SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100

"But there is a way to make this armor yours—and earn far more. If you have the tenacity."

And in that moment, the memories from before came crashing down; they knew this had to be another test of God.

For a heartbeat, silence gripped the crowd. Someone sucked in a breath. A child clutched a scrap of leather tighter, eyes round with fear and hope. This was not a gift—they could feel the challenge in his words, heavy as thunder in their bones.

"There will be sparring sessions, and competitions will be held by James to determine the top 3% of people with natural talent in combat. These people will have all the equipment provided to them free of cost—not just this armor, but even what they need in the future. However, that only applies to basic equipment, like the armor I've given you—not ranked weapons. Those can only be earned through your merits."

"Soon, James will test you—one against another, skill against skill. The best among you, the fiercest and the most determined, will earn not just this armor but whatever they need to become true warriors. But weapons with power—those must be earned, not given. Fight for them. Prove yourselves."

Some faces shone with hope. Others sagged, eyes fixed on the ground, already counting themselves out.

Some faces lit with a sudden hope. Others faltered, gazes falling to the dust—three out of a hundred was a narrow chance, and despair lingered at the edges. Leon saw the silent calculations in their eyes: Who would win? Who would be left with nothing?

But that was a number he had taken with careful consideration, as the population in there would increase rapidly as he brought in new people.

Imagine having ten thousand people in here—which meant 300 of them would be guaranteed to receive these free pieces of equipment.

He believed this would create a competitive atmosphere here, which would make the talented fighters shine.

As not everyone had to be a fighter—there were other roles too that these people had to play, which were equally important.

He didn't tell them about the other perks these top 3% of fighters would get, as he would only do so when he developed the merit system.

"Don't worry. There will be many more people inside there, so quite a lot of people will have the chance to get the free weapons."

"And that's not all. Every so often, I will hold a competition in which anyone can participate, and those who rank in the top 10 will be given special rewards directly from me, along with a chance to enter the Class Awakening Dungeon."

"Besides those 10, anyone who catches my eye can also have the chance to enter the Class Awakening Dungeon and become an Awakened."

Silence lingered in the air after his words ended. What their God had told them was quite a lot for them to take in.

There were so many thoughts in their minds: when would the competition be held? The chance to become an Awakener—that was something only rich people, nobles, or those with high talent could usually achieve.

But—they were just beggars. Almost 99% of them didn't even know how to read or write, and yet they were being given the same chance as those elites.

Their hearts bloomed with gratitude. They didn't doubt their God, even despite knowing how rare those Class Dungeons were.

If God had said it would likely happen, then they would simply be prepared.

Some dropped to their knees, heads bowed in reverence. Others pressed trembling hands together, whispering prayers they'd long forgotten. No one doubted the promise—not when it was spoken by the one who had already given them miracles.

Leon's figure flashed from the place, and a streak of light was all that was left in his trail. Everything was set in place for now—barely holding, but it was working.

He arrived a few hundred kilometers away from them, looking at his own body, which was wrapped in ethereal golden energy with intensity thrice as strong as before—giving him a boost of 15% over his total strength.

But the holy power was being consumed, so he had to keep it in control.

Still seated cross-legged on the grassy ground, Leon closed his eyes, his breath shallow and even. The golden aura pulsed and twisted around him like a living flame, far more intense than before. His entire body felt hot—not from heat, but from pressure, as if something sacred and untamed was coursing through his veins, demanding obedience.

Every second, the holy power tried to surge outward and explode, and he had to suppress it with sheer will. Sweat trickled down his temple. His heartbeat slowed, not from calm, but from intense concentration.

A single lapse, and his body might rupture from within. He inhaled deeply, drawing the energy inward, compressing it tighter—trying to store it in his mana core.

The holy energy was being spent, so he had learned to store it somewhere, and nothing came to his mind other than his mana core, where he stored his mana.

After hours of concentration, he was finally capable of stopping the holy energy from being wasted.

And now he was close to storing it inside his mana core.

But just as the golden energy touched his mana core, something unexpected happened, making his mystical eyes widen in surprise.

This won't do. How am I supposed to even store the holy energy?

The moment his mana came in contact with holy energy, both of them tried to devour each other—the battle was intense.

As the golden energy touched his core, pain jolted through him—searing, absolute. Mana and holy power writhed, twisting around each other like predators locked in a death struggle. He clenched his jaw, every muscle burning with the effort to keep them apart. If he lost focus for even a heartbeat, the power would rip him apart from within. It left him gasping, sweat-soaked, and certain of one thing: if he didn't find a way to contain this soon, it would destroy him.

But who lost in the end?

Other than Leon, no one lost the battle, as his mana and holy energy—both of them—were being wasted, so he had separated them inside and didn't let the holy energy be near his mana core, because he knew war would start.

To see who would devour another.

It was painful, but to Leon, this much pain was nothing.

He could store the divine energy throughout his body, but he felt that sooner or later, he would feel too stuffed. It could even be dangerous for him if he stored too much.

It needed something like a mana core—something which could, in the same way as a mana core, store the holy energy.

The thing that had helped in most scenarios through its knowledge—the Lin Fang autobiography—it didn't come in clutch this time.

He had no idea whatsoever where to store the holy energy.

For now, he did feel alright, even when the holy energy was just spread across his body—practically stored—but he knew that was not a reliable method.

He had to come up with something soon to store the excess holy energy in something like his mana core. He would like to do some research before attempting to create another mana core.

At least I don't have to be like a walking center of attention by glowing golden.

For now, the energy clung to his veins and bones like sunlight under skin—fully restrained, but he knew soon it would be threatening to overflow.