You Didn't Awaken, Right?

Throughout the day, Victor couldn't stop thinking about what had happened during PE. The way his feet had moved, how his body felt weightless, and the insane speed he had displayed—it was all too surreal.

He found himself staring at his hands between classes, flexing his fingers, feeling the energy thrumming beneath his skin.

What the hell is happening to me?

Every other physical activity they engaged in during the day only added to his confusion. Whether it was climbing, lifting, or even reaction-based drills, Victor breezed through them as if his body had unlocked a cheat code.

It didn't make sense. He was no awakener, and as far as he knew, the abilities from the game shouldn't manifest in reality.

"Dude," Danny nudged Victor in the ribs during lunch. "Are you seriously gonna ignore what happened today?"

Victor looked up from his barely touched tray of food, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Huh? What?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "PE? You smoked us all like it was nothing."

Max who had a tendency to overanalyze things, leaned forward. "It's weird, man. Really weird. You didn't awaken, right? No system interface, no magic abilities, nothing?"

Victor scratched the back of his head. "Nope. Still just your average, devastatingly handsome guy."

Jake laughed. "Yeah, right. There's no way that was normal. If you did awaken, you'd see it, right? The system's interface is only visible to the awakened."

Victor sighed while rubbing his temples. "I don't see any glowing blue text floating in front of me, if that's what you're asking."

Danny leaned in, lowering his voice. "Then how the hell are you running like that? Every awakener has a system that tracks their progress, their level, abilities, stats, and all that jazz. If you don't have one... then what gives?"

Victor wished he had an answer, but he didn't. The only thing that made sense to him was the game, Ascendant Realms. Ever since he started cultivating there, his body in real life had felt... different. Stronger. More energized. But that wasn't possible, was it?

"Maybe I'm just built different," Victor tried to lighten the mood by joking.

Max wasn't convinced. "Jokes aside, man. You should get checked or something. What if it's dangerous?"

Victor shrugged. "I dunno, man. I feel fine. Better than fine, actually."

Brows furrowed as he studied him carefully. "If you start glowing or floating or something, call me first, alright?"

Victor grinned. "Sure thing."

---

After classes ended, Victor was gathering his things when he accidentally bumped into someone in the crowded hallway. Looking up, his heart skipped a beat—it was Amara Blake.

The school's queen bee, the dream girl of every guy, and the untouchable beauty that Victor had secretly crushed on for years.

Her long auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. And of course, there was the eye-catching factor that always left boys fumbling their words—her broad, bouncy chest.

"Whoa, easy there," Amara laughed lightly as she regained her balance.

Victor rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, sorry about that. I guess I was lost in thought."

Amara smiled. "Thinking about how you crushed everyone during PE today?"

Victor blinked. "You noticed that?"

She giggled. "Kinda hard not to. Everyone was surprised."

Victor felt his cheeks heat up. "Yeah, I guess I just... got lucky."

"Maybe you're more special than you think," Amara said with a playful smirk.

Victor nearly melted on the spot, but before he could respond, a familiar figure approached.

It was Derek, Amara's towering, muscular boyfriend—the school's resident bad boy and captain of the combat sports team.

He wrapped an arm around Amara's waist possessively and pulled her close. "Hey, babe. What's up?"

Amara's demeanor shifted slightly as she turned to him. "Hey, Derek, Just chatting with Victor here."

Derek shot Victor the usual look of disdain and irritation. "Yeah? Well, we gotta go. Later, Revenant."

Victor forced a smile. "Later."

As they walked off, Amara glanced back briefly and gave him a little wave, making Victor's heart flutter. But that quickly faded as Derek tightened his grip on her waist and walked away confidently.

Victor sighed. "Still out of my league."

---

Bidding farewell to his friends, Victor decided he needed some answers about what was happening to him. He made his way out of the school and headed toward an abandoned factory about ten minutes away.

It was an old industrial building, long since condemned and left to rot, but it was the perfect place to test his theories without any prying eyes.

Slipping inside through a broken chain-link fence, Victor navigated the corridors with ease as the scent of rust and mold drifted into his nostrils.

He found an open space filled with scattered debris and worn-down machinery.

"Alright," Victor muttered while rolling his shoulders. "Let's see if I'm going crazy or if this is real."

He took a deep breath, trying to replicate the feeling he experienced during PE. He focused, recalling the sensations of his cultivation training in the game.

Suddenly, that familiar energy pulsed through him again. He felt lighter, faster, more alive.

Taking a running start, Victor sprinted across the factory floor—and just like before, his speed was insane. He darted across the space in seconds with his surroundings blurring around him.

The air made a whipping sound as he darted back and forth repeatedly before crashing into a large piece of equipment.

Bang!

"Ouch," Victor winced lightly while getting back up.

He panted and stared at his hands in disbelief. "Holy crap... it's real."

He decided to try something else. Holding his hands together in front of him, he mimicked the motions he used to channel qi in Ascendant Realms.

To his absolute shock, a faint, almost invisible swirl of energy formed between his palms. It wasn't much—just a flicker—but it was there.

Victor let out a nervous laugh. "This... this shouldn't be happening."

He glanced around, making sure he was alone, and tried a basic technique from the game—the Gale Strike.

He channeled qi into his palm and thrust it forward.

A small gust of wind blasted outward, kicking up dust and debris.

Victor staggered back with widened eyes. "No way... this is insane!"

He couldn't believe it—his cultivation in the game was affecting him in real life.

Victor sat down on a rusted metal beam as a myriad of thoughts ran through his mind.

If this was real, what else could he do? Could he actually become stronger? Could he... become an awakener in his own way?

A grin slowly spread across his face. "Alright. Time to see just how far this rabbit hole goes."