In the strange world of Alhazar, where the population was steadily declining, people were only considered adults when they reached the age of thirty.
One might have asked why thirty? Wasn't that far too old?
It was indeed old, but that was simply how things had always worked in Alhazar.
It was a common tradition for people to remain pure and untainted until middle age.
It had been that way for decades and was expected to remain so for centuries to come.
That was why the World Order Association existed, also known as the WOA; an organization funded by the holy church of Roromia to maintain that law.
Although it was clear that delaying the age of consent to thirty was the true reason for the declining population, the church had no plans of abolishing the tradition.
After all, it was said to be a direct divine revelation from Auroria, the goddess of purity herself, passed down through generations.
However, at eighteen, every person was to receive a blessing from the goddess. A blessing that would determine their future job and life.
To manifest this blessing, children from all corners of the world had to visit the nearest church on the appointed day, where Bishops or High Priests would assess their class and determine their future worth.
Of course, those blessed with immense strength and high-ranking classes were chosen to serve as knights for the WOA and keep the world in complete order while those of inferiority were to concentrate on food production and structural engineering etc.
Presently....
In the capital city of Umbra, one of the most developed cities in the world; a city with tall buildings, magnificent shopping malls, massive grocery stalls, and luxurious vehicles moving through the streets as if they were dirt cheap, a crowd of people lined up in the yard of a grand church hall.
"Oh, hey there, trash!" a boy with a ginger mohawk said to another in the line, who was visibly shorter and more powerless than him.
"Thanks for keeping my spot for me, nerd!"
"I… no, I didn't…" the nerd stammered, clutching his phone with a broken screen tightly in his hand.
But before he could protest, the big kid shoved him to the back, his round eyeglasses falling to the ground.
The one behind him complained and pushed him further back before he could even pick up his glasses.
Then another shove followed. It continued until the nerd ended up at the very back of the line, after originally being number three.
And all everyone did was laugh their asses off.
"What are you even doing here? You don't think you'll get a good class and suddenly become a big shot, do you?"
"Yeah, the goddess would rather sleep all day than bless this trash with some overpowered class"
"I know, right! Even his parents are nothing but F-rank carpenters!"
The kid didn't take their words seriously. He was used to it. Verbal and physical abuse were nothing new to him.
But still, he didn't give up. If there truly was a kind goddess up there, a goddess who loved humans and wanted to keep them pure and untainted, then surely she would bless him with a good class and turn his miserable life around… right?
That small thought made him smile faintly with hope.
What if he awakened an SSS-rank class? A swordsman, perhaps? Or a Saint? He would be treated like a national hero and have lots of money to take care of his family.
He would even hire a streamer to strean him while he clears dungeons and defeat bad guys to gain instant fame.
It always happens in stories, doesn't it? The most looked-down person ending up being the strongest.
So he had to believe in himself.
Have faith in yourself Max. The goddess won't abandon you.
The queue to the church wasn't very long. Fewer than fifty kids were being assessed in a country with over five hundred homes. That alone showed how badly the birthrate was declining.
People entered the church one by one and came back out with excited expressions, having been told their classes.
As the line shortened, Max finally returned to the position he had originally held. His vision was blurry without his glasses. He squinted and searched the ground.
They were there.
Completely crushed.
Oh, no. Mom is going to kill me!
She definitely wouldn't buy him another pair again this week after his last was broken in almost a similar situation like this one.
But it was fine. He would be a hero soon. He would buy his own.
When he finally entered the church, he inhaled deeply and took in the sight before him.
A statue of the goddess, a gentle-looking woman cradling a baby in her arms stood against the wall.
Right before it stood the bishop, a fat man in a small hat and long silver robes that brushed against the marble floor.
In his hands rested a large Bible, its cover engraved with golden text. He was reading the texts aloud which in all honesty, nobody paid attention to.
Beside him, two High Priests in blue robes sat behind their tables. Atop each table rested a round blue globe.
"Next…" one of them called.
It was Max's turn.
"Let me see your right hand."
Max stretched it out. The priest touched the small metallic bangle on his wrist, and a screen appeared before them.
This bangle was called the Pure Gauge—a device every person in the world was forced to wear, even newborns.
Once attached, it could never be removed; it only grew in size to match its wearers wrist.
It measured a person's purity. If the screen glowed green, it meant the person was still pure and had not attempted any forbidden acts.
But if it turned red while you were under thirty…
It meant instant execution.
"Place your hand over the globe," the priest muttered after confirming Max was still pure.
Taking a deep breath, Max did as instructed.
The globe shimmered faintly, then displayed information only the priest could see.
"You're an F-rank streamer," he said flatly. "Your ability allows you to summon streaming beasts. Depending on the number of followers you gain, you'll be able to perform live streams for whatever party takes you in."
Max's breath caught in his throat. His hands trembled as the word echoed in his mind. Of all the classes in the world, this was the one he had feared most.
After everything he had endured, didn't he deserve a better class? Even a chef class, or farmer class would've been better.
Everyone knew streamers were the lowest class in the world and he was F-rank, the very bottom of that lowest class.
A streamer could only earn money by joining dungeon-clearing parties and broadcasting their battles. They made the fighters famous while remaining unknown themselves. And at the end, get paid a small amount of money.
"There's got to be a mistake, sir. Can you reassess me agai—"
"Don't waste my time, young man," the priest snapped coldly. "Out!"
He was cast aside like a dog. To the church, those with inferior classes meant nothing.
As Max walked away, still refusing to accept that the goddess had truly abandoned him, laughter erupted behind him.
"Yooh… it's the loser! A streamer, huh? Who would even take you into a party?" Other kids mocked.
"An F-rank streamer! Even his videos would be trash like he is."
They laughed without restraint. And in that moment, Max realized his future was anything but bright.
"I'll let you join my party."
The voice belonged to Liam, the boy with spiky red hair and a grin full of malice.
"Really?" Max asked, his eyes lighting up just a little.
"Yeah. I'm a kind man after all."
Despite the offer, unease twisted in Max's chest. Liam had been his bully since childhood.
Why was he acting friendly now?
Whatever the reason, Max had no choice.
It was his only way to earn money. He needed to buy new glasses.
But how would he even handle a dungeon raid without glasses?
"…Fine," he said, forcing a smile. "If you think I'll be useful, I'll join your party."
Liam's grin widened. "Good to have you on board, little nerd!"
As they walked their separate ways to prepare for the next day, Max's first dungeon raid, he couldn't contain his excitement.
What he didn't know…
…was that the next day would become one of the worst days of his life.
TBC