New blood, new power, and a path chosen not for glory, but for survival.
Awakened in Blood
Kael opened his eyes to a crimson blur. Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of rapid breathing right above him.
"Kael!"
Liam held him tight. Tears left wet tracks down the boy's cheeks.
"Calm down... I'm okay," Kael whispered. His voice sounded hoarse and unfamiliar.
On Liam's shoulder, the small black-and-red dragon watched them. Its onyx eyes shimmered with satisfaction.
"You look perfectly fine, don't you?" Rhaziel asked with a mocking edge.
Kael moved one arm, then the other. A fresh vigor surged through his veins. Every movement felt natural and fluid. His entire body seemed to breathe in the newfound power.
"Yeah... better than before."
"Perfect," Rhaziel replied with a yawn. "The impurities are about to leave your body."
"Wait! The what?"
The answer came instantly. A thick, greasy black vapor seeped from his skin. The air suddenly reeked of rot. Liam coughed and gagged at the smell.
"The window!"
Liam ran to the glass and threw it open. The smoke drifted out, vanishing into the cold night of Sector F.
The Mark of the Pact
Once the air cleared, Kael stripped off his blood-soaked clothes. Liam gasped.
His brother looked different. His skin had turned a pale, lunar white. Most strikingly, a black mark now decorated the left side of his chest, the side of his neck, and his entire left shoulder. It was a shifting pattern of runes and scales.
"What is that tattoo?" Liam asked, fascinated.
Kael touched the mark. It emitted a subtle heat that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
Rhaziel stretched his wings. "The seal of our pact." He gave a small flutter. "Activate the System."
Kael swallowed hard. "Right... Activate System."
The Awakening of Power
A blue light flickered into existence before him. Golden letters danced in the air.
WELCOME, HEIR.
Kael smiled. "It's... beautiful."
Liam looked around, confused. "Where? I don't see anything..."
"Put your hand on me," Rhaziel said without looking up.
Liam obeyed—and his eyes went wide. "Wow! It's a real menu!"
The screen expanded, displaying three icons: SKILLS, INVENTORY, and CLASSES. They stared at the display together, filled with wonder.
Selecting Skills
Kael tapped SKILLS. Thousands of names appeared, scrolling past like a rain of falling stars.
"Look at that one! [Fireball]!" Liam shouted. "That would be so cool!"
"No. It's too flashy."
"How about [Mastery of the Infinite] then?"
"Level 100 required," Kael noted. "Maybe another time."
He scrolled down slowly, guided by instinct. Suddenly, one option caught his eye:
WEAPON MASTERY (Lv. 1) Allows the effective use of any weapon with progressive efficiency.
"This one."
Liam made a face. "That's not very impressive."
Kael confirmed the selection.
[SKILL ACQUIRED: WEAPON MASTERY]
Then he picked the next ones:
SHADOW STEP (Lv. 1) Teleport between two nearby areas of shadow.
And more:
ASSASSIN'S SENSES (Lv. 1) ASSASSIN'S STEALTH (Lv. 1)
A dark, fluid aura began to coil around him.
"Cool," Liam whispered, looking both amused and worried. "But seriously, you could have picked something that breathes fire."
The Choice of Class
Finally, the last panel appeared: CLASSES.
Names flickered by in golden light: Mage, Necromancer, Paladin, Elementalist...
Liam bounced with excitement. "Pick Paladin! Or Magic Swordsman!"
Kael scanned the list in silence. "I want to be able to heal," he murmured.
The words made Liam freeze. He looked down, his expression turning sheepish. Kael stopped at a specific name.
HEALER.
He pressed the button.
[YOU HAVE CHOSEN A CLASS: HEALER]
The interface reconfigured itself instantly.
NAME: Kael Morse
CLASS:HEALER
LEVEL: 1
STRENGTH: 10
DEXTERITY: 10
CONSTITUTION: 15
PERCEPTION: 10
SKILLS:
• Weapon Mastery Lv. 1
• Shadow Step Lv. 1
• Assassin's Senses Lv. 1
• Assassin's Stealth Lv. 1
• Art of Healing Lv. 1
EQUIPMENT:
• Longsword – Rank E
Liam threw his arms up. "It's just like an RPG! The more you level up, the stronger you get!"
Rhaziel was already asleep, a tiny black ball of scales purring softly. Kael looked at the dragon, then at his brother. A new warmth filled his gaze.
My weakness belongs to the past.
He closed the interface and took a deep breath. The air itself felt different.
"Show me how all this works," he told Liam.
His younger brother gave him a proud smile. "Okay. In games, there are three main things: quests, experience, and loot..."
In the small apartment still thick with mana, the blue light of the interface illuminated two determined faces. One dreamed of becoming strong. The other dreamed of never being alone again.
The era of Kael Morse, the weakest hunter, ended that night. The era of the Heir to an unknown power began.