Joe stood up a few seconds later, feeling much better. The memories that had surfaced in his mind were exactly what he needed to come back to his senses. They reminded him of who he was and what he had forgotten. Crying when things got tough was never something he did. That weakness had only started showing when he began suppressing his desire to fight and retaliate, which over time turned him into the timid version of himself that he eventually became.

  Never again.

  No longer would Joe hold himself back. He would return to the person he had been in fourth grade, when he pummeled a boy to a pulp. That version of him, Joe believed, was his true self.

  The first thought that came to mind was returning to the tavern and confronting the man who had stolen his coins, but Joe quickly dismissed it. If he fought an Awakened individual with a fire affinity in his current state, he would be killed instantly. He wanted to confirm whether he had Awakened his mana before getting into any conflict. Just because he vowed never to be a pushover again did not mean he was ready to throw away his second life. He would fight, but only after he understood the magic of this world.

  He had committed the man’s face to memory. The bald goateed bastard would get what he deserved when the time was right.

  A quiet breath escaped through Joe’s nose as he exhaled and steadied his emotions. For now, his focus would be on reaching the Adventurer’s Guild to learn whether he was an Awakened human or not.

  He left the dark alley and ventured deeper into Suveny. Joe had no idea where the Guild was located, but he followed Jenny’s vague direction, which placed it on the other side of town. He had not asked her for more details because he had already lied, claiming to know about the Guild.

  Thinking about it, he realized that he had only met Jenny a few minutes ago, yet she had already done so much for him. Their brief friendship was already built on lies. He felt bad about it, but he did not regret anything he had said. His transportation from Earth to this world after death was something he would keep secret until the day he died.

  Now that he was dressed and his forehead was bandaged, Joe quickly noticed that no one was running from him anymore. People treated him no differently than anyone else. It was annoying to see how quickly they accepted him just because he looked like them. Joe was not justifying walking around without clothes, but the way they had treated him like less than human before and suddenly respected him now made him sick.

  Still, if they were more accepting of him, he would use it to his advantage. Joe approached a young woman operating a small stall selling bread. He asked her for directions to the Adventurer’s Guild, explaining that he was a visitor unfamiliar with the town. The woman was kind and answered without complaint. She repeated the route until it was perfectly clear and even handed him a piece of bread for free, which Joe gratefully accepted.

  He bit into the bread as he followed her directions, taking the correct turns while enjoying his meal. It took longer than expected, but after about twenty minutes, he arrived at the Guild.

  He stood before the entrance and admired the building. It was a large structure made of flawless wood with gleaming windows that caught the sunlight and illuminated the front. A small staircase led up to the door, and Joe wasted no time stepping inside.

  The Guild reminded him of Jesse’s tavern. The right side was filled with tables and chairs, and people were chugging liquor and laughing loudly. The main difference was the crowd. Everyone here wore finely crafted outfits and seemed far more organized than the tavern patrons. Weapons rested beside them, and they looked ready for battle even while relaxing.

  It took Joe only a glance to know what they were. These were the adventurers he had read about so often in his fantasy novels.

  It felt surreal to stand among people who lived an occupation he once thought was fictional. He was breathing the same air as men and women who fought monsters larger than life. It was incredible. If his test went well, he would soon join their ranks.

  To his left, Joe saw several large boards on the wall, covered with papers and photos. He had read enough novels to know they were quest boards, and the sight filled him with excitement. The idea of accepting a quest of his own someday thrilled him.

  Looking forward, he noticed three queues forming before a wide brown counter. Each line had a woman attending behind it with a sign overhead. The first was for selling loot in exchange for money. The second was for reporting completed quests or registering new ones. The third was for Guild registration and the Awakening Test.

  Joe naturally joined the third line, standing behind a tall, muscular man whose bare upper body glistened with sweat. His build was impressive, and Joe had seen several half-naked men like him earlier. The man’s spiky black hair and towering frame made Joe feel small. Joe assumed he was there to register for the Guild, but a few minutes later, the man told the attendant he was taking the Awakening Test. That meant he was at most nineteen years old, which shocked Joe. The guy was an absolute unit.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The purple-haired woman behind the counter wore a black cloak and a gentle smile. She instructed the man to place his hand on the round crystal ball set before her. The man complied, and the crystal immediately glowed with a vivid blue light that filled the room. Gasps and awed murmurs spread among the crowd, and Joe guessed the result was impressive.

  When the man removed his hand, a broad smile stretched across his face as he laughed triumphantly. The woman congratulated him and told him to step aside while the system processed his information. He nodded and did as told.

  Then it was Joe’s turn. Like the others, he was asked to place his hand on the crystal ball. This was the moment of truth. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and pressed his hand against the orb. Unlike the man before him, there was no reaction at all. Joe’s heart pounded as panic crept into his chest.

  The woman spoke softly, telling him to relax and let his energy flow, explaining that anxiety could interfere with mana circulation. Joe tried to calm down and did as she said, but even after thirty seconds, the crystal remained dull and lifeless. Not a single spark appeared.

  The woman looked at him with sympathy and said, “I’m sorry, sir. It seems you have no magic talent at all. Unlike those who fail by not reaching the twenty percent mana capacity required by the Guild, you did not even reach one percent. You have zero efficiency for mana. In other words, you are not Awakened.”

  Joe felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.

  The dream was over.

  In most of the novels Joe had read, the protagonist failing the test that marked the start of their journey was a rare occurrence. And even when it did happen, the author always introduced something that allowed the hero to move forward. Sometimes it was a sudden awakening of power, other times a mentor appeared who saw potential in the seemingly talentless main character. What all those stories shared in common was that no matter how bad the setback, the hero was always given a second chance to rise again.

  For Joe, that boat had long since sailed. At nineteen, there was no miraculous event waiting for him. He was Unawakened.

  He had just rediscovered his resolve and vowed never to be a pushover again, but it turned out the heavens had decided otherwise. He had been reborn an ordinary man with no power in a world ruled by magic. There was no second chance for him.

  After all, he was not the protagonist.

  Joe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. A storm of frustration and bitter disappointment swelled in his chest. He wanted to scream at the heavens, to curse the gods and demand to know why he had not been chosen, why he had been denied even a drop of mana.

  A man behind him tapped his shoulder and told him to move aside. The attendant said the same, her voice gentle but firm. Joe knew that if he stepped out of line now, if he turned his back on the Guild, it would mean surrender. He would be accepting a life of mediocrity once again.

  “No!” he said, his voice deep and filled with defiance.

  He was not going anywhere.

  “But sir, there’s nothing more we can d—”

  “Let me try again!” Joe shouted, cutting her off. The outburst startled the purple-haired attendant, who flinched slightly at his tone.

  She hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Alright, I’ll let you touch it one more time. But please, calm yourself. If your mind isn’t clear, the crystal will not react.”

  Joe nodded quickly. The woman pushed the crystal ball closer to him, giving him one final chance. He took a deep breath, forcing his body to relax as he exhaled. He cleared his thoughts and focused every fiber of his being on the orb before him.

  He pressed his hand against the surface, trying to feel something – anything. He poured his will into it, urging the crystal to draw out whatever energy might be buried deep inside him.

  Fifteen seconds passed. The orb remained still and lifeless.

  “I’m sorry, sir…”

  The words broke something inside him. Joe’s heart sank, and the truth hit him harder than any punch could. He really had no mana. He really was Unawakened.

  He removed his hand before she could say anything more. The woman looked like she wanted to comfort him but could not find the words. Joe could only stand there in silence, accepting the weight of his failure.

  Then laughter erupted in the room.

  He turned to see a group of adventurers at their tables pointing at him and roaring with laughter as they drank.

  “Zero percent magic talent! He couldn’t even reach the minimum! What a joke!” a man in his thirties shouted, nearly choking from laughing so hard.

  “Get out of here, loser! You’re polluting the air, mana-less trash!” another yelled.

  “You’re not one of us! Even the heavens think your life is worthless! Leave before we make you!” someone else added, throwing an apple that hit Joe square on the head.

  Joe stood there with clenched teeth and trembling fists. Every insult burned into him. He wanted to shout back, to curse them all, but deep down he knew they were right. In this world, without mana, he was nothing.

  “Fuck!”

  He smashed his foot against the counter and stormed out of the building. On his way to the door, he collided with a brown-haired girl, knocking her to the ground. He did not even apologize or look at her face. He just walked out, slamming the door behind him.

  Outside, Joe found himself in another narrow alley beside the Guild. He leaned against the wall, his fists still clenched so tight that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. His teeth ground together until he felt them ache. He let his back slide down the wall until he was sitting on the cold ground.

  Tears welled in his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

  If he had been reborn without mana, then what was the point of this second life? Why give him another chance only to make him even more useless than before? If he could not change his fate, then it would have been better if he had never been reborn at all.

  He felt empty. Lost. The determination he had just regained was slipping away. His thoughts grew darker as he sank back into the hollow state he thought he had escaped.

  Just as he surrendered to despair, a voice broke through the fog in his mind.

  “Hello there..”

  Joe looked up and saw a girl with brown hair standing before him.

  “I saw what happened during your exam,” she said softly “It’s too bad…”

  The girl looked a lot like the one he had bumped into earlier, but he couldn’t tell for sure, he had never gotten a good look at her face.

  Joe's expression twisted with frustration. “If you’re here to mock me, I suggest you leave!”

  “Relax, I’m not here for that,” the girl said calmly, smiling as if his anger didn’t bother her. “I’m here to offer you an opportunity.”

  “An opportunity?” Joe asked, his voice low and uncertain.

  Her smile brightened. “How would you feel about joining our party?”