A New World, Not So Bad

[ CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BECOME THE FIRST AWAKENED IN THE WORLD! ]

The message flashed in front of Claude's eyes, bright and impossible to ignore. The burning pain in his bloodied hand—still warm with the life he'd just taken—disappeared instantly. In its place, raw power flooded his veins like electricity. This was actually happening.

He could feel it. The power Julius had promised was now his. A cold smile spread across his bruised lips. He'd done it. He'd actually done it.

But the system wasn't finished with him yet. More notifications popped up:

[ PIONEER KNIGHT RUNE HAS MERGED WITH USER'S BODY ]

[ RING OF MAGIC CHOOSES YOU AS ITS MASTER ]

[ DO YOU ACCEPT? ]

[ YES / NO ]

Claude stared at the floating words. Pioneer Knight Rune? Ring of Magic? He had no idea what any of that meant. His mind was still spinning from what he'd just done—the blood, the screaming, the way the man's eyes had gone empty. But deep down, something else was stirring. The same survival instinct that had kept him alive on the streets was now screaming at him to take more. To never stop climbing.

More power means more control. More control means I'll never be helpless again.

His dirty finger moved without hesitation, pressing:

[ YES ]

The moment he touched the option, ice-cold electricity shot through his entire body. It started at his fingertip and raced up his arm, into his chest, spreading to every cell. It felt like being stabbed by a thousand frozen needles, but somehow... it felt good. Like he was finally becoming something more than the trash everyone said he was.

A ring appeared on his right middle finger. It was gorgeous—black as midnight with glowing red symbols carved into its surface. The metal felt warm against his skin, like it had its own heartbeat that matched his own.

Another message appeared:

[ DO YOU WISH TO EVOLVE? ]

[ YES / NO ]

Evolution. Claude's heart pounded. This had to be the next step. The thing that would make him truly powerful. Sure, there were risks—but he was tired of being afraid. Tired of being weak. Tired of everyone looking at him like he was nothing.

I've spent my whole life regretting the chances I didn't take. Not this time.

His finger pressed:

[ YES ]

Then everything exploded into light.

Energy erupted from Claude's thin body like a bomb going off. His feet lifted off the ground, and suddenly he was floating three feet in the air. Golden light wrapped around him like a cocoon, so bright it hurt to look at. The narrow alley hummed with power, like the air itself was vibrating.

His head spun. Exhaustion crashed over him like a wave, dragging him toward unconsciousness. He could feel every part of his body changing, like he was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.

Through his blurry vision, he saw Julius watching from above. Those golden eyes were fixed on him with hungry satisfaction, like a predator that had finally caught its prey.

Julius didn't even try to hide how pleased he was. He threw back his head and laughed—a cold, triumphant sound that echoed through the chaos below.

"HAHAHA! Fools! Such absolute fools!" Julius's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Look at these insects! Still crying when one of you has finally seen the light!"

The crowd that had been obsessing over their countdown timers suddenly turned toward the commotion. They saw Claude floating in that golden light, surrounded by the mangled remains of the man he'd killed. Their faces twisted with horror and disbelief.

"No... that's impossible." Someone whispered. "He... he actually did it. He murdered an innocent person!"

"Oh my God! He really killed someone!" another person screamed, pointing at the corpse with a shaking hand.

"He's completely insane!" shouted a middle-aged man. "He's a monster! How did we let this happen?"

"We have to stop him!" a young guy who looked like a college student yelled. "We can't let a murderer get that kind of power!"

Fear and anger mixed together in the crowd. Some people who still had a conscience started moving forward. They looked at Claude's glowing form and saw a threat that had to be eliminated. Terror made them brave.

The others just stood there in shock. They were too late. They hadn't been able to save the suited man. The murder had happened so fast, so brutally, while they were all distracted by the information overload.

"We have to stop him now! He's dangerous!" someone shouted.

"Kill him! Before he kills us all!" a woman screamed, her eyes wild with fear.

Rage spread through the crowd like wildfire. People started running toward Claude's light-wrapped body. They wanted to stop this "monster"—whether from justice or fear that he'd come for them next.

Hands reached out, trying to grab Claude's glowing form. But the second they got close to the cocoon of light, an invisible shockwave exploded outward.

BOOM!

Everyone who'd been attacking Claude went flying backward. Bodies slammed into the asphalt, some crashing into others, creating even more chaos and pain. They coughed and groaned, gasping for air. No visible wounds, but the impact was devastating.

Julius smiled wide, clearly enjoying the show. "I warned you, insects. This Evolution process is absolute. No one can interrupt it. Did you really think you could stop a higher will?"

His gaze swept over the crowd, now torn between terror of Julius and rage at Claude. "Instead of worrying about others, you should be thinking about yourselves. Time keeps ticking. You don't have many choices left. Candy or the whip. King or slave. Choose."

The system panels in front of each person flickered, the countdown suddenly becoming the center of attention:

[ 10:01 ]

Time was running out. A new, more urgent fear gripped them. They could see what Claude had achieved. They watched how he—a worthless street kid—had become something beyond their understanding, floating in his cocoon of light.

If he can do it, what's stopping me?

But do I really want to become like him?

What happens if I don't?

Julius looked at Claude, still wrapped in golden radiance, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. His plan was working perfectly.

In the darkness of his unconscious mind, Claude felt like he was floating, being reborn. He didn't know what was coming next, but he knew one thing for certain: he would never again be the weak, helpless Claude he used to be.

The old Claude was dead. Something new was being born in his place.

And the world had better be ready for it.