[Aethermark Interface]
Name: Ethan Cross
Rank: E (Forsaken)
Level: 1 (Novice)
Ability Limit: 1 (Unlocked: 100+)
Abilities: [None]
Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts
Meta Essence: 1/10
-----
Ethan's Aethermark Interface flickered into view before him, the transparent holographic display casting a dim glow across the cave walls.
His eyes gleamed slightly, reacting to the activation of his status screen.
But his focus locked onto the new addition—Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts.
Innate Talent? That wasn't supposed to be part of the system.
Heroes had abilities, but an Innate Talent wasn't something included in the Aethermark Interface. It was unheard of. His chest rose and fell as he steadied himself, pushing aside his shock.
After a moment, he tapped on the talent, and a new information window materialized before him.
[Innate Talent: Sanctum of Beasts]
A unique domain accessible only to the user.
Upon activation, the user is transported into a separate dimension, a hunting ground where they can slay beasts to acquire abilities.
Each slain beast grants an Ability Fragment to the user.
Abilities acquired in the Sanctum do not require Meta Essence to cultivate.
Abilities gained in the Sanctum immediately reach 'Peak Mastery,' reducing Meta Essence consumption by 99%.
Time is completely frozen in reality while the user is inside.
Entry Limit: 100 Uses Remaining.
Ethan's heartbeat accelerated.
A personal hunting dimension? A way to acquire 100 abilities instantly? No need for cultivation?
His mind reeled at the implications. Normally, heroes had to cultivate abilities—a slow, tedious process requiring Meta Essence. The longer one cultivated, the stronger the ability became. The Ability Evolution Path followed a strict order:
Common → Uncommon → Rare → Epic → Legendary → Mythic → Divine
And yet… there was a restriction.
A Novice (Level 1) could never cultivate a Divine ability. It was impossible.
But Sanctum of Beasts ignored that rule entirely.
Not only would he gain 100 abilities without spending a single drop of Meta Essence, but each one would start at Peak Mastery—a level of control that even veteran heroes took years to attain.
With Peak Mastery, ability energy consumption would drop by 99%, allowing him to fight longer without exhausting his Meta Essence reserves.
And the entry limit? 100 uses.
Ethan's lips parted as a shaky exhale escaped him.
"This… this is my golden finger."
It wasn't just broken—it was game-breaking.
No one in the world would be able to contend with him.
His grip on the Striker-V1 tightened. He was still just Level 1, but with 100 abilities in his arsenal, level restrictions wouldn't even matter.
Without hesitation, he activated the talent.
The world around him shattered.
Colors bled away, leaving everything in muted, lifeless gray, as if time itself had frozen. A heavy pressure pressed down on his shoulders, an invisible force that seemed to crush the air from his lungs.
A deep, low hum reverberated through his body—not a sound, but a sensation, rattling him to his core.
Then—distortion.
A pulse of energy rippled through reality, and suddenly, everything fractured.
The ground beneath him shattered into floating shards of black glass, suspended in the void. His vision blurred as something unseen yanked him inward, dragging him through the abyss.
His body twisted and folded, spinning through an endless tunnel of golden glyphs and shadowy mist. Symbols of ancient power flashed past him faster than his mind could process. The pressure built up until—
Light exploded.
Ethan gasped sharply, his feet landing firmly on solid ground. His vision swam as he adjusted to his new surroundings.
He stood atop a circular stone platform, glowing faintly with an ethereal blue light before dimming into silence.
Around him, four towering stone arches loomed over the altar, ancient yet unbroken. Their surfaces were engraved with unknown runes that seemed to whisper as he looked at them.
Beyond the altar, the world stretched into an endless plain. The terrain was a grassland, with massive rock formations jutting out the ground—eroded statues of forgotten deities.
Above him, the sky was a deep twilight, neither day nor night, with two colossal moons hanging in the heavens, their silver glow casting an eerie luminescence across the land.
Ethan took a slow breath.
He felt lighter—and when he looked down, he realized why.
His battle armor was gone.
His Striker-V1? Gone.
Instead, he wore a sleek, black long-sleeve shirt, snug against his form like a combat suit.
His legs were covered in ash-colored Taki pants, flexible yet durable, and wrapped around his waist was a dark scarf, fluttering slightly despite the still air.
On his feet? Black loafers. Completely impractical for battle.
And in his right hand?
A dagger.
A simple, worn blade with a blackened steel edge, barely a foot long.
Ethan stared at it, his grip tightening in frustration.
"You've got to be kidding me."
No armor. No guns. No advanced weaponry.
How was he supposed to hunt monsters with just a dagger?
Before his irritation could settle, a new interface materialized before him. But this wasn't the usual Aethermark Interface.
[Sanctum Interface]
Welcome to Zone 1 of the Sanctum: The Riftborn Expanse.
Zone 1 Beasts:
Horned Skervel – A rabbit-like beast with a single spiraling horn, known for its agility and erratic movement.
Duskfang Lupir – A wolf-like predator with ashen fur and glowing red eyes, capable of coordinated pack attacks.
Graven Mawler – A quadrupedal beast with armored scales and a massive, crushing jaw, extremely territorial.
Fellstrider Rykir – A bird-like reptilian with long talons, known to strike from above with precise aerial dives.
Hollow Goremite – A golem-like creature formed from petrified bones, slow but nearly impervious to basic attacks.
Killing a beast grants Ability Fragments.
Each kill rewards 0.001 Ability Fragments.
1000 kills are required to form a complete ability.
The Sanctum cannot be exited until an ability is acquired.
If the user dies, they will respawn at the Rebirth Altar.
The Rebirth Altar doubles as a Store, where weapons, armor, and consumables can be purchased using Points.
----
Ethan read through the information carefully, his jaw clenching.
1000 kills? Even for a Level 2 Adept, that would be insane.
Still, two things gave him hope.
The Respawn System. Dying here wouldn't be permanent—he would always return to the Rebirth Altar.
The Store System. If he could earn points, he could buy better gear.
Ethan exhaled, shaking his head.
"It seems I'll be stuck here for a while… but it's understandable. Power doesn't come easily."
He rolled his shoulders, adjusting to his new attire. No point in complaining.
One thousand kills.
That was the goal.
Glancing at the vast expanse before him, he took one last look at the Rebirth Altar, making sure to memorize its position. Then, gripping his dagger tightly, he stepped off the altar—
—ready to begin his hunt.