What happens after a bombing? Refugees. But what if there are thousands of bombings? A chaotic number of refugees. After the first Waves, no government was prepared to receive more of them. Many survivors from Seoul fled to the US, hoping to find a better-prepared country.

However, a large portion of the survivors were simply children. Many of these kids were without a single penny, a profession, or even a last name. This was the case for Oliver and millions of other children. At first, kindness and compassion exist to help others. But when resources become scarce, fingers are pointed.

“Why are you sharing resources with them? You should focus on your own people. We are also under attack!” the people complained, not caring whether they were right or wrong.

Soon, refugees become the scapegoat for all existing problems. Those without a last name became Nameless; those who were less than citizens. Oliver had a hard time adapting to the new world after the VAT. Not having his family and being considered a burden to society were two things that almost made him give up on everything.

But even when everything seemed lost, Oliver couldn't bring himself to give up. He was alive. Something that many who died in the first wave would have wished for with all their might. The kid couldn't think of ending his own life without imagining it as spitting in the face of every one of those people. Besides, he liked to imagine that, wherever his parents were, they would see that he wasn't wasting this ‘second chance.’

"Up ahead is the Research and Development building.” The officer pointed to the building a little further ahead, almost 200 meters from where they had conducted the second test. They had arrived at a two-story, white building except for a dark dome on its roof instead of a standard ceiling.

“There, you will take the third test. We will measure the amount of Energy your bodies have. I understand this subject is not always taught in schools, so raise your hands if you understand what Energy means." He continued explaining.

Among the 11 recruits, 9 raised their hands. Only Oliver and another boy kept their hands down.

"I will provide a summary of what is taught in schools. Upon coming into contact with a Z Crystal, a human undergoes a ‘forced evolution.’ A means of enhancing the body beyond any biological limits," the officer explained as they entered the building.

"This evolution is highly dependent on each individual's genetics, so two people may evolve in similar but not identical ways. However, there is always one thing in common: we all gain the ability to control the natural energy of our bodies as well as the energy provided by the Z Crystal." As he continued explaining, the group moved further inside the building. Many rooms seemed locked, and the few open contained bizarre equipment too complex for any of them to understand. Eventually, the officer stopped in front of one of the rooms with open doors.

"However, each person has a base level of control over Energy. This is exactly what we will be measuring today." The officer pointed to the room ahead of the group.

"Inside this room is a synthetic version of a Z Crystal. It is designed to measure your potential. Even if you’ve never interacted with a crystal before, it won’t be difficult. When you enter, touch the crystal, close your eyes, and try to release as much energy as possible. Once you’re done, return to the end of the line while your result is announced."

The first to step forward was the boy who, like Oliver, knew nothing about energy. He didn’t seem strong or athletic. But if he had survived this long, he had talent. He walked until he reached the center of the room, where there was a black crystal, perfectly polished, capable of reflecting the face of anyone who approached.

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When he got close to the crystal, the boy raised one of his hands and lightly touched it. As he made contact, a slight golden glow emanated from beneath his hand. The boy then closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, the crystal’s glow increased slightly. Even without moving, the recruit’s breathing became heavier, and his body appeared more fatigued until his hand finally left the crystal, and he took a deep breath.

With a small bead of sweat on his forehead, the boy slowly walked to the end of the line.

[Evaluating …]

[Evaluated status: Energy]

[Grade: Pawn]

The officer made notes on his tablet and called the next person in line. The candidates stepped forward one by one. Eventually, it was Isabela's turn. She had previously come into contact with a Z Crystal and had even trained to improve her control. However, she still had a lot of difficulty concentrating on controlling her Energy.

It shone brighter as she touched the Crystal, but like the other recruits, it soon dimmed again.

‘Damn it,’ she thought. It was no different from what she had expected, but she hoped it would be easier.

As she returned to the end of the line, she noticed that Oliver was next to take the test. Looking at him, she said, "Good luck." The boy couldn’t hear her but read her lips.

As Oliver walked toward the crystal, he tried to recall his experience using the Ranger Armor but couldn’t remember using Energy.

As he got closer, every hair on his body stood on end. The sensation was like pure electricity surrounding him, but when he touched the crystal, there was no shock. However, he felt a profound exhaustion permeating his body.

"Ah! So this was Energy?" Oliver thought, recalling the shots he had fired using the Ranger Armor's pistol. The sensation of exhaustion was similar to what he had felt after firing multiple shots.

When he closed his eyes, he heard a familiar voice again.

[Welcome back, Oliver]

[This is your second time using the Z Crystal]

[For today’s test, you need to release as much energy as possible]

[This will cause profound fatigue in your body. Do I have your permission to begin the test?]

[Yes / No]

Oliver selected "yes" and began to wait. Around him, the crystal started to radiate an intense glow. Unlike the others, it wasn’t a white light but a pale yellow. The exhaustion began to intensify until the weight of his arms became unbearable. It was undoubtedly worse than the run they had just completed.

Instead of feeling exhausted from exercise or muscle pain, the energy depletion was felt in every part of his body, as if a coldness was entering his veins and reaching his heart.

Finally, Oliver's hand left the crystal. Simply letting go was enough to help him recover.

As he walked back to the end of the line, Oliver noticed his nervousness had been so intense that he hadn’t realized the girl with the golden hair was standing behind him.

‘Tsk,’ Oliver thought, realizing again that he wouldn’t catch the girl’s name.

[Evaluating …]

[Evaluated status: Energy]

[Grade: Knight]

"Not bad. Not bad at all," the officer commented as Oliver walked past him. However, his expression changed completely when the girl approached the crystal. It was clear he had high expectations for her result. Unfortunately, his expectations were disappointed.

[Evaluated status: Energy]

[Grade: Pawn]

Just as the officer's eyes had lit up with expectation, his expression returned to its cold neutrality upon seeing the girl's result.

Unlike the other tests, it was finally evident that she was tired.

'Looks like even she is vulnerable to running out of energy,' Oliver thought.

However, he couldn’t analyze further, as his body refused to cooperate. As the girl passed by and stopped behind him, he felt he had lost control over his basic functions. With his mind racing, he was pleased to have achieved a better result than hers but simultaneously wanted to turn around and ask her name.

Inside his head, Oliver was caught in an internal struggle. The boy tried to rationalize his emotions. "It’s a competition. She’s already won in two tests. It’s normal to be happy for winning."

However, he couldn’t find a rational reason to want to know her name.

While Oliver was having this internal conflict, Alan, the last to take the test, approached the crystal. His steps were confident, and a slight smile appeared on his face. Even before touching the crystal, a faint glow began to emerge, and when he finally felt it, the crystal emitted the strongest light Oliver had seen. In addition to being more intense, it had a red hue.

Before getting tired, Alan removed his hand from the crystal and walked to the end of the line.

[Evaluated status: Energy]

[Grade: Bishop]

The officer let out a soft whistle and commented, "We have our second Bishop. Alan Aquila. hmm, it seems this group has potential."