The wind howled across the barren hills of Veyron Village
Dust rolled through the narrow streets as villagers gathered in the central square
Wooden houses surrounded the area, and in the center stood a stone altar glowing with faint blue light
Today was Aether Awakening Day
Every child who had reached the age of fifteen would undergo the ceremony to determine whether they possessed the ability to cultivate
For the people of Aetherion, this day determined everything
Power
Status
Freedom
Or a lifetime of humiliation
Among the gathered children stood a thin boy with black hair and tired eyes
His name was Kael Veyron
He wore worn-out clothes, and unlike the others, he carried no excitement on his face
Only quiet anticipation
Beside him, a tall boy smirked
"Still think you'll awaken Aether, Kael?" he mocked
The boy was Darin Holt, the son of the village chief
Kael remained silent
Darin snorted
"Everyone knows your parents were Aetherless. You'll probably end up the same"
The surrounding children laughed
Kael clenched his fists but said nothing
For years he had heard the same words
Worthless
Useless
Aetherless
At the front of the square stood an elderly man in silver robes. His presence alone silenced the crowd
He was a cultivator from the nearby sect
Elder Taron of the Iron Flame Sect
His voice carried across the square
"Begin the awakening"
One by one, the children stepped forward and placed their hands on the glowing stone
The crystal orb above the altar would shine when Aether was detected
The first child stepped forward
A soft yellow glow appeared
"Mediocre talent," Elder Taron said
The second child
A brighter light
"Good talent"
Excited whispers spread through the crowd
The ceremony continued
Children stepped forward
Some glowed faintly
Others not at all
But at least most had some connection to Aether
Finally, Darin stepped forward
He placed his palm on the stone
The crystal erupted with bright golden light
The crowd gasped
"High-grade talent!" Elder Taron declared
The villagers erupted in cheers
Darin grinned arrogantly and glanced back at Kael
"Try not to cry too much when your turn comes''
Kael ignored him
His heartbeat slowly quickened
Finally, Elder Taron called out
"Next. Kael Veyron"
The entire crowd fell silent
Some villagers whispered quietly
"That poor boy…"
"His parents had no Aether either"
Kael walked toward the altar
Each step felt heavier than the last
But his expression remained calm
He placed his hand on the stone
For a moment…
Nothing happened
The crystal remained dark
Completely dark
Whispers spread instantly
"Nothing…"
"No Aether…"
Elder Taron frowned
He pressed a finger against the stone, checking again
Still nothing
Then he spoke coldly
"Aetherless"
The word struck the crowd like thunder
Laughter erupted
Darin laughed the loudest
"I told you!"
Kael slowly removed his hand
His chest felt tight
But he refused to show emotion
Elder Taron looked at him with mild disappointment
"In this world, strength determines destiny. Without Aether, you cannot cultivate"
The villagers began to disperse
To them, the ceremony was already over
Kael stepped away from the altar quietly
Behind him, Darin shouted
"Hey Kael!"
Kael stopped
Darin approached with several followers
"Since you can't cultivate, maybe you can clean the sect dormitories someday"
The group burst into laughter again
Kael said nothing
He simply walked away
That night, Kael sat alone on a rocky hill outside the village
The sky above was filled with stars
He stared at them silently
"Maybe they're right," he murmured
Without Aether, one could never step onto the path of cultivation
It meant a lifetime as a servant
Or worse
He clenched his fists
"I won't accept that"
His voice trembled slightly
But his determination was real
Just then
A strange sound echoed from behind him
CRACK
The ground beneath the hill suddenly collapsed
Kael's eyes widened
"Wha—?!"
The earth gave way beneath his feet
He fell into darkness
Rocks tumbled around him as he crashed through layers of stone
Finally
THUD!
He hit the ground hard
Pain exploded through his body
Kael groaned and slowly lifted his head
The place he had fallen into looked like a hidden underground chamber
Ancient stone pillars stood in the darkness
Strange symbols covered the walls
At the center of the chamber stood a broken pedestal
And floating above it…
Was a small black crystal fragment
It pulsed faintly with dark light
Kael stared at it in confusion
"What… is this place?"
The crystal suddenly moved
Before he could react
It shot forward
Straight into his chest
Kael screamed
"AAAAAH!"
Pain flooded his entire body
His veins burned as if molten fire flowed through them
He collapsed onto the ground, shaking violently
Then
A cold voice echoed inside his mind
[System Initialization Detected]
Kael froze
"What…?"
The voice continued
[Primordial System Awakening]
[Host Detected]
[Compatibility: 100%]
Kael's eyes widened in shock.
[Welcome, Host.]
[You have been chosen.]
The chamber trembled as ancient energy filled the air
And for the first time in his life
The boy with no Aether felt power flowing through his body