It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Straining against the roar of agony, Sonny gritted his teeth, desperately trying to resist. He had mentally prepared himself for this… or at least, that's what he wanted to believe. But the pain surged with such intensity that holding back his scream was impossible, any attempt to do so threatened to shatter his mind.
Completely unprepared, something vile began to course through him, starting from his stomach and clawing its way outward.
The substance spared no part of his body. It burned, an inferno from within that tore through muscle, sinew, and bone. Organs writhed as if alive, blood vessels split under the relentless pressure, and every nerve felt as though it were being scorched. His body convulsed violently, wracked by an unholy force that seemed intent on dismantling him from the inside out.
If the young man hadn't been restrained to the bed, he would have collapsed onto the ground and squirm like a dying insect.
It was hell.
He screamed with a voice no longer wholly his own. It reverberated through the chamber, the very air trembling beneath the force of his anguish. His vision blurred, and the edges of reality rippled, flickering as though the world recoiled from what was unfolding.
Then, in the heart of the torment, a sudden clarity broke through. Within the storm of pain, he sensed something stirring; it was alien, yet unhostile. It was neither agony nor relief. His soul felt as if it were being roused from a long slumber, infused with a strange, burgeoning energy.
Rather than originating from an external source, the energy emerged from within, as though it had always lain dormant, waiting to awaken.
In the next instant, it began to circulate, washing away the lingering pain. Sonny's emotions sharpened, his thoughts grew clearer, and soon his body responded as well. From the center of his chest, a miniature star ignited, sending waves of heat outward — first to his stomach and shoulders, then down his arms and legs, until even his hands and feet pulsed with its radiance.
Under that blazing current, his bones, muscles, organs, and blood vessels were torn down and rebuilt anew. It was as if he were being reborn, becoming stronger, faster and much more healthier than before.
With each passing moment, the transformation deepened, repeating in cycles that stretched on for months. At last, the star within him cooled, giving way to a soothing coldness. That chill swept through Sonny's body, stripping away every ache and discomfort, even those buried by years of wear.
Finally, the cold rose higher, into his brain, and then into his eyes.
He saw... within his vision, he saw something strange.
'W-What... what is this place?'
Souny found himself suspended in an endless black void glittering with a myriad of radiant stars. Between them stretched innumerable threads of silver light, woven into a vast and intricate web, forming nexuses and constellations too complex to fully comprehend.
The sight was breathtaking.
But it was also deeply uncanny. Somehow, Sonny understood he was gazing upon the inner workings of the Black Mire. He didn't know how, perhaps it was only a hallucination, born of his current state as he lay bound to a bed.
But then again, who on Earth could truly fathom the mysteries of the Black Mire?
And that very same unfathomable structure seemed to be reaching out to him, seeking to form a connection.
'How quaint. Why does it feel like a web of programming and codes?'
The vibe he was getting from this space was purely artificial like someone had thrown a bunch of 1's and 0's about in an organized format. Even the strands looked organic, resembling... no, they were circuits in a colossal processor disguised as constellations.
The sensation deepened. Data — if that's what it was — seemed to hum all around him, vibrating in silent patterns. His thoughts brushed against one of the threads, and in that instant, his skull rang with alien echoes. Words, numbers, fragments of languages he could not recognize, all interlacing in a torrent of meaning.
A subtle tremor rippled through the lattice, like a plucked string, and Sonny realized... no, knew that it was responding to his presence.
Following that, a murmur whispered across the void:
[Your awakening has been completed. Prepare to receive your boon.]
[Unlocking dormant powers…]
'Here goes nothing,' Sonny thought in anticipation.
He was nervous.
Truly, anyone would be in his position. His role within the Tower of Worms would be decided by the unique characteristics of the ability he awakened. Every Esper possessed only one ability, and from that single root, their progression determined how it evolved, growing stronger, gaining new aspects, and becoming more practical with each stage.
For instance, a combat Esper might begin barely able to enhance a weapon or their own body. But upon advancement, their ability could expand to empower both, eventually granting impenetrable defenses or unstoppable strikes that no one could evade.
That was what made Espers so frightening; their potential to evolve into beings wielding powers that defied physics, mathematics, and the very structure of the world.
[Mythic Ability acquired.]
[Mythic Ability Name: Flatten.]
Flatten?
Sonny frowned. The name stirred something an echo of familiarity he couldn't quite place. He was certain he had heard of an ability like this before, but the memory eluded him.
'Never mind. More importantly, how do I check my information? A mental command should be enough… right?'
Remembering all those popular webtoons with the same theme, Sonny thought of the words 'status,' 'window' and 'system.' One of them seemed to have done the job because a red interface soon entered within his vision.
His eyes brightened.
'Yes. It worked! Now let's see what I have.'
Excited, he began to read his displayed information:
| Name: Nightingale
| Soul Slate: Black
| Fables: –
| Authorities: –
| Attributes: [Perception], [Tenacity], [Marksman]
| Mythic Ability: [Flatten]
Looking at the system interface, Sonny nodded in understanding. Not that he had been expecting too much. Newly awakened Espers were relatively weak, so there was no need for him to feel disappointed with the results.
Instead, he studied each of his attributes one by one.
Perception Attribute Description: [You can "read" hidden details with your eyes, analyse enemy movements, and resist illusions or sorcery that tamper with your senses.]
Tenacity Attribute Description: [Your body is sturdy and enduring, able to withstand heavy blows and resist pain.]
Marksman Attribute Description: [You are adept with all long-range weapons and can strike with deadly accuracy.]
'So these are my attributes, huh?'
Everything was straightforward.
The status window was divided into four tabs: Fables, Authorities, Attributes, and Mythic Ability.
Fables were the weapons granted to Espers by the Tower. Attributes represented passive abilities tied to an Esper's natural traits, while Mythic Ability was self-explanatory. The only unclear part was Authority, he had no idea what it signified. Perhaps it was a special parameter, but for now, he lacked any information.
From what he could see, there were three attributes in total. Perception governed his awareness of objects and movements. Tenacity reinforced his durability and resistance to pain. Marksman sharpened his skill with ranged weapons.
In other words, his role was clear; he was an "Archer."
Some might have been disappointed, but Sonny felt relieved.
There was no such thing as an omnipotent type.
Nobody could excel at everything, and no role was absolute. In one-on-one combat, the chance of being injured was at least fifty percent and far higher against a stronger or more experienced foe.
By contrast, fighting from a distance allowed freedom: the ability to strike safely and retreat when things turned dire. Against Chaos Creatures, that was both convenient and essential.
Though this meant that he would be at a disadvantage at close quarters combat, he did not mind.
With that in mind, Sonny decided to read the last and most important part of his information:
Mythic Ability: [Flatten]
Mythic Rank: Divine †
Mythic Description: [You can flatten small objects into a two-dimensional state.]