Chapter 14 – Once-in-a-Lifetime Talent
Zane lay sprawled on the floor, letting his aching muscles rest after the brutal training session. The adrenaline was still there, buzzing beneath his skin like electricity. It was hard to put into words, but something deep within him had changed. The rush of growth—real, tangible progress—was like a shot of purpose straight into his veins.
He could feel it in his bones.
'If an hour of training could bring such a difference… what would days or weeks give me?' he thought, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The answer came to him without hesitation—power. Real, overwhelming power.
A chuckle slipped from his lips, light at first, but it soon grew into something more. He sat up, his shoulders trembling as the laughter spilled out of him in sharp bursts.
"Haha… Hahaha!"
It wasn't a laugh of joy—not exactly. It was raw. A strange mix of disbelief, bitterness, and something akin to triumph. He laughed until his sides hurt and the edges of his eyes turned damp.
Was it because the world had been so cruel for so long? Because five years of hardship now seemed like a joke compared to a single hour under this new reality?
Maybe both.
Eventually, the laughter faded, swallowed by silence. His expression sobered, the mask of calm sliding back over his face as he pushed himself up from the floor. He didn't feel like smiling anymore. The moment had passed.
He still wanted to train, but his body had clearly reached its limit. Pushing any further would do more harm than good. With sluggish steps, he made his way to the bathroom and took another shower, letting the warm water soothe his overworked muscles.
Afterward, dressed in clean clothes, Zane wandered into the kitchen.
"Hmm, let's see what I have in the fri—" he started, opening the fridge.
Empty shelves greeted him, and a moment of awkward silence ensued.
"...Right. I have nothing. Great."
He sighed, shutting the door a little harder than necessary. 'I was supposed to get groceries yesterday… but with everything that happened, I completely forgot.'
His stomach growled loudly, as if scolding him for the oversight.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he muttered.
Opening a drawer, he grabbed his wallet and peeked inside. A few crumpled bills stared back at him—just enough to scrape by. His finances had always been tight. Ever since his mother passed, he'd been living off the savings she left behind and a modest monthly allowance the state sent. It was barely enough to survive.
"I'll just get the bare essentials."
Another grumble echoed from his stomach. He didn't waste more time and headed out.
Outside, the morning sun peeked lazily through the thin veil of clouds. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few early risers. Zane walked briskly toward the local market, the one he always went to. It wasn't far—just a few blocks away—and he liked it because it was quiet and often had decent discounts.
Sure enough, the store was nearly deserted when he arrived. The lights buzzed faintly overhead, and the only other person inside was the cashier, who was slumped over the counter, fast asleep.
Zane grabbed a basket and began walking the aisles. "Let's see… eggs, milk, bread…" He mentally listed what he needed and picked out the cheapest versions of each. A few items quickly turned into a full basket, but he made sure not to go overboard.
Approaching the register, he glanced at the sleeping man behind the counter.
"Uh, excuse me?" he said, tapping the counter. "Wake up."
No response.
Zane frowned. "Hey, come on. I need to pay for thi—"
Before he could finish, the sound of a loud ding cut through the air. He looked up at the TV mounted in the corner. The News Channel logo flashed for a second, and then the image cut to a sweating anchor, his expression tight with barely-contained disbelief.
"BREAKING NEWS!" the man shouted. "We apologize for interrupting regular programming, but this is urgent! Just moments ago, it was confirmed that one of the injections administered in Lower Earth has unveiled… an S-Rank talent!"
Zane blinked.
"…What?" he muttered, stunned.
The reporter continued, his voice growing more frantic. "Yes, you heard that correctly. An S-Rank talent—one of the rarest, most powerful talent classifications—has been confirmed. And it emerged from Lower Earth!"
The weight of the words sank in, and Zane's eyes widened.
"An S-Rank? From here?"
The anchor went on. "We do not yet know the name of the individual, but the Eastern Delegation has officially verified the results. This is a historical moment. A never-before-seen phenomenon."
Zane stood there frozen, staring at the screen like he was watching a fantasy unfold.
'An S-Rank talent… here, of all places?'
It was almost absurd. S-Rank talents were more than just rare—they were mythical. The kind of individuals who could reshape battlefields, end calamities, and shift the balance of entire worlds. Dimensional Knights of such power were legends in their own right.
And now… one had appeared in the lowest-ranked realm.
'If that's true, then everything will change. Not just for Lower Earth, but for the entire realm hierarchy.'
The implications raced through his mind. The sudden interest of powerful organizations. The shift in the political climate. The endless pressure that would be placed on whoever this mysterious person turned out to be. Just thinking about it made Zane's head throb, so he couldn't imagine what the individual themselves is going through now.
'The Delegation must be scrambling behind the scenes. That's probably why they didn't release the name—they're trying to control the narrative before it explodes. Fiora's reaction to me was bad enough, and my abnormality is nowhere near as rare as whatever this is. This… this is a thousand times more chaotic.'
"Hnng…" The cashier finally stirred, jolted awake by the noise. He rubbed his eyes groggily. "What… happened?"
Zane looked at him and calmly gestured to the basket. "I need to pay."
The man blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah… Sure, kid."
As the cashier started scanning the items, Zane added, "You might want to close the store for the day."
The man squinted at him. "Why?"
Zane's gaze darkened slightly. "Trust me. It's going to get loud out there."
The man shrugged, clearly not grasping the full weight of what was happening. "Whatever you say. That'll be 29.30."
Zane handed over the cash and picked up the bags, heading back into a world that was rapidly descending into mayhem.
Even as he walked home, he could hear the distant sound of car horns, people yelling, footsteps pounding the pavement. The news was spreading like wildfire. Every phone in the city would be buzzing. Every government office would be scrambling.
The birth of an S-Rank talent wasn't just big news—it was a global event. A miracle. A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that would dominate headlines for weeks, maybe months.
When he returned to his apartment, Zane dropped the bags on the kitchen counter and turned on the television. Every single channel had abandoned their usual content to cover the same story. The scene was the same across the board: anchors barely able to contain their emotions, experts speculating wildly, and public footage of citizens gathering in disbelief.
All eyes were on the East. All eyes were on Lower Earth.
Zane leaned back against the wall, watching it all unfold.
"All of this," he murmured, "for something that person didn't even work to earn."
His lips curled into a bitter smile.
"This world really does worship luck."