Just when I had resigned myself to the monotony of endless sword slashes, something shifted. It wasn't a grand, earth-shattering awakening like in the stories. There was no surge of power, no blinding light. Just… awareness. The cessation of ceaseless repetition. I was awake.
The first thing that struck me was the absence of pain. Years spent comatose, the sacrifice… I expected to feel frail, weak, broken. But my limbs felt strong, my muscles taut. Healthy. It didn't make any logical sense.
My body, which should have been withered and atrophied, was… perfect. Not overly muscled or bulky, but lean and powerful. Years of endless sword slashes, perhaps? It was a bizarre, almost comical thought.
My skin, which should have been pale and lifeless, was vibrant, glowing. An almost ethereal luminescence that seemed to emanate from within. It was… unsettling. What was happening to me?
My mind, which should have been flooded with questions, with confusion about my sudden return, was consumed by a single, all-encompassing thought: Sword. The word echoed in my consciousness, a driving force that eclipsed everything else. An unending obsession.
Then there was the maid. I vaguely remembered a kind face, a gentle presence in the periphery of my awareness. Beu. A miracle, really, that my family had even bothered to assign someone to care for me, considering my… diminished status.
She stood there, frozen in place, her eyes wide with disbelief, her mouth agape. Her shock was almost comical. Was my face that bad?
"What…?" Her gaze flickered over my body, taking in the impossible reality of my physical transformation. But then, her eyes fixed on my face. Confusion turned to… something else. Admiration? Awe?
"How… what in the world…?" She seemed utterly flustered. Was she blushing? A maid? Trained to maintain composure in the face of anything? I was clearly missing something here.
"Young Master? Are you really awake?" She approached cautiously, as if I might shatter at the slightest touch.
"Young Master… what happened? You were… glowing! Like you've been reborn!"
"Hmm…?" Glowing? Had I been glowing? I hadn't noticed. It seemed… insignificant, compared to the sheer, overwhelming need to wield a sword. But there was definitely something different about my body. Something… changed. What was it?
"Status," I muttered, the word almost involuntarily. It was as if the command was etched into my very being.
Suddenly, the air crackled, and Beu gasped, her eyes widening in horror. Oh, right. The whole "public status display" thing. Great. Just what I needed – more attention.
Name: Ley StarGrace
Age: 16
Race: Human (Dragon Blood)
Talent: Sword Unity (Apex)
Strength: 10 (Max)
Speed: 100
Constitution: 10
Soul: ???
"Wh-what…?!" Beu stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Impossible…!"
She was, of course, referring to the "Sword Unity (Apex)" designation. Let me explain:
In this world, talent is everything. And "Apex" is the pinnacle of talent. The absolute best. The highest possible tier. Beyond SSS+, the rankings ascend: Transcend, Beyond, Awakened, Demi-God, God… and finally, Apex.
An Apex-level talent is unique. Only one person can possess it for each specific skill. And once that person is gone, no one will ever inherit that Apex designation. It's a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated phenomenon.
The known possessors of Apex-rank talents? Only nine individuals. The most powerful beings in the world. They are the emperors, the rulers, the arbiters of fate. Their strength is so immense that they could shatter continents, obliterate armies, reshape the very fabric of reality. Only the combined might of the others prevents any one from dominating all. Their fights could destroy this world, which is why their clashes always happen at the void.
…
Back in the present, I was at a loss for words. How did I even begin to process this?
"I… I don't know," I admitted lamely. "I just… awakened."
"But… how?" Her eyes shone with reverence, as if she were gazing upon a deity. Serving a future emperor, indeed.
"Young Master, I know you harbor resentment towards your family, but we have to tell them," she insisted, her voice trembling with urgency.
She was right. In a world where talent could be sensed, where power was paramount, revealing my Apex-level ability was a risk. I could be targeted, exploited, or even killed by those who sought to control me. Within my family, I would be protected. Cherished, even. A valuable asset to be nurtured and cultivated.
What they had done in the past… it mattered little now. In this world, strength was the ultimate currency. Something I had learned, firsthand, in the lonely void of endless sword slashes.
Now what happens?
...