Rain sheeted over the slums, turning alleys into rivers of mud and trash. Kael pulled his hood lower, stepping over a corpse half-buried in debris—another victim of the recent beast surge. The air reeked of rot and damp concrete.
He paused beneath a flickering neon sign: Griffin's Sundries: Monster Cores & Survival Gear. The shop's window was barred, its glass cracked. A faded poster clung to the door:
"Awaken or Die—The Hunters' Guild Recruits!"
Kael's fingers brushed the coin pouch at his belt. Inside: 37 silver marks, all he had left after selling his parents' wedding bands.
---
The bell above the shop door chimed, its cheerful jingle at odds with the gloom clinging to Kael's frayed jacket. He stepped inside, the scent of dust and aged wood filling his lungs. Shelves lined the cramped store, cluttered with everything from rusted monster cores to chipped survival gear.
Behind the counter, an old man with a bushy gray mustache looked up from polishing a dagger. His eyes crinkled. "Ah, a customer! You here to browse, or—"
"Awakening stone," Kael said flatly.
The man's smile faltered. He set the dagger down, wiping his hands on his apron. "Aspiring hunter, eh? Or just hoping to get lucky?"
Kael didn't answer. His gaze flickered to the cracked mirror behind the counter, reflecting his own face—pale, hollow-cheeked, eyes like chips of obsidian. He hadn't slept in days.
The shopkeeper sighed. "You know the odds, kid. One in a hundred actually awaken. The rest just get a temporary boost—strength, reflexes, whatever. And that's if the stone's genuine." He leaned forward. "You got the coin?"
Kael slid a cloth pouch across the counter. It clinked heavily.
The man peeked inside, eyebrows rising. "Hmph. Wait here." He disappeared through a beaded curtain into the back.
Kael's fingers twitched. The pouch held everything he had left—savings from odd jobs, the few coins his parents had hidden before the beasts came. He could still hear their screams, the crash of collapsing walls. The memory coiled in his chest, cold and sharp.
Kael studied the shop. Shelves groaned under salvaged cores (most dull, cracked), rusted weapons, and tattered maps. A radio crackled:
"…Dungeon emergence predicted in Sector 7. Civilians advised to evacuate…"
The curtain rattled. The shopkeeper returned, cradling a small wooden box. He blew dust off its surface. "Last one I got. City's been buying 'em up faster than we can restock." He opened the box.
Inside, nestled in velvet, lay a teardrop-shaped crystal. It pulsed faintly, veins of blue light swirling beneath its surface like trapped lightning.
Kael reached for it.
The man snapped the box shut. "Ah-ah. Payment first."
Kael shoved the pouch toward him.
"Not just coin, kid." The shopkeeper's voice dropped. "This stone's got a buyer already. A rich buyer. But…" He studied Kael's face. "You remind me of my son. Before the dungeons took him." He pushed the box across the counter. "Don't waste it."
Kael's breath hitched. He grabbed the box and turned to leave.
"Hold up." The shopkeeper tossed him a smirk. "You'll want this too." He slid a jagged silver dagger across the counter—the one he'd been polishing earlier. "On the house. For luck."
Kael hesitated, then pocketed the dagger. The bell chimed again as he stepped into the street, the stone burning a hole in his pocket.
---
Rain lashed against the window of Kael's apartment, a cramped attic room barely large enough for a cot and stove. He placed the awakening stone on the floor, its glow casting jagged shadows on the peeling wallpaper.
He hesitated. What if I'm one of the 99%?
"Do it," he muttered.
He pressed his palm against the stone. Ice shot up his arm, then fire. The crystal shattered, and blue tendrils of energy snaked into his veins. His vision whited out.
Pain.
It felt like his bones were cracking, his blood boiling. A voice—mechanical, cold—echoed in his skull:
[System Initializing…]
[Analyzing host…]
[Compatibility confirmed: Divine Weapon Summoning Protocol unlocked.]
Kael gasped as the pain peaked. His body arched off the floor. The voice continued, louder:
[Warning: Energy Overload]
[Backlash Imminent: Survival Probability 43%]
[Recommendation: Terminate Awakening]
"No!" He clawed at the floor, nails breaking.
The pain peaked—then stopped.
[Awakening successful.]
[Divine Weapon System activated.]
[Summoning capacity: 1 weapon.]
[Current rank: Common.]
The pain ebbed. Kael collapsed, sweat pooling beneath him. His hands trembled as he stared at the notification hovering in his vision:
[Summon Weapon? Y/N]
He focused on Y.
Then, golden particle starting appearing and forming circle spiral. Then, a dagger slowly appear before falling on his palms.
The dagger in his grip—jagged, silver, and almost identical to the one the shopkeeper had given him. But this one glowed faintly, its edge humming with energy.
[Weapon summoned: Common-ranked dagger "Shard of the Forsaken."]
[Passive buffs unlocked: +5% attack speed, +10% critical hit chance.]
Kael's lips curled into something between a smile and a snarl.
[System Notice: Weapon destruction will result in backlash. Proceed with caution.]
Outside, thunder roared. Kael tightened his grip on the dagger.
"This is just the beginning."