[Few Hours After the Awakening — Third Person Perspective]
The world outside was silent. Actually, it was too silent. Even the faint hum of the city seemed muted tonight, as if the universe itself were holding its breath.
Allen Park stirred beneath the heavy blankets of his bed, the lingering warmth of sleep still clinging to him. He had been asleep for only a few hours, yet a dry thirst pulled him from his dreams.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded softly toward the kitchen. The house was quiet—no creaks of floorboards, no wind rattling the windows.
Only the faint hum of the refrigerator filled the space. Earlier, he might have panicked about whether the world was real or not, but now it didn't feel that way.
Allen poured water into a glass, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat in long, satisfying gulps. The glass clinked softly against the counter as he set it down. He sat there for a long moment, staring into the darkness outside the kitchen window.
Allen frowned. 'What the hell is wrong with the government?'
It didn't make sense, no matter how much he tried to wrap his head around it.
What were the chances that the government would change its mind about closing the gate and reverse its earlier decision without explanation?
It was clear as day that they would look foolish in the eyes of the public, and their critics would have mouths to speak. Yet, even with all that, they had gone ahead with their plans.
Why?
Allen's mind immediately drifted toward his old crewmates.
Had they been involved somehow?
He didn't have an answer, and the thought left a hollow, uneasy feeling in his chest.
He knew his crew weren't small players in this world. For them to get involved with the awakening ceremony, it was most likely to protect him.
Allen already knew that part of that pill was dangerous, but not to the extent that his crew would intervene.
"Who am I to complain?"
Shaking his head, he drained the rest of the water and left the glass on the counter. He needed to test something. Although he had already trained and tested his skill after coming home, his body was itching for more.
His small training room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the simulation interface.
The moment he entered, it automatically activated, and the hologram of Level 2 flickered to life.
Allen exhaled sharply. "Alright… let's see what we can do."
He hadn't been able to defeat her before his second awakening, but he was sure he could now, with the power of his unique skill.
After returning home, he had experimented with his unique skill, Assimilation, testing its limits.
The first realization was simple but crucial: he could not assimilate anything he did not understand—at least when it came to the regular part of the power structure.
Runes, magic, unique skills—all required comprehension. If he could not read the code behind them, they remained inaccessible.
That limitation, however, had opened another door, because with Assimilation he could finally counter the main thing that had held him back from using runes to the fullest: not being able to inscribe them on the human body.
However, a new problem had emerged: his body was too weak. He could still inscribe runes, but they were limited to two mid-grade ones. Any more, and his body would explode from the inside out.
The second discovery was even more shocking: he could consume elixirs, treasures, or artifacts not meant for humans without suffering any backlash.
No refining needed, no precautions, no hidden dangers—he simply absorbed them.
But even this wasn't his greatest achievement of the night. Carefully, methodically, he managed to trace two powerful runes onto his body.
He clapped his hands once. The motion was ceremonial, almost reverent. One hand bore the symbol of the moon, the other the symbol of the sun.
Fog escaped his lips as he exhaled, the cold air seeping into his nostrils.
He lunged at the simulation. In an instant, his foot connected with Asura's torso with a resounding impact, sending the simulation flying against the wall. A sharp crack echoed through the room as the holographic bones fractured under the force of the blow.
The first skill he had created with the sun rune was something he called Equalization.
As long as the opponent's level was close to his, Equalization balanced the strength gap between them. Higher base stats or unique skills were leveled, bringing everyone's to a comparable level to his.
Allen smirked. "Never thought a power-scaling cheat code would actually be useful in real life."
The simulation lunged again, faster than before. Allen barely had time to react as a strike collided with his ribs, sending him spiraling through the air. Blood spattered from his mouth, but he was grinning from ear to ear.
The second skill he had earned was Time Jumper. It was still crude and unstable. Even with training, he couldn't rewind past thirty seconds, and it could only be triggered either through his death or a simple snap of his fingers.
Allen snapped his fingers. The air shimmered around him, and the third hand of the clock in the room rewound thirty seconds.
The hologram was still on the wall, getting ready to lunge toward him. Allen countered immediately, jabbing at the point behind the simulation's ear.
It staggered back, and he didn't waste a second. He let his mana surge freely, feeling the familiar heat of energy coursing through his veins.
Launching himself into the air, he twisted, delivering a brutal kick to Asura's neck. The simulation staggered back, its digital form shuddering under the pressure.
Finally, Allen landed on the ground, chest heaving with exertion.
The AI in charge of the simulation announced in its neutral tone,
[Level 2 Asura defeated. Shall I proceed to Level 3?]
Allen shook his head. "No. I need strength… enough for tomorrow."
Sweat dripped down his face, and his muscles trembled ever so slightly. He had tested the limits of his skill and emerged victorious against a Level 2 hunter, even if it was just a crude imitation. He had still come far.
Besides, there was so much more he could do, so much more he could explore.
As he left the training room, wiping his face with a towel, Allen noticed something odd. The glass door leading from the living room to the balcony was open, letting the cold night air seep in. Moonlight poured across the floor in silver slivers, and on the small table near the door, a letter rested.
Allen's heart skipped as he picked up the crudely written letter.
It was written in English, an ancient language to the people of this world, and the handwriting was unmistakably Selena's.
On the front was written in bold letters:
To our sweetest youngest.
Allen smiled softly.
He opened it carefully, the paper crackling in his hands. His eyes skimmed the first lines, a warmth spreading through his chest as he read.
The wind brushed against his face as he sat on the floor, staring at the moonlight.
"What a beautiful moon. Don't you think so, Noona?"