Awakening in Agony
Pain struck Damien first.
Not the pain of wounds, but a torment that burned through his nerves and gnawed at his bones. His soul felt scorched.
He forced his eyes open. A blinding white ceiling glared back at him. The private Valenhall hospital smelled of disinfectant, expensive flowers, and restrained fear.
Then he saw it.
A blue interface. Floating in the air. Translucent and vibrant. Letters of golden light pulsed like a living heart.
"What… is that?"
Memories crashed into him.
The dragon's roar. Elena's body burning. Marcus crushed against stone.
Then darkness.
"No… Impossible. Not an E-rank…"
The screen flickered.
[HELLO.]
Damien jolted. "Who… Who's speaking?"
[I AM THE SYSTEM.]
A nervous laugh escaped him. "I've lost my mind…"
The door opened.
The Patriarch's Shadow
Aldric Valenhall entered.
A figure of pure authority. Tailored charcoal suit. Eyes sharp as steel. Two silent guards flanked him like statues. Power walked across the polished floor.
"Father!" Damien gasped. "You must believe me! There was a dragon—huge, black, with—"
A single gesture silenced him.
"A dragon in an E-rank dungeon?" Aldric asked, voice calm and cold. "Ambition suits you. Delirium does not."
Damien pointed at the interface floating before him. "Look! Can't you see it?!"
The patriarch's gaze slid over empty air. "You are hallucinating."
The screen shifted.
[ONLY YOU CAN SEE ME.]
"Ask the others! Elena, Lysa—"
"They are dead," Aldric cut in. "Only the weakling survived."
Damien froze. "Kael…?"
"Yes. That gutter rat still breathes." Aldric stepped closer, his voice losing every trace of warmth. "And you, my son, lie in a hospital bed after failure."
He turned away. "Rest. We speak again when you regain dignity."
The door shut behind him.
Damien stared in silence, hatred coiling inside his chest.
"I refuse…" he whispered. "I refuse to fail."
The Call of Destiny
[I AM HERE TO GUIDE YOU.]
Damien lifted his head. "Guide me, then."
[YOU ARE CHOSEN TO CARRY THE LIGHT.]
"Then give me the strength to lift it."
The interface expanded. Classes. Stats. Powers. He scrolled with trembling fingers.
Warrior. Mage. Assassin. Arcanist…
At the bottom, a golden line.
[PALADIN — RANK SSS]
He opened the description. Light flared around the words.
Holy warrior. Scourge of darkness. A living shield between the world and chaos.
His breath caught.
"Perfect."
NAME: Damien Valenhall
RACE: Human
CLASS: Paladin
LEVEL: 1
TITLE: Unknown
STATS:
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Dexterity: 10
SKILL: [Divine Punishment Blade (1%)]
WEAPON: Sacred Sword — Rank S
—
"That looks weak…" he muttered.
[THE FOUNDATIONS OF GODS START SMALL BEFORE THEY CONQUER WORLDS.]
A slow smile formed on his lips. His heart pounded like war drums.
He selected the skill.
The blade channels divine wrath. Justice pierces the flesh of sin.
A shiver ran through him. "This power is mine…"
He sat up. Pain screamed across his body, but he ignored it. The blue light reflected in his eyes like a promise of glory.
"I will become the strongest. I will rise above every Awakened. I will rise above every god. Humanity will follow my light."
The screen vibrated once more.
[ACTIVE QUEST: BECOME THE LIGHT OF HUMANITY.]
A low laugh spilled from his throat, unsteady and thrilled.
Inside the frozen silence of the room, Damien Valenhall was reborn.
His radiance shone divine.
Yet, not far away, the true heir of the dragon opened his eyes.