The day started with bad news.
A swarm of lower-ranked monsters had been detected in one of the outlying zones of Seivaliria. They weren't strong individually—but the sheer number of them made this more than just a random outbreak.
I felt something stir inside me the moment I heard the report. A memory? A glimpse of something beyond this life. It didn't matter. What I knew for sure was this: Seivaliria stood at the heart of a massive enclosed nation, protected by towering defensive barriers that formed a complete ring. Outside these walls lay four vast districts, each serving as both resource zones and buffer lands.
North—Felsun.
South—Marraheim.
West—Kaelthorn.
East—Yurasha.
Our current operation was taking place in the western lands—Kaelthorn. According to the scouts, the monsters were already nearing a small village. We didn't have time to waste.
"Everyone, gather up," Alisa commanded. Her voice cut through the tension like a blade.She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small dark-blue bead, and without hesitation, crushed it underfoot.
A complex magic circle appeared on the ground, glowing with a strange, pulsing light.
"A one-use teleportation artifact," she said. "You have one minute. It'll take us exactly 100 meters from the village, close enough to intervene but far enough not to get ambushed on arrival."
Alisa's tone was sharp—serious. "Once we're there, don't expect my help. This is your test."
Everyone nodded. We understood.
In less than sixty seconds, the magic circle flared—and we were gone.
The moment we reappeared, we heard them. Screams. Cries for help. The village was under attack.
Something was different. My body felt stronger—more responsive. Ever since the awakening ceremony, all of us had noticed improvements, especially those of us who trained physically instead of relying on magic. My muscles moved like coiled springs. My heartbeat was steady, focused.
We took off, feet pounding against the earth.
And then—I saw them.
Monsters.
They were roughly human-sized, but grotesque. Black, oozing liquid covered their bodies, dripping thick and slow onto the ground. They had no faces—only smooth, featureless masks where eyes and mouths should've been. Their arms ended in long, sharpened blades that glistened with a sick sheen.
No trace of thought. Only raw instinct—primal hunger and violence.
One of them appeared behind me, swinging silently. I didn't hesitate. I dodged, pivoted, and severed its head with a clean slash.
The battle had begun.
All around me, my peers fought with everything they had. I joined them, cutting through the horde with smooth, practiced strikes. To be honest—it was almost too easy. They were slow, predictable, weak. I was faster, sharper, better.
But there were too many.
Upon death, they left glowing cores—essence spheres radiating wild, untamed power. These spheres held condensed energy that was used to raise a person's fundamental power rank. Alisa had explained everything before teleporting us: we were each given a small enchanted ring. After each kill, we had to use the ring to open a small spatial portal and place the core inside, preventing disputes and theft.
I cut through, killed, stored the essence, and repeated the process.
Eventually, the battlefield grew quieter. Fewer monsters. Fewer screams.
Had we done it?
I started to relax—until I saw her.
A young girl. Maybe ten years old. Pale skin, long light-brown hair, violet eyes wide with terror. She stumbled out of a burning house.
Behind her—another monster. It was too close. Already mid-swing.
Too far for me to reach in time.
Alisa wouldn't interfere. This was up to me.
So I acted.
I sheathed my katana, closed my eyes, and released my doubts. I focused every sense I had. Every fiber. Every instinct. The world slowed. I felt the wind, the tension in my calves, the weight of my weapon.
At the last possible second, I drew.
A blade of wind erupted from the katana's edge, slicing through the monster's arm.
But it didn't stop. It readied another strike.
I gritted my teeth and dashed forward, pouring all my strength into my legs. The backlash from my previous attack burned through my muscles. I could feel something tear—but I didn't stop.
I reached the creature just as it raised its bladed limb again.
And I sliced through the monster, my strike cutting cleanly through its neck.
The monster fell. I dropped to my knees, fighting not to lose consciousness.
Blood trickled from my nose, my ears, even my eyes. My whole body trembled—veins bulging, nerves screaming. I couldn't breathe. Could barely move.
But the girl was alive.
She stared at me, then suddenly burst into tears and hugged me tightly. "I'll do anything you ask… anything," she whispered.
I didn't respond. I didn't need anything. I just needed to save her.
I lifted her into my arms and used my katana like a cane, dragging myself forward step by painful step, away from the village. Memories of my previous life came flooding back—of the old body that used to move like this. Was it nostalgia?
We found the other rescued villagers huddled together. I handed the girl off to them.
That's when I felt it.
A sudden pressure. A killing intent.
I turned just in time to block an incoming strike—protecting the girl with my body.
More monsters?
No.
One.
It stepped out of the shadows. Same size. Same form. But this one was… different. Its face was white. Smiling. Its arms writhed like serpents, reshaping mid-air.
I knew instantly.
Awakened rank.
And it had intelligence.
We had to hold out.
One of my teammates used a second teleportation bead.In one minute, the saved villagers would be moved to our training base. Until then—we had to hold the line.
The monster lunged forward, its snake-like limbs shooting toward the civilians.
I took the hits with my body.
Not lethal—but close.
My teammates joined the fight. We attacked together, but it adjusted instantly—its limbs bending mid-trajectory, swerving like vipers. It knocked us all away.
Fifteen seconds left.
I stood again, barely. My entire body screamed with pain. Muscles overstrained. Vision blurred. Heart pounding like a war drum.
But I could still feel.
I could still fight.
Pain pierced through me, yet I stayed conscious.
I resisted with all my strength.
The monster attacked, and I blocked as best as I could.
But I took several hits to my body, new wounds appeared, and the bleeding grew heavier.
Every move hurt. But I kept standing.
People watched—praying, crying, hoping.
I didn't know why. I didn't want their pity. Just their safety.
My vision failed. I could no longer see. Then—
A sharp pain.
It had pierced my gut.
I collapsed.
He jumped toward the villagers, anticipating their end.
But I wasn't finished.
I stood. One final swing. The monster dodged—as I expected.
And the civilians vanished in a flash of light.
Teleportation—complete.
I collapsed completely, blood soaking the ground.
The monster roared fiercely and struck with full force—
but at that very moment, Alisa appeared.
She blocked the incoming strikes effortlessly. The monster hesitated—then tried to flee.
Too late.
She was behind it in an instant.
It stopped moving, confused, and looked down at its body.
It was already dead—sliced into dozens of pieces.
Alisa turned to me.
"Rest. I'll handle the rest."
Then… darkness.
I woke up in the medical bay. Alisa was beside me, asleep in a chair, her head resting near my arm.
I gently touched her hair and breathed in its scent. It was… soft. And smelled faintly of flowers.
She stirred, eyes fluttering open.
"Are you... touching and smelling my hair?" she asked sleepily.
"It's not what you think," I replied nervously.
"Oh? Then what is it?" she asked, laughing.
I paused, lowered my head, and said,
"Exactly what you think it is," I admitted. "But I swear, no bad intentions."
She sighed, half-annoyed, half-amused. "I'm glad you're alive."
Then—she handed me a glowing orb.
The Awakened monster's essence core.
"You earned it," she said simply.
I didn't argue.
After she left, I lay in silence. Everyone else was outside, helping the villagers I had saved.
I pulled out the rest of my stored cores—one by one—and began absorbing them.
Touching them worked. Each took about a minute.
But then—I tried swallowing one.
The taste was revolting. The sensation, even worse.
But it worked instantly. No delay.
I swallowed all the lower-ranked cores. Then, finally—the Awakened one's core.
As soon as I swallowed it, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through me, and my body felt like it was burning from within. My heart nearly stopped. But I endured.
Did I rank up?
No.
Alisa explained that the Novice rank was crucial.
It determines your Path Attribute — the one I chose, for example, my Swordmaster Path.
Attributes can be elements like Light, Shadow, Fire, Ice, and many others.
I felt nothing.
No affinity.
But then—I saw it.
A faint thread of essence connected to my katana.
I grasped the hilt—and I understood.
The sword was absorbing power with me. Evolving with me. Half of every essence I took—went to it.
And that was fine.
Because this sword… was part of me.
My body had transformed—stronger, faster, and more resilient. I felt reborn.
I didn't need more rest.
But I closed my eyes anyway.
Not because I was tired.
But because I had made a choice.
From now on, I would be the one to give second chances—just like I was given mine.