"Status"
After murmuring that word, a semi-transparent black screen appeared in front of me.Softly floating purple letters displayed detailed information about myself.
{
Level: 1
Name: Noah Maxwell
Race: Arkhon
Age: 19
Titles: Blessed by the Universe
Fragments: 1/6
Strength (STR): 10
Stamina (STA): 10
Constitution (CON): 10
Intelligence (INT): 10
Charisma (CHA): 10
Mana: 25
Luck: 100
Skill(s): (Extraction – EX) - (Appraisal – EX)
}
"I really... I'm not human."
The information I received from my Alter Ego fit together like pieces of an incomplete puzzle. Just as it had said, they were fragments, disjointed pieces, empty spaces where something, or someone, had deliberately limited my understanding. Even so, I now had a clearer idea of what my power truly was.
My power… was similar to that of the entity that once saved humanity. When someone awakened, a window like this would appear, revealing their classes and attributes. Normally, everyone started at level 1. The average attribute value for an adult human was around 5. To level up, one had to kill monsters. Each defeated creature granted experience, and there was a 5% chance of obtaining one of its skills.
But what nobody knew… was that when a creature was killed, only 5% of its experience was actually absorbed. The other 95% went straight to the entity. That 'experience' was, in reality, fragments of the monsters' souls, used as fuel to force the evolution of the Awakened, breaking limits that would otherwise be impossible to surpass.
And my power?
Well… my skill, [Extraction], granted me two choices whenever I defeated an enemy:I could either absorb 100% of their experience, or directly steal one of their skills.
But, of course, there were rules.
The target could only be up to 50% higher in level than me… and couldn't be weaker. If the enemy's level was lower than mine, the skill simply wouldn't activate.
An absurd ability. And even more terrifying… this wasn't even its true potential. I was only scratching the surface.
My second ability, Appraisal, was equally dangerous. I could analyze absolutely anything, objects, creatures, people... anything, as long as its level wasn't over 50% higher than mine. Just like Extraction, this power had hidden layers I hadn't yet uncovered.
And then, there was the title.
"Blessed by the Universe."
Thanks to it, my luck was abnormally high. So high that improbable events would start happening more and more frequently. Luck... or maybe, a crueler form of disguised misfortune.
But what caught my attention the most... was my race.
"Arkhon..."
Nothing.
No explanation. No tooltip. Not even a hint.
The only thing I knew... I was never human. This bloodline had always been dormant inside me. And only after fusing with that stone... did it awaken.
My eyes scanned my new body, now noticeably sharper. I could perceive details I would have missed before. Veins of mana pulsed under my skin, forming perfect, symmetrical circuits, like I was some kind of arcane engineering masterpiece.
My musculature... wasn't bulky or grotesque. It was lean. Precise. Like the body of a predator, crafted by nature itself for perfection. Every fiber seemed custom-made, designed for maximum efficiency, both for combat and mana control.
But what truly held my gaze... was the core.Instinctively, I placed my hand over my chest, where the crimson stone pulsed in sync with my heartbeat. It no longer felt like a simple crystal. It was embedded into my flesh, surrounded by mana branches that intertwined like roots, connecting directly to my heart.
My fingers slid along my skin, tracing the markings now adorning my body. They weren't mere tattoos. They were glyphs. Complex arcane symbols, drawn in fine, metallic lines, as if engraved by fire. The lines connected in perfect angles, forming a large pentagon in the center of my chest.
At each of the five vertices... were slots. Perfectly carved recesses, circles, triangles, and other patterns that fit organically into the symmetry of the markings.
As I stared, my whole body tingled. A mixture of expectation... fear... and excitement. Because, somehow, even with no explanation, I knew. I knew exactly what was meant to be placed there. And once those slots were filled... something would awaken.
My eyes drifted back to the screen.
[Fragments: 1/6]
"What exactly... are these fragments?"
I sighed. The night breeze blew gently, rustling my hair. I ran my hand through it, closing my eyes for a brief moment.
"It's late... Better get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."
I turned and walked back inside the house. Each step echoed with the weight of recent events. My mind was still racing, but I knew forcing answers wouldn't lead anywhere. Time... only time would reveal them.
My mother used to say, "Don't rush. Think before you act." And that... that was what I believed.
Clip
I opened the bedroom door. Walked in and closed it with a gentle push. Dropped my clothes in the laundry basket and headed to the bathroom.
Hot water poured over my skin, sliding down my back, washing away the day's tension. Steam filled the small shower, muting the outside world for a few precious minutes. I ran my hands over my shoulders, my chest, tracing the lines that now looked like ancient circuits, my living tattoo. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, as if the water could wash not just my body, but everything that had changed within me.
After the shower, I put on clean clothes, a comfortable black T-shirt and a light hoodie. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I called out:
"Alter...?"
[…]
'Maybe... he's still asleep. I fused too much of my power...'
He had said he was a part of me, an extension of what my body couldn't absorb. During those 12 hours of fusion, my consciousness worked non-stop, assimilating what it could. Maybe that's why I still felt so exhausted.
I laid down. The softness of the mattress was an unexpected relief. My eyes grew heavy. And then... I fell asleep.
Next Day
The first rays of sunlight slipped through the cracks in the window, dyeing the room in a soft golden hue. My eyes opened slowly, still heavy, as if the night had lasted only a few minutes. The headache was gone. My body... felt 100% recovered.
I got up without rushing, taking a deep breath of the morning air. It was cold, clean... too quiet.
The absence of everyday sounds, honking, hurried footsteps, human voices, made the loneliness hit deeper.
After a quick shower, I dressed in practical clothes: durable dark pants, a simple T-shirt, and a light but functional jacket. I strapped a knife sheath to my hip, more for precaution than necessity, and started packing my backpack.
Calmly, I placed the essentials: water bottles, some canned food, a LED flashlight, a small first aid kit, lighter, rope, and a notebook with a pen, you never know when you'll need to jot something down. Lastly, I folded a thermal blanket and placed it at the bottom of the bag.
Zipping it shut, I stood for a moment, taking in the surroundings. The house was just as I had left it last night, but now, in daylight, it felt even emptier.
"Aunt... Ana..."
I sighed and slung the backpack over my shoulders.
"Today is the first day... of the rest of my year. Alone... on this planet."
My goal was clear: scout the city. I needed to understand what had happened, map the surroundings, and figure out the source of the noise I heard yesterday.
"I need to see how the creatures are evolving..."
And above all... learn about this new world. After all... I was going to be alone here for a whole year.
Adjusting the straps on my backpack, I headed downstairs.The world had changed. And now... it was my turn to change with it.
As I opened the door, the morning air hit my face, a fresh, yet strangely heavy breeze. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing deeply.
The first thing I noticed was how the air felt different, denser, heavier. It wasn't just the moisture of dawn or the psychological weight of an empty city. It was something beyond that... something alive.
That energy... mana.It was like the world itself was breathing. Mana wasn't a theory anymore, nor just something Alter told me about. I could feel it, in the air filling my lungs, in the almost imperceptible vibration beneath my feet, in the faint hum that danced around my ears. Subtle... but omnipresent.
"Everything... has mana now," I muttered, glancing around.
The leaves of the trees, once just plain green, now looked more vivid, as if bathed in liquid light. The grass beneath my feet shimmered with a faint bluish-green glow, barely visible to the naked eye, but obvious if you knew where to look.
The wind blew softly, making the leaves dance across the cracked asphalt. Everything was absurdly quiet, except for some distant, muffled metallic scraping, like something was clawing at a building's structure.
I walked down the sidewalk, passing abandoned cars, wide-open doors, shattered storefronts. It was as if the city had been evacuated in a hurry. No bodies. No blood. Just... absence.
"They were really teleported... all at once."
My eyes scanned the surroundings. I started making mental notes: bakery on the corner, pharmacy across the street, a grocery store with shattered glass doors... All valuable information. Any detail might be crucial later.
Suddenly, THUD.A car fell from the top of a building. The sound of metal twisting echoed through the silent streets. Instinctively, I ducked, glancing towards where the vehicle had crashed.
"What... was that?"
Atop a commercial building, something moved. A giant rat, easily two meters long. Its body was bulky, covered in dark, scruffy fur. Amber eyes glowed intensely, and its long teeth clattered in a rhythmic twitch. Razor-sharp claws scratched the concrete as it sniffed the air, alert for any movement.
"Definitely not human..."
I crouched, slipping between the cars, careful not to make noise. I watched for a few more seconds. The creature let out a dry hiss, like a mix between a growl and steam, before retreating back into the building's interior.
"So... it begins. The creatures are starting to show up."
I took a deep breath, standing up. The adrenaline was kicking in. I knew I'd have to face one of them sooner or later, but not now.Not unprepared.
I made my way toward the grocery store. If there were still supplies inside, it would be my first stronghold. Stock food, find drinkable water, check for flashlights, batteries... maybe a knife or a multitool.
The city was now a survival field.And me... I was the only player left.