Nox knelt in the damp grass of the beginner zone, his gloved fingers carefully gathering the scattered wolf fangs that had fallen around the half-rotted carcass.
Each fang clinked softly as he dropped them into the worn leather pouch at his hip. His shoulders ached from hours of bending and scavenging, but the familiar motion was almost comforting in its monotony.
He paused, exhaling sharply through his nose. With a slow, deliberate motion, he reached up and pulled off the tattered cloth mask that had covered the lower half of his face for years.
The cool breeze brushed against his skin, and he tossed the mask aside without a second glance. It landed in the dirt like discarded trash.
His sky-blue eyes sharp and clear, yet carrying the weight of endless exhaustion were finally revealed.
Strands of dark, unkempt hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his gaze as he stared at the glowing red-haired entity floating before him.
"I don't know if you're telling the truth," he said quietly, his voice rough from disuse.
"But I've seen enough administrators in other realms. They aren't saints or angels. Some of them… I've heard they were killed. Slaughtered by intruders who got too strong."
He rose to his feet, brushing dirt from his knees, and fixed her with a steady, wary look. "So tell me first what exactly is my job as an administrator?"
The girl lowered her head slightly. Her slender hands came together at the base of her throat in a strange, reverent gesture, almost like a prayer offered to something far greater than herself. Her crimson hair shifted like liquid fire as she bowed.
"First of all," she said, her voice soft yet resonant, "my name is Altoria. And it seems… you have already made your choice."
She lifted her gaze, red eyes meeting his blue ones without flinching.
"Before the process begins, I will answer your question. As you already know, administrators are beings who maintain order within their assigned realm.
But they are not all-powerful. If someone surpasses them in strength and realizes they can kill the administrator… then yes, they can do so."
She paused, letting the weight of those words settle.
"Administrators naturally receive certain perks. You will gain them as well. However, what ability you awaken with… that is entirely up to you."
Nox let out a short, humorless laugh as he finished collecting the last of the fangs and slung the pouch over his shoulder.
"So you're telling me I have to become stronger than anyone who enters the realm I maintain? Keep order, hand out quests, maybe sleep most of the time like some of the lazy ones I've heard about?"
Altoria tilted her head slightly, her expression serene.
"Previously, some administrators did conduct themselves that way. But the main duty is to maintain order… and to make the realm you oversee famous.
The more renowned and active your realm becomes, the greater the special perks you will receive perks known only to administrators."
Nox opened his mouth to ask another question, but Altoria suddenly moved.
In an instant, she closed the distance between them. Before Nox could even blink, a small, trembling orb of pure silver light materialized in her palms. Her red eyes flickered with something almost like apology.
"I have done my job," she whispered.
Without warning, she pressed the orb directly into his chest.
Nox's eyes widened in shock. A searing, white-hot pain exploded through his ribcage. He gasped, staggering backward, but his legs gave out beneath him.
He collapsed hard onto the cold ground, clutching at his chest as if he could tear the agony out with his bare hands.
Through blurry vision, he saw Altoria standing over him, her expression unreadable.
"I have done my job," she repeated softly. "So… I will do one small favor."
She raised her hand and waved it gently.
The world tilted, darkness rushed in, and Nox lost consciousness.
When he woke, the first thing he noticed was the familiar smell of old wood and damp stone.
He was lying on his narrow cot in the tiny, one-room shack he called home. The single window was cracked open, letting in weak morning light.
His sister had moved out years ago to live on her own; the silence of the place was as familiar as his own heartbeat.
Groaning, Nox sat up slowly. His hand instinctively went to his chest where Altoria had shoved the orb.
There, glowing faintly beneath his torn shirt, was a intricate blue seal, shaped like an ancient, stylized eye. It pulsed once, softly, then dimmed.
Before he could process it further, a screen materialized in front of him.
Not the standard translucent panel that Awakened ones received.
This one was different jet-black, edged with faint silver filigree, hovering silently like a void given form.
Welcome, Administrator of the Realm of Mysteries.
The words appeared in elegant white script, accompanied by a calm, genderless voice that seemed to speak directly into his mind.
Nox stared at the screen, blinking slowly.
"So… you can speak, huh?"
You may call me whatever you wish. And yes, I can speak. But Nevorn… you are surprisingly calm. Most would be more shocked to see a system so different from the norm.
Nox gave a tired half-smile. "Expected, I guess."
The screen flickered, and new lines of text began to form.
Administrator Profile
Name: Nox Nevorn
Proficiency: 500
Tradable Proficiency: 390
Awakened Abilities:
-Existence Normalisation (0 Proficiency)
-Authority Reversal (0 Proficiency)
Administrator Perks:
1. Can freely enter and exit the Realm of Mysteries at any time and can move in the realms freely.
2. Can view the detailed information of all intruders
3. Administrator Points: 0 (currently)
Nox's gaze lingered on the numbers.
"Three hundred ninety tradable proficiency… I'm really broke now," he muttered. "And five hundred total proficiency… that's about right for an E-rank unawakened."
In this world, even the unawakened were ranked. E-rank was second from the bottom barely above those who had no measurable proficiency at all.
But he wasn't unawakened anymore.
He exhaled heavily and lay back down on the bed, closing his eyes.
A much larger screen unfolded in his mind's eye, displaying a ranked list of realms.
His gaze drifted to the very bottom.
Realm of Mysteries
Intruders: 0
Activity Rank: Last
Above it, the realm in the second-to-last position had over a million intruders. The top realms had billions.
Nox let out a dry chuckle.
"Of course. A brand-new realm. Makes sense."
He dismissed the screen with a thought and sat up again, stomach growling.
"But first things first… I should eat."
With only three hundred ninety tradable proficiency to his name, even a simple meal would be a luxury.
He stood, stretched his stiff limbs, and headed toward the door already wondering what kind of hell he had just signed up for.