The sirens echoed across the city.
Ryan stood on the rooftop of his school building, staring at the massive crack in the sky. A swirling vortex of darkness had opened above the city, lightning flashing inside it like a raging storm. People screamed. Cars stopped in the streets. Everyone looked up in fear.
Because everyone knew what it meant.
A Gate had appeared.
Twenty years ago, the world had changed forever. Strange portals began appearing across the planet, releasing terrifying creatures known as monsters. Cities were destroyed overnight, and millions died before humanity could react.
Some humans, however, began to awaken powers. Fire, lightning, super strength… Those people became Hunters, the only ones capable of fighting the monsters.
Today… Ryan would finally take the Awakening Test.
He clenched his fists."Please… let me awaken something."
His father had died in a dungeon accident when Ryan was ten. His family wasn't rich. If he failed to awaken a power, he would remain weak forever—a civilian doomed in a dangerous world.
Suddenly, a bright light filled the rooftop. Ryan's body froze. A strange energy flowed through his veins. Then a voice echoed inside his mind. Cold. Mechanical. Emotionless.
[Awakening in progress…]
Ryan's heart raced. Around him, other students shouted in excitement.
"Yes! I got fire!""I awakened wind magic!""I'm a B-rank hunter!"
Ryan focused on the voice in his head. Something felt different. Very different.
Then the voice spoke again.
[Unique Ability Detected]
Ryan's eyes widened. Unique ability? He had never heard of that before.
Suddenly, a glowing blue screen appeared in front of him.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]Ability: Soul Avatar SystemDescription:
You can create avatars.
Each avatar is a separate body fully controlled by you.
Avatars can gain skills, experience, and power.
All abilities acquired transfer to the original body.Current Avatar Limit: 1
Ryan's mind went blank. "Create… avatars?"
Everyone else had awakened ordinary abilities. But his… was something completely unknown.
Then, instinctively, he spoke aloud:
"Create my first avatar!"
A sphere of blue light appeared before him. It twisted and solidified into a humanoid form—a young man with silver hair and piercing green eyes. He looked exactly like Ryan… but stronger, sharper, more dangerous.
[Avatar Created: Name – Kairo | Level – 1 | Role – Warrior | Skill – Basic Swordsmanship]
Ryan reached out and moved his hand… and Kairo mirrored every motion perfectly. A sense of control unlike anything Ryan had felt before surged through him.
"This is… incredible," Ryan whispered.
Kairo bowed. "Master… I am ready to serve."
Ryan's heart raced. "If this really works… I could create an army of myself."
Testing Kairo's skills, Ryan made him swing an invisible sword. Energy streaks cut through the air with deadly precision. Kairo smiled, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Ryan grinned. "Let's see how strong you really are."
Suddenly, alarms rang from the streets below. A low, guttural roar shook the city.
A small monster had appeared—one of the weakest of its kind, but enough to kill any ordinary human. Without thinking, Ryan commanded:
"Kairo! Attack!"
The avatar dashed off the rooftop, landing gracefully on the street below. With a single swing of his sword, the monster was cut cleanly in half. Energy from the kill pulsed back into Ryan. He felt a surge of strength, speed, and awareness coursing through his body.
"It… it really works!" he whispered, eyes wide with excitement.
The city was still in chaos, people screaming and fleeing. But Ryan's mind was calm. His first avatar had fought perfectly… and every skill it learned had already begun transferring to him.
A smile slowly spread across his face. This was only the beginning. He could create more. Train them. Fight monsters. And soon… perhaps even rule the battlefield himself.