In a dimly lit room sat a haggard-looking man.Thin, malnourished, almost skeletal he looked as if death could claim him at any moment. His deep eyes carried the weight of centuries of suffering, though he was only twenty-five. Long white hair draped over his shoulders. He was average in height, but his presence felt heavy, almost suffocating.He stared blankly into the void, lost in memories of his beloved family.How did he end up here?It all began one hundred years ago.--------------------At first, it was a day like any other until the explosion.A deafening boom shook Central Park. Panic spread instantly. Many thought it was a terrorist attack. They were wrong.In the middle of the blast, a massive yellow portal appeared circular, glowing fiercely, floating in the air. Everything around it melted under its heat. The atmosphere turned heavy, dread filling every breath.Thirty minutes later, the army arrived, surrounding the area with a one-mile barricade. Silence hung over the p

They stood in a vast wasteland where the horizon could not be seen. Ancient ruins lay scattered about, their age impossible to guess. For two days and nights the squad marched tirelessly without spotting a single sign of life.To make matters worse, the fog grew thicker with every step, shrouding everything in a pale veil. When they entered a jagged mountain range, the air grew denser, heavy with something eerie.Most of the squad were Ascended, only a handful still Awakened, which at least made navigating this hellish terrain possible. But Ethan couldn't shake the thought that gnawed at him.Something's not right… Even in a Tier 5 dungeon, we should have encountered beasts by now.The unease twisted his gut.Then it came.A crushing pressure, so heavy it was hard to breathe."Everyone, be on alert!" Sony barked, his massive axe flashing as he drew it. His sharp instincts had already picked up on the evil presence lurking within the fog.The Awakened tensed immediately. Sony didn't ne

On the snowy mountain peak, the once white snow had already turned blood-red. A pungent smell filled the atmosphere, and for some reason the corpses on the ground were decaying faster than the eye could follow."It's a sneak attack! Everyone scatter!" Ethan shouted as he activated his skill, Phantom Ghost.Although this skill was powerful, its cooldown time was twenty-four hours and its duration only thirty minutes. Right now Ethan had already blended into the fog, this time pushing it to the extreme. But the cost was steep—it consumed too much mana. He had 145 mana points, and the skill was draining 5 points every ten seconds."Fuck," Ethan cursed. Who would have thought they'd be ambushed by a Hellish Beast—at least on the level of a Transcendent?He tried to save some warriors, but it proved futile. The Hellish Beast slaughtered them before he could even reach them. It was a mountain lion, an ice beast, its frosted body radiating deathly cold. But what unsettled Ethan most was not

Ethan sat on the blue mystic grass, harvesting and letting it heal his battered body. Each time he touched the glowing blades, they dissolved into streaks of light and seeped into his wounds, knitting flesh and soothing pain."Well, I guess Lady Luck won't allow the god of death to claim me yet," he smirked.After five hours, he was stunned to find his injuries completely gone. "Aaahhh…" he exhaled in relief, standing and stretching his limbs.He checked his storage ring—only the golden axe from his inauguration into the Vanguard, and a few sets of clothes remained. No food. No potions."I just pray there are beasts to hunt," he muttered, starting across the endless expanse of mystic grass. A pity he couldn't harvest the glowing blades themselves—they would've been worth a fortune for their healing properties.As he traveled, he noticed tiny glowing insects dotting the air. Curious, he tried to catch one, but each darted away. Judging by their aura, they were barely Earthly level beas

I am an immortal. Why would I lie to a low-level being like you?" the voice boomed, calm yet dripping with disdain.Ethan's face darkened. Low-level? Even if death stood at his door, he still had pride. "Then I guess I should be on my way. I'll leave here.""Leave? Where would you even go? You've been lucky to survive this long. You know you can't escape this place," the voice said.Ethan paused. It was right. He had nowhere else to go. "…Then how do I get out?""Simple," the voice replied. "I will give you a test. If you pass, the power of the God of Space and Time shall be yours."Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What kind of power?""You need not know. Your mind is too weak to comprehend it.""Hah. Then I'll just sit here forever if you don't tell me," Ethan snorted."You may stay as long as you like," the voice said arrogantly. "How many years can a mortal live? A hundred? Two hundred? We shall see.""Well, I thought your old ass was already on its last rope," Ethan mocked."Foolish chil