CHAPTER 68: CLASSLESS

When I placed my hand on the orb, I expected something glorious.

A radiant burst of light. A swirl of color. A dramatic reveal that would confirm everything.

But...

Nothing happened.

The orb in front of me remained completely black. Not even a dim glow.

I stood frozen. So did the rest of the hall.

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.

Melon, usually all smiles, hurried forward to inspect the orb, her cheerful demeanor replaced by visible anxiety. More staff joined her, whispering, prodding, trying to figure out what went wrong.

"I... I apologize for the inconvenience. Please wait just a moment!" Melon announced, her voice slightly cracked despite the magical amplification.

"Is the orb broken?" Lee’s voice called out from the balcony above.

"There’s no way it’s broken," Mark replied beside him. "That orb is magically reinforced with ancient mana."

Evelyn leaned closer to William. "William..."

Her voice trembled. If Alan could not rank high, and if the same thing happened to Bob...

Would she ever see them again?

William placed a calming hand on her arm and nodded. "It’s alright," he said gently, trying to believe it himself.

All eyes stayed locked on the unmoving orb. The guild staff whispered urgently to each other.

"It looks fine from the outside," one of them muttered. "No cracks, no drain lines..."

"You checked the mana circuit?" another asked.

"Of course I did," the first one snapped. "I already poured in a fresh charge of mana before the ceremony."

"If that’s the case..." A senior staff member turned to Melon. "Tell everyone we need a delay. I’ll contact the Royal Magical Department. They’ll need to investigate this."

Melon nodded and turned to the crowd.

"I’m sorry, everyone. We’ll need to pause the ceremony for a moment."

A wave of booing ,complaints and groans erupted across the hall.The excited energy from earlier turned sour.

Meanwhile, one of the male staff rushed out, running toward the Royal Magical Department.

I quietly walked back to the long bench and sat down.

My chest felt tight and my heartbeat erratic.

Despite what they said... I had a feeling the orb was not broken.

Looking at that dark orb reminded me of the black sun I saw in the Realm In Between.

"You were never meant to enter that world, Alan. That world rejected you. That’s why you have no skills, no abilities. Even if you train hard, it won’t come naturally to you."

The words of the old man echoed in my head.

Was he right?

If this is the outcome... then so be it.

But I’m not useless.I have the Limitless Bond. It has infinite growth potential.

I won’t let my future be decided by a glowing orb. Not in this world. Not anywhere.

Minutes later, the male staff returned, this time, accompanied by a man in white robes. His face was partly covered by a ceremonial mask, and his steps were confident but reserved.

He silently approached the orb, placing a hand near its surface. His other hand moved in patterns, tracing runes in the air. For several long minutes, he examined it.

Finally, he turned to Melon.

"Please try again," he said. "There is no issue with the orb."

Melon gave a small nod, then turned to me.

"Alan... could you please come up again?"

I stood. This time, no shaking.

I took a long breath, stepped forward, and placed my hand on the orb once more.

This time, I kept my eyes open. No more hoping. I was ready, whatever the result.

Silence fell over the entire hall.

And yet...

The orb remained unchanged. No light and glow. Just deep, motionless black.

I turned to Melon. She was already looking at the robed man.

He sighed, then stepped forward.

In a clear, formal voice, he declared:

"The orb has been inspected and shows no fault. Therefore, based on the results..."

"This candidate, this gentleman is... classless."

I closed my eyes and let out a soft breath. I accepted it.

Classless.

I pulled my hand from the orb.

"If he is classless... then what rank can we assign him?" Melon asked hesitantly.

The robed man shook his head. "I believe... there is no rank for him. I apologize."

"I know what rank he is!"

A loud voice rang out from the upper balcony.

All heads turned toward the voice.

Lee was leaning over the railing, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"He’s Rank G! The worst of the worst! Even worse than this guy!" He pointed mockingly at Oliver.

"F-rank Oliver now has company! Hahaha!"

His gang howled with laughter behind him.

The crowd joined in with full-blown laughter.

Their amusement echoed off the walls.

I looked up at Lee.

Just pray we don’t meet on the street, buddy... unless you want Indra shoved to your butthole.

"It’s okay, dude."

Bob walked over and ruffled my hair.

I immediately pushed his hand away, glaring at him. He only grinned wider.

"We both know you’re worthy of S-rank," he said, giving me a big thumbs up.

"I already expected this kind of thing."

I turned and walked back toward the table.

"All the best, G-rank!"

"Never give up, G-rank!"

"Go, go, G-rank!"

The banter rained down on me like daggers.

My veins twitched with each word. I was this close to snapping, until someone suddenly grabbed my hand.

I turned.

Evelyn.

She pulled me down into the seat beside her. She leaned in close, her voice barely a whisper. "I know you’re not a failure, Alan. You’re stronger than all of us. Don’t let this bring you down."

Her eyes shimmered slightly. But her face stayed strong.

Then came a solid pat on my back. William.

He did not look at me, just kept facing forward. "Whatever this means," he said, "you and Bob are still our future aces."

These guys...

They don’t even know what they just did.

Back in my old world, back in that office where paper stacked higher than tower, no one ever said a word. No one helped. No one cared.

But here?

These people...

They chose to stand beside me. Even during my worst.

A smile broke across my face.

"Yeah... thanks, you guys."

"And the last one... is Bob," Melon announced.

Bob was already at the orb. He adjusted his belt awkwardly, pulling it up. Laughter erupted from the crowd.

"How did someone like him even get accepted? What a joke."

"Go back to your barn, pig! Hahaha!"

Damn these people and their mouths.

I clenched my fists, furious. How could they hurl insults at someone about to become a fellow adventurer? Did they know nothing of camaraderie?

Bob ignored them all. His hand rested on the orb. For several seconds... nothing happened.

My heart sank. No way.

Don’t tell me... Bob is also classless?

The crowd started laughing again, louder now. "Another classless incoming!"

But Bob did not flinch. His eyes stayed focused...

That same unwavering gaze he had whenever he was building his mecha figures.

And then...

The orb trembled.

"What?" The robed official from the Magical Department leaned forward, eyes wide.

He had never seen this before.

Cracks began forming where Bob’s hand touched the orb. Thin at first, like spiderwebs, then growing, spreading like lightning over glass.

Gasps filled the room.

I stood up instinctively, craning my neck. Everyone was on their feet now. I pushed forward, shoving my head between the crowd.

And then I saw it.

Light.

Small rays first, seeping out from the web of cracks. Then more. More and more, until the cracks widened, and the orb trembled violently, as if something inside was trying to be born.

And in one breathtaking moment..

BOOM.

The orb shattered.

A shockwave of light exploded outward, illuminating the entire hall.

It was like a miniature sun had hatched right in front of us.

Everyone raised their hands to shield their eyes from the blinding light.

After several seconds, the brilliance faded, and I could finally see... A silhouette of a man, standing with his back to me.

Beyond him, radiant lights swirled and danced, Red, blue, yellow, purple, and even colors I could not name. They shimmered across the floor and ceiling like a disco light, painting the entire hall in magic.

The crowd was stunned. Every head turned upward, mouths open, watching the dazzling phenomenon.

"Th-this... this is impossible..." the robed man from the Magical Department muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Melon, who had been staring in stunned silence, finally snapped out of it and turned to the man. "What is happening here?!" she asked urgently.

The man’s eyes remained wide. "This... this is a phenomenon that has only occurred once before in the entire recorded history. I never thought I’d witness it with my own eyes..."

"Just tell us already!" Lee shouted from the balcony, his voice filled with frustration and awe. Even he was speechless at the display.

The man took a breath, steadying his voice.

"This... is the awakening of a Hybrid Class. But not just any hybrid...

This is the most complete hybrid that has ever existed."

He looked around the hall, his voice now ringing with certainty.

"A Prime Rank Hybrid. The ultimate... S-Rank."

"What?!" Mark shouted, shocked.

The room exploded.

Cheers , gasps and screams of disbelief.

To think that one of the greatest potential adventurers was here, in this guild.

Melon raised her voice above the noise, bursting with excitement.

"BOB! THE S-RANK PRIME HYBRID CLASS!"

"YEAHHHH!!!"

The crowd erupted louder than ever before. Adventurers rushed forward, surrounding Bob. They lifted him into the air like a champion of a grand tournament, tossing him up as he laughed proudly mid-air.

"This is beyond anything I imagined," William muttered, rubbing his forehead, smiling in disbelief. "To think... he’s a Prime Hybrid..."

"We did it, William! We did it!" Evelyn cheered, hugging him from the side, beaming with pride. "I can’t wait to tell Maya after this!"

And me?

I stood quietly among the crowd, watching. But I did not feel jealous. Not even a little. I felt proud, happy and grateful.

My best friend was being celebrated for who he truly was. And I knew that our lives were about to change forever.

Again.

---

Meanwhile, in the upper levels of the guild...

A man rushed up the staircase, breathless.

He did not stopped and knocked as he burst through the door of the Guildmaster’s room.

Everyone inside turned toward him, eyes narrowed.

"Why are you not knocking?! This is an important meeting!" Mirinda snapped, clearly irritated.

"I-I apologize," the man stammered, bowing deeply.

"But Guildmaster, you need to see this. Immediately."