The moment my feet struck the dirt path, I couldn't hold myself back any longer. My body felt light, almost weightless, as though every step carried me further than it should. The wind rushed past my cheeks in fierce currents, the world blurring at the edges as if it couldn't keep up with me. For the first time, I felt truly alive, each breath burning in my lungs yet invigorating, urging me onward.
By the time I reached the wooden steps of our home, my heart thundered in my chest. I slowed, forcing myself to calm the reckless rhythm inside me. One mistake now—one loud sound, one misstep—and my parents might catch me. Not that they would scold me harshly, but… this was something I wanted to experience alone.
I pressed my ear against the door. Silence. No creak of floorboards, no muffled voices drifting from inside. I pushed the door open gently, slipping into the familiar warmth of the house. My eyes swept the interior once, twice—empty. Relief bloomed in my chest.
I shut the door softly behind me, and then, unable to restrain myself, bolted for my room. The floor seemed to vanish beneath me as I dashed down the narrow hall, the anticipation pounding louder than my footsteps. Throwing myself onto my bed, I stared at the ceiling for a moment, panting. My whole body trembled—not from exhaustion, but from the overwhelming tide of excitement threatening to burst free.
"Calm down… calm down…" I whispered to myself, pressing a hand over my chest as if I could slow the hammering heartbeat.
This was it. The moment I had been waiting for.
I drew in a steady breath, then another, and finally, in a voice trembling with anticipation, I spoke the word.
"Status."
The silence of the room shattered.
A brilliant flash of pale blue and white surged before my eyes, filling my vision completely. I gasped, half from surprise, half from awe, as the shimmer faded into something solid.
Before me floated a translucent blue screen, faintly glowing in the dim light of my room. The surface was simple, almost austere, yet… unique. Intricate lines of deep purple traced across the edges, curling into designs I couldn't recognize. They weren't part of the descriptions in any book I'd read. Ancient, unfamiliar, yet undeniably powerful. For a brief moment, I wondered if this screen belonged only to me—something singular.
But the thought was fleeting, because my attention was immediately dragged to the words etched upon it.
And when I read them, my jaw fell open.
[Name – Alex
Age – 4 years
Physique – Mid F
Mind – Low E
Mana Core – Mid F
Potential – Divine
Elemental Affinities – Light (High), Fire (Peak), Lightning (Divine)
Skills – Space-time Body (#*#"F), Weapon Mastery (SS), Comprehension (SSS), Lightning God Descent (Divine)
Techniques – Mana Absorbing (Common) – Advanced]
I stared, unblinking, rereading every line as though my mind refused to accept what was right in front of me. My throat went dry.
Divine.
The word appeared not once, but twice. Once under potential. Once under affinity. My entire body tingled, a chill racing down my spine. In all the books I had read, in all the knowledge my parents had shared with me, there was nothing—nothing—that spoke of a child possessing Divine-level potential at birth.
Potential determined the ceiling, the very limit of how far someone could grow. Most people were lucky if they reached A-rank. S-rank was considered the domain of legends. But Divine…
Was there even a ceiling to such a rank?
My eyes darted further down the list. Lightning affinity—Divine. Fire at peak, light at high. It was absurd. Unreal.
"This isn't… normal," I whispered to myself, voice shaking.
Then came the skills. My pulse skipped a beat as I read them again. Weapon Mastery—SS. Comprehension—SSS. And then, like a thunderclap splitting the sky, the final one.
Lightning God Descent (Divine).
My hands trembled as I reached for the screen, though my fingers passed through the glowing letters without resistance. My breath quickened, chest tightening. This… this wasn't just a cheat. This was a declaration. A statement carved into my very being.
I wasn't merely talented. I wasn't simply gifted. I was… chosen.
Memories of my previous life flickered in my mind. The dull office days. The average existence. The mediocrity I had resigned myself to. And then—the lightning. The strike that ended everything, only to thrust me into this world.
A shiver ran through me. Could it be… that lightning wasn't mere chance? That it had branded me with this fate, this destiny?
I closed my eyes, steadying myself. The excitement, the fear, the weight of what I had just learned—it all threatened to overwhelm me. My body shook, not with weakness, but with anticipation so strong it bordered on pain.
At last, I opened my eyes, forcing myself to take in the screen one more time. Every word glowed with power, with promise.
I exhaled slowly, a grin spreading across my face despite the storm raging within.
"My story… starts here."