"Two hundred and ninety-nine."
"Three hundred."
"Three hundred and one."
"Three hundred and two."
...
The morning light poured into the small room through the windowsill, and the handsome young man with his upper body bare was sweating profusely while doing one-handed push-ups.
He stopped only when there was a knock at the door.
"Vaelor, I've gone to work. Remember to eat the breakfast on the table."
"Got it, Aunt Mira."
As the door closed, Vaelor Draeth supported himself with both hands, exerted force on his abdomen, flipped over and stood up, then gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
He glanced at the watch on his left wrist and said, "Nyx, how long have I been exercising?"
A sleek black cat materialized on the watch display, standing on its hind legs and making a cute sound.
"Master got up early today and exercised for 1 hour and 7 minutes. Excellent work, nya~"
Vaelor nodded slightly.
In the morning, he had practiced basic martial arts forms ten times, done 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 300 push-ups on each hand, taking a total of one hour.
This speed wasn't bad.
"Open the panel," Vaelor said softly.
Status
[Character: Vaelor Draeth]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17]
[Level - Unawakened]
[Profession: None]
[Talent: None]
[Physical Strength: 14]
[Strength: 12+1]
[Speed: 11]
[Spirit: 15]
[Luck: 10]
[Intents: None]
[Laws: None]
[Passive Special Essence: None]
[Active Skills: None]
[Practice Method: Basic Martial Arts, Basic Breathing Method, Basic Body Building Method]
[Equipment: None]
[Free Attribute Points: 0]
[Evaluation: Weaker than an ant]
"Still as pathetic as ever," Vaelor sighed, looking at the time on his watch.
"It's this late already?"
"Damn it, today is the origin talent awakening and job awakening ceremony. I can't be late!"
After taking a quick three-minute shower, Vaelor hurriedly finished his breakfast and rushed out to catch the Skyrail to school.
The Skyrail was packed during morning hours, but Vaelor was lucky enough to snag a seat.
"Ha..." He yawned while sitting on the transit car.
Suddenly, the view outside the window brightened as the Skyrail passed the towering central terminal.
Vaelor leaned against the window, gazing through the transparent barrier, and murmured softly, "No matter how many times I see it, it's still breathtaking..."
The view before him was vast. The Skyrail ran through the sky nearly a hundred meters above ground level.
Below sprawled a suburban residential district where single-family houses looked like scattered toys. Ahead rose a massive megalopolis—a steel forest of buildings stretching hundreds of meters into the sky. The Skyrail tracks wove through the urban jungle like gleaming serpents, while various aircraft streaked through the city airspace with luminous trails, creating a thoroughly sci-fi panorama.
At the city's heart stood a colossal clock tower that pierced the clouds, its peak invisible from this distance.
Looking further toward the horizon, one could vaguely make out a steel wall towering into the heavens, partially obscured by clouds and mist. If you could see it at all, it meant the weather was good.
"Welcome to Skyrail Line 51. Good morning, passengers of Thornhaven City. Today is another peaceful day." The AI-synthesized voice chimed over the speakers.
"Today's morning news."
"Last night, a small-scale spawn tide erupted from the A-rank Abyssal Rift in Sector 13 outside the city. It was suppressed within half an hour by City Garrison Commander Drakon Vess and his forces. A Tier 6 Abyssal Spawn was eliminated in the process."
"It is reported that Headmaster Gareth Ironveil of Thornhaven First Combat Academy has broken through to Tier 7 and is expected to run for the next City Lord position."
"Regarding the recent anomalous phenomena in the Silverpeak Ocean, authoritative organizations suspect it may be caused by a King-class Abyssal Spawn. The Sakuran Empire has sent an envoy to the Valdris Federation to discuss countermeasures."
"A new dimensional zone has been discovered outside Frostgate City's Tier 7 Abyssal Rift. The local Warrior Association is organizing an expedition to explore and claim the territory..."
"The annual Martial Aptitude Examination will begin next month. This is a grand event across the Valdris Federation. We eagerly await the emergence of exceptional talents and dark horses among this year's candidates. These students carry the earnest hopes of countless families. After tireless training day and night, they strive toward their ideal academies. Whatever the results may be, I want to say to them: fight for one more month, live up to your youth, live up to your potential..."
Listening to the broadcast while gazing out the window, Vaelor's thoughts drifted.
As a transmigrator, seventeen years had passed since he arrived in this world.
He couldn't say for certain whether he had transmigrated to another world entirely or to the future of his original Planet. (Take note not Earth.)
According to what was written in the history texts, up until the year 2024 AD—three hundred years ago—all historical developments had been identical to the world Vaelor originally knew.
Then came 2025.
Everything changed.
That year, the Eternal Abyss suddenly descended upon the world, and Abyssal Rifts tore open across the globe. Endless Abyssal Spawn poured forth from these tears in reality.
Dragon-like creatures stretching a kilometer in length built nests on the ocean floor. Titanic trees reaching 100,000 meters in height appeared on the dark side of the moon. Demon wolves standing a hundred meters tall howled across the wilderness continents. Disasters followed wherever the eldritch horrors tread... Humanity's population was halved in the catastrophe.
That year became known as Year One of the Cataclysm Era.
Fortunately, a comprehensive system called the System Integration arrived and merged with the physical world!
The planet expanded a hundredfold, and game-like elements—quests, dungeons, equipment, items, potions, and more—began manifesting in reality.
Every human received a digitized interface. They could gain experience points and high-grade materials by training and slaying Abyssal Spawn. Those who awakened powerful origin talents rapidly became humanity's strongest defenders, embarking on the path to godhood, achieving life-level evolution, and fighting back against the Eternal Abyss!
By Year 100 of the Cataclysm Era, exceptional warriors had emerged among humanity. People with various talents discovered their ideal professions. Through the united efforts of all mankind, technology developed at an unprecedented pace, and a martial order was established that allowed even ordinary people to cultivate and grow stronger.
By Year 200 of the Cataclysm Era, humanity had gradually prospered. Powerful individuals successively stepped into the Demigod tier. Some low-risk Abyssal Rifts were repurposed as training grounds. Warrior Associations and Combat Academies at all tiers were established to nurture the strong, and humanity began mounting counteroffensives into Abyssal territory...
And now, it was Year 297 of the Cataclysm Era.
"Man, I'm so sleepy. I stayed up all night training."
"Don't even talk about it—I secretly logged into the Stellar Network with my dad's account last night and watched a few female streamers doing 'martial arts practice.' My god, those figures... absolutely lethal."
"Is it really that good?!"
"Obviously! Didn't you notice my blood and qi vitality dropped?"
...
Two high school students in academy uniforms chatted nearby, discussing the borderline content streamers with great enthusiasm.
Vaelor wasn't interested. All he could think about now was the origin talent awakening and job awakening ceremony.
He'd been born into an ordinary family in this life. His father, Thorne Draeth, was a border sentinel—a Tier 1 Warrior and full-time soldier stationed at the outer walls year-round, rarely returning home. His mother, Lyanna Draeth, had awakened a healing talent, changed her profession to Physician, and worked as a nurse at Frostgate City's Third People's Hospital.
Currently, he lived with his aunt Mira in Thornhaven City while his younger cousin attended her first year at the academy.
It could be said that aside from his identity as a transmigrator and his memories from his past life, Vaelor was no different from any other ordinary teenager at the bottom of society. He had no cheat ability from the novels, no powerful background, nothing but the handsome face that had earned him the nickname "Academy Heartbreaker."
In this dangerous, terrifying, and magnificent era, only those who awakened powerful origin talents and professions were qualified to become strong and change their destiny.
"Thornhaven Combat Academy, now arriving."
The announcement echoed through the Skyrail car as Vaelor stood and prepared to face his fate.