[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skills
[Name: Ethan Sylvester]
[Rank: Awakened – Level 10 (0/20,000 EXP) ]
[Attributes: Strength 80 | Agility 68 | Stamina 70 | Speed 75 | Mana 70]
[Achievements:
Ethan clenched his fist and punched the air. BAAANG! The force rippled like waves. He quickly pulled back, not daring to cause a scene.
"Leveling up will be harder now… but I'm a hundred times stronger than when I first entered that dungeon." A smirk tugged at his lips.
Glancing at his reflection, Ethan almost didn't recognize himself. His skin gleamed smooth as jade, his long silver hair shimmered like threads of moonlight, and his blue eyes radiated a sharper glow. Even his muscles had become finely sculpted, his height stretched taller than before.
"Gods…" he muttered, stunned by the transformation.
Then something else caught his attention—the time. Checking the date, Ethan froze. "Impossible… only a few seconds passed here? So the dungeon time really only counts as two hours." Relief washed over him. "Good. I can pace myself better from now on."
He combed back his hair, slipped into the bathroom, and lowered himself into the steaming bath. Aaahhh… The hot water eased the ache from every bone. "Money well spent," he sighed, sinking deeper into the tub.
Knock knock.
"Who's there?" Ethan called.
"It's me. I heard noises—are you alright?" his mother's voice came.
Ethan scrambled out of the bath and cracked the door. "Mom, I'm fine. How's the shop?"
"Oh, Ethan, things are going well. We had a surge of new customers today," she said, smiling despite the exhaustion in her eyes.
"Good. But it's late—you should rest. We'll talk more tomorrow."
His mother's eyes widened as she looked him up and down. "My, my… you've grown taller… and so handsome."
Ethan chuckled nervously. "Come on, Mom. It's the middle of the night." He gently guided her to her room and shut the door.
Leaning back, Ethan whispered, "Don't worry, Mom. This is just the beginning. When I'm strong enough, we'll live in luxury."
After a long pause, he returned to his bath, slipped on his headset, and drifted into sleep with his favorite songs.
*************
"Crap!" Ethan jolted awake to his blaring alarm. He rushed into a plain black shirt and combat trousers before joining his family at the table.
His mother fried bacon and cheese while his little sister devoured her share like a thief protecting treasure.
"Morning, family," Ethan greeted.
Both turned—and froze.
"When did you get taller?" his mother asked, baffled.
"Are you doing this because you've got a crush on a girl?" Little Finger smirked.
"What? No way!" Ethan jumped back, scandalized.
"Ha! I should've guessed. But who would fall for you—you're too ugly." She giggled, cheeks puffed with bacon.
"Daaah—!" Ethan's nose bled. "Who the hell taught you that nonsense?! You're still a kid!"
"How dare you call me little? I could crush you with my pinky finger," she snapped, not even looking up.
"You'll have to try harder than that." Ethan laughed, stealing his breakfast.
"Just wait and see!" she said, glaring with an adorably serious face.
Ethan only laughed louder, eventually dropping her off at school in a rented SUV.
Though he could outrun most cars, he enjoyed playing the role of a normal parent.
"Bye, ugly!" Little Finger teased as she dashed off to her friends.
Ethan shook his head. "Naughty girl. One day I'll hire you a driver." Then he sped off toward the gym.
[Congratulations! You have completed today's Daily Quest.]
[Rewards: +200 EXP, +1 Mana Potion]
Exiting the gym, Ethan felt countless eyes on him.
"Damn, look at that guy. Total alpha male," one girl whispered.
Ethan turned away quickly and slipped into his SUV. "I need to be careful. The last thing I want is unnecessary attention."
Buzz. Buzz. His phone rang.
An emergency alert blared:
"ALERT! Underground dungeon has opened. All civilians evacuate immediately. All Awakened proceed to the breach zone."
"Underground dungeon break? This can't be good," Ethan muttered, steering toward Palm View Town.
He parked at his mother's shop, then leapt skyward like a rock skipping water. BOOM! His body clung to a skyscraper, then vaulted across rooftops.
As he neared Palm View, smoke blanketed the sky. Flying vehicles evacuated civilians while armored MVP units in combat suits escorted them.
"Looks like a B-level threat…" Ethan whispered.
*************
Ten crimson-armored MVPs soared overhead, flanked by AI-powered tanks fueled with beast cores. Combat mechs unfolded midair, armed with high-caliber rifles.
"So this is the city's fastest response unit—the Exterminators." Ethan narrowed his eyes.
ROOOOAAAARRR!
A monstrous beast the size of a building emerged. Its jagged scales gleamed as its four limbs crushed concrete. Its eyes glared—massive as airplane wheels.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Gunfire and explosions lit the sky. The beast howled in agony, stumbling into a collapsing building.
Then Ethan noticed a massive tanker, twice the size of the others. A sacred-core reactor thrummed in its chest, its colossal muzzle glowing red.
BAAAAAANG!
The cannon fired—a searing red beam tearing through the air.
SPLAAAAT!
The beast swelled grotesquely, then burst apart in a storm of gore. Buildings shook under the rain of flesh and brown blood.
Ethan exhaled, awe glittering in his eyes. "Amazing… " this was his first time seeing this.