Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

Mass release In honour to the support {20/10}

Artemis stood there, paralyzed, as the words "Affinity to nature" flashed on the crystal. It felt like the world had come crashing down around her. Her lips quivered as her mind raced to understand what had just happened. "No… this can't be right.

No… no, it must be broken…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet every person in the room could hear the disbelief, the fear, and the pain laced in each word. The humiliation was unbearable.

Her chest tightened, and her hands trembled, balling into fists. An affinity for nature? That was the result of her double-awakening? She had been certain that she'd emerge with a powerful, rare ability, something that would define her as a force to be reckoned with. But instead, this? What was she supposed to do with an affinity for nature?

Make trees grow faster? Manipulate flowers? In a world dominated by raw strength and unimaginable power, this talent was as useless as a feather in a hurricane.

The silence in the room was suffocating. It was as if time itself had paused to mock her. Headmaster Marion's face twisted in visible disgust. He barely spared her a glance before waving his hand dismissively. "Go back, will you?" His voice was cold and indifferent, as though she were no more than an insect he had just crushed beneath his boot.

Her heart sank. A wave of dizziness overtook her as she turned to leave, her legs feeling like they were made of lead. The weight of their stares bore down on her, like daggers aimed straight at her soul. She could feel their judgment. She could hear their silent condemnation. She had failed.

Not just herself, but the expectations placed on her. In their eyes, she was nothing. Trash.

Artemis took one shaky step, then another. The room felt colder with each movement, and suddenly, she stumbled. Her body wobbled as she lost her balance, her mind spinning with shame. Just before she hit the ground, she collided with something solid—a person.

"Watch it," she muttered, prepared to be shoved aside or ridiculed again. But instead, a hand gently steadied her. She looked up, her vision blurry from the unshed tears, only to find herself staring into a pair of deep, calm eyes.

Axel Teras.

His smile was surprisingly warm. "Hey," he said softly, his voice like a balm against her fraying nerves. "You're stronger than you think."

The room fell silent once more. Heads turned, eyes widened, and whispers followed. Why was Axel, of all people, talking to her? Artemis blinked, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. "Wh-what?"

"You're not weak," Axel continued, patting her gently on the head as if to assure her. "Don't let this get to you."

Artemis could hardly comprehend what was happening. Why was this legendary figure, Axel Teras—the man who had stood toe-to-toe with the strongest hunters and emerged victorious—showing her kindness? It didn't make sense. Was he pitying her? Was this some kind of joke?
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Behind them, Williams, one of the S-ranks, sneered. "Axel, why are you wasting your time with her? Just because you're famous doesn't mean you can give false hope to trash."

The venom in his voice cut through the air, and a ripple of laughter followed from the other students. Artemis' heart sank further. She tried to pull away, but Axel's hand remained firm on her shoulder, steadying her.

Without turning to face Williams, Axel's voice hardened. "I wasn't talking to you."

The sharpness in his tone silenced the laughter instantly. Williams frowned, his bravado crumbling. Axel slowly removed his hand from Artemis' shoulder, his eyes now focused on the crystal that had humiliated her.

"Now," Headmaster Marion began, attempting to regain control of the situation. "Let's move on to your retest, Axel."

Axel raised his hand, stopping Marion mid-sentence. His expression shifted into one of pure arrogance as he stared the Headmaster down. "Shut up," he said, his voice carrying an edge that made the entire room tense. "You're not worthy of saying my name."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Marion's face reddened with anger, but he said nothing, swallowing his pride. Axel approached the crystal without another word, his confidence radiating off him like heat from the sun.

Placing his hand on the crystal, Axel took a deep breath. The air in the room seemed to change, growing thick and heavy. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. The atmosphere buzzed with raw energy as Axel's power began to pour into the crystal.

At first, nothing happened. Then, in a matter of seconds, letters and symbols spun violently across the surface of the crystal, moving too fast for anyone to decipher. The observers stared, wide-eyed, as the crystal failed to lock onto a reading.

"What… what's happening?" someone muttered from the crowd. Even the board members were on edge, leaning forward in their seats as if trying to understand the situation.

Suddenly, a low crack echoed through the room.

Crack!

The crystal pillar began to split. A hairline fracture formed along its surface, growing with each passing second. The ominous sound of cracking glass filled the chamber, and with it, a sense of dread crept into the hearts of those watching.

Crack!

Another fracture. This time, it stretched further, and a faint glow of dark red light pulsed from within the crystal. The wind inside the room intensified, swirling faster and faster, as if responding to Axel's immense power. The once-solid crystal now looked like it was about to burst at any moment.

"Is… is this normal?" one of the board members asked, his voice trembling.

"No," Commander Asher responded, eyes wide with shock. "This is far from normal."

The crystal began to emit a strange, dark smoke from its cracks, filling the room with an eerie atmosphere. The tension was palpable. No one dared move. No one dared speak. All eyes were on Axel.

Crack!

The final break sent a deafening sound through the room. And then, in an instant, the crystal exploded.

Shards flew in every direction, cutting through the air like bullets. Headmaster Marion, who had been standing closest to the pillar, was hit squarely in the chest by a large fragment, sending him crashing to the ground with a pained grunt. The rest of the audience shielded their faces from the flying debris, but the damage had already been done.

As the smoke cleared, Axel stood in the center of the destruction, unmoved, unscathed. His presence now commanded the room, more godlike than human. The power radiating from him was palpable, and no one dared question it.

"He… he resembles a god," someone whispered, breaking the silence.

Wukong, a veteran hunter, stood frozen, his jaw slack. "I've only seen something like this once before," he muttered to himself. "He's just like… Josh Roark."

At the mention of the legendary SS-rank hunter, the room fell into a deeper silence, everyone too afraid to even breathe.

Axel turned his gaze toward Artemis, who stood trembling at the back of the room. "Remember," he said, his voice steady and calm. "You're stronger than you think."

For a moment, Artemis felt a flicker of hope.