I looked at Olivia’s face; she was genuinely happy that I had finally awakened. But suddenly, her expression shifted, turning thoughtful.

  "Wait..." she murmured.

  "What?" I asked.

  She looked at me, confusion flickering in her eyes. "You said your skill... is E-rank?"

  I nodded.

  “How do you know the rank? I mean, Awakeners don’t usually know their ranks until they’re evaluated, right?”

  "Uhhh... ummm..." I averted my gaze awkwardly, debating whether to tell her the truth. She was right. According to everything I knew, a hunter's skill rank was a mystery until the Hunter Association ran their official diagnostics.

  "It’s shown in my status," I finally admitted.

  Her expression shifted again, deepening into skepticism. "Status?"

  I nodded and mentally commanded Status in my mind. A system window materialized before my eyes, the golden letters flickering to life as they revealed my stats.

  ? STATUS ?

  [NAME: REN THRONE | LEVEL: 1]

  [HP: 20/20 | MP: 20/20]

  [STRENGTH: 10 | SPEED: 10]

  [AGILITY: 10 | INTELLIGENCE: 25]

  [ENDURANCE: D]

  ? SKILLS ?

  [EXTRACTION] RANK: E

  "Here..." I pointed at the glowing screen.

  "Umm... where?" she asked, tilting her head.

  "Right here... it’s right in front of me." I pointed directly at the system window floating in the air.

  She blinked, then frowned. "Brother… what are you trying to show me? I can’t see your status window."

  Her words sent a jolt through me. My eyes widened as I turned to her, a cold sense of confusion creeping over me. "You... you can't see it?"

  She shook her head. But the window was there—clear as day, displaying my stats and skills in shimmering gold. I glanced between the screen and Olivia, my mind racing.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she pouted. "Brother… why are you messing with me? I was so excited this morning, but now..." Her enthusiasm wavered, disappointment bleeding into her voice.

  "N-no, I’m not joking, Olly! I really awakened last night!" I insisted.

  "Then show me your status," she demanded.

  "It’s right in front of me!" My voice rose slightly in frustration.

  "Then why can't I see it, huh?"

  "I-I... I don't know. It's right here!" I turned back to the golden window. My thoughts swirled into a chaotic mess.

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  Olivia sighed, shaking her head. "Just say ‘Open Status.’ If you really awakened, a public screen should appear. So stop joking around, brother."

  I froze. That was the protocol. That was how every Awakener revealed their stats—by speaking the formal command aloud. But why could I see my status by simply thinking the word?

  Did I really awaken? If I can see it, why can't she?

  The confusion twisted into a sharp frustration. I took a deep breath and forced the words out. "O-O-Open Status."

  Doubt clouded my mind, but then—a blue window appeared in front of me.

  It looked almost identical to the first one, but with a crucial difference.

  ? STATUS ?

  [NAME: REN THRONE | LEVEL: 1]

  [HP: 20/20 | MP: 20/20]

  [STRENGTH: 10 | SPEED: 10]

  [AGILITY: 10 | INTELLIGENCE: 25]

  [ENDURANCE: D]

  ? SKILLS ?

  [EXTRACTION]

  My eyes widened. The rank beside Extraction was gone.

  "Yes! This is what I was talking about!" Olivia chimed in, leaning forward excitedly to read the blue text.

  I stared at her, then back at the window. I... have two status windows?

  It was impossible to wrap my head around. This had never happened to any Awakener in recorded history. Both windows were nearly identical, except for the missing rank and the color of the text. The window that appeared when I said "Open Status" was public, but it was incomplete. The other one—the one that appeared with a thought—was private, and it held more information.

  "You said your skill was E-rank? Where? I don’t see any rank listed," Olivia said, her brow furrowed.

  I let out an awkward, forced laugh, deciding to lie—at least for now. "W-well, I was joking. I just wanted to see your reaction."

  "Oh, come on, brother!" She playfully slapped my arm. "You really got me there. But what does this skill even do? I've never heard of it before... Maybe it's rare!" Her eyes sparkled with renewed curiosity.

  I glanced at the screen again. "I have no idea. But rare or not, I’m going to the Hunter Association today to get a raid card. Maybe they can help determine the rank."

  "Yeah, you should!" she nodded eagerly. "Now start practicing! I want to see what this skill can do!"

  I nodded, but my mind was a storm of questions. I glanced at the clock: 12:00 PM. Olivia followed my gaze.

  "I’ll make lunch for us," she said, flashing a grin. "You must be starving today."

  I watched her bounce out of the room, her excitement filling the hallway. She was thrilled that her "useless" brother had finally joined the ranks of the Awakened. But I sat there, still processing the anomaly.

  Status. I thought.

  Immediately, the familiar golden window appeared, overlapping the blue one. My heart pounded—not with fear, but with a cold, rising excitement. The right window had golden text; the left window had blue.

  Then, an idea struck me. I focused on the left, blue status window and thought about revealing my skill rank. Suddenly, the rank [E] appeared beside Extraction.

  My eyes widened. "It worked?"

  I held my breath and focused again—this time, thinking about hiding it. Just like that, the rank vanished.

  What if I tried reducing a number?

  I focused on lowering my Strength stat by 2 points—but only on the blue window. It worked.

  I exhaled sharply as the realization hit me like a physical blow. "I can manipulate what people see."

  My blue window was a mask. I could hide or modify any detail I chose and show that false reality to the world. But my golden window—the true status—displayed the objective truth. And only I could see it.

  "Alright… I know what to do now," I muttered, my plan taking shape as I headed to the bathroom.

  After a quick shower, I glanced at the mirror. All of my scars and bruises were gone. My body, once marked by the cruelty of Logan and James, was now smooth and unblemished. Even the dark circles under my eyes had vanished. I ran a hand through my damp red hair, combing it neatly.

  I headed to the kitchen where Olivia was placing the last dish on the table.

  "Oh! You’re done? Good. Sit," she said with a smile.

  I took my seat across from her. "So," she asked between bites, "what’s the plan for today?"

  "First, I’ll go to the Hunter Association, register, and get my raid card." I took a bite of my meal before adding, "Don’t worry about anything, Olly. Just focus on your studies. Don't stress about money anymore. Now that I’ve awakened, I’ll provide for everything."

  She smiled, then tilted her head. "But why don’t you join the academy? You’re awakened now; you should learn more about portal creatures and tactics."

  I considered it for a moment. She wasn’t wrong. The academy offered basic knowledge on monsters, portals, and elixirs. But I didn't have time for a classroom.

  In this world, everyone awakens eventually. Each person receives a unique skill that dictates their path. Those with combat or magic become hunters; others, with skills like cooking, become elite chefs with their own specialized status windows and ranks.

  "Right now, I’m just an Awakener," I told myself. "Until I choose my path, I don’t have an official title."

  But looking at my true stats, I knew one thing for certain. I was going to be a hunter.

  After finishing the meal, I gave Olivia a small wave and stepped out of the house, heading toward the Hunter Association.