All Chapters of Rebirth Of The Sealed Core: The Rise Of Billy Howell: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
25 chapters
CHAPTER 1 — THE SEALED ENERGY BREAKS
Billy Howell had always lived a quiet and ordinary life in Silver Heights. Every day felt the same. Wake up, go to work, get laughed at a little, then walk home with tired steps. Most people didn’t hate him, but they didn’t take him seriously either. To them, Billy was simply that unlucky kid who always messed up, always got the short end of the stick, and always looked like life beat him down one more time than necessary.But Billy had learned to live with it.Or at least, he tried to.That Friday morning started like every other. Billy was rushing to his job at the delivery company, struggling to keep his bag from falling apart as he ran. Old Mrs. Harper from the bakery waved at him as he passed by.“Slow down, Billy! You’ll trip again!”He forced a smile. “I’ll be fine!”Of course, the moment he said that, his foot caught the edge of a raised pavement tile, and he stumbled forward. He managed to stop himself just before falling completely. A man walking behind him snorted in laught
CHAPTER 2 — THE FIRST SYSTEM TASK
The moment Billy stepped out of the warehouse, he felt strange. Everything around him looked the same—the cracked concrete, the noisy machines, the confused workers gathering outside—but something about the world felt clearer. Sharper. Like someone wiped dust off his eyes.The air felt lighter.His body felt stronger.And deep inside him, a warm energy moved slowly, like a sleeping flame that had just started to wake.His supervisor rushed over, “Billy! You okay? They said a shelf fell on you!”Billy nodded slowly. “Yeah… somehow I’m fine.”The man gave him a puzzled look. “You sure? That thing should’ve crushed half your ribs.”Billy wasn’t sure how to explain it. The truth sounded insane.“I guess I got lucky.”Lucky.The word felt strange on his tongue. He had never been lucky in his entire life.After the evacuation ended and everyone returned to work, Billy took a moment to sit alone behind the loading trucks. He needed to breathe, to think, to understand what had just happened.
CHAPTER 3 — THE MAN WITH BURNING EYES
Billy woke up the next morning before his alarm rang. Normally, he struggled to open his eyes, always tired and dragging his feet out of bed. But today felt different. His body felt light, almost refreshed in a way he had never experienced.The breathing manual he bought last night lingered in his mind like a clear memory he didn’t know he had. He sat up, crossed his legs, and began practicing the first technique.Breath in.Hold.Release.Each breath pulled warm air through his body, and the energy inside him flowed smoothly like a gentle stream. By the time he finished the small exercise, his senses felt sharper, like his mind had been washed clean.The system spoke softly:[Energy flow stabilized. Body strength +2.]He smiled. “So this is what progress feels like.”For once, he wasn’t afraid of the day. He wasn’t dragging himself into another boring shift. Something inside him—his Origin Core—felt like a tiny sun waiting to grow.He grabbed his bag and headed out.Silver Heights lo
CHAPTER 4 — THE BOY WHO COULD FEEL ENERGY
For a long moment, Billy and the boy just stared at each other, both unsure of what would happen next. The boy’s grip on Billy’s hand was tight, trembling, desperate. The glowing stone in his other hand pulsed faintly, like a weak heartbeat.Billy lowered his voice. “First, tell me your name.”The boy swallowed hard. “My name is Kai. Kai Turner.”“Alright, Kai. You need to calm down. No one is here right now.”Kai shook his head quickly. “No… they’re close. I can feel them.”Billy’s energy sense tingled at those words.He stared at the boy. “You can feel energy?”Kai looked surprised. “You… you know what that is?”Billy paused.Should I lie? Should I pretend I’m normal?But the system spoke softly in his head:[Low risk in revealing basic information. Kai Turner shows early-stage awakening.]Billy exhaled. “Yeah. I know a little.”The fear in Kai’s face loosened slightly. He clutched the glowing stone tightly.“This stone… it belonged to my mom,” Kai whispered. “She told me to run wit
Chapter 5 – The System’s First Mission
Billy stood rooted to the spot long after the silver screen of texts disappeared into the air. His heartbeat felt too loud, thumping against his ribs like it wanted to break free. The world around him—cars rushing past, wind brushing his face, faint noises from the street—felt unreal.He leaned against the cold wall, steadying himself.“Okay… okay. Calm down. One step at a time,” he muttered.A system.A real system.Other people got smartwatches and phone apps—he got something ancient, strange, and terrifyingly powerful.Billy inhaled deeply and mentally summoned the interface.“System… open.”A soft chime answered, and a transparent screen appeared before his eyes like a floating tablet only he could see.---【 BILLY HOWELL – STATUS 】Level: 1Energy Awakening: LockedAether Vein Count: UnknownSystem Functions:Reward Hall – ActiveTask Center – ActiveExchange Pavilion – LockedLegacy Archives – LockedRebirth Memories Sync: 3% Completed---Billy blinked. “Rebirth memories? Sync?
Chapter 6 – The Man With Blue Eyes
Billy couldn’t move. His legs felt glued to the pavement as he stared at the empty spot beneath the streetlamp. The old man was gone—completely gone. No footsteps. No shadows. No lingering silhouette.Just thin air.Billy’s throat tightened.“That… wasn’t normal. Not even close.”He forced himself to breathe and checked the system interface again, hoping it would explain something—anything.【 WARNING REMAINS ACTIVE 】An ability user has shown interest in you.Threat Level: UnknownDistance: Out of rangeBilly closed the screen with a shaky hand.“So someone out there can teleport or disappear. Great. Just great.”He swallowed hard and hurried home, constantly looking over his shoulder. Every passing face felt suspicious. Every moving car felt too slow, as if watching him. He kept walking faster until he reached the tall, aging apartment building where he lived.The security light above the entrance flickered, as always. He went straight to the third floor, opened his door, and locked
Chapter 7 – The Visitor at the Door
Billy stood frozen in the middle of his room, palms sweaty, heart pounding so loudly it echoed in his ears. The calm voice behind the door didn’t help at all. In fact, it made everything worse.“Billy Howell,” the old man repeated gently. “Open the door. I won’t harm you.”Billy’s mind raced.What should he do?Open the door?Hide?Jump out the window?He took a shaky breath.“System… is he dangerous?”A small window popped up instantly.---【 THREAT SCAN 】Subject: Unknown Ability UserThreat Level: Currently LowIntent: Not hostileEnergy Type: ??? (Unidentified)---Billy let out a sharp breath.“Not hostile doesn’t mean safe…”The knocking stopped. Then the man spoke again.“If you won’t open the door, at least listen to me through it. You awakened a presence yesterday—one that many will sense soon. Without proper guidance, you’ll draw the worst kind of people.”Billy’s stomach twisted.Great. Exactly what he didn’t want to hear.He moved closer to the door, but not too close.“W-
Chapter 8 – Rooftop Awakening
Billy barely slept.Every time he closed his eyes, flashes of the strange memory returned—burning black flames, a shattered sky, a spear glowing like lightning.And that voice calling a name that wasn’t his.He woke up multiple times with his heart racing, sweat sticking to his shirt. By the time dawn finally painted the sky faint orange, he dragged himself out of bed with dark circles under his eyes.He washed his face, grabbed his jacket, and headed upstairs toward the rooftop.Each step made him more nervous.What was Elias going to do?What would “awakening” even feel like?And what if the system triggered something painful?Billy swallowed and pushed open the rooftop door.The cold morning air hit him instantly.Elias stood near the railing, hands behind his back, staring at the rising sun. His grey coat fluttered slightly in the breeze. He looked peaceful—like someone who didn’t just appear at strangers’ doors and talk about ancient seals.Billy approached slowly. “I… I’m here.
Chapter 9 – The Chase Begins
Billy’s legs nearly gave out.“Run? As in right now!?”“Yes,” Elias replied sharply. “Unless you want to be dragged into a van and experimented on.”Billy’s stomach twisted so fast he almost threw up.“Nope. Running sounds great.”Elias grabbed Billy by the wrist and pulled him toward the rooftop door.Behind them, Billy could already hear faint sounds—car doors shutting, footsteps approaching the building entrance. The men moved with the cold precision of trained hunters.“Why are they here so fast?” Billy hissed.“Your awakening sent out a pulse of energy,” Elias said while speeding down the stairs. “Anyone with the right detection tools felt it. And Nightshade has the most advanced sensors.”Billy’s heart hammered against his ribs. “Who the hell are they!?”“People you don’t want as enemies,” Elias replied. “Government-backed, but not the good kind. They capture anyone with supernatural abilities, label them as ‘possible threats,’ and use them.”Billy gulped. “Use them for what?”E
Chapter 10 — The First Mission
Billy barely slept that night.Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the silver panel floating in front of him. The Ascendant System—a system that had chosen him, the most underestimated guy in the whole city.When morning came, he sat up on his bed and called it out again.“System.”The familiar chime echoed in his head.[Ascendant System is online.][New Mission Available.]Billy’s heart skipped.“Show me.”A soft glow appeared in front of him.---[Main Mission #1: Retrieve the Lost Ember Stone]Difficulty: LowReward: +100 System Credits, +1 Attribute PointFailure: Host receives temporary energy suppressionDescription: An Ember Stone has awakened somewhere within Crystal City. Recover it before it falls into enemy hands.---Billy blinked. “Ember Stone? Isn't that what caused the explosion that awakened me?”[Correct. The stone is one of many ancient fragments scattered in the modern world. They react to your dormant energy.]“So I’m attracting them?”[Yes. And others may be att