Rhian slowly opened his eyes.
A bright light from above blurred his vision. His head throbbed painfully, like someone had split it open from the inside.
But even through the pain… something else caught his attention.
Right in front of his face, a faint, glowing holographic screen floating silently in the air. Only he could see it.
His eyes widened.
Then, despite everything, he grinned.
He had awakened.
The memory of how it happened, the fear, the voices, that monster, made his body tense, his skin crawl. But even so, there was something else now.
Power.
Real power.
He turned his attention to the screen, scanning over the words displayed neatly before him.
---
[
Name: Rhian Locke
Age: 18
Divine Core: F Grade(0%)
Bloodline: Ragnarok
---
Abilities:
[Locked]
[Locked]
[Locked]
---
But as he scrolled further, he found the unlocked ones, the ones that belonged to him now.
---
Unlocked Abilities:
■[Passive] Aquatic Adaptation — Able to naturally adapt underwater, forming the organs needed to breathe or survive in aquatic environments.
■[Passive] Predator Instinct — Enhanced reaction speed, hand-eye coordination, and heightened danger sense.
■[Passive] Ragnarok Physique — The user's body gains increased strength, speed, and internal magic storage. Physical adaptation is accelerated under pressure.
■[Minor] Reptilian Regeneration — Slow regenerative ability. Accelerates healing of minor wounds and stops bleeding. Deep wounds require more time to heal.
]
---
Rhian stared at the screen, reading over it again and again.
Aquatic adaptation? Predator instincts? Regeneration?
But it was the last part that made his stomach twist.
'Reptilian regeneration.'
His smile faded slightly.
Cursed.
That word hung in the back of his mind.
His hand touched his chest absentmindedly.
'Am i... a Cursed?'
His expression darkened for a moment.
But then… he exhaled slowly.
No. He wouldn't let that thought weigh him down now.
He wasn't the strongest, far from it.
But he was no longer powerless.
That was enough for now.
But another thought crept into his mind.
'Ragnarok.'
That word stood right next to Bloodline on his status screen.
'Who... is Ragnarok?'
It wasn't a family name. Not anyone from the outskirts. He had never heard of anyone called that. It sounded old.
Rhian's grin grew wider.
Whatever, or whoever, they were, their blood now ran through him. And nothing could wipe the smile off his face right now.
His mind wandered for a second, remembering that Hollow Rat from before, the one that gave him so much trouble. The one that outran him and left him in the dirt.
Now, he knew if he faced it again, not only would he catch it... but he'd kill it. Easily.
Maybe even enter that portal next time.
Maybe even kill everything that came out of it.
But as the excitement flooded him, Rhian took a deep breath.
He needed to calm down.
Strength felt good. Power felt right. But charging in without a plan… that's what got people killed.
He clenched his fist, feeling how different his body already felt, tighter, faster, stronger.
Soon.
But not yet.
A sudden clap of hands snapped Rhian out of his thoughts.
His body flinched, instinctively shifting into a guarded stance, only to realize someone was sitting casually nearby.
Liane.
Relaxed. Smiling. Like she'd been there the whole time, watching his little moment of self-reflection like it was a comedy show.
"Wow," she said with a lazy grin. "Watching your face go from 'Ohhh I'm alive' to 'Ohhh I'm awakened, I'm strong now' to 'Well, I should probably calm down'... then straight to 'Oh great, there's the bitch here to kill me', honestly? Peak entertainment."
She laughed at her own joke, leaning back like this was the highlight of her day.
Then she paused mid-laugh, squinting at him.
"Wait. Did you just call me a bitch?"
Rhian, who didn't even get a chance to think that far yet, shook his head so fast it looked like it might fly off.
"No! No—"
Liane snorted. "My bad then."
But in that exact moment, deep in his mind, clear as day, Rhian screamed inwardly:
'Bitch!!!'
She smiled wider.
Like she heard it.
"Well, looks like you've evolved after all," she said casually, standing up and stretching like she'd just finished a light workout. "Now that I see you're fine and not crying in a corner, I'll leave you to it."
She waved him off like a bored older sister.
"I'll be expecting you in my class soon, newbie. Go get yourself sorted out. Maybe make a friend or two... if anyone can stand you."
With that, she casually walked out, humming to herself like nothing had happened.
Rhian sat there, still buzzing from awakening, still staring at the empty doorway, repeating the word like a stubborn chant in his mind.
'Bitch... bitch... bitch...'
Somehow… it made him feel a little better.
Rhian looked around, realizing something.
He wasn't attached to any machine. No wires. No hospital gear. Just lying on a soft surface like someone had tossed him there after passing out.
Without thinking much, he jumped down from the bed.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he paused.
'...Something's different.'
His body felt... right.
Still skinny, sure, but no longer frail. His frame was lean, carved by tension and survival, like every muscle had a purpose now.
His skin, however, caught his attention. Pale. Almost unnaturally so. He lifted his arm and turned it, noticing faint veins like thin shadows beneath the surface.
Then his eyes dropped to his left hand.
The glove.
It was still there.
A small thought crept in, 'Did they see it?'
Curious, maybe even nervous, he slowly peeled the glove off.
His eyes widened.
Before, it had been horrible. Burned, scarred, discolored beyond saving.
But now?
While still sickly pale, dark veins running through it like cracks, it was... better. Less damaged.
The skin looked like it was healing from the inside out. The black marks were still there, but the dead, cracked skin from before was gone.
Maybe... maybe if I keep growing stronger, it'll heal completely.
He smiled faintly.
Turning his head, he caught sight of a mirror nearby.
Moving closer, he finally got a good look at himself.
His face was... different. Not in some model-like way, but more refined. Sharper jawline. Clearer skin.
His green eyes still stared back at him, but there was something about their depth now, they looked a but animalistic.
His hair, usually messy from the wild life outside, looked healthier, falling naturally like he'd been taking care of it.
Opening his mouth, he checked for any weird changes.
Nothing crazy.
Except... his canines.
Sharper. Longer than normal, but not enough to be monstrous. Just enough to give him that slight edge, almost predatory if he smiled too wide.
Other than that?
He looked fine.
'Maybe I'm not cursed after all' , he thought briefly. 'Maybe I'm just physical-type…'
Then something caught his eye.
A box sitting neatly on a nearby table.
Exactly like the one Kye had received earlier at the receptionist.
His own Academy starter kit.
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
'Guess I'm officially a student now.'