Roy awoke with a scream, a chill spreading all over him. He was sprawled face down on warm, prickling grass, its sharp blades biting into his skin.
His muddled thoughts struggled to piece together the last moments before he had blacked out. No matter how many times he scanned the area, nothing looked familiar.
A deep, unsettling feeling began to take root in his heart. He had been told that the disorientation one felt upon waking in the very first trial was a bit cruel, but no words could have prepared him for it.
The leaves overhead weren't vibrant green but sickly yellow and dull, drained of life. The air was thick and suffocating, heavy with humidity. As Roy took in his surroundings, a creeping unease coiled around his gut, tightening with every breath.
"Where the hell am I?" he muttered. He found his bow and quiver full of arrows within arm's reach, along with a couple of knives. The system had given him no time for preparation, but thankfully, he had them all in the dorm. He clutched them tightly, relieved that the alien system had transported them with him.
Roy let out a slow, heavy breath as he shifted to sit upright, remembering the gift from his father, which had likely hurled him into this.
True, all gifted individuals had to go through trials eventually, but whatever gift his father had sent him had hastened the process. He probably would have had a month of preparation at the Academy before they would have sent him here. Dad wouldn't want to kill me...
Roy slapped his cheeks with both palms. "I have prepared for this… I'll succeed…"
Yet when he looked at the scorching sun, the stuffy air, and the yellowed trees, all his confidence seemed to drain out of him.
It wasn't just that, though. There was something else. He could feel it in the air, within himself. Roy seemed to have changed in some way he couldn't quite identify yet.
Then, something appeared in his vision, catching him off guard.
[Awakening successful!]
[Awakened, Welcome to your Rite of Passage.]
"This?" Roy's thoughts cleared slightly.
More transparent text unfolded, hovering before him, disembodied and magical.
[Name: Roy Starvos Williams
Title: U/A
Rank: Awakened: Tier 1
Core: Red ★ (1/100)
Attributes:
- Might: 1
- Mind: 1
- Spirit: 1
- Recovery: 1
Trait: U/A
Gift:
- [Memorisation (Unique) - E (77%)]: [Memory Palace]
Achievement: None.
Available System Features: Gift of Tongue. Inventory. Loot]
[You can use mental or voice commands to access your status.]
He waved his hand to tap at the holographic text floating in midair experimentally. His fingers passed right through the glittering words.
"Be careful what you wish for, I guess," Roy muttered, scrutinising the text that resembled an RPG status page. He couldn't help but curse his father for sending him into this without warning.
But then again, it was what he had wished for his whole life. He just needed to understand it better, and be careful about it.
His father wouldn't irresponsibly send him to some trial that would kill him, right?
Roy forced himself to focus on the status window, knowing that letting his mind wander would only lead to panic. And if he panicked, it would be disastrous for his current predicament.
With a deep breath, Roy delved into the transparent page, looking for some explanation on his gift.
[Memorisation (Unique)]
Mastery: E (77%)
[Restriction: None.]
[Description: The owner of Memorisation has an uncanny knack for intuition. Once they see anything, they remember everything.]
[Aspect: Memory Palace]
Roy wasn't entirely sure of his gift's rank before this, but he had never suspected it to be Unique rank. He knew it wasn't simply photographic memory, as he had found great use for it in learning musical instruments, poker, swordsmanship, and whatever required sharp mental acuity.
[Gift of Tongue: You can understand most languages.]
[Inventory: You have access to a small storage space (10 Cubic metres).] [Acess Inventory]
[Loot: You gain loot from the creatures you kill.]
Before the system window could disappear, Roy commanded, "Acess Inevntory."
Soon, more options opened before him. He was about to store a bit of grass inside to get a feel of things, but the system showed there was already something inside. He focused on the icon of the object, as the option to eject popped up. Roy confirmed once more, and a small black hole materialised above him, out of which dropped the pendant his father had gifted him.
He caught it out of the air, still staring at the hole. It was like a tear in reality, a door connecting to some extra dimension.
A notification window expanded before his eyes once more.
[Relic: Heart of the Dawn]
Grade: Ascended/Incomplete
[Description: The pendant is embellished with a sunstone that emits the brilliance of the Dawn, the very essence of life. Crafted by the Dawn Sovereign after a century of his reign, it was specially created for his cherished son. However, in the end, it failed to deliver the purpose. Legend has it that within this pendant holds a fragment of the Dawn essence.]
Enchantment:
Restoration: As long as the wearer has enough mana to sustain it, the pendant can regenerate any wounds, and restore the body to its original form.]
[Would you like to bind with Heart of the Dawn?]
[Y | N]
As soon as he laid eyes on the words, it became clear to him what the relic was capable of. He had no doubt that the relic would be a lifesaver in this trial.
Roy confirmed the prompt with a thought. The very next moment, the relic melted in his palm and merged into his body. He felt no discomfort at first, but then a current shot through his spine, as unknown energy surged within him.
The pendant re-materialised around his neck. He examined it for several moments, before putting his mind to something else.
"So, what is this Rite of Passage about?" he couldn't help but ask.
Unconsciously, Roy glanced up at the sky, as if expecting an answer. The system remained silent.
He knew the Awakened had to go through their tests and trials to earn their power, and so much more. The great clans or the top-ranked guilds could arm an Awakened with traits and power-level them, but they would still have to go through the trials.
The title was one thing no guild or clan could produce for you. It was the very reason why most Awakened never got one, and those that did were a cut above the rest. But even more importantly, an Initiate wouldn't be able to advance to the next rank if they didn't pass the trial.
Roy's father had the epic grade title "Firepunch" which worked just as the name suggested. Monsters tended to explode in flames near his father.
Epic was only below Legendary. Only four individuals in Earth's history managed to receive a Legendary Title, and all of them were pillars of the awakened world now.
With towering trees all around, casting wild shadows over the land, it seemed he was far from any civilisation. He had no clue where this place was in the Awakened world, but the awakened world was huge. Even with his extensive knowledge stored in his Mind Palace, Roy might not even be aware of a tenth of its geography.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Roy crept into the jungle.
He moved stealthily, hiding behind trees as he searched for something new. His skills were far from professional, but he had seen enough spy movies and dramas to pick up a thing or two.
Roy continued like this for several minutes, his nerves on edge. The woods remained unchanged—tall trees, high hedges, the sun hanging low in the sky, and the stiff wind caressing his bare skin—all of it making him increasingly anxious.
Abruptly, something shifted in the hedge ahead of him. Roy's heart raced as he ducked behind a huge tree, unsure if it would be enough. Here, in this unknown wilderness, anything could be a threat.
Let's wait and see, he thought, keeping a close eye on his surroundings.
As he waited, Roy felt his heartbeat quicken, his blood pounding in his ears. In the end, the creature turned out to be a genuine threat—a hungry hyena, nearly waist-high, with saliva dripping from its maw as it sniffed the ground.