Chapter 1 — The Test That Should’ve Made Me Ordinary

  The testing hall buzzed with nervous excitement. Students whispered, bragged, prayed. Today was the day affinities were revealed, and futures were decided.

  I wasn’t excited.

  I already knew what my result would be: Zero Affinity.

  “Arin Vale!”

  I stepped forward. The Affinity Crystal stood on its pedestal, taller than me, runes pulsing softly. Every student before me had touched it and watched it flare with color—red for fire, blue for water, gold for light. Even rare ones like storm or void.

  I placed my hand on the surface.

  Nothing happened.

  No glow. No warmth. No reaction.

  A few snickers rose behind me. The examiner sighed, already writing on his clipboard.

  “Arin Vale, Zero Affin—”

  The world stopped.

  The examiner froze mid-sentence. The students behind me froze mid-laugh. Dust motes hung motionless in the air. Even the flickering torches paused mid-flicker.

  Only I could move.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Only I could breathe.

  And the Affinity Crystal beneath my hand… shattered.

  The shards didn’t fall. They floated, suspended in the frozen air like black stars. A cold whisper slid into my mind.

  —Vessel located. Initiating Deathbound System.

  A translucent interface appeared before my eyes, sharp and undeniable.

  Deathbound System initializing…

  Affinity Detected: Necros — Forbidden Class

  Visibility: Hidden (System undetectable by external magic)

  Compatibility: 99.7%

  Status: Perfect Vessel Found

  My heart pounded. My breath caught in my throat.

  Another line appeared.

  Primary Skill Unlocked: Soulbrand

  Description: Imprint your mark upon the dead. Allows basic reanimation.

  Note: Skill rank evolves through usage, kills, and soul quality.

  The floating shards spiraled around me, forming a crown of black fragments.

  Then time snapped back.

  The shards reassembled instantly, the crystal returning to perfect shape as if nothing had happened. The examiner blinked, confused for a half second, then continued writing.

  “Arin Vale, Zero Affinity. You may step aside.”

  But the crystal wasn’t done.

  A faint pulse of black light flickered inside it—so quick and so dim that it almost looked like a shadow passing through glass.

  The room fell silent.

  Students stared. The examiner frowned. A few instructors exchanged confused looks.

  Black wasn’t on any affinity chart.

  Black wasn’t in any textbook.

  Black wasn’t supposed to exist.

  But the glow had been so brief, so weak, that no one could classify it. No one could accuse me of anything. No one could even agree on what they saw.

  “Probably a mana impurity,” one instructor muttered.

  “Or a defective crystal reaction,” another said.

  The examiner shrugged and scribbled something new on his clipboard.

  “Unidentified Affinity — Low Potential. Next!”

  A final message pulsed in my vision, unseen by anyone else.

  Quest Generated: The Hidden One

  Objective: Conceal your affinity for 30 days.

  Reward: First Summon Slot Unlocked

  I stepped away from the crystal, my hand trembling slightly.

  Zero Affinity?

  No.

  I had awakened the rarest, most forbidden power in the world.

  And no one else had a clue.