The Oakhaven town square bustled with anticipation as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The air was alive with an electric tingle of excitement, a symphony of whispers echoing off the stone buildings. Tonight marked the annual Aptitude Test, and the townsfolk gathered to witness their prodigies shine.
Evan lay sprawled on a worn-out mat, his eyes drooping like saucer-shaped flowers in the fading light. His ears were sealed away from reality by a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the rhythmic thump of ambient electronica lulling him deeper into somnambulant slumber. Mr. Sterling, Oakhaven's resident bureaucrat, hovered beside Evan with an anxious air, his bespectacled eyes darting about like ants on a sugar trail.
Leo, the local prodigy, stood atop the test stage, her gaze locked onto the radiant testing crystal as if it held the secrets of the universe within its facets. The crowd murmured in reverent hushes as Leo's fingers danced across an invisible script, leaving behind a trail of swirling runes that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Beyond the town square's periphery, wispy tendrils of fog crept forth like ghostly tentacles from the riverbanks. The scent of wet earth and dampened stone wafted on the breeze, mingling with the sweetness of roasting chestnuts sold by the vendors.
As Evan's breathing slowed to match the beat of the music, his mind drifted toward distant shores where time itself was currency. A flutter in the crowd caught Mr. Sterling's attention. His eyes snapped towards the town hall clock tower as its face glowed bright with an ethereal light. The chimes began their solemn tolling, signaling the test's commencement. A collective holding of breath echoed across the square; whispers ceased mid-syllable.
Evan's eyelids fluttered open, his gaze unfocused on the swirling vortex of colors dancing before him. He yawned, a slow-motion sequence unfolding as he stretched out stiff limbs. Mr. Sterling pounced upon the opportunity to rouse Evan from slumber, grasping his shoulder like a vice.
"Evan! Time for your test!"
The words carried an urgency that made sweat dot Mr. Sterling's brow. As he pulled Evan upright, the ambient music paused mid-beat, plunging the square into sudden silence. Evan's eyelids creaked open like rusty hinges as he swayed unsteadily to his feet. The ambient music still hung in the air, a suspended note that refused to resolve. His gaze drifted toward Leo, who stood poised on the test stage like an arrow pointing heavenward.
Mr. Sterling grasped Evan's shoulder with renewed urgency, propelling him forward. The crowd parted as Evan stumbled into view, his eyes glassy and unfocused. The testing crystal pulsed with an otherworldly energy, casting an eerie glow across Leo's determined features. Time seemed to bend and warp around the scene, the seconds ticking away like grains of sand slipping through a tiny hourglass.
Evan's gaze lingered on the crystal as if drawn by some unseen force. His hand reached out, slow motion unfolding like a blooming flower, his fingers brushing against the gemstone's facets. The air seemed to vibrate in anticipation as Evan's eyes locked onto Leo's, their connection forged through a shared sense of disorientation. Time appeared to distort further, the seconds compressing into an eternity. Mr. Sterling's grip on Evan's shoulder tightened like a vice, his face pale beneath its sheen of sweat.
The crowd held its collective breath, the only sound the soft hum of the ambient music still lingering in the air. The testing crystal began to glow with an intense light, its facets melting into a swirling vortex that drew both Evan and Leo toward it. Mr. Sterling's eyes widened in horror as he realized too late what was happening—the energy output far exceeding any known limit.
A blinding flash of light engulfed the scene, leaving everything bathed in an unearthly radiance. The air seemed to shimmer with the weight of something ancient, a force that defied comprehension. Evan's hand closed around the testing crystal, his eyes burning with an intensity that transcended human understanding. The world froze in shock as the SSSS-Rank energy surged forth from the crystal, its power coursing through Evan like a floodgate bursting open.
The crowd watched in stunned silence as Evan's body began to glow with an ethereal light, his form blurring at the edges as if reality itself was bending to accommodate this impossible phenomenon. The ambient music returned, its beat pulsating in time with the rhythm of chaos unfolding before them. In that moment, everything seemed poised on the brink of collapse—the world, the test, and Evan's very essence.
As Evan's body continued to radiate an otherworldly glow, the air around him distorted like the surface of a pond hit by a stone. The sound of shattering glass and splintering wood filled the square as reality itself seemed to buckle under the strain. Evan's hand remained clenched around the testing crystal, his fingers now glowing with an intense light that threatened to consume everything in its path.
Mr. Sterling stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror as he realized the true extent of the destruction unfolding before him. The crowd watched in horror as Evan's form began to blur at the edges, his body elongating like a drop of water poured onto a hot skillet. The ambient music reached a fever pitch, its beat warping and twisting until it sounded like the very fabric of space-time was being torn apart.
In that moment, everything seemed poised on the brink of collapse—the world, the test, and Evan's very essence. As if sensing the impending catastrophe, the testing crystal began to glow with an intensity that made it seem as though it were a miniature sun burning at the heart of the chaos. The light grew so intense that even the ambient music seemed to recoil in terror, its beat faltering like a heartbeat struggling to stay alive.
And then, in an instant, everything went white—not just visually, but also mentally and emotionally. The world ceased to exist; there was only Evan's blazing form, suspended in mid-air as if held aloft by the sheer force of his will.
In that moment, Evan knew he had transcended even his own limitations. He had become something greater than human, a being capable of bending reality to his whim. And yet, even as this knowledge dawned on him, he felt an overwhelming sense of unease—not just because of the destruction around him, but also because he knew that there was more to come. More power. More chaos. More consequences.
As Evan's blazing form continued to radiate its intense energy, a whispered warning echoed through his mind: "The Sloth will starve the harvest." And with that thought, everything went dark—not just visually, but also mentally and emotionally. The world was silent; there was only the sound of Evan's ragged breathing as he lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes open to a reality that would never be the same again. The ambient music resumed its beat, this time pulsing with an intensity that seemed to match the rhythm of Evan's very heartbeat.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Talent Detected: SSSS-Rank (Slothful Sovereign)
Error: Capacity Overload. Aptitude Crystal Destroyed.
Initial Status: F-Rank .
Daily Yield: 10% Compounding Interest (Active)
Current Stats: 10.0
Current Mood: Extremely Tired.