On the Canglan Continent, every individual reaching the age of eighteen undergoes an awakening. This process reveals a mysterious entity known as the lord space. For ordinary people, awakening this space offers the sole chance to alter their fate. Failure to awaken condemns them to a lifetime without the coveted "lord qualification." Such individuals face a future as laborers, exploited by capitalists in countless ways. Each person receives only one opportunity to awaken, a defining moment in this era of universal lordship.
At the Awakening Square, Zhou Yan stood among the crowd awaiting their turn. His gaze fixed on the enigmatic Awakening Altar ahead, his face alight with excitement and yearning. A time traveler, he had perished in a plane crash in his previous life, only to find himself reborn on the Canglan Continent. Though this world resembled Earth's modern cities, it harbored an extraordinary distinction: the lord space. Mysterious and potent, this space brimmed with aura. By developing it and constructing a territory, the awakened could acquire rare items and even pursue immortality. Here, longevity ceased to be a mere fantasy.
Yet the lord space carried risks. Depending on its quality, it periodically spawned monsters to assail the territory. Failure to repel them meant the destruction of painstakingly built domains, reducing all efforts to ashes. Many lords, unable to bear such loss, ended their lives in despair.
A flash of white light drew every eye to the altar, envy rippling through the onlookers. A student had successfully awakened a lord space—albeit the lowest-tier white variety. Even so, it stirred jealousy among those still unawakened. Lord spaces varied in quality: white common, yellow rare, purple epic, orange legendary, and golden god-level. Most awakened the white tier. Higher-quality spaces, though rarer and harder to obtain, summoned fiercer monsters, making development a daunting challenge.
"Zhou Yan, Class 8, Senior 3! Student number 120120120," the teacher overseeing the ceremony called out.
"Here!" Zhou Yan replied, stepping forward eagerly. For eighteen years, he had anticipated this day. With resolute strides, he approached the altar.
"Stand within the altar, close your eyes, and focus," the teacher instructed.
Zhou Yan complied. The Awakening Master raised a milky-white scepter, unleashing a radiant glow. This awakening magic required a power level of five stars or higher. Warm light surged from the altar, merging into Zhou Yan's body. In that instant, he found himself in a void, surrounded by countless motes of light. Most gleamed white, though some shimmered in other hues.
"These are the lord spaces," he marveled. "They're beautiful—like stars scattered across a cosmic sea. It's exhilarating!"
Time was short. Zhou Yan extended his soul to sense the spaces and claim one. Soon, a white light materialized above his head.
"Just white," he noted with a twinge of disappointment. But he quickly rallied. Awakening at all surpassed failure. Even a common white lord space held potential if nurtured well.
As he prepared to step away, an unexpected phenomenon occurred. A vibrant, multicolored glow erupted beneath his feet, startling him.
"What's happening?" he gasped. "Did I awaken another lord space? And it's colorful!"
Shock coursed through him. Dual awakenings were unheard of, and a colored lord space defied all known records. Could this be his golden advantage as a time traveler—his long-awaited cheat finally activating? Elation surged, though he tempered it with caution. He knew this rarity demanded secrecy. With a thought, he willed the white light to mask the colorful glow beneath.
"Though it's a white lord space, it's still a foundation to grow strong. Work hard," the Awakening Teacher encouraged.
"Thank you, teacher," Zhou Yan replied courteously, descending from the altar. Envious gazes followed him, a testament to the prestige of awakening.
After the ceremony, Zhou Yan returned home, the sole inheritance from his parents in this life. Both had been lords, but they perished within their lord space. Securing the doors and windows, he settled in to explore his gift. A white light hovered above his head, while colorful clouds swirled at his feet.
Every lord space possessed a unique talent. Connecting with the white one, he summoned a panel before his eyes—a standard feature for all awakened lords.
[Territory Name: Unnamed]
[Lord: Zhou Yan (detailed attributes)]
[Quality: Normal]
[Territory Talent: Probability of special items appearing +1%]
[Level: 0]
[Area: 10x10]
[Building: Thatched Cottage (Level 1)]
[Villager: 0]
The talent caught his attention. Special items, rare and powerful, often defied purchase with spirit coins—the world's currency, earned by slaying territorial monsters. A 1% boost seemed modest, yet it pleased him. He opened his detailed attributes next.
[Name: Zhou Yan]
[Sex: Male]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Nationality: Dragon Kingdom]
[Level: 0]
[Strength: 0.5]
[Physique: 0.5]
[Agility: 0.7]
[Spirit: 2.5]
[Strength Realm: Untrained]
[Talent: None]
[Equipment: None]
[Skill: None]
An adult's baseline attributes averaged 1. Apart from his spirit, more than double the norm, Zhou Yan fell short. "The white lord space is ordinary," he mused. "I wonder what the colorful one holds."
He reached out to it mentally, only to discover it wouldn't activate. This vibrant space was auxiliary, accessible only from within another lord space.