A young man, barely eighteen, lay in a grassy field, gazing at the stars piercing the night sky. His black hair framed a strikingly handsome yet unapproachable face, with eyes like twin abysses. Though not heavily muscled, his lean frame, clad in sleek nightwear, could easily be mistaken for that of a model or an athlete.
This was Zack Starshot. Unlike other teenagers who studied in city schools to prepare for their Day of Awakening, Zack had spent his youth in the countryside, trained rigorously by his grandfather, Kai. His education wasn't in books but in combat tactics, monster anatomy, and wilderness survival. He rarely visited the city, only venturing there for special occasions, yet he prided himself on being better prepared for his awakening than urban kids, thanks to Grandpa Kai's intense regimen.
Seventy-eight years ago, the virus known as the Devouring Helix descended on Earth alongside its counterpart, the Ascension System. Chaos erupted as monsters of all shapes and sizes poured through dimensional gates. Conventional weapons—guns, bombs—proved useless against their terrifying strength and magical powers.
Humanity teetered on the brink of extinction until the Ascension System emerged like a beacon in the darkness. It rewarded those who slew monsters with talents, abilities, and enhanced physical strength, empowering them to fight back. Despite this, humanity lost two of Earth's seven continents, barely holding the remaining five.
It took sixty grueling years to achieve a fragile stability, a balance that had held for eighteen years. Humans adapted, no longer just surviving but thriving in their new reality.
Zack had never known his parents. His questions to Grandpa Kai about them met with vague answers, leaving him with only one certainty: Kai would reveal everything—his past, his parents, and why city visits were restricted—once Zack reached the Expert rank after awakening. That goal felt distant, but it fueled his relentless training from childhood.
Tomorrow was his Day of Awakening, the moment he'd awaited his entire life. Sleep eluded him, his mind racing with thoughts of what talent he might unlock or whether his training would suffice against a low-rank Greenhorn monster. Lying in the field, he whispered to himself,
"What is this feeling I'm experiencing? Nervousness? Excitement?"
He chuckled softly.
"What's there to be nervous about? I've trained for this my whole life. If only one person awakens tomorrow, it'll be me. I should have that much confidence."
Yawning for the first time that night, Zack returned to his room in Grandpa Kai's house. His body, as if reassured by his words, shut down instantly, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The Next Morning
Zack woke early, donning the tight yet flexible combat suit and boots Grandpa Kai had gifted him for his last birthday. He sat in the front seat of Kai's car as the old man drove toward the Awakening Center in Sky Pillar City.
Grandpa Kai's white hair and faint wrinkles betrayed his age, but his vigor and gentlemanly demeanor defied it. Zack had never seen him use his awakened powers in anger, only hearing hints of his strength. If pressed, Zack would guess Kai was at the peak of the Awakened rank, though the old man never confirmed it.
The drive was quiet, the week's advice already shared. The silence felt comfortable, not tense, and they soon arrived at the Awakening Center. The massive structure rivaled the football stadiums of a bygone era, a relic of a time before the Doomsday Arrival erased sports and entertainment. Now, crowds gathered to watch loved ones awaken.
Zack entered a vast hall where the registration process was underway. Hundreds of teenagers his age lined up at nine registration stands. He'd parted from Grandpa Kai thirty minutes earlier, the old man heading to the audience section. Now, Zack stood before one of the nine poised receptionists managing registration.
"What's your name?"
she asked as he reached the front.
"Zack Starshot,"
he replied calmly.
"Age?"
"Seventeen."
"Registration fee—"
Before she could finish, Zack placed a card on the table—a recommendation card from Grandpa Kai. He trusted Kai implicitly and didn't question its purpose. The receptionist examined it, typed briefly on her computer, then handed him a new card.
"You're registered,"
she said.
"Follow the hallway to your left to a special stand where you'll wait for your turn in the awakening process."
"Thanks," Zack muttered, following her directions. He reached a designated section of the audience stand, where about two hundred teenagers were seated, with room for three hundred more. Scanning the area, he noted four square, dome-like energy barriers glowing with faint runes below, each twenty cubic meters, encircled by the audience stands. These were the chambers where the awakening would unfold.
It didn't take too long for the awakening process to commence, and as Zack had expected, four youths were called to undergo it simultaneously. Their faces betrayed nervous anticipation, a stark contrast to the buzzing crowd in Sky Pillar City's Awakening Center.
The process itself was straightforward but far from easy. To awaken, each teenager had to slay a low-rank Greenhorn monster alone, without aid. Even the weakest Greenhorn was at least twice as strong as an average human, making the task daunting. Fortunately, each participant received a powerful magical weapon crafted from monster parts, capable of piercing any defense a Greenhorn could muster. These low-intelligence creatures, Zack noted, seemed bred for this purpose, captured alive solely for the awakening trials.
The four teenagers entered their respective domes, each clutching a magical weapon of their choice. Zack focused on one—a green-haired boy in a tight combat suit and boots, gripping a two-handed sword with unwavering determination in his eyes.
Inside the dome, a protector—tasked with intervening to prevent death if the teenager faltered—asked the green-haired boy a series of questions. The boy nodded in response. The protector then leaped back to the edge of the glowing energy barrier, poised to act if needed.
A section of the arena floor slid open, revealing a low-rank Greenhorn monster. It was a green-furred, wolf-like beast, the size of a mature lion, its ferocious glare enough to chill the bravest hearts. Chains bound its neck and four massive legs as it emerged, but they snapped free moments after the creature fully surfaced, unleashing its primal fury.