Chapter 2

After a tiresome morning, Brandon finally arrived home. As he entered the house, a mixture of anticipation and weariness clung to him. The air buzzed with the energy of his newfound abilities and the news he was eager to share with his family.

Pop!

SFX birthday party sounds.

Upon entering, a burst of confetti greeted Brandon, creating a colorful and lively scene. His siblings, standing in the living room, eagerly awaited his return. The celebratory atmosphere hinted at the joyous anticipation of the news he was about to share, turning his homecoming into a festive moment for the entire family.

"There's the man of the day! How was it, big bro?" exclaimed a well-built youth, confetti in hand.

"Ah, Darrence... I thought you and Bryan were at school?" Brandon inquired, looking at his younger brother.

Darrence glanced at Bryan beside him, scratching the back of his head before replying to his big brother, adding an element of curiosity to the unfolding conversation.

"What school, bro? Did you get so happy about us celebrating your awakening that you lost your memory or something?" Darrence chuckled, busying himself with setting up the table.

Vyionna, having overheard, chimed in, "Yeah, I told you, big bro's been acting weird all morning."

"Chill, guys. Big bro's just feeling excited," reassured Bryan, lighting up the candles on the cake. The playful banter among the siblings added a lighthearted touch to the festive atmosphere.

As the cheerful celebration unfolded, Brandon's initial thoughts about his siblings not attending school sparked a moment of concern.

"Wait, what, they don't go to school anymore? Did they drop out?" he wondered.

However, caught up in the joyous atmosphere, he decided to set aside those thoughts and immerse himself in the festivities, allowing the warmth of the celebration with his siblings to take precedence over any lingering questions.

With two sets of dinner plates resembling takeout from TFC and a few drinks on the table, the three siblings indulged in the meal, while their youngest brother, Norman, watched videos on the couch.

Between bites of chicken, Brandon muffled a question, "So, where are Mom and Dad?"

"Didn't they say they were going to raid the newly opened rift?" Bryan responded, multitasking by cleaning up some dishes.

"Yeah, I think it's a commission by their guild, right?" Darrence added, contributing to the conversation as they shared a casual family dinner.

Listening to his brothers, Brandon observed his sister's playful use of magic. Vyionna spun a pencil around with a wave of her hand, showcasing her magical abilities.

"What did we say before, Nana? Don't use magic at home," Darrence reminded her.

Finishing his plate, Brandon walked over to Bryan to hand his dirty plate, engaging in the family dynamics with a mixture of amusement and familiarity.

"Why did Darrence stop Nana from using magic?" Brandon inquired while rinsing his mouth.

Bryan explained, "Hold up, you're kinda weird today, bro. Norman has very sensitive senses, remember? What if he gets overloaded by mana lingering in our house? That's why Mom and Dad told us not to use magic except for cooking."

As Brandon processed this information, he realized that in this world, Norman didn't have a sickness but rather sensitive senses. It was a stark contrast to his memories of Norman being diagnosed with autism in his original world. Despite the differences, Brandon felt grateful that his brother in this new world was perfectly normal, experiencing the joy of hearing him speak.

"Big bro, let's go to the backyard," Darrence called out to his older brother.

Curious, Brandon asked, "Uh, for what?"

Leaning in closer, Darrence whispered, "Let's test your abilities, bro. You want to try it out, right?" He wore a big grin on his face, clearly excited at the prospect of exploring Brandon's newfound magical capabilities.

**

In the backyard, Bryan leaned against the side of the backdoor while Darrence prepared a dummy made out of weed. Despite its humble materials, the dummy appeared surprisingly sturdy, a testament to Darrence's craftsmanship compared to the ones found in fields. The stage was set for Brandon to test and showcase his newly awakened abilities.

'Enhanced Dummy +1

"Bro, are you ready?" Darrence asked after putting the potion he used on the dummy back into his inventory. The anticipation in the air heightened as the backyard became the testing ground for Brandon's newly discovered abilities.

Name: Brandon Tand

Level: 6

Class: None

Personal Attribute : Penitence of Arretos

HP: 600

MP: 24

Body status: none

[Stats]

Strength: 16

Stamina: 16

Agility: 16

Intelligence: 16

Senses: 16

[Stats points available : 0]

{Skills}

Passive skills:

- Unperceived [MAX LEVEL] {STAGNATE}

Active skills:

- Entropy [MASTERY: 1] CD: None

- Ethereal [ MASTERY: 1 ] CD: 1 minute

Arretos, once among the myriad Gods, emerged during the epoch of the Gods' battle to discover the next true deity, led by Patheona. Arretos, a harbinger of annihilation in uncountable ages past, shouldered immense guilt for his role in the cataclysm.

Haunted by remorse, he chose eternal solitude, traversing the infinite universe. In a self-imposed punishment, Arretos wielded his sword across countless realms, eternally atoning for his sins.

[As the sole adorer of Arretos, you will share his karma. Your existence is tethered to his sins, forever bound in the cosmic web of penitence.]

Brandon, dumbfounded, muttered, "That's a long introduction for my attribute... I don't get it," his confusion evident as he grappled with the realization that he had been both blessed and cursed for the rest of his living years, intricately tied to the cosmic web of penitence associated with Arretos.

'Next one is my own innate skills..let's see.'

Active Skills :

- Entropy : Arretos' endless punishment: his sword etching across the vast expanse of the universe, predating the very concept of time. Adorers can trace the marked areas, each requiring a mere 1 mana point per mark.

- Ethereal : Adorers have the capability to manipulate Arretos's mark, and both mana consumption and cooldown of this skill align with the variable marks chosen for manipulation.

"So, what? I can trace the things that Arretos's sword swung... is that it? I thought I would get powerful punches or fly like Wonderman," Brandon sighed, a tinge of disappointment coloring his thoughts.

He had allowed himself to daydream about soaring across the world like the superheroes from the comic books of his childhood.

"Darrence, teach me how to use these skills," he asked his younger brother, a spark of excitement lighting up his eyes.

"Lemme teach you how, big bro!" Bryan, who had been silent for a while, chimed in. Feeling the need to showcase his abilities to his elder brothers, Bryan executed smooth movements, landing on his feet in front of the enhanced dummy.

"So, one way to use your skills is by chanting their names. For example, like this," Bryan demonstrated, his voice resonating with a practiced rhythm, "Muffled Embrio!"

Swoop-

The ground below suddenly levitated, wrapping around the dummy, and another sound erupted—

krackk.

The dummy was crushed by Bryan's skill, showcasing the tangible impact of the ability.

"Another way is to chant in your mind, but this only works for certain skills. When supporter-type Hunters give buffs or heals, they need to chant out loud. Of course, it does sound more badass when chanted aloud," he laughed as he explained to Brandon, adding a touch of humor to the instruction.

"So, what's the name of your attribute, big bro?" Darrence joined the conversation with curiosity.

"Ugh, Arretos?" Brandon replied with a clueless expression. Both Darrence and Bryan looked at him, seeming confused.

"Never heard of that God before," they both confessed.

"God?" Brandon mused as he did some stretches, a hint of contemplation crossing his features.

"In this world, every attribute is bestowed by the eight Gods and their counterparts. The names of the Gods are:"

-Ikarlla : Goddess of underworld

-Hyperion : Titan of light

- Herebus : God of darkness

- Chronos : God of time

- Tesus : God of love

- Titanus : God of protection

- Zeus : God of lightning

- Vishnu : God of destruction

"So, depending on which God bestows your attributes, there are endless attributes with uncountable innate abilities. Everyone in this world is unique, varying from each other," Brandon pondered, recognizing the vast diversity and individuality within their world.

Brandon's thoughts paused as he noticed something appearing in front of his eyes. Endless thin threads emerged, weaving through the ground, the houses, and even on his brothers' bodies. The entire space was surrounded by these threads, their subtle presence going unnoticed earlier due to their thinness.

"Is this the Mark of Arretos?" Brandon wondered, his thoughts connecting to the intricate threads that now seemed to weave through the fabric of the world around him.

As Brandon examined the threads, he confirmed that the marks lacked a physical element. He turned to his brothers.

"Can you both see those?" he asked them.

Both of them answered no. Darrence, focused on the dummy, enhanced it once more, this time using a Rank D potion obtained from Nexus Academia, a school dedicated to those awakened on how to use their abilities. The association also provided information for those who awakened at a late age.

The academy's primary purpose is to teach awakened youth to control their powers, considering the different attributes and innate abilities. The existence of recorded patterns for each attribute makes it easier for the children to learn and master their abilities, providing a structured and supportive environment for their development.

Three of Brandon's siblings attend the academy, with Darrence currently in his third year and Bryan in his second year. The academy serves as a valuable resource for honing their abilities and understanding the intricacies of their respective attributes.

The dummy now had a yellow mist enveloping it. Brandon could sense the presence of mana in front of him, and it emitted a different aura compared to earlier, indicating that this dummy was tougher than the previous one.

'Enchanced dummy +2'

Brandon's gaze sharpened as he took a deep breath, using his palm as a medium to aim at the thin thread, selecting the one that ran across the dummy's body. He chanted:

"Entropy!"

Shriek-

Thud!

The dummy had a deep cut from Brandon's skill. Unlike Bryan, who was busy texting his girlfriend, Darrence stood in shock. The dummy, equipped with Rank D protection, a potion that could typically deflect bullets from firearms, had been significantly affected by Brandon's demonstration.

However, Brandon's skill, which should currently be Rank E, shouldn't have been able to penetrate the defense of a dummy equipped with Rank D protection. The anomaly in the expected outcome left Darrence perplexed.

"That's... im-impossible. Big brother is one of the late awakeneds. At most, his rank is C... Wait, even a Rank C attack would have a hard time penetrating a Rank D protection potion."

"How was it, Darrence? Koko is cool, right?" Brandon's remark broke Darrence's train of thought, redirecting his focus.

"Koko, huh? He's still innocent when it comes to these things."

A few nostalgic memories flooded Darrence's mind before he replied to his big brother:

"Big brother, remember my advice, alright? Do not ever show or tell people about your attributes and abilities, no matter how close they are to you. Now, promise me in the name of our family," Darrence pleaded with a serious expression.

Observing his brother's sudden change of tone, Brandon could only respond in a similar manner.

"Alright, I promise in Norman's life, kay?" Brandon replied with a smile.

Darrence landed his gaze on Bryan, who was busy talking to his lover on the phone, and couldn't help but sigh. The two of them were supposed to guide Brandon, yet Bryan seemed preoccupied.

**

8:27 p.m after dinner.

'Mom and Dad haven't come home yet.'

The room still smelled the same as usual. He settled into a seat, grasping the green book in front of him.

'Let's continue where we left off this morning...'

He could feel that the version of him belonging here was both similar and distant at the same time. The book he wrote contained nothing ordinary; it was filled with his daily life until the last few pages.

Bewildered by what he just read, he found it to be a bunch of scribbling that hurt his eyes. Reading the book made Brandon slightly uncomfortable, so he decided to lay himself on the bed.

"Myself."

In his mind, he still struggled to comprehend the reason the world changed, especially why he, of all people, was the only one with memories that remained unaltered. As he looked up at the ceiling, the threads that filled the entire room resembled stars in the night sky, successfully making him feel sleepy with the gentle breeze.

However, for some unknown reason, he couldn't fall asleep. Taking out his wallet from his bag, he tried to quietly leave. Outside, he encountered Darrence, whose body was covered in sweat.

Gasping for air, Darrence called out to him, "Where are you going this time at night?"

"I'm going out to buy some smokes," Brandon replied.

"Wha-since when... never mind. Mind buying me some 200 plus? And be careful," Darrence said, wiping his face with a towel.

'Damn, can you believe this dude is 17... bro built like a Greek God.'

Brandon laughed as he left the house.

The nearest convenience store was only a few blocks away from his house. He always felt that the company was quite picky when he was just a regular person. The company didn't allow him to be stationed at the nearest place but assigned him somewhere far away.

'You deserve to be disliked by people!! 6 twelve!!!' He cursed once more in his heart.

Despite the changes in the world, it was quite surprising that stores like these still existed. He sighed at the fact that certain things remained exactly the same, such as his house and family. If his family were to change, he couldn't fathom what state he would be in. To be alone in a new world sounded exciting yet scary at the same time.

***

Purchasing a pack of cigarettes and a plastic with two bottles of 200 plus – one for himself and the other for Darrence – Brandon stood at the crossroads of a significant decision.

'Should I become a hunter? Darrence did mention that being a top ranker opens up a world of possibilities,' he contemplated, the notion lingering in his thoughts like an unexplored path.

The marks seemed to promise an easier hunting experience. With a simple 'chant,' he believed he could elevate his abilities for dealing with monsters in the rift.

However, in that moment, a few growls emerged from behind him. Hoping against the worst-case scenario – the neighborhood dogs that were known for chasing people – he acknowledged the urgency to move. In a heartbeat, he sprinted away faster than he ever had in his entire life.

..

"Ugh, man - crazy dogs," he cursed, frustration evident as he called out to his brother.

"You okay?" Darrence expressed his concern.

"It's fine, just the dogs chasing me," he replied, gasping for breath as he entered the house.

Sitting down beside the windows, he let out a cloud of smoke.

'Heidi, that's right! I haven't searched for her since that day.' He quickly looked up her name in his contacts, only to be surprised. It was nowhere to be found.

'How about Featurebook?'

Just as he thought, her profile picture was visible on her social media account. However, they weren't even friends online.

Scrolling through post after post, he found the picture he was looking for in one of her updates:

¬Img

#FirstRaidWithBf -379 likes

¬Comments 116

She was with someone else, something different aside from the supernatural abilities humanity gained.

Despite harboring feelings for her, his expression returned to normal, unlike before. At least this way, he knew that she was safe.

'Enough about others now; it's time to shift my focus to my own future.'

With that thought, he drifted into the dreamland with the innocence of a newborn.

chapter finished .