I am The Weakest Among Them, But I Don't Really Care.

Carter Hayes sat alone in the dimly lit confines of his temporary quarters at the Guild outpost. The room was sparse, furnished only with a metal cot, a flimsy chair, and a desk covered in dents and scratches. The flickering overhead light buzzed faintly, matching the unease coursing through his veins. His fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the desk, the sound filling the otherwise silent room.

It had been three days since the portal break and his explosive display of power. Three days of constant testing, probing questions, and sleepless nights. The Guild's scientists had run him through every analysis they could think of—physical exams, mana resonance scans, and psychological evaluations. The result was always the same: confusion.

Adaptive Resonance wasn't a recognized skill, and Carter's status as "Unranked" baffled even the most experienced system analysts. He was an anomaly, a crack in the perfect design of the world's leveling system. And the Guild didn't know what to do with him.

Carter sighed, running a hand through his unkempt hair. His reflection stared back at him from the darkened window—a pale, gaunt face with dark circles under weary eyes. He barely recognized himself anymore.

A soft chime echoed in his ears, followed by a familiar mechanical voice:

"Skill Enhancement Detected. Passive Ability Unlocked: Energy Overflow."

Carter froze, his heart skipping a beat. A new ability? He hadn't done anything to trigger it, yet the system had granted him something. The notification lingered in the air before disappearing, replaced by a description of the passive:

Energy Overflow (Passive): Absorbed energy passively amplifies the user's attributes temporarily. Excess energy beyond capacity is redirected outward, causing environmental effects.

"What the hell…?" Carter muttered, staring at the glowing text. He read the description again, his mind racing. Amplification? Environmental effects? That sounded both incredibly useful and incredibly dangerous.

He leaned back in his chair, his thoughts churning. Adaptive Resonance had already made him an outcast within the system. Adding Energy Overflow to the mix only complicated things further. Was this the system's way of compensating for his lack of traditional skills, or was it another layer of the anomaly he represented?

Before he could dwell on it further, there was a sharp knock at the door. Carter tensed, the notification vanishing as the sound jolted him back to reality.

"Come in," he called, his voice rough.

The door creaked open, and Lila stepped inside. She was dressed in her usual combat gear, her sword strapped to her back, but her expression was softer than usual.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Carter shrugged. "Better than I look, probably. Not that that's saying much."

Lila smirked, but the humor didn't reach her eyes. "Ryker wants to see you. Says it's important."

"Great," Carter muttered, pushing himself to his feet. "Another round of twenty questions."

Lila studied him for a moment before speaking. "You know, not everyone here thinks you're a threat. Some of us actually appreciate what you did back there."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because it doesn't feel that way."

"People are scared," Lila admitted. "But fear doesn't mean they're against you. It just means they don't understand you yet."

Carter didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed his jacket and followed Lila out of the room, his mind already bracing for whatever fresh interrogation Ryker had planned.

The command room was a stark contrast to Carter's cramped quarters. It was spacious, filled with glowing monitors and holographic displays that projected maps of the surrounding area. Ryker stood at the center, flanked by several Guild officers and analysts. He turned as Carter entered, his sharp gaze locking onto him.

"Hayes," Ryker said, his tone brisk. "We've got a situation, and you're involved."

Carter frowned, stepping closer. "What kind of situation?"

Ryker gestured to one of the monitors. The screen displayed a live feed of a portal shimmering with ominous crimson light. Around it, teams of Hunters were engaged in fierce combat with waves of monsters pouring from its depths.

"That's the portal site from three days ago," Ryker explained. "We thought the break was contained, but it's started acting up again. The energy readings are off the charts, and the monsters coming through are stronger than before."

"And you think I can help?" Carter asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Ryker nodded. "Your ability to interact with portal energy makes you uniquely suited for this. We need you to stabilize the portal before it escalates into a full-scale catastrophe."

Carter stared at him, disbelief written across his face. "You want me to go back there? Into that mess?"

"It's not a request," Ryker said firmly. "You're the only one who can do this."

Carter opened his mouth to argue, but Lila stepped forward, cutting him off. "I'll go with him," she said. "If he's going to risk his neck for us, the least we can do is make sure he has backup."

Ryker hesitated before nodding. "Fine. But understand this, Hayes—if you lose control out there, we won't hesitate to intervene. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Carter said through gritted teeth.