Carter had never felt stronger—or more terrified.
Every muscle in his body buzzed with raw potential, but it wasn't just the stat boost from the System. It was something deeper. Purpose. Direction. A reason to fight.
Two days ago, he'd died screaming in the Windspire Rift.
Today, he was going back—with a plan.
---
It started the moment he got home.
He locked himself in his room, dropped his bag, and summoned the interface.
> [LEVEL: 2]
[STAT POINTS: 1]
[SKILL: Energy Slash (Lv. 1)]
[NEXT QUEST UNLOCKS AT LEVEL 3]
[Inventory: Rusted Dagger, Bone Shard (1), Feral Tissue (1)]
He examined the new Energy Slash skill. His fingers tingled when he concentrated on the motion. The blade in his hand shimmered faintly, almost humming.
He slashed once.
A streak of force sliced through the air, carving a thin line into the drywall.
"…Whoa."
Power. Real power.
He pointed toward his old notebook on the desk. Another slash.
Thoom.
The notebook flew off the table, split down the middle.
For once in his life, Carter Kane could fight back.
---
The next morning, he skipped breakfast and made his way to a decommissioned Rift near the rail yard. It was unstable and under city lockdown, but the barrier seals had long since degraded. No one came out here—not anymore.
> [ENTRY: Phantom Fragment - Tier E Instance]
[Enemies Detected: Lesser Wraith (x1)]
[Warning: Field Instability > 50%]
His hand hovered over the enter prompt. Just two days ago, he wouldn't have dreamed of walking into a Rift alone. Now?
Now, he was rewriting the story.
---
Inside, it was night.
The sky above him was void-black, without stars or moon. Mist swirled around broken statues and half-formed architecture. Like the memory of a world that no longer existed.
The System pinged softly.
> [NEW THREAT IDENTIFIED: Lesser Wraith – Level 3]
[HP: 85/85]
[Weakness: Light-based attacks]
[Resistant to Physical Damage]
The wraith hovered ten feet ahead, its face obscured by shadow. It hadn't seen him yet.
Carter crouched low, dagger in hand, breath steady.
He knew he couldn't beat it with brute strength—not yet. But he didn't need to. He had agility, speed, and most importantly—Energy Slash.
He sprinted forward, staying in the mist, circling behind a pillar. The wraith turned, confused by the sudden shift in sound.
Carter stepped out from the fog—silent as the grave—and struck.
Energy Slash!
A burst of kinetic force launched from his blade. The wraith recoiled, screeching as the slash tore through its incorporeal form.
> [CRITICAL HIT – 40 DMG]
The creature twisted mid-air and dove at him, claws outstretched. Carter ducked, rolled, and jabbed upward with the dagger.
> [10 DMG]
[Lesser Wraith – HP: 35/85]
Too low. Too slow.
The wraith lashed out with a shadow burst—Carter barely twisted away, but the edges of the blast clipped his leg.
Pain flared through his calf. He stumbled.
Another strike.
He blocked with the dagger, and it shattered from the impact.
"Damn it—!"
His back hit the statue base.
The cooldown for Energy Slash was still ticking—5 seconds… 4…
The wraith shrieked, forming a spear of darkness.
> [WARNING: Incoming High-Tier Skill: Void Impale]
Carter closed his eyes.
He had no weapon.
But he did have instinct.
At the last second, he grabbed the broken dagger hilt—still faintly glowing—and thrust it forward just as the System dinged.
> [Energy Slash – Ready]
[Overclock Mode Activated]
[STAT COMPRESSION – TEMPORARY BUFF: +20% AGILITY]
Time slowed.
He lunged.
The broken blade pulsed with kinetic force—amplified by raw desperation.
The slash met the shadow spear—and shattered it.
A final surge of force tore through the wraith.
Silence.
Then—
> [ENEMY DEFEATED – Lesser Wraith]
[+150 XP]
[+2 STAT POINTS]
[LEVEL UP – Level 3 Achieved]
[New Quest Unlocked: The Spark]
[Skill Proficiency Increased: Energy Slash (Lv.2)]
[Inventory Updated: Echo Shard (Rare)]
Carter dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, smoke rising from the broken dagger hilt in his palm.
He'd done it.
---
Back in his room that night, Carter stared at the blue interface again.
> [LEVEL: 3]
[Available Points: 2]
[New Passive Detected: Adaptive Core – Rank F]
Enhances user's ability to evolve skills and synchronize with unstable System code.
His fingers hovered over the stat screen.
He dumped both points into Perception, sharpening his reaction speed and battlefield awareness.
The change was immediate. His senses expanded—like his brain was syncing with the air around him.
> [New Quest: The Spark]
Locate a "Core Catalyst" to begin class evolution.
Reward: Hidden Class Selection
Carter leaned back, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Two days ago, he was the school's weakest.
Now, he was on the verge of evolution.
And in one more day, he'd return to the Windspire Rift—with more than just courage.
He was going in with knowledge, strength… and something no one else had:
The System Reboot.