Cliff opened his eyes, lying on a simple bed. He kept his breathing calm as he studied the room. It was almost bare—just the bed beneath him and a large circle drawn in the middle of the floor, filled with strange symbols and shapes.
"Probably a magic circle," he thought.
Cliff had gotten somewhat used to seeing these circles since arriving in this world. They intrigued him, and he'd even asked Rakahn to teach him about them. Unfortunately, Rakahn's knowledge wasn't deep enough, and he wasn't much of a teacher, even for the basics.
Abruptly, Cliff got out of bed, noticing that his torso and abdomen were wrapped in bandages. Strangely, though, he felt no pain.
"How many days have I been out!?"
Right after the battle, he had passed out from exhaustion, collapsing into the arms of Dahlia and Rakahn. Even though the fight was over, being surrounded by piles of corpses had still been dangerous.
Cliff sighed. "It's good to have people you can trust."
As he sat on the floor, examining the intricate designs scribbled within the circle, he heard a knock at the door.
"Ah, Rakahn. Come in, I've got plenty to tell you!"
The door creaked open, and Rakahn and Dahlia entered the room.
"How many days was I out? My injuries and exhaustion feel completely gone!" Cliff asked playfully.
Rakahn smirked, but it was Dahlia who answered with a giggle, "It's only the day after the battle, my lord. You haven't been asleep that long."
"Really? It felt longer," Cliff replied, surprised. "I thought with everything that happened last night, the voices I hear outside would be more somber."
"That's because the cleaning crew and volunteers spent the entire night tidying up. I guess they're enjoying a rare moment of respite," Rakahn commented.
Cliff motioned for them to sit, a moment of seriousness settling over the room.
"I saw you two fighting those variant creatures by yourselves," Cliff teased, smirking. "Impressive work!"
Dahlia's eyes lit up with joy. "Did you really see us, my lord? Did you see how I finished mine off!?"
Grinning, she pulled an amethyst-colored stone from her pocket and placed it on the floor. After a few seconds, Rakahn did the same.
Cliff looked at the two stones thoughtfully.
"Why haven't you absorbed them yet? Don't tell me you were waiting for me... you don't need my permission for this, right?" Cliff asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rakahn scratched the back of his head. "Well, my lord, there's a high chance that absorbing these stones will trigger our awakening."
Cliff nodded, his suspicion confirmed. "I see. And you waited for me to wake up because of that?"
Dahlia's soft voice filled the room again. "It's not that simple, my lord."
She took a breath, her gaze flicking to Rakahn, who nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue.
"The process of evolution in this world is divided into classes and ranks. Classes determine a being's level of danger, and ranks indicate stages of their evolution."
She paused before continuing. "It starts with the 'Beast' class, followed by 'Monster,' then 'Demon,' 'Plague,' 'Calamity,' and finally, 'Catastrophe.' As for the ranks, they progress from 'Constant,' to 'Variant,' then 'Mutant,' and the highest known rank is 'Deviant.'"
Cliff furrowed his brow. "So, someone has already reached the Mutant rank?"
Rakahn nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It's not well-documented, but among the first demi-humans, there were stories of mutant monsters. Whether they're true or not, no one knows for sure."
Cliff absorbed this new information. He didn't fully understand everything, but he got the general idea. He nodded slowly and reached into his pocket, pulling out the two essence stones he had earned during the battle. Both stones were a similar shade of purple, but one had a more intricate pattern than the other. He placed them on the floor.
"Alright, but what does this have to do with your awakening?" Cliff asked.
Dahlia's expression turned serious. "You already know that awakening requires willpower, right?"
Cliff nodded.
"To awaken, we have to undergo a test of sorts—one that's different for each individual. If our will holds strong through the trial, we're granted our 'skill' as a reward."
This revelation hit Cliff like a wave. His mind filled with questions. Was this why he'd felt such intense pain when he first arrived in this world? Was it linked to these mysterious trials?
Cliff bit his lower lip, overwhelmed by the possibilities.
After a moment, he exhaled and looked at Dahlia and Rakahn. "Should we begin?" he asked, his voice steady.
Both nodded in agreement, their expressions resolute. This was the moment they had been waiting for—their chance to ascend to new heights of power. Whatever trial awaited them, they would face it together, with their wills sharpened by everything they had endured.
Cliff clenched his fist, his determination solidifying. "Let's see what we're made of."