Rantaro's breath caught as a blue screen suddenly appeared before him, glowing and pulsing with an almost unnatural rhythm. [SYSTEM: Please sign in.]
"What the hell...?" he muttered, stepping back as if it might burn him. The screen hung in midair, its soft blue light flickering. "Xiyau!" he shouted, his heart racing. "Come here! There's some crazy floating thing in front of me!"
Xiyau walked in, rubbing her eyes, still groggy from sleep. "Where? I don't see anything." She blinked and squinted. "Rantaro... are you okay? You've been pushing yourself too hard lately, especially with the Awakening coming up. Maybe it's just exhaustion playing tricks on you."
He opened his mouth to argue, to convince her it was real, but the words faltered. Maybe she was right. Maybe the exhaustion was finally catching up with him. With a deep sigh, he slumped onto the edge of his bed, massaging his temples. But the screen remained, its soft hum now an insistent buzz in the quiet room. [SYSTEM: Please sign in.]
It blinked again. And again. Unyielding. Impossible to ignore. "Damn it," he muttered, frustration rising. He tapped the glowing "Sign In" button. [Welcome, Host. You are now signed in.]
A chill ran down his spine as the screen flickered again. A new message appeared almost immediately. [Would you like to begin Awakening?]
His finger hovered over the "Yes" button, unease curling in his gut. This felt... wrong. Surreal. Yet something pushed him forward, a force he couldn't explain. Heart hammering in his chest, he pressed "Yes." [Awakening confirmed. Host is now Awakened.] [Current Status:]
Strength: 6
Speed: 11
Intelligence: 16
Skills: None
Class: None
Rank: E
Aura: None
"E-rank?" The word came out as a strangled croak. "Are you kidding me?!" His jaw clenched, hands forming tight fists. E-rank—the lowest possible rank. It felt like a cruel joke. [Congratulations! You've received a Skill.]
[Do you wish to accept?]
"Seriously?" he snapped, pressing "Accept" with more force than necessary. "Of course, I accept!" But the next message froze him in place.
[ERROR: This skill exceeds host's current soul threshold. It has been locked until Level 55.]
"LEVEL FIFTY-FIVE?!" he shouted, springing to his feet. "What kind of ridiculously overpowered, useless skill did I just get?" A bitter laugh escaped him, a strange mix of panic and excitement. His heart beat wildly in his chest. [As a sign-in reward, you have received: 1x Ruin Entry Token for 1 day.]
A ruin? What was that?
It was like a dungeon, but different—more dangerous, more unknown.
Before he could process the baffling information about the skill, something heavy and small landed in his hand with a soft metallic clink. He looked down at a smooth, obsidian token, etched with glowing runes. It pulsed faintly, radiating a strange energy. The coldness of the token seeped into his palm as it hummed with power. His throat tightened.
This wasn't a trick of the light, no illusion. It was real. He swallowed hard, holding the token tightly. "E-rank trash. A skill I can't even use. And now a key to some damn dungeon."
His initial shock gave way to a steadying resolve. His breath quickened—not out of fear, but something else. Anticipation.
"Level 55, huh?" His gaze hardened with determination.
"Fine. I'll get there."
"No matter what it takes."
He shoved the token into his pocket, a silent promise forming in the stillness of the room. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, moving toward the unknown waiting beyond the ruin.