Chapter 1: A Talentless Awakening
The sky above the city of Marisol crackled with energy as monstrous creatures, grotesque and menacing, clawed their way out of the void. Chaos erupted, plunging the world into a sudden apocalypse. Within hours, the gods, observing humanity's plight, intervened by granting each person a unique Main Talent—a defining power that would help them survive and fight back against the monsters.
Over the next twelve years, humanity adapted. The monsters, though fearsome, were beaten back by powerful warriors wielding incredible abilities. Cities turned into fortresses, and humans evolved into a society centered around their talents. Some could manipulate elements, others could heal wounds, and a rare few could control time itself.
For twelve years, people awakened their talents at a predictable age, celebrated as a rite of passage. But not everyone was so fortunate.
Amidst the bustling streets of Marisol, 20-year-old Aiden Cross walked unnoticed, blending into the crowd. He was an anomaly. While most people awakened their Main Talent at 18, Aiden's system had remained silent. His peers teased him, calling him "Talentless", and he began to believe it himself.
"Maybe I'm just... broken," Aiden muttered under his breath, clutching the strap of his worn backpack. The world no longer felt like it belonged to people like him—people who couldn't awaken, who had no power to fight or protect.
He passed by a training arena where awakened individuals sparred, their abilities lighting up the space like fireworks. Aiden paused, watching a man wield a spear that crackled with lightning.
"Must be nice," he sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets and moving along.
As he turned a corner, a piercing scream shattered the air.
A goblin, snarling and dripping with malice, had cornered a group of unawakened citizens in an alley. Its crude axe gleamed as it advanced on a trembling child clutching their mother's hand.
Aiden froze, his blood running cold.
"Where are the defenders?" he whispered.
The alley was far from the main streets, where patrols usually roamed. The goblin raised its axe, ready to strike. Aiden's body moved before his mind could catch up.
Grabbing a rusted pipe from the ground, he charged forward.
"Hey! Over here, ugly!" he yelled, trying to distract the creature.
The goblin turned, its yellow eyes narrowing as it growled. Aiden's heart pounded as it lunged at him. He barely dodged, the axe slicing through the air where his head had been.
As the fight continued, Aiden noticed something strange. The goblin's movements became predictable—the way it swung, the way it shifted its weight. It was as if he could see through its fighting style, breaking it down in his mind.
Then something clicked. His body moved fluidly, mimicking the goblin's attacks but with precision and speed far beyond its own. He ducked under another swing, countering with a brutal strike to its knee.
The goblin howled in pain, dropping its weapon. Aiden didn't stop. He twisted, slamming the pipe into the creature's skull. The goblin crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Panting, Aiden stared at his hands.
"What... just happened?"
Before he could process it, a familiar chime echoed in his mind, and a holographic screen appeared before his eyes.
System Notification
Congratulations, Aiden Cross. Your Main Talent has awakened.
Talent: Limitless Mimicry
Description: The ability to copy any fighting style, talent, or ability and amplify it by 1,000 times.
Aiden blinked, rereading the words several times.
"Copy... any ability? A thousand times better?" he muttered, the realization sinking in.
The people who had been cornered by the goblin stared at him in awe, whispering among themselves.
"Did he just fight like... that monster?"
"Is he... an awakened?"
Aiden clenched his fists, a new determination lighting up his eyes.
Maybe he wasn't useless after all.