Raj goes and put his hand on the pillar.
[ RAJ DESHMUKH: AWAKEN: 2 GIFTS;
1ST GIFT: SS RANK: COPYCAT;
2ND GIFT: S RANK: WISE MAN; ]
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" OH HO HO! NOT JUST ONE, BUT TWO. THIS IS BIG."
" god. We have three now. one over another."
Everyone was getting crazy with praises. But on the other hand…
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Sharun looked at the screen before him.
[ YOUR CHARACTER HAVE GOT 2 GIFTS.]
[ YOU GET SS RANK COPYCAT X 10]
[ YOU GET SS+ RANK SKILL ABSOLUTE DUPLICATION.]
[ YOU GET S RANK WISE MAN X 10]
[ YOU GET SS RANK SKILL WISE KING.]
Sharun looked at those notifications.
Sharun, "Damm! I got some powers now. But I am more excited about what I will get in future. Although the mc, or, Raj was never a OP character in the novel. At least not till the 3 seasons I read, but I can be op if I think of my situations now. Am I rising a flag here? Well! Who cares? I don't."
Jessica, "What are you speaking in so low voice?"
Sharun, "N….Nothing! Nothing at all!"
At this time Raj came to them. He grab Sharun's hands and said in excitement, "Damm Sharun! Did you learn fortune telling or something? I really got them as you predicted."
Sharun answered without looking impressive, "Maybe!"
Raj, "Well! Sure if you want to keep it a secret. But I will also fulfil my part of promise."
Sharun, "Good!"
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After a hour they reached home. They had to stay until the village chief ends his speech and then their private talk about their future. Frankly, Sharun doesn't know what to do. But for now he knows what he can do.
After reaching home, Sharun goes to bed. Today was very tiring for him. As he goes in bed, he falls asleep immediately.
Jessica came in the room and saw Sharun sleeping. A kind emotion appear on her face. She goes and pat his head slowly.
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ON THE OTHER HAND DEEP INSIDE THE JUNGLE OF DARKNESS, A DARK ENTITY WAS LOOKING TOWARDS A BOY BEFORE IT. THE BOY WAS AT THE SAME AGE AS RAJ...…
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**FUN-FACT\ SHARUN IS TWO MONTHS YOUNGER THAN RAJ AND JESSICA.**
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Right now when Sharun was sleeping cause of exhaustion, Raj was talking with his skill WISE MAN.
Raj, " I don't understands my powers. Should I just experiment with it? But how? I don't even know how to use them? Let's see. I have this copycat skill and this …. Wise man."
*Wise man activating*
Raj, "Ha? What happened? It's activating automatically."
Wise man; *Hello master*
Raj, "Ha? What? How? Wise man?"
Wise man; *Yes master. How may I help you?*
Raj, "Help? Yes! Wise man can you tell me about yourself?"
Wise man; *Yes master! I am a unique skill born form master's soul. I am a INTELLIGENT type skill. I can analyse skills, items and energies. I get knowledge from the world's record directly.*
Raj, "Oh! Ok! Now tell me, what about my copycat skill?"
Wise man; *Absolutely master! Copycat is a inheritance skill, that master got from his family gene. It can copy. But it has a limit it can only copy once a day.*
Raj, "Ah! What is this family gene?"
Wise man; *Family genes are the genes in your blood master. It helps you carry your ancestor's legacy.*
Raj, "Ok! Although I don't understand much, but tell me what I can copy? Can I copy someone else's skill?"
Wise man; *Yes you can. But you can't copy any skill above the rank of your own copycat skill. You can copy the skills of the same rank or below. To copy a skill you will need to touch the user or see in his eyes for thirty seconds.*
Raj, "Oh! I see. Than I can copy Sharun's adaptation skill and Jessica's witch or whatever skill right?"
Wise man; *Yes master.*
Raj, "Well! Well! But which one is good among them?"
Wise man; *I will suggest adaptation master. It can help you grow strong fast.*
Raj, "Ok! Let's go to Sharun's house. But I should ask for his permeation. Now that he is my life long friend I shouldn't do it without asking. It is more like cheating on him."
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A FEW HOURS AGO, IN THE AWAKENING CEREMONY;
"Brad Rose."
A brat at the same age of Raj goes towards the pillar and put his hand on the pillar.
[ BRAD ROSE : AWAKEN : AA++ rank ; HUNTER'S STRENGTH. ]
" oh wow! A god rank! "
" this brat will be a great hunter in the future."
"yeah! He got a hunter related skill and that is also god rank."
" I don't think anyone else our village will reach him"
Praises are coming from everywhere. He is also one of the youngest hunters in the village. But till now he didn't kill any beasts. He was kind of jealous of Raj and Sharun. Both of them kill amongst the all youngest hunters. One kill a monster and other one killed a beasts. Both did it, but he couldn't do it. But now he can thanks to his god rank skill. He was happy now.
But when Sharun also awakened a god rank skill, and that's above him, he decided to prove himself. How? Well Sharun killed a snow goblin, he will kill a full group of them and prove that he is better. He also know from where Sharun came. So if he goes in that direction, then he will reach that place. He run towards his home first. He got his weapons like Bow, Arrows, Knife, a small sword etc. he run towards the forst.
After a hour of going straight in that direction, he reach the point where, Sharun killed that goblin. Although there is no body now, but there is still snow with red blood left.
" I am probably near."
He run more and more ....
And then he reach before the darkest part….
" no one told me there is a part like this. "
Brad's breath turned shallow as he stood at the edge of the forest's blackened heart. The towering trees here grew unnaturally close, their twisted branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. A chilling wind blew past him, carrying whispers—soft and indistinct, like murmurs from another world.
"...This place... is cursed," Brad muttered, tightening his grip on his small sword.
Every step deeper felt like wading into cold water. The light faded quickly, swallowed by the shadows. Even the snow here looked tainted—darker, mixed with black flecks like ashes. He kept going, driven by the burning desire to surpass Raj and Sharun. He would bring back the heads of three snow goblins—no, five. He would prove that he was the prodigy of Arzunheim.
Snap.
Brad froze.
That wasn't him.
He whipped around, drawing an arrow in a single motion, his hunter's instincts flaring to life. But there was nothing. Only silence. Trees. Shadows. Then—
Growl.
Low and guttural. To his left.
He turned fast—just in time to catch movement from the corner of his eye. A figure dashed between the trees—too big for a snow goblin, too fast for a hobgoblin.
"What the hell...?"
Brad backed up slowly, sweat trailing down the side of his face despite the cold.
Then he saw it.
Red eyes. Gleaming like coals in the dark.
A beast. No, not a beast. A being. Cloaked in shadows, its body humanoid but stretched unnaturally tall, with limbs too long and skin so dark it seemed to absorb all light.
"Not in the records… what is this thing?" Brad whispered.
The creature stepped forward, revealing a mouth filled with jagged, bone-white teeth. It didn't roar. It smiled.
Brad fired.
The arrow struck its shoulder—and did absolutely nothing.
"Crap."
He turned and ran.
The forest seemed to twist around him, the path behind him vanishing. Trees blurred by. Branches slashed at his face. He heard footsteps—no, crawling. It was chasing him.
Then—
Brad stumbled into a clearing.
He gasped, realizing he was standing in a perfect circle, where no trees grew. In the center of that space stood a stone monolith, cracked and ancient, covered in glowing red runes.
Brad had no time to examine it. The creature entered the clearing… and stopped. It didn't move forward. Instead, it stayed at the edge, hissing softly like it was warded off by something.
The runes on the monolith pulsed.
Brad slowly turned to look at it. His heart pounded.
The runes began to rearrange.
A low hum echoed in the clearing.
Then a voice—deep, ancient, and not human—spoke inside his head.
"You who possess the blood of the First Flame… you have come."
Brad dropped to his knees, clutching his head.
"What… what is this?!"
"You seek strength. I offer it. But it comes with a price."
Brad's eyes widened. The monolith's glow intensified.
Far away in the village, Sharun stirred in his sleep—his body shivering as if touched by a chill from the other side of the world.
Back in the forest, the creature watching Brad knelt slowly, as if in reverence to the monolith.
And Brad Rose… smiled.