Chapter-1 Desire to be an Awakener

In the serene atmosphere of a softly lit room, a boy, aged 13 to 14, sat quietly in the center of the bed.

His countenance was a blend of youthful softness and the intense darkness of his features.

His thick, jet-black hair framed an oval face with a defined jawline. His skin, a flawless canvas, radiated with youthful vigor.

The dim light seeping through the curtains cast shadows on his face, accentuating the lines of concentration on his forehead.

His legs were crossed, hands clasped together. His eyes shut, his mind empty, focusing on the task at hand with a silent backdrop aiding his concentration.

The room hummed with the tranquil energy of the late night.

The darkness enveloped the space not as a shroud of suppression but as a canvas for his thoughts and emotions to vividly unfold.

The air was calm, disturbed only by his rhythmic breathing. He had a slender build, dressed in a dark brown T-shirt and casual black jeans.

His shirt clung to his body due to sweat, revealing his pale skin underneath.

As he continued to strive to absorb energy, sweat trickled down his face, his back soaked.

After persisting for over an hour, he reluctantly opened his eyes.

His eyes were deep, with irises so dark blue that the pupils blended in, creating an expansive blackness that intensified his gaze.

"It's still insufficient. It seems becoming a natural awakener will be a challenge. I'll have to wait a year and a half to purchase that serum unless I can grab that opportunity. I must exert more effort if I wish to awaken before my 16th birthday," he muttered, shaking his head.

His current progress was far from enough to achieve a natural awakener status.

His abilities were lacking, disqualifying him as a natural awakener.

Natural awakeners were highly esteemed for their ability to advance at a faster rate than other, without external assistance.

It had been three years since he began trying to absorb energy from his surroundings. Even after all this time, he had not yet awakened.

Becoming an awakener required a combination of good aptitude, physique, talent, and genetics to naturally absorb energy from the environment.

He shook his head in frustration, then rose from the bed, standing at a height of 5ft 10".

The room was 20 sq meters, a bed near the window, and a table with a desktop and books on the opposite side, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

A door next to the table led to a small hallway, culminating in an exit door, making up a total area of barely 50 sq meters on a single floor.

After getting up from the bed, he made his way to the bathroom, emerging 20 minutes later in different attire and reclining on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.

His attention shifted to his left hand, adorned with a communication watch. Bringing the watch closer, he tapped the screen.

[1 am]

After checking the time, he double-tapped the screen, summoning a hologram above the watch.

Connecting to the Ethranet, he accessed his bank account to review his balance.

[Name: Roy Alfer]

[Bank Balance: 215,000 Earth Coins]

**********

Earth Coins served as the digital currency on Embark and other human-colonized planets, being the primary currency in the Human domain.

This year was 5882 in the Milky Way galactic calendar.

In 2800, humans discovered the ability to harness the power of an enigmatic energy, later identified as dark energy, by assimilating these potent energies to acquire abilities.

The human body surpassed limitations, enhancing their abilities, and awakening unique powers.

Through these powers, humans also extended their lifespans, to far beyond just a hundred years.

Harnessing the power of dark matter caused changes in the Earth's crust, resulting in mutations in different living beings, known as Beasts.

The continuous use of human powers accelerated the Earth's evolution significantly within a decade.

Mutations in the Earth's crust also brought about various changes in minerals, plants, etc., ushering in a new era of advanced technologies and curing previously incurable diseases.

In the age of superpowers, animals also underwent mutations, transforming into superior Beasts that surpassed all other creatures on Earth, leading to attacks on human civilizations.

Conflicts erupted on Earth among various organizations and nations due to resource scarcity, nearly devastating half of the planet.

Subsequently, some powerful awakeners united their abilities to establish a structured power system on Earth, initiating the eradication of Beasts while exploring space for new opportunities.

That year marked the beginning of the new era, Year 1, Galactic Calendar created by the humans.

By the 22nd Galactic Year, humans successfully constructed the first warp device by combining dark matter with high-quality materials, enabling space travel at the speed of light.

As humans ventured into space, Earth emerged as the hub of a highly advanced and preserved Humanity, eventually becoming the headquarters of the Earth Federation.

Humanity swiftly colonized all habitable planets in the Milky Way Galaxy within a few millenniums, driven by their formidable powers and rapid reproduction rate, which was highly boosted after the advanced-technologies and powers.

During their galactic expansion, humans encountered various primitive races, easily subduing and conquering these aliens, and claiming their planets.

In the 510th century, after colonizing the more than half of the Milky galaxy, humans turned their attention to neighboring galaxies.

Humans' insatiable greed for power and resources led them to encounter various alien races beyond the galaxy, sparking conflicts.

Some alien races possessed superior powers and technologies, prompting humans to form alliances with different races to halt the wars.

Humanity gradually recovered from the scars of battle, and acquired knowledge and techniques to harness Dark Energy and advanced technologies from other races.

Over 800 years, humans significantly strengthened their capabilities through rapid reproduction and enhanced understanding of powers.

Nearly eight centuries had passed since the last war between Humans and Aliens.

Humans developed Awakening Serums capable of activating dormant genes to absorb energy from the environment, albeit at a steep price of a quarter of a million Earth Coins per vial.

Those awakening serums enabled humans to unlock their potential and become superpower users.

Once awakened, a person can harness energy from their surroundings and unlock an ability.

These abilities are classified into different ranks, ranging from the weakest at 1 star to the strongest at 9 stars.

It is unclear if there are abilities higher than 9 stars.

Abilities manifest in various forms, such as basic elements like earth, fire, water, and air. These are the most common abilities that can be unlocked.

Millions of abilities have been discovered by humans, indicating just a fraction of the possibilities.

Not every individual who takes a serum or is a natural awakener can unlock abilities.

Abilities can be purchased from the Human Federation online platform after verifying the awakener's status.

Those awakeners who are unable to purchase abilities at first, would resort to energy absorption techniques to strengthen their bodies enough to afford basic abilities.

Some awakeners are naturally talented and fortunate, able to unlock abilities immediately after awakening or taking the serum.

Abilities are priced slightly lower than serums, with the cheapest starting at 100k coins.

This pricing strategy aims to make abilities accessible and enhance humanity's overall strength.

However, the cost of serums remains high. The Federation states that serums are only for the strong-willed individuals who are dedicated and hardworking. Luck alone is not enough.