A Background Character’s Path to Power

"...He not only played a big role in defending the town, but also protected his fellow students from the monsters. He even saved the teachers and the academy staff. He was a true Resonator. A true warrior. He-!"

"Wait." Nusayel’s cold voice stopped the professor.

"Can you repeat what you said?"

"No, did you say my son is a resonator?"

Harken nodded subtly. "Yes, from what the witnesses reported, he was a Resonator—likely a Tier 3 Warrior."

Nusayel’s frown deepened, his storm-gray eyes flashing with disbelief. "That’s... impossible. He wasn’t even Awakened when he left. Even if he had Awakened later, reaching Tier 3 in such a short time is—"

"This..." Harken muttered awkwardly, adjusting his glasses. "We don’t know how that happened either."

Before Nusayel could press further, Selvienne cut in, her voice trembling. "W-what happened to him?"

Harken hesitated, his gaze flickering to her pale face, her shaking hands. The words lodged in his throat. But duty compelled him forward. With a deep sigh, he continued, "However... in the final moments, when the spatial tear began collapsing... someone was still trapped beside the rift." A pause. "Your son... he pushed them out of the way."

Silence descended upon the hall, thick and suffocating.

Then—