Later, they would come to understand the true hierarchy of Awakening ranks, listed from weakest to strongest: Omega, Delta, Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Primordial, Ascendant, and finally, Apex—the peak of all power.
There was also a forgotten rank, hidden outside the system: a special class reserved for anomalies—those who didn't fit anywhere. They were called Errors. For thousands of years, not a single planet had managed to produce one. They were rare... so rare that many believed they were nothing more than myths.
Misfits. Glitches in the system.
And yet, should one appear, the world itself would tremble.
Then Blake Walker received his message.
[System Notice]
You do not bow. You never have. You've walked your own path, even when it meant standing alone. Authority doesn't scare you—weakness does. You desire strength not for pride, but to dominate. You were never meant to follow.
You have the potential to become a Primordial.
But the time has yet to come.
Congratulations. You have awakened as a Supreme Alpha.
(A rank between Alpha and Primordial.)
The air shifted around Blake. The wind howled louder, swirling in sharp circles. Lightning cracked above him, bright and sudden, followed by deep rumbles of thunder. The ground beneath him trembled slightly as if the earth itself had acknowledged his power.
"Hey! What the hell is going on up there?" one soldier shouted, shielding his eyes as the winds picked up dust.
"I don't know, man!" another replied, squinting at the glowing lights in the sky. "Should we go check it out?"
But before they could move, it began.
Screams echoed through the walls.
People all across the zone started convulsing, falling to their knees as streams of light fell from the heavens. Some shouted in fear. Others cried in pain. Awakening had begun everywhere.
"Ahhh! What's happening to me?! I don't wanna die!" a young soldier cried, gripping his chest as his body glowed faintly.
Some were overtaken by light. Others by shadows. Some awakened in silence, others with violent bursts of energy. The Awakening was no longer limited to the Walkers. It had reached the people.
In the middle of it all, Ariel turned toward her father.
"Are you okay, father?" she asked, concern in her wide eyes. Blake's face was blank, his eyes locked onto the screen floating in front of him.
[System Status]
Player Name: Blake Walker
Username: [None selected]
Rank: Supreme Alpha
Ability Tree: [Choose two out of six]
Wizard
Magician
Swordsman
Archery
Nightwalker (Assassin)
Path of Religion
You may only choose two. Your current rank is too low for more.
Blake let out a small breath and smiled at Ariel. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I've never felt better in my life." He looked at her. "What about you? What did you get?"
Ariel hesitated, then looked down at her glowing screen.
[System Status]
Player Name: Ariel Walker
Username: [Not chosen]
Rank: Primordial
Title: First Guardian of Earth
Abilities:
As a Primordial, you are not restricted by class. You can learn any skill or ability from lower ranks and make them permanently yours.
Special Abilities:
Protector – Boosts ally defense by 150%, reduces enemy defense by 300%
Submission – Immobilizes enemies for 3 seconds
Second Life – Revive once upon death (Cooldown: 7 days)
As a Primordial, no one may view your status without your permission.
Ariel closed the screen, looking away. "It's not that great, Father... but at least now... we can finally fight those monsters."
Blake chuckled and ruffled her hair. "That's my girl."
"That's right, Ariel," Jason added, stepping forward with a grin. His screen flashed in front of him.
[System Notice]
Which Martial Art would you like to learn?
Taichi – 4000 Points
Karate – 4000 Points
Wing Chun – 4000 Points
Jason didn't even think.
"All of them!" he shouted and dashed toward the edge of the wall, leaping off it with terrifying speed.
[System Notice]
You have learned Taichi.
You have learned Karate.
You have learned Wing Chun.
Remaining points: 0.00
He landed with a loud thud, sliding across the battlefield, fists clenched, eyes burning with purpose.
While the world had found a flicker of hope in the sudden awakening of its people, Zane was about to face a nightmare of his own.
After stepping through the portal created by the Whisperkin—a decision he would soon regret entirely—he landed in a world completely alien to him.
[System Notice]
Player Zane Walker has died.
Zane didn't even know what had killed him.
Moments later, he woke up again. But this time, he lasted a few seconds before death claimed him once more.
In those brief seconds, he managed to piece together a few things.
The ground beneath him was enormous—an endless wasteland of stone and dust. Strange, twisted creatures filled the space. Some had horns, some had too many limbs, others looked like failed experiments. If you could even call them "people," he thought.
Then it hit him—literally. The force of gravity crushed him again.
Whatever this place was, its gravity was several times stronger than Earth's. It was like trying to move with mountains strapped to your back.
He died instantly-again.
The last thing was that death didn't mean anything here.
Hours passed. Or maybe days. He wasn't sure anymore. The cycle continued: wake up, gasp for air, try to move, then die. Over and over.
Eventually, he managed to survive for a few full minutes before his body collapsed under the pressure.
He'd lost count of how many times he had already died.
Still lying on the ground, muscles twitching and breath ragged, Zane noticed the others watching him. Their eyes glowed in strange colors, and their mouths moved in bizarre patterns.
[System Notice]
Translating foreign language into native language...
Suddenly, he could understand them.
"Hey, let's make a bet. How long do you think he'll last this time?"
One of the creatures with two heads, green skin, and glowing blue eyes turned to the others and grinned.
"I bet two minutes."
"Three."
"Two minutes and fifty seconds."
The bets kept coming.
Zane clenched his jaw. 'Fucking bastards… How are they standing in this gravity like it's nothing? Am I the only strange one here?'
Another voice muttered from nearby, filled with scorn.
"What a loser. Must've come from a planet where people float in low gravity. And he had the guts to attempt the Master's trial? Pathetic. He'll be the first one tossed into the abyss."
Just then, a figure approached him. She looked almost human, at least compared to the others.
Her skin was smooth and blue like polished sapphire, and her hair flowed like water—clear, soft, and glowing faintly. Her eyes were calm and gentle.
Zane blinked.
Zane blinked up at her.
His eyes wandered.
Those…those are breasts, right? Please be breasts.
At this point, gender was a wild guess with these creatures.
She knelt beside him and looked down, her voice soft.
Something didn't sit right with him. Why hadn't they gotten any special abilities? That was the first thing that bugged him. As someone who spent most of his time indoors, buried in apocalyptic novels—one of his favorite genres—this all felt wrong. In every story he'd read, humans weren't thrown into fights with high-ranking monsters right from the start. There was always some kind of system, a buffer, a way to grow stronger.
But here? Nothing. Just pure survival.
And then there was the Whisperkin. Why didn't it kill him? It had the chance—many, actually. That question lingered in the back of his mind like a thorn. It said it had taken a liking to him but that possibly couldn't be it.
Could it really wipe out twelve billion people in just three days?
Zane scoffed under his breath. That part, at least, he wasn't ready to believe. Not yet.
"Don't resist the pressure. Accept it. That's the fastest way to adapt."
She sounded kind, almost comforting.
Zane forced a breath. Don't resist, huh? Fine. Let's try that...
He let go of the tension in his body.
Crack.
Everything went black again.
[System Notice]
Player Zane walker has died.
"Don't resist, my ass," he groaned internally as his vision faded. 'I died the moment I stopped struggling…'
Somewhere behind him, laughter broke out.
From the crowd, someone shouted.
"He lasted three minutes and forty seconds. Pay up, you lost!"
Grumbles followed, and the others began exchanging glowing stones, which Zane figured were some kind of currency.
Lying in a pool of his own sweat and dirt—yet alive again—Zane stared up at the red-tinted sky.
He was slowly getting used to dying, but the fear never left him.
Every time he woke, it came back like a shadow. Heavy. Icy. Unshakable.
To his surprise, the moment Zane stopped fighting the pressure, something changed. Slowly, almost painfully, his body began to adjust. His limbs stopped trembling as much, his heartbeat steadied, and eventually—he could kneel. Just kneel, nothing more—but in a place like this, that was a big win. He allowed himself a small,satisfied smile.
Then it happened.
A strange gust of wind swept across the barren land, followed by a blinding flash of light from the top of a jagged cliff. All chatter stopped. Everyone fell silent as a figure appeared at the edge of the cliff.
Zane squinted, barely able to lift his head under the crushing gravity. The man had flowing white hair that shimmered like moonlight. His clothes fluttered dramatically in the wind, almost as if the world itself bent to his presence. He looked human… but something about him felt far beyond that. His presence alone was overwhelming.
Then he spoke—and the air trembled. His voice rolled like thunder across the sky.
"Congratulations to all rankers... and one player... for making it this far," he said, his eyes settling directly on Zane. There was something in his gaze—like he was on the verge of laughter. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Zane could feel it. That look wasn't out of pride or respect.
It was amusement.
It was honestly hilarious. Most of the people who had ever attempted this training were Alpha ranks and above—some of the strongest beings in existence. And yet, only five had ever made it to the top. Just five. Each one had become an anomaly-Error ranked, known and feared across countless universes.
And now, standing there struggling to kneel, was a mere beta-level player—someone who wasn't even officially ranked—daring to take on the same trial.
The man's chest shook, and then he finally burst out laughing. It echoed across the vast plain, bouncing off the surrounding cliffs. Everyone stared in confusion. Why was the master—the master—laughing?
Zane blinked, still on one knee, shoulders barely holding under the weight. He didn't know why the man was laughing, but it rubbed him the wrong way. He clenched his teeth, the embarrassment stinging more than the gravity itself.
The white-haired man finally tried to compose himself, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Ah… forgive me," he said, still chuckling. "I just didn't expect to see... this." He nodded in Zane's direction again, the laughter threatening to return. "A beta-level player? Attempting this training? pfft—" He lost it again.
Zane frowned, but said nothing.