**[Press Start To Begin]**
—When did this all begin?
—How could I forget?... Those lights weren't just lights...it was a truck.
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I skimmed through papers at a lightning-fast pace.
"Where is it...Where is it!"
I was drenched as if I had just run a marathon.
My pupils were dilated and my hands were shaking.
I constantly looked over my shoulders on each side, in a rush to find something.
A loud banging or knocking sound is heard. It starts simple and soon turns into a loud, rage-filled beating.
"Open the damn door! Get your ass out here Gram!"
I snapped to look at the door from where the banging came from.
"Dammit.. they're here already!.."
My eyes then lit up as I found a certain slip of paper.
It was a check with quite a sum of money written on it.
I pocketed the check, grabbed my jacket, and ran for the back door.
But someone was waiting for me.
In a dark brown coat, with a scar that ran through his lip and eye, a beefy man stood.
"There he is."
—I gulped loudly.
"I assume you have 'my' check." He said.
"Your check? You must be mistaken. I was personally given this check by someone," I retorted.
"And that someone owed me quite the sum. Meaning...that money is mine."
Running in from behind and around the small run-down house were 2 more men with ragged appearances.
"-O-Oh..looks like you already found him, boss." One of them said, with a small head nod of respect.
"Yeah, because you two idiots aren't worth a damn."
While they bickered, I was busy looking for a way around all of this. From possible exits or to maybe talk my way out of it. But I was already sure they weren't ready to talk.
"Now, hand over my check. This is the last time I will use words with you," He said with a demanding tone, sticking his hand out.
I sighed and reached out to hand over the $10,000 check.
But not before landing a clean and swift elbow to the beefy man's chin and high-tailing it out of there.
As the man fell to his knees, one of his lackeys went to check on him.
He moved his jaw side to side before spitting out a now missing tooth with blood.
"What the hell are you touching on me for?! Go get him!"
Now running through dirty roads, maneuvering through junk and junkies, I moved my legs as fast as possible.
The icy winds filled my lungs, turning my lips chapped and my lungs ice-cold.
I felt myself slowing down, just to get an extra boost when 3 voices yelled out at me from behind.
"COME HERE!" They yelled in unison.
All I could think as I ran from them was the same thing over and over.
'Oh sh*t...Oh sh*t..Oh Sh*t..!'
I looked behind me to see if they were onto me, and as I had known, they still were.
"You bastard...just wait till I get you!.."
I kept running as I looked at them racing behind me.
A honk roared out and as I snapped my head back to look ahead, all I saw were lights.
"Huh....Light-"
....
That was all I managed to say before a 3-ton truck rammed me 10 yards away from where I stood.
Now lying in my blood, twisted in 2 ways with a mutilated body and shattered bones my life flashed.
'Sh*t...sh*t...no way...is this seriously how I die?.....a damned truck?....you've gotta be kidding me..'
That beefy man now stood over me with a cheeky smirk on his face.
"Karma is a b*tch~," He said, as he slowly took the check from my pocket and put it into his own.
It's not like I could do anything about it.
I had high hopes for that money. I was planning on moving out of that shack I call home, but now... it's all over.
Wasting no time, I accepted my death and defeat and closed my eyes.
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"Who...are you?.."
The mirror reflected someone unfamiliar.
It wasn't the same blonde hair, round nose, and green eyes I knew.
Instead, I had jet-black hair, silver eyes, and a more pointed and straight nose on a handsome face.
My body was much more skinner, my skin more youthful, and my height shorter.
It was clear this wasn't me, right? So...why did my arms move when I wanted them to? Why could I stretch and play with this flesh?
"Could this be..? Reincarnation?.."
I had memories that I wasn't too familiar with.
My name is still Gram.
I have no living relatives.
I reside in the city of Xenith.
And I'm currently staying in the academy of Accel.
Gram Toru
Rank #299
Class: First Year
Talent: None
SC: 35
That is what is written on the ID I found in my pocket.
I have memories of growing up, living through my younger years up until now.
I guess I just suddenly got the memories from my past life right now, which almost overwrote my current ones, luckily it didn't.
This world is not your ordinary one.
<
A gift from the primordials that grants normal beings power beyond their wildest dreams.
Most people have 2 talents, A passive and an active skill.
Those with more than 3 talents are called tri-talent users.
The #1 ranked talent user in the world has a total of 5. He is the world's only penta-talent user.
Oh yeah, the primordials.
5 beings are said to have existed before the beginning of time.
They created a second world.
<
A place of vast and empty lands of eye-catching sceneries or barren wastelands.
From giant animals, vicious insects, or fearsome beasts, only the most skilled venture the lands.
Though the risks are high, the reward is just as great.
Advanced weapons, runes, spellbooks, and an energizer worth millions.
<
The world runs on them, and they can make anybody a millionaire after fetching a few.
The cores are placed into rankings.
(Lowest)Black >> Orange >> Yellow >> Green >> Red >> Gold (Legendary)
Most of the lower tiers are found in low-rank monsters, but even so, you can still live well from slaying these beasts.
This city is very advanced, truly something out of a novel.
I'm still adjusting to this new world.
And...this academy.
Being the lowest ranking isn't for the weak.
Everyone disregards me, I barely have enough student credit to buy a cheap meal, and it doesn't make it better I suck at studying.
So, how does the lowest-ranking student, who now has only 15 student credits and is overlooked by all attendees, live?
"Grammmm~!"
A set of arms swung around my neck as a warm breath was exhaled onto my ears.
"Amber...?" I said, in a curious voice.
Amber was a sight to see.
She has flowing dark hair with violet highlights, amethyst-colored eyes, and natural pink full lips, with a beauty mark placed just right beside her mouth.
We are childhood friends.
She's one of the reasons I'm hated.
Amber Violet
Rank #5
Class: First Year
She is quite literally top 5 in the entire academy and is hailed as a prodigy among all others.
With beauty and power, it's only natural that people flock to her and fall to their knees in front of her.
Except for me, that is.
Because we grew up together, I still can't help but see her just the girl I used to always protect.
And because we are always so close, she finds herself wrapped and clung to me like a couple. This causes misunderstandings and glares from others.
And in her casual sultry tone, she said, "You're still so behind on studies~?... Let me help you out Gram."
"You're all in my ear! And I'm fine, I've been progressing slowly with it all."
"Yeah right. Just admit it. You want my help." She said.
"Gahh! Alright. I'm just damned jealous. First, you're strong as hell and you're good at studying!"
"Aww~ is my little potato at my mercy?" She proceeded to pat my head slowly.
I rolled my eyes and with a sigh, said, "Don't tease! Help me already."
I felt sharp glares pierce me like daggers from around the lecture classroom as we bickered.
"That lucky bastard...!"
"Why does a low rank like him get to hang out with Lady Amber?!"
I sighed.
I felt my face being grabbed by two feminine hands and turned, "Don't listen to them Gram—no matter how strong I get, we'll always be together. Because you never left me behind back then, I'll never leave you behind today." She smiled at me, those amethyst eyes reflecting beautiful light.
I grabbed her hands before lifting them down slowly, "I know—" I said, returning the smile.
This only fueled the onlooker's jealousy and envy more.
I went back to studying and trying to remove the dust from the gears in my brain.
**DING!**
I looked up, rattled.
"Huh...?"
I felt Amber looking at me after I suddenly looked so startled.
I was curious about where such a loud and clear sound came from.
Everyone else was unmoved.
I now stared directly in front of me.
Amber was confused about what I was doing, "What is it?.."
[Press Start To Begin. Start from level 1, and one day shatter the stars!]
I looked around.
Did nobody else see the floating, semi-transparent, blue-hue radiating, game-like panel like I was?
"I uh—have to use the bathroom."
"O-Okay..?" Amber said with curiosity.
"—What's up with him?"
Looking in the mirror, the panel blocked half of my view.
"I'm not seeing things, right?.. Well, yeah I have eyes—but this isn't an illusion? Right?"