ARC 1: THE DIVINE DOMAIN
The sound of claws scraping against stone echoed through the dungeon corridors.
Heavy footsteps, like war drums, drew closer and closer.
Danilo Chicana Afonso ran, his body drenched in blood, lungs burning, heart pounding as if it wanted to burst out of his chest. His ragged breaths blended with the roars of the creatures chasing him — giant beasts, eyes glowing red, fangs sharp enough to crush steel.
The green leaves of the forest, the towering trees surrounded him like a living labyrinth, mocking his despair.
Every step felt heavier, as if the ground itself drained his strength.
The blade in his hand was already broken in half.
— No… I can't die here… not now…
A monstrous shadow loomed ahead, blocking the only exit. Its claws were larger than the body of a man.
Behind him, more roars.
He was surrounded.
Sweat trickled down his forehead, mixing with the blood flowing from a deep cut on his shoulder.
He knew.
At that very instant — it was the end.
And then… the world twisted.
Suddenly, the pain, the blood, the roars of the beasts — all dissolved like smoke.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Flashback – One Day Earlier
He woke up with his head resting on the small counter of the shop in Luanda, under the suffocating city heat.
He was still just a 20-year-old young man, living with his mother and sisters.
His mother, once a woman of great talent, now carried no ambitions. Her heart had long been broken by reality — the fate of an ordinary person, resigned to the truth that luck and destiny decided who would rise and who would be forgotten. She bore the silent pain of being just "another woman", overlooked and ignored.
His father, a wealthy and powerful man, never gave them a name, nor respect.
Danilo worked at "Chicana & Sons", the small clothing shop his mother built to sustain the household and put food on the table. To anyone passing by, they looked like any other family. No one would guess he was the son of Kizúa Afonso, of the Afonso family — people of influence. At times, he found his situation almost ridiculous: the son of someone powerful, stuck behind the counter of a small shop.
While his sisters studied in hopes of one day changing their lives, Danilo often distracted himself reading webnovels and watching anime on his phone. He would lean back, stare at the ceiling, and think:
"If only I could live in one of those worlds… If I had even a single chance to fight against destiny… I would grab it with everything I have. Even if I had to die a thousand times."
Over the past seven days, Danilo's life had turned upside down. Something mundane — and yet incomprehensible — had begun to unfold.
The youngest daughter of the Santos family patriarch — one of the most influential families in the region — had simply begun to appear in his life. Like a shadow clinging to him. At first, just a timid wave on the street. Then, unexpected messages. Soon after, almost daily visits, always with that fixed and determined gaze, as if she was willing to walk through walls just to talk to him.
Danilo knew very well who she was. He also knew that, to her family, he was less than nothing — the son of just another woman, a bastard better left forgotten. He wasn't handsome like his quadruplet sisters, who had inherited their mother's striking beauty. He wasn't charismatic. He had no money, no status, nothing that could attract someone like her.
And yet, there she was. Chasing after him with a desperate persistence, as if her very life depended on staying close to him.
Danilo, in silence, could only wonder: "What does she really want from me? Did she come from some future where I became a badass like in the novels? Or did she somehow discover the size of my 25cm black dragon?"
After such a ridiculous conclusion, he laughed at himself and returned to his reading. The store was empty — business was slow during that season — so he sank back into his book.
And then, on that day, as if God had finally heard his prayers, the sky split open. A blinding radiance consumed the entire world.
The earth trembled.
The sky cracked with golden fissures, as though torn apart by an invisible blade.
A colossal voice resonated directly in the hearts of every human being — no language, no tone, only absolute truth:
"Welcome to the Divine Domain.
The Land of Evolution.
The Trial of Creation.
The Forge of Gods."
The entire world froze. No one could move, except for their eyes widening in terror and awe at the endless void.
Suddenly, every human being was suspended in nothingness, as if the planet itself had been plucked from existence and thrown beyond the known universe.
The voice continued:
"Humanity has been chosen to transcend.
From this day forth, you will no longer be mere men and women.
You will be fighters. You will be hunters. You will be prey.
The Divine Domain is the arena where all worlds converge.
Here, only one law exists: evolve or perish."
In front of each human, a glowing screen appeared, the words carved in living flame:
Talent System Activated.
"Within each of you lies a spark.
That spark will be shaped into power.
Talents are the measure of your essence.
They exist in scales of power: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.
The higher the rank, the greater the potential, the greater the glory… and the heavier the burden."
The void trembled. It pulsed like a living heart.
"Receive it with gratitude or with despair.
What you now possess will define your future.
In the Divine Domain, there are no kings, no beggars, no saints, no sinners.
Only warriors.
Only survivors."
A divine seal blazed upon every human soul, a cold flame ripping open hidden secrets and engraving something eternal into their consciousness.
Thus began a new era.
A blinding light engulfed the planet.
Half of the population — including him — was enveloped by pillars of light and dragged into an unknown space.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood in an endless white hall. All around, millions of confused people shouted, cried, demanded answers.
Then new messages appeared before their eyes:
[You have been chosen.]
[Welcome to the Divine Domain.]
[Each of you will receive a talent.]
Danilo closed his eyes, tears of pure excitement brimming. It was as if he had been thrown into one of the very novels he devoured — where the protagonist, against all odds, awakened a divine talent and rose to defy destiny.
His chest tightened. The very first thought was of his mother and sisters.
"Did they… get chosen too?"
The doubt burned through him. If only the chosen evolved… what would happen to those left behind?
— This is my moment… I'm the protagonist of my own story.
He could already imagine the future: a dazzling talent shining in his hands, the doors of glory opening, and him, triumphant, shoving his ascension into the faces of the Afonso family.
A laugh escaped him — nervous, but burning with fervor.
Then came the light.
The talent carved itself into his soul.
Danilo opened his eyes in anticipation… and the notification struck, cruel, cold, unshakable:
[Talent: Heart of the Sword (Rank F): Reduces all cooldowns and mana costs by 10%, and increases sword-related skills by 10%.]
The silence that followed was more deafening than thunder.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Couldn't believe it. It was as if the universe itself had spat in his face.
The glorious vision of the invincible hero collapsed, leaving only a suffocating void.
The heart that once beat with hope now throbbed with a bitter, almost physical pain.
— F…? What… what do you mean?
His heart sank.
Rank F. The bottom of the abyss.