As Zhane fell, the wind roared past his ears, wild and furious, his arms folded instinctively, useless against the invisible pull dragging him downward.
Zhane tried to scream, but the sound dissolved into the rushing air, his heart pounded so hard he thought it might break free of his chest. He tumbled, dizzy, stomach rising to his throat.
He didn't want to die.
Hell no, he wanted to live.
He wanted to matter.
He wanted power—not to hurt anyone, not to lord over them, just... to stand in a room and not feel like he was shrinking.
Please, he thought, the word raw and desperate even in the silence of his mind. If there's anything—anyone—anything at all—don't let it end like this. Give me something. Anything. Just once. Let me be strong
No voice replied, only the rush, only the fall, then Crack___
Zhane slammed into the ground with a force that knocked the air out of his lungs, pain exploded in his shoulders, back, skull, and knees. He lay there curled, gasping, vision swimming black at the edges, for a long moment, he didn't move .
Then slowly, agonisingly, he pushed up unto one elbow until he brought himself back on his feet.
"Where am I ?" He muttered
Around him, space stretched unnaturally, forming the outline of a vast chamber, walls of smooth black stone veined with faint glowing silver, ceiling lost in shadow. And in the center — a massive blue flame. It towered, steady,proud , burning without fuel, without smoke, without heat, only presence.
A deep endless hum pulsed from it, vibrating through his bones. Zhane squinted against the glow, beneath his feet — symbols, words, golden and glowing, etched into the stone . Zhane stepped back and read them .
"Withstand a thousand pains in the abyssal flame and acquire immense power" his heart hammered against cracked ribs.
"Abyssal flame..?" The words echoed back at him, soft, mocking. He stared at the fire, but felt no warmth, no burn . Just waiting.
He paced around slowly, muttering to himself like a madman.
"This must be a test right? Or maybe it's a trap.. what kind of pain? A thousand cuts , a thousand deaths?" Zhane shIvered at the thought, he stopped at looked at his hands that were already trembling.
"I need to be stronger"
The thought wasn't new, it had lived in him since the day he became a null, a boy who failed to awaken, but even now the thought felt heavier .
He thought of all the mockery and curses he had received at school, how they looked down on him like he was nothing but a waste of space . He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"The universe gave me this moment" he said aloud "This is a chance of a lifetime, I'm not wasting it." Zhane exhaled, a long slow breath.
"This is either my death ... Or my rebirth "
And with that , he stepped into the flame , at first there was nothing but blue light.
Then the pain came
Not the clean slice of steel, not the burn of frost. This was something deeper.
Blades — endless and invisible stabbed through every part of Zhane at once , his chest, back, arms, legs, no part was spared, a thousand cuts from a thousand angles.
Agonising pain washed across his entire body straight to his scalp.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...."
Zhane screamed , the flames wrapped his soul like chains, not iron but something colder and tighter. They squeezed until he felt his essence crack. The flames licked inside his veins, boiling blood and setting nerves ablaze. Zhane couldn't even form a single thought, his mind was fueled with nothing but a never-ending will.
The torturous heat raked down his spine tearing out pieces. As much as Zhane tried to resist, the pain was simply too much, forcing his bladder to give in but Zhane didn't even feel it. All that was in his mind was the pain to end already.
The flames roared louder, and Zhane could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away.
'No' he gritted his teeth 'I have to live.. I can't die here, I'm still a virgin dammit.. I'm not leaving this world yet as a Null '. he screamed in his mind with all his will on edge .
The flame hesitated, then it changed, the blades withdrew, loosened, and stilled.
The flames turned inward — not destroying, reforging.
Zhane's body burned but it healed at the same time, skin knit, bones straightened, blood cooled.
He gasped, his chest rising and falling, his eyes opened , white light flared — blinding then it faded. He was lying on his bed back in his apartment, curled, alive and changed.
Zhane pushed himself up slowly, every movement hurt, but it was a clean hurt, the kind that promised strength after , the moment he got up however, he noticed something hovering above his head. Words of some sort were just there floating above in perfect clarity like a game UI he could only see.
"Huh?" Zhane asked rubbing his eyes "What the hell again?"
The words read out :
[ Synchronization Complete ]
[ Awakening Confirmed ]
[ EX - Rank Talent : Apex Breaker Awakened. ]
Skills :
[ Hellfire Burst ( C - rank, Active ) — Converts mana into inner energy to form flames that can melt steel and sear souls with high destructive damage, leaving lingering burns that weakens enemies over time
Risk : Overuse may burn the Host's veins internally.
[ Divine Physique ( B - rank, Passive) — Grants the Host rapid regeneration and increases strength, agility and durability far beyond human limits adding 30% to all physical stats .
Risk : Too much use will affect the Host's mana and stamina.
[ Transcendent Vision ( A - rank, Active ) — Identify stats and levels of all living and none living matter but at the cost of mana. Also reveals hidden, distant and potential future events within 5 seconds.
Risk : Overuse may cause mental strain or blackout, be warned .
[ More skills will be awakened as you grow stronger ]
[ Awakening trial complete : Apex Breaker system formed ]
[ You may now view your character panel ]
[ Congratulations ]
"The Fuck...?"