It was late at night.
He lay still, staring upward, where the ruined ceiling framed a vast stretch of night sky. Stars shimmered faintly, distant yet unmistakably present, and for a fleeting moment he wondered whether they were watching him… or waiting.
Then, without warning, translucent light unfolded before his eyes.
A familiar interface materialized, hovering silently in the air, yet something about it felt different this time—deeper, more integrated. It was no longer an external projection but something tied directly to his awareness, responding not to sight alone but to thought.
The panel.
Everyone in this world possessed one after awakening. It was the proof of stepping beyond mortality, the first threshold separating the ordinary from the awakened. Yet Evan could tell—instinctively—that his was no longer standard.
As his eyes traced the shifting runes and data streams, new information surfaced.
[Tier: 0 – Newly Awakened]
Below it, two unfamiliar entries glowed faintly, as if waiting to be acknowledged.
[Passive Ability Unlocked: Stardom]Effect: During nighttime hours, host gains a 10% increase in overall strength due to enhanced affinity resonance.]
Evan's breath slowed as he read it again.
Ten percent.
It was not overwhelming. Not world-shattering. But Evan understood numbers better than most. Ten percent was not merely an advantage—it was a head start, one that compounded over time. In close combat, ten percent could mean the difference between victory and death. In cultivation, it could translate into weeks—perhaps months—saved.
The second ability surfaced immediately after.
[Passive Ability Unlocked: Star Refiner]Effect: Aether refinement speed increased by 10% during nighttime hours.]
Evan clenched his fists slowly.
These were not flashy abilities. There were no explosions, no immediate surges of power. Instead, they were the kind of advantages that worked silently, invisibly—advantages that turned effort into progress and progress into inevitability.
This was not power gifted recklessly.
This was power designed for growth.
Only then did Evan truly realize it.
His system had merged seamlessly with his panel.
In this world, panels were universal—standardized constructs granted at awakening, tracking affinity, tier, and basic progression. But Evan's panel was no longer just a record. It was an interface, a living framework that evolved alongside him. As he rose in tier, it would not simply update—it would unlock.
Potential.
Evan exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm. Excitement was dangerous. Overconfidence even more so.
He closed his eyes and reached outward—not with his body, but with perception.
Aether stirred around him, invisible currents flowing through the air like an unseen ocean. Normally, newly awakened individuals struggled to even sense it clearly, but Evan felt it almost immediately. Threads of wind-aspected aether brushed against his awareness, responding subtly, familiarly.
He followed them.
Not forcing. Not pulling.
Just… listening.
As the night deepened, something shifted.
A faint warmth bloomed in his chest—not heat, but resonance. His breathing slowed further, his heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of the world. For a brief, dangerous moment, euphoria washed over him, a sense of harmony so profound it threatened to drag him deeper.
Evan snapped his eyes open.
"No," he whispered.
This was not the time.
Cultivation without preparation was reckless, especially so soon after awakening. His body needed time to stabilize, to adapt. Power gained too quickly often shattered foundations—and Evan had seen enough examples of such failures in his previous life.
He lay back down, forcing his mind into stillness.
Sleep came easily.
And it was peaceful.
—
The following morning shattered that peace entirely.
Evan was barely awake when the door slammed open.
"Aha! You're alive!"
Austin's voice echoed far too loudly for the hour. Evan groaned, rolling onto his side and burying his face into the pillow.
"Do you know what time it is?" Evan muttered.
Austin leaned over him, grinning ear to ear. "Time for a duel."
Evan opened one eye. "No."
"I've awakened," Austin continued enthusiastically. "My body feels amazing. I need to test it."
"Test it on a wall."
Austin ignored him completely. "Get up. Private training ground. No witnesses."
Evan sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. "You're insufferable."
"And you love me for it."
Despite himself, Evan sighed and stood. There was no reasoning with Austin once he got like this. Besides… Evan was curious too. Awakening strengthened the body fundamentally. Understanding those changes early mattered.
The private training ground lay hidden behind reinforced stone walls, isolated from the rest of the estate. The moment they stepped inside, the air itself felt different—heavier, expectant. Old impact marks scarred the ground, silent testimonies to past clashes.
No elements.
No weapons.
Just awakened bodies.
They faced each other, ten paces apart.
Austin cracked his neck, eyes gleaming. Evan rolled his shoulders, grounding himself. His body felt different—stronger, denser—but also unfamiliar, as if he were wearing new skin.
"Ready?" Austin asked.
Evan nodded.
Austin moved first.
He exploded forward, speed far exceeding anything Evan remembered. The ground cracked faintly beneath his feet as he closed the distance in a heartbeat, fist already swinging toward Evan's jaw.
Evan barely dodged.
The punch skimmed past his face, the displaced air alone stinging his skin. Evan countered instinctively, throwing a straight punch toward Austin's ribs, but Austin twisted aside smoothly, responding with a knee that slammed into Evan's abdomen.
Pain erupted.
Evan staggered back, breath knocked from his lungs, but Austin gave him no time to recover. Another punch followed, then another—precise, relentless. Evan blocked one, misjudged the next, and felt bone meet bone as a fist struck his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
Evan feinted left, then surged right, ramming his shoulder into Austin's chest. Both slid backward, boots scraping stone, muscles straining as they locked together briefly. Evan felt Austin's raw strength—solid, overwhelming—and understood immediately.
Top-grade talent wasn't just potential.
It was advantage.
Austin twisted sharply, breaking the lock and slamming his elbow down. Evan raised his arm in time, but the impact rattled through him, sending a shockwave down to his fingers.
He retaliated with a kick to Austin's thigh.
It landed cleanly.
Austin hissed, hopping back a step, then laughed. "Okay. That one counts."
They clashed again.
Fists, elbows, knees—raw, unrestrained. Evan's movements grew sharper, more deliberate as he adjusted, but Austin remained a step ahead every time. Experience mattered. Natural combat instinct mattered.
Ten minutes passed like a blur.
By the end, Evan lay flat on his back, chest heaving, staring up at the sky beyond the high walls. Every muscle screamed in protest.
Austin collapsed beside him moments later, breathing hard but upright.
"Still alive?" Austin asked.
"Barely," Evan replied.
Despite the loss, Evan felt no bitterness—only clarity.
He had lost badly.
And that was fine.
Because now he understood exactly where he stood.
—
Later that day, Evan was summoned.
Victor Jade stood waiting, posture composed, gaze unreadable. In his hands rested a sealed package bearing the insignia of the Broken Sword Academy.
"This arrived for you," Victor said.
Evan's heartbeat quickened.
The path forward had begun.
And this time—
He was not starting from behind.