The silence that followed the goblin's disintegration was deeper than before. It was a silence filled by the phantom blood on Luan's hand, the glint of a crystal on the floor, and the chasm that now opened between the two siblings and their parents. Marta, their mother, had her hand over her mouth, her eyes fixed not on the spot where the monster had died, but on Luan. On the son she barely recognized, with his storm-filled eyes and the dagger in his hand.
It was the system notification that broke the spell, flashing in Luan's and Júlia's vision with divine indifference.
[Congratulations on reaching Level 2!]
[You have earned your first Active Skill Roll. Three paths open before you. Choose wisely.]
Before Luan's eyes, three ethereal cards materialized.
[Static Charge (Active - Common): Imbues your weapon with electrical damage for 10 seconds. Cost: 5 MP/s.]
[Swift Step (Active - Common): Dash forward 3 meters in a burst of speed. Cost: 10 MP.]
[Spark (Active - Common): Fires a small bolt of lightning that causes low damage. Cost: 15 MP.]
The memory of the goblin's rotten breath, the feeling of its claws tearing the air near his face... The trauma was fresh, visceral. Melee combat was a hell of fear and uncertainty. He needed distance. He needed an echo, however small, of the power he had possessed as Raiden. Without hesitation, he chose the third card.
[Skill 'Spark' learned.]
He felt new knowledge blossom in his mind, a neural pathway forming. He knew, instinctively, how to gather the ozone in the air, how to give it form and purpose with a gesture.
Júlia, in turn, stared at her own three cards.
[Minor Blessing (Active - Common): Increases a single target's defense by 10% for 30 seconds.]
[Soothing Touch (Active - Common): Restores a small amount of a target's HP upon touch.]
[Guiding Light (Active - Common): Creates a sphere of light that illuminates the area and reveals low-level hidden enemies.]
As a future doctor, as the personification of care, the choice was obvious. The image of the goblin's blood and her brother's pallor guided her hand.
[Skill 'Soothing Touch' learned.]
She felt a calm settle in her soul, a warmth in her palms. A power not to destroy, but to restore.
Just as they were about to try and explain the inexplicable to their parents, the Voice returned. This time, it wasn't a whisper in the soul, but a global decree, thundering in the mind of every human being on the planet.
[To all inhabitants of this world, Awakened or not, listen. The Initial Hunting Period has been declared. You have 24 terrestrial hours. The weakest spawn of Elysium now roam your lands. Hunt them. Accumulate experience. Gather the Essence Crystals they leave behind, for they will be your new currency. The System Shop will open after this initial period. Only the prepared will be able to prosper.]
The Voice paused, and a collective shiver seemed to sweep through the city.
[A warning: at the end of the 24 hours, an Area Boss will emerge in each population zone to test your progress. For this zone, prepare for the 'Hobgoblin Scout,' Level 5. Know that this champion will not come empty-handed. It will be empowered by artifacts from its domain. Survive the test or become the first conquered territory. The clock is ticking. Let the hunt begin.]
A translucent timer appeared in the upper corner of every Awakened's vision: 23:59:47.
The panic outside intensified, but now it had a twisted purpose. The screams were not just of fear, but also of battle. Suddenly, the shrill ring of a cell phone sounded absurdly mundane. It was Luan's. The name on the screen made his heart stop: Leo.
He answered, his hand trembling. "Leo?"
"DUDE! LUAN! HOLY SHIT!" His friend's voice was a gasp of panic and euphoria. "Are you seeing this? It's happening to you too, right? The stuff in front of your eyes, the letters..."
"Yeah, Leo. I'm seeing it. Are you okay? Where are you?"
"Okay? I'm hiding in my car! There was a disgusting green thing trying to open the door to my building! I... I did what the Voice said. I spun the wheel."
Luan held his breath. "And?"
"I'm Awakened, man! I got a class! 'Shadow Blade,' it's a rare one! It's like an assassin, I think. But there's this weird thing in my status, something that says 'Awakening' with a bunch of question marks. I don't get it, but I... I feel faster." There was a sound of clashing metal and a goblin's shriek in the background. "Dammit! There's more of them! Luan, I'm two blocks from your place, near that 24-hour bakery. We need to meet up. Alone... I'm not gonna last long alone."
The call went dead.
Luan lowered the phone. His gaze met Júlia's. No words were needed. The decision was made.
"No," said Marta, her voice choked, understanding her children's silent resolution. "You're not going anywhere. Did you see what's out there? Stay here. We'll lock the door."
"Mom, it doesn't work that way," Júlia said, her voice soft but firm. "That... monster... it appeared out of nowhere, inside. Nowhere is safe. The only way to be safe is to get stronger."
"Stronger?" Roberto, their father, spoke for the first time, his confusion giving way to anger and fear. "Stronger how? By killing? My son, you're holding a knife, you're trembling! Your sister... this isn't you!"
"It's not a choice anymore, Dad," Luan said, and the words came out with a weight he had never felt. He looked at his hands, at the dagger, at the crystal on the floor. He was a recluse who had given up on life. But now, life, in its most brutal form, was demanding he fight for it. For his parents. For Leo. Maybe even for himself. "We have 23 hours. If we do nothing, that thing, the Hobgoblin, will show up and kill us all. We have to hunt. We have to find Leo."
He crouched and picked up the crystal. It was cold to the touch.
[Essence Crystal (Common)]
Value: 10 Gold
He and Júlia moved toward the door. Each step was an anvil.
"Please," their mother begged, tears finally streaming down her face. "Don't go."
Júlia turned, went to her mother, and hugged her. "We'll be back. I promise." She placed a hand on her father's back, and he felt a comforting warmth, an effect of her aura. "Lock the door after we leave. Stay away from the windows. We will come back."
Luan opened the apartment door. The hallway, normally lit by a warm, yellowish light, was plunged into the gloom of the emergency lights. The air was heavy with the smell of mildew and something metallic. With his Dragon Eyes, Luan saw what the others couldn't: faint red lines of intent coming from beneath the stairs and from inside the neighbor's apartment. Goblins. Hiding. Waiting.
The building was no longer his home. It was the first dungeon.
"Stay behind me," he whispered to Júlia, who nodded, her magic book in hand.
He took the first step out of his home, crossing the threshold between the son he was and the hunter he needed to become. The clock in his vision read 23:48:12. The hunt had begun.