Free Web NovelChapter 1: Beginning Of The End...
"Yes! A little more, a little to the left!" Monica’s tiny voice rang out across the cramped garage as she instructed.
"Hm, just like that. Lubricate it well and plug it inside with your hands."
Andrew groaned in response. "There’s no lubricant here."
Monica clicked her tongue impatiently. "Are you dumb? Use your spit, put it in, then rotate it."
"Just make sure it works. We are almost late for the Awakening Ceremony." Andrew frowned as he spat on his palm and rubbed it against the screw of the carburetor.
With a sharp grunt, he twisted the spanner to the left. Immediately, water mixed with gas oozed out from the bike’s carburetor.
"Yes!" Monica immediately pumped her fists in the air.
They were almost late for the Mana Shower, but the bike had been having problems ever since yesterday’s rain.
When the waterlogged petrol finally poured out completely, Andrew quickly screwed the carburetor shut. Monica hurriedly filled the tank with gas from a jerrycan and kick-started the bike.
"Pi-pipapa-pa! Vrooom!"
The bike spurted out a cloud of smoke along with a bit of residual water before the engine regulated into a steady hum. The two happily humped the bike and drove hastily toward Maryland Academy.
•••
The entire event had been completely unexpected.
There was absolutely no warning when the VR game, Heaven’s Domain, violently merged and integrated with reality, causing what would forever be known as the World’s Glitch Apocalypse.
The humans who had played the game using other races were forcefully fused with their in-game avatars, causing people to mutate into entirely different species.
Some gained wings. Some became dwarves, vampires, or werewolves. A rare few even transformed into legendary races that had previously existed only within the confines of the game.
Overnight, humanity was violently transformed and divided into hundreds of distinct races. It was no longer just about the color of one’s skin anymore.
•••
In this world, every 16-year-old undergo the Awakening Ceremony, officially unlocking their latent talent and then teleported to Heaven’s Domain World to level up.
If not satisfied with the rank of the talent given to you, Heaven’s Domain provides a single opportunity to upgrade the talent.
It’s called The Culling Game.
One battle in the Culling Game = Upgrade your talent by a level.
With this opportunity, an F rank talent has a chance to become an SSS-Rank talent.
In the CullIng Game, gods, demons and devils stream this battle from their thrones, betting on who would advance to the highest stage.
If impressed, the gods could grant them gifts, golden tickets, powerstones and potions.
And in the best case scenario, they could sponsor a particular Player, making them Godscions.
Over the past 400 years, billions of people and counting had died in the Culling Game due to sheer, unbridled greed.
But it was entirely to be expected. frёewebnoѵēl.com
No one would ever be satisfied with an F-Rank talent. Even an A-Rank talent would be deeply tempted to advance their power to the legendary S-Rank!
•••
The parking lot of the academy was completely packed with various vehicles.
Today was the Awakening Ceremony, the day every student awaken their talent and enter Heaven’s Domain.
Of course, no one would dare miss this grand day.
Parents had come alongside their kids to attend the ceremony, eagerly watching as their sons and daughters awakened the best possible talent.
"Quick, let’s head inside." Andrew spoke hastily as he hopped off the bike.
Monica removed the key from the ignition, but as her eyes landed on the gate, she nervously fucked her blonde hair behind her elven ear.
Andrew had already run a few paces ahead before he realized she hadn’t followed him.
"Monica? What’s wrong?" He jogged back to her and asked with worry.
"I—what if I awaken an F-Rank talent with my mana affinity?" Monica stuttered, her fingers fidgeting anxiously.
Andrew chuckled softly. "Between the two of us, I’m far more likely to awaken a low-rank talent. Just promise me you won’t participate in the Culling Game, no matter how tempted you are."
Monica rolled her eyes. "I’m nervous, not courting death."
She managed to calm herself down. Clearing her throat, she grabbed Andrew’s hand, and the two orphans sprinted for the gate just like their dad did.
They provided their identification cards, and the stationed soldiers immediately let them through the academy gate.
•••
Maryland Academy, Main Stadium.
The stadium was the size of four Earth football stadiums combined. Parents and guardians sat on the spectator seats surrounding the field, eagerly watching the awakening unfold.
And in the front rows of the field stood several well-kept, high-status young men and women.
These students were the elite of the academy and are called Supernals.
Even before birth, their very genes were altered to be superior to others, and they were constantly nurtured with mana while still in the fetal stage.
They were the privileged sons and daughters of the main families within Maryland City.
"Shut the fuck up, fools!"
A voice boomed like a thunder clap and the entire stadium went silent.
But there were a few students at the back still whispering.
Principal Constance eyes narrowed at the student.
"Sounds like the fuck is still opened. Shut the fuck up or I shut it for you." Principal Constance glared at the student.
The students face reddened in embarrassment as he shrank his neck in shame.
"Hmph!"
"If you don’t know my name by now, you are going to die."
Principal Constance swept his cold gaze across the thousands of students standing steadily in the field of the massive stadium.
All of them wore highly serious expressions as they faced the principal. It seemed they were used to his way of speaking.
Nobody dared to breathe loudly or talk. They were far too nervous to even think about anything other than what was definitely going to happen today.
"If you don’t know why the fuck you’re here, go back home and suck your mom’s tits, cause you will surely die."
"Today, everyone will officially awaken their talent and enter Heaven’s Domain."
The principal stroked his non-existent beard as he continued his speech. "Many of you will not be satisfied with your given talent and will choose to enter the Culling Game to upgrade it."
The Principal sneered. "Please do, I beg of you. It’s been 20 years a students of this academy dared to enter anyways. Be the first to break the two decade long tradition."
At this point, some of the parents were getting uncomfortable. This doesn’t aound like reverse psychology. It sounded like he was serious.
"As the principal, I am to assure you that Talent is not the only deciding factor for success. With high comprehension, relentless hard work, and a bit of luck, even an E-Rank Player has the chance to level up further and faster than an S-Rank Player."
The Principal boredly yawned and continued in a monotonous tone as though he was reading a script.
"Heaven’s Domain is filled with massive opportunities, quests, and treasures that could turn an F-Rank Player into a Demigod, as was the case with the legendary Spear Saint."
"Your path will not end simply because you lack an initial talent. Make the academy proud. And in a few short minutes, you will no longer be ordinary. You will be something far more. You will be Players."
With those final words th principal casually waved his hands and, a crisp, robotic voice rang clearly across the entire stadium.
[System: Awakening Ceremony will descend in 3... 2... 1...]
’RUMBLE!’
A massive, earth-shattering sound echoed throughout the entire academy as the sky itself seemed to violently tear apart.
The clear blue heavens split right down the middle as a colossal celestial hand reached out from the rift and ripped the skies apart into two halves.
At that exact moment, billions of divine lights shot out from the deepest depths of space, traveling at the speed of hundreds of thousands of lightyears as they descended upon each and every 16-year-old all across the entire world.
In the blink of an eye, golden rays slammed into the bodies of the Maryland students.
Some of the students were violently slammed to the ground by the sheer force of the awakening, while those in the Supernal Class let a grunt bur stood perfectly still.
Everyone’s eyes immediately began to change as the rank of their talent was directly imprinted into their pupils.
Among the chaos, Andrew watched as a golden light descended from the void and collided directly into Monica.
She immediately groaned in pain as she fell to her knees, a massive pillar of golden light surrounding her in a glowing barrier.
Andrew’s expression changed slightly, and he instinctively wanted to rush to her. But before he could move, he sensed something.
Andrew looked up only to see a golden light heading straight for him.
He immediately raised his hands in defense and braced himself. A moment later, he felt something land on his head, like a soft, almost gentle knock.
"Eh?"
Before he could even complain about the anticlimactic impact, a violent stream of energy surged inside him and then a blue screen appeared in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Welcome to Heaven’s Domain Matrix, Player!]
[Your system has been unlocked]
[You are now undergoing Awakening.] freewebnσvel.cѳm
[Player Status has been unlocked.]
[Ding! You have awakened the F-Rank Talent: Zoomable Eyes.]
[Do you wish to advance your Talent by participating in the Culling Game or enter the Heaven Domain First Dimension?]
