Lucien gasped, jerking upright in his bed. His head felt like it had been forcibly crammed with too much information, throbbing with a pain that threatened to split his skull. He rubbed his temples, fragments of the previous night flashing through his mind. He remembered! Scrambling out of bed, he bolted straight for the cellar.
There it was. The wooden box sat wide open on the desk, its interior utterly empty. It hadn't been a dream. It was real!
Joy flooded him, warm and effervescent, but it was swiftly followed by a tide of questions. His father's key and box had held power. But what was that female voice in his head? How had he gotten back to his bed? And crucially, could this... thing... truly help them out of their desperate situation? The questions tangled like knotted rope, twisting a coil of unease in his gut.
Alright. Slow down. He took a deliberate breath. The voice had spoken directly into his mind: "System login successful." Could this be related to Awakening? But he'd never heard of anyone Awakening after childhood. The thought ignited a spark of hope, quickly tempered by the fear of disappointment.
He tried to recall what Baron and Viola had described about summoning their interfaces. Focus. He closed his eyes, concentrating fiercely, and mentally commanded: 'Panel.'
Instantly, a transparent screen shimmered into existence before him. Seeing it materialize, Lucien almost lost control. He clapped a hand over his mouth, sinking into a half-crouch as laughter, disbelieving and relieved, bubbled up uncontrollably from his chest.
But reason swiftly intervened. Don't celebrate yet. He needed to understand this power granted by his father. Were there hidden flaws? Side effects? Unearned triumph could easily pave the way to a deeper abyss.
Steeling himself, he focused again. The panel reappeared. This time, he scrutinized every line.
Status Panel:
-Name: Lucien-
-Level: 1-
-Skill: Omni-Psychic-
-Quality:???-
-HP:10-
-Psyche: 10-
-Intelligence:8-
-Attack: 3-
-Agility:1-
-Defense:1-
> Evaluation: This user's stats are explosively weak. A Slime could smother him to death.
---
What?! Was the system mocking him? Lucien stared at the scathing evaluation, caught between indignation and a grim sense of humor. And the Quality rating—just question marks? Did that mean his ability was so weak the system couldn't even be bothered to categorize it, or was it something else entirely?
At least the Skill sounded promising. 'Omni-Psychic' had to be better than a simple stat boost.
In Cocoon City, Awakenings fell into four broad categories: Stat Boosts, Vocational Aptitudes, Elemental Affinities, and the rarest, Unknown Talents. Each category branched into countless sub-specialties. New abilities surfaced every year, fueling city gossip.
Their prevalence and perceived strength generally decreased from left to right. Stat Boosts were the most common, typically enhancing a single attribute like Attack, Agility, or Defense as the user leveled. Those with this Awakening usually fell into C or D Quality tiers.
Vocational Aptitudes granted mastery over specific skills—powerful ones like Swordsman or Archer, or more mundane like Cooking or Smithing. Quality also tended to be C or D. Baron, for instance, was a "Light Swordsman," a rare fusion of Vocational (Swordsman) and Elemental (Light) affinities. His innate light magic, effective against troublesome dark-attribute monsters, coupled with swordsmanship, made him a natural predator.
Elemental Affinities encompassed Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, with Quality usually ranging from B to D. Mastery depended entirely on the individual's innate talent and potential. Viola was a Fire Affinity, swiftly recruited by the Subjugation Corps.
As for Unknown Talents, they comprised a mere 1% of the population. Details were heavily guarded by the city authorities, but rumors claimed that anyone detected with one had a Quality of at least A, with a select few reaching the mythical S-tier.
Lucien mentally reviewed the knowledge drilled into him at the city academy. He'd never encountered an Awakening specifically labeled "Psychic," but he was a nobody from the slums. His ignorance didn't equate to non-existence. The word "Omni" suggested potential for growth, which was infinitely better than his previous state. Figuring out how to use this power was paramount. If he could kill monsters—even lowly Slimes—with it, that would be a quantum leap beyond scavenging luck in the Graveyard.
He noted discrepancies, however. His panel displayed elements absent from academy teachings: the Psyche stat and the scathing Evaluation. These were new.
SYSTEM:
Ding-Dong—
-Daily Quest Issued. Please Accept.-
The cold, mechanical female voice resonated in his skull again. The voice struck a faint chord of familiarity this time, but the flood of immediate questions left no room to ponder it. He swiftly tapped the notification on his panel. It displayed:
Daily Quest
-Objective: Eliminate 50 Slimes-
-Progress: 00/50-
-Reward: 2 Bron-
-Deadline: 23:59-
Two Bron?! For a pauper like Lucien who'd never held a Bron coin, the reward was staggering. His eyes practically glued themselves to the number. In Cocoon City's currency, 50 Krom equaled 1 Bron. The special potion cost a crippling 40 Bron. This single reward could buy him breathing room—two whole vials' worth of time.
The task seemed impossible at first glance. But weighed against the potential reward, the gamble became irresistible. Success meant nearly two weeks of medicine and basic necessities. More importantly, it could be the key to a different life.
Decision made, Lucien moved quickly. He packed his meager gear, checked that Elinora was still asleep, prepared breakfast, left his own portion wrapped in a cloth bundle, placed his last 10 Krom coins and a note on the table, and slipped out the door.
He maintained his usual low profile, hood pulled down, shoulders hunched, moving swiftly and unobtrusively through the streets. He headed west, crossing the Gruss Stone Bridge, traversing the city center, and finally exiting through the West Gate onto the Verdantis Plains—the designated training ground for novice Awakened. The walk alone took nearly an hour, a testament to the city's sprawl, though years of hardship had forged an endurance in him that surpassed some Awakened.
He rarely ventured beyond the city walls alone. The risk of leaving Elinora unprotected, coupled with his previous inability to fight monsters, had kept him confined. He only came out here with Baron or Viola.
Groups of younger children, guided by instructors, clustered near the West Gate for basic training. To avoid unwanted attention, Lucien struck out further afield. After walking briskly for about five minutes towards a sparser area, he stopped. Time to test this new power.
Rustle!
A green Slime burst from the tall grass beside him, launching itself like a projectile straight at his face! Instinct took over. Lucien slashed out with his dagger, cleaving the gelatinous mass in mid-air. Viscous fluid splattered onto his hand, instantly raising angry red welts. The corrosive slime wasn't strong, but the thought of what a direct hit could have done sent a chill down his spine.
The bisected Slime reformed seamlessly, bouncing, readying its next attack. Lucien didn't expect one-hit to kill. No monster in Cocoon City was trivial; complacency meant death. Even this seemingly harmless Slime possessed neural fibers too fine for physical attacks to permanently disrupt.
He focused, and a panel flickered above the Slime:
Target Analysis
-Species: Slime-
-Name: Abigail-
-Level: 2-
-Attack: 2-
> Tip: Slimes are immune to physical damage.
The tip triggered an idea. He mentally queried the system: 'What method can kill Slimes?'
SYSTEM:
-Apologies. You lack the necessary permissions.-
Alright. So knowledge came with power. No matter. He wouldn't be discouraged. Keeping a safe distance from Abigail, Lucien began his experiment.
He steadied his breathing, focusing intently. 'Omni-Psychic,' he commanded mentally. Nothing happened. Wrong approach.
His momentary distraction cost him. The Slime suddenly flattened its body, morphing into a sticky, green carpet aiming to smother him! Lucien threw himself backward in a desperate roll, but his reaction was a fraction too slow. The corrosive slime latched onto the sleeve of his left arm!
Sssss... The acrid smell of burning fabric filled the air. Gritting his teeth against the sting, Lucien poured all his strength into a vicious upward thrust with his dagger, spearing the Slime's core. The force ripped the creature off his arm and sent it flying, splattering wetly onto the ground a few feet away. His sleeve now bore a large, charred hole.
He scrambled back to a relatively clear patch of ground, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. He couldn't just defend! Fixing his gaze on the reforming Slime, a surge of desperate will surged through him. He locked onto a nearby fist-sized rock.
Lift! Move!
The rock obeyed. It shot upward, whistling through the air, and slammed into the Slime with a wet *thud*. Lucien backed up further, maneuvering towards open ground with less cover. As the Slime quivered, disoriented by the unexpected projectile, Lucien's eyes hardened. His right hand whipped out a small bottle of alcohol; his left flicked a cheap lighter. A jet of flame roared to life, engulfing the gelatinous creature.
Eeeeeee---! A high-pitched shriek pierced the air. The green slime writhed and boiled violently within the flames, rapidly blackening and shrinking until it dissolved into a sizzling, foul-smelling puddle.
Lucien sagged with relief. It wasn't the orthodox method—physical types avoided Slimes, and elementalists dispatched them instantly—but his preparation, based on academy lessons, had worked.
When the sun hung directly overhead, Lucien wiped grime and sweat from his brow, panting heavily as he summoned his panel again:
SYSTEM:
-Congratulations! You have eliminated Slime: Abigail-
-Level Up!-
-Status Panel-
-Name: Lucien-
-Level: 1 → 2-
-Skill: Omni-Psychic-
-Quality: ???-
-HP: 10 → 11-
-Psyche: 10 → 11-
-Intelligence: 8-
-Attack: 3 → 4-
-Agility:1-
-Defense:1-
-Skills: Telekinesis-
-Items: Slime Mucus x1-
The notification confirming his first kill and subsequent level-up ignited a fierce spark of hope within him. Slime Mucus was valuable too, a low-drop-rate industrial material sought after by material shops.
He checked the time: 9:00 AM. He had ten hours left. Regardless of the quest, he needed to leave the plains by 7:00 PM to ensure he was safely home before the 8:00 PM curfew.
Time is critical! For the next five hours, Lucien transformed into the plains' most methodical hunter. Using his newly acquired Telekinesis, he carefully lured single Slimes out of hiding, then incinerated them with fire. It was monotonous, exhausting, and demanded constant vigilance. But he couldn't afford a single lapse. Each flash of the level-up notification, each satisfying plop of Slime Mucus dropping, felt like a point of light piercing a dark tunnel. After dispatching an uncountable number, he checked his progress:
SYSTEM:
-Congratulations! Level Up!-
Status Panel:
-Name: Lucien-
-Level: 2 → 10-
-Skill: Omni-Psychic-
-Quality: ???-
-HP: 16-
-Psyche: 16-
-Intelligence: 25-
-Attack: 13-
-Agility: 8-
-Defense: 8-
-Skills: Telekinesis-
-Items: Slime Mucus x8
He noted the acquired skill. So actively using his ability did unlock new capabilities? That meant he could experiment further. Confidence surged. He swiped the panel.
Daily Quest
-Objective: Eliminate 50 Slimes-
-Progress: 23/50-
-Reward: 2 Bron-
-Deadline: 23:59-
He needed to ramp up the killing speed.