Ethan wiped the sweat off his brow, his body aching from the relentless training. The academy grounds were mostly empty at this hour—only the moon and stars stood as his silent witnesses. He exhaled, steadying his breath, and clenched his fists.
Never Give Up.
It was the only ability he had, the only thing keeping him from breaking under the sheer weight of failure. Every day, the other students laughed at him. Every day, they told him he was nothing. And every day, he endured.
But endurance alone wasn't enough.
He needed strength. Real strength.
A World of Awakeners
Ethan had long since accepted that he lived in a world where power reigned supreme. To be weak was to be invisible, disposable. Humanity had evolved beyond mere mortals, and the rise of Awakeners had changed everything.
Each Awakener had a System, an extension of themselves, like a second heart or an unseen mind. Their System granted them abilities, tracked their progress, and facilitated their growth. For most, it was a sacred gift—an undeniable proof of their potential.
For Ethan, it was a reminder of his limitations.
Zero mana. No skills. No combat power.
Even commoners who weren't Awakened had a better chance of survival than him. But Ethan wasn't just fighting to prove himself—he was fighting to live. To survive in a world where dungeons spawned monstrosities and where the strong dictated the rules.
There was one saving grace in this brutal existence. Humanity's lifespan had expanded beyond a thousand years, with the strongest Awakeners living for millennia. And even those who weren't blessed with talent could extend their lives through dungeon loot and rare elixirs.
If Ethan wanted to carve out his place in this world, if he wanted to live long enough to see his efforts bear fruit, he had to fight for it.
And fighting required strength.
The Breaking Point
The academy training grounds were well-maintained, with dozens of stone pillars and steel dummies standing in a perfect formation. Ethan had been using them for months, striking relentlessly, knowing that even if he lacked magic, his body could still be honed like a blade.
His fists crashed against the stone pillar. His knuckles had long since bled, but he ignored the pain.
"Again."
Another punch. Another. And another.
His vision blurred. His breathing turned ragged. He had lost count of how many strikes he had thrown, how many times his body had begged him to stop. But the whispers of his ability kept him going.
Never Give Up.
He wouldn't stop. He couldn't.
He gritted his teeth, coiling every ounce of his strength into his arms. This time, he wasn't just throwing a punch. He was breaking past his limits.
BANG!
The pillar cracked.
Ethan stumbled backward, his breath caught in his throat. He had punched these things thousands of times before, but not once had he managed to leave a dent—let alone break a piece off.
Then, something changed.
A New Power Awakens
A sudden surge of energy coursed through his veins. It wasn't mana—he had none. It was something else. Something entirely his own.
A golden screen flickered before his eyes.
New Passive Ability Acquired: Iron GripDescription: Through relentless training and an unbreakable will, your grip strength has evolved beyond human limitations. Your hands can exert tremendous pressure, allowing you to crush, hold, or block with inhuman strength.
Ethan's breath hitched.
A passive ability?
He was the only person in the world who could gain passives. It was his one unique trait, his only path forward. And now, for the first time since his Awakening, he had acquired something useful.
He clenched his fist experimentally. The air around his palm seemed denser, the muscles in his forearm tightening like steel cables. He turned toward the training dummy and reached for its arm.
CRACK!
The steel snapped under his fingers.
His heart pounded. He had done that—he, the "worthless" Awakener with zero mana.
A slow grin formed on his lips. It wasn't an explosive power like fire manipulation or lightning strikes. It wasn't a skill that would let him obliterate enemies in an instant.
But it was his.
And in a world where everyone had looked down on him, even the smallest victory was worth celebrating.
A Test of Strength
The next day, Ethan walked into the combat training hall, his hands still bandaged from the night before. The whispers followed him, just as they always did.
"Why does he even bother showing up?"
"Didn't Logan beat him half to death last time?"
"He's just going to embarrass himself again."
The instructor glanced at him with his usual indifference before scanning the class. "Pair up. Today's sparring sessions will focus on grappling techniques."
Ethan's stomach tightened. Perfect.
A few moments later, he found himself standing across from Logan Pierce—the same B-Rank who had humiliated him before. Logan's lips curled into a smirk.
"You again? Didn't get enough last time?"
Ethan simply raised his hands, assuming a stance.
Logan rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll end this fast."
The match began.
Logan lunged forward, aiming for Ethan's shoulder to throw him down. It was the standard way to end a grapple match quickly—overwhelm with strength and technique.
But this time, Ethan didn't budge.
Logan's hand latched onto Ethan's arm, but instead of being thrown, Ethan's grip tightened.
For the first time, Logan's expression faltered. "What the—"
Ethan moved. Fast.
He spun, using Logan's own momentum against him. His grip was unshakable, his strength absolute. Before Logan could react, Ethan twisted and slammed him into the mat.
BOOM!
Silence filled the training hall.
Ethan looked down at Logan, whose face twisted in shock and disbelief. The once-smug B-Rank had been thrown like a ragdoll.
The whispers in the room changed.
"What just happened?"
"There's no way… right?"
Ethan exhaled, stepping back. He didn't need to hear their words. He had felt it for himself.
He wasn't weak anymore.
The First Step Forward
Later that night, Ethan sat in his dorm, staring at the system screen in front of him.
Passive Ability: Iron GripProgress: 2%
His hand flexed involuntarily. It was only the beginning.
He wasn't delusional. He knew that Logan, and others like him, still had overwhelming power compared to him. A single passive ability wasn't enough to close the gap completely.
But it was something.
And in a world that had given him nothing, Ethan was more than ready to take everything for himself.