A New Awakening

A sharp breath filled Asvorn's lungs as his eyes snapped open.

For a second, he just lay there, staring at the wooden ceiling of his room in the inn. His body felt… different.

Stronger. Lighter.

He sat up, running a hand through his hair—only to freeze.

His hair was longer, smoother. His arms, once thin and frail, were now lean and defined. His clothes felt tighter, as if his muscles had grown overnight.

He swallowed hard.

Something wasn't right.

Then—

Ding!

A familiar blue glow flickered in his vision.

[Evolution Complete]

New Stats Acquired.

He blinked.

He pulled up his system menu, and his eyes widened.

[Status]

Name: Asvorn

Race: Human

Rank: F → D

Strength: 3 → 20

Agility: 2 → 18

Endurance: 3 → 22

Magic: 0 → 10

Skills: [Appraisal] [Beginner Combat Mastery] [Enhanced Perception] [Mana Affinity]

His hands trembled as he scrolled through the changes.

This isn't normal.

His stats had skyrocketed. His rank had jumped. And magic? He never had magic before.

His chest tightened.

That last system notification—Evolution.

It had really changed him.

But—

Before he could process any further, a fist banged on his door.

"Asvorn! Open up!"

Lyara.

He stood, feeling the newfound power in his movements, and opened the door.

The second she saw him, she froze.

Her eyes went wide as they scanned him from head to toe.

"Asvorn…?" Her voice was cautious, almost disbelieving.

"...Yeah?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Did you do something?"

He hesitated.

"...I don't know."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, Lyara grabbed his wrist.

"Come with me. Now."

A Shocking Return to the Guild

Asvorn felt the difference the moment they stepped into the Adventurer's Guild.

Eyes turned to him.

Stares lingered.

Whispers started.

But unlike before, it wasn't out of pity or mockery.

It was shock.

Men looked at him with a mixture of awe and envy. Women blushed, stealing glances at him, whispering to each other.

A group of girls near the quest board giggled.

"Who is that?"

"He's hot."

"He looks strong."

"I hope he's single…"

Lyara's brow twitched.

She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, standing a little closer to him.

But the real reaction came when they reached the front desk.

The receptionist, a young woman named Liana, blinked rapidly before gasping.

"Asvorn?"

The guild went silent.

It was as if the entire room held its breath.

Everyone turned toward them, their faces filled with disbelief.

The worthless adventurer?

This man?

Liana's face flushed red. "Wow… You look… incredible."

Then, to Asvorn's surprise, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter, her fingers playing with her hair.

"Asvorn, do you have plans tonight?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

Lyara's head snapped toward her.

Asvorn blinked.

Then, without thinking, he answered.

"I've pledged my life to Lyara."

Silence.

The guild froze.

Liana's face went pale.

The giggling girls at the quest board gasped.

And Lyara—

Her face turned a deep shade of red.

She whipped her head away, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You— you idiot…!" she muttered under her breath.

The room erupted.

The men burst into laughter.

The women sighed in disappointment.

"Asvorn, you bastard!" someone shouted.

"He already belongs to someone!"

"I had hope, damn it!"

Lyara glared at him.

"You didn't have to say it like that!"

But Asvorn only grinned.

Their First Quest Together

To escape the chaos in the guild, Asvorn and Lyara took a special B-rank gathering quest outside the city.

A normal gathering job. Simple.

Except—

"Asvorn, slow down!"

He turned back, confused.

Lyara was panting.

That's when he realized—he wasn't tired at all.

He had been running through the forest effortlessly, while Lyara—**an A-rank adventurer—**was struggling to keep up.

His speed, endurance, and strength had grown far beyond what he had expected.

And that wasn't all.

With [Appraisal] and [Enhanced Perception], finding resources was laughably easy.

By the end of the quest, their bags were overflowing.

When they returned to the guild, the receptionist nearly dropped her pen.

"You finished already?!"

The guild fell into another silence.

This wasn't normal.

Something was off.

That's when he appeared.

A man stepped forward, tall, muscular, and radiating power.

His sharp blue eyes locked onto Asvorn.

Kaisel.

A-rank swordsman. One of the strongest adventurers in the guild.

He walked straight toward them, crossing his arms.

"You're telling me this F-rank nobody completed a B-rank quest in a few hours?"

His voice was laced with disdain.

Asvorn felt a familiar sensation.

The weight of being hated.

The same feeling from his childhood.

He clenched his fists.

Kaisel scoffed.

"This is a joke," he said. "There's no way you did it. You probably had Lyara do everything while you stood around."

Asvorn's fingers twitched.

Kaisel smirked.

"If you really think you've improved, how about we test that?"

Lyara stepped forward. "Kaisel, stop. He doesn't have to prove anything to you."

But Asvorn raised a hand.

"I'll fight you."

The guild erupted.

"Asvorn, what are you doing?!" Lyara hissed.

But Asvorn's eyes didn't leave Kaisel's.

He wasn't running. Not anymore.

If he had really changed—

It was time to prove it.