Chapter One: A Throw That Changes Destiny
Akira ran as fast as he could, but the cursed crowd blocked his way. He tried to slip through the people, yet a burly man ambushed him with a violent kick, sending him flying into an alley, where he crashed to the ground with a harsh impact.
The scene was horrifying; several people suffered similar attacks. It seemed someone was using them as bait to distract the approaching monsters. In this era, sacrificing the weak for survival was not unusual.
The man who kicked Akira did not stop; he continued striking anyone in his way, forcing a path through the crowd.
As Akira struggled to get up, a terrifying roar echoed. A pack of gray wolves, each nearly two meters long, with glowing red stripes across their bodies, leapt forward and began attacking the remaining people.
One of the wolves lunged at Akira, but he narrowly dodged and dashed toward a narrow alley.
His escape was short-lived; the wolf jumped at him again, sinking its teeth into his shoulder. Akira tried to break free, but the beast was determined to tear him apart. With trembling hands, he drew the knife he had hidden and stabbed the wolf with all his strength.
"Uooo!" the wolf howled in anger, shaking its head violently and throwing Akira to the ground.
Akira rose with difficulty, clutching his wounded shoulder, staggering as he tried to distance himself from danger.
Then he heard a fearsome growl behind him. He turned to see the red stripes on the wolf's body glowing, and suddenly, a red fireball formed in its mouth.
The fireball shot forward at lightning speed... Akira had no chance to dodge.
It hit him directly, sending him crashing through several windows before smashing into the wall of a nearby shop. His body lay motionless amid glass and blood.
Akira was gravely injured; his ribs were shattered, his lung pierced, and survival seemed a matter of mere minutes. Yet, his mind remained astonishingly alert. He wished for only one thing:
"If only I had even a bit of power..."
He muttered the words, aware that the end was near, yet refusing to surrender.
His vision began to fade, growing foggy, and his consciousness grew heavy—until he heard a strange voice...
"Do you want power?"
It was soft, feminine, warm in a way he could hardly describe, yet his fading mind could not comprehend what was happening.
"I can grant it to you."
The voice spoke again, but he remained incapable of replying.
"All you have to do is accept... and everything will change."
Suddenly, a series of spectral texts appeared before his eyes amidst the fog, flashing rapidly, indecipherable, yet his instinct—or perhaps something deeper—told him to choose:
[Yes]
"Yes..."
He whispered faintly.
In the next moment, a strange warmth spread through his body... followed by excruciating pain that pierced his core, as if every nerve in his body was being reconstructed. He clenched his teeth, trying to stifle any sound, aware that even the slightest noise could attract the monster still lurking outside.
As his vision slowly returned, he saw a beautiful girl kneeling beside him, a calm smile adorning her face, her hand glowing with a purple light hovering above his chest.
"Don't worry... everything will be fine."
That was the last thing he heard... before plunging into darkness.
Akira woke up sometime that evening. He felt the air brush against his face, and his breath returned to normal.
He tried to process what had happened... how he survived such injuries. He recalled the pain, the voice, and the girl's serene smile.
He slowly stood on his feet, his body still heavy, but he was alive.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice behind him:
"Oh, you're finally awake!"
Without thinking, he grabbed a wooden stick lying on the ground and pointed it toward the source of the voice, alert.
At that moment, mysterious texts appeared before his eyes:
[Wake-up Condition Met]
[Mysterious Energy Detected]
[Absorbing Energy...]
[1% ... 5% ... 10% ... 50% ... Error]
[Body Status: Critical]
[Directing Energy to Heal Body]
[1% ... 5% ... 10% ... 50% ... 80% ... 100%]
[Healed]
[Resuming Energy Absorption...]
[1% ... 5% ... 10% ... 50% ... 80% ... 100%]
[Absorption Complete]
[Dark Affinity Acquired]
The texts appeared abruptly again.
Then a female voice spoke in a teasing tone:
"Is this how you greet the one who saved your life?"
Akira didn't wait for her to finish her sentence; he leapt out of the broken window and sprinted through the alleys without looking back.
"Ah... dealing with him will be difficult."
The girl muttered with a sigh, before vanishing from sight.
Akira continued running, trying to process what had happened.
"I was sure I'd die... but I survived. I must get away from here immediately!"
He gradually slowed his pace after moving away from the battle site, glancing behind to make sure no one was following, and breathed a sigh of relief.
After ten minutes, as he turned down an alley...
he found the girl standing before him, as if waiting.
Before he could flee again, her voice stopped him:
"Wait, wait! Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
A few seconds of silence passed, during which Akira wondered whether to run or give her a chance to explain.
Suddenly, he said:
"What proof do I have?"
The girl smiled faintly and said teasingly:
"Proof? If I intended to harm you, I would have done it long ago. I admit I have no proof... but isn't saving your life enough? At least listen and offer some thanks!"
Akira replied coldly, his voice faint, hiding exhaustion deeper than his words suggested:
"If you want money for saving me... I'm sorry. I have nothing. Not even the power to fulfill any request from you."
The girl responded quickly, as if she had been expecting this answer:
"I know. Actually, I don't expect anything from you right now."
She said it calmly, yet her words pierced Akira's heart like an arrow. The way she spoke reminded him of his weakness... his insignificance.
Then, in a voice carrying a strange promise, she continued:
"But... with my help, you will rise to new heights. You will gain strength, power, and perhaps one day... rule entire cities."
He stared at her in disbelief. Her words sounded insane, fit only for someone disconnected from reality.
"Have you lost your mind?" he muttered.
As if reading his thoughts, she said with a smile:
"Until now, I've helped you a lot... just say: 'Status'... and you'll understand."
Hesitating, he said:
"Status..."
Suddenly, strange, faintly glowing text appeared before him, floating in the air. He had never seen anything like it, but he had heard of it before... about the Awakened whose lives changed in an instant.
Alice observed his expression silently. The result was as she had expected. From the beginning, her words had been carefully chosen. Step by step... she guided him exactly where she wanted.
Then she said:
"Though you are now Awakened... you have no skills, no spells, not even a single coin to buy anything. You cannot pay for someone to teach you."
Her words echoed in his mind. Akira processed a vast amount of information, as if an entire world had collapsed to be rebuilt anew before him. Even a child born in the most humble alleyways knows such opportunities do not come twice.
But…
Could he trust her?
Did this mysterious being deserve that trust?
On the other side, Alice watched his silence with curiosity.
"Why doesn't he answer?" she thought. "The offer is irresistible... not for someone like him."
She then smiled lightly with mockery:
"There is no reason he would refuse, except fear..."
Finally, Akira broke the silence with his dry voice:
"What do you want? I know nothing is free in this world."
Alice laughed, a short but genuine laugh:
"At least... you understand the rules."
She looked at him with eyes glowing like blood and light:
"I have a request... or a mission, call it what you will.
I cannot tell you now, for it would be impossible for you in your current state.
But... when you become strong enough—I will tell you."
A moment of silence passed between them.
It was not a promise... it was an agreement suspended over a future unknown to anyone.