chapter 1 The awakening
**Chapter 1: The Awakening**
A boy with messy black and brown eyes was running from two guys who wore leather jackets. His name was Alex, a 16-year-old boy who lived with his mother in Chicago. Now, he was running, breathing heavily and sweating profusely as he turned the corner of a hallway. He bumped into someone and fell down.
"And where do you think you're going?" Alex looked up to see Jacob, one of the rich boys who bullied him. The other two arrived, breathing heavily while holding their knees.
"Wow, he is fast," one of them said.
"But we caught him," the second one answered between heavy breaths.
Alex turned around to see them. It was Mike and Anderson. Mike was well-built with black hair and black eyes, a 6'1" boy with a muscular body. Anderson had brown hair and blue eyes.
Alex turned and sprinted away, but Jacob grabbed him by his collar, throwing him back into the alleyway. "Where do you think you're going? I wasn't done talking to you yet," he smirked. The other two blocked his escape.
"Can you guys move? I have things to do," Alex breathed out heavily.
The boys just chuckled.
"Not until you tell me why you were looking at my girlfriend," Jacob said, grabbing Alex by his hair. "Didn't I tell you not to even look at her? She's way out of your league."
Alex groaned in pain. "Stop it, you asshole!" He tried to pull his head back, but the grip on his hair forced him forward.
Jacob, with his hand full of Alex's hair, raised his other hand as Mike placed a pair of scissors in it. "I'm gonna teach you a lesson to stop looking at my girlfriend."
Alex's eyes widened. He tried to pull back, but it only caused more pain. "Stop! Please stop! Brittany was just asking for a pencil!"
"Yeah, right. We saw you staring at her when she left, dumbass," Mike said, kicking Alex in the ribcage.
Alex gasped for air, coughing as spit flew from his mouth. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I promise!"
Jacob just smirked and cut Alex's hair from the top, leaving only skin showing on his scalp.
"That should teach you a lesson," Jacob said, looking down at Alex, who was sobbing softly.
The boys walked away, laughing as their footsteps faded. Alex got up, cleaned himself, and began picking up his books. As he was about to leave—
*Ting!*
It was Alex's phone. He took out his iPhone 7, its screen cracked, and sighed as he opened it. He saw he had been tagged in an Instagram post.
He opened it to see a picture of his head with the bald spot, posted by Jacob, accompanied by laughing emojis. The comments were filled with people mocking him, calling him a loser. Not a single comment condemned what had happened.
Alex switched off his phone and walked home. The walk was quiet, the only sounds being his soft sobs and tears hitting the ground.
When he arrived, he opened the door and looked around, seeing his mother was still at work. He went straight to his room, locking himself inside.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
*(Why me? Why do they choose to make my high school a living hell?)* He wiped away tears threatening to fall.
*(They did all this because I looked at Brittany... I'm not going to school tomorrow.)* He sighed.
He got up and looked at the sky as the sun began to set. Then, out of nowhere, a feminine robotic voice spoke.
**Unknown Feminine Voice:** *"Congratulations on being one of the people chosen for this power."*
A blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
He blinked twice, then closed and opened them again. "This can't be real. Am I going crazy?" He looked to his right, saw his pen, and took it, stabbing himself.
He didn't wake up as he expected. "This is real."
**Unknown Feminine Voice:** *"Yes, it's very real, Alex."*
Alex's eyes widened in shock. He backed away, but the screen followed him.
**Unknown Feminine Voice:** *"Relax, Alex. My name is Nova, and I am a stats-leveling system."*
Alex took deep breaths. "Okay, Nova. Let me see my stats, then."
**Nova:** *"Of course."*
---
**Name:** Alex
**Surname:** White
**Age:** 16
**Level:** 1
**Strength:** 5
**Speed:** 8
**Agility:** 4
**Durability:** 2
**IQ:** 70
**Mana:** 20
**Title:** Unknown
---
**Skills:** None
**Unique Skills:** Ability to learn faster than normal humans
**Ultimate Skill:** Ice Manipulation (The rest have been chosen.)
---
Alex couldn't believe his eyes. His mouth hung open.
"Nova, what's happening? Why is this happening?" His voice was shaky and confused.
**Nova:** *"The dimension separating humans and magical beasts has been broken, and heroes must be chosen. You happen to be one of them."*
Alex's eyes widened in shock and fear. "Why was I chosen? I'm not strong enough to fight monsters. I can't even defend myself against bullies!"
**Nova:** *"That's why you have the system—a way to get stronger. Starting in three months, monsters will begin appearing in your world. It's your job, along with the other six heroes chosen, to fight and win."*
Alex realized he had no other choice. He took a deep breath. "Fine. But I have a few questions for you, Nova."
**Nova:** *"Go ahead."*
Alex took a minute to think. "Why me? How does being chosen work?"
**Nova:** *"It's simple. I chose you because you're the reincarnation of my last user, who wasn't from this world."*
Alex's eyes widened. *Other worlds? I thought that was only in anime and stuff.* "Other worlds actually exist?"
**Nova:** *"Yes, there are thousands. Your world is World 2B3."*
Alex looked unimpressed. "2B3? That sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. Does this apply to other systems choosing their users?"
**Nova:** *"No, theirs will be random."*
Alex's eyes narrowed in concern. "Wouldn't it be a problem if they choose someone with bad motivations?"
**Nova:** *"It could be. Remember, these choices are guided by fate."*
Alex looked outside the window. It was dark now; his mother would be on her way home.
He looked back at the system, seeing the title listed as "Unknown." "Nova, why does it say 'Unknown'?"
**Nova:** *"Your title should be chosen in less than 20 seconds."*
Alex looked confused. "Why is it only coming now?"
**Nova:** *"Because ultimate skills choose who they want, and many didn't pick you."*
Alex looked down. *Of course they wouldn't pick me. Why would they? I'm just a loser.*
**Nova:** *"Your ultimate skill is here. Would you like to see what it is?"*
Alex looked up. "Yes." His tone was low.
The system displayed:
**Alex – The Soul Forger (Master of Necromancy and Spiritual Manipulation)**
**Ultimate Skill:** *Eclipse Dominion* – Instead of raising corpses, Alex binds the souls of the fallen into ethereal constructs, creating spectral warriors, weapons, or armor. His army is made of phantoms infused with emotions and memories, making each summon unique rather than mindless. He can also temporarily manifest fallen allies with enhanced abilities.
Alex's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's so powerful!"
**Nova:** *"Indeed it is."*
Alex smiled as he looked at his ultimate skill.
**Nova:** *"Since you're only Level 1, your skill will only work on weaker monsters, and you can currently raise three."*
Alex nodded. "I understand. But how do I level up?"
**Nova:** *"You level up by killing monsters. You'll get points to distribute into your attributes."*
Alex nodded. "Can I get points from working out or something?"
**Nova:** *"Yes. Doing 100 push-ups a day will give you 10 points, running 10 km daily will give you 10 points, and reading books will also give you 10 points."*
Alex groaned, falling back onto his bed. "100 push-ups? I can't even do 10, let alone 100 a day!"
**Nova:** *"It's either that or remain weak and useless compared to the others."*
Alex rolled his eyes. "A bit harsh." He got up and looked at himself in the mirror—his skinny body, messy brown hair. He sighed.
He knew he had to do this. "Well, starting now."
He dropped down and began doing push-ups. At 10, he started struggling. He pushed through—20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 99. Alex was shaking, sweat dripping onto the carpet.
Memories flashed—the bullying, his hair being cut, being kicked around.
His crush, Brittany—a beautiful girl with long brown hair, smooth light skin, green eyes, and a curvy body. He knew he had no chance; she was Jacob's girlfriend, and he was just a skinny loser.
Alex opened his eyes, determination burning. He forced himself to complete the 100th push-up.
He collapsed, facing the white ceiling. "I did it."
The system appeared again, its blue light glowing.
**Nova:** *"You have 10 points. What would you like to spend them on?"*
Alex closed his eyes. He had to make the right choice.
*(If I pick strength, I'll be slower, and my IQ and agility will stay the same... Maybe if I put 5 in speed and the rest in strength... Hmm, got it.)*
"Can you save the points, Nova?"
**Nova:** *"Of course."*
---
**Time Skip: 1 Month Later**
It had been a month, and Alex had made significant progress in his training. He had leveled up considerably.
Alex finished his run. "That should do it, right, Nova?"
**Nova:** *"Yes. Plus 10 points."*
Alex walked to a nearby chair in the park, breathing heavily. The town was quiet, expected given the late hour.
He looked up at the setting sun, smiling. He was happy with his progress.
"How many points do I have now, Nova?"
**Nova:"Calculating... All the push-ups, running, and reading have earned you a lot of points. In total, you have 1,500 points."*
Alex smiled. *"Great! Let's distribute the points then."*
Alex knew he had to be smart with his point allocation.
**Alex:** *"Nova, show me my stats."*
**Nova:** *"Of course."*
---
**Name:** Alex
**Surname:** White
**Age:** 16
**Level:** 1
**Strength:** 5
**Speed:** 8
**Agility:** 4
**Durability:** 2
**IQ:** 70
**Mana:** 20
**Title:** The Soul Forger (Master of Necromancy and Spiritual Manipulation)
---
**Skills:** None
**Unique Skills:** Ability to learn faster than normal humans, Ice Manipulation
**Ultimate Skill:** Eclipse Dominion
---
Alex looked at his stats, noting the addition of his ultimate skill and title. *"Alright, we have 1,500 points. I want you to give 100 points to strength."*
Alex's strength, which was 5, turned to 105. He could feel the immediate change—his muscles tightening as if reinforcing themselves.
**Alex:** *"Wow, I can feel I'm strong. But how strong?"*
He looked away from the system, his gaze settling on the trees in the quiet park. He got up, walked to one, placed his hand on it, and tightened his grip. The tree began to crack. With one hand, he pulled it out of the ground.
*"Oh shit,"* he whispered, chuckling in disbelief at what he had just done.
Alex gently placed the tree down and walked back to the chair. *"I didn't expect to be that strong."*
**Nova:** *"Don't get ahead of yourself, Alex. You're still weak compared to the monsters that will teleport in. Even at your level, you can't beat an F-rank monster."*
Alex's eyes narrowed in concern and surprise. *"How strong are these monsters, really?"*
**Nova:** *"You'll find out soon enough. Just know an F-rank has enough magic power to destroy a small town."*
**Alex:** *"Wh-what?"* His tone was shaky. *"I can't believe this."*
Alex looked down, shaking his head at the thought of an F-rank being that powerful. He slapped his cheeks. *"Alright, we'll just have to train harder then."*
He looked back at his stats. *"Okay, Nova, we have 1,400 points left. Give 500 to speed."*
Alex's speed went from 8 to 508. He smiled but quickly remembered how an F-rank scaled.
**Alex:** *"Nova, how fast am I now?"*
**Nova:** *"Your speed is faster than all supercars. A human eye can barely keep up—not just your movement speed, but your reaction time and perception as well."*
Alex nodded. *"Not bad. We have 900 left—put all of it into mana."*
**Nova:** *"Are you sure? Mana can be trained naturally by using your skills and elemental manipulation. You could increase IQ or agility instead."*
Alex looked down, then back up. *"Alright, let's put 500 into durability and 400 into agility."*
His durability and agility updated. He looked at his new stats, smiling faintly.
---
**Name:** Alex
**Surname:** White
**Age:** 16
**Level:** 15
**Strength:** 105
**Speed:** 508
**Agility:** 404
**Durability:** 502
**IQ:** 70
**Mana:** 20
**Title:** The Soul Forger (Master of Necromancy and Spiritual Manipulation)
---
**Skills:** None
**Unique Skills:** Ability to learn faster than normal humans, Ice Manipulation
**Ultimate Skill:** Eclipse Dominion
---
Alex was surprised. *"Level 15 already?"*
**Nova:** *"Leveling up depends on how strong you are. When you reach Level 20, you'll officially be F-rank. But to reach Level 20, your stats need to be in the thousands."*
Alex got up, understanding what he had to do. *"I should get going before my mom gets worried."*
As he walked back home, he passed a coffee shop—painted white with a brown door and windows. Glancing inside, he saw Brittany and her friends sitting at a table, laughing.
*"She looks beautiful as always,"* he thought, shaking his head and continuing on.
He touched the top of his head; his hair had grown back over the months.
As he walked, he didn't notice three drunk men holding bottles until he bumped into one.
**Drunk Man:** *"Watch where you're going, brat!"*
Alex snapped out of his thoughts as the man tried to push him, but he sidestepped effortlessly.
He took a good look at them: one had black hair with a scar on his left eye, while the other two looked disheveled, with messy black hair and black eyes.
The scarred man looked confused at how the kid dodged. *"Hey, brat, you should watch where you're going."* He pulled his jacket up slightly, revealing a pistol.
Alex just nodded, not wanting trouble. *"I'm sorry, sir."*
He began walking away but heard a scream. Turning around, he saw Brittany surrounded by the drunk men.
**Scarred Man:** *"Hello, beautiful. How about you come with us to have some fun?"*
He pulled her close, his body pressing against hers, but Brittany pushed away.
The other two men closed in. *"Your hair is beautiful,"* one chuckled.
**Brittany:** *"Get off me, you bastards!"* Her heart pounded. *Was this really happening?*
*"Hey, enough!"* Alex had seen enough.
The men turned, irritated.
**Scarred Man:** *"You must have a death wish, huh, kid?"*
Brittany stared at Alex, confused. *Why was he stepping in? The same guy who got beaten up by Jacob...*
Alex glared. *"What you're doing is wrong."*
The men laughed.
**Shortest Man:** *"Who does this kid think he is?"*
Brittany couldn't help but wonder if this was bravery or stupidity. Her green eyes scanned his body—he looked different now. *Had he been working out?*
She'd never paid attention to him before, thinking he was just a loser who let people walk over him.
The shortest man rushed at Alex, knife in hand. *"Kid, you're gonna get hurt for not minding your business!"*
Alex sidestepped the thrust. *"I really don't wanna fight you guys."*
The man swung wildly, but Alex dodged every strike.
The scarred man pulled out a pistol and aimed. *"Don't move."*
Alex glanced away from the knife-wielder to the gun pointed at him.
The shortest man lunged again, stabbing Alex in the chest—but the knife bent.
Brittany's eyes widened. *He just tanked a knife attack?!*
Alex frowned. *"You just tried to kill me."*
The scarred man fired. Alex tilted his head, dodging the bullet.
He grabbed the shortest man's wrist, snapping it like a twig. The man screamed before Alex kneed him, knocking him out.
The scarred man fired again. Alex sidestepped, rushed forward, and punched him, breaking ribs and knocking him out instantly.
The last man charged, but Alex side-kicked his head, nearly snapping his neck.
Brittany stared in shock. *Was this really Alex?*
**Alex:** *"Uh, you good, Brittany?"*
She nodded softly, still processing what happened. *"When did you learn to do that? You dodged bullets."* Her voice was shaky but held a hint of interest.
Alex laughed awkwardly. *How do I explain this?*
*"Yeah, I guess I did. Maybe it was all luck—I mean, nobody could do that, right?"*
Brittany didn't look convinced. She stepped closer, her face inches from his, her breath warm against his skin. He blushed.
*"No. You did all that with ease. You're lying to me... Why?"*
Alex knew he couldn't hide it. What he'd done wasn't normal.
*"Would you look at the time? Sorry, I gotta go!"* He turned and ran off at normal speed.
**Brittany:** *"Hey! I wasn't done talking to you yet!"* She sighed, watching him leave.
She looked down at the unconscious men, realizing she'd never thanked him.
---
Alex arrived home to see his mother waiting in the living room.
**Alex's Mother:** *"Where have you been, Alex?"*
*"Uh, don't worry, Mom. I was just taking a night walk to clear my head."*
His mother's eyes narrowed as she noticed his sweat and the stab hole in his shirt. *"Why is there a hole in your shirt, Alex? Are you getting bullied?"* Her voice softened.
Alex shook his head. *"No, no, Mom. I'm not being bullied. I just fell, and the hole opened up."*
She knew he was lying but didn't press further. *"Go inside. This better be the last time I see you coming home late."*
Alex sighed in relief, glad she'd dropped the subject. He didn't want her involved in any of this.
---
**Time Skip: 2 Months Later**
In two months, Alex had changed drastically. He'd grown to 6'1", dyed his hair black, and tied it into a ponytail. His body was now lean and muscular.
He'd attended online classes while training, avoiding school and everyone there. Now, he was stronger—*way* stronger.
Alex looked at himself in the mirror. Today was the day he returned to school—and monsters could attack at any moment. He was ready.
*Alex: *"Nova, show me my stats."*
*Nova:"Of course."*
Name:Alex
Surname:White
Age:** 16
Level: 30
*Strength:* 1,005
*Speed:* 2,000
*Agility:* 1,000
*Durability:* 1,002
*IQ:* 70
**Mana:** 1,000
**Rank:** D
**Title:** The Soul Forger (Master of Necromancy and Spiritual Manipulation)
---
**Skills:** None
**Unique Skills:** Ability to learn faster than normal humans, Ice Manipulation
**Ultimate Skill:** Eclipse Dominion
---
**Nova:** *"You've reached Level 30 and D-rank. Push-ups and running won't give points anymore—only killing monsters will."*
Alex nodded. *"I get it. But even at Level 30 with stats in the thousands, how will I reach Level 100?"*
**Nova:** *"For example, to reach Level 40, your stats need to be in the 2,000 range. Unless you defeat a monster alone, levels will increase slowly."*
Alex's eyes widened. To get stronger, he'd have to work even harder.
**Alex:** *"How many ranks are there?"*
**Nova:** *"E, F, D, C, B, A, A+, S, and Special Rank."*
**Alex:** *"How would you scale a Special Rank?"*
*Nova:"Sorry, but I can't quantify that level of power."
Alex nodded, sighing as he took one last look in the mirror before heading back to school.
Here's your fully corrected passage with proper grammar, punctuation, and clarity improvements while keeping your original style:
---
### **At School**
When Alex arrived at **school**, he could tell nothing had changed. People **were** still the same and behaved the same.
As he walked **down** the hallway, it went **quiet** in surprise. People **were** looking at him with **shock**—they hadn't seen Alex in a long time, and now he had returned, looking like a completely different person.
With an unusually calm expression, Alex went to his locker and **began** unlocking it, taking his books out.
Then, he felt a **tap** on his shoulder. He turned around to see **a pair of green eyes staring up at him**. It was Brittney.
**Brittney:** *"You look different,"* she said, her tone calm and collected.
Alex blushed at how close she was. *"Um, hi, Brittney. What can I do for you?"*
Brittney looked at Alex, impressed by how different he was. The last time she had seen him, he had been skinny and short. *"I wanted to thank you for helping me back then."*
Alex **nodded**. *"No problem. Anybody would have."*
**Brittney:** *"No... and nobody would have dodged bullets."* She looked at him with a serious expression. *"Tell me, how did you dodge bullets with such ease?"*
Alex began to sweat. *"Uh, it was luck,"* he chuckled awkwardly.
*"Dork, didn't I warn you?"*
Alex looked behind Brittney to see Jacob with Mike and Andrew.
Brittney turned to face Jacob, her boyfriend, and his friends. *"What do you want, Jacob?"*
**Jacob:** *"I wanted to teach this dork a lesson. Just because he's grown a bit doesn't mean he can talk to you."*
Brittney's eyes narrowed in annoyance. *"And why *can't* he talk to me, Jacob?"* Her tone was sharp.
Jacob ignored her and walked up to Alex, grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him against the locker.
**Jacob:** *"Because he's not on your level."*
Brittney tried to pull Jacob away, but he shoved her hard. She fell to the floor with a loud **thud**.
Jacob swung a punch at Alex, but seeing his crush treated so roughly, something inside Alex snapped. He caught Jacob's fist with one hand and shoved him back.
Alex rushed to Brittney and offered her his hand. She took it gently.
**Alex:** *"You okay?"*
**Brittney:** *"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks again."* She glanced at Jacob, who was still in shock—Alex, the same person he used to bully, had just stopped his punch effortlessly.
Brittney stared at Jacob with anger and hurt, wondering why he would treat her like this.
As Alex watched, he suddenly sensed a surge of **high mana** landing nearby. Not even a second later, a **sonic boom** shook the area, knocking some people off their feet.
**Nova:** *"An F-rank monster has just arrived."*
Alex was stunned but quickly ran outside. In the middle of Chicago, a **gigantic crab-like monster** was rampaging, destroying buildings.
He was about to charge forward when Brittney's voice stopped him.
*"Alex!"*
He turned to see her standing at the school entrance, her eyes wide with fear.
**Alex:** *"Brittney, you should go back inside! It's not safe out here!"*
Brittney stared at the monster, her body trembling. Was this the end for humanity as a **whole**?
**Brittney (shaky voice):** *"Where do you think you're going?"*
Alex glanced back just as a fighter jet fired missiles at the creature—only to **irritate** it.
**Alex:** *"Listen, Brittney, I'll explain later. Just **don't** follow me, okay?"*
Before she could respond, Alex **leapt** away, jumping from building to building at **inhuman speed**. Brittney's eyes widened in disbelief.
As he ran, Alex pulled out a **mask**—an ANBU-style cat mask, inspired by *Naruto*, his favorite anime.
He landed on a rooftop, surveying the destruction. The crab monster turned, sensing his mana.
To his left, a news helicopter had already spotted him. Alex smirked beneath his mask.
**Alex:** *"Let's show them what I can do."*
Blue energy flared around him as he unleashed his mana.
The reporter gasped. *"As you can see, folks, a mysterious figure with a **blue aura** is preparing to engage the monster!"*
**Alex (to Nova):** *"It's only F-rank, right? Should be easy since I'm D-rank."*
**Nova:** *"Yes, but this crab has a dangerous ability—it can **summon thousands of human-sized crabs**."*
Alex's eyes narrowed, but he smirked. *"Then I'll take it out before it gets the chance."*
He **jumped down**, and the monster **roared**, swinging one of its massive legs. Alex twisted mid-air, dodging the attack, and **materialized an ice katana**, driving it into the creature's head.
The monster **staggered** but instinctively **swung**, slamming Alex into a building.
**Alex (groaning):** *"How durable *is* this thing?"*
As he stood, he saw the monster preparing to **spawn its minions**.
**Alex:** *"Shit, this isn't good—"*
Before the smaller crabs could attack, **fire engulfed them**, reducing them to ashes.
Alex looked up to see a **masked figure** standing atop a nearby building.
**Masked Girl:** *"You're careless."* Her voice was clearly female.
**Alex:** *"I guess you're one of the **chosen** too?"*
She nodded. *"Yes. And you almost got people killed. This thing is F-rank, and you're D-rank—there's no excuse."*
The crab monster charged again.
**Alex:** *"I'm new to this. Judging me doesn't help."*
In a **blur of motion**, Alex moved faster than the cameras could track. The next moment, the monster **split in half**, green blood spraying everywhere.
Alex landed atop its corpse, his mask splattered with blood.
The masked girl appeared beside him.
**Masked Girl:** *"Impressive."*
---