He spoke in a low voice, but one filled with power, like someone used to leading and giving directions.
"Ah, you three who just arrived. Welcome. We're grateful you're safe," he said with a small smile.
I responded quickly, keeping my tone polite despite the discomfort that lingered in my chest.
"Ah, it's just luck, sir. My name's Kai. This is my friend Diego, and the woman over there is Ayla. Unfortunately, her right leg is broken from being hit by debris, so she has to be carried by our friend." I gave a slight bow, shaking his hand as a sign of respect, even though it mostly felt like a formality.
He nodded briefly, his gaze shifting toward Diego and Ayla.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Dirga. I was the village head here before," he said, his tone flat but with a subtle emphasis that gave the impression he wanted to assert his authority.
"There was a discussion earlier," he continued, his voice flowing like someone used to speaking to crowds.
"We all agreed... to look out for each other, and work together. To face whatever happens next." Dirga's voice was firm, but there was a weariness he couldn't hide behind his words.
He paused for a moment, his gaze sharp as he looked at all of us before continuing,
"It's better if you join us."
"Before you arrived, we were... 20 people. With the four of you, it makes 24."
He raised a hand, pointing toward us—me, Ayla, Diego, and the hooded man.
The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.
All eyes were on us, as if we were newcomers who would change everything.
"Ah, alright, sir. Sorry to bother you," I said, trying to sound calm despite the tension I couldn't fully conceal.
As I spoke, I bent slightly at the waist as a sign of respect.
Dirga smiled, but I could feel that the smile wasn't entirely genuine.
"Soon, this mission will be over," he said, his voice lower, almost as if speaking to himself.
"We'll see what happens after this. Hopefully, this zone remains safe... because if not, the water will get in, and....."
The concern in his tone made the air around us feel heavier.
I observed his face.
Though he tried to maintain composure, his eyes couldn't hide the deep unease.
I glanced at the floating system screen above us, showing the remaining time.
Only three seconds left.
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00:00:02
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00:00:01
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00:00:00
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Finally, the last second passed, and a blue pop-up with text appeared.
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Notification
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Congratulations to those who followed the instructions and entered the safe zone.
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Reward: Advancement to the next class
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Suddenly, without any warning or sign, everyone inside the building was enveloped one by one by a bright golden light.
The light was so intense it almost blinded me, yet strangely, it didn't hurt to look at.
All activity seemed to freeze in an instant, and the once-bustling crowd suddenly fell silent.
I recognized this light.
It was too familiar to forget.
Around me, faces that were once busy now wore expressions of shock, fear, and even confusion.
Some people exchanged glances, trying to find answers in each other's equally confused faces.
Next to me, Diego was also frozen, his body wrapped in the golden light like a glowing cloak.
I could hear his murmurs, though his voice was almost drowned out by the strange silence.
"This light…" he said quietly, his voice hoarse and filled with doubt.
I nodded slowly, a sense of familiarity creeping into my mind.
"It's like the time we leveled up before," I whispered, glancing around.
Diego's eyes widened, showing he understood what I meant.
But before he could respond, Ayla's voice broke my thoughts.
Ayla, standing next to me, looked at me in confusion.
"Level up? What do you mean, Kai?" she asked, her face looking more anxious than curious.
I turned to her, trying to smile to calm her down.
"Your leg will heal, Ayla," I said softly.
I wasn't sure, but I wanted to believe this was all part of a bigger plan.
"Just trust me."
Ayla seemed like she wanted to ask more, but in the end, she just nodded faintly.
Her face was still full of worry, but there was a slight hope in her eyes.
In the midst of the silence, which was now disturbed by murmurs and whispers, someone from the crowd finally shouted.
Their voice was loud, booming in the tense atmosphere.
"What's happening? What is this?!"
Others quickly followed, their voices full of excitement, though still filled with confusion.
"Are we getting new abilities ?!"
Small cheers began to spread, echoing in the room that now felt like a sacred place.
The golden light continued to envelop the bodies around me, making everyone look like majestic beings just raised from the dust.
But I knew this wasn't just about power.
It wasn't just about blessings or glory.
There was something bigger behind all of this.
The energy flowing into my body did feel warm, even pleasant.
But along with it came a heavy sense of responsibility, like a burden that had just been placed on my shoulders.
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Advanced Class Created Due to Your Exclusive Class
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Class: The Mindbreaker
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★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
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Description: An individual with the ability to peek into the veil of the past, sensing the echoes of emotions and events that have already passed. Initially, a Clairvoyant can only see flashes, but their potential to uncover hidden secrets is vast.
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Skills:
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Spirit Whisper (passive)
Whispers from spiritual entities are heard in moments of urgency, guiding your steps.
Empathic Vision (passive)
Peeks into the depths of someone's emotions, uncovering secrets they try to hide.
Vision (passive)
Random glimpses of the past or future. Too random, often dangerous for the user.
Echo Field (active)
Generates an echo of the energy from past enemy attacks, both psychic and physical. The mental energy cost depends on the intensity of the attack.
Past Projection (active)
Brings up important moments from the past of an object that's touched. The mental and spiritual cost depends on the depth of the memory being revealed.
- [ New ] -
Psionic Mirror (passive)
Reflects psychic attacks back at the attacker with greater power, usable once within a certain period. Reduces the user's psychic resistance afterwards.
Psychic Barrage (active)
Attacks the enemy's mind with illusions of pain, potentially causing them to lose focus or faint. Drains the user's mental energy, risking migraines.
Mind Shatter (active)
Strikes the target's mind with fear and despair, causing them to lose the will to fight. Reduces the user's mental resistance and may trigger uncontrollable 'Vision'.
Astral Chains (active)
Binds the enemy with invisible astral chains. The enemy cannot move but can strike mentally to resist the effect. Requires a large amount of energy and weakens the user's physical state.
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I read through my new skills with a pounding heart. Thankfully, there are combat skills there.
If not, I might not be able to protect myself.
The crowd around us, which had been tense just moments ago, suddenly became lively.
They seemed engrossed in discussing the new abilities they had gained.
The exhaustion that had previously weighed down my body slowly faded away, replaced by a warm sensation that enveloped me, as if that golden light had sucked all the fatigue away without leaving a trace.
Even the wounded were healing at an unbelievable speed.
They stood in awe, including Ayla.
Her right leg, which had been broken, was now fully healed.
"My... my leg!" she cried out in shock.
She stared at her right leg as if making sure this wasn't an illusion.
I, though I had felt it before, was still amazed.
What kind of power can heal injuries this quickly?
Could I do this one day?
"is your leg now fully healed, Ayla?" I asked, helping her to her feet.
Ayla nodded, still in disbelief.
She tried standing on her own and seemed about to try walking, but reflexively, I reached out to hold her hand.
"Yeah... my leg... I can move it, I can walk," she said with an expression of enthusiasm and disbelief, looking at me.
"I'm so glad your leg is healed," Diego said with a smile.
"Thank you... finally, I won't be a burden to you guys anymore," she said, looking at me and Diego with a voice full of emotion.
My smile widened, as did Diego's.
However, that moment was quickly interrupted by Diego.
"My class leveled up!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Kai, Ayla, your class leveled up too, right?"
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Diego, still looking surprised.
"Yeah, my class leveled up. Ayla, what about your skill? Is it unlocked now?" I asked, prompting Ayla to check.
Ayla quickly opened her interface and nodded.
"Yes, my skill is—"
Before she could continue, I raised my finger to my lips, signaling her not to talk about it in public.
Diego, on the other hand, nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing with me.
"Not here," I said firmly but calmly.
Ayla looked at me, confused, but eventually, she just nodded obediently.
However, our joy and excitement didn't last long.
In the air, a new pop-up notification appeared.
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Cosmic Notification -
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Congratulations to the survivors who have successfully entered the safe zone.
You will be given 3 days for preparation for the next phase of evolution.
Use this time to prepare as best as you can.
The Language Translation System is now available for various surviving land races, facilitating communication between species.
We have also opened the Party System on your display, with a maximum of 10 members per Party.
Important Notice: Survivors who have entered the safe zone cannot leave under any circumstances.
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Party Benefits
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The system provides special missions or clues only available to parties, including safe zone locations or new threats.
Health or stamina regeneration bonuses are active when members are within close proximity to each other.
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Suggestion: It is recommended that you form a party as soon as possible to increase your chances of survival.
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Cosmic Notification -
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The Phase 2 evolution process will begin shortly.
Creatures of the Water Race will join in this new era.
The mission will be available after 3 days of preparation. Use this time to prepare yourselves and improve your survival skills.
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Suggestion: Avoid staying near water sources during this phase, as potential threats will increase significantly.
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71:59:59
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71:59:58
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Over and over again, this announcement seems like nothing more than a warning of a nightmare awaiting us.
The contents of this message only add to the chaos that already exists.
How are we supposed to follow the order to stay away from water?
It feels like a direct insult to us, the inhabitants of a zone surrounded by water on all sides.
Great... truly great.
It's as if they're making sure we die.
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The crowd, which had been full of energy just moments ago, suddenly froze in a tense silence.
Their eyes were fixed on the glowing message floating in the air, a message that, though only a few sentences long, was enough to shake everything.
The silence lasted only for a moment.
In just a few seconds, like water suddenly overflowing from a dam, panic spread through the crowd.
"What is this? Avoid water?!" a woman shouted from behind, her voice echoing with panic.
Her eyes were wide, as if she'd just seen something terrifying.
"What kind of joke is this?! How are we supposed to avoid water when our zone is surrounded by it on all sides?!" a man yelled angrily, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His frustration was clear from the redness of his face.
Amidst the chaos, Dirga, the respected village head, stepped forward.
His tall and firm figure caused the crowd to instinctively part.
With one swift gesture of his hand, he tried to calm the noise.
"Calm down, everyone! Calm down!" he shouted in a loud, authoritative voice.
Though firm, I could hear the tension laced in his tone, as if he was struggling to hide his true emotions.
I could sense the emotions he was trying to suppress, burning anger, mixed with hatred for the system that kept playing with his fate.
The crowd began to settle down, though murmurs of panic still echoed here and there.
Dirga continued, his tone now quieter but still sharp.
"We don't have time to panic!" he continued loudly.
"Protests won't change anything. The system tells us to form parties. We have to work together, not blame each other or give in to fear!"
People started to look at each other, trying to digest his words.
From another direction, a large man with an automatic rifle on his back appeared.
He didn't raise his hand like Dirga, but his mere presence was enough to make people step back.
"You can follow Dirga if you want to die slowly," he said coldly, his voice low but full of pressure.
"But if you want to survive for real, follow me. I won't carry any dead weight, only those ready to fight."
"Stop spreading fear here, Bram! This isn't the time for strength contests!" Dirga retorted, his voice firm, but clearly holding back anger.
I observed the armed man, Bram, as Dirga had mentioned.
Who is he? I muttered to myself.
His attitude was different from most people here.
There was something about him that made him seem like a threat, even to someone like Dirga.
Bram just smiled faintly, unfazed by the rebuke.
His sharp gaze scanned the crowd, as if searching for allies.
He smiled again.
"I'm not telling them to choose now, Dirga," he said, "But those who want to live longer know where to go." He gave the crowd a sharp look, then turned and walked to the other side of the field, waiting for people to approach him.
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I watched closely.
The system limited each party to 10 members, while we had 24 people here.
It wasn't hard to guess who would be accepted into Dirga's party, those close to him, family, or those he deemed important.
On the other hand, Bram clearly only accepted those he considered strong or useful in combat.
The tension in the air was palpable.
One by one, people started to move, choosing between Pak Dirga or Bram.
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In a short time, two parties were formed.
Dirga gathered 10 people, most of them villagers, some were old or young, but he emphasized the importance of cooperation.
Meanwhile, Bram's party was filled with people who seemed more accustomed to tough situations.
One of them even carried a large sword on his back.
Ayla, Diego, the hooded man, and I were left.
No one wanted to accept us, neither Dirga, because his party was full, nor Bram, who looked at us with a dismissive gaze before continuing with his chosen members.
I sighed to myself.
This wasn't surprising.
At times like this, people would only think about their own safety and the people they considered important.
"Ayla, Diego," I called softly.
They both turned to look at me.
Ayla looked uncertain, while Diego stared at the crowd, his jaw clenched tight, clearly angry at the injustice unfolding.
"We won't be accepted into any party," I said in a low but firm tone.
"We have to make our own decision."
Ayla lowered her head, her expression full of doubt.
"But… there's only three of us, Kai. Do you think we can survive?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I was about to answer, but before I could say anything, the hooded man who had been silent in the corner suddenly moved toward us.
His steps were calm, not rushed, but there was something in his movement that felt different.
He stopped in front of us, close enough for me to see the shadow of his face beneath the hood.
His voice was low, heavy, and almost devoid of emotion when he finally spoke.
"Four," he said briefly.
I looked at him, confused.
"If you three form a party, I'll join," he continued in a flat tone. There was no doubt in his voice, only a certainty that made me listen.
I turned to Ayla and Diego, seeking their approval.
Ayla looked unsure, biting her lower lip as if considering something difficult.
But Diego nodded immediately.
"Four is better than three," he said firmly, without hesitation.
I sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Alright. We'll be four."
The hooded man didn't say anything else.
However, with a slow movement, he began to lift his hood.
The afternoon sunlight hit his long, silver hair, making it shimmer. In an instant, the atmosphere between us changed.
His long, silver hair, falling to his neck, was clearly visible in the sunlight.
At first, I was about to introduce myself, but the words got stuck in my throat as I saw his appearance.
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Diego stared at him with wide eyes, then whispered in panic.
"Kai..."
I looked at the man, my heart pounding, just as panicked as Diego.