[SSS-Tier: Essence Reap]
[Allows the user to harvest the "existential essence" of anything they have defeated, faced, or claimed—whether it be living creatures, legendary artifacts, ancient constructs, magical phenomena, or even abstract concepts. The essence gained may take the form of raw energy, attributes, memories, special effects, or natural laws that shaped the target]
Eryon's heartbeat went wild.
Not from fear—but from an ecstasy that nearly made him lose control.
SSS-tier.
Essence Reap, a rare power standing at the peak of the pyramid.
This wasn't just a power to steal what the enemy possessed. It was far more than that.
He could absorb—no, reap—anything that carried existential value.
Whether it was strength, memory, or even abstract concepts like "courage" or "hatred."
Everything was a resource.
Eryon suppressed a smile and the storm building in his chest. He lowered his head slightly, pretending to examine the ground.
He couldn't afford to stand out. Not now.
All around him, the crowd erupted. Cheers, laughter, emotional shouts—it was a chaotic blend.
Most of them were proudly broadcasting their talents into the air, like it was some kind of festival.
"I got D-Tier! Weapon Mastery, bro! I can use all weapons, hahaha!"
"Mine's E-tier, double physical strength! Not bad!"
"Sharp Fists, E-class. Pretty okay."
"HAHAHA! Fire Control! D-Tier! I'm basically a firebender now, bitches!"
"...I got F-tier. Homecook. Cooking? This world is insane!"
"F-tier here too... Sprinting. Just running fast. For escaping? Fuck off!"
Talents had become the new currency. In a single minute, the world had changed.
A new hierarchy was born from an algorithm they didn't understand.
And the worst part?
People were reckless. Showing off their powers like there were no consequences. As if this world were a playground, not a hunting zone.
Eryon wasn't that foolish.
No celebration. No wide grin. Just eyes that analyzed, and a hand stroking his chin.
If there was one lesson from the old world, it was this:
The strongest are usually hunted first.
And sometimes, the enemy didn't come in the form of monsters.
But in the face of a human… with a smile that was far too friendly.
At that exact moment, a light tap on his shoulder made his body tense up.
Instinct kicked in, and he spun around fast.
A young man stood there. Around the same age, clean face, neat hair, calm smile.
His hands were raised, showing he wasn't armed.
"Whoa, chill. I'm not a threat, man," he said casually. "Just saying hi. Thought maybe we could watch each other's backs."
Eryon stared hard at him. Analyzing tone, posture, expression. Then gave a slight nod.
"...You're too calm for someone who just got thrown into a foreign world," he said flatly.
The young man chuckled. "Heh, maybe. But if this is a game world... I'm not trying to be the character who dies in episode one."
"And usually, the overly friendly one dies in episode two," Eryon replied flatly.
The guy burst out laughing. "Touché. Name's Vallen. Vallen Marek."
"Eryon."
"Hm. Cool name. Alright, Eryon. We both know people here will split into two groups: those who panic, and those trying to profit off the chaos. Which one do we wanna be?"
Eryon raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to form an alliance?"
"More like... feel things out first," said Vallen. "But if we click, why not?"
"And you think I'd agree?"
"Hey, that weird system said there'd be monsters. No harm in having someone to watch your back."
"I prefer being alone."
Vallen sighed. "Fair enough, I won't push it. Btw, what's your talent?"
Eryon paused for a second. "E-tier. Physical Enhancement."
Vallen nodded. "E-tier, huh. That's one of the more common ones. At least you won't get ostracized."
"I got D-tier myself. Iron Fist." He clenched his right hand.
His skin turned metallic—shiny silver.
Eryon observed the change. It was real. All of it.
This wasn't a dream. Not VR. For 25 years, he'd lived as a normal human.
And now… fantasy stuff had become reality.
"All right, see you around, Eryon."
Vallen grinned before walking away.
Eryon watched his back for a moment.
People like Vallen—friendly, confident, sociable—would easily gather followers.
But that wasn't the path Eryon chose.
He shook his head slightly and began walking through the crowd.
Most were still busy showing off.
The D-tier fire user already had a small fan club, mostly girls.
Just then, a new hologram appeared before everyone.
[1000 individuals in Village 1134 have awakened their talents. Congratulations!]
The hologram flickered and disappeared. A wave of groans and curses erupted almost instantly—especially from those stuck with F-tier talents, their frustration boiling over into loud complaints about how unfair the whole system was.
But that was just human nature.
People never feel it's fair when fortune doesn't favor them. Satisfaction is a luxury reserved for the lucky.
Eryon's curiosity grew.
He opened the public chat feature. It wasn't clear whether this was global chat or a cluster of villages like "servers" in a video game.
[...damn, someone just awakened an SS-tier skill. What was his name again?]
[Victor, they said. Magnetic Manipulation. Dude's become Magneto. Is he gonna form the X-Men or what?]
[Fuck, how can someone be that lucky? I also saw someone with an S-tier. Solar Flame. And me? Fucking E-tier!]
[I wonder if this system's karma-based? Like, sinners get bad talents? And vice versa?]
[System said it's purely random]
[But still…]
He'd only opened one tab, and already names of strong people were circulating.
Victor, Magnet Manipulator. Solar Flame. S-tier, SS-tier.
But what they didn't know…
Was that a random guy named Eryon had awakened an SSS-tier skill.
And he wasn't going to let anyone find out.
Just then, another hologram appeared:
[BEGINNER TRIAL STARTING SOON! CHOOSE THE WEAPON YOU DESIRE.]
Five options appeared:
[Sword] [Dagger] [Spear] [Hammer] [Bow]
The crowd exploded again. This time, everyone scrambled to choose.
Eryon thought fast. He'd never held a weapon… except a pistol.
Just your standard American stuff.
For now, he needed range. Quick kills.
Using Essence Reap to harvest his enemies' power.
Then slowly level up. Take on bigger risks.
His gaze landed on one choice: [Spear]
After a few seconds of consideration, he tapped it.
Golden light burst out. A spear dropped from the sky, landing upright in the ground.
It was longer than his body—two meters—with a blade that gleamed sharply.
Eryon gripped it.
Most people chose swords or daggers. Very few picked spears or bows.
Just as he was scanning the surroundings, another announcement flashed:
[WITHIN 7 DAYS, REACH LEVEL 10. THOSE WHO FAIL WILL BE TERMINATED AUTOMATICALLY]
Silence blanketed the village.
[YOU CAN GAIN LEVELS BY KILLING MONSTERS, BEASTS, OR MAGICAL ENTITIES TO OBTAIN XP AND ITEM DROPS]
[YOU MAY NOW LEAVE THE BEGINNER VILLAGE. RETURN ANYTIME YOU WISH]
[GOOD LUCK]
And with that…
The real game began.