The city outside my window roared with life — merchants shouting, horses clattering over cobblestones, distant laughter and cries.
But inside my cramped apartment, silence reigned, broken only by the faint hum of the system interface hovering before me like a ghost only I could see.
Rank F-.
The label burned like a scar across my soul.
I clenched my fists, bones aching beneath skin too fragile for the name I once bore.
I was weak — a shadow of the legend I used to be.
But the system had spoken: this was my second chance.
I drew a slow breath, closing my eyes to focus on the faint pulse of mana trickling through my veins.
Then—a sharp ping echoed inside my mind.
𝑆
𝑦
𝑠
𝑡
𝑒
𝑚
𝑁
𝑜
𝑡
𝑖
𝑓
𝑖
𝑐
𝑎
𝑡
𝑖
𝑜
𝑛
System Notification: Hidden Power Detected. Activation Possible.
My eyes snapped open, heart pounding.
Hidden power? After all these years clawing back from the abyss, the system was finally offering me a lifeline.
The interface flickered, revealing a new prompt:
Regression Protocol: Unlock latent abilities to accelerate growth.
Doubt flickered, but I pressed accept without hesitation.
A surge of energy blasted through me — cold, electric, raw.
Lightning crawling along every nerve, igniting cells long dormant, awakening something buried deep within.
My vision blurred, then sharpened—every detail etched in razor clarity: cracked ceiling tiles, the faint scent of rain drifting through the window, the slightest movement beyond the glass.
The system updated instantly — stats and numbers flowing too fast to track.
Then a new line pulsed with power:
Soul Resonance: Activated.
I barely understood the words, but I felt the truth.
Soul Resonance wasn't just a buff or skill — it was a force binding my very soul to the world, allowing me to draw energy from the environment, amplify my mana, and react with lightning speed.
A power hidden deep within the Regression Protocol — a safeguard for those destined to rise beyond limits.
But beneath the glowing text, a warning blinked sharply:
Warning: Uncontrolled use may cause severe mana backlash or spiritual burnout.
I hesitated. Then extended my hand.
A small orb of crackling energy flickered into existence, swirling with blue and silver light.
It hovered just above my palm, humming softly, alive.
I felt it pulse — syncing with my heartbeat — and for the first time since rebirth, I felt… powerful.
Testing further, I shaped the orb into a thin blade of pure energy.
It sliced through the air, humming with deadly precision.
The effort left me dizzy, drained — a sharp sting burning behind my temples.
This power demanded control.
The days that followed were grueling — silent training sessions, hidden in the dead of night.
I summoned and shaped the Soul Resonance energy over and over, molding it into blasts, shields, and healing pulses.
I tracked my mana with surgical precision, forcing my body to adapt without breaking.
Muscles screamed, sweat drenched my brow, and more than once the backlash threw me to the floor in agony.
But I pushed on, fueled by betrayal's sting and a fire burning hotter than pain.
I honed my swordplay too, weaving Soul Resonance through every strike and parry.
The energy hummed along my blade, extending reach and cutting power far beyond any ordinary hunter.
Slowly, strength returned — not yet reflected in my system rank, but in my own relentless resolve.
Outside, life went on.
I still took quests from Merchant Loran, using Soul Resonance discreetly — finishing tasks faster, healing wounds in moments, staying one step ahead of danger.
No one suspected a thing.
But deep inside, I knew this power was the key to my rebirth.
No longer would I be the weak, low-ranked hunter easily discarded.
I was awakening.
And soon, the world would tremble at the name Kael Draven once more.