Normally, Raven would wake up feeling sore from sleeping on the cold concrete floor, but today was different.
'Probably the best sleep I've had in years.'
He acknowledged that ever since he had become a slave under the mafia, restful sleep was a luxury far above him.
Every morning started with aches from broken bones, bruises, and untreated injuries. But now, all of that had vanished.
He could only assume it was thanks to the passive healing effect of his Divinity attribute, combined with the Golden apple he had consumed the previous night.
Feeling oddly refreshed, he gulped down the last of his emergency rations, even though he wasn't particularly hungry.
'Time to head out.'
Just as he stepped toward the door, something caught his eye: a strand of white hair, fluttering gently in the air before landing softly on the floor.
He paused. Confused.
He was the only one in the building. And for as long as he could remember, his hair had always been a dark auburn.
Panicked, he quickly reached up, grabbing a handful of his own hair and pulling it in front of his eyes.
To his complete shock, it was no longer brown.
His hair had turned a lustrous, silvery-white, glistening under the faint light present in this building like woven silk. It was also extremely smooth, almost unnaturally so.
"What the…!"
"How is the...
"…possible."
His voice trailed off as he fell into a stunned silence, deep in thought, trying to figure out why this transformation had occurred
Then it hit him—the Golden Apple and the Divine Orb. One or both of them must have been the cause.
He wasn't angry about the change, per se. In fact, the colour looked incredible.
But it was… flashy. Too flashy.
It would draw attention. And that was a problem.
Unfortunately for him, Raven was absolutely right.
As he moved through the streets, heads turned. Some slowed their steps, unable to help themselves.
Once, people had looked at him with disdain, a ragged boy who seemed like he'd crawled out of the sewers.
Now it was the opposite. His silver-white hair caught the light, his features were too sharp and flawless to ignore, and a subtle, majestic aura clung to him like a mantle.
Yet, for all their staring, not a single person could meet his eyes.
'Oh…'
'This is worse than I thought.'
'At least this Intimidation ability seems to be working.'
Rather than feeling bothered, Raven was pleasantly surprised. If anything, he preferred this.
He didn't want people constantly approaching him. Being feared was far more effective than being admired or liked.
Raven pulled his hood lower, ignoring the stares that followed him. Attention was dangerous, but information was worth the risk.
He walked into a local shop, fully expecting the security to stop him. He was wearing the same ragged clothes from before, looking every bit like a homeless man. But the security guard at the entrance didn't even glance twice at him. He even moved aside to let him in.
The truth was, Raven Dmitry was technically homeless. He had no permanent shelter, no money, and no possessions other than what he carried.
He had only entered the shop to check the news broadcast playing on the television mounted next to the till.
Shoppers glanced at him strangely, but none dared to say a word.
Instead, the news anchor's serious tone filled the room.
"The world has been swept into chaos, a storm of awakened individuals known as Players. We don't yet understand the exact reason behind their sudden appearance, but what we do know is this: They are vital for humanity's survival in this age where our planet has merged with Ascension."
The anchor paused, drawing a slow breath before continuing.
"We now have some new information for both civilians and Players regarding their powers and the awakening process."
"According to a source within the government, someone who was lucky enough to awaken gave us the details as to how the process took place."
"First, it seems that the Players were offered the choice to select five attributes from a pool of ten. Based on their selections, they were then assigned a class tailored to those attributes."
Hearing this, Raven's expression froze.
His awakening process had indeed been completely different.
He had expected some kind of variation, given how absurdly strong he was compared to others, but not a difference this significant.
'Was mine... an error in the system?'
He narrowed his eyes, wondering whether he had slipped through some bug in the game-like reality they were in. But he was forced to concentrate on the broadcast as the anchor continued.
"The source went on to explain his choices. The ten attributes he received were: Strength, Dexterity, Mana, Aura, Casting Speed, Stealth, Recovery, Wind element, Healing, and Sword Skill."
"He selected Strength, Sword Skill, Aura, Dexterity, and Recovery, which granted him the 'Swordsman' class. Due to the utility of his chosen attributes, he also managed to perform well in the initial training and reached level 6."
"Haaaah. Why the hell are they bragging about reaching level 6?"
"I'm already level 22."
Raven muttered out loud without thinking. Several people turned to look, but none approached him.
'I wonder what the average level was for everyone that awakened, if level 6 is considered good.'
It was only then that the full realisation struck him: he was not normal. Not even close. He wasn't just ahead of others—he was operating on an entirely different level of reality.
To most, level 6 was impressive.
To him? It was a joke.
"The Russian government has now officially announced the formation of the National Player Association," the anchor went on.
"It will aim to recruit talented Players to lead the charge against the upcoming threats humanity will face. They promise resources and support to help Players grow stronger."
"In addition, dimensional portals similar to the one from a few weeks ago are now opening across the globe, including in Russia. All able-bodied Players and men are to serve under government supervision to ensure national safety."
Raven absorbed the information in silence. It was a lot to process, but he forced himself not to dwell too much on it.
He didn't care much about the government's intention of recruiting players.
Needless to say, Raven had absolutely no intention of working for the government, as not only did he not give two shits about what happened to this god forsaken country, nor its inhabitants
Anyone who could force him to fight for them was no longer alive, and he probably wouldn't hang around here for too long after getting his revenge.
'Why don't I take a trip around the world after all this is over?'
'I do need to find a place to settle down, but staying here will just bring up bad memories.'
He would not serve under anyone.
He would become the strongest on his own terms.
'First, I need revenge.'
That single thought anchored him.
His heart pounded. His blood heated. His fists clenched.
He stormed out of the shop, leaving behind stunned shoppers and dumbfounded employees. On his way out, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a store window.
He stopped briefly.
The face staring back at him… wasn't the one he remembered.
It wasn't the same.
It was better.
He looked like a completely different person, his features now so flawless they bordered on divine. The kind of allure that didn't just turn heads, it froze people in place.
Still, Raven didn't linger on it.
Revenge came first.