Chapter 3: Ascension System Activated
1205 Words
The rain continued falling.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
For several seconds, the entire industrial district remained frozen in silence.
The monster lay motionless inside the crater.
Dead.
Completely crushed by an invisible force.
And every single witness was staring at Grayson Storm.
Grayson swallowed.
"...This is awkward."
The silence remained.
Then chaos erupted.
"HE KILLED IT!"
"Who is that guy?!"
"Get medical teams over here!"
"Secure the portal!"
The military immediately sprang into action.
Soldiers rushed forward.
Scientists began recording everything.
Cameras turned toward Grayson.
And that was exactly when he realized he had a problem.
A very large problem.
Everyone had just seen what he could do.
"Sir, we need you to come with us."
A heavily armed officer approached carefully.
Not aggressively.
Cautiously.
Like someone approaching a dangerous animal.
Grayson raised an eyebrow.
"Am I under arrest?"
"No."
"Then what if I say no?"
The officer hesitated.
"Please don't."
Grayson sighed.
"Fair enough."
Before he could answer further, a strange blue screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
Only he could see it.
ASCENSION SYSTEM
Host: Grayson Storm
Level: 1
Title: The Awakened
Strength: 15
Speed: 13
Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 10
Energy: 15
Ascension Points: 10
Abilities:
� Basic Telekinesis
Grayson's eyes widened.
A floating status screen.
Just like a game.
"Okay, that's definitely new."
The officer blinked.
"Did you say something?"
"Nope."
The officer looked confused.
Grayson was equally confused.
A new notification appeared.
SYSTEM NOTICE
Would Host like a tutorial?
YES / NO
Grayson mentally selected YES.
Immediately, information flooded into his mind.
The sensation nearly knocked him over.
Thousands of images flashed before his eyes.
Ancient battlefields.
Collapsed dimensions.
God-like warriors.
Monsters larger than mountains.
And standing above them all...
A figure sitting upon a throne made from shattered stars.
The Battle Monarch.
Knowledge poured into Grayson's mind.
The Ascension System was older than worlds.
It existed for a single purpose.
To create the strongest warrior possible.
Every host was pushed beyond their limits.
Every challenge made them stronger.
Every victory unlocked new power.
But there was a catch.
The stronger the host became...
The stronger the enemies attracted to them.
Grayson frowned.
"Of course there's a catch."
There was always a catch.
The tutorial continued.
The system granted rewards through:
Quests, Achievements, Combat, Exploration, Growth.
Every action could generate opportunities.
Every challenge could generate power.
The system favored action.
Not hiding.
Not waiting.
Action.
A grin slowly appeared on Grayson's face.
For the first time all night, he felt excited.
Dangerously excited.
Suddenly another notification appeared.
UNIQUE QUEST GENERATED
Become Stronger
Objective: Reach Level 5
Reward: Unknown
Failure: None
Grayson blinked.
"That's surprisingly reasonable."
Before he could think further, a loud explosion echoed nearby.
Everyone turned.
The black portal was becoming unstable.
Lightning erupted from its surface.
The ground shook violently.
Several scientists backed away.
One screamed.
"It's opening again!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Soldiers raised their weapons.
The officer beside Grayson cursed.
"Not again."
A second later, another creature emerged.
This one was different.
Smaller.
Faster.
Far more terrifying.
Its body resembled a giant wolf made of black smoke.
Its eyes glowed crimson.
The monster landed silently.
Then smiled.
Actually smiled.
Several soldiers visibly paled.
The creature spoke.
"Interesting."
Its voice sounded distorted.
Almost unnatural.
"I sensed an awakening."
The entire area froze.
A talking monster.
That was apparently a thing now.
Wonderful.
The creature's gaze slowly shifted toward Grayson.
The smile widened.
"Found him."
WARNING
Threat Detected
Shadow Fang
Threat Rank: E
Recommended Action:
SURVIVE
Grayson stared.
"That's not very encouraging."
The monster vanished.
A sonic boom exploded through the air.
It appeared directly in front of him.
Fast.
Way too fast.
Grayson's instincts screamed.
He threw himself sideways.
Claws sliced through empty air.
The attack shattered concrete.
Dust exploded everywhere.
People screamed.
Soldiers opened fire.
The bullets passed straight through the creature.
Like it was made of smoke.
"Physical attacks ineffective!"
"Fall back!"
"Protect the civilians!"
The Shadow Fang laughed.
Pathetic.
Its body blurred again.
This time heading toward a group of trapped civilians.
Including the little girl Grayson had saved earlier.
Something inside him snapped.
He was tired.
Tired of watching innocent people get hurt.
Tired of feeling powerless.
And now he finally had power.
"Hey."
The monster paused.
Its glowing eyes turned toward him.
Grayson stepped forward.
Rain dripped from his black jacket.
His silver eyes seemed to shine beneath the floodlights.
The monster grinned.
"You wish to die first?"
Grayson smiled.
The expression surprised even himself.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't anger.
It was excitement.
Pure excitement.
"No."
He cracked his knuckles.
"I just realized something."
The monster tilted its head.
"What?"
Grayson's smile widened.
"I think I am loving this."
The system reacted instantly.
PASSIVE TRAIT DISCOVERED
Battle Instinct
The stronger the opponent, the stronger your combat focus becomes.
"That sounds useful."
The Shadow Fang charged.
This time Grayson didn't dodge.
Instead, he reached out with his mind.
The invisible force of his telekinesis erupted.
The creature slammed into an unseen wall.
The impact echoed across the district.
The monster roared.
Shock flashed across its face.
Grayson felt the strain immediately.
Holding it was difficult.
Much harder than before.
This creature was stronger.
Smarter.
More dangerous.
But not unbeatable.
The monster broke free.
The backlash nearly made Grayson stumble.
Its claws slashed forward.
Grayson ducked.
A claw sliced through his jacket.
The creature spun.
Another attack.
Then another.
Then another.
The battle became a blur.
Grayson had never fought before.
Yet somehow his body adapted rapidly.
Each movement became smoother.
More efficient.
Faster.
The system screens began appearing continuously.
Combat Experience Gained
Combat Experience Gained
Combat Experience Gained
Skill Proficiency Increased
The Shadow Fang became frustrated.
"HOW ARE YOU IMPROVING?!"
Grayson grinned.
"Honestly?"
He ducked beneath another strike.
"I have no idea."
Suddenly an idea appeared.
Not from training.
Not from experience.
Instinct.
Pure instinct.
Instead of pushing the creature away...
What if he compressed the force?
Focused it?
Condensed it?
Grayson concentrated.
The invisible energy around his hand tightened.
Compressed.
Shrank.
The air vibrated.
The Shadow Fang sensed danger.
Too late.
Grayson thrust his hand forward.
An invisible shockwave exploded.
BOOM!
The creature was launched across the entire crater.
Its body smashed through three concrete structures before finally stopping.
Everyone stared.
Even Grayson.
NEW SKILL CREATED
Telekinetic Burst
Rare Skill
"Oh."
Grayson blinked.
"You can do that?"
The Shadow Fang slowly rose.
Injured.
Bleeding.
Furious.
But before it could attack again
The portal behind it began collapsing.
Dark energy wrapped around its body.
The creature snarled.
"This is not over, human."
Its crimson eyes locked onto Grayson.
"The Sovereigns will come."
"The Void will awaken."
"And when it does..."
Its smile returned.
"...you will beg for death."
The creature vanished.
The portal imploded.
Silence returned.
A final notification appeared.
QUEST COMPLETED
Defeat Shadow Fang
Rewards:
Level Up
+15 Ascension Points
Enhanced Physique
Skill Upgrade Available
LEVEL UP
Level 2 Reached
For the first time since the meteor fell from the sky...
Grayson understood something important.
This wasn't the end.
It wasn't even the beginning.
It was merely the first page of a story much larger than he could imagine.
And somewhere in the darkness...
Something was waiting for him
- Writer
