John stood alone in the quiet cabin, a figure both captivating and mysterious. His hair was stark white, falling in soft waves just past his shoulders, contrasting sharply with the deep crimson glow of his eyes eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire, piercing through the dim morning light. His features were sharp and refined, a rare and almost otherworldly beauty that drew attention even in the smallest of villages. Pale skin stretched smoothly over a lean, athletic frame honed by years of survival and training, yet still carrying the grace of youth.
Despite his delicate appearance, there was an undeniable aura of strength and quiet confidence about him the kind born from pain, determination, and an unyielding will.
John didn't dwell on his past. Orphans like him were often haunted by memories and regrets, but not John. His carefree spirit made him a known playboy in town teasing, charming, and never staying serious for long. He preferred to laugh, to enjoy the moment, and to keep others guessing.
Across the cabin sat Ren, a rugged man of forty with years of hardship etched into his weathered face. Though older and gruffer, Ren's eyes softened whenever they met John's. He had raised the boy from nothing, treating him like a son, and his every thought was for John's safety and future.
"John," Ren said, tightening his leather armor with practiced hands, "I'm heading into the dungeon early today. I want to find a gift worthy of your eighteenth birthday."
John smirked, reclining lazily against the wall. "Don't come back empty-handed. I'm counting on you."
Ren chuckled, the sound warm but edged with fatigue. "I won't."
The dungeon was a strange, glowing portal on the edge of their village a gate to another dimension filled with monsters, traps, and treasures. Ren, an awakened hunter with a reliable B-rank talent, ventured into these dangerous realms regularly. Most days, he fought for loot, selling what he found to gather enough money to keep them fed and safe.
But today was different. Today, Ren wanted more than money. He wanted a gift.
---
The hours slipped by. John waited, the sky shifting from bright morning blue to dusky twilight purple. Villagers whispered of dungeons and dangers, of hunters lost and found, but John's world had narrowed to one sharp point of dread.
Ren didn't return.
The sun had begun to sink below the horizon when the news came like a hammer blow. A hunter who had ventured into the dungeon that morning returned with a grave expression, clutching a crumpled parchment.
The news hit like a tidal wave: Ren had been ambushed in the dungeon by a rare, brutal monster. Despite his skill and strength, he had fallen. The man who had been John's world, his protector, was gone.
John's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold dirt outside their cabin. The warmth of Ren's presence drained away, replaced by an unbearable void. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
Tears burned hot behind his eyes as he clutched the small box Ren left behind tied carefully, tied with a crimson ribbon.
His breath caught in his throat. Anguish, disbelief, and a burning fury swelled inside him.
"No… Ren…" he whispered, voice breaking.
A cold numbness spread through his limbs. His hands trembled as the weight of the loss crashed down on him. Guilt churned violently inside his chest Why didn't I stop with him from going? The questions echoed endlessly in his mind, twisting his grief into a sharp blade of regret.
The quiet forest around him seemed suffocating now, filled with silence where Ren's laughter once lived.
But beneath the crushing pain, a fierce flame ignited a vow forged in the depths of his despair.
"I will never be weak again," John whispered through clenched teeth, voice trembling but resolute. "I will grow stronger. For Ren and For myself."
The guilt that threatened to drown him became the steel in his spine. From this moment, John's path was clear: to climb beyond every limit and to face every danger head-on without any problem.
---
That night, beneath a cold, starless sky, John sat alone in the forest's embrace. The box was heavy in his hands. He opened it carefully, revealing an Awakening Stone glowing with soft power and two rare Skill Books Void Pulse and Void Brand.
The rules of their world only those who turned eighteen could awaken. Only half of those would become hunters the powerful warriors who dared the dungeons and climbed to glory. The rest returned to lives of normalcy and insignificance.
Before any skill could be learned, every awakened first unlocked their Talent a unique, innate gift ranked from weak E to legendary S. Most hunters had one talent; the exceptional geniuses two.
---
After the initial shock of Ren's death faded into a heavy silence, John sat alone beneath the towering trees of the forest. The cold night air whispered through the leaves, but inside him, a storm raged.
He clutched the Awakening Stone tightly in his hand, staring at its soft, pulsating light. This was his chance his only chance to change his fate. To rise beyond weakness and never be powerless again.
His heart pounded with a desperate hope. Please… he thought silently, Let me awaken. Let me have a talent strong enough to protect myself and To never lose like this again.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to steady the whirlwind inside him. The forest around him faded as he focused all his will on the glowing stone.
I don't care what it takes. I'll endure pain, suffering, everything.
But I want to awaken. I want to be strong.
With a fierce resolve, John pressed the Awakening Stone to his chest, feeling the raw energy pulse through his veins like wildfire.
"It's time" he whispered fiercely.
He pressed the stone to his chest, and a searing light exploded through his senses. The world blurred, colors melting and swirling around him.
Inside his mind, a cold voice spoke:
Awakening sequence initiated.
Before his eyes, a translucent interface shimmered into existence:
[Name: John]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 100/100]
[Strength: 5 | Agility: 6 | Endurance: 5 | Intelligence: 4 | Luck: 3 | Free Points: 0]
[Skills: None]
[Status: Awakened]
A new message appeared:
Talent acquisition in progress...
Energy surged through John, awakening something deep within.
[Talents acquired:]
• Double Power (S-Rank): This talent doubles the raw power of every skill host awakens turning a skill's damage, healing, or effect to twice its original strength. In addition, it halves the cooldown time of all skills, allowing him to unleash powerful techniques more frequently.
• Fusion (S-Rank): Compatible skills possessed by the host can merge into stronger, new abilities, combining effects and scaling beyond normal limits.
• Double Experience (S-Rank): All experience points the host earns are doubled, accelerating growth and allowing level up rapidly.
John gasped, heart pounding. Three S-rank talents a combination unheard of, a sign that he was no ordinary hunter.
He clenched his fists. "I will become stronger," he said firmly, voice steady and burning with resolve. "I will not be weak anymore. I will make Ren proud. I'll never be powerless again."
---
He reached for the first Skill Book, Void Pulse. As he flipped the pages, runes glowed softly in his vision.
[Skill learned: Void Pulse]
Description: Releases a focused burst of void energy in a cone, dealing magic damage scaled by Intelligence. Ideal for striking multiple enemies simultaneously. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
With his Double Power talent, the skill's damage instantly doubled, and its cooldown was halved — allowing John to unleash a powerful void burst every 7.5 seconds instead of every 15. The raw strength and speed of the skill made it a lethal tool early on and a staple of his growing arsenal.
His fingers tingled with raw power.
Then, the second skill book Void Brand:
[Skill learned: Void Brand]
Description: Marks a target with void energy, reducing their defense by 25% for 20 seconds. Perfect for increasing damage output on tough foes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Again, the Double Power talent transformed this skill doubling its effect potency reducing enemy defense by 50% and cutting the cooldown to just 15 seconds. This skill became invaluable for softening powerful enemies for swift takedowns.
John's lips curled into a fierce smile.
---
With these talents and skills, John's journey will be easy .
his Double Power talent will let him use high-impact attacks repeatedly, breaking through enemy defenses and overwhelming even the strongest adversaries. His Fusion talent will craft new techniques impossible for others to copy, and Double Experience will fuel his rapid rise from a novice hunter to a legendary warrior.
No force, no rule, and no enemy will stand in his way.
---
Outside the forest, life in the village went on. But John had crossed a threshold the first step on a path littered with danger, pain, and glory.