The world was silent again.
Kade limped through shattered streets, each step heavier than the last. His battle against the ten-meter Abomination had left him bloodied, bruised, and teetering on collapse. But it was over. For now.
No monsters lingered nearby—his final attack's raw power must have scared them off. He stumbled toward a dilapidated building, its door groaning but holding as he pushed through. Inside, Kade locked it behind him and slumped onto a dust-covered couch, his breath ragged.
Moments passed in stillness.
Then, glowing runes spiraled before him—blue and gold, coalescing into a floating stone tablet, etched with arcane light.
> [You have cleared all requirements for Rank Advancement.]
> [Do you wish to begin the process?]
Kade's half-lidded eyes fixed on the text. Exhaustion battled resolve. "…Yes."
> [Rank Advancement will begin in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…]
"ARGH!"
Pain erupted like wildfire in his core, twisting, burning, as if his insides were melting and reforming. Kade clenched his jaw, blood trickling from his bitten lip. Tears streamed down his face as his body convulsed, veins bulging unnaturally.
He refused to scream. Monsters might still lurk nearby.
But the pain intensified, surging from his stomach to his chest, limbs, and skull. He thrashed, blood seeping from his nose and ears. His resolve broke.
"AAARGH—HELP!"
His cracked voice echoed in the empty room, a desperate plea to no one. If anyone had seen him, they'd swear he was becoming something else—glowing blue veins pulsed across his body, converging at his abdomen.
Then—darkness.
Kade's eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
---
A calm, mechanical voice echoed in the void.
> [You have fulfilled the condition for leaving the World of Despair.]
> [You are being teleported back to your original world.]
> [Calibrating your reward… 1… 2… 3!]
---
Kade awoke with a gasp, cold tile pressing against his cheek. He bolted upright, scanning his surroundings. His apartment. Small. Familiar. The balcony, the television, and a photo on the shelf—him and Aunt Mira, her smile frozen in time.
"…I'm back?" His voice rasped, throat dry.
He stumbled to the kitchen, filling a glass with trembling hands. The pain lingered in his memory, too vivid for a dream. He downed the water, staring at his shaking fingers.
Ding.
Runes materialized, glowing with the same arcane energy.
> [You have fulfilled the condition for leaving the World of Despair.]
> Fulfilled: Reach Divine Order {I}
> [Your Aether Core and Veins have Awakened]
> +2x Rewards Applied (Unique Skill: Reward Enhancement)
> Aether Energy +20 (×2)
> All other stats +10 (×2)
Kade stared at the screen, heart pounding. "…It wasn't a dream."
Dread and excitement churned in his chest. More runes appeared.
> [Calibrating your reward… 1… 2… 3!]
> [You may choose 2 of the following 3 skills:]
> (+2x Rewards – Reward Enhancement)
---
1. [Rare] – Vital Bloom
- Heals 5% HP every 10 seconds (passive)
- Triples stamina regeneration
- Broken bones and deep wounds heal in 30–45 seconds
- Can regrow fingers/ears (not limbs) in 2 minutes
- Emergency heal if HP < 15% (10% HP restore every 5 min)
2. [Rare] – Blade Dancer
- Increases attack speed by 25%
- Instant proficiency in dual wielding
- Learn sword skills 3× faster
- Flowing Strikes passive: +10% damage per consecutive hit (max ×3)
- Enables blade auras, parry energy attacks
3. [Rare] – Phantom Walker
- True invisibility in shadows (non-attacking)
- Fade Step passive: leaves a shadow clone when dashing
- Immune to sound detection
- Can cling silently to walls for short durations
---
Kade didn't hesitate. "Vital Bloom." Healing, regeneration, stamina—it was survival, pure and simple. With it, he might not have come so close to death so many times.
The second choice was harder. His gaze flicked between Blade Dancer and Phantom Walker. Stealth could save his life—escape, misdirection, survival. But his fingers twitched, remembering the weight of the Eclipse Twin Blades. Kade had trained in kendo since childhood, but those blades demanded more—speed, precision, flow. Dual wielding was their true potential, and leaving that locked behind inexperience was a risk he couldn't take.
"Blade Dancer," he said, voice steady.
Knowledge surged through his mind—footwork, techniques, sword forms, all instinctive now. He summoned his status screen.
---
[Status Screen]
Name: Kade Voss
Level: 10 [1500/6000 Exp]
Rank: Divine Order {I} (0/500)
Stats:
- [Status Screen]
Name: Kade Voss
Level: 10 [1500/6000 EXP]
Rank: Unranked (101/100)
Stats:
Strength: 69
Agility: 69
Abyss Energy: 81
Endurance: 62
Luck: 61
- Free Stat Points: 10
Skills:
- Unique Skill – [Eclipse Battle Armour] (Locked)
- Unique Skill – [Reward Enhancement]
- Rare Skill – [Vital Bloom]
- Rare Skill – [Blade Dancer]
Inventory:
- Skill Book: [Danger Sense] (×2)
- 24 Common Aether Crystals
- 30 Uncommon Aether Crystals
- 2 Rare Aether Crystals
---
Kade allocated 10 free stat points to,+8Endurance, +1 to strength and agility raising them to 70. Survival demanded stamina. He retrieved a Skill Book: [Danger Sense] from his inventory. The silver tome refused to open, no matter how he tried. Frowning, he stared at it, and a screen appeared.
> [Do you wish to learn skill: Danger Sense (Uncommon)?]
"Yes," Kade said.
> [Uncommon Skill: Danger Sense has been learned]
He focused, and the skill's details materialized.
> [Uncommon] – Danger Sense
> Effect: Grants a mental jolt or prickling sensation 2–4 seconds before harm, especially from ranged attacks, surprise spells, or backstabs.
"Useful," Kade muttered, a faint smile breaking through.
Reality sank in. This was no dream. He grabbed his phone, searching for answers online, but found only conspiracy forums and nonsense. Exhausted, he slumped onto the couch, mind racing. What now?
---
Deep within Pandora's Northeastern mountain ranges, nestled among ancient forests and jagged peaks, stood Fort Aetherhold—a castle of weathered stone and arcane wards. Inside, a tense meeting unfolded among the Demon Hunters' strongest.
Raymond, a brown-haired man with a military buzzcut, slammed his fist on the table. "Are they serious? Demon sightings have doubled this year! We're barely keeping this from civilians, and now the High Council wants us to play escort for Zendor's elves? It's absurd!"
The woman beside him, arms crossed, grumbled. "It's a direct order. I heard it's a Sun Elf bigshot making the request. Even the Council had to bend."
The other two Hunters stayed silent, eyes on their leader, a grizzled man in the largest chair. He sighed deeply. "Let it rest for now. The rift won't stabilize for at least a year. We have time."
Raymond shifted to the next report, his voice grim. "Casualties. In the last six months, we've lost twenty Awakened Hunters and over a hundred Mimics. If this keeps up, this year will be our bloodiest."
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Order all Hunters to move in groups. It'll slow demon hunts, but we need to preserve our forces."
"Anything else, Raymond?" he asked.
Raymond hesitated, glancing at his notes. "One more thing. A new Awakened has appeared in Kersas City, near Edgewoods."
The leader considered this. "Damon, go fetch him."
Damon, a black-haired man who'd been silent, groaned. "Why me? New Awakened are always a pain."
The woman smirked, standing. "Good luck babysitting, Damon." She left with a teasing wave, as the others dispersed.