READ!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!I. Character MechanicsCharacters, including humans and intelligent races, are defined by a set of attributes, a progression system, and unique abilities.A. Core Attributes* Stats > Measure fundamental capabilities like Strength, Agility, Endurance, Intelligence, and more. These are the raw building blocks of a character's power.* Level > Represents a character's overall experience and growth. As characters gain experience, their Level increases. When a level up happens the awakener get a permanent 3 attribute points to all attributes categories permanent while obtaining a free 2 undistributed attributes points for them to decide which to put them* EXP > Experience Points are accumulated through various actions and are required to increase a character's Level.* Rank > Indicates a character's overall threat level, ranging from F (lowest) to SSS (highest), with a "???" rank for ultimate unknown power.B. Character AbilitiesCharacters possess a variety of a

The stale air in the cramped, windowless room felt heavy, tasting faintly of dust and stale ramen. The cheap digital glow of Zander’s wristwatch painted the grim reality across the peeling wallpaper: 4:17 a.m. He lay sprawled on a mattress that had long ago surrendered its springs, its surface a topographical map of old ramen spills and unidentifiable stains. One arm, heavy with exhaustion, dangled off the edge, fingertips brushing against the cool, cracked screen of a burner phone—his lifeline to the shadowy underbelly of Terra Nova. His other hand, calloused and scraped, clutched a half-empty bottle of cheap liquor, the kind that promised forgetfulness but delivered only a raw, acidic burn down his throat, tasting more like industrial solvent than solace. It cost less than a candy bar, a grim indicator of his current existence.“C’mon…” he rasped, the word a dry, abrasive whisper that scraped against his already raw throat. Three sleepless nights had etched dark canyons under his s

“Standard protocol,” Tessa muttered, her voice low and gravelly as her thorny vines, thick as anaconda coils, subtly flexed and retracted around her gloved fingers. Her eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanned the ominous blue portal. “Goblins take the front, kobolds release fire from the rear. Stay clear of the shaman’s totems. It gives random debuffs to enemies, and buffs to all allies.” Her words were clipped, efficient, conveying a lifetime of dungeon experience Zander could only pretend to possess.Zander didn't waste a second. He clapped a hand on Kael’s oversized armored shoulder, pushing the nervous boy forward with a surprising amount of force. “Keep your chin up, Sparkplug! Don't just doze around, we've got a dungeon to clear!” His voice boomed with a forced bravado, projecting an image of unshakeable confidence that he prayed was convincing. He laid on a thick performance, every muscle in his face carefully schooled, every gesture deliberate. He had to convincingly portray a C-

A stunned, suffocating silence hung in the vast, gloom-ridden chamber, thick with disbelief and a dawning, soul-chilling horror. Zander’s ridiculous, desperate instructions – a pathetic attempt at leadership – echoed in the oppressive stillness, each word a testament to his utter lack of a real plan, a stark mockery of their impending doom.Lyra was the first to break the agonizing quiet, a disbelieving, almost hysterical laugh bubbling up from her throat, raw with terror. “Flank? Diversion? Keep that thing occupied with Sparkplug’s… potent energies?” Her voice was shrill, laced with the sharp edge of hysteria as she gestured wildly at the towering, monstrous Orc King, its aura of malice radiating across the room. “Are you completely insane, Captain?! That thing could swat us like flies! It’s B-rank, you idiot!” Her eyes, wide and bloodshot, were fixed on Zander, pleading for an answer he didn't have.Kael, his youthful face pale and drawn, finally found his voice, though it trembled

The Orc King’s massive, bloodstained axe descended with the terrifying speed of a falling guillotine, a colossal shadow eclipsing the sickly blue light of the cavern. Zander, his eyes wide with a pure, animalistic terror, flinched violently, his muscles tensing, bracing for the inevitable, for the split second of agonizing pain before oblivion. But in his desperate, unthinking panic, his foot caught on another loose, unforgiving stone. He felt the sickening lurch as he lost his balance, sending him sprawling backward in a clumsy, undignified tumble. The colossal blade whistled inches, mere inches, above his head, the sudden rush of displaced air from its passage ruffling his pathetic excuse for hair, carrying the faint metallic scent of blood and pulverized stone. He landed hard on his butt, the impact jarring his spine and sending a fresh wave of pain through his already battered body. A strangled, unmanly yelp escaped his lips. It was a near-miss so absurd, so undeserved, so utter