The moment the Celestial voice faded, Lucas Reign's heart slammed against his ribs. For a split second, he just stood there, staring at nothing—then the realization hit him all at once.
"SSS-rank… it's actually SSS-rank…"
The words came out in a whisper, but the excitement behind them was impossible to hide. His pulse quickened, his fingers trembling as adrenaline surged through him.
Without wasting another second, he reopened his Profile panel, his eyes locking onto the Talent section like it might disappear if he blinked.
[Talent: Infinite Plunder]
Effect: Allows the user to extract and absorb all forms of value from a target, including attributes, talents, skills, and item essence.
Riley sucked in a sharp breath.
"…This is insane."
No—insane didn't even begin to cover it.
This wasn't just strong. It was fundamentally broken. A talent that ignored balance entirely.
Steal stats.
Steal abilities.
Steal everything.
It meant that as long as he survived, he could grow without limits. No bottlenecks. No ceilings.
A slow grin spread across his face—then just as quickly, it vanished.
"Calm down… don't get reckless," he muttered under his breath. "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably paints a target on your back."
In a place like this, strength didn't just mean survival—it meant becoming prey for others.
He needed information.
With a thought, Lucas switched over to the Global Chat.
The channel had descended into chaos. Messages flew past so quickly they blurred together, a flood of excitement, panic, and disbelief.
"Hahaha! I got E-rank Strength Boost—my power literally doubled!"
"Same tier, but mine's Speed Boost! I feel like I could outrun a car!"
"I got Endurance Enhancement—finally, I'm not squishy anymore!"
"D-rank here! Fireball! Actual magic—this is unreal!"
"…Why did I get F-rank Sweat Control? Who needs that?!"
"You think that's bad? Mine increases toe flexibility… what am I supposed to do with that?!"
"LMAO this system is broken—some of us get superpowers, others get… foot skills?"
Lucas exhaled softly, scanning through the noise.
Excitement. Panic. Denial.
The full spectrum of human reaction was on display.
But what he cared about was something else—
Higher-tier talents.
Just as he was about to dig deeper, the Celestial voice returned.
[Announcement: Talent awakening for Novice Settlement #888 is complete.]
[F-Rank: 758 individuals]
[E-Rank: 212 individuals]
[D-Rank: 27 individuals]
[C-Rank and above: 3 individuals]
Riley's eyes sharpened.
Three.
Out of a thousand people… only three had reached C-rank or higher.
And he was one of them.
No—he was far beyond them.
The chat exploded again, even more chaotic than before.
"ONLY THREE?! That's brutal!"
"With billions of people worldwide… how rare is SSS-rank then?"
"Forget SSS—S-rank alone must be legendary!"
"I'd sell my soul for D-rank at this point…"
"Where are the C-rank players? Show yourselves!"
Right on cue, a new message appeared.
Ethan Cross: "Hey everyone. I awakened a C-rank talent—Metal Control. If anyone needs weapons repaired or crafted, I've got you covered."
The reaction was immediate.
"Metal Control?! That's insane utility!"
"Bro, you're basically essential already!"
"Carry us, man!"
Lucas watched silently as the praise piled up.
Ethan Cross clearly enjoyed the attention, responding with casual confidence as people flocked to him.
Then someone asked:
"There should be one more high-rank player, right? Who is it?"
Lucas closed the chat.
"Not me," he murmured.
Revealing himself now would be stupid.
He had no idea how this world worked yet—no idea what people were capable of. Trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Before he could think further, the Celestial voice cut in once more.
[Announcement: The Novice Trial begins now.]
[Objective: Reach Level 10 within 7 days.]
[Failure will result in erasure.]
[Top performers will receive substantial rewards.]
[Method: Gain experience by eliminating beasts and corrupted creatures.]
Lucas's grip tightened unconsciously.
Seven days.
Level 10.
Or die.
"…Of course it wouldn't be that simple."
Before the voice fully faded, something materialized in his hand.
A blade.
Rusty. Dull. Barely functional.
[Novice Blade: Attack +2 | Tier 0]
Lucas turned it over in his hand, unimpressed.
"This thing wouldn't cut butter…"
Then a thought struck him.
His eyes flickered.
"…What if?"
Without hesitation, he placed his other hand on the blade and focused.
"Plunder."
A faint warmth spread through his palm.
A subtle white glow pulsed outward—
Then the transformation began.
The rust flaked off in layers, falling like ash to the ground. Beneath it, polished steel emerged, gleaming with a sharp, deadly edge.
In seconds, the weapon was completely reborn.
[Infinite Plunder successful!]
[All impurities removed. Item upgraded.]
[Refined Steel Blade: Attack +6 | Tier 1]
Riley stared at it, stunned—then let out a quiet laugh.
"…Okay. That's ridiculous."
He gave the blade a few experimental swings.
It felt balanced. Solid. Deadly.
At the very start of the trial, he already had a weapon three times stronger than standard gear.
That alone could mean the difference between life and death.
He tried again.
"Plunder."
[Failed: Target has reached extraction limit.]
"Figured."
Still, he wasn't disappointed. Not even close.
He tucked the blade beneath his jacket, keeping it out of sight. No need to attract attention.
Outside, voices began to rise.
Lucas stepped out of the hut.
The settlement was alive now—people emerging from every direction, their faces filled with unease, confusion, and fear.
Groups began forming instinctively.
"If we don't hit level 10, we die? That's insane!"
"I've never even fought anything before!"
"Looking for teammates! Need frontliners!"
"I've got E-rank defense—I can tank hits!"
Lucas blended into the crowd, keeping his head down.
He noticed something immediately—
Every single person was carrying the same rusty blade.
Except him.
Good.
At least for now, he had an edge.
At the far end of the settlement stood a shimmering barrier, rippling like water. Beyond it lay nothing but gray fog.
No one crossed it.
No one dared.
"Anyone want to scout ahead?" someone called out.
Silence.
"Uh… actually, I think I'll stay back for now…"
Fear hung heavy in the air.
Then—
CRACK!
The sound rang out like a gunshot.
Everyone turned.
A broad-shouldered man stood in the center of the square—Marcus Hale.
At his feet, a stone slab lay shattered into pieces.
"Barehanded…?"
"That's the guy from earlier!"
"Marcus! What talent did you get?!"
Marcus straightened, clearly enjoying the attention.
"D-rank," he said, smirking. "Strength Surge. Triples my power instantly."
A wave of awe rippled through the crowd.
"Triple?!"
"That's insane!"
"No wonder he broke that stone!"
Marcus basked in it, chest puffed out.
Then he turned toward the barrier.
"What are you all afraid of?" he scoffed. "They're just beasts. Someone has to go first."
No one moved.
Marcus grinned.
"Fine. I'll show you how it's done."
With that, he stepped forward—crossing the barrier in one confident stride.
The fog swallowed him almost immediately.
The entire crowd held its breath.
One second.
Five seconds.
Ten—
A scream tore through the silence.
Sharp. Sudden. Cut off almost instantly.
Then—nothing.
A cold voice echoed in everyone's mind.
[Announcement: Marcus Hale has died.]
[Cause: Slain by Level 1 creature — Bloodfang Rabbit]
Silence.
Total, suffocating silence.
No one spoke. No one moved.
A D-rank talent.
A man strong enough to shatter stone with his bare hands.
Gone.
Killed in seconds… by a Level 1 rabbit.
Lucas felt his throat tighten.
Slowly, his hand moved to the blade hidden beneath his jacket.
His grip tightened.
"…So that's how it is."
This wasn't a game.
Not even close.
Out there—
One mistake was all it took