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Ascendancy: The Path of the Awakened
By [Beneyo]
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Chapter One – The Silent Village
The night sky burned with a crimson hue as the portal cracked open above Kai Ryu's village. The once-quiet farmlands trembled as a monstrous roar echoed through the air. People screamed. Children cried. Flames licked at the rooftops.
Kai stumbled out of his family's wooden home, clutching a crude iron dagger, his knees trembling.
"Why now? Why here?" His voice shook. He wasn't a fighter, not like the hunters or the guardians of the city. He was just the boy who fetched water, who hid when others fought.
But tonight, hiding wasn't an option.
From the rift, creatures poured out—scaled beasts with glowing eyes, snapping jaws, and claws sharp enough to split stone. One of them, a wolf-like monstrosity covered in bone armor, fixed its gaze on Kai.
His heart stopped. His legs froze.
The beast lunged.
And in that moment, as death rushed toward him, something inside Kai broke—and awakened.
A searing light surged through his veins, flooding his vision with symbols and voices he couldn't understand. His dagger glowed faintly, then shattered in his grip.
> [Awakening Detected]
Genetic Trait Activated: "The Ascendant."
New Skill Unlocked: Power Assimilation.
The wolf's claws pierced his chest, but instead of ripping him apart, energy surged into Kai's body. His wounds sealed instantly. His muscles burned with new strength.
Kai gasped, clutching his chest. "I… absorbed it?"
The monster collapsed into ash at his feet.
The villagers stared. A few whispered in awe. Others in fear.
Kai's life as a nobody had just ended.
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Chapter Two – The Mentor
Morning sunlight barely pierced through the smoke of the ruined village. Survivors gathered, mourning their dead, whispering about the strange boy who killed a beast with his bare hands.
Kai sat alone by the well, staring at his trembling palms. The memory of the energy flooding into him still haunted him.
"I didn't fight. I… devoured."
A shadow fell over him.
"You lived," a calm, commanding voice said.
Kai looked up and froze. Before him stood Lira, the famed warrior who had once defended the border towns from an entire horde alone. Her crimson armor gleamed even in the dusty morning light.
"You awakened," she said, crossing her arms. "But uncontrolled power is more dangerous than no power at all."
"I-I don't know what happened," Kai stammered.
"You don't need to. Not yet." She extended her hand. "If you want to live past the next portal, come with me. I'll train you."
Kai hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to say no. He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't brave.
But then he remembered the burning eyes of the monster. The screams of his neighbors. The fear of being powerless.
Slowly, he placed his hand in hers.
And just like that, his journey began.
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Chapter Three – Blood and Trial
Training with Lira was hell.
From dawn to dusk, she pushed him beyond breaking. Swords, spears, fists, stamina drills that left him gasping on the ground. Every mistake was punished. Every weakness exposed.
"You hesitate," she barked as he blocked a strike. The impact rattled his bones. "Hesitation kills. Again!"
Kai collapsed, sweat dripping into his eyes. "I'm not like you. I wasn't born for this."
Lira knelt, pressing her blade against his throat. "Neither was I. Strength is carved, not inherited."
Her words pierced deeper than her blade.
That night, when monsters crawled through the nearby forest, Kai went alone. His hands shook, his knees wobbled, but he faced them anyway.
The first swipe of a beast nearly tore him apart. But as he struck back, his blade slid across its hide—and in its dying roar, Kai felt the energy flow into him.
> [Assimilation Successful]
Skill Learned: Bestial Reflexes.
His eyes widened. His body felt lighter, faster.
By the time Lira found him, three monster corpses lay at his feet. His chest heaved, his eyes wild.
"You're reckless," she scolded. But for the first time, she smiled. "But you have the heart of a fighter."
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Chapter Four – Companions in Shadows
Days turned into weeks. Kai grew sharper, faster, deadlier. But he also grew lonelier. The weight of power pressed against him, alienating him from the villagers who now looked at him with fear rather than admiration.
One night, during a raid in a ruined city, Kai was ambushed. A dagger kissed his throat before he even sensed it.
"Don't move," a soft, dangerous voice whispered.
The blade belonged to a girl his age, her eyes like midnight, her cloak blending into the shadows.
"Mira," she introduced herself with a smirk. "You're not bad, but you're loud. Loud gets you killed."
Kai barely caught his breath before another ambush struck—monsters this time. Together, they fought back-to-back, Mira vanishing and reappearing like smoke while Kai absorbed power with every kill.
When it was over, she sheathed her dagger. "You're interesting. I think I'll stick around."
Kai stared, half in awe, half in confusion. "I didn't ask for a partner."
Mira grinned. "Too bad. You've got one."
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Chapter Five – The Healer's Touch
Kai and Mira's travels took them deeper into unstable portal zones. The monsters grew fiercer, but so did Kai's abilities. Yet every battle left scars—wounds that even his assimilation couldn't fully erase.
One night, gravely injured after facing a winged beast, Kai collapsed. Mira dragged him through the forest until they stumbled into a hidden shrine.
There, under the glow of pale crystals, a girl in white robes knelt, her hands glowing faintly as she prayed.
When she saw Kai, her eyes widened. She rushed to him, pressing her hands against his chest. Warmth spread through him, soothing the pain.
"I'm Sophie," she whispered, her voice steady despite the blood on her robes. "And you're not dying on my watch."
As light closed his wounds, Kai stared at her in disbelief. A healer… someone who could heal him better than his assimilation did