Chapter 1: The Awakening: Gabriel Stone

Deep within the heart of a dense and shadowy forest, where towering trees cast long, ominous shadows and the underbrush grew thick and wild, a mysterious portal suddenly appeared. The portal was a swirling vortex of energy, shimmering with an otherworldly glow. From within its depths emerged a solitary figure—a young teenager, no more than fifteen years old.

The boy's clothes were in tatters, torn and frayed by the rough terrain of the forest. His skin was covered in numerous scratches and cuts, with dried blood caked around the edges of his wounds. His face was haggard and drawn, showing clear signs of exhaustion, and his eyes were heavy with the weight of sleep threatening to overtake him at any moment. Despite his evident weariness, the boy stood tall, refusing to fall.

"Ahhhhh… Help me," the boy shouted, his voice a mix of panic and desperation.

As he stepped into the portal, a sudden jolt surged through him, and a powerful force hurled him out as if an invisible hand had grabbed him. He stumbled and fell to the ground, disoriented and confused. The world around him spun briefly before he regained his senses. He looked back toward the portal, bewildered by the force that had expelled him.

He sat down, frantically searching for something, but to his dismay, found nothing. Frustrated, he shook his head and patted his forehead. Feeling defeated, he looked up at the forest around him and noticed something surprising. The forest had transformed into a completely different place. The trees were more vibrant, the leaves glistened in the sunlight, and flowers bloomed in an array of colors. It was as if the forest had come to life, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

As he gazed around, confusion overwhelmed him. The unfamiliar environment caught him off guard, and he couldn't recall how he had ended up there. "Where am I?" he wondered, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was volunteering for a medical mission outside his country. As he tried to piece together the events leading to his current situation, anxiety and uncertainty gripped him.

He slowly got up from the ground, desperately trying to remember how he had ended up in this unfamiliar place. He looked around, but nothing seemed familiar. Panic began to set in. As he searched his pockets, he noticed something hard and pulled it out—it was his I.D. card. He examined it closely and saw the name "Gabriel Stone" printed on it. Quickly realizing it was his own, he scanned the details on the card. It identified him as a graduating student from Harvard Medical School in Boston, with his signature affixed to the card.

Two days ago, Gabriel had discussed his desire to join the medical mission program at his university with his parents. Despite his mother's reluctance due to the distant location, Gabriel explained that the program was a requirement for his graduation. Understanding the importance of this opportunity for his academic and personal growth, his parents eventually gave their consent. Although his mother remained worried about his safety, she trusted Gabriel's judgment and wished him the best.

As Gabriel stood in the forest, he was suddenly bathed in a bright light, causing him to squint. He wondered what was happening and why he couldn't see anything. He tried to move, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive, as if he were rooted to the spot.

Looking around, he noticed the portal through which he had come was shrinking, becoming too small to pass through. Panic set in as he realized he was trapped outside with no way to return.

Just as he was about to lose hope, he heard a faint voice calling out to him from somewhere in the distance. The voice sounded friendly and reassuring, giving him a glimmer of hope that he might find a way out of this predicament.

As Gabriel stood trembling with fear, struggling to comprehend the situation, a voice echoed in his mind, "Welcome, Gabriel Stone." Confused and startled, he wondered who was speaking to him. Despite his fear, he mustered the courage to ask, "Who? Who are you?"

As he spoke, he noticed an intense light surrounding him, growing brighter with each passing moment. The voice spoke again, "Mana passes the required capacity. Initiating Awakening." Gabriel was bewildered and scared, unsure of what was happening to him.

The light grew more intense, and the voice gradually faded away. After a few seconds, the light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Gabriel felt a strange sensation and realized he had undergone some kind of transformation.

Finally, the voice spoke again, "Awakening Successful." Gabriel was relieved to hear this, but he still didn't understand what had happened. He was left with many questions, wondering what his future would hold.

[Name: Gabriel Stone] 

[Class: Cleric] 

[Level: 1, Iron Early Stage] 

[Health Point: 50/150] 

[Mana: 800/800] 

[Magic Attack: 60–75] 

[Attributes: STR: 5, AGI: 3, DEX: 8, INT: 18, VIT: 5] 

[Skills: Holy Water, Mana Shield] 

[Talent: Yang Harmony (P)] 

[Equipment: None] 

[Holy Water Level 1: Recovers the HP of all allies by 50% of their max HP each. Additionally, increases the Attack Speed of all allies by 10% and recovers 15% HP over a duration.

Attack Speed Duration: 15 seconds. 

Recovery Duration: 5 seconds 

Mana Cost: 100 

Cooldown: 20 seconds]

[Mana Shield Level 1: Acquires a shield equal to 20% of your MAX HP.

Buff Duration: 20 seconds 

Mana Cost: 300 

Cooldown: 5 minutes]

[Yang Harmony (P): Reverses negative statuses inflicted on the caster to positive statuses. 

De-buff = Buff]

As Gabriel sat engrossed in reading the text on the screen before him, he failed to notice a peculiar phenomenon occurring in the sky above. A massive ball of energy was gradually forming, absorbing the surrounding Mana to fuel its growth. The energy ball continued to expand, its glowing surface emitting an eerie aura that seemed to radiate throughout the atmosphere. Despite the alarming sight, Gabriel remained oblivious to the looming danger.

Until...

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

As the energy ball reached its peak, it burst into a dazzling display of light. The force of the explosion was so powerful that it created an intense surge of mana, radiating outwards in all directions. The high density of mana within the energy ball was unleashed, spreading at an incredible speed. The resulting shockwave was so strong that it swept through the immediate area where Gabriel stood. The sheer force of the blast was awe-inspiring, leaving a visible impact on the surroundings.

"Aaaaaarrgggghhh…" Gabriel screamed.

As he screamed in pain from the explosion, his body was being burned and torn apart. The agony was so immense that it nearly left him numb.

After experiencing this sudden, intense pain for a few seconds, Gabriel was jolted by the sound of voices echoing around him. These voices were different from the one he had heard earlier; while the previous voice had sounded human, these now sounded robotic. Despite his efforts to stay conscious, Gabriel eventually succumbed to the overwhelming sensation and lost consciousness—or so he thought.

[Detecting two similar soul energies around.

.

.

.

.

.

Initiating soul fusion]

...

An hour earlier, on the outskirts of the forest, the tranquility of the surroundings was suddenly interrupted by hurried footsteps echoing through the trees, only to abruptly stop as if the person had hidden somewhere.

"Find him, he can't escape!" The commanding voice of a man wearing a skull mask reverberated through the area. His tone was filled with rage, clearly determined to catch the fleeing person.

"Boss, just a quick update: we're approaching the periphery of the designated area allowed for the assessment. If we venture beyond this point, there's a high probability of getting disqualified, as our disguise might not hold up under closer scrutiny," reported a man in a black robe, his arm wrapped in a scarf to conceal any identifying marks.

The skull-masked man, emanating a menacing aura, shouted, "Damn it! I can't believe this! We have to find him!" His voice brimmed with frustration and anger, his energy palpable. There was a sense of urgency in his tone, suggesting he was on a mission where failure was not an option. It was clear he was determined to locate whoever he was searching for, and nothing would stand in his way.

Despite their reluctance, the group felt compelled to follow the orders of the intimidating figure before them. He was their boss, and his skull mask only added to the fear he inspired. They knew better than to disobey him.

With a sudden turn, they bolted toward the forbidden forest. Their steps were quick and urgent, hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline. The forest was shrouded in mystery and danger, but it was their only hope of escape. As they ran, they felt the boss's eyes on their backs, knowing they had to keep moving.

...

Deep inside the dense forest, a dark figure darted through the trees at an incredible pace.

The figure appeared to be seriously injured, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

As he ran, he muttered to himself, "I'm starting to lose consciousness! Damn it! I can't use [Heal] because I'm out of mana." The desperation in his voice was palpable; he was clearly in dire straits.

The injured person couldn't help but blame himself for his current predicament.

He knew his ignorance had led him to this point