In the boundless void, a colossal hall floated in silence, forged from stars and ancient runes. Majestic, eternal, it seemed to have existed since the dawn of time.
At the very center, upon a stone altar, Alex lay motionless, eyes shut tight. Heavy, ragged breaths echoed through the vast chamber—a sign that death had been cast off, and he was slowly awakening.
Suddenly, the heavens quaked, and a solemn, ethereal voice resounded:
[Welcome, Trial Candidate. Beginning scan.]
A golden beam of light descended from the void, enveloping Alex. Runes flared and shimmered, streams of brilliance coursing as both his soul and body were examined inch by inch.
[Scan complete. Initial panel generating…]
Buzz!
The light collapsed inward. Alex's fingers twitched, and he snapped his eyes open, gasping for air like a drowning man breaking the surface.
"This… it's real!"
He looked around, staring at the starlit temple. Ecstasy surged through him—he had been at death's door only moments ago, yet now he had been forcibly pulled into another realm!
But the thrill of survival quickly gave way to burning hatred.
"Lois… Simon!"
His teeth ground as his voice echoed through the emptiness. He should have perished beneath their treachery, but the descent of the "Trial of Myriad Worlds" had granted him a chance for vengeance.
[Panel complete. Initiating talent awakening.]
Alex held his breath, every nerve taut. He knew well: one's talent defined their future. From the lowest rank, F, to the highest, SSS—and even rarer, unfathomable heights beyond—all were keys that determined destiny.
Then, the golden radiance flared, and the voice declared:
[Talent awakening complete. Congratulations, Trial Candidate—S-rank Exclusive Talent: "Evolve."]
"S-rank…"
Alex's pupils shrank sharply—then gleamed with a burst of unrestrained joy.
According to the laws etched deep into every soul, the odds of awakening an S-rank talent were no better than one in ten million.
And the word Exclusive?
That meant the talent was his alone—unique across all of humanity!
[Evolve]
Rank: S (Exclusive)
Effect: Consume lifespan to permanently raise any skill by one grade, up to SSS. (First three uses are free.)
"Raise… any skill?!"
Alex's heart thundered. His eyes blazed with disbelief and exhilaration.
But the system's voice did not pause:
[Please confirm your name within the Trial.]
Alex hesitated only a moment before speaking:
"Alex."
[Name confirmed. Welcome, Alex. Please choose your class.]
Boom!
A dozen pillars of light descended, each forming into a mirrored figure of himself—one bearing a sword, another a bow, others with daggers, gauntlets, staves. Warriors, rangers, thieves, monks, clerics, mages… every path stood before him.
Yet within a few breaths, the phantoms shattered one by one.
[Initial attributes incompatible. Invalid classes removed.]
Alex's expression darkened.
At last, only a single, sinister shadow remained.
[Sole available class—Necromancer.]
[Class confirmed.]
The shadow surged into his body. His hospital gown warped, becoming a tattered gray robe as a chilling aura of death coiled around him.
Alex gritted his teeth, his voice a guttural growl:
"Status panel—open!"
One by one, icy runes appeared before his eyes.
[Alex]
Level: 0 (0.00%)
Class: Necromancer
Strength: 1
Constitution: 1
Agility: 1
Spirit: 10
Free Attribute Points: 0 (Gain +5 per level)
Health: 1/1 (Max permanently locked)
Mana: 200/200
Talent: Evolve (S-rank, Exclusive)
Skills: Summon Skeleton (Basic), Scorch (Basic)
Lifespan: 1 year
"Damn it!"
Alex's chest tightened violently.
It was almost a cruel joke—
Strength: 1.
Constitution: 1.
Agility: 1.
Only Spirit stood at its peak. And yet… his health was cursed, locked eternally at 1!
A single strike.
A single brush.
Even the faintest graze would kill him instantly!
Worse still—his lifespan was only one year!
As if fate itself mocked him: granting him a glimmer of hope, only to crush it in the same breath.
"…Heh. One year?"
Alex muttered, then suddenly raised his head. A blaze of madness ignited within his eyes.
"If I've no way back, then I'll gamble everything!"
His talent, Evolve, could raise any skill to the supreme rank of SSS.
But if he used Evolve… on itself—
What would happen?
Grinding his teeth, Alex roared with reckless defiance:
"Evolve—Evolve—three times in a row!!!"
The grand hall quaked violently. Starlight surged like a flood, as though even the gods themselves were shaken by his audacity!