The first twenty-four hours carved the world into before and after.
When the final second of the countdown struck, the crimson sky shattered like glass, releasing rain that glittered silver before fading into mist. The monsters vanished. Silence settled across Seoul—a silence far heavier than any storm.
The survivors crawled out from basements, broken apartments, and shattered subway tunnels. The city they knew was gone. Roads split open with glowing cracks, and fragments of strange metal jutted out like alien roots.
And above all of it, faintly glowing in the sky—
[Awakener System: Active][Top 10 Global Ranking – Hidden Until the End of the First Cycle.][Regional Ranking: Seoul District – Hidden.]
No one knew who the first awakener was.
No one except Evelyn Park.
7:00 A.M. — 25 Hours After the Awakening
Her small two-story house stood almost untouched, surrounded by a faint golden barrier. The neighbors whispered about it. They thought it was divine protection or government tech.
Evelyn didn't correct them.
Her system pulsed quietly whenever someone passed the gate, detecting their faint aura. Many had awakened with random skills: a man who could conjure sparks, a nurse with healing hands, a boy who could sense monsters underground.
She helped them, one by one.
Treated their wounds. Fed them warm porridge from her enchanted rice cooker. Strengthened their tools with her Crafting Skill.
And every action brought another whisper.
"That woman… she fixed my broken arm in minutes.""The monsters can't even approach her garden.""Is she… one of the Awakened?"
Evelyn smiled but never answered. She wore gloves to hide the faint marks glowing along her skin—the symbol of the Life Artisan Class, which now resembled living roots pulsing faintly under her veins.
Her Secret Sanctuary
By the third day, her home had transformed.
The once-ordinary backyard became a shimmering greenhouse, filled with luminescent herbs and healing fruit trees. Her garden skill allowed her to cultivate Life Essence Plants, capable of curing poison, fatigue, and even regenerating lost stamina.
Her system expanded new tabs daily—
[Crafting Menu: Fortified Gear / Purified Food / Energy Elixirs][Skill Fusion Available][Passive Activated: Aura of Restoration Lv.MAX]
The city outside rotted in chaos, but inside her perimeter, everything grew.
Still, she lived quietly. She never broadcasted her identity, never used her name when joining survivor groups for trading.
The world was obsessed with finding the Top 10 Global Awakeners—the mythical figures rumored to have saved cities, burned armies of monsters, or rebuilt nations overnight.
But their data was locked.
[Global Top 10 – Restricted until the 1st Cycle ends.][Estimated Time Remaining: 89 Days.]
Rumors spread—some said the first awakener was an emperor from the East; others believed it was a scientist, or a soldier blessed by the gods.
No one suspected the quiet woman tending herbs in a ruined Seoul district.
The New World
By the end of the first week, governments had collapsed, replaced by guilds and factions. Each one revolved around their strongest awakener:
The Ardent Flame Guild – led by Jinwoo Han, the first known Fire Mage, ranked 11th globally.
The Valkyrie Order – formed by ex-military awakeners, boasting the strongest knight class user, Captain Rina Seo.
The Raven Shadows – assassins and scouts controlling the black market and ruins.
The Horizon Union – scholars and healers trying to study the System.
Evelyn had ties with none of them.
Yet all of them unknowingly benefitted from her work—because her crafted items and medicine began spreading in secret through trade caravans under a false label:Maker Unknown: "E.P."
Her bandages healed wounds twice as fast. Her elixirs restored mana instantly. Her talismans repelled monsters.
She didn't seek recognition. She just wanted people to live.
But Peace Never Lasts
On the fourteenth night, the sky darkened again. A faint ringing echoed across the city—like a bell announcing judgment.
[Warning: The Second Wave Will Begin in 7 Days.][System Update: New Classes Available.][Dungeons Detected – Gates Forming Across All Major Cities.]
The survivors panicked. Guilds prepared for battle. The ranking board began to flicker with partial data.
For a brief second—only a few caught it—a name glowed at the very top before vanishing again.
[#1 – ??? | Class: Life Artisan | Power Rating: SSS+]
And those who saw it began whispering about a ghostly woman living in District 13, surrounded by eternal light and unwithering flowers.
Evelyn Park
She sat by the window that night, a small pot of lilies beside her, sipping tea brewed with Life Essence Leaves. Her body still ached from overusing her crafting magic, but her mind was calm.
The system screen floated quietly in front of her eyes.
[Level: 59][Title: Goddess of Life Skill][Hidden Title: First Awakener – Unrevealed][Skill Tree: Full Mastery Achieved][Next Quest: Prepare for the Second Wave.]
Outside, the world was burning, rebuilding, and believing in heroes.Inside her house, the first awakener—hidden from all—was simply tending her plants.
And yet, even she knew this peace was only temporary.Because every time she closed her eyes, she could feel something calling—a deeper part of the System, waiting to awaken again.
[Hidden Path: Creation Tree – Stage 2 Unlocked.][New Quest: "Birth of Civilization."]
Evelyn looked up. The stars blinked like living eyes.A faint smile crossed her lips.
"Alright," she murmured softly. "Let's see how far this can go."