This is it. The moment of truth. I'm going to receive an ability and companion. Please be something good! Please! Please! Fingers crossed!!
Kelvin prayed from the bottom of his heart.
What he was about to receive would determine whether he would live or die miserably.
He understood the stakes all too clearly.
Soul Abilities were powers granted to every player, and his role in the New World's Deathmatch would be determined by its nature. If it was combat-oriented, he would be classified as a Striker. If tied to sorcery, he would likely be a Sorcerer.
If it leaned toward utility, his offensive capabilities would be limited, forcing him to operate behind the scenes. Fortunately, the system maintained no strict hierarchy, so there was no insurmountable power gap to fear.
In the end, everything came down to luck.
[Soul Ability awakened.]
[Soul Ability Name: Ars Requiem.]
Ars Requiem...?
Confused, Kelvin tilted his head. He wondered if there was any way he could understand what Ars Requiem actually did. The name alone sounded… ominous, almost sacred.
Before he could think further, another line appeared:
[Would you like to check you Profile?]
[Yes / No]
Kelvin's heart thumped loudly in his chest. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before selecting "Yes."
The screen shifted, revealing a sleek interface filled with information.
[Player Profile]
Name: Kelvin Pierce | ID: 0047
Mana Core: Unsealed
Attributes:
– Strength: E
– Agility: E
– Constitution: E
– Mana Capacity: Unknown
Soul Ability: Ars Requiem
[*Check for more information display.]
"Hmm..."
Narrowing his eyes, Kelvin leaned slightly closer to the screen as he examined the values.
"E across the board… figures."
He scratched the back of his head, already slipping into a more analytical mindset. If this really functioned like a game, then these Attributes were his base stats. Strength dictated raw physical power, Agility governed speed and reflexes, and Constitution likely affected endurance and durability.
In other words, he was average. Painfully average.
"No… maybe even below average. If E is the lowest rank, then I'm basically starting from the bottom."
His gaze shifted to the next line.
Mana Core: Unsealed
"Unsealed?"
If he followed typical game logic, that meant his Mana Core wasn't active yet. Either it required a condition to unlock, or it would awaken naturally over time. The fact that his Mana Capacity was listed as Unknown only reinforced that idea.
"So I might have potential… just not unlocked yet."
That was something. Not reassuring, but not hopeless either.
Kelvin exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help. Information would.
He focused again on the interface, settling on the final line.
Soul Ability: [Ars Requiem]
Below it, a faint prompt blinked.
Check for more information display.
"…Alright," he murmured under his breath. "Let's see what kind of hand I've been dealt."
With a steady finger, Kelvin selected the option.
Soul Ability: [Ars Requiem]
Soul Ability Description: [The Gods were once all-powerful, vast as the boundless skies, but now they are dead. From their fall were born seven forms of god-slaying, created by a Deamon of
First Form: [Dismantle]
First Form Description: [The foundation of breaking the skies. A slashing attack that can be projected at any range. Extremely useful for disarmament or breaking inanimate objects.]
Second Form: [Cleave]
Second Form Description: [Targets the body and defenses of living organisms at a molecular level. Close contact is required.]
Third Form: [???]
Forth Form: [???]
Fifth Form: [???]
Sixh Form: [???]
Seventh Form: [???]
Kelvin's eyes widened slightly as he read through the descriptions.
"God-slaying…?"
The word alone felt absurd. No, it was outright ridiculous. But the system had no reason to lie.
His gaze lingered on the first two forms.
Dismantle and Cleave. Both were… offensive. Directly so.
A slow exhale left his lips.
"So I'm a Striker…"
Relief flickered across his face. It wasn't a support ability. It wasn't something that forced him to hide behind others or rely purely on wit. He had been given something that could fight.
Something that could kill the enemy.
But that relief didn't last long.
Kelvin's eyes shifted downward, locking onto the remaining forms.
Third Form: ???
Fourth Form: ???
Fifth Form: ???
Sixth Form: ???
Seventh Form: ???
"…Locked."
His brows furrowed. If the first two forms were already this dangerous, then the rest…
A chill crept up his spine.
Seven forms of god-slaying. Whatever Ars Requiem truly was, he had only been given a fragment of it.
"Which means… I'll have to unlock the rest."
The question was how.
Leveling up? Killing other players? Forming pacts? He had absolutely no idea how to go about it and the system didn't explain anything either, as if telling him; figure it out on your own.
Of course, he wasn't exactly clueless.
"The Demon of… Unknown? If it was a race, it wouldn't be written like that… And if it was a name, it wouldn't be censored. It's probably something I'm not allowed to know yet. Tsk. How cliche."
Still, it was worth investigating.
If the system wasn't going to hand him answers, then he would have to extract them himself.
It was then that Kelvin realized something grim.
"W-wait… if the system gave me something like this, doesn't that mean the other players would have something just as devastating?"
The thought hit him like a punch to the gut.
Come to think of it, why would he be the only one favored?
The system had already stated there was no discrimination. In other words, if someone received a powerful ability, then someone else... no, many others... would possess abilities on the same level.
A cold sweat formed on his back.
"…Which means I'm not special."
The brief sense of relief he had felt moments ago shattered almost instantly. Ars Requiem wasn't a guarantee of survival. It was just his entry ticket into a battlefield filled with monsters disguised as people.
"And some of them…"
His voice trailed off.
"Some of them might actually know how to use their power."
That was the real danger.
Kelvin clenched his fists. He had no combat experience, no training, and no idea how to properly utilize his ability. Meanwhile, among the remaining 127 candidates, there were bound to be fighters, tacticians, and people far more ruthless than him.
Just what could a fresh 23 years old graduate hope to achieve?
"…Damn it."
If everyone had something equally powerful, then charging in blindly was suicidal at best. He needed information. He needed time. Lots of it.
And above all…
"I need to get stronger. Fast."
The distorted space in front of him rippled again, pulling his attention back.
Right.
His Companion.
If his ability was his weapon, then this…
"…is my support system."
Kelvin steadied his breathing, eyes fixed on the forming silhouette. He waited patiently, truly waited and waited some more until a sound echoed.
[Companion Acquired.]
[Companion Name: Sera.]