[WARNING: THIS IS NOT A SIMULATION. REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A GAME.]
[The Spiral's population has reached the quadrillion threshold. Integration with The Pantheon Realm is imminent.]
[System Initialization: The Azure Prime Plane is generating. Data-streaks detected.]
[Survive. For the glory of the Ward Universe, you must survive.]
The warnings didn't come with a herald; they came with the end of the world.
Two centuries ago, the Starfall Age tore the sky open, vomiting legions of Ravagers onto the soil of Earth. In a single, blood-soaked year, ninety percent of all life on Azure Prime was snuffed out. Even as the first Awakened rose to fight back, they couldn't stop the bleeding. Now, the remnants of civilization huddle within the walls of a hundred Prime Citadels, praying the stone holds.
July 16th, Stellar Calendar 288. A day that should have been ordinary.
In the dusty yard of the Southhaven Red Star Orphanage, a boy stopped mid-sweep. Ash Valor wasn’t much to look at—average height, plain features—but there was a jagged sort of grit in his eyes that didn't belong on a sixteen-year-old face.
[Ash Valor, Human. You have reached the age of sixteen. Your new life begins now.]
[Awakening Process Initiated...]
[Class Confirmed: Archer.]
[Class Grade: E.]
[The path to greatness is open to all. Do not falter.]
[Generating The Interface...]
Ash Valor: LV1
Class: Archer (Grade E)
Exp: 0/100
HP: 100 / MP: 100
Base Attack: 10 / Range: 10m / Attack Speed: 0.2
Attributes:
Strength: 5 (Physical Power)
Vitality: 5 (HP/Defense)
Spirit: 5 (Burst/Control)
Agility: 5 (Attack Speed/Damage Scaling)
Intelligence: 5 (Mana/Magic Attack)
Class Skill: [Triple Shot]
Personal Talent: [One in a Million] – Grade F (Levelable)
Inventory: [Battered Wooden Bow: Atk +8, Agi +2], 10 Slots.
Ash let out a long, shaky breath, the broom handle still slick with his sweat. "Finally. Right... it’s my birthday."
It was a grim irony. Most kids in the orphanage only learned when they were born because the system told them on their sixteenth year. He didn’t care about the E-grade class; in a place like this, talent was as rare as a full stomach. He’d watched hundreds of kids leave over the years. Only one had ever landed a D-grade.
"E-grade Archer. F-grade talent." Ash shrugged, trying to shake the disappointment. "At least it's a combat class."
He checked the talent description again. The "Levelable" tag was weird, something he'd never heard of in the orphanage’s meager lessons. Then he read the requirement.
[One in a Million: For every 10,000 kills, gain 1 random attribute point.]
"Holy sht," Ash spat, his composure finally breaking. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
Ten thousand? He could spend a lifetime hunting and barely see a return. He almost considered throwing in the towel right then and there—becoming a Miner, earning three thousand Copper a month, and slowly rotting away. But that "Levelable" tag was a hook in his heart.
He looked around the courtyard one last time. Sixteen meant he was out. Southhaven was a sardine can of seventy million people, all fighting for scraps. Without money, you stayed in the safe zone until your grace period ended, then the system forcibly warped you into the wilds to be eaten.
He checked his pockets. Eight Copper. It wasn't enough to buy a loaf of bread, let alone the hundred-copper daily residency tax.
[Ding! Awakening detected. Planar Vault is issuing Starter Gold to facilitate growth.]
[Received: 3 Silver!]
Ash’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. "Three Silver?" That was three thousand Copper. A month’s wages for a low-tier worker, handed to him by some nameless "Benefactor" in the system. He didn't need to know why. He just needed to run.
"I'll come back," he muttered, glancing toward the Headmistress's office. "If I make it... I'll send some Silver back."
He knew the odds. Most orphans who walked out those gates ended up as Ravager dung within a year. He wasn't special. He was just an Archer with a crappy bow and a talent that required a massacre to function.
The City Square was a cacophony of desperation.
"Level 1 Dungeon! Need DPS, 100+ Attack required!"
"Shield Vanguard, 1,000 HP! Looking for a long-term grind!"
"Power-leveling services! 1 Silver per run!"
Ash stood on the fringes, feeling smaller by the second. He tried applying to a dozen groups, his interface pinging with rejection after rejection.
[Faye Warden has declined your request.]
[Holt Lee has declined your request.]
[You have been kicked from the party.]
After six hours of standing in the dark, the reality set in. No one wanted a Level 1 Archer with base stats.
[Ding! A new day has begun. 100 Copper deducted for City Residency.]
The notification was like a physical blow. Nearby, a man started cursing at the sky. "Damn it! I spent all day in the Trial Grounds just to have the tax man take every bit of it!"
Ash perked up. "Trial Grounds?"
The man, a Level 3 named Zane, glared at him. "What are you looking at, newbie? You don't even have Gray-tier gear. Get your ass to the Initiate's Trial Grounds. It’s the only place that's free, even if the XP is garbage."
"Free? The Dungeons cost money?" Ash asked.
Zane scoffed. "Ten Silver to open a Level 1 Dungeon rift. Two Silver per person for a full party. You think the system gives out charity? Go to the Trial Grounds, kid. Level up to 5 before you even think about coming back here."
Ash didn't mind the attitude. He had a direction now. "Thanks for the tip, Zane."
Zane blinked, surprised by the lack of snark. "Yeah, whatever. Add me. If you hit Level 10 without dying, maybe I'll carry you through a real run."
The Initiate's Trial Grounds were a sprawling, digitized grassland under a fake moon. It was crowded, but huge enough to find a corner. Ash stepped through the Rift Gate and saw them: [Fluffback Hares].
LV 0. HP: 32. Atk: 8. Def: 2.
Ash pulled his bow. His total attack was 20 now. Two shots per rabbit.
"Sorry, little guys," he whispered. "It’s you or me."
He drew the string back, aimed, and fired. The arrow whistled through the air and thudded into the dirt a meter away from the rabbit. The hare stopped munching on grass and stared at him with what looked like pure judgment.
"God, I suck," Ash hissed.
He didn't have the luxury of being a natural. He moved closer—ten meters, five, then three. He wasn't an Archer; he was a guy with a stick. He fired point-blank.
[Target Slain. Exp +1. Copper +1.]
The rabbit bit him once before it died, taking a chunk out of his leg. He winced, watching his HP drop. "One hundred HP. I can take a few bites."
The grind was brutal. For two days, Ash didn't sleep. He ate hardtack, drank well water, and shot rabbits until his fingers bled.
[Ding! Level Up! All Stats +1. 5 Free Stat Points awarded.]
He dumped everything into Strength. His attack climbed to 32. Now, he could one-shot the hares if he hit a vital.
Day after day, the rhythm consumed him.
Kill. Loot one Copper. Recover. Repeat.
By the end of the month, he was a ghost of a person, covered in rabbit scratches and smelling of sweat. But his aim was true now. He could hit a moving target at twenty meters without blinking.
[Ding! You have reached Level 5.]
[You are being relocated from the Initiate's Trial Grounds.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Sweat Over Talent!]
[Condition: Kill 8,000 monsters within one month in the starting zone.]
[Rewards: All Stats +1, 2 Silver.]
Ash cheered, his voice hoarse. He checked his balance: 6 Silver, 21 Copper. For a slum-kid, he was rich.
Back at the City Square, Ash didn't wait for an invite. He opened his own recruitment tab.
"Level 1 Dungeon! Veteran lead. No leeches. 2 Silver entry."
He filled the slots in minutes.
Simon Cross (LV8 Swordsman), Rex Cole (LV7 Guardian), Ash Flynn (LV6 Summoner), and Iris Lee (LV5 Healer).
They were high-level for a starter dungeon, likely looking for achievements. Simon was decked out in Iron-tier gear, his sword glowing with a faint blue hum. Rex looked like a walking fortress.
"We pulling big?" Simon asked, tapping his blade.
"I've got a Triple Shot and a rare proc," Ash lied smoothly, keeping his 'One in a Million' talent vague. "You pull, I'll provide the cover."
They tore through the [Cutthroat Camp] dungeon. Simon was a whirlwind of steel, clearing mobs with a single [Gale Cleave]. Ash hung back, picking off stragglers. Every time a bandit fell, he felt his 'Kill Count' ticker move.
Suddenly, the sky above the dungeon—a digital projection of the world outside—turned gold.
[PLANAR BROADCAST: Dusk Whitmore (Tigren) has slain a Bronze-Tier Boss! All Awakened on Azure Prime: All Stats +1!]
The party froze.
[PLANAR BROADCAST: Cyrus Yang (Human) has slain the LV101 Necro Overlord! All Awakened on Azure Prime: All Stats +1!]
[PLANAR BROADCAST: The Drakewing Guild has established the first Tier I Stronghold! All Awakened on Azure Prime: 10 Silver awarded!]
"What the hell is happening?" Rex whispered.
The gold text kept coming. Six, seven, eight notifications. In the span of five minutes, Ash felt his body surge with power. His stats were bloating. His HP bar lengthened. His muscles tightened.
[PLANAR BROADCAST: Aldric Thane (Human) has reached Level 100! All Awakened on Azure Prime: All Stats +5!]
Ash looked at his interface, trembling. Between the global achievements of the legends and the Drakewing bonus, he’d just gained 11 points in every stat and 10 Silver.
"The heavy hitters are making their move," Simon said, his voice grim despite the power boost. "Look at the Leaderboards."
Ash opened the rankings. The name in the #9 slot was greyed out. A Legend had died to buy them these stats.
"We can't waste this," Ash said, his eyes burning. "The world is changing. We grind. Now."
With his new stats, Ash was no longer a weak link. His attack power broke 100. They cleared the Level 1 Dungeons like they were walking through a park. By the time they finished twenty runs, Ash was Level 7.
He parted ways with the group at midnight, collapsing onto the cobblestones of the plaza. He was too tired to find a bed, too wired to stop thinking. He scrolled through the forums on his interface, his eyes widening at a screenshot of a Level 1 'Genius' from a major family.
[Level 1. Strength: 128. Agility: 89...]
Ash looked at his own Level 7 stats. He wasn't even close to that kid's starting point.
"Eighteen hundred millionth in the world," Ash muttered, looking at his rank. "Great. Just a few billion more to go."
He fell into a dreamless sleep, only to be woken by the sun and a new notification.
"Newbie needs a carry! We pay the entry fees! Unlimited runs!"
Ash sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Unlimited, huh?"
He joined the party. It was four Level 1s: Stone (Shield Vanguard), Sam (Artificer), Clair (Cleric), and Mira (Alchemist). They were 'whales'—rich kids with great gear but zero experience.
"You the carry?" Stone asked, looking at Ash’s worn leather boots.
"I'm the guy who’s going to make sure you don't die," Ash said, notched an arrow. "And since you're paying... we aren't stopping until the rift collapses."
He looked at his 'One in a Million' counter. He was at 8,500 kills.
"Let's get to ten thousand."