Damian jolted awake, gasping.
His body burned—not with pain, but with an unnatural heat that pulsed through his veins like liquid fire. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, too fast, too strong. He gripped the sheets beneath him, fingers digging in as an unfamiliar energy coursed through him.
Something was wrong.
He forced himself to sit up. His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His skin felt… off. It was like a faint vibration ran through his muscles, a constant hum of something unseen.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself up—only to nearly stumble forward.
Too fast.
His movements felt unnatural, like his body reacted before his mind did. He caught himself, eyes narrowing. His limbs were lighter, his reflexes sharper. It was subtle, but it was there.
The memory of last night flashed through his mind. The blackout. The static in the air. The screen.
He turned toward the mirror, hesitating before stepping forward. His reflection stared back—same sharp features, same dark eyes. But something was… different.
His pupils dilated, then shrank unnaturally. His skin prickled. His veins pulsed beneath the surface.
Then, the screen appeared again.
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
New Skill Unlocked: ???
Effect: Unknown
Status: In Development
---
Damian's breath caught in his throat.
A skill?
His heart pounded harder. This wasn't a hallucination. It was real.
He reached toward the glowing text, half-expecting his hand to pass through it, but the moment his fingers moved, the screen flickered—
—and the world shifted.
The air thickened. The hum in his body intensified. And then, everything slowed.
The dripping faucet in the corner became a frozen droplet mid-air. The distant sound of traffic outside stretched into an eerie, drawn-out echo. His own breathing sounded warped, dragged out as if time itself had been pulled apart.
His mind reeled. This wasn't normal. This wasn't possible.
Then—just as suddenly as it began—it snapped back.
The droplet hit the sink. The traffic outside resumed its chaotic noise. And Damian stumbled back, gasping.
"What the hell was that?"
He clutched his head, his fingers trembling. His body felt fine, but his mind? It was screaming at him. That sensation—**everything slowing down, everything sharpening—**it was like stepping outside the natural flow of time.
The screen pulsed again.
---
[Skill Updated]
New Skill: Temporal Acceleration (E-Rank)
Effect: Briefly speeds up user's perception of time.
Limitations: High stamina drain. Can only be used in short bursts.
---
Damian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. Temporal Acceleration. A skill that let him see and react faster than normal.
His fingers curled into a fist.
This was real. The system. The quests. The skills.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't just an extra in the background.
And this?
This was just the beginning.