Within an apartment in Saint Magaldry University,
"When I said that I wanted to experience a few apocalypse events while being the main character… I didn't mean it that way. I was caught in the moment! Recommending me a few more novels would've been fine…!" Elias complained, furiously typing on his keyboard and clicking various tabs as he scoured the internet.
A minute ago, he had come across a questionnaire asking him what kind of world he would like to transmigrate into. The survey was limited only to the world background, race and abilities.
Elias had just finished reading an apocalyptic, action-themed novel and was filled with confidence and excitement, so he chose the kind of novel he wanted to transmigrate into, mirroring the one he had just read.
However, the moment he clicked Enter, a bright flash emerged from his computer screen, blinding him for a second before vanishing into thin air. Initially, Elias had thought he was seeing things.
But in the next moment, an influx of memories surged into his mind.
All of them belonged to him, at least to the alternate him he had transmigrated into. Elias picked up a mirror and saw that the person looked exactly like him. The same name, the same face, and within the same room. He would've thought he was dreaming if it wasn't for the bleeding palm he had inflicted on himself and suppressed with a tissue.
Unlike his former life, where he had grown up as an orphan, jumping from one home to another due to one situation or another until he was finally able to enter the university and live on his own, this world's Elias had a family he grew up with.
Elias was a 20-year-old student. Both of his parents were humble middle-class social workers. He had a younger brother and sister who were three to five years younger than him. On the one hand, Elias was excited about what it felt like to have a family and siblings.
However, the world was also different from what he remembered. For the past four years, the weather had been absurd from one moment to the next. Tropical regions were being turned into deserts. The world's ice poles were thawing, leading to higher sea levels, which had already alerted various government bodies to take action.
Scientists came together from across the world, travelling from region to region, attempting to analyse the phenomenon, but they could come up with nothing. The only explanation they had was global warming. As such, various emergency laws have been passed across countries to reduce pollution to the lowest possible level, first affecting the lowest Class.
Knowing the kind of world he had chosen in the questionnaire, Elias was the only person who knew what was going to happen after connecting the dots together. So, he frantically wanted to leave this world as soon as possible.
There was only one issue. The link he had clicked on had vanished into thin air. It wasn't in his history, and no matter which tab he opened, he couldn't find a trace of it. At first, he thought some browser extension was messing with him, but he soon settled on a stranger explanation: that some cosmic entity was playing with him.
Elias stopped typing and clasped his hands in prayer.
Suddenly, Elias felt his throat gasp for breath, feeling as though the world itself had come to a sudden halt. A fierce earthquake hit the room, causing it to tremble, and his computer to tilt and smash against the floor.
CRASH!!
Elias unconsciously gripped his gamer seat. His expression turned pale as his chair tilted to the side, almost smashing into the ground. But before it could, everything returned to normal. The entire event lasted only a few seconds. The earthquake vanished. The lack of air that had nearly made him lose his breath disappeared into thin air as well.
Elias quickly stabilised his chair, exhaling loudly, as he caught his breath.
The clear sunny sky outside illuminated the room, and the chaos that had just ensued made him see that it wasn't just a dream.
[ Congratulations, Earthlings, you've been chosen to advance to the next stage of Evolution. The Akashic Records have been activated. You can now view your status window at any time. The status window will automatically open for all for the first time. ]
"Shit…." Elias exclaimed.
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[ Name: Elias Miles ]
[ Race: High-Human ]
[ Age: 20 ]
[ Level: 0 (0.00%) ]
[ Title: ]
[Class: ]
[ Unique Talent: Solar Ascendance (★★★★★ Legendary Tier) ]
[ You can absorb sunlight, refine it, and convert it into stat enhancements. Growth potential is limitless, bound only by the availability of radiation and personal evolution. As a result, you are proud and arrogant. Powerful during the day, weaker at night. ]
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Health: 200
Mana: 25
Strength: 20
Constitution: 20
Agility: 20
Attribute points: 0
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[Racial Skills:
Adaptive Evolution (Passive): Your body adapts to stress, danger, and energy faster than any race. The more you train, the quicker you progress. Resistance to poison, magic and pain slowly increases over time. ]
[ Unique Skills:
Solar Ascension (Active/Passive Skill) L.V.1: Enhances all stats by 200% for 10 minutes. Physical and magical attacks become superheated. Exceeding this time limit puts severe strain on the body.
Solar Infusion (Passive/Active Skill)L.V.1: Channel sunlight into weapons, fists, or spells to deal fire or light, penetration or burn damage.
Cruel Flare (Active Skill) L.V.1: Unleash a controlled solar flare of around five meters. It can blind the weak, stun enemies, and incinerate projectiles.
Thermal Immunity (Passive) L.V.1: Fire damage is reduced by 80%. Solar or plasma damage heals instead of harms.
Light Eater (Passive Skill) L.V.1: Moonlight, firelight, neon light, and reflected light offer a reduction of radiation absorption by 15% or less.
Radiant Heal (Passive/Active) L.V.1: Heals major injuries, purifies toxins and disease, restores stamina, and reduces fatigue. ]
[ Skills: None ]
[ Equipment: None ]
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Elias woke from the announcement that had rung in his ears and took a moment to study his status window.
Then, he sighed in defeat.
"I should've picked something better."
Elias wasn't surprised by his status. After all, he had seen it before transmigrating into this world, after picking his Race and Unique Talent. Apart from those, he couldn't modify anything else in the status window. Although he was two times stronger than a human being as a High Human, Elias was dissatisfied with both options he had picked.
If given the choice, he would have picked a powerful dragon, an elf, or a formidable angelic race. However, in the spur of the moment, wanting an apocalypse in which the character retains their humanity and imagining seeing a human go against such beings, he found it exhilarating and therefore chose the High Human as his race.
They were the closest to humans, yet not humans themselves. Like elves, they looked like humans but possessed an entirely different physiology. They possessed longer lifespans and a more formidable physique. They were the weakest among the major races yet with the highest growth potential, capable of rivalling dragonic might, elvish magic, and angelic speed.
In any fantasy world, humans are known to possess astonishing potential. Despite their short lifespans, few are capable of catching up to dragons, elves, and others. But a High Human? That was a whole other ballgame.
Unfortunately, all of this was based on potential for growth. Now that the apocalypse had arrived, Elias didn't want to be Mr Potential in the apocalypse. Otherwise, why would he have written such a race in the questionnaire?
Now he was stuck with it.
However, when paired with Solar Ascendance, he could bridge the gap early on, enhancing his overall improvement. Despite Solar Ascendance's drawbacks, its capabilities more than made up for them. Thanks to it, he could uncover a way to handle his current situation.
The clear sun filtered through Elias's window, raining down on him.
Suddenly, Elias felt a surge of heat from within his body. It felt as though his entire being was burning. He felt as if a shackle on his human form had been loosened.
Elias had a lean, muscular figure beneath his attire from his constant workouts. However, at this moment, his body began to grow, his muscles bulging and straining against his clothes. Sensing the strange heat, Elias took a sharp breath.
"My unique talent has activated."
His body began growing taller. In an instant, Elias had grown to about 3 meters tall, his muscular figure surpassing even the Greek ideal of physical perfection. The heat in his room increased with him as the source.
[Solar Ascension is active. All stats increased by 200 per cent for 10 minutes.]
[Mana: 15.]
The status window before Elias underwent a shocking transformation.
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Health: 200 (600)
Mana: 15 (45)
Strength: 20 (60)
Constitution: 20 (60)
Agility: 20 (60)
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"My mana has depleted. Casting the unique skill costs 10 mana points. Fortunately, it isn't what I can't handle," Elias muttered.
Suddenly, an unknown voice interrupted his train of thought.
"Incredible! A five-star legendary talent with six skills, whether in the higher or lower world, I've never seen stats this high upon awakening.… A High Human, what's that? Even your special skill is so arrogant. It seems that you're not an ordinary human being," a cold, rigid voice tinged with shock and surprise resonated behind him.
Elias snapped his head back.
Before him stood a woman dressed in a blazing white suit of armour. Shimmering golden chains covered with mysterious inscriptions floated behind her like a halo. Her golden hair was tied in a bun, glistening softly in the sunlight.
Her face was covered by a bizarre light, making it impossible for Elias to see her face. But from her figure, he was sure she was a woman.
"A mortal dares to stare at me. How bold!" the woman said with an arrogant snort.
Instantly, the bizarre light on her face intensified, almost blinding Elias and forcing him to snap his eyes shut and turn his head to the side.
"Who are you… What are you doing in my room?" Elias asked, his tone and expression stern.
Meanwhile, inwardly, his emotions churned as though caught in a storm.
'Shit! How did I encounter such a powerful enemy in such a short time?' he thought.
Before Elias could receive an answer, a scream suddenly emerged from outside his window.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Elias rushed toward the window. He looked outside and saw a man wielding a broken branch against a strange group of bloodied people, limping toward him.
Unfortunately, he was overpowered. One of the people caught the man from behind and bit him on the neck. The man screamed loudly in pain before his body started convulsing.
The others rushed forward, spurred by the sudden occurrence, and bit the man's hands, legs, and stomach.
After several moments, they pulled back one by one and walked in another direction. The man who had been bitten a few seconds ago now had several deep bite marks across his body and was covered in blood.
He limped mindlessly behind them, just like the others who had bitten him.
"Shit… A zombie apocalypse!" Elias muttered, his expression pale as his breathing grew rough.
The questionnaire hadn't specified which apocalypse event he was in. Upon learning it was a zombie outbreak, he couldn't help but recalculate his chances of survival. As long as he stayed in a mosquito-free environment, surely his survival would improve astronomically.
Still, Elias didn't underestimate the situation, nor had he forgotten about the strange woman who had appeared in his room. However, all he could think of at the moment was how to get to a safer environment.
Suddenly, a loud, resonating sound came from the door.
"ELIAS…!! OPEN THE DOOR… LET ME IN!"
Elias's eyes widened, recognising the voice. It belonged to his close friend who lived in the nearby apartment. In this world, it seemed no different from his past life.
"I advise you not to do that. I'm certain you've seen what transpired outside. You might be strong, but you should make preparations first rather than getting overconfident and charging out recklessly to meet an enemy."