HUMMMMMM!!!!!
The moment they downed their elixirs, an immense rush of power ripped through the house, followed by a thunderous explosion.
The sound rattled the walls, shook the floors, and seemed to hum in the air itself.
Waves of raw energy blasted outward, smashing furniture to pieces, sending shards of glass flying as windows shattered, and splitting beams like kindling.
The roof didn’t stand a chance—torn apart in an instant—before the entire mansion crumbled under the overwhelming force of six evolutions happening all at once.
The shockwave blasted outward, sending debris flying into the yard, the darkness outside briefly illuminated by a violent glow of transformation.
When the surge finally released them, they stood outside amid the ruins of their home, the air still crackling with residual energy, their bodies humming with newfound strength.
A single status appeared before each of them.
[You have become a Stage One Life Form.] [Think ‘Status’ to access your important information.] [Earth Prime Creatures….
Your six-hour grace period has begun.
Good Luck.] —- The surge of power hit all six of them so strongly and so completely that for several long seconds none of them could even comprehend the world around them.
It wasn’t a feeling that washed over the skin or tingled along the nerves; it was something deeper, something that roared through bone, blood, and even their very minds.
Their senses sharpened, their awareness widened, their bodies hummed with a dense, electric vitality that felt almost divine.
In that moment, even with their heightened awareness, they remained oblivious to the chaos unfolding around them.
The only thing they could register was the overwhelming, intoxicating rush of power coursing through every fiber of their being.
For a long stretch of time, no one could manage to speak.
Then, just as before, Atlas was the first to break free from the reverie.
He blinked rapidly, breath catching in his throat, his fingers flexing as though testing the strange ease with which the air moved around him.
Turning toward Neon, his eyes were wide, and when he finally spoke, his voice cracked with sheer disbelief.
“Dude… what the fuck.” His throat tightened as he swallowed, his voice dropping to something softer, edged with hesitation and a trace of fear.
“Are you… still human?” In this moment, Neon completely ignored him and was already summoning his status screen.
‘Status’ —- [Choose a Sub Path.] [Hand-to-Hand Combat (Novice) Swordsmanship (Novice) Spearmanship (Novice) Archery (Novice)…..] ‘Does this shit always come with such limited information?’ Neon muttered to himself as countless sub-paths unfolded before him on the status screen.
The choices spanned everything from combat, alchemy, and blacksmithing to more unexpected pursuits like painting or running a business.
Tempted to dive into a weapon-based path, Neon ultimately decided to keep things simple, reasoning that it made more sense to first establish a solid foundation in hand-to-hand combat before branching out into anything else.
—- [Neon Heart Age: 18/1,079 Years Old Race: Human (Bloodline: Lesser Human) Evolution Rank: Awakened (Stage One Life Form) Existential Path: The Defiant Usurper (Mythic) Sub Path: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Novice (0/100)) Path Manifestation: The Empty Throne Essence: 1,000 Authority: 1/100,000 Titles: Beloved (Common) Path Traits: Unyielding Self (Passive), Throne Sense (Passive), Born Above (Passive) Abilities: Eye of the Usurper (Mythic), Unlawful Extraction (Mythic), Ownerless Flesh (Mythic)] —- [Hand-to-Hand Combat – At stage one, a life form instinctively knows how to fight at the most basic level with flawless execution.
To progress to the next stage of mastery, they must achieve victory in 100 battles.] [Titles – Existential titles are bestowed by existence itself, signifying recognition from it.
Each title…
depending on its rank, grants Authority and unique effects.
They can only be earned through lived experience and evolve through greater accomplishments.
For example, surviving a life-or-death battle—an event anyone might face—earns a common ranked title.
That title can evolve further as the individual survives increasingly dangerous events.] [Beloved: In the vast expanse of ****, some individuals effortlessly draw others to them.
Whether through charm, kindness, striking appearance, captivating presence, or sheer luck, they become impossible to overlook.
The Beloved is someone whose very being has already found a home in the hearts of those around them.
Effect (Passive): When people meet you for the first time, they tend to be a bit more open and receptive to your words and actions.
However, this effect fades in the face of hostility and cannot sway deeply held beliefs] —– ‘This…’ Neon thought to himself, ‘I already have a trait?’ After a moment, he considered it, and given how people had started perceiving him since puberty, it made a bit of sense—especially knowing it was only common-ranked.
He exhaled slowly and glanced at Atlas, his face carrying the same calm expression as always.
“Dude… of course I’m human,” Neon said, raising a brow as he studied Atlas’s face.
“A lesser human…
apparently.” At those words, Atlas didn’t answer immediately.
He looked Neon up and down, his gaze lingering on Neon’s face, then his shoulders, then his posture—almost as if he were trying to confirm that the person standing in front of him was still the same friend he had grown up with.
Neon inclined his head ever so slightly as Atlas spoke once more.
Atlas drew in a tense breath, his throat tightening before he managed to speak.
“Bro… you look, um, different.” “Well, can you be more specific?” Neon questioned as he blinked slowly.
In that moment, Atlas stayed silent… because he wasn’t the only one staring at Neon.
Lucien, Maylene, Alan, and Alice stood together in the wrecked yard, their bodies practically thrumming with newfound energy, their senses razor-sharp, their youth seemingly returned.
Their skin was smoother, their posture straighter, their eyes alive with a brighter spark.
Even their hair looked fuller and healthier, as if infused with the uncanny vitality that came with Stage One evolution.
But they weren’t looking at themselves.
They were looking at Neon.
Neon’s red eyes narrowed as he scanned each face in turn, suspicion flickering in his gaze.
Then a frown tugged at his lips.
“What?
Do I have something on my face?” Atlas let out a short, breathy laugh, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward grin.
“Nah, man.
It’s just…” He waved a hand in a vague circle that encompassed all of Neon.
“You look…” Maylene stepped forward before Atlas could find the word, her long white hair swaying behind her as she approached Neon with a soft, stunned smile.
She reached up, her fingertips brushing lightly along Neon’s cheek as though confirming he was real.
“You look beautiful,” she murmured, her voice warm and unsteady, breath hitching as she absorbed every detail of his face.
Alice gave a light, breathy laugh, her nerves breaking into humor as she nudged Alan with her elbow.
“Beautiful?
He looks dangerous.
If he was a womanizer before, God, we’re in trouble now.” Neon’s lip twitched, the slightest hint of irritation crossing his face, but he didn’t correct them—he never did.
He had always been the type to let the world believe whatever it wanted about him, because none of it made any difference to him.
Lucien, who had been staring at Neon with a distant, unsettled expression, snapped out of his reverie with a sharp inhale.
He blinked, then forced a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Well,” he said, voice strained but trying for humor, “I suppose if the world needed a new face of Arden, it picked the right one.” Neon rolled his eyes, the motion slow and deliberate.
“Can… you all focus on… you know, the world ending?” he asked with a weary sigh.
But in that moment, as they finally let the weight of the darkness surrounding them sink in, the reality pressed down hard.
It was as if every unspoken fear, every ignored truth, came crashing over them all at once.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
BANGG!!!!!
Their hearing sharpened all at once…
but it happened too fast, too violently—and the world within fifty miles crashed into their skulls in a single overwhelming instant.
Screams tore through the air, distant explosions echoed down the streets, gunfire rattled like hail on tin, and buildings collapsed—everywhere was pure chaos.
It stabbed into their minds like needles of sound…
forcing their bodies to buckle under the weight of their own heightened senses.
In that moment, Alan dropped to one knee, clutching his head, and the others weren’t doing any better.
Even Neon felt it—like a thousand voices screaming inside his skull…
but he stayed on his feet, steadying his breath as he rode out the wave of sensory overload.
It took minutes…
long, agonizing minutes—before their bodies adjusted and before the noise softened into something manageable.
They stood there, catching their breath, sweat glistening on their foreheads.
Atlas spoke first, his voice tight but tinged with excitement beneath the fatigue.
“Okay…” he muttered, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
He forced a smile, and somehow, amidst the chaos, it stayed—just barely.
“Rule number one: never show your full hand unless you’ve got no other choice.
Whatever’s on that status screen?
Keep it hidden away….
That’s top-secret stuff—things you wouldn’t even share with the person you love most.” The couples traded glances, and without a single question asked, they all gave a knowing nod.
Atlas went on, his breathing still a little rough.
“Rule number two: the world’s different now.
Everything we knew?
It no longer matters…
So, we’ve got to adapt quickly.
Rule number three: as a group, we need a general sense of what everyone brings to the table.” He glanced at each of them in turn.
“My path’s all about exploring, chasing adventure… finding new things.” Maylene spoke up slightly.
“Well…
Mine’s about protecting groups, keeping them steady.” Alice nodded.
“Same here…
something to do with shielding allies.” Alan let out a breath.
“Mine’s survival, endurance…
and staying alive no matter what.” Lucien hesitated, eyes shifting away before he spoke.
“Mine… is organization and business management.” He swallowed.
“Not exactly combat‑focused.” Then all at once…
they turned to Neon.
He gave them a light shrug.
“My path doesn’t focus on much.
Just… being myself.” Whether or not Atlas had shared his fantastical rundown, Neon had no intention of opening up about his own status—it all felt far too personal.
And he, of all people, was never someone easily understood.
Atlas let out a sharp laugh.
“Yeah, it’s probably…
some charm bullshit.” The others joined in, their laughter brief, shaky, yet real.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!!!
But the moment shattered when explosions rumbled in the distance, bright bursts tearing through the horizon and silencing them instantly.
Neon’s expression sharpened, his posture straightening as he looked toward the palace district.
“Alright…
from this moment forward, we stick together.
And I think the most logical thing to do at this point..
.is heading toward the palace.”