NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Descents
[Awakened: Grimley!]
[Successful Glory!]
[Conditions Met!]
[Welcome to Your Night Shift!]
[Rank: TOP-LEVEL]
...
Dane, still reeling in confusion, was struck again.
The whip lashed across his back, tearing into flesh and sending another wave of searing pain through him.
Blood seeped from the fresh wound.He clenched his teeth, cursing the bastard responsible.
Even through the agony, he registered the words that echoed in his mind.
They were familiar—too familiar.
He had seen something similar before.
Then, a clue came: 'Night Shifts.'
The memory surfaced.
It was from a LitRPG game he had played—a brutal, immersive world.
In that game, he had been nothing more than a weak side-character, a friend to the protagonist.
He had struggled to rank up, hoping one day to make something of himself.
And now, if he was right, he was in that world.
He had died. That much was certain.
But instead of an afterlife, he had woken up here.
A twisted joke, he assumed.
He had even enjoyed the game once but deleted it to free up storage space on his PC.
The game's setting was an alternate Earth, a secret world where the supernatural coexisted with humans.
Humans in this world—often dismissed as NPCs—could be chosen by Glory, a celestial force that was both a blessing and a curse.
Once chosen, they became Seekers, warriors granted divine abilities to defend humanity from the horrors that lurked in the dark—Creatures of the Night, known as Shores.
Two centuries ago, Shores had invaded the globe, their sole purpose: the annihilation of all life.
Even with the Seekers' intervention, they had wrought far more destruction than they had ever suffered.
To become a true Seeker, one had to prove themselves in battle immediately after being chosen.
It wasn't mandatory, but anyone ambitious enough to seek power would take the risk.
Night Shifts were when Seekers left the physical world, venturing into spiritual realms to hunt Shores.
If they fulfilled specific conditions, they could rank up.
A Seeker's first Night Shift, however, was pure agony.
Most were enslaved, dragged into battle against Shores.
Many chose never to fight, paralysed by the fear of almost certain death.
Yet, for those who survived—those who managed to slay a Shore and meet the criteria—Glory would reward them.
Their rank would increase.
They would receive an attribute, an enchantment designed to aid their survival and strengthen their power.
At this stage, they were not yet Seekers, but Descents, under the guidance of Enshires—spiritual entities tasked with overseeing first-time combatants.
Some Enshires had once been human. Sinners cast into the underworld, they had been reforged into something else.
This was what Dane remembered of the game's plot.
But if he was truly inside this world, he needed to learn more.
Most importantly—whose body had he taken?
If it belonged to someone weak, then his fate in this realm was already decided.
'Status.'
Instantly, a translucent blue, ice-like screen appeared in front of him.
The words were blurry at first, but soon cleared.
Dane glanced at the Descents trailing behind and in front of him, and the two Enshires, confirming they were unable to see the screen.
...
Name: [Vorden]
Path: [Hollow-Eyed]
Rank: [Top-Level]
Attribute: [Adaptation]
—[Seeker is able to adapt to any battle; the stronger the opponent, the more Seeker will be matched]
Hindrance: [Injury limitation]
—[A slight injury during battle can make Seeker weak and unable to adapt for a while, potentially leading to severe consequences]
Augmentations: [Creed blade, Heavenly Beast]
Special Sense: [—]
Caculs: [0/5000]
...
Throughout reading the information displayed, Dane's mouth fell agape.
The other Descents thought he had gone mad.
His lifeless brown eyes nearly shot out in shock.
This was beyond anything he could have imagined.
The character he once played was a hollowborn rank; weak and useless, newly awakened.
All for multiple things, this was amazing, again.
The fact that his Augmentations, also known as Items, included a weapon and a... oh Lord, a Heavenly Beast?
He would love to discover what this beast looked like.
Of course, beasts were also fictions in this world, existing solely within books, comics, animations, and films.
'Anyway...'
But now, the character he possessed was a Top-Level ranked Seeker—far beyond a Lurker, who had stepped beyond humanity in inner and mental evolution.
The Seekers' ranks were divided into five, from weak to strong:
• Hollowborn.
• Veiled – Survivors of their second Night Shift, barely more than prey.
• Dread-Touched.
• Fang-Wrought.
• Wraithbound.
• Lurkers – Those who have stepped beyond humanity, existing between physical and spiritual worlds.
•Top-Levels – Unranked beings whose existence defies logic.
Seekers rarely reached the high ranks—Lurkers and Top-Levels.
Those who did were considered close to gods, if not demi-gods.
That wasn't all. His Path was shocking; he was akin to an assassin in speed, agility, strength, and skills.
Paths define a Seeker's combat role.
Although Hollow-Eyed paths were rare, they were above most others.
An assassin relies on speed and agility rather than strength.
Next was his Hindrance, which put him closer to death.
An injury would render him unable to adapt in battle, which could easily kill him.
Caculs were soul points used to rank up once the required amount was reached.
For him at this rank, they were points for increasing body stats or transferring to other Seekers.
Yes, a Seeker could transfer their Augmentations or Caculs, though most wouldn't, as they were vital in critical situations.
As for his Special Sense, it was unbelievable that he had none.
Special senses are abilities a Seeker might possess, and having none at this rank was absurd.
'Could it be that was why a Top-Level ranked Seeker joined a caravan of Descents on their first Night Shift?'
Though this character was unmentioned in the game's character list, he was still powerful.
Top-Levels were rare—only three existed in this world, and now he was the hidden fourth.
The character's name, Vorden, was intriguing to Dane.
His favourite novel featured a character with that name, though that character had been pitifully killed by the author.
'Not like that would be my fate here.'
At least, now Dane understood why a Top-Level Seeker was here.
The character had chosen to restart the process in search of power.
An assassin type at that.
Dane pressed his hand to his temples, feeling a slight headache.
Soon, the caravan came to a halt.
The cloaked Enshire held up a hand and summoned a night blade—dark, glimmering, and ethereal, with edges shimmering like starlight against the void.
The second Enshire, an androgynous figure, approached the leader.
Dane had been aware that the language spoken by the Enshire was foreign.
However, he understood it well.
The Descents, on the other hand, were unable to understand the language and were lost in confusion.
This was one of the many perks of being a Top-Level Seeker.
He could easily take down the two enshires, but that wasn't the character's objective, if he was correct.
A Descent, short and slightly plump, whispered to Dane, who stood at least three feet taller.
"There's danger ahead, and I advise you to help me out of these chains. I can help you all."
A male voice.
His voice was quick and sharp, with a distinct accent.
Dane pretended not to catch much of what the suspicious Descent had said.
The unconfirmed Descent repeated his request.
Dane glanced at him—was the idiot trying to commit suicide?
A Descent with no experience in a Night Shift trying to break free from the Enshires was foolish.
Though Dane understood, the fool was trying to flee.
He would surely die within the next five minutes if he attempted it.
'Helping this fool is no different from killing him. But a human choice can't be nullified, can it?'
Dane was capable of breaking the chains on him, but if these character aimed to grow stronger from the ground up...
He would rather not do so.
Suddenly, a loud, monstrous roar erupted from behind them, deep in the darkness.
Arrg!
The sound echoed like thunder, reverberating through the air, sending chills down their spines.
All the Descents turned, frightened.
Cloaked by the never-ending sea of blackness, he could see it clearly.
It was a Shore, one at the Howlers rank.