Chapter 4: The Awakening
Lucian's vision swam, the dizzying haze pulling him deeper into nothingness. His body ached from the weight of exhaustion, and the Hell Sphere's suffocating pressure seemed to wrap around him like chains. He felt his knees buckle, collapsing to the cold ground. The battle, the monsters, and the chaos faded into the distance, replaced by an eerie silence.
But just as Lucian was about to lose himself to the darkness, a sudden warmth and the unmistakable sound of something... squeaking broke through.
"Ugh, Neo..." Lucian muttered, blinking his eyes open.
He found himself lying in the familiar, cramped corner of his bedroom. The soft, comforting scent of the worn blankets, the creaking of the old house—everything was just as it always had been. But before he could sit up, a small, high-pitched sound echoed through the room.
Pfffft!
Lucian scrunched his nose, sitting up sluggishly. A sharp, unpleasant odor lingered in the air.
Neo. Of course.
Lucian glanced over to see his younger brother standing next to him, grinning mischievously, with a proud look on his face.
"You're always so dramatic, big bro," Neo giggled, not at all bothered by the smell of his own creation. "I thought you'd be out for hours, but you woke up so quickly!"
Lucian groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead. "I swear... you could wake the dead with that."
Neo just shrugged with innocent charm, walking away as if nothing unusual had happened.
Shaking his head, Lucian rose to his feet, rubbing his eyes. His hand brushed against something on the nightstand. A book, old and worn, lay there, its cover cracked and faded. He picked it up absentmindedly.
The moment his fingers touched it, a strange sensation prickled down his spine. The book felt... alive, in a way. Unsettlingly so.
He flipped it open, and at first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then, in a flash, glowing text began to appear on the pages:
[Lucian Knight]
Level: 1
Health: 100/100
Mana: 0/100
Skills: None unlocked
Lucian blinked. This wasn't some kind of joke, was it? His eyes widened as the words kept scrolling on their own, details about himself that he didn't recognize. His name, his supposed level, his stats... everything felt wrong.
"Skills unlocked…" he muttered. The words shifted into something even stranger.
[Skill Unlocked: 'Revival']
[Skill Unlocked: 'Resilience']
Lucian's heart skipped a beat. Revival? Resilience? Was this… was this real? He tried to voice out the words, to speak them aloud, but before he could—
The pages suddenly went blank.
Every line of text disappeared in an instant. Lucian stared at the empty pages in confusion, his pulse racing. The book remained in his hands, but it was as if it had never been written on at all. No words. No stats. No nothing.
Just an eerie silence.
The book's cover suddenly flashed with a single word:
[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION]
Lucian's breath hitched. A cold shiver ran down his spine. What was happening? The world outside felt different now, as if reality itself was... unstable.
Before he could process further, the air in his room seemed to thicken. The shadows at the corners of the room stretched unnaturally. Something wasn't right. He was no longer sure if the world he was seeing was the same one he had fallen from.
The book remained in his hands, lifeless for now, but Lucian had no idea what was coming next.
Suddenly, the pages of the book began to scroll again, this time with a new set of words appearing in quick succession.
---
Quest Log:
[Quest 1: 'Survive the Abyss']
Objective: Survive the dungeon for 24 hours. Reward: 1000 Experience Points.
[Quest 2: 'Find the Lost Key']
Objective: Retrieve the lost artifact from the Forgotten Cavern. Reward: Unlock hidden path.
[Quest 3: 'Defeat the Corrupted Beast']
Objective: Vanquish the creature lurking within the Shadow Forest. Reward: Rare Item Chest.
[Quest 4: 'Unlock the Hidden Door']
Objective: Discover the truth behind the sealed door in your home. Reward: Unknown.
[Quest 5: 'Find the Book of Creation']
Objective: Locate the legendary Book of Creation. Reward: Unlock new abilities.
Lucian's eyes darted over each quest, his fingers trembling slightly. The Book of Creation? That sounded like something important. He quickly scanned through more quests as the pages continued to scroll:
[Quest 6: 'Ascension of the Fallen']
Objective: Ascend through the realms and become a true force of nature. Reward: Legendary Skill unlocked.
[Quest 7: 'The Betrayed Path']
Objective: Uncover the truth of the Fallen Luminary. Reward: Increased strength and wisdom.
Each quest became more absurd than the last, but the one that caught his attention—Find the Book of Creation—seemed to pulse with a strange energy. He felt drawn to it, as though it held the key to something monumental.
He clicked on the quest with a trembling finger.
---
Quest Status:
[Quest: Find the Book of Creation]
Objective: Find the Book of Creation to unlock the ancient powers hidden within. Reward: Evolution.
Current Status: Complete.
Lucian stared, his mind reeling. Completed? He had just started! But before he could process it, a new line appeared beneath the quest.
---
[Evolution: Initiate]
Would you like to begin your evolution? This will grant you a major boost in stats, unlock new skills, and enhance your potential. Additionally, you will gain access to the legendary skill 'Servants of the Luminary.'
Lucian's heart pounded. The words "Servants of the Luminary" stood out like a beacon. What was this? Who was the Luminary? And why did he feel as though this moment—this choice—would shape everything to come?
He clicked Yes without hesitation.
---
Evolution Complete.
[New Skills Unlocked: 'Servants of the Luminary']
You have become the chosen. Your power is now linked to the forgotten forces of the world. Your strength will increase dramatically, and you will gain control over the servants who once answered only to the gods.
Current Rank: Legendary.
Skill: Servants of the Luminary (Passive Skill)
Effect: You can summon the Servants of the Luminary to aid you in times of need. They are powerful entities tied to your fate.
Lucian sat back, his head spinning. The book had gone silent again, but his body felt... different. Lighter. Stronger. His senses were heightened, his heart racing with a newfound energy that seemed to flow through his veins. But the book... the book was silent. It had unlocked something, but what was it preparing him for?
He looked at the empty pages, but before he could think further, he heard a faint giggle coming from across the room.
"Hey, big bro, are you—"
Pfffft!
There was that sound again.
Lucian turned to see Neo, standing at the door, eyes wide with an innocent grin plastered on his face.
"You're not gonna believe this," Neo said, looking genuinely confused. "But I think you're glowing."
Lucian rubbed his temples. "Not now, Neo..."
"Seriously!" Neo continued, completely undeterred. "Maybe it's a superpower! You know, like those heroes in the stories. Maybe you got a legendary fart ability. Or you could teleport... tele-fart!"
Lucian couldn't help but snort at the absurdity. The situation was way too weird to ignore, and for a moment, the laughter bubbled up. Maybe it was just the tension breaking, or maybe it was the fact that, for a split second, Neo's words didn't sound so far off.
He couldn't deny it—he did feel... different. The whole world was different.
"Alright, alright, you win," Lucian said, shaking his head with a smile. "But no more of your... superhero nonsense for the day, alright?"
"Deal!" Neo beamed, closing the door behind him, leaving Lucian alone with his strange book and even stranger fate.
Lucian didn't know what would come next, but whatever it was, the world wasn't just waiting for him anymore. It was calling him.