the Status Recovery washed over him.
It felt like cool water flowing over a burn. The torn muscle fibers stitched themselves back together instantly. The lactic acid that poisoned his blood evaporated. The screaming nerves were silenced.
Lysander's eyes snapped open. The grimace of pain smoothed out, replaced by a look of sheer disbelief. He gasped, sucking in a lungful of air without any pain.
"I'm... alive?" he whispered, clenching and unclenching his fists. He felt lighter. Stronger.
He sat up, wiping the sweat and grime from his face. Now that he wasn't dying, his gamer instincts kicked in.
"System," Lysander said, his voice steadying. "I realized I missed something fundamental. If I am to conquer this world, I need to know the hierarchy. Show me the Ranking System. Keep it simple, but detailed enough for me to understand the gap between me and the gods."
"Show me the hierarchy of this world."
[Affirmative. Displaying World Power Hierarchy.]
A new holographic window popped up. It wasn't just a list of letters; it was a ladder of power
[Accessing World Database...]
[Displaying Universal Power Rankings]
Rank-F | Weak | Civilians and those with dormant cores. They are powerless, often treated as labor or fodder. | Can lift heavy objects but dies easily to a goblin.
Rank-E | Common | Newly awakened warriors. They can use basic mana reinforcement but lack skill. | Can fight a wild dog or a single common soldier.
Rank-D | The Warrior | Experienced soldiers. They form the backbone of any army. Capable of handling standard weaponry. | Can defeat a wolf pack alone.
Rank-C | The Elite| Captain-level warriors. They have mastered a specific weapon or element. Respected in small cities. | Can destroy a small building with one strike.
Rank-B | The Commander| Generals and leaders. Their presence alone radiates pressure. They can use advanced magic or aura. | One-man army. Can wipe out a battalion of 100 soldiers.
Rank-A | The Disaster| National Heroes. Their power can alter the landscape. They are strategic assets to kingdoms. | Can destroy a city block or sever a hill in half.
Rank-S | The Legend | They answer to no one. Their power defies logic. Only a handful exist in the world. | Can level an entire city. Walking natural disasters.
Rank-SS | The Demi-God | Mythical beings. Rarely seen. They live for centuries and their magic is ancient. | Can change the weather, split oceans, or crush mountains.
Rank-SSS | The God | [DATA REDACTED] - Only theoretical. No known entity currently holds this rank. | Unknown
Lysander scanned the list, his eyes lingering on the gap between F and S.
"So," he muttered, "I am currently at the bottom. And the people who killed me... they are likely High Nobles, probably B-Rank or A-Rank."
[DAILY QUEST: THE AWAKENING — COMPLETED]
[Grade: SSS (God-Tier)]
[Rewards: Status Recovery (Overcharged), +500 EXP, All Stats +10 Free,System Points: 3]
Lysander smiled, expecting the warm glow of recovery. But instead, the System's blue screen strobed violently, turning a menacing shade of crimson.
[CRITICAL WARNING!]
[Vessel Integrity Alert]
[Master, you have achieved a Divine Grade (SSS), but your body is still F-Rank trash. The reward energy required to upgrade you is too potent]
[Your veins are too narrow. Your bones are too brittle. Accepting this power now will force a Violent Evolution.]
[Survival Probability: 0.01%]
Lysander's smile froze. "Wait—"
Before he could even protest, the "Status Recovery" initiated. But this wasn't healing.
This was reconstruction.
A pillar of blinding golden light slammed into him, not like a blessing, but like a hammer.
"ARGHHHHH!"
The scream didn't come from his throat—it was torn from his very soul.
The Transformation the Sensation It felt as though molten lead was being poured directly into his bloodstream. The mana forced its way through his blocked pathways, tearing them open.
The Bones A sickening crack echoed in the cave. Then another. His femur, his ribs, his spine—they were fracturing under the pressure and instantly knitting back together, denser and stronger than before. It was a cycle of breaking and healing, repeated a thousand times in a second.
The Muscles His skin rippled as if something was moving underneath. His muscle fibers were being shredded and rewoven, stripping away the weakness of his noble birth.
The Expression Lysander collapsed onto the jagged rocks, his body thrashing uncontrollably.
Eyes His eyes rolled back so far that only the whites were visible. Capillaries burst, flooding his vision with red.
Mouth His jaw clamped shut with enough force to crack a molar. A mixture of bloody foam and bile dribbled from his lips.
Veins Thick, black veins bulged across his neck and forehead, pulsing violently like snakes trying to escape his skin.
He wanted to pass out. He begged for the darkness to take him.
But the [ Indomitable Soul] refused to let him sleep. It forced him to remain awake and feel every single second of the torture.
[System Notification]
[Evolution in progress... 20%... 60%... Body temperature critical...]
Lysander clawed at the ground, his fingernails breaking off as he dug into the stone.
"I... will... not... break!" he gurgled, choking on his own blood. "I earned... this!"
The blinding golden light finally dimmed, retreating into the void from which it came. The agonizing screams that had echoed against the cave walls faded into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Lysander lay face down in a pool of dark, viscous sweat and grime. Smoke rose faintly from his skin, carrying the scent of ozone and burnt magic.
For a long moment, he did not move. Then, his fingers twitched.
He pushed himself up. The motion was fluid, effortless startlingly different from the struggle of the previous night. The tattered remains of his noble tunic slid off his shoulders, revealing the results of the Violent Evolution.
[The Transformation]
Gone was the frail, sickly boy who had been discarded by his family.
In his place stood a predator.
Physique he was not bulky like an ox; he was carved like a statue. Every muscle group from his serrated obliques to his defined shoulders was compact, dense, and tightly wound like a steel coil. It was a body built for speed and lethal precision.
Skin The pale, translucent skin that bruised easily was replaced by a smooth, alabaster hide that looked as hard as cured leather.
Eyes When he opened his eyes, they no longer held the dullness of a victim. They shone with a piercing, crystalline clarity cold, sharp, and terrifyingly calm.
Lysander looked at his hands. He clenched his fist, and the air popped audibly from the sheer pressure of his grip.
"Incredible," he whispered. His voice was deeper, resonating in his chest. "I don't just feel alive. I feel... dangerous."
Lysander wiped the blood from his lips and looked at the glowing blue screen. The pain was gone, replaced by a surging power that hummed beneath his skin.
"System," he commanded, his voice steady. "Show me my progress."
[Evolution Complete. Updating Status Window...]
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 20]
[Class:None]
[Grade: SSS (God)]
[Bloodline: None]
[Magic Affinity: None]
[Level: 5 (Exp: 0/500)]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[Strength: 13](+10 Reward)
[Agility: 14] (+10 Reward)
[Intelligence: 19](+10 Reward)
[Vitality: 15] (+10 Reward)
[Mana: 10] (Unlocked)
[POINTS]
System Points: 5 points
Lysander's eyes narrowed as he scanned the status window again. He tapped the "Level 5" text, looking confused.
"System, hold on," he said, his brow furrowing. "I distinctly remember hearing a notification earlier that I had reached Level 2. How did I jump straight to Level 5 Is this a glitch"
The System's blue light pulsed gently, and a new window appeared to explain the math.
[Inquiry Answered: Experience Overflow.]
[Negative, Master. There is no glitch]
[A standard completion of the Daily Quest (Grade C or B) awards 10 to 20 EXP. This would have barely moved you to Level 2]
[However, you achieved the SSS Grade]
[EXP Calculation Log]
[Base Quest Reward: 100 EXP]
[SSS-Grade Bonus (x5 Multiplier): 500 EXP]
[Total EXP Gained: 600 EXP]
[You did not just fill the experience bar for Level 1. You shattered it. The overflow of energy instantly propelled you through Levels 2, 3, and 4, stabilizing at Level 5.]
[This is the privilege of a God-Tier performance. You have skipped the beginner stage entirely]
Lysander listened, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"I see," he murmured. "So, high risk really does bring high rewards. I saved myself weeks of grinding in a single night."
He looked at his hands, feeling the strength coursing through them. "Level 5... Not bad for a start"