The next morning.
'The rat population has definitely dropped…'
Elliot stood at the far edge of the vast forest. He had slaughtered his way from north to south, east to west.
At some point, he lost track of the number of rats he had killed—his mind was simply too drained to keep count, but it had to be over 800 by now. Even so, despite all the effort, it had taken him several hours just to gain a whole point.
He had spent so long hunting rats that he had completely lost track of time, and it wasn't until the sun's rays pierced through the leaves of the canopy that he finally realized that a new day had begun.
"I didn't even notice that I spent the whole night hunting…"
Finally, he allowed himself to relax for a moment and checked the system. More than two hours ago, he had earned his sixth point—the third and the final agility point he needed. There was no longer any reason to continue the hunt.
Rat corpses were scattered across the forest floor, but honestly, he had no intention of collecting any more. He had already gathered about 600 and didn't need more.
The rest?
It was too much of a hassle.
So, he ignored them and went straight back to the city, where he sold the carcasses to Ruth at a good price. Although the sheer amount that came from the trade shocked even him, it wasn't something that bothered him.
With over $15,000 in his account, he returned to his apartment.
The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
He was ready to move up the Ranks.
Although it hadn't been long since his awakening, it felt like an eternity had passed—maybe because there had been days of continuous stress or maybe because he had been so anxious for this moment.
Whatever the reason, he was now ready to reach the next level in his career as an Awakened being.
He didn't need much to reach the Awakened Rank, but he had everything essential. The first thing he did was to retrieve the awakening injection he had bought the night before. Then, he took out all the healing potions he had and put them next to the injection.
"I don't have enough money to buy the rest of the stuff… but this should be more than enough to push me through. Now…"
Looking at the system interface, he began allocating his points—two into Strength, one into Resistance, and the remaining three were added to Agility.
As soon as he had done so, he picked up the injection and swiftly plunged it into his vein. Unlike the first time, it was much easier, and he managed to hit the vein perfectly in a single try.
With a steady breath, he closed his eyes. His body was already beginning to react to what had just happened.
His skin grew searing hot, to the point that it seemed as if it was being cooked from the inside out by his very own sweat. It was painful, yes—but nothing he couldn't bear.
He opened his mouth, gulped air, and tried to cool himself from within—filling his lungs with strength and oxygenating his heart, which was now pumping like a war drum.
Then, the real pain hit.
His internal organs and skin suddenly began to heat up. The intense pain made his muscles tremble, fibers tearing and knitting back together. But it was only the beginning of the pain.
Soon, his muscles, fibers, and organs began to tremble, as if they were under an intense, painful pressure.
His entire body shivered. His hair stood on end—some strands even losing color due to the intense temperature change his body was undergoing.
What he was experiencing was no ordinary change.
It was the Transformation of Awakening.
This process only occurs once in a lifetime and is marked by agonizing pain. If the awakening itself was already difficult, continuing down the path of an Awakened One would be even more gruelling, riddled with trials designed to test one at every turn.
And now, the first of those trials stood before him.
The most important thing to survive these trials was simple in theory, yet excruciating in practice: maintain consciousness.
If he blacked out, his entire body would ignite from within, consumed by fire, and he would perish in the very process that was meant to strengthen him.
As long as he could retain his consciousness, he could avoid something like that.
But the pain was simply unimaginable.
"Hah…" As he exhaled, smoke curled out of his mouth. The heat radiated through the room like an inferno. Even the air conditioning didn't seem to be a match for the searing energy building inside him.
After more than 10 ragged breaths, each one expelled more hot smoke, thick and unnatural.
It looked like he was being roasted alive from the inside out. But still, he endured it.
"…Strength is born of pain," he muttered, even as his mouth trembled from the effort, he blurted out words of encouragement.
He felt every organ inside him shift and writhe like molten iron in a forge.
'It's so… painful.'
Suddenly, his eyes began to bleed. The heat had reached them, too. It was the worst pain he had ever felt in his eyes, the burning made him feel like he wouldn't be able to hold himself back and cry. Or maybe it was already making him cry tears of blood.
As time passed, seconds seemed like hours and hours seemed like years.
Time ceased to exist.
Enduring so much pain made him lose track of time. His body trembled continuously, as if the blood inside them wanted to escape; his bulging veins were proof of this.
But he managed to hold on.
Eventually, his body began to calm down, though his mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. He hovered in a strange state—still awake, but barely. The pain and sheer determination had kept him from slipping into the abyss for so long, but his mind seemed to want to escape from him.
He remained like that for over an hour, which felt like an eternity, until finally, he opened his eyes.
A strange, reddish flame still clouded his vision, preventing him from seeing clearly, but slowly, it faded—until he could finally see clearly again.
Then he noticed it.
The system interface had appeared before him. Although it had sounded a while ago, right now his sense of hearing was too distorted to register it until now.
[Congratulations on becoming a Player, Elliot Clark.]
[The Second Talent of your Class, 'The Awakener', is in sight. Continue to strengthen yourself to obtain it.]
| 'The Awakener,' the Second Talent of the Monarch of Energy, is about to awaken.
| Requirements: Reach 60 stat points in at least two stats.
'Second Talent?'
Though pain still echoed through his bones, Elliot stiffened upon reading the words. But despite his condition, he leaned forward instinctively, eager to read more.
But as he read it, he frowned and his expression darkened.
'60 points… I still have a long way to go. From here on, getting points will only be more difficult,' he thought.
Reaching 60 points in two stats meant reaching the threshold of Master Rank—a milestone that not many people in this world could reach.
It meant stepping into the realm of elite players.
"But… The Awakener, huh… I'll be looking forward to it."
He smiled faintly.
"I don't know exactly what it means, but I'd be a fool if I don't understand all the hints that name gives me."
Although the road ahead would be long and difficult, he still allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. It hadn't even been a full week since his Awakening, and already, he had a glimpse of what his second Talent would be.
Though he was more intrigued by his second Manifestation—especially considering how powerful his first Manifestation had been—gaining an additional Talent along with the one he already had was a rarity, and a gift most could only dream of.
The first Talent was centered around raw strength, allowing him to advance at such a remarkable pace. So, what would his second Talent offer?
And to think that there would still be a third…
The hunger and longing for power surged within him again, but he tempered it, knowing now wasn't the time for that.
He glanced at his hands and clenched them into fists, feeling the raw energy running through his veins. He realized that he was indeed in the Awakened Rank.
"My muscles, internal organs… even my bones feel stronger than before. I am sure I could now take down that dungeon boss by myself—and do it faster than last time."
"Should I go and test it out?"
But a glance at his surroundings—and his body—reminded him of the reality. He was a mess. His room was barely livable and not yet well equipped, so he had several other things to take care of before he had free time.
He sighed and resigned himself before dragging himself to the bathroom.
After a much-needed shower and tidying up his room, he collapsed onto the bed.
He still needed to do some shopping, but he was too exhausted for it right now.
Eventually, he planned to revisit the goblin and spider dungeon, which had become his gold mine. He needed funds to purchase items to furnish his home and live comfortably.
But for now, sleep claimed him.