instructor, Mr. Kaizuka. The kind of man who spoke like he was announcing a national broadcast every time he opened his mouth. It was the first time we heard the full breakdown of the system.
Ms. Yuna stood before us, arms crossed, her expression stern, perhaps irritated, though none of us could tell if it was because of Mr. Kaizuka's presence or something else entirely. "This morning," she began, her voice sharp and clear, "the Academy is officially implementing a new system."
She tapped her own wrist, where a sleek, black watch was strapped. "Until now, these watches were reserved exclusively for certified hunters to monitor their levels, XP, skill usage, and ability growth. But with the recent Vyrak outbreak, the council has deemed it necessary for every student to begin leveling up immediately."
She let that sink in before continuing. "These watches will track your Generation ability, your combat progress, and every recorded encounter from today forward. However, understand this, anything you've done before receiving the watch, any dungeon cleared, any fights survived, will not count. Your experience points will start from zero."
There was a subtle shift in the room, some of us glanced at our wrists. Others sat up straighter.
"That said," she continued, her tone softening just slightly, "your initial level will be automatically calibrated based on your current strength. It may not be impressive to everyone... but it will be accurate."
She eyed the class once more. "This isn't just for show anymore. The system begins now."
Ms. Yuna had finished her part and stepped aside, leaving the rest to Mr. Kaizuka, he walked to the front of the room, his gaze sharp as it swept across the students like a slow, calculating scan. He didn't speak at first and just stood there, eyes narrowing slightly as if searching for something invisible in the air around us, then he stopped and pointed directly at me. "I don't feel a thing from him, no aura, no presence," he said coldly. "Why is he in Class B?"
His finger still aimed in my direction as he turned to Ms.Yuna and chuckled dryly. "So this is where your luck brought you, Mr. Takahashi?" he sneered.
Miss Yuna didn't respond, she simply averted her gaze, arms crossed, jaw tight. Kaizuka smirked. "Ah, now I remember, he's the kid who fought with raw strength in their entrance sparring test, right? No ability to speak of, just fists, a typical kylyk. What's he doing in this class? Shouldn't he be down in Class C?"
A few students turned toward me, some curious, others confused. My eyes didn't leave him. I wasn't sure if he was genuinely questioning the system or just trying to get under my skin. Ms. Yuna interrupted him sharply. "If you're not going to explain the system to them, then I'll gladly take over. This is my class, and I don't need you belittling them."
Kaizuka raised both hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll do it. Let's just get this over with so I can return to my real class. Not like I enjoy babysitting weaklings." He turned to the large metal case behind him and unlocked it, revealing rows of sleek black wrist devices each with a faint glow in the center. "These are CoreLinks," he said. "I'll try to keep this short, so don't slow me down with questions." But of course… that was wishful thinking.
He pick up one. "This is a CoreLink, physically isn'tno differentfrom a watch but this one fuses to the wrist, cannot be removed." He continued "It's waterproof, unbreakable, and lightweight, as the user's Generation Level increases, the watch begins to dissolve and bond to the user's DNA, making the interface part of them. To activate it, double-tap the wrist area, and a projected screen (hologram-style) appears in front of them."
Students started to murmured. "He said we shouldn't slow him down with questions but shouldn't he slow down a bit?"
So, what kind of information does it display?" He continued, no breaks.
Information it displays
1. User Name & Rank
2. Generation, Type & Level (e.g., "5th Generation – Fire")
3. XP Progress Bar (Earned from battles, missions, dungeon runs)
4. Stamina & Health
5. Essencia Core Balance (energy gauge)
6. Recent Activity Log (like mission or battle reports)
7. Target Scan / Beast Log (shows creatures defeated + their details)
8. Essencia Afinity % (Measures how well a user synced with an Essencia Core)
"There are some other information it might display but not to all, like."
9. Spirit Resonance (Reveals bonds with spirits or familiars)
9. Corrupted Signal (Detects anomalies, such as clones or unstable users)
"Excuse me Mr. Kaizuka?" Someone couldn't hold a question any more. Mr. Kaizuka frowned." What?!"
"What is an Essencia Core and how do we find them?" It was a valid question but Mr. Kaizuka wasn't ready to answer it but he had no choice.
"An Essencia Core is a rare, crystalline energy source that exists naturally inside dungeons, Viraks, or deep underground regions. It is the purest form of Generation Energy in your world that fuels a person's abilities, stats, and evolution through the CoreLink system, think of it like a spiritual battery or mana heart that holds compressed elemental power."
"Now let's continue... " But Ms. Yuna cut him off. " i will explain where one can get an Essencia Core... "
"Essencia Cores can be obtained from:
1. Fallen Vyraks, some powerful Vyraks especially dungeon bosses or corrupted variants drop a core when defeated, these are unstable but potent.
2. Dungeon Veins, hidden deep within high tier dungeons are glowing veins of Essencia crystal formations that can be harvested with the right tools, these are more stable and refined.
3. Synthetic Production (Rare & Expensive) The Guild or certain elite families may have labs that create low-tier synthetic Essencia Cores, these aren't as powerful but help beginner users sync without danger."
I was already tired of listening to their nonstop explanations, I wished it was lunch already but the rest seemed so interested, I had started to doze off.
"What are their benefits to a hunter?" Ms. Yuna continued but Mr. Kaizuka couldn't take it anymore.
1. Boosts XP gained when synced through CoreLink
2. Stabilizes abilities and prevents power fluctuation
3. Required for unlocking Advanced Techniques
4. Increases Essencia Compatibility % (attunement score)
How It grows with the user:
Level 1–9: Feels like a regular band/watch.
Level 10–20: Begins to integrate into skin (becomes invisible until tapped).
Level 30+: Can link directly to mental commands and auto-activates in combat situations." I will continue with the levels." Mr. Kaizuka cut her off. I had lost count of the times Kaito had yawned.
There are Levels 1–100, but the mayana tend to exceed them.
Level 1 is mostly for beginner student.
Level 100, peak hunter, potentially capable of leading a guild or rivaling a Guild President
Kaito excused himself, then another student followed, immediately another, they were so far seven but Mr. Kaizuka didn't seem to mind, he was tired to looking at our faces too. I kept wondering why they didn't just give us the watches and have us understand it by ourselves than have this as a full lesson, it was giving me a headache.
"Ecah level falls to a certain rank." He continued.
F-Rank (Level 1–9)
New students / untested hunters.
E-Rank (Level 10–19)
Basic trainees with minimal dungeon clearance.
D-Rank (Level 20–29)
Reliable support fighters, team assistants.
C-Rank (Level 30–44)
Solo-capable hunters, beginner squad leaders.
B-Rank (Level 45–59)
Advanced hunters, dungeon front-liners, minor guild captains.
A-Rank (Level 60–79)
Elite hunters, often in charge of full raids or teams
S-Rank (Level 80–99) Rare-level hunters, usually assigned to dangerous Virak zones or black zones
SS-Rank (Level 100+) Only legends reach this level. Guild Presidents and a hunter's Guild directer.
XP could be earned by:
1. Defeating magical beasts (Vyraks, dungeon mobs)
2. Completing school missions.
3. Surviving ranked duels or evaluations.
4. Syncing with Essencia crystals.
Leveling slows down significantly past Level 30, so rising from C to B Rank takes real talent or dungeon activity.
Immediately the bell rang. "Tomorrow I will distribute an XP level up scrips so you can understand how many XP points are needed to move from one level to another." Ms. Yuna added.