“Support Type, with only a slight mana regeneration effect,” said the short-haired blonde woman in a blue outfit and long white coat. “You do understand how bad this is, right, Toby?”

  “I’ve trained my mana every single day. I know how to fight. I know how to control it. I won’t waste it. I can survive the test.”

  Toby’s words tumbled out in a rush. He knew his chances of entering the First Ascension Trial were already painfully slim. Even so, he had worked for this. He had prepared for this. He refused to let this opportunity slip through his fingers, no matter the cost.

  “Listen to me, Toby,” she said, crossing her legs as her gaze turned cold. “You’re still twelve. You still have your whole life ahead of you. The survival rate of the First Ascension Trial is very low. On average, it’s only fifty percent. And with the innate card you have, it’s even lower.”

  Her eyes sharpened further. “You need something more practical. A weapon card. An equipment card. An offensive spell card. Slight mana regeneration gives you no real advantage. Your survival rate is zero percent. The moment you step into that rift, you’re dead.”

  “But, ma’am, I can keep my innate card active for one hour without stopping. I’ve also trained with a sword. And survival skills. I know how to live in the wild. I even passed the test against a Tier One monster.”

  The woman let out another sigh. “Family?”

  “No, ma’am. I don’t have anyone waiting for me.”

  “Okay, at least no one will be looking for you if you die.”

  Her eyes lingered on him for a brief second before she added coldly, “All you’ll do is waste the Association’s resources. But I suppose you’ve already decided to throw your life away.”

  She handed the document back to him, then turned her head without another glance. “Next.”

  “Thanks,” Toby said with a small, restrained smile as he accepted the paper.

  Behind him, the vast hall buzzed with tension. Bright lights flooded the space, reflecting off polished floors while young awakeners stood in clusters, whispering to themselves, or staring silently at the floor as they prepared for the same trial.

  “Hurry up, kid.”

  A man who looked to be in his twenties shoved Toby’s shoulder, forcing him to quicken his pace.

  They walked down a long corridor. Along the way, they passed several other awakeners, most of them around Toby’s age. Some wore pale, defeated expressions, their eyes fixed on the floor. Others held their heads high, trying to look confident, though the tension in their shoulders gave them away.

  At the end of the corridor, they stopped in front of another door. Above it, bold letters were carved into a metal plate.

  NO SURVIVAL CLASSIFICATION

  Toby pushed the door open and stepped inside. In the room, a man in a long white coat, who looked to be in his twenties, sat in the front chair.

  “Excuse me,” Toby said quietly.

  “Oh, finally. I’ve got a guest,” the man said.

  Toby walked forward and sat down in the chair across from him, placing the document neatly on the desk.

  The man picked it up and began scanning the contents.

  “Support type. Slightly increases mana regeneration,” the man read aloud. “Well, no wonder you ended up in this room.”

  The man gave a faint smile and picked up a small case, placing it gently in front of the boy.

  “Inside the case is a Field Pack Synthesis Card,” he explained. “The moment you enter the rift, any non-mana material will be stripped away. That means you’ll arrive completely naked. The only things you can use are what you summon from your cards. This one contains survival gear, food rations, water, a knife, and other basic supplies. I assume you already know how to activate a card, right?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve studied it carefully,” Toby replied. “I know how to use everything inside.”

  It was a bitter truth. The awakeners with the lowest survival rate received the most basic support from the Association. Just standard survival gear. Not a single piece of mana-based equipment.

  It was as if they were saying it without saying it at all.

  “If you want to die, then go. Just do not make the Association lose too much in the process.”

  “Honestly,” The man continued, “not everyone awakens and successfully develops their Mana Core. The fact that you’ve reached level ten and qualified to take the First Ascension Trial is already something impressive.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I’m sure you understand that you could get a decent job out there without taking the Trial. You could eat well. Live comfortably. There’s no need to risk your life like this.”

  He gave a faint, almost unreadable smile.

  “Are you sure you understand what you’re walking into? This is the last warning I can give you. The last piece of advice. Look around. You’re the only one in this room. Everyone who received a zero percent survival assessment chose to give up and go home. They’re out there right now, living comfortably with a Mana Core and physical abilities far beyond normal humans. You could do the same.”

  “No, sir. I’m sure about this decision. I’m taking the trial, and I’m ready for the risks.”

  “Well, at least I’ve warned you. Good luck,” the man said with a faint smile.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  He stepped into the open space at the center of the room, his expression still calm. A moment later, something appeared before him. A white rectangular light, shaped like a card, slowly spun in the air.

  Then the card suddenly expanded, stretching outward before wrapping around his body, cloaking him in silver energy that lifted his hair and coat slightly.

  A massive circular ring of light formed around him, wide enough to encircle his entire body. Within the glowing ring, more cards burst into view, expanding as their colors sharpened into focus. Green. Green. Purple. Purple. Blue.

  The five cards grew larger and began rotating around him, orbiting his body like silent guardians.

  “Rank-5 Grandmaster,” Toby muttered under his breath. The man standing before him was at least level fifty-one.

  The man calmly reached for the third card, the purple one, and spoke in a low voice. “Third Prime Card. Trial Gate Authority.”

  The card expanded instantly and spun wildly before shooting forward. A violent surge of energy twisted the air, and within seconds, a swirling purple vortex formed inside the room, like a gate tearing itself open.

  “If you encounter any Mana Beast, measure its strength from a distance first. If you’re confident you can kill it, finish it quickly and secure your first Prime Card as soon as possible. There’s no need to force yourself to complete the entire mission. That’s better than throwing your life away.”

  “Yes, sir,” Toby replied with a small nod.

  He stepped closer to the portal and swallowed hard as the purple light reflected in his eyes.

  He could feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. He had prepared for this. He had studied everything. He trained his body, sharpened his combat skills, and learned everything he could about Cardmasters and the challenges he might face inside the Card Ascension Trial.

  Toby might only have a support type card, a useless card, as they liked to call it. But he was the only one who truly understood how it worked. And he believed in it. He had no other choice but to step inside.

  He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.

  He stepped into the portal.

  At once, a violent force pulled his body forward. His vision blurred, and it felt as if he were falling at high speed into endless darkness.

  **

  [Duskwild Frontier – Rift Gate Initialized.]

  [Awakening Candidate: Tobias | Level 10 | Registration Complete.]

  [Main Objective: Eliminate the threat haunting the village, the flame that devours the night.]

  [Complete the main objective to obtain optimal rewards.]

  A sharp cry escaped Toby as his body slammed into something hard. He rolled violently, crashing again, everything swallowed in darkness. He kept tumbling until his body finally stopped, hitting something solid.

  Pain throbbed through him, sharp and real, but he forced himself to adjust to his surroundings.

  He tried to open his eyes. They were open. It was just that the world around him was completely dark.

  He pushed himself into a sitting position, hands pressing against the cold ground.

  “The cards. Where are the cards?” he muttered in a rush.

  His hands searched frantically until his fingers touched something smooth and cold. Card-sized. One. Two. Three. Four. He grabbed them all and quickly rose to his feet.

  It was too dark. He had to activate the synthesis cards immediately and secure protection.

  Toby stood there, naked in the pitch-black void. He could feel the cold air against his skin. Without hesitation, he used a mental command to activate his signature card.

  [Innate Core Card - Second Pulse activated.]

  A white card-shaped light formed in front of him, glowing softly before dissolving into his body. A thin layer of faint light wrapped around his skin like a second layer.

  He channeled his mana into another card in his hand.

  [Synthesis Storage Card - Field Pack activated.]

  The card shone bright white, then burst with a flash of light. Something materialized above him and dropped straight down with a heavy thud onto the ground.

  He quickly crouched down. Now, with the faint glow from his activated card and a sliver of moonlight filtering through the canopy, he could make out a little of his surroundings.

  It was a forest.

  Tall trees crowded tightly on both sides of him. Thick bushes pressed in from every direction. The moonlight barely reached the ground, blocked by layers of tangled branches above.

  He pulled the pack closer and unzipped it. The zipper felt sturdy, high quality. He already knew what was inside.

  Right on top was a rolled bundle of fabric. He quickly unclipped the fasteners. Clothes.

  He wasted no time putting them on. First the boxer briefs, stepping into them one leg at a time. Then the long pants, pulling them up firmly. After that, the long-sleeved top.

  This was military-grade field gear, lightweight but durable. The fabric felt smooth and strong against his skin. It provided insulation against both cold and heat, designed for harsh environments. Still, it offered no real protection against monsters.

  He reached inside the pack again and pulled out a pair of boots. He slipped them on quickly, tightening the laces. Next, a knife. He secured it against his waist. Deeper inside were a metal water bottle and several sealed packs of high-calorie ration bars.

  Toby quickly scanned the area again, crouching slightly as his eyes searched the ground for any other cards that might have been scattered during the fall.

  After a brief check, he confirmed it.

  Yes. He had retrieved them all.

  He then zipped the backpack closed. It felt lighter now. He swung it over his shoulders and adjusted the straps.

  “Where am I?”

  He studied the trees more carefully. Their trunks were dark and twisted, some covered in patches of pale moss. The ground felt soft under his boots, almost spongy.

  When he shifted his weight, he could hear faint squelching beneath the soil. A thin mist clung low between the trees, and the air carried the faint scent of rot and stagnant water.

  This was close to a swamp.

  “Duskwild Frontier,” he murmured quietly. “I’ve never heard of this place. Is it a rare one?”

  He exhaled slowly.

  “I just hope the threat level isn’t too high.”

  Now he needed to check the mission again, to confirm what he was supposed to accomplish here. Just as he focused his thoughts, the ground suddenly trembled beneath his boots.

  “What was that?”

  A deafening roar tore through the air, shaking the forest and splitting the night sky.

  He tensed instantly, turning his head as he searched for a direction to run. But where was it coming from?

  Before he could decide, a massive blaze erupted in the distance straight ahead. Flames burst upward, exploding outward and lighting the entire forest in a violent orange glow.

  At the same time, another piercing roar echoed, followed by a powerful gust of wind that bent the trees.

  Toby sprinted to the side, forcing his legs to adapt to the uneven, swampy ground. Roots and soft soil nearly tripped him as he ran.

  A huge explosion detonated behind him. Fire surged outward in a wide wave. He did not have time to keep running.

  The blast hurled his body forward, slamming him hard into a tree trunk. Heat washed over him as flames spread rapidly through the forest, devouring branches and dry leaves within seconds.

  And in that burning light, he saw it.

  Something enormous moved above the canopy, its shadow passing back and forth between the treetops.

  A massive figure with wide wings that spewed fire with every beat, setting the forest ablaze as it soared through the sky.

  “No way… a dragon?!” he shouted, his voice shaking with terror.