And then, pain.
A sharp, searing agony lanced through his consciousness, dragging him from the abyss. His mind reeled, struggling to grasp thoughts, identity, self. Fragments surfaced like bubbles from the depths of a stormy sea.
'Who am I? Where am I?'
A voice echoed, distant yet near. "You have been chosen."
The words resonated within his soul, vibrating in a way that seemed to transcend language. Memory coalesced in sharp bursts. His name—Eren Valerian. An ordinary college student. Or was he? He remembered the mundane: classes, friends, the endless scroll of assignments. But now...
Now, he was somewhere else. His memories seemed distant, like a dream slowly forgotten in the morning.
Light bloomed. Not natural light but a cold, pale radiance illuminating a vast, endless void. Eren found himself standing—or perhaps floating—on an invisible surface. When he looked down, he saw his own form, whole but...different. Sharper, more defined. His body felt stronger, more real than he remembered. Yet there was an unnatural stillness to it, as though reality itself held its breath.
"Eren Valerian. You have been selected."
The voice again. Ethereal, neither male nor female. A figure materialized before him, a luminous silhouette with no face, no features—only a shifting outline of light and shadow.
"Selected? For what?" Eren's voice trembled, yet the void absorbed the sound completely.
The figure responded without words. Knowledge poured into his mind like a river of light. Fragments of understanding. A world vast and ancient, ruled not by technology but by mystical forces. Magic. Cultivation. Strength. Power.
"You were brought here to participate in the Ascension Trials," the figure explained. "A cycle as old as the as time itself. You will be given a chance to grow, to rise. Succeed, and you may stand above the gods. Fail..."
The voice trailed off, but the implication was clear.
Eren clenched his fists. The pain had faded, replaced by a strange sense of clarity. This can't be real... But it felt real. Every heartbeat, every breath. A dream doesn't feel like this.
"What happens now?"
The figure extended a hand. A single drop of silvery light coalesced before him, expanding into a small, floating screen of symbols and glyphs. Words formed, shifting into a language he did not see before, but could somehow understand:
STATUS: EREN VALERIAN
Rank: Mortal (Unawakened)
Physical Attributes: Below-Average
Spirit Core: Dormant
Abilities: None
Skills: None
Essence: 0
TRIAL COMMENCEMENT: 00:00:10
A countdown. Ten seconds.
"Wait, what do I—?"
9...8...7...
The void trembled. The figure's presence began to fade.
6...5...4...
A new sensation gripped Eren—a tug, as though something was pulling at the core of his being.
3...2...1...
Light engulfed him. The void shattered.
When the light faded, Eren found himself sprawled on cold, damp earth. The scent of soil filled his nostrils, the weight of his body pressing against reality. This was no void. This was a forest, wild and untamed. Towering trees loomed around him, their bark gnarled, leaves whispering in an unnatural wind.
He staggered to his feet, disoriented. The screen of light had followed him, hovering just before his eyes. STATUS remained, unchanged.
But the countdown was gone.
A rustling sound to his right. Instinct made him whirl, adrenaline spiking. A creature emerged from the underbrush—a beast that looked like a fusion of a wolf and reptile, scales glistening in the half-light. Its eyes glowed with a predatory hunger.
The screen shifted.
Threat Detected: Feral Direwolf (Rank 1)
Survival Priority Activated: Defend or Perish.
Eren's heart pounded. No weapons. No abilities. Just raw instinct.
The beast lunged.
Eren barely dodged, the creature's claws raking his shoulder. Pain bloomed, sharp and hot, but he kept his footing. The Direwolf circled, gnawing its teeth.
Think, Eren. Think!
The screen before him blinked again.
Skill Unlocked: Basic Evasion
The words burned into his mind, and suddenly his movements felt sharper, more responsive. When the beast lunged a second time, he twisted aside with unnatural grace, the claws missing him by inches.
But he couldn't keep dodging forever. The pain in his shoulder throbbed. Blood soaked his sleeve.
Suddenly, the screen shifted once more.
Quest Triggered: First Kill
Objective: Defeat the Feral Direwolf. Reward: Essence +10
The Direwolf lunged again. Eren moved, this time not just to avoid but to strike. His fist lashed out, slamming into the beast's snout. It howled in pain, staggering back.
Another message appeared.
Skill Unlocked: Basic Strike
Something ignited in Eren—a spark, a pulse of energy. This was not just survival. This was growth.
He charged, driven by desperation and the burning will to live.
Eren felt a surge of strength, his fists glowing faintly as he struck the beast again, aiming for its throat. A critical blow. The Direwolf collapsed, twitching, before finally going still.
Quest Complete: First Kill
Essence +10 Acquired. New Skill Available: Spirit Surge.