Power Of an X-Rank Talent

The morning sun streamed through the window, casting long, dancing shadows across the room.

Ray stirred, a grogginess clinging to him like a shroud. He blinked, disoriented, then sat up with a gasp, the events of the previous day flooding back in a torrent of memories.

The unexpected outburst, the unsettling experiment, the introduction to the Agency, and the mysterious watch – it all felt like a fever dream.

He glanced at the watch, the holographic display flashing 7:30 AM in stark red digits. "Shit!" he swore, springing out of bed with a jolt. His first mission was today, and this was how he was going to start it?

A wave of apprehension washed over him. What was he getting himself into? What did he know about dungeons, about fighting monsters? He felt utterly unprepared, a fish out of water tossed into a raging sea.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, the cool wood floor a welcome contrast to the warmth of the covers.

Bolting to the bathroom, he stripped off his sleepwear and jumped into a quick shower.

As quickly as he had showered, he dressed in the sleek black uniform, the fabric feeling strangely comforting against his skin. The watch, a constant reminder of his newfound reality, pulsed softly on his wrist.

A faint blue glow emanated from the watch, the holographic screen illuminating the room just enough.

On it, Ray could see a blue dot that was stationary, which he quickly deduced was him and his current location. His gaze trailed across the holographic map, seeing a small arrow directing him to what appeared to be an open square.

This must be the meeting point, he thought.

He checked the watch again. 8:00 AM. "Fuck!" he cursed under his breath, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Panic began to set in.

He rushed out of the room, his breath ragged. The hallway he emerged into wasn't what he was expecting. It was empty, eerily so.

"Huh? Where did they go?" he wondered aloud, his voice echoing in the sterile silence. He called out for Zorain, Kyra, and Kael, but his voice was met only by the unsettling silence that seemed to press in on him from all sides.

A wave of loneliness washed over him. He felt utterly alone, a stranger in a strange land.

'It matters not!' he thought, pushing the unsettling feeling aside. 'I'll just have to do this on my own – as usual; alone, always was, and always will be.' He focused on the mission, the watch a beacon in the chaos, its soft light guiding his way.

He followed its direction, his footsteps echoing in the hallway as he walked with a determined gait.

The hallway mirrored the state of the room – empty and devoid of life. Perhaps everyone else had already left for their missions? He wondered, his gaze shifting uneasily from left to right, as if the unsettling silence would swallow him whole.

Finally, he reached a large, cavernous chamber. Several figures stood clustered around a shimmering portal, their expressions a mix of anticipation and boredom. As he approached, whispers rippled through the group like wind through dry leaves.

"Look, it's the new recruit."

"Another porter? What a fucking joke," a gruff voice boomed. The owner, a burly miner with a scarred face and a shaved head, glared at Ray with undisguised contempt. "Probably hasn't even seen a real monster before, let alone swung a pickaxe."

"Yeah, probably still wet behind the ears," snickered a slender woman with piercing blue eyes and a bored expression. Her gaze swept over Ray with a dismissive glint. "Hope he doesn't get us all killed."

"Don't worry, love," a cocky voice chimed in. It came from a young man with a smug grin and a well-muscled physique, flexing his biceps for emphasis. "I'll be there to save your pretty little face." He winked at the woman, his gaze then flicking back to Ray with a sneer. "Just try not to get in my way."

Ray felt a flush of anger creep up his neck, his fists clenching involuntarily. He wanted to retort, to defend himself, but an unexpected arrival cut off the exchange.

"You must be the new porter," Valerius said, his voice a low rumble that echoed through the chamber. He was a tall, imposing figure with piercing blue eyes and a shaved head.

Despite his imposing presence, he seemed to radiate an aura of authority. "I am Commander Valerius. We have been waiting for you."

As polite as he sounded, he still couldn't hide the tinge of annoyance in his tone - which Ray clearly picked upon.

The miner, seemingly unimpressed, scoffed. "About time. We've got a dungeon to clear, and this kid's holding us up."

Valerius glared at the miner. "Enough. We have a mission to complete. Time is of the essence." Valerius's voice held a steel-like edge that silenced the miner instantly.

The miner grumbled under his breath, but fell silent. The other Awakened, a mix of indifference and amusement, exchanged glances.

Ray, feeling increasingly out of place, tried to shrink into the background, wishing he could melt into the shadows.

"Here, take your equipment" Valerius said, handing Ray a backpack - which contained some pick axes, daggers,knives and a whole bunch of other things which Ray didn't even look at. Theyobviously belonged to other miners, for as a porter, he had no business with these equipments.

"Let us proceed," Valerius said, his gaze sweeping over the group.

The group, a crew of hardened veterans, filed through the portal. Ray, feeling like an insignificant speck of dust amidst a storm of seasoned warriors, followed closely behind.

The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors as they passed through the portal. When his vision cleared, he found himself in a landscape that defied description. Towering, obsidian cliffs pierced the sky, their jagged edges reflecting the eerie glow of bioluminescent fungi.

The ground was a treacherous terrain of treacherous chasms and treacherous ravines, crisscrossed by rivers of molten rock. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and decay, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

This was a dungeon. A place of nightmares, where reality twisted and morphed, where death lurked around every corner. Ray felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

He had seen depictions of dungeons in the Agency's database, when he skimmed through them half-hazardly last night, but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer scale, the raw, primal energy that emanated from this place. It was overwhelming, terrifying!

"Stay close," Valerius warned, his voice echoing through the cavernous space.

"These depths are teeming with creatures of darkness."

And indeed they were. For no sooner had Valerius finished his sentence, an earth-shattering roar tore through the air.

ROOOAARR!

The sudden noise froze everyone in place.

Ray, already contemplating dipping and running away from this blasted dungeon, felt his heart leap into his throat.

'You hear a roar that loud, and you still want to fight? Dream on!' he thought, panic painting his face.

He looked around, expecting to see the same sight of fidgeting and half-expecting to see some of them drop to their knees and start crying.

But none of that happened. Instead, what greeted him was an eerie silence, broken only by the heavy breaths of a few new recruits like himself, who were undoubtedly experiencing the same terror he was. The rest of the group remained still, their expressions serene, the embodiment of composure.

This didn't seem like their first rodeo at all.

Loud footsteps reverberated across the dungeon floor. An eight-foot-tall monster, with a hulking frame and obsidian hides, emerged from the shadows. It had razor-sharp claws that gleamed menacingly in the dim light. The Grothk charged, bellowing with rage, its massive form shaking the very ground.

"It's the Grothks! Quick! Assemble formation!" Valerius barked, his voice firm and commanding.

The Awakened sprang into action with practiced ease.

Archers, perched on higher ground, unleashed a barrage of arrows, the shafts whistling through the air, finding their mark with deadly accuracy.

Mages, their hands glowing with arcane energy, conjured fireballs and lightning bolts, raining destruction upon the Grothks.

Healers, their eyes glowing with an ethereal light, moved through the fray, mending wounds and bolstering the defenses of their allies.

Assassins, silent as shadows, flitted through the fray, their daggers gleaming in the dim light. They struck with deadly precision, disappearing as quickly as they appeared, leaving behind only a trail of fallen foes.

The battle raged. The ground trembled beneath the onslaught of the Grothks, the air thick with the stench of blood and ozone. Ray, feeling utterly useless, watched in awe as the Awakened fought with a ferocity he had never witnessed before.

And just like that, the battle was over.

'Wow! Such power!' Ray inwardly muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The miners, sensing an opportunity, immediately sprang into action, with the porters following closely behind. With expert precision, they began extracting the monsters' cores – the small ethereal objects brimming with energy – before placing them into their backpacks, securing them in place.

The dungeon immediately became a flurry of activities, with Miners and porters moving around and exchange of tools and equipment taking place, as cores were being removed left and right.

Ray moved carefully, spotting a lone miner who appeared hard at work.

'Might as well help out – it's my job after all,' Ray chuckled inwardly as his gaze swept through the Awakened, who appeared to be resting, their backs against the wall, as they relaxed in such a dangerous place.

As arrogant as they were, a being capable of wielding such power deserved to be a tad bit arrogant, no?

He thought, walking through the fallen Grothks, which were being expertly mined.

Suddenly, a familiar notification resounded in his head.

[Ding]

'Wait! This sound!' Ray screamed inwardly, freezing in place. The last time he heard this, he got a power boost – which meant…

[Attribute Extraction is possible on this target]

Ray almost couldn't stop himself from jumping in joy at this moment.

[Would you like to perform Extraction?]

[Y/N]

[Performing Extraction would break host's natural body limits, would you still like to proceed?]

'Yes! Damn it! Extract!' Ray screamed, his eyes gleaming with an almost manic intensity.

[Note, extraction would trigger an evolution; still proceed? During evolution, host would be rendered immobile and inactive]

[Still proceed?]

[Y/N]