Aryan Sharma woke with a start, his heart pounding as if he had just fought his way through an endless battle. The last thing he remembered was his death—betrayed by Meera and Karan on the 99th floor of the Eternal Tower. He had fallen, stripped of everything, in the final moments before victory.
Panting, Aryan surveyed his surroundings. The familiar, modest confines of his small apartment greeted him. He was back, somehow, returned to the very beginning. His hands trembled as he summoned his Status Window, an instinctual habit born of years spent within the Tower.
Status WindowName (Age): Aryan Sharma (24)
Title: None
Affiliation: None
Rank: None
Level: 1
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Aura: 10
Intelligence: 10
Unallocated Stats: 0
Skills:
None
A baseline—the starting point for every newly Awakened warrior. Yet, Aryan's mind was filled with the memories of his past life, the knowledge of battles fought and won, of enemies defeated, and of the treachery that had led to his downfall. This time, he would use that knowledge to his advantage.
"This time... I won't let them win," Aryan whispered, determination flaring in his eyes. He had been given a second chance, and he would not squander it.
A sudden commotion outside drew his attention. Moving swiftly to the window, Aryan saw a crowd gathering around a shimmering portal in the nearby park. His breath hitched. He knew exactly what it was—the first dungeon portal had appeared, and with it, the first wave of monsters.
Grabbing a sturdy wooden stick from the corner of his room, Aryan sprinted out the door and down the street toward the park. The portal pulsed ominously, and the crowd watched in a mixture of fear and curiosity as a figure began to emerge.
Monster Status Window: Goblin
Rank: E
Level: 1
Class: Beast
Stats:
Strength: 8
Agility: 7
Aura: 5
Intelligence: 3
Skills:
[Slash] (Rank E): A basic melee attack using sharp weapons.
A grotesque Goblin stumbled out of the portal, its beady eyes scanning the crowd before it brandished a rusty dagger. The onlookers recoiled in horror, unsure of what to do.
Aryan didn't hesitate. He knew this creature—had fought and defeated it countless times in his past life. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance between himself and the Goblin, swinging his makeshift weapon in a wide arc. The Goblin, caught off guard, barely managed to block with its dagger before Aryan followed up with a powerful kick to its chest, sending it sprawling to the ground.
Ignoring the gasps from the crowd, Aryan pressed his advantage. He brought the stick down on the Goblin's head with a resounding crack, dazing it. With a final blow, he crushed the creature's skull, the Goblin disintegrating into black mist.
Breathing heavily, Aryan glanced back at the crowd. Their expressions were a mix of awe and fear, but he paid them no mind. He activated his Status Window again, eager to see the result of his victory.
Status Window
Name (Age): Aryan Sharma (24)
Title: None
Affiliation: None
Rank: None
Level: 1
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Aura: 10
Intelligence: 10
Unallocated Stats: 2
Skills:
None
He had gained two unallocated stat points. A small victory, but the beginning of something much larger. He would grow stronger, faster. He would rebuild his power from the ground up. And this time, no one would stand in his way.
As the black mist cleared, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Did you see that? He took down that monster so easily!"
"Who is he? An Awakened warrior already?"
"I've never seen anyone move like that. He must be one of the first to awaken."
The whispers grew louder, some filled with admiration, others with envy and fear. Aryan could hear snippets of their conversations, the public already starting to view Awakened warriors as something beyond human.
Aryan turned back to the portal, ready for the next wave. The fight had just begun, and he was determined to win.