In the cracked walls of a sky-high building, a round table was set on the top floor. Around the table, a group of 10 people sat in complete silence.
Draped in long black robes, their figures were completely hidden beneath darkness. Yet, for some reason, none could be mistaken for another.
Despite wearing the same veil of darkness, their auras differed to the point that they seemed completely unrelated.
"So, are the preparations complete?" A cold voice echoed, tearing through the silence.
Everyone's gaze shifted towards an old man sitting at the back end of the table, his long white beard sticking out of the veil of his robe.
For a brief moment, they simply stared—as if trying to access his ability to exert authority over them.
Soon, a young man's voice eased the tension.
"Yes. The preparations are all ready. All we have left is to decide who to give this opportunity to." He slowly pulled his robe down from his head, revealing his long, striking, blue hair.
They were styled behind his head as they flowed down his back. His face was hidden beneath a luminous white mask with a small black tear engraved right below its left eyehole.
Hearing his response, the others seemed slightly irritated. But still, not a single voice was to be heard.
Not long after, the old man slammed his hands on the table with a loud thud and stood up straight. Unlike before, when others had simply controlled their discomfort, the sudden action triggered them to lose their mind.
"For once, even though we had decided to meet at a singular place out of common interest, you seem to have mistaken it as obedience." A feminine voice hissed coldly as all of a sudden, a fiery red light appeared within the room.
In an instant, it spread all throughout and raised the temperature to extreme levels. To normal humans, that alone would have been enough to melt their bodies down completely, and yet, the others remained completely relaxed.
The woman was fairly surprised, since it was the first time that even her fiercest attack wasn't able to—let alone harm, it did not even bother them in the slightest.
Her crimson irises trembled as she dissipated her attack. Feeling the countless cold gazes looking down upon her in disdain, she lowered her head silently.
Then, the old man cleared his throat and began speaking once again.
"Since the preparations are done, I believe it's time that we start taking over the accomplishments. As for the candidate, I'd like to suggest Number-37—"
Before he could even finish his words, a loud sound thundered in their minds.
*[Ding!]*
It was the system's notification. But, unbelievably so, louder than ever.
For a moment, they were taken aback but quickly gathered themselves together as a bright light shone before them.
---
———————————————————
[#~System Notification~#]
———————————————————
[#-Worldwide Announcement-#]
[Congratulations! Player—"Hollow" has successfully defeated an E-rank monster!]
[Player "Hollow" has become the first human to gain a Worldwide Achievement!]
[Since the First Worldwide Achievement has been achieved, a new update is being initiated throughout the world!]
[The very first expansion update—Forgotten Worlds—has begun to synchronize!]
[To ensure a safe synchronization, all the current ongoing tasks will be terminated and will be marked as successfully completed.]
[Current Synchronization Rate—1%]
---
The system notification hung before every human alive in the world. As such, countless eyes were stuck on the name "Hollow," pondering who it could be. Some stared in astonishment, some smiled in exhilaration, while others glared in envy.
Of course, the group around the round table was one of the latter.
But even they had no choice but to simply accept the truth while controlling their anger within.
***
On the other hand, Lucian stood completely unfazed, picking his nose in the most careless way possible.
Lying over the ground, Lucian let out a sigh.
"Just when I thought things were getting interesting, you decided to fuck my mood up..." His eyes looked straight above, towards a system window that reflected similar texts, but in a different tone.
---
[You have become the first human to gain the Worldwide Announcement!]
[You have achieved your first worldwide achievement!]
[You have killed a monster far beyond your capabilities; extra rewards will be given.]
[You have killed an E-rank monster in a solo raid; extra rewards will be given.]
[Calculating rewards...]
---
Lucian was half-skeptical about this, since the achievement alone was, by no means, ordinary. In fact, it was similar to hitting a jackpot in near-impossible odds.
But the reason behind his worries was the fact that now he had officially entered this new world. Initially, he had planned to escape the tasks and enjoy his retirement somewhere in the desolate mountains all alone by sleeping 24/7.
But now, not only had he entered this world, he had practically announced his presence to the whole world as a new bit of information was added to his status.
It was a single line, or more specifically, a term.
---
[Alias] - Hollow
---
"It's bad... It's so bad..." He complained with each breath.
Then, a new system window formed.
---
[Rewards are being provided!]
[Trait—Transcendence—is in effect!]
[You have been rewarded:]
└ [+10 all Stats] (x2↑)
└ [A Unique Title—The First Achiever—has been granted]
└ [A full set of novice rank armor has been granted.]
└ [The System has been Unlocked!]
***
[Due to the effects of your rewards and your Element of Creation, your system has been forcefully evolved into a unique system.]
[You are being presented with a critical choice:]
└ [You can either be rewarded with a unique system that'll lead to a unique path of power, or]
└ [You will gain 10 levels, 15 unallocated stat points, and an intermediate weapon of your choice.]
---
Reading through the system screen, Lucian's disappointment vanished from his face. His lips twitched into an awkward smile as he muttered, "Maybe it wasn't that bad..."
"But say, System, isn't my answer quite obvious?" His smile solidified. "I'll take the system."