An old lady walked slowly through the cobblestone streets of the county. On her shoulder, an attentive owl observed everything around it with curiosity. Not just her, but hundreds of different people moved through the streets, creating a constant flow of passersby.
Children walked excitedly alongside their parents, pointing at the decorated banners hanging from the facades of the houses. Their eyes sparkled with wonder as they watched dozens of ships soaring above their heads, all heading toward the same destination.
As the crowd advanced, a majestic arena emerged on the horizon, growing ever larger in their sights. Gigantic metal columns rose dozens of meters high, connecting the dense circular walls of the structure.
Everyone gathered around the arena, lifting their eyes in obvious reverence as the ships landed smoothly at the boarding gates spread throughout the construction.
Suddenly, several holographic screens appeared in the air with a subtle sound, forming a ring around the arena's exterior. The organization was impeccable, ensuring that no blind spots prevented the crowd from watching the event.
An oppressive silence fell. The murmurs ceased as soon as the first colors began to flicker on the screens. Letters, videos, and animated images appeared in an elegant sequence. Everyone watched intently as the holograms filled with advertisements and logos of major companies and industries. A particularly excited child cheered upon seeing a commercial for his favorite fried chicken restaurant, accompanied by a catchy melody.
Everyone there knew the advertising display was just a stalling tactic. To understand why, all they had to do was look at the horizon. A colossal ship was approaching rapidly.
"They've finally arrived..." A voice cut through the silence.
The colors on the screens changed abruptly. Everyone held their breath when the emblem of the Union of Great Kingdoms appeared. Nothing extravagant—its mere presence was enough to convey the grandeur of its holders.
The crowd sighed, gazing at the emblem as if it were the very embodiment of hope. Emotional murmurs spread. To them, that symbol represented the reason they could live normal lives.
The emblem disappeared as simply as it had appeared.
At the same time, the massive ship flew over the crowd, stirring up a violent gust of wind. Dust rose between the people, clothes fluttered, women struggled to keep their dresses in place, while others shielded their eyes from the sudden gale. But none of them dared to complain. Their gazes reflected only reverence and anticipation.
"People of the Kingdom of Estenia!" The image of a man flashed onto the holographic screens. Simultaneously, the ship ascended, positioning itself at the center of the arena.
"I know many have been waiting for this moment. Kings, nobles, commoners... everyone has awaited this day." As he spoke, the ship landed, disappearing behind the thick iron walls.
"Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the death of one of the greatest men this world has ever known. A legend who, step by step, ascended to the top and fought bravely on the front lines for humanity."
"In memory of the 24th King of Estenia, we will hold the Awakening Ceremony, where the torch will be passed to the next generation of Awakened on planet Earth. Perhaps, among them, a being as powerful and noble as our great twenty-fourth king will emerge."
"And before we proceed, I would like to welcome our special guests."
The man's image disappeared, replaced by an aerial view of the aircraft that had flown over the crowd. The zoom-in clearly revealed the faces of those disembarking.
"The County of Velmora welcomes with open arms the members of the Celestial Stags Clan, the Lion's Roar Clan, and last but not least..." The man paused dramatically.
"His Majesty, the 267th King of Estenia, Princess Aurora, Prince Felix, and their retinue!"
The clan members disembarked first but remained still, stationed on opposite sides of the boarding gate, standing tall and imposing.
The royal trio emerged.
Many were seeing the King's face so clearly for the first time. He exuded authority and pride, every feature sculpted by nobility. Even after 90 years of reign, he appeared to have much time ahead of him. Power and vitality overflowed from his presence.
Prince Felix, in his forties, looked like a young adult. Meanwhile, Princess Aurora, at nineteen, was much closer to her actual age, as her path as an Awakened had only recently begun.
The King led the group majestically down the red carpet into the arena, followed by the princes, their retinue, and the clans.
The ship departed soon after.
Only nobles and the young participants of the ceremony were allowed inside the arena. Commoner parents would watch from the outside, while nobles observed them with skeptical and condescending gazes.
The King took his seat on an elevated platform, with Felix to his left and Aurora to his right. Behind them, the retinue and clan members positioned themselves as mere spectators.
Aurora discreetly blinked at a dark-haired young man from the Lion's Roar Clan. But he seemed oblivious, lost in thought.
"I thank all the nobles for taking the time to witness this moment. Now, I ask that children aged 13, 14, and 15 gather. Commoners, proceed to the east gate. Nobles, to the west gate."
The gates opened. It was time for the Awakening Ceremony.
Parents embraced their children with eyes full of expectation. The talent of each one could redefine their social status, leading them to rise or fall within society's hierarchy.
Developing a decent talent was, for the most part, a matter of luck. Few methods had proven to have any positive influence, and even then, the impact was minimal at best.
Still, that didn't stop thousands of parents around the world from desperately seeking solutions. Many claimed to have secret recipes or miraculous methods to increase their children's chances of success. However, few—if any—actually worked.
Depending on the results, anxious commoners could transform into renowned nobles, finally able to sit among the powerful as equals.
As soon as the gates closed, small green seeds—about the size of peanuts—floated before the teenagers, urging them to take them.
"These are the Seeds of Awakening." The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena. "As everyone already knows, Awakening is a natural process that occurs in every human being at some point in life. The purpose of this seed is to accelerate that process, making it more efficient, strengthening your bodies, and slightly increasing the chances of Awakening a decent talent."
"After ingesting the Seed of Awakening, all participants must proceed to the genetic reading device. Your data will be processed, and the system will automatically determine the Rank of your talent. It is important to note that no specific characteristics of your talents will be displayed, only the Rank."
The explanation was unnecessary for most, as the ceremony took place annually, and everyone was already aware of the protocols. Still, it was received with full attention.
In the middle of the arena, a young dark-haired member of the Lion's Roar Clan observed the crowd of gathered teenagers. Commoners and nobles had naturally split into two distinct groups, separated by an invisible line that reflected the social structure.
But his mind was not focused on that. His eyes swept across the arena, analyzing each face as if searching for someone in particular. Curiously, he never looked toward the nobles. His attention was exclusively on the commoners, who seemed exhilarated after consuming the Awakening Seed.
"What am I doing...?" he thought, a dark expression crossing his face. "Why did I even think he would be here today...?"
[...]
Thousands of kilometers away, a small communicator blinked intermittently, displaying evident malfunctions. The same transmission from the arena was being shown in a poor-quality feed, with interference cutting out crucial parts—including the arrival of royalty and their guests.
"Damn it...!" Noah muttered, smacking the device with moderate force.
Though frustrated, he couldn't afford to make too much noise in his current situation. His gaze shifted to an improvised structure he had built the previous day: a rudimentary trap meant to capture a monster. More specifically, a Golden Predator.
Noah clicked his tongue, casting one last frustrated glance at the communicator—which continued spitting out fragmented bits of the transmission—before tossing it into his bag.
"Where is that damn mole...?" he whispered to himself.
The Golden Predator was an E-Rank subterranean monster, resembling a giant mole, nearly two meters long. Its primary ability was to burrow and move through the ground as if swimming through water.
Despite its intimidating appearance, it posed no real threat. Its defense was weak, as was its attack power. Its only advantage was underground mobility, but on the surface, it was noisy and conspicuous—making it impossible to be caught off guard by it.
Still, even weak monsters were dangerous. With hundreds of thousands of monster species scattered across the world, caution was always necessary.
And for Noah, capturing one of these creatures as an Unawakened teenager was practically suicide.
To any reasonable person, what he was doing at that moment was madness.
"That seed..." he mused, lying on a tree branch. "Could I...?"
Noah shook his head with a sad smile, dispelling any hope his mind was trying to create.
He couldn't afford to participate in the ceremony. Most commoners saved up for years to secure this opportunity for their children. For Noah, it was nothing more than a distant dream.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
A faint noise of crumbling earth reached his ears. At the same time, he noticed the ground shifting within a ten-meter radius around the trap.
Soon, a nearly two-meter-long giant mole slowly emerged, its small eyes scanning the environment for potential predators.
The creature had a robust body, covered in yellowish fur, with sharp claws—perfect tools for digging.
Noah remained patient.
The Golden Predator cautiously approached the trap, seemingly waiting for an ambush. But nothing happened.
In front of the mole, a jar filled with dead blood larvae sat like a miraculous feast that had fallen from the heavens.
The monster hesitated. Its instincts screamed that something was wrong, but the reward was too tempting to ignore.
Blood larvae were not the Golden Predator's primary food source, but their taste was irresistible to its kind. The amount in that jar equated to weeks of hunting.
Then, suddenly, the creature felt an odd pressure on one of its paws.
It had stepped on a thin cord stretched between two trees.
Its survival instincts flared, screaming "danger!"
But it was already too late.
The sound of a reel spinning at high speed echoed before several ropes wrapped tightly around its neck.
The monster panicked.
Its desperate movements violently shook the surrounding trees.
Noah felt the vibration in the air—he needed to act fast.
Even though it was relatively weak, the Golden Predator was still far stronger than an average human.
If Noah hesitated, the beast could break free from the trap and disappear underground.
If that happened, all his preparation would have been in vain.
Noah grabbed his bag and jumped off the tree branch, landing in relative safety. Upon noticing his presence, the Golden Predator became even more frantic, thrashing wildly and making the trees tremble.
Moving quickly, Noah rushed toward the mole, gripping a long dagger tightly. With a precise strike, he pierced the lower part of the monster's neck—one of its vital points.
The mole wasn't dead yet. Its body convulsed violently, eyes completely red with rage and despair.
Noah gritted his teeth and twisted the blade with all his strength.
Finally, the monster stopped moving, and the young man was able to catch his breath for a brief moment.
He hadn't expected the creature to fight so hard, even after being struck in a vital spot. His initial plan was a quick and painless kill, but he had underestimated Rank E monsters… or perhaps overestimated his own strength.
"Now… the most annoying part…" he muttered.
Due to the monster's size, carrying its entire body or making use of all its valuable parts was impossible. Keeping that in mind, Noah scattered flowers and plants around the carcass, creating a temporary scent barrier to mask the smell of blood.
Then, he began the extraction process. His cuts were meticulous, following the technique he had practiced dozens of times on common animals. With precision, he separated generous portions of meat and stored them in plastic bags.
"I have at most five minutes…" he calculated while opening the mole's skull to retrieve a bright blue crystal.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
Noah froze.
A strange rustling sound grew louder among the trees.
There was no doubt anymore…
A group of Blood Monkeys was approaching fast.
"Damn…!"
He hastily stuffed the mole's core into his pocket and sprinted away, leaving behind all the meat he had stored. Without a proper distraction, he had no confidence in escaping a chase from those monsters.
Blood Monkeys were agile and fast, one of the quickest species in that part of the forest. But Noah was unaware of a crucial detail: some beasts, when close to evolution, became much more sensitive to the energy of other living beings. And to complete this process, they needed to consume large quantities of cores from weaker creatures.
The moment Noah exposed—even briefly—the energy of the Golden Predator's core, he became a target.
Blood Monkeys were bipedal monsters covered in white fur, with reddish patterns spread across their torsos. In addition to their impressive agility, they were excellent hunting strategists.
And Noah was about to witness this firsthand.
Three of them leaped between the branches, advancing with terrifying efficiency. With each movement, they gained more speed, closing in on him at a relentless pace.
Suddenly, a branch flew toward him.
Throwing objects was a typical method used by Blood Monkeys to test their prey. The logic was simple: predators would face the challenge head-on. But prey…
The branch struck Noah's back. Despite the absurd strength of the monkeys, their aim wasn't the best. Even so, the impact made the young man stumble and roll on the ground. Within seconds, he was back on his feet, forcing himself to keep running.
"Am I going to die here…?"
He couldn't stop that thought from taking over his mind.
Months of meticulous planning…
He was sure his plan was foolproof.
He thought he had accounted for every variable, prepared countermeasures for every possibility.
But he had overlooked the one absolute truth of his world.
Nature was unpredictable.