Rael woke to sunlight streaming through his window. The delicate rays of the morning. Feeling his body. His core still there.
*After all it wasn't a dream*
"Then, feeling his body, he sensed a change
Something was different.
His body felt... more. Not just stronger
—Denser, as if every cell had been compressed and refined overnight.
Tempered.
He sat up, no morning grogginess, mind crystal clear.
The blue panel materialized by his will.
[Name: Rael Andras
Ability: Reality Bending, ???
Core Density: 180
Energy Purity: 100%
Particle Refinement: First Core - 18%]
*Eighteen percent?*
He blinked, checked again. Yesterday he'd gone to sleep at 8%. Ten percent growth overnight while unconscious.
*That's not normal.*
The fragment in his core pulsed gently, its alien warmth spreading through his body. It had been feeding, absorbing ambient energy while he slept, refining it, adding it to his cultivation.
He stood, testing his body. Every movement felt smoother, more controlled. His mind processed thoughts faster, connections forming that would have taken him minutes now happening in seconds.
*Yesterday's training...*
The memory surfaced clearly. The staff at the training center, their shocked expressions when he'd left after only thirty minutes. Five Dregs defeated. Core Density jumping from 10 to 80 (8% refinement).
Most awakened took weeks to gain what he'd achieved in half an hour.
*I need to be careful.*
Standing out too much meant attention. Attention meant questions. Questions about his ability, his growth rate, the fragment fused with his core.
*Better to hunt in protected areas. Blend in with other newly awakened.*
Rael stood in front of his bedroom mirror, studying his hands. With his mind clearer and his core stronger, he could think about his ability more analytically.
Two applications so far. Transformation—apple to banana. Reality-breaking around my fists. But what else?
He raised his right hand, focusing on the concept of change. Not changing something else, but changing himself. An idea formed.
Claws. Sharp ones.
Purple energy erupted from his core to his right hand fingers, but this time it didn't just surround them—it began reshaping them. Reality bent to his will as his hand transformed, fingernails elongated, thickened, hardened into something far beyond human.
The transformation was grotesque and beautiful simultaneously. His nails stretched into curved talons, each one fifteen centimeters long and wickedly sharp. But these weren't normal claws—they pulsed with the same deep purple energy as his ability, veins of otherworldly light running through them like corrupted circuitry. The surface wasn't smooth but faceted, like crystallized violence, each edge catching light in ways that hurt to look at directly.
When he flexed his fingers, the claws sang—a high, crystalline note that made the air itself shiver. They didn't just look sharp; they looked wrong, as if they existed partially outside normal space. The purple glow intensified near the tips, where reality seemed to fray around them.
They felt like they could cut through anything.
He tested them carefully against his wooden desk. The claws sliced downward, and where they passed, a perfect section simply vanished—not cut, but erased from existence. The desk remained whole except for the thin gap where his claws had traveled, the wood on either side seamlessly meeting as if that section had never existed at all.
*Incredible. It's like reality just... forgets that part was ever there.*
But maintaining the transformation was draining. After thirty seconds, he let the energy dissipate. His fingers returned to normal, but he could still feel the potential there, waiting to be called upon. His energy recovering much faster than before.
*Three applications now. This ability... the possibilities are endless.*
That's with this newfound confidence that he started getting ready for the next step waiting for him.
---
Global Union Awakened Center - Registration Hall
The building was busier in daylight. Hundreds of awakened moving through the lobbies, some in expensive gear, others in basic equipment.
Rael approached the equipment counter. He needed standard gear, nothing that would draw attention.
"First Core equipment is free for newly awakened. Second Core equipment?"
"Ah, planning ahead." The clerk pulled up the catalog.
"Second Core battlesuit—500,000 credits. Energy gun—150,000. Energy sword—150,000."
Rael winced. 800,000 credits total. A significant portion of what Arya had given him over the years.
"I'll take them."
As the transaction processed, he asked with a tone of someone almost depleted of funds, "How do awakened usually make money? Besides military service."
The clerk perked up. "Corrupted treasures. You know about them?"
Rael shook his head.
"When corrupt energy from monsters clashes with world energy, sometimes it creates... anomalies. New plant varieties that shouldn't exist. Liquid pools with unknown properties. Objects that defy natural laws."
The clerk leaned closer, conspiratorial.
"Last week, someone found a flower that glows with seven colors. Sold it for fifty million credits to a research lab. Month before that, a pool of liquid that could enhance weapon energy absorption and make it able to unleash twice more energy than usual. Hundred million credits."
"Where do people find these?"
"Anywhere monsters have been. The energy clash happens randomly. But..." The clerk smiled. "Team hunting in contaminated zones has the best odds. More monsters means more energy interaction."
Team hunting. Perfect way to learn without standing out too much.
"Where do I sign up for that?"
"Training Hall B is more new awakeners. They're always recruiting non-ability awakened for group expeditions and training, most are non ability or low level ability"
---
Training Hall B
The hall smelled of sweat and determination. Groups of awakened practiced formations, comparing equipment, discussing tactics.
"Looking for a team?"
Rael turned. A scarred face, weathered but experienced. The man wore supervisor insignia.
"Yes. New awakened, looking to learn."
The supervisor studied him, and something flickered in his eyes. The way Rael stood, the way he moved—it carried a confidence that didn't match someone who'd just awakened. It reminded him of high-level ability users, that unconscious certainty in their own power.
*Interesting.*
But he kept the observation to himself.
"Name's Six. I lead training expeditions for new awakened. Hunted until late and now it's time to continue. Lost another member." His expression darkened. "Some people realize this life isn't for them."
Behind Six, three familiar faces. The tall dark-skinned man, the Asian woman, the red-haired woman. The blonde man was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's—"
"David quit," the red-haired woman said bitterly. "Said there was no point. Non-ability awakened are just cannon fodder."
"He's not wrong," the tall man muttered.
"He's not right either," Six countered. "Every awakened started weak. Even ability users."
The Asian woman studied Rael. "You're new. First Core?"
"Yes. Looking to join a team."
"Ability or non-ability?" The red-haired woman's tone was curious.
"Ability," Rael said simply. "But nothing flashy. Close combat enhancement type."
The three exchanged glances. At least he had something, unlike them.
"Must be nice," the tall man muttered.
"We leave in an hour," Six said, cutting off potential conflict. "Same area as yesterday for them. You sure you're ready? No emergency stops. No medical stations nearby."
"I understand."
The tall man extended his hand. "Marcus. Not the fire-user one—different Marcus."
"Lin," the Asian woman added.
"Sarah," the red-haired woman said, then paused. "Not the light-user from the news. Also different Sarah."
The naming coincidences would have been funny if the situation wasn't so serious.
"Rael."
"Gear check in thirty minutes," Six instructed. "We'll see what you're made of."
As the group dispersed to prepare, Rael adjusted his new battlesuit. The First Core equipment felt restrictive compared to what his body could actually handle, but it was appropriate for his supposed level.
*Show just enough. The claws will be my ability.*
The fragment pulsed agreement in his core.
Lin approached him while the others were distracted.
"Advice? Don't expect too much from us. We hunted for four hours yesterday. Killed three Dregs total. Without abilities, the essence absorption... it barely works."
"Why keep going then?"
She smiled sadly. "Because the alternative is being prey. At least this way, we're trying. You're lucky to have an ability, even if it's just close combat enhancement."
Rael nodded, understanding her struggle.
Inside, his core hummed with power that could probably match all three of them combined. The Reality Bending waiting to be unleashed. The fragment constantly feeding him energy.
But they didn't need to know the full truth.
"We should stick together," Lin continued. "Those of us at First Core need to support each other."
"Agreed."
Six called them back, his eyes lingering on Rael for a moment. Then quickly at the rest.
"Teleportation array activates in ten minutes. Remember—we're not heroes. We're survivors. The goal is to grow stronger, not die gloriously."
The group gathered their equipment. Basic weapons. Minimal supplies. The bare minimum for survival.
Rael stood among them, his claw transformation ready to be revealed as his "ability"—a simple close combat enhancement that would explain his effectiveness without revealing Reality Bending.
None of them noticed the purple energy that occasionally flickered deep in his eyes.
None of them felt the fragment's pulse.
His true power remained hidden, exactly as he intended.