《Game World's Awakening [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy]》


 Awakening

    Misfit.


    That was the lowest rank anyone could receive in today''s society¡ªjust below that of a convict. And that title had followed Elliot for as long as he could remember.


    It was the name given to a person who had failed their Awakening, and the injection had granted them a certain level of strength, which could never be increased further.


    Although that strength would place them above ordinary humans, it wasn''t extraordinary.


    Society rejected such a group of people, calling them outcasts. Although they were stronger than the average human, they were too weak to fight beasts, so what purpose did they serve?


    They couldn''t even cast spells, and some were even left contaminated by the injection.


    So, if you had been carrying that title since the age of fourteen, how could you feel anything but despair?


    Even more so when you were the weakest among them all.


    ___


    "Elliot, be careful on your way home. Do you hear? If you run into a dog, remember to run or shout for help. Try to keep yourself safe."


    Elliot turned to look at his boss¡ªan ordinary-looking man with nothing to distinguish him. He was about 40 years old, slightly taller, muscular, and had a smirk on his face that carried a hint of mockery.


    Elliot nodded but remained expressionless. He didn''t need to say anything.


    ''Damn old man''.


    If only he could express himself, he would have long ago vented his anger by planting a powerful punch to the old man''s nose. Being mocked for something that had happened in the past and was beyond his control had always bothered him, but the scenario in his head was off the table, knowing that he would be the one who would end up dead if he swung his fist.


    His boss''s words set off a round of laughter from his coworkers.


    "Hahaha! Boss, don''t be mean. Is it okay for one of us to go with him? If he faces a dog, he might not even be able to run away."


    "True, boss. We must look out for our colleagues. If a pit bull came out¡­ I''m afraid it will be the last day of our most outstanding worker."


    "Now, now. We can''t worry about minor issues; get back to work." After laughing for a moment, the boss calmed them down. "I must do something, so don''t wait for me."


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    Elliot went another way as the taunts kept ringing in his ears. But he turned a deaf ear to them.


    ''It''s not like I can ask the system for a fight against these bastards. I don''t even have the system.'' Once again, he was forced to let out a helpless sigh.


    In the last 48 hours, he had loaded more than 200 boxes, each weighing 75 kg, without anyone''s help. It was pretty complicated for him, but he had debts to pay, and hard work was his only way to do it.


    That''s why he felt it wasn''t worth paying attention to his stupid colleagues.


    Even though his colleagues raised their voices, hoping to make him feel uncomfortable, he didn''t feel awkward. In fact, at that moment, a small smile crept onto his face.


    Looking up, he noticed the sun was already descending the horizon.


    The golden rays bathed the city in an exotic amber glow, painting the sky with fire-colored hues. The roofs of the tall modern buildings and the large windows shimmered in spectacular shades of yellow and orange.


    Loen City was a beautiful modern city, ideal for admiring sunsets thanks to its strategic position. The sunset was gorgeous this time, but that wasn''t what made him smile.


    He smiled because today was September 3rd¡ªhis 18th birthday.


    It was not that there was a reason to celebrate or that he could finally say he was of legal age; none of that was useful. Vain milestones didn''t make him happy.


    But on his 18th birthday, it would be his third and final attempt to Awaken.


    That''s right. Unlike his companions, who had failed to awaken, he had not failed yet.


    In other words, he was not a Misfit; he simply had to live like that because it was the only thing he could do to earn money.


    That''s because the previous two times he tried to Awaken, he couldn''t. In the end, many thought he was a misfit, and thanks to his mortal enemies, who spread the rumor, he had been seen that way for years.


    But today, on his 18th birthday, despite all the odds against him, despite the ridicule, the desire for power inside him didn''t allow him to be pessimistic; the desire had grown so strong that despite the setbacks, he still smiled and held himself upright.


    ''Even though everyone calls me the outcast among the outcasts, today I will prove to you that I am different from all of you.''


    As he walked, his determined steps did not seem like those of a misfit, much less those of a person with little chance of awakening. His mind was only filled with a message to himself:


    "Today, my destiny will change."


    And he was right.


    If he managed to awaken, it would undoubtedly change everything for him.


    If he couldn''t do it, he would probably die or become a true Misfit.


    If the second happened, he would leave the city behind and carve out his own destiny.


    Whether it was dying at the hands of an evil beast or stumbling upon a fortuitous encounter, whatever his destiny, he would seek it out and find it at all costs.


    Lost in his thoughts, Elliot walked through the bustling streets, past the indifferent glances of strangers. Cars roared on the streets, weaving through the traffic recklessly, but he paid them no mind.


    Before long, he arrived in front of a slightly run-down apartment building.


    A faded sign hung above that said: Misfits'' Room.


    It was meant to mock, but it described the place perfectly.


    This building was a small complex of rooms in poor condition, likely built by someone who hated misfits, given its poor construction.


    All the rooms were the same size: 3 square meters, barely livable, and rented for $75 a month.


    As soon as he found his room, Elliot got inside.


    There wasn''t much on the other side of the door, but everything was meticulously organized.


    A small bag hung on the wall. In one corner, a single bed sat next to a small living room table and a one-burner electric cooker. It had everything he needed to live, although if he wanted to use the bathroom, he would have to use the establishment''s public facilities.


    Upon entering and ensuring everything was in place, he walked over to the bed and picked up a small box.


    Inside was a syringe filled with a deep red liquid, thick and rich like blood.


    "A year''s worth of all my savings, two months in debt, and without eating properly for three months¡ªjust to be able to buy you." His grip tightened. "I hope you hear my wish and finally answer my call. I fully trust that you will awaken me¡­ from this nightmare."


    After taking off his shirt, revealing his well-developed yet somewhat undernourished body. His arms were quite muscular for his age, but they certainly didn''t look like those of someone who could lift 15 tons in 48 hours.


    Even so, he didn''t care much about that.


    He had been working hard for this moment, so he was a little nervous. His heart pounded, but not from fear¡ªjust anticipation. But he didn''t feel impatient.


    He then sterilized the area where he was going to inject himself and took a deep breath.


    ''The Awakening Injection¡­ It''s not the first time I''ll have it in my body, but this will be the first time I''ll inject it myself. This will be dangerous.''


    He stared at the syringe and his arm, trying to trace the vein carefully.


    If he missed the vein, he would surely die, as his body wouldn''t be able to withstand the red liquid. That is why it was always advised to have a specialized person administer the serum. However, the problem was that hiring a professional was out of his budget; they are just too expensive these days.


    Taking another deep breath, he relaxed and steadied his hand.


    His hand held the syringe firmly, and then, without any other shred of hesitation, full of determination and desire, he drove the needle into his vein and injected the serum into his vein.


    ''Today will be different.'' Determination shone in his eyes.


    At the same time, his desire for power reached its peak, and he longed to reach the peak of his life.


    Since childhood, he has craved power.


    When his father disappeared on his 14th birthday, he wished for the power to find him.


    Then came his 16th birthday, and he wished for the power to save his mother and sister, who were murdered in front of him.


    Unfortunately, fate wouldn''t always be in your favor, and he had to learn to live with that.


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    Maybe his luck was shit, or perhaps he really had no talent.


    Whatever the reason, he had to learn to live with that weight¡ªthe feeling of uselessness gnawing at him. But his desire for power always burned deep inside him, and today, it burned brighter than ever.


    The red liquid that looked like blood soon merged with his bloodstream, signifying that he had hit the right spot. That increased his hope.


    Then, a voice of supplication rose in his heart that, at least for once, he wanted fortune to smile at him.


    But all of a sudden, the effects of the injection disappeared in his body. It seemed as if it had searched every corner of his body but didn''t find what it was after.


    Anxiety filled his heart, but so did hope. The voice in his head seemed to urge him to have a little more faith that his hopes shouldn''t stop just there.


    Maybe he was going crazy, but he trusted that voice.


    So, even though his mind screamed that he wouldn''t awaken, his heart still held firm on that dim flicker of hope.


    One was rational; the other was sentimental. But both longed for power.


    After three or four endless minutes, a strange sound seemed to have spoken into his mind.


    Ding~


    [The Global Awakening System has found an Awakened One.]


    [Welcome to the Global Awakening System, Newbie Player Elliot Clark. Congratulations on your awakening.]


    [Your intense desire for power has shaken the foundations of the world.]


    [The world has answered your call and agreed to fulfill your wish, oh man.]


    [You have awakened a Unique Class.]


    Pt.2


    A sudden wave of joy and ecstasy surged through his body. The flickering messages from the Awakened System before his vision sent ripples of emotions crashing through his mind.


    From happiness and nostalgia to sadness and euphoria¡ªan overwhelming flood of feelings rose to his throat, but he forced them down with a hard swallow. He pinched himself, wondering if what he saw was real and not a dream.


    When he finally verified that it was real, the last system messages left him in utter shock.


    "Did I awaken a Class?"


    It didn''t matter what kind of Class he had awakened¡ªawakening one alone was an extraordinary feat. Only one in a million people could awaken a class, and some believed that the odds of getting it were even lower.


    During the process of awakening, you have the chance to obtain a Skill, Trait, Talent, Power, or, in the rarest cases, a Class. Among all these, the one with the lowest probability of appearing was the Class, with less than a 1% chance of getting one.


    Why? Because a Class could come with a combination of Skills and Traits (for example) that would make its bearer much more powerful than their peers.


    Now, there are different Class ranks: Common, Rare, Epic, Mythic, and Legendary, which are the main ones. However, there are rumors of an even greater rank¡ªthe Divine Rank. But among all these ranks, one stood out as truly peculiar: the Unique Rank.


    It is said that a Unique Rank Class could be anything¡ªfrom Common Rank or Legendary Rank; the only peculiarity it needs to have is that it is unique and unparalleled.


    Although that system of Unique Classes was a bit random, Elliot didn''t care about its ranks.


    He had awakened!


    More importantly, he had obtained a Class.


    It was a cause for celebration, even if he had no idea of its rank or power.


    He quickly tapped on the system''s flashing messages and opened its interface without hesitation.


    His stats appeared before him, but he barely glanced at them since he was more interested and impatient to learn about the class he had obtained.


    He frantically continued to scroll through the system, looking for the skills window, until he finally found it.


    *****


    [Class Monarch of Energy: He who rules energy, his three Talents and two Manifestations]


    Rank: Unique.


    *****


    "Three Talents?" Elliot''s eyes widened, a spark of excitement flaring within them. His heart suddenly raced like a startled cat.


    He had never heard of a Class that could grant three Talents to its bearer; it was absurd.


    Talents were among the most sought-after types of skills by the Awakened because they usually provided an immense advantage to the holder in accumulating the precious stat points. The word ''Talent'' sounded exciting to any Awakened, regardless of whether they were weak or strong.


    ''Does something this powerful really exist?'' He couldn''t help but wonder.


    But as he read further, his expression shifted.


    ''What''s a manifestation?'' He mused.


    Naturally, no one was there to answer him. What he was sure of, though, was that he had never heard of a type of ability called "Manifestation." And yet, his class granted him two of them¡­


    He immediately started reading the next section.


    *****


    [First Manifestation]


    Lord of Energy: You can manipulate the Energy of Attributes within your body to create invocations of attributes. These invocations are formed with pure energy, and their properties will vary depending on the type of energy used.


    When creating an invocation, you can control the amount of energy used to enhance your invocations. The more energy invested, the more power they will have.


    Conversion: 1 Statistic Point = 5 Invocation Points.


    Example: Using 1 Physical Attribute Energy point when creating an invocation will have 5 Statistic Points in Strength.


    *****


    ''I can create energy-based invocations? Am I¡­ some kind of special invoker?''


    Astonishment was evident on his face; for a moment, he even lost the ability to react.


    Being an emotional person, his body and mind roared with uncontrollable joy and excitement, realizing that his class looked amazing at first glance. But his mind managed to calm down quickly.


    He had a lot to think about.


    Leaving aside the fact that his class had told him he would get Three Talents, he was witnessing something entirely new¡ªthe birth of a very different kind of summoner than any he had ever heard of.


    Despite his unassuming appearance and lack of formal study, he wasn''t ignorant about many things about the Awakened world. Some things were common sense and others he had learned from his father or from the books he used to read as a child.


    This was also why he knew that this ''Manifestation,'' the meaning of which he couldn''t decipher correctly, wasn''t as simple as a regular invocation.


    As a general rule, an invoker cannot strengthen their invocations, let alone imbibe them with power. This was because each invocation already came with a specific pre-established power that, to a large extent, depended on the invoker themself.


    But right now, he was witnessing a skill that defied that very rule¡ªone that allowed him to strengthen his invocations since he does not ''invoke'' them, instead ''creating'' them. There was a huge difference between the two terms, and he believed that this difference was the basis of his Manifestation, enabling him to enhance his invocations in ways that ordinary invokers never could.


    Now, if he turned out to be a ''Summoner Wizard,'' he already had a clear idea as to where his class was heading.


    ''Will I be a part of the Variant group? If I remember correctly, Summoner Wizards fall under the ''Varied Wizards'' category within the Variants.''


    He was slightly intrigued to find this out.


    Variators were the most common type of wizard, but even within that group, different subclasses emerged depending on their primary stats. In general, there were four major types, and the last of them was the ''Varied Wizard,'' and those who belonged to this category were distinct from the other three.


    Generally, there were two most well-known¡ªControl Wizards and Summoner Wizards. There were still more, but the truth is that they were a type of mage that was much sought after by the guilds, making them very important people in the world.


    That was why he didn''t dwell on the drawbacks of his manifestation. He knew that if he were to strengthen his invocations, it would leave him temporarily weakened since it required investing his stat points. But instead of focusing on the downside, he lowered his gaze to continue reading.


    *****


    | First Talent.


    *****


    When he read those two words, his mind was 100% focused. His Manifestation was already impressive enough to leave him deep in thought. But how good was his Talent?


    *****


    | The Harvester: You can harvest the surrounding Attribute Energy. Stay close to the places where it is generated to benefit more.


    | Additional Talent Bonus - 1: When killing a beast, human, or any other race, you can collect an additional 50% of the energy if you sacrifice 50% of the victim''s body.


    | Additional Talent Bonus - 2: If you find a BEAST that you did not personally kill, you can absorb around 50% of the energy it had before dying in exchange for destroying 100% of the body.


    (Bonus 2 Note: Only works on beasts.)


    | Additional Talent Bonus ¨C 3: You are a reaper of what you once sowed; therefore, Attribute Energy is created faster for you.


    *****


    "!"


    His body suddenly trembled, a shiver running down his spine as every hair on his body stood on end.


    "Is it really that good?!"


    The shock was so overwhelming that he couldn''t help but exclaim, which, fortunately, no one was around to hear.


    His manifestation was already absurd enough that he would be happy even if it had nothing more than that. But now? Now, he was granted a Talent that could make him exponentially stronger with every step he took!


    ''This doesn''t make sense¡­'' he thought, struggling to understand his talent fully.


    We must know that in this world, there is something that enjoys absolute exclusivity: Attribute Energy.


    Since the world''s Awakening 500 years ago, beasts, dungeons, and portals have reshaped the Earth.


    Even new territories emerged from antiquity, as is the case of Atlantis, the famous mythological island that, at some point 500 years ago, became a reality in the distant Ancient Lands, also known as the Northern Continent.


    Or the world-famous Great Continent of Pangea, which had since broken into the Eastern and Western Continents. Its modern name is now ''High Land'' because of its towering mountains and breathtaking wonders, such as the beautiful Floating Islands of Calithea.


    Yet, despite all this territorial or environmental exclusivity, they were merely beautiful places, far removed from this forgotten and abandoned Southern Continent.


    The same applied to the new races¡ªelves, dragons, and many more.


    Among so many fascinating things, there were two things that had changed humanity''s destiny: the System and Attribute Energy.


    Even among the two, the System had formulated the rules of reality. It established the Laws of the Game, which brought the Age of Awakening to the Earth.


    These new laws prohibit many once-common things like wars. In its place, it transformed the world into a battleground of absolute competitiveness¡ªwhere kingdoms and powerful organizations no longer ruled. Instead, Guilds became the new sovereigns, operating under the pure mechanics of video games.


    The guilds fought for supremacy, hiring Awakened to compete in the Competitions prepared by the System, which offered all kinds of prizes.


    Lands, titles, classes, abilities¡­ even Divinity.


    Although the world was now a better place, competitiveness was rampant than ever, and everyone longed to become a Champion even more than they desired to reach the ultimate power¡ªthough the two go hand in hand.


    Even in this distant Loen City, which belongs to the territory of the Arce Guild, this remains true. Elliot, like many others, longed to achieve Glory.


    But not even the Laws of the Game or the System itself enjoyed the exclusivity of Attribute Energy.


    It is difficult to explain yet crucial to understand because humans continue to exist because of it and the way the System harnesses its power.


    To become stronger, one needs Attribute Energy, which is the lifeblood of all the Awakened Ones. And although it always exists, to become strong, you must do something to ''create'' it because one cannot absorb the energy in the environment nor take the energy that someone else has created.


    You must create it yourself.


    The depth of this truth runs much greater, but in simple terms: You need to create the energy to strengthen yourself, and the energy you create cannot be absorbed by someone else unless they manage to kill you and take it.


    This is the reason why the Energy of Attributes holds a higher status than the System itself. However, other reasons also exist, such as the intricate Magical Systems erected by the Global Awakening System.


    In any case, this was why the Talent in front of his eyes made no sense.


    Wasn''t it violating a universal law? Since it allowed him to absorb the energy that others had created.


    Then, a revelation struck him.


    It made him think that there was something he didn''t know about Energy.


    He couldn''t help but reread what the Talent said once more to ensure that he was seeing it correctly.


    And as he did so, he frowned even more.


    And again. Then, a third time.


    He then skimmed through the details about Manifestation, reading them several times.


    His body trembled again.


    ''It doesn''t say¡­'' he thought, with an astonished yet excited expression.


    "No¡­ it doesn''t say. I''m sure it doesn''t."


    This time, his body trembled, not from fear or cold as it had been in previous years. This was something else¡ªa form of indescribable emotion that he couldn''t quite name¡ªthat flooded through him.


    There was something missing, something that his skills should have said because all the skills granted by the System do say it. But that ''thing'' that should have flashed before his eyes was nowhere to be seen. No matter which system window he opened, there wasn''t a single clue, reference, or trace of it.


    And that was something he couldn''t ignore...


    *KNOCK*


    *KNOCK*


    When he was at the peak of excitement, a sharp knock at the door snapped him back to reality.


    ''Who''s bothering me now?'' he thought, annoyed. Just when his mind was on the verge of thinking of something great, someone had to interrupt him.


    ''Well, it has always happened to me. Let''s relax better.'' He sighed, thinking of going to see who it was.


    But suddenly, he remembered that it was night and he was already off work.


    ''Strange¡­''


    He had never had visitors before. Who would come to visit him in the middle of the night?


    Cautiously, he approached the door and peered through a small crack.


    ''The Boss?''


    Elliot''s mind raced.


    ''He shouldn''t know where I live.''


    ''Has he come to the wrong door, or¡­?''


    He didn''t want to take any chances, so he turned around and took a small, low-grade knife from his backpack.


    ''In this world, the Awakened are the most dangerous. But even a strong Misfit is dangerous enough for me, so I have to be careful.''


    Although the new rules protected civilians, he was no longer one. The rules of the system to protect civilians no longer apply to him. If someone wanted to come and kill him, they could do so without much trouble.


    Of course, no one knew that he had Awakened, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    ''The system has loopholes in its rules, and many people tend to take advantage of them to do terrible things, so it''s better to be cautious,'' he thought and tucked the knife into his clothes for ''safety.''


    Then he took a deep breath and opened the door.

 Attempted Murder

    Killing his boss would be difficult for him if the latter decided to attack him. Elliot knew that, at the moment, his boss was considerably more powerful than him. Even so, it was better to stay cautious and be prepared for anything that might come up.


    When he opened the door, his boss greeted him.


    "Elliot. I came to check on how you were and give you a pay bonus. You''ve been working hard these last few days. I think you deserve a reward¡ªand some rest, too."


    His boss didn''t care if Elliot let him in; he directly stepped in and nodded in acknowledgment.


    "You still manage to keep everything in order, despite living in the most disorderly place in the city. Not bad, kid." He smiled.


    But Elliot ignored him.


    "Boss, I was about to go to sleep. The bonus is fine, but I don''t think I need a break."


    Elliot had nothing to offer him, so he walked cautiously behind him and stopped a few steps away, stepping on the syringe he had injected himself with earlier so that the man wouldn''t notice it.


    Although the boss noticed something strange, he didn''t say anything. He was used to seeing his subordinates injecting themselves with strange liquids, but it was regrettable to see that one so young was already falling into that habit.


    ''Sigh, the world is complicated,'' he thought.


    Although he said nothing about it.


    Then, he simply chuckled out loud.


    "Haha, I understand why you don''t want to take a break, but believe me, it''s necessary. If you don''t rest, you will certainly die." He said with a stern look. He was entirely sure of his last words, so he spoke again.


    He continued, pressing the matter. "I''ll give you a generous raise and 6 months of holiday. You can go to another city to enjoy yourself or something like that. Try to live your life for a few months, then you can come back to work."


    Elliot frowned; he found that strange and was prepared to reject the boss''s proposal, but the man insisted: "I''m doing it for your own good."


    That silenced Elliot momentarily. The pressure emanating from his boss''s eyes gave him a clue about what was really happening.


    ''It''s them¡­''


    The hatred that had been dormant in his heart for long came to the surface.


    Before, he could accept his boss''s words, but now he had awakened. His new power gave him hope, and his desire for revenge had increased several fold.


    "Okay, boss. I understand what you mean." He shook his head in reply. ''But I can''t leave. Not now."


    His boss was momentarily stunned by his response and then sighed. ''He''s stubborn. Too bad¡­''


    He then reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope of money and held it out to him. "Take the money. You can think about the rest after you have it."


    Although Elliot didn''t want to accept it, in the end, he took it. He would need some money now that he had awakened.


    But just as Elliot''s fingers brushed the envelope, he felt something move between the envelope paper and his fingers. He immediately withdrew his hand, and the next moment, a small snake fell to the floor.


    ''Yellow poison snake.''


    Elliot quickly jumped back, recognizing what kind of animal it was.


    If that thing bit him, he''d be dead within a minute.


    "Oh? You managed to avoid it. You really are tough." His boss sneered and got out of bed. "You won''t be so lucky twice. How will you avoid a little yellow snake bathed in your blood?"


    Elliot looked at him fiercely, but he was too busy trying to escape from that little thing that was disappearing from his view every so often, weaning in and out of the shadows.


    "You bastard, you work for the damned Clarks!" Elliot roared.


    His boss started to laugh out loud. "Hahaha, for killing a little idiot like you, I have already received 50 thousand dollars. Who wouldn''t work for such good people?"


    He pulled out a knife from his clothes and then pointed it at Elliot. ''Come and die, you ungrateful little brat.''


    Then he lunged forward, trying to ram him and lock him up with the snake.


    Elliot noticed him rushing, but he was already busy dodging the little snake and trying to get out of the room that the bastard had managed to jump up and get behind him; the man was much more agile than him.


    "Elliot Clark," his boss whispered coldly, "your biggest mistake was being born."


    Then, the knife came stabbing toward him.


    At that moment, something shifted in Elliot''s perception.


    He noticed that he could see his boss''s movements clearly and wasn''t as fast as before. He didn''t think his statistics had increased, but somehow, he could see an energy moving with the wind, and it was thanks to that that he was able to dodge his boss''s attack, moving smoothly to the side.


    Just then, he noticed the little snake jumping straight to his leg, wanting to bite him when he was defenseless, and moving that leg seemed impossible.


    But his boss hadn''t accounted for one thing:


    Elliot had a plan.


    Although Elliot managed to dodge his boss''s stab, he couldn''t avoid it completely. The blade still grazed his side, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body. But he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure it and took advantage of the momentum from the blow to twist his body completely, forcing his leg to move just in time to dodge the snapping jaws of the small yellow snake.


    The snake, however, couldn''t stop mid-air. This species was agile when jumping forward, but once it was committed to a strike, there was no way for it to turn back. It had to bite what it landed on. Unfortunately, that happened to be Elliot''s boss''s leg.


    Realizing this, the boss took several steps back, frantically trying to shake the snake off his leg. The force sent the snake flying in the air before it hit the nearby wall with a dull thud and died instantly¡ªnot that he cared.


    "You bastard!" he roared at Elliot, his rage boiling over as he tried to jump at Elliot to kill him. But his body betrayed him. His leg was already losing mobility, and before he could strike, he collapsed to the ground, rolling in agony.


    The venom from the little yellow snake was no joke; something that can kill you in a minute was not a simple poison. Before killing its victim, it took away their mobility, paralyzing them with astonishing speed.


    Seeing this, Elliot plucked up his courage as a thought echoed in his mind: ''I can do this.''


    After falling to the ground and rolling in the sudden movement, he quickly took out his knife and lunged at his boss.


    He had never killed before, so he hesitated for a second; even so, his mind was filled with one thought: ''If I don''t kill him, he''ll kill me. I must kill him so I don''t die. I can do it!''


    But in his nervousness, he couldn''t control his body, his foot slipped, and he fell forward¡ªexcept, instead of a mistake, it became his salvation. Fortunately, he was holding his knife in his hand, and it drove straight into his boss''s neck and went right through him, drowning the man''s screams in his throat and killing him instantly.


    "¡­"


    Silence reigned in the room again, but this time, it shook Elliot when he realized what he had done.


    The young man stared at the lifeless body beneath him, his breathing uneven.


    He was just an 18-year-old who had suffered hardship, but he had never taken a life before. He was striving for a dream, a longing in his heart, and although he was thirsty for revenge and had prepared himself mentally that it had to be done, now that it was over, reality pressed down on him.


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    Yet his mind kept repeating: ''If I hadn''t killed him, I would have been the one to have died.''


    With that thought, he steadied himself, and then a message from the system woke him from his stupor.


    *****


    [You have killed a System Rejected. You have received 1 stat point for the Strength Attribute.]


    Statistics:


    | Strength: 4. [+1]


    | Resistance: 3.


    | Agility: 3.


    | Sense: 5 (Maximum achieved by the ordinary human).


    Remaining: 1 Stat Point.


    *****


    Pt.2


    Looking at his stats brought him back to reality.


    "Right, I''ve awakened¡­" he murmured.


    In his mind, an awakening couldn''t be so weak, so he didn''t hesitate to press the button to allocate his extra point to his Strength as if he wanted to get some more strength to hold on to to get up.


    Honestly, he wasn''t weakened; it was his mind that didn''t want to get up for fear of looking at the corpse beneath him.


    By adding that point of strength, his mind was not naturally affected, but something changed as the new power coursed through him. His muscles tensed, and that was enough to make him open his eyes with a new clarity.


    "That''s right, I''ve awakened¡­" he repeated to himself.


    His mind cleared, and the fear that had seemed suffocating a moment ago suddenly felt distant¡ªa little more understandable. It was as if his body''s strengthened muscles were telling him that this was the natural cycle of life.


    Kill or be killed.


    And with that thought, he stood up. Some of his clothes had been stained with the blood flowing from his boss''s neck, but he barely noticed it.


    He squatted down, preparing to drag the corpse to put it in a bag or do something with it. But before he could touch it, the system''s translucent screen flickered to life before him.


    [Do you want to put the body in the Inventory?]


    For a moment, he didn''t know how to react.


    ''Right¡­ there''s an inventory in the system of the awakened¡­''


    That was convenient, although terrifying in a way. Even so, he wasn''t in a position to think about whether something was terrifying or went against morality; he was only in the position of preserving his life, and if someone¡ªespecially the Clark family¡ªdiscovered that his boss had failed the mission because he killed him, then he would be finished.


    He knew what kinds of bastards they were, thanks to being related to them. They were the kind that were capable of killing their own relatives just for a few dollars.


    For that reason, although he hesitated briefly, he eventually added the body of his boss, now ex-boss, to his inventory after removing all his belongings.


    Among those scattered belongings, Elliot found almost nothing of value. But then, something caught his attention. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand.


    It was a piece of broken mirror. At first glance, it didn''t seem to have anything special about it, yet he felt strangely drawn to it without wanting to.


    ''Is it an item? Why doesn''t the System register it?''


    Although it looked like an item, if the system didn''t register it, it meant there was something strange about it.


    Technically, the system of any awakened being was supposed to recognize everything in this world, including powerful items, and it didn''t matter whether the awakened being was weak or strong and regardless if the item was common or powerful.


    But this one was not being registered by the system, which was curious.


    Curious, Elliot examined the piece of mirror closely to see if it had anything different about it, like a button to activate something, but there was nothing. It was a simple broken mirror that the system could not register.


    "Maybe it''s too damaged for the system to register it?"


    Thinking that it was useless, he was about to throw it away without hesitation, but before the mirror could leave his hand, the system suddenly registered it.


    "Oh? That took a while."


    He was about to check its details when the item activated on its own. Then, strange messages, completely unrelated to the system, appeared before his eyes.


    *****


    [Fortune-telling activated]


    [When you see the Energy Thread connecting to the body you just killed, you will know who is to blame for your misfortunes.


    Clue: Dungeon of Rank E Goblins, Final Boss.


    Stay strong, destiny seeker.]


    As soon as that message appeared, the mirror returned to its inactive state, leaving Elliot stunned.


    "Fortune telling? The culprit of my misfortunes?"


    He couldn''t help but think of the Clark Family. If there was a culprit for all his misfortunes, it was surely them. They had murdered his mother and his sister, forcing him to live in misery where even escaping the city was difficult, thanks to always being under surveillance.


    Then, all of a sudden, something strange happened. His mind seemed to have connected with the item, and it vanished¡ªno, it was subconsciously stored in the inventory.


    At the same time, he felt as if he was seeing a strange vision, and for a moment, he felt dizzy. He nearly lost his balance, but the vision and the sensation along with it ended as quickly as they came, leaving behind only a lingering image of a place in the city.


    "The E-Rank Dungeon of the association? I see, that''s the Goblins'' dungeon, the fortune mentioned before."


    Although he had no idea as to what kind of secrets one of the weakest dungeons in the city could hold, now that he wanted to get stronger, he would have to go through them sooner or later. So he nodded, determined to go and check it out.


    But not right now.


    Right now, he wasn''t even qualified to go to that ''weakest'' dungeon; he was too weak even for an E-Rank one.


    Right now, he was barely an Awakened Beginner or, as the system called it, a Newbie Player. And he was among the lowest rungs of all the awakened newbie players.


    That''s why he needed to get stronger. And to do that, he had to master his Talent.


    "Oh, right."


    A thought suddenly struck him. He recalled what he had been trying to figure out before his boss interrupted him and quickly turned his gaze to the system.


    Once again, and for what must be the seventh time, he read everything he could find about his new class in great detail. He took his time to scrutinize each word carefully, making sure that he hadn''t overlooked anything.


    When he finally did, he couldn''t wipe the grin from his face.


    ''There''s no mistake¡­ I don''t see the Fair Law anywhere. Does that mean I don''t have any restrictions or penalties to my ability?''


    His heart began to beat hard once more. The excitement wiped away all the previous traces of earlier discomfort, even making him forget the pain of the wound on his side.


    The so-called ''Fair Law'' was a restriction placed on all the Awakened beings and has existed as long as the system itself. It was imprinted on each ability and ensured fairness and balance on how all the classes, abilities, and talents could be used.


    To understand this context, one must know how Attribute Energy works. It determined a person''s Stat Points, which in turn dictated their Strengthening Ranks.


    So, the Fair Law marks the type of Attribute you are aligned with. If your skill tells you that you were a Swordsman, your affinity would likely be associated with Strength and Agility, meaning that those attributes could be used at full capacity.


    However, this also meant that while your two main attributes could be used to their full capacity, the remaining two attributes, which were Sense (Intelligence) and Resistance (Vitality), would be severely restricted.


    This, in turn, made it much harder to develop them, and their power would be significantly weaker when used.


    These restrictions have always existed and applied to all types of Awakened people; whether they were Variators, Imagers, or Fighters, you will be affected.


    But his ability did not seem to bear the mark of the Fair Law anywhere.


    He felt incredible if he had to say so himself¡ªbut it was still too early to claim victory.


    "Generally, new Awakened Ones must undergo intensive training for several months before entering these Rank E dungeons. But if what my talent says is correct, it should save me a lot of time to be able to go to that Dungeon. Besides, I''m a summoner. My main stats should be Sense and a few others, so if I can boost my other stats, I can verify that I don''t have the penalty.''


    Elliot didn''t want to waste any more time thinking. He quickly packed all his belongings into his inventory and wrapped a bandage around the wound on his side. It would take a long time to heal, but it wasn''t too dangerous, so he didn''t worry too much.


    Without any further delay, he set off in the direction of the nearest gym.


    The gyms were always busy, no matter the hour. Many trained in hopes of strengthening their bodies before awakening, while others, already awake but still too weak to go to the dungeons, came here to train and build strength.


    Why? Because this is where the Energy was created.


    When Elliot arrived, he froze in shock.


    There was a reason why his Talent urged him to stay close to the places where Energy was created.


    Attribute Energy didn''t come out of the ground, nor was there a centralized source for it. It was created within the living beings.


    If you exercise to increase your strength, you will create Physical Attribute Energy. The same was applied if you tried to increase your resistance or agility. Therefore, any form of physical effort generates its corresponding energy.


    On the other hand, Sense Energy was created from mental exercises¡ªstudying, reading, or, in general, doing something that strengthened the mind''s resilience, agility, or ''power'' since Sense was the attribute that governed the mind.


    This was why gyms and training centers were the prime places for people to improve themselves. They provided a controlled, safe environment where the people could steadily grow stronger.


    And that was exactly why Elliot was shocked when he stepped inside.


    His eyes scanned the place, taking in the sheer amount of scattered Attribute Energy.


    He had never imagined that people left trails of energy scattered everywhere they trained. Even more surprising was that he could see a strange color among the energies.


    The predominant colors here were red, yellow, and green.


    Red was the most abundant.


    ''So, attribute energy has color, huh.''


    A closer look at the energy revealed a pattern to him: the red energy was created when people exercised to increase strength. Yellow was for resistance, and green for agility.


    A very subtle and almost imperceptible blue color blended with the other colors, possibly the Sense attribute. Being in a gym, people don''t tend to work their minds much, so it was created less.


    Knowing all this, Elliot couldn''t help but step forward.


    ''This must be what I need to collect,'' he thought, his heart tightening a little with anticipation. He still didn''t know if that was how his Talent worked, but knocking on the door was not the same as entering.


    So he started to walk.


    It didn''t take him long to realize that his theory was right.


    All the scattered energy of attributes in the surroundings began to react, clinging to his body and sinking into him with determination.


    Although it was barely perceptible, he could feel his body passively strengthening, filling with a strange yet fantastic power.


    ''Although I haven''t created any stats points, it still works incredibly well.''


    He walked around the whole gym, absorbing as much energy from attributes, not wanting to miss anything.


    Although people gave him strange looks, he didn''t care.


    After doing it for several minutes, he was forced to sigh.


    He hadn''t gained a single stat point even after collecting so much energy.


    Even so, he wasn''t discouraged.


    Although he didn''t have a way to measure his energy, he could feel that his body was saturating with that mystical energy he had only heard about until now. And that was enough for him.


    So, he paid the monthly fee for the gym membership and started training.


    He knew little about it, but the gym was pretty good. It offered different training routines for different people, depending on how many days they had been exercising, their strength, and so on. These routines were categorized into ''Normal People'' and ''Awakened.''


    The Awakened group was further divided into two ranks¡ªAwakened Beginner (Newbie Player) and Awakened (Player), the second rank.


    Naturally, Elliot selected the Awakened Beginner program between the two ranks. Then, wasting no time, he began his training with a prescribed general routine.

 John Clark

    While training, his mind was filled with thoughts on various important subjects.


    What exactly is Attribute Energy? For example.


    This question has always been asked among the population, but it is difficult to answer. All we need to know is that our efforts create Attribute Energy and include four Statistics: strength, resistance, agility, and Sense.


    To obtain it, you can do any exercise that trains Strength, Resistance, and Agility or read or learn complicated things for Sense.


    However, there are other ways to get it. For example, by killing beasts or any race that trains using that energy, since, by killing it, you get a part of its attribute energy (similar to experience in video games).


    It makes sense since you need Attribute Energy to strengthen yourself, so if you kill a beast that has been training its strength for a long time, you will naturally obtain a part of the energy it has trained for so long. However, this also has certain limitations.


    Because of all this, gyms, training centers, and even libraries are very popular in the current era.


    With Attribute Energy being so important, it''s normal for everyone to want to know more about it. Even more so, you need to increase your stats to climb the Strength Ranks.


    But that is just the tip of the iceberg of everything that this mysterious energy represents. But knowing that is enough to start training.


    Even so, obtaining it is easier said than done.


    After two hours of training, Elliot sighed.


    ''I didn''t think creating a stats point would be so complicated.''


    Although he knew it was true, some people take up to a week of training to get a point. How could he do it in two hours? He just hoped so because of the much energy he had absorbed all this time.


    ''Although it may also be that the training routine is not right for me. I don''t feel like I''m working out properly here. Am I thinking too much?''


    As he occasionally had to rest his muscles, he had seen different training sessions that didn''t look as stimulating as those. Because of that, he thought about formulating a new personalized training plan for himself.


    That''s why he stopped.


    ''Should I go to a Martial Arts Center? The awakened ones may create more energy, and there''s always much of them. Maybe I can steal a point if I''m lucky.


    Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, he decided to go back to the gym tomorrow with a better training plan. It''s best to look for training alternatives when the one you''re doing doesn''t seem to be working.


    That''s why he went to the martial arts center.


    As he entered the reception area, he noticed that he was in a completely different environment.


    "There are many who have been awakened. Even the receptionists are awakened, and they are not weak."


    Although everyone who entered and left the martial arts center was strong, he was possibly the weakest of all those present.


    After paying the monthly fee, he sighed.


    ''Sigh, I only have $10 left. This is a disgrace. That bastard said he would give me a supposed bonus to leave, but there was only $20. What a shitty bonus.''


    He put away the change they gave him with a sigh and went in.


    His eyes sparkled at the sight of a new world, and he couldn''t help but get stuck in the doorway, watching.


    A strangely colorful world was before him, with red as the predominant color. The different colors danced among the sounds of fighting and screams of agony.


    ''My God, is it that good?''


    It was several times greater than the amount of energy he found in the gym, so he didn''t hesitate to take several steps inside, ready to start his martial arts training (or steal the energy).


    His steps were filled with strange energy entering him, but they stopped when he was drawn to one of the televisions in the room.


    A man presenting the news was speaking.


    "Among the most shocking local news, Young Master John of the Clark Family has just become, last week, one of the 5 Star Knights of the city after winning a small local tournament. With that, Young Master John will seek to lift the last title of the year..."


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    Elliot frowned.


    ''That bastard... Is he that strong?''


    As fury grew inside him, he heard someone call his name from the side.


    "Elliot?"


    It was a voice unpleasant to hear. Literally, the reason he was furious a moment ago had materialized in front of him.


    "John Clark."


    Looking to one side, he found a young man his age. He was dressed in rather glamorous training robes and many expensive garments on top, followed by several people in arrogance like him.


    Seeing him was enough to rekindle the hatred in his heart.


    ''The culprit of my misfortunes.'' He recalled the riddle the mirror had posed and couldn''t help but find the similarity in this bastard.


    He is his cousin. But, at the same time, the cause of the death of his mother and sister. The murderer who had tormented him for many years and from whom he swore he would take revenge, even if it cost him his life.


    Unfortunately, this John was not bad as an awakened. He was already in the Awakened Rank and had managed to awaken at 14 on his first attempt. He is clearly a genius in the city.


    Furthermore, as he had heard on the news a moment ago, he was now one of the city''s 5 Star Knights, greatly increasing his status as one of the five most powerful young people under 18 in the city.


    At least, that''s what the title indicates.


    John approached him to taunt him.


    "I never thought my city would sink so low that a Misfit could set foot on the training grounds of the awakened," he said as he walked towards Elliot.


    A star insignia rested on the right side of his chest, indicating his newly acquired status.


    Elliot looked at the insignia and smiled.


    "I certainly never thought my city would sink so low that an 18-year-old idiot who depends on pills would ever wear that badge." His voice hinted at mockery and disdain, something that annoyed John.


    "You''ve become eloquent, you little bastard. You seem to have forgotten who your superior is."


    "Haha, I don''t know who my superior is, but I do recognize the face of a traitor. Don''t worry, it''s something I''ll never forget."


    Even though he knew the difference in status and power between him and John, that didn''t mean he would be intimidated. Even when he was a miserable normal human being looking for his place in this world, he was never afraid of John.


    He just had to be careful when he confronted him because, at the slightest mistake, John could pounce on him and kill him.


    But now that he had awakened, he had a little more confidence. Maybe his strength hadn''t changed much from when he wasn''t, but it would soon change.


    John stared at him with a face full of anger. ''Since you like to talk... Let me teach you a lesson. Although I can''t fight in this place, it''s not a place you can mess with either, you bastard.''


    He suddenly took a step forward fast enough for Elliot to be unable to react. He grabbed him by the shoulder with force, making Elliot''s shoulder bone protest loudly, and he gritted his teeth.


    Then John leaned close to Elliot''s ear.


    "A great gift will soon arrive for you. And if that gift is not to your liking, a couple more gifts will follow, dear cousin. Just try to resist. Let me see your face again, so at least you can say you are a worthy son of the Clarks."


    Elliot looked at him. ''So, it was you who sent that bastard. Heh, too bad for you, that so-called gift wasn''t my size.'' Although he scoffed in his mind, his mouth spoke differently.


    A voice full of hatred: "Son of the Clarks? No, you''re not worthy. I''m just Elliot Clark, of the Sky Dome Clark branch. I don''t want your measly trash branch." As he said it, he grabbed John''s hand and used all his strength to pull it away.


    John suddenly saw his hand shake. ''What?'' he was surprised.


    Although tiny compared to his own, the force Elliot had shown was more than he should have used.


    By the time John reacted, Elliot was no longer in sight.


    Only his colleagues and a few curious onlookers were watching, secretly rooting for John and wanting him to kill Elliot finally.


    But this time, it didn''t happen.


    ''That bastard... Shit. I didn''t expect he''d been hiding that he''s a decent Misfit.'' He growled.


    One of his companions approached him.


    "What happened, John? Why did you let him go?" He asked.


    John shook his head.


    "That guy''s on his last legs. Since it looks like he won''t live past this year, at least I''ll let him live the life he longed for."


    "Since when have you been so kind?"


    John shrugged. "After all, he is my family; I must treat my cousins well."


    "Hahahaha, I guess that''s true."


    "Anyway, treating him well is one thing, and letting him abuse you is something completely different. Can you help me expel him later?" he asked the person he was asking questions to, who is the son of the Master of the Martial Arts Center.


    "Well, anyway, misfits are not allowed in, so I''ll do you a favor."


    "Well, let''s go then. We have to celebrate before the last tournament of the year starts."


    "True, they say all the Star Knights will participate, and some new geniuses are in town. Is it real?"


    "Yes, because the five strongest between 16 and 18 years old will be chosen again. Although I have become a Star Knight, it is only temporary; soon, I will have to fight for it again."


    As they walked, they did not realize that Elliot had been listening to them from a distance.


    ''The last tournament of the year... No wonder the Guilds are looking for awakened geniuses lately. I wonder if I''ll be able to join in,'' he thought, although in reality, he was just teasing himself.


    Join in? He wasn''t even qualified to think about it.


    He took one hand to massage his shoulder, which was damaged by that bastard''s grip, before he went in and started farming attribute energy.


    Once he had finished, he went to make the most of his time at the martial arts center.


    These places are usually divided into two: a place where many awakened people train with coaches or other awakened people and rooms for training with puppets. As he is very weak, he needs to go to the room, and there he goes.


    Upon entering, the mechanism was activated with one puppet, whose resistance was astonishing and of decent strength.


    "I''ve only heard rumors about these puppets, and they say they''re very good for training newbies. I hope all the money I spent on the monthly fee will be rewarded."


    He stepped forward to get closer, entering the training ring. Then, the puppet found a target and lunged at him.


    He was forced to lower his body to dodge and took advantage of the position to strike at the lower part of the chest, trying to land a decisive blow to test its toughness.


    But his blow didn''t even make a ripple in the puppet.


    ''Really tough.''


    He quickly took a few steps back to avoid the blow coming from above.


    Then he reloaded his power hand and struck again from the front, taking advantage of the puppet''s carelessness. His blow hit the puppet''s expressionless face and pushed it back slightly, thus beginning his intense training where he tried to gain Strength and Agility.

 Creating Stats Points in record time

    While Elliot immersed himself in training, continuously dodging the puppet''s powerful attacks and countering them with his own, he sensed something strange. Deep inside his body, the attribute energy he had been accumulating slowly began to condense, forming a small, concentrated ball in the middle of his body.


    "Am I about to create a stat point?" he thought as he realized that this was indeed happening quickly.


    His heart quickened, and he became a little impatient, but in his distraction, he took a clean hit on the face. Though the pain stung, it was nothing alarming, and he managed to recover quickly before continuing the fighting.


    Yet, as the minutes passed, his interest and excitement gradually faded. Yes, something was gathering inside him¡ªindeed, attribute energy¡ªbut nothing was happening.


    Thirty minutes went by. Then, an hour later. But everything was the same.


    Aside from the feeling of gathering, nothing had changed.


    In the end, Elliot let out a sigh and decided to focus on his training instead.


    _____


    As time went by while he continued his training, Elliot began to try to understand attribute energy once again, this time more closely. This was because he had started to realize something: He wasn''t creating agility the way he had expected.


    And it made sense.


    Dodging the puppet''s attacks was easier said than done. Its strength was likely around 8 points¡ªfar superior to his own. In truth, his flesh was what had been holding up against the puppet''s attacks and not his agility.


    Upon realizing this, Elliot knew he had to understand attribute energy better. The problem was the fact that he had no books to read nor a mentor¡ªso he would have to do it on his own.


    But he couldn''t understand it in depth. Even the greatest scholars hadn''t fully understood this energy.


    It had appeared out of nowhere alongside the Awakening System, feeling growth and increasing strength in its different aspects and the stats that would later determine your rank through the Strengthening Ranks. But one had yet to know exactly what it was. Its depth seemed to be hidden in mystery in the space, endless.


    ''Could it have something to do with my class? This says that I am the Monarch of Energy¡­ I don''t know what kind of title it is, but it does sound amazing,'' Elliot thought as he glanced at his system panel.


    It basically told him that he was the ruler of energy, but it still gave him no clue what that meant. It was almost as if he had been handed a kingdom to govern, but he wasn''t taught the language or given any information or instructions about it.


    So the question still remained, but he didn''t have time to find all the answers.


    With a burning fist, he delivered a punch straight in the puppet''s chest for what seemed like the twelfth time. His bones were screaming in protest and pain, but his blow was finally effective, and the puppet''s chest caved inwards before it was sent crashing into the wall behind it, ending the fight.


    ''Finally¡­''


    As he took a deep breath, the energy inside his body seemed to have finally completed the whole process it had been going through.


    [You have earned a stat point: +1 strength point]


    Elliot''s eyes immediately widened with excitement, and he quickly turned his attention to check his stats.


    [ Statistics: ]


    | Strength: 5. [+1]


    | Resistance: 3.


    | Agility: 3.


    | Sense: 5 (Maximum achievable by a common human).


    Remaining Stat Points: 1


    Then a realization dawned on him¡ªhe had spent two hours at the gym and another two hours training here.


    "I gained a stat point in just four hours!" He was stunned.


    Although he had been whining for a while that he hadn''t created any points in two hours of training, he knew that stat points couldn''t be created so easily¡ªin fact, it usually was never this fast.


    ''Maybe it has something to do with the attribute energy I stole earlier¡­'' he thought.


    But as he looked inside himself and noticed that something didn''t add up, he frowned. "Isn''t the energy that is transformed into stat points supposed to be gathered like that?"


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    As far as he knew (which was very little), attribute energy has two phases.


    The first was when it had not been transformed into some kind of strength, which was Raw Energy (pure energy); the second was when it had already been transformed into that strength, which was Converted Energy.


    In its first phase, pure energy must be guided by training or something else to become stat points. It is dispersed throughout the body but in its pure state.


    The second form is also found in the body, but since it is part of a stats point that strengthens ''something'', this time, it is already part of the body and is completely intermingled with it. It is no longer independent of the body.


    Both states can be distinguished when one takes a quick look inside one''s body.


    But here was the problem¡ªElliot had no idea how to transform that energy inside him into stats actively. Since he had never attended an academy and his only knowledge about Awakened abilities came from what his father told him more than five years ago, he was confused about it.


    But now, he understood.


    "I see. So this is what it means. To become strong, you must first understand the way in which you want to strengthen yourself. If you want strength, you must understand how to gain strength and strive for it. That saying wasn''t about creating attribute energy¡ªit was about refining the energy within and condensing it into some kind of true strength."


    The realization hit him like a spark igniting a fire. He was shocked¡ªnot just by what he was experiencing but by all that it meant, since¡­


    ''I still have a lot of attribute energy inside me that is in its pure state. That means all that energy will soon be transformed into stats as I continue to train and push myself, right?''


    The smile stretched across his face, almost reaching his ears. Without wasting another second, he ran to a bookshelf on the side of the room, grabbed a martial arts manual, and set about starting to train properly.


    Since he was in a facility this advanced, he needed to learn proper martial arts techniques to maximize the results of his training.


    After studying the book''s first few pages, which outlined an entire phase of movements, Elliot reactivated the mechanism in the room. A new combat puppet emerged, its heavy steps echoing in the room as it began to walk towards him.


    He immediately assumed a mixed martial arts stance, balancing most of his weight on his left leg. One of his arms was raised in front for the strikes, while the other stayed back and high, ready for surprise counterattacks¡ªat least that''s what the book instructed.


    Then, he patiently waited for the puppet, which seemed to be approaching with even lesser speed but seemingly with greater determination.


    ''It''s the tank type. Good¡­'' Elliot smiled.


    He remained patient, waiting for the right moment. At the last second, the puppet lunged at him¡ªfast and forceful. Elliot raised his left arm to defend himself.


    Pain shot through his bones, but he didn''t falter. This was the perfect opportunity to fight back, and so he responded. He twisted his body and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the puppet''s neck.


    The kick connected effectively, and the impact sent the puppet stumbling to the side. Then, without hesitation, Elliot took advantage to start the fight and his training.


    And so, the hours passed quickly.


    From the wounds and bruises that became more evident on his body and the dents and cracks on the puppet''s once pristine body, it was clear that he had been training for longer than he would have thought.


    And the fruits of his efforts were not long in coming.


    After 12 hours of intensive training.


    After hitting the puppet for the last time, he stopped and took a deep breath. Then, he watched as the puppet was sent out of the ring before it collapsed.


    His muscles ached, his knuckles throbbed¡ªbut his grin remained.


    "Hitting these things is tough, but¡­" He grinned as he glanced at his system panel.


    At that moment, he realized just how wonderful his Talent was.


    In just 12 hours, he was able to create¡­ four stat points.


    [ Statistics: ]


    | Strength: 5. [+3]


    | Resistance: 3. [+1]


    | Agility: 3.


    | Sense: 5 (Maximum achievable by a common human).


    Remaining Stat Points: 4


    Most people could only dream of achieving that many stat points in such a short time. This was because there was no way that anyone could get such a large number of points in such a short time.


    He could only do it thanks to one of his talent bonuses, the third one, to be precise.


    "Not only can I create stat points much faster than others, but the same applies to my attribute energy. Even though I''ve been condensing more and more attribute energy into stat points, all that effort has created more and more attribute energy inside me, making me passively and actively strong."


    The grin on his face just couldn''t fade away, and suddenly, he was assailed by a sudden wave of emotions surging through him.


    Joy. Thirst for revenge. Pain. Longing.


    The joy of finally awakening¡ªand not just to any power, but something extraordinary. The thirst for revenge was now within reach. The pain of having awakened too late to save the ones he had lost. And the longing¡­ the hunger for what was to come.


    His longing for power. His longing to climb to the top.


    When he was torn between his desire to reach the top and his thirst for revenge, he remembered the conversation among those guys a while ago.


    ''The Star Tournament¡­''


    ''I think I''ll be your equal sooner than you think.'' Elliot smiled, and without wasting any moment, he allocated his remaining stat points.


    Instantly, he sensed his body transforming. His muscles were growing stronger, gaining a strength that was totally different from the one he already had.


    This wasn''t just physical strength¡ªit was something more. This was a mystical force, which, combined with the mysticism of the energy of attributes, left him craving more.


    He took a deep breath to calm the fire within his heart. Although training was important, so was food. And right now, he was starving.


    "I''ll go and eat first, then get back to training. Somehow, I don''t feel exhausted." He smiled and left the martial arts center.


    Dawn had already arrived. He stepped outside to buy himself a breakfast, unfortunately, the $10 in his pocket didn''t allow him to have a feast, so he would have to wait.


    "Once I hit the 10-point milestone, I can make money by hunting the beasts. Until then, I just have to be patient and eat anything."


    With that thought in mind, he settled for the cheapest breakfast he could find, one that would make him completely full.


    Fortunately, the street vendors were selling affordable food at this time of year, so he didn''t face much of a problem.


    Then, he returned to the training.


    First, he went to the gym, where a new training routine was designed for him¡ªone that was focused on boosting his strength and resistance. These two stats gave him more energy.


    And then, he dove into another 6 hours of relentless training.

 Decreases effectiveness

    After six long, gruelling hours of training, Elliot was surprised to gain three stat points¡ªone in strength and two in endurance.


    This also confirmed his previous suspicions: his previous training method had been inefficient. Moreover, now that he had discovered the correct way to condense the energy of attributes into stats points, he could do it much faster than he had imagined it was possible for him to.


    This satisfied him more than enough and also lifted his spirits. Thanks to that and following what he had read on the internet while he was doing his research for gym training methodology, he headed to a nearby park for calisthenics.


    According to his research, parks were the best free training spots for beginners with strength and agility below 10 points.


    And his research proved correct.


    In fact, since he had never done calisthenics before and his arms were already strong enough to do all the exercises without problems, he only needed to focus on repeating the agility training. After several hours of repetition, the results were astonishing¡ªhe had gained three agility points in just six hours!


    For a workout that wasn''t too intensive, the improvement was amazing.


    Seeing his stat points increase so dramatically wiped away any trace of tiredness he might have felt. Or maybe it was the effect of his enhanced strength¡ªhe wasn''t sure, but he didn''t care. There was no reason to stop if he wasn''t tired or feeling sleepy.


    The sooner he reached 10 points in a stat, the better.


    So, he pushed forward, heading straight to the martial arts center, where he resumed his mixed martial arts training.


    He seemed to have lost his mind, but his straight 12 hours of mixed martial arts training were amply fruitful, even if he couldn''t score the desired points in those last 12.


    By the time he finally stopped, it was again 8 a.m., but this was September 5th. He had awakened two days earlier at night, so not even 48 hours had passed since then.


    But the radiant happiness beaming on Elliot''s face showed just how fruitful the last few hours had been.


    It had been over two years since he last felt this happy.


    Naturally, he was looking at his stats.


    [ Statistics: ]


    | Strength: 8. [+3]


    | Resistance: 4. [+4]


    | Agility: 3. [+4]


    | Sense: 5 (Maximum achievable by the common human).


    Remaining Stat Points: 11


    Getting 11 stat points in just 24 hours didn''t make sense¡ªbut as the saying goes, it''s the newbie''s increase.


    Having never undergone this kind of intensive training all his life, his body was experiencing explosive growth, and now that he was finally doing it, his stats were soaring. Perhaps more than anything, his rapid progress was likely due to his increased strength, which skyrocketed in these hours and allowed him to properly train his resistance and agility more effectively.


    That''s why, despite being completely exhausted, he felt utterly satisfied.


    A soft smile formed on his lips.


    "I should savor this feeling."


    Without hesitation, he immediately allocated all his remaining stat points¡ªraising his strength to 11, resistance to 8, and agility to 7.


    He didn''t leave even a single stat point free.


    He wanted to enjoy the feeling of increasing so many stat points at once.


    And likewise, the change was immediate.


    A refreshing sensation swept through his body as if the boost was either dulling his pain or making him more resistant to it.


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    Under a mysterious force, his arms and legs grew stronger, and at the same time, his body suddenly became more fluid, and the flesh and muscles in it became much harder.


    Closing his eyes, he let himself bask in the sensation, feeling this moment of joy.


    Then, without any warning, he felt an overwhelming drowsiness. His eyelids grew heavy, and he struggled to keep himself awake.


    "Oh¡­ I see. It''s because of the Sense stat."


    His mind was exhausted.


    "Even though my body doesn''t feel tired, staying awake for 48 hours and pushing myself so hard has greatly exhausted my mind."


    That was why his body started to feel sleepy, and the mental fatigue was clearly noticeable on his face, indirectly affecting his body and muscles.


    ''Mental exhaustion certainly cannot be ignored,'' he mused, smiling wryly.


    But even his smile looked weary now, and he began to feel as if his whole body was getting heavy.


    There was no avoiding it¡ªhe had to stop training.


    He could worry about looking for a way to increase his Sense attribute another time. Right now, he needed rest.


    Returning to his room, he collapsed onto his bed and slept peacefully for several hours.


    When he got up, 4 hours had passed, and it was already 12 noon.


    Surprisingly, he didn''t feel exhausted; instead, he was completely refreshed.


    ''It was only four hours of sleep, but I already feel like new.'' He smiled. It was something that had never happened to him before.


    He wondered if he was becoming one of those people who needed very little sleep, increasing their productive time during the day.


    ''Although that might trigger some problems in the long term.''


    His thoughts made him want to make fun of himself. There was no point in worrying about those issues now.


    With a refreshed body and a smile on his face, he set out to find the cheapest meal he could find.


    His limited funds meant he couldn''t eat well, but he was used to it. However, today, he woke up feeling unusually hungry compared to previous months¡ªmost likely due to the extreme training he had put himself through.


    Still, he had no problem being patient for a few more days. He had endured this lifestyle for four years; a few more days wouldn''t hurt.


    After having his breakfast in a soup kitchen, Elliot wasted no time and ran back to training, following the same routine as the day before¡ªonly increasing its intensity by a large margin this time.


    But he had to stop after 10 continuous hours of different types of relentless training.


    It was 10:30 at night.


    "2 points in agility in the afternoon and 2 in resistance¡­ but I have only obtained 1 point in strength. It seems that this training is no longer as effective."


    He looked at his statistics, which had now increased to 12 for strength, 10 for resistance, and 9 for agility. It became clear that he had to start considering whether he should continue with this training or not.


    Mentally, he was burning out at an alarming rate. Although he was still making progress, he felt that he was becoming less and less effective at creating stats points, and his gains were slowing down.


    The good thing about having a system where you condense the energy inside yourself is that you can realize when an exercise is effective for you. By observing the energy flow inside him, he could determine what workout was more effective and what wasn''t.


    That would be great in the long term but also in the short term when you''re still starting out because you can optimize the time spent on each workout.


    Thanks to this ability and his growing mental exhaustion, Elliot concluded that gaining the next two stat points could take him more than a day. That was still impressive, but it wasn''t ideal in his case.


    Mental exhaustion was problematic in every sense, especially when he couldn''t manage to increase even one point in that attribute. Although he tried to ask around for advice, the only information he got was that he needed to go to libraries to read or to attend the academies.


    Unfortunately, an academy was out of the question. He had never been able to attend one, and due to his job, he had never been able to go to a library since there were restrictions that prevented the Misfits from entering¡ªonly normal or awakened people were allowed access.


    With that in mind, he put training on hold and returned to his room.


    It wasn''t that he was disappointed with gaining two stat points per day¡ªit was an incredible rate. But right now, he already had enough stats to start hunting, which could possibly yield him greater results in the same amount of time.


    Although he wasn''t yet strong enough to take on the goblins in that dungeon, he wasn''t too far off. In the meantime, he could hunt the infamous two-legged rats in the city.


    Besides, his priority right now was to increase his Sense. During this time, he realized just how crucial that attribute was, but he needed access to the libraries to improve it.


    He ruled out the possibility of going to an academy because he was no longer old enough to enroll in one. If he wanted to go, he would have to enroll immediately, which wasn''t something he wanted to do.


    That left him with only one alternative: to register with the Awakened Association to certify that he could enter those libraries.


    And to register, he needed to increase his strength and reach Awakened Rank¡ªmeaning he had to raise two of his stats to 20 points.


    This meant one thing: he needed to become strong as soon as possible. And the best way to do that was through hunting.


    While he was in his room, he pulled out a map of the city¡ªsomething he had always had with him in case something happened, and he needed it.


    Loen City was truly vast, consisting of multiple small villages with a lot of territory, making it much larger than several large cities in the Kingdom of Arce.


    However, in terms of power, it wasn''t too powerful. In fact, it was one of the weakest coastal cities in the Kingdom. Although it wasn''t close to the coast, two cities still lay between it and the shoreline.


    Therefore, although the Loen City was large, its dungeons weren''t dangerous, and the types of creatures they attracted weren''t strong.


    Studying the map, he examined the marked places that belonged to dungeons and began to trace the different routes that led to the two-legged rats'' hunting grounds.

 Situations of a Dungeons

    In this world, dungeons are categorized by ''Situations''¡ªessentially, the way they function.


    For example, there are Open Dungeons and Closed Dungeons.


    Although both appear in the same manner, a Closed Dungeon remains confined within the portal where it first emerged. The Awakened individuals ensure that these portals stay there, by periodically clearing them without destroying the Dungeon Core.


    This practice is frequently carried out in valuable dungeons, particularly if they do not have female beasts among their ranks¡ªtherefore, the creatures inside cannot reproduce. If the said dungeon were to open, its inhabitants would eventually go extinct.


    That is why they keep these dungeons closed to have a sustainable source of experience, thanks to the Dungeon Core.


    Another reason for maintaining a Closed Dungeon is its proximity to a city. If a dungeon near an urban center is of a very high level, the guilds will work to keep it contained to prevent potential damage.


    For example, the Goblin Dungeon that Elliot planned to clear is a Rank E Closed Dungeon. It''s located a little way out in the countryside, but it cannot be broken since no goblins or female beasts are inside, meaning they cannot reproduce.


    In contrast, Open Dungeons are the opposite. These are either left to naturally breach their deadline, allowing the dungeon to open on its own, or they are forcibly broken by destroying the Dungeon Core¡ªreleasing all the beasts within.


    Open dungeons vary greatly in size and strength. In fact, they were commonly known as the most dangerous dungeons because they were the most unpredictable. One would never know if a high-level dungeon has appeared there until it''s too late.


    Near Loen City, several regions contained many of these dungeons.


    Of these numerous regions, the one that interested Elliot the most at the moment was the Two-Legged Rat Area.


    It was an Open Dungeon located in a wooded, abandoned zone where the beasts roamed freely. Several species of beasts inhabited this region, but the two-legged rats were the most common, making them ideal for his plans.


    ''Although it is a dangerous area due to the sheer number of these beasts swarming together to attack, I think I should be fine if I take this route.''


    While studying the map, Elliot carefully marked the best route he would follow, ensuring it was the right one for the hunt. If he were to encounter many beasts simultaneously, it would be very difficult for him to handle.


    After an hour of preparation, he finally stepped out of his room.


    But he hadn''t taken more than two steps before a small group of peculiar men approached¡ªpeople who rarely come near these parts of the city.


    ''Debt collectors''.


    Suddenly, he recalled that he had not paid his monthly installment for two months, the allowed time limit.


    Since he had been preparing to attempt his third and final Awakening, he naturally had been forced to take on some debt, and now, the consequences had arrived.


    And these guys weren''t ordinary loan sharks either.


    The Debt Collectors were the direct subordinates of the Leader of the Misfits in the city, a Ranked Awakened with excellent contacts in the Awakened Association and the local government.


    Rumor had it that even this Leader of the Misfits was a nobleman. In the current era, noble titles were no longer inherited but rather achieved. So, if that man truly had such a title, then he needed to watch out.


    And his enforcers¡ªthe Debt Collectors¡ªthat person''s right-hand man, were also members of rich families but considered Misfits. But that didn''t mean they were weak. In fact, they were known to be among the strongest groups in the city.


    If they were here, it was likely to collect his debt. But Elliot couldn''t rule out the possibility that they were here because of his former boss, in case they knew that he had also been sent here. So he had to tread carefully.


    They tossed a debt document at his feet as soon as they spotted him.


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    "You owe $150, Elliot Clark. You have 24 hours to pay up. So, what is it gonna be? Either you settle the debt, or you can start clearing out of the room, and we''ll take you to the Boss¡ªhe''ll decide what to do with you." The one who spoke was the biggest of them and also the most powerful.


    ''I heard that this group is one of the strongest in the city. Each one of them must have 10 points in their stats.'' Elliot frowned.


    It was possible for him to beat a few of them in an individual battle, but there were six of them. Fighting them all at once would surely be his undoing.


    Although they were misfits, they had reached the upper limit of the power that a Misfit could achieve. Meanwhile, Elliot had just awakened. This wasn''t a fight he could afford¡ªat least, not yet. So, it was better to be careful.


    Besides, if he beat them, it would attract the attention of the Clarks and possibly even of the noble. It wasn''t worth it.


    But that didn''t mean he had to cower.


    Without a word, Elliot started walking again.


    "I will personally deliver it to the office within 24 hours. Until then, I don''t want to be disturbed."


    Elliot brushed past them and continued on his way, leaving them momentarily stunned.


    For the first time in over two years, his response wasn''t just dismissive¡ªit was outright disrespectful.


    Their leader frowned and stepped forward to grab Elliot before he could walk out of reach.


    "Listen carefully, you little bastard," he growled. "I know you''ve been wasting money on gym and martial arts center memberships. I don''t care what rubbish is in your head, but payments to us cannot be delayed just because of your stupid whim of wanting to become strong when you are just as worthless as the rest of your coworkers."


    The man''s grip on Elliot''s arm tightened, making him frown. He turned, meeting the leader''s gaze with a look so cold and dangerously sharp that it made the man hesitate.


    "Do you really care how I spend my money if I''m going to pay you anyway?" Elliot''s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "I don''t think you have enough control over me to tell me where I should spend it."


    With a sharp jerk, Elliot shook his arm and walked away.


    The leader blinked, staring at his own hand in shock.


    ''What?''


    For a brief moment, he had felt a power¡ªone that was slightly greater than his own. It was subtle, but the force behind Elliot''s movement had sent a shiver through his bones, but was it possible?


    ''Impossible.''


    "Boss, why did you let him go so easily?" one of his subordinates muttered.


    "We should have beaten him up for talking back like that," another added.


    "True. That bastard is getting cocky in these last few days; it seems he is begging for a beating."


    Their leader sighed, touched his hand a little, and then started to walk.


    "We''re leaving. He has 24 hours to pay; if he doesn''t¡­" He glanced in the direction Elliot had gone. "We''ll kill him."


    Although his subordinates did not seem to agree, nobody said anything.


    _____


    Elliot left the city soon after, following his predetermined route to reach the designated place located deep into the wilderness.


    By the time he arrived, night had fallen. The forest around him was quick, the type that only came when few dared to pass through.


    Unlike the Closed Dungeons, which required a portal for entry, an Open Dungeon didn''t need one to travel through it because that portal was already broken a long time ago. Their corrupted terrain had fused with the real world, transforming the entire region into their own dungeon.


    Well, that wasn''t usual. In fact, if a dungeon had its own terrain when it was still closed, all the dungeon''s terrain could be placed above the preexisting terrain of the normal world.


    The latter is quite common.


    In fact, some of the most well-known cities in the Kingdom of Arce had once been dungeons. The most famous was Tanafler, a volcanic city that was once a dungeon.


    Rumor had it that it was so beautiful that the Kingdom''s Saints didn''t want to leave it in the hands of the beasts, and so they conquered it, thereby turning it into one of the Great Cities of the Kingdom, the Great Volcanic City of Tanafler.


    Although they were only rumors, Elliot had never seen the city himself or met anyone from there.


    Right now, his focus was elsewhere.


    The moment he arrived in the vicinity of the rat dungeon, Elliot summoned the system.


    And it immediately recognized that there were dungeons nearby, and sent him several signs asking if he wanted to challenge one of them.


    Among those was the one he was looking for.


    [You have found an Open Dungeon of Two-Legged Rats. Do you want to challenge it?]


    | You may encounter more people.


    | You may encounter beasts from other dungeons.


    | You must be careful.


    [Do you want to challenge it?]


    [Yes] [No]


    Elliot did not hesitate to press the Yes button.


    He somewhat had an idea as to how the system worked. It held a degree of indirect control over the Awakened, subtly guiding their paths. While there are ways to bypass that control, it was best not to do so while one remained weak unless it was strictly necessary.


    Right now, he did not need to break any Game Laws that governed the world, so Elliot accepted it.


    He then looked expectantly at the next announcement from the system but was left disappointed.


    [You have agreed to enter the Loen City Open Two-Legged Rat Dungeon]


    [Good luck]


    ''No missions, eh.'' He sighed. ''I guess it was foolish to expect to get a mission in such a low-ranking dungeon.''


    After mocking himself, he began to make his way into the dungeon.


    He hadn''t even taken more than three steps inside when he felt a chill run down his spine¡ªdanger.


    He spun around instinctively and raised both his arms to his chest to shield himself from an attack.


    CLAWS.


    The impact from the claws sent him skidding back, and his muscles tensed against the force.


    When he looked up, he found himself facing a one-meter-tall, two-legged rat. Its body was covered with some kind of strange, disgusting-looking liquid, and its claws were dirty but sharp. The rat crouched low, its posture perfect for striking prey off guard.


    And it wasn''t alone.


    In the dim light, several pairs of eyes gleamed from the shadows.


    Elliot grinned.


    ''Looks like I''m in for a good hunt.''