Chapter 2: Awaken

I was looking at a glistening book on the table, a [Skill Book], albeit a very low-ranked one at that. [Fireball] is an F-ranked spell that only the most unfortunate beginners start with. But this skill book took a majority of my remaining inheritance and all of my savings. I was known to be a fairly smart guy before everything went to shit, so I planned before spending most of my money. In the worst-case scenario, I still have enough funds to last me at least a few months. In the best-case scenario, as planned, I would consume this skill book and hope for a semi-decent talent when I awakened. Getting this skill book was not easy, but it was the only way to awaken if you did not awaken naturally. The rich had no problem awakening themselves, their children, and their children's children. I look at the skill book again before steeling my resolve and picking it up. Bringing it close to my chest, I close my eyes. A few seconds pass before I see a flash of light, even though my eyes are closed. Opening them, the book in my hands had disappeared, and at the corner of my eyes, something else had appeared. [Noah] [Vitality: 10] [Focus: -] [Strength: 10] [Skill(s): Fireball] Shining with blue light, the words brought confusion more than relief to me. Where the hell were the numbers for focus? From the released knowledge, ever since the apocalyptic event that killed more than a billion people occurred, a new magical world took its place. People that are termed as Awakened appeared, and others could also become Awakened through learning from [Skill Books] that can be dropped from killed monsters. Yes, monsters. Magical beings that most commonly reside in dungeons and occasionally come out whenever a dungeon break occurs. These creatures vary in size and ability, ranging from small, mischievous imps to towering behemoths that could level entire cities with a single roar. As society adapted to this new reality, the Awakened became both protectors and hunters, delving into the depths of dungeons in search of power and resources. The world outside was filled with fear and uncertainty, but within the dungeons lay the promise of strength and the potential to reclaim what had been lost. Yet, with each venture into these dark places, the line between hero and monster blurred. The Awakened had to navigate not only the dangers of the beasts they hunted but also the moral complexities of their new existence. Trust became a rare commodity, alliances were fragile, and every choice could lead to salvation or destruction. The new world demanded strength, but it also called for wisdom. Since more than a year has passed, it has become common knowledge that those who are awakened can use skills, whether inherently gained or from skill books, to perform amazing feats and vanquish monsters. These awakened beings can increase their strength by killing more monsters and absorbing the [Life Cores] they drop, which add to the three attributes: [Vitality], [Focus], and [Strength]. Sigh. So why the f.u.c.k is my [Focus] empty? I try not to become depressed as I feel my body change somewhat after I awaken. I seem to have become slightly stronger and can instinctively cast the skill I just learned. The problem is, can I even cast skills if I don't have any Focus? Why the hell is there no number, though? My exhilaration of awakening was slowly fading away as I couldn't figure out the numbers, or lack thereof, on the blue screen in front of me. Looking back, nothing like this seems to come to mind from the news and everything I have been paying close attention to. Sigh, I'll have to figure it out as I go. [Vitality] and [Strength] are average, and [Focus], which is required to cast skills and increase the damage you do, is black… Can I even cast [Fireball] if I don't even know how much [Focus] I have? Usually, most average Awakanees can cast F-tier skills 5 times before they completely deplete the energy in their body. The larger your [Focus], the higher tier the skills you can cast and the more times you can cast them Since Awakened Mages are extremely powerful, [Focus Cores] are much more in demand than [Vitality Cores] and [Strength Cores] Awakened Mages can shoot their skills at a long distance and not even give the monsters a chance to retaliate, while Awakened Berserkers and Awakened Knights have to get up close to fight. I was hoping to awaken to become a Mage… Sigh, without wallowing in melancholic thoughts anymore, I try the last hail mary I can, actually casting the skill I just learned. Fireball is a common F-rank skill that many F-ranked Awakened have. I step out of my small apartment and head to an empty, barren field behind the apartment complex. Rent has become increasingly more expensive nowadays, as buildings that have high security where you wouldn't suddenly lose your life are high-priced. I had to move quite a distance to get to the barren field before I could begin testing my first skill, and possibly my last.. Hyping myself up, I raise my hand in front of me and call out, "Fireball!" A small ball of flames came to light in front of me, much to my shock and disbelief. Along with the shock came exhilaration. I can still cast skills even though my [Focus] bar doesn't show anything?! Putting my shock aside, I commanded the fireball to move forward before it exploded a few meters from me. Wanting to test to see if I can at least cast the average 5 fireballs that normal F-ranked Awakened can cast, I keep going. [Fireball]...[Fireball]...[Fireball].... Three more fireballs were shot and exploded in front of me, increasing the shock and happiness in my heart. At Least I have average skills, even if it doesn't show on the stat panel! Weirdly enough, I did not feel any less energy in my body... Well, my [Focus] was blank to begin with, so I didn't feel much. I focus once more as I cast what is probably my last fireball until I rest for a while before I can cast again. [Fireball] The fifth fireball flew out and exploded just like the ones before. With a smile on my face, I wiped the perspiration on my forehead while feeling relieved. Being average is not bad; at least with this, I can count myself among the top of many people in the world today. I was still confused by the fact that no numbers were showing on my [Focus], though, which meant I couldn't get a gauge on just how much energy I had and how many times I could cast my skill. I hesitantly raised my hand again to see just how many times I could cast [Fireball]. …[Fireball]...[Fireball]...[Fireball]... The more times I cast the skill and the more fireballs flew and exploded in front of me, the more shocked I became. Each explosion illuminated the area, creating a dazzling display of flames that danced in the air. …[Fireball]... It felt exhilarating, yet terrifying. I couldn't believe the sheer power coursing through me. A part of me wondered if this was a glitch or if I had somehow tapped into a reservoir of energy I didn’t know existed. With each cast, the heat intensified, and I could feel the air shimmering around me. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should push my limits further. The thrill of wielding such magic was intoxicating, but the uncertainty lingered. What if I overextended myself? Driven by a mix of curiosity and excitement, I raised my hand once more, ready to unleash another [Fireball]. This time, I felt an undeniable surge of confidence. The flames erupted from my palm like a dragon unleashed, and I realized I was no longer just testing my limits—I was embracing my newfound power. The shock soon turned into incredulity as I had counted more than 50 fireballs flying from me and exploding. This… 10 times the normal amount of energy an average Frank has?! I try to breathe to calm myself down. 10 times. That means my energy nears rank D Awakened. That was extremely rare, as long-distance awakened with skills like fireballs can easily take down an F-rank monster, and 3 to 4 fireballs or equivalent skills can take care of E-rank monsters. D-ranked Awakened individuals also triumph over D-ranked monsters fairly easily with good usage of their skills. Am I one of the talented Awakeners? I tried to push down the pride that began rising before calling out another [Fireball] because I still didn't feel like I was out of energy. This both scared me and made me extremely hopeful for the future. When I kept casting the skill, I didn't feel any energy leaving, nor did I feel exhausted. When I reached 100 casts, my shock increased. When it reached 300, my head was pounding from this unknown situation. When it reached 500 casts, my whole body shook. I breathed heavily before looking around me. I was fairly deep into the barren field and had the cover of trees behind me. Glancing around and making sure there was nobody around me, I rushed back to my apartment to try and calm my nearly exploding heart. 500 times I had cast an F-ranked skill, and I didn't feel any exhaustion. What exactly was going on?