CRACK!
Her fist connected with the thug’s jaw so hard that a loud thudding sound echoed through the street.
The guy didn’t just stumble back—he was LAUNCHED.
His body slammed into the ground with a force that shook the pavement, leaving him groaning in pain.
The remaining thugs froze in complete horror.
Their faces immediately got drained of color as one of them pointed at Amara. "W-Wait, she’s an Awakener?!"
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Another cursed under his breath while stepping backward. "Shit! Run!"
Without another word, they all bolted like scared rats, leaving their friend writhing on the ground.
Victor who had been ready to throw down, simply stood there.
Then—
He whistled.
"Damn, Amara. That was hot."
Amara brushed her knuckles off while smirking slightly. "Well, you were taking too long, so I figured I’d handle it myself."
Victor crossed his arms. "You do know I could’ve handled that, right?"
Amara rolled her eyes. "Of course, I do. But I’m not some helpless weakling either."
And she was right...
Summoners were one of the physically weakest classes besides healers but they were stronger than regular humans.
Victor chuckled while shaking his head. "Fair point."
Both of them laughed together before resuming their journey forward.
They continued walking towards the mana-powered train station while chatting casually.
Victor and Amara reminisced about their first days of high school, and even the time Danny accidentally set off a school-wide alarm because he thought he saw a ghost in the restroom.
They laughed so much that Victor forgot about everything else for a moment.
By the time they reached the station, a comfortable silence settled between them.
Amara’s chestnut colored hair swayed slightly in the breeze as she turned to face him.
"Well, I guess this is where we part ways."
Victor nodded. "Yeah."
She leaned in quickly and pecked his cheek.
Victor’s briefly inhaled her scent and got momentarily dazzled again.
Amara smirked playfully while stepping onto the train platform. "Goodnight, Victor."
The train doors slid open, and before Victor could respond, she was gone.
Victor stood there like an idiot while touching his cheek.
"...Uhm goodnight?"
---
Victor returned home, still mildly dazed.
His mother noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow. "You look like you just got smacked with enlightenment."
Victor cleared his throat quickly. "Nope. Totally fine. Nothing happened."
Mrs. Revenant chuckled, clearly not believing him. "Right, right. Come eat dinner."
Victor sat down and ate quietly with his mother while conversing.
After dinner, Victor headed straight to his room.
He booted up his laptop, plugged in the camera, and began going through the footage they took earlier.
The stunts looked solid—him using Wind Dash to leap over cars, dodging obstacles, and even the mid-air spin move he pulled off.
It had the perfect balance of flashiness and skill.
Victor edited the clips, added some music, and then titled the video:
[ "Awakened Warrior’s First Public Showdown! How Strong Are New Awakeners?" ]
After a moment of hesitation, he clicked UPLOAD.
"Let’s hope this actually goes viral."
Then, his gaze fell onto his desk where his VR helmet sat alongside the Ascendant Realms game.
Victor’s hand trembled slightly as he reached out.
He had avoided it for so long.
But he couldn’t afford to stay stagnant anymore.
Victor took a deep breath, brushed off the dust, and placed the helmet over his head.
[ Logging in to Ascendant Realms... ]
The moment Victor’s vision adjusted, the world of Ascendant Realms unfolded before him.
He found himself sitting cross-legged on the rocky terrain with his avatar perfectly still, just as he had left it.
The air felt crisp, and the faint rustling of the wind brushed against his robes.
Ahead of him, scattered trees stood like silent watchers over the terrain with their leaves swaying gently under the golden glow of a late afternoon sun. A winding river gleamed in the distance, reflecting the light in soft ripples.
Behind him was the Dark Canyon.
The last time he was here, he had barely survived its treacherous perils, fought against a malicious doppelgänger, and emerged victorious.
Now, he was back.
"Glad to see nothing has changed..." Victor muttered after scanning his surroundings.
Ding!
System notifications popped up instantly in his field of vision.
————
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS ]
✅ Congratulations! You have successfully crossed the Dark Canyon.
Reward: 10,000 Wisps of Qi
Reward: Physique Grade +1 (Environmental Adaptation Bonus)
Reward: Improved Environmental Stamina (Harsh Terrain Bonus)
Reward: Low-Tier Treasure Chest (Claimable)
Reward: Bloodline Unlocking Progress +12%
✅ Welcome back to Ascendant Realms, Player Victor Revenant.
Time elapsed since last log-in: 1 year, 3 months (Game Time)
Your body has been stationary in an extreme environment for an extended period.
As a result, certain passive adaptations have been gained.
✅ Active Quests:
[ Misguided Misty Paths ] → Complete
[ Dark Canyon ] → Complete
[ The Devil Forest ] → Incomplete.
[ Unclaimed Rewards ] → ???
————
Victor blinked.
"A whole year...?"
In reality, it had only been two months. But in Ascendant Realms, his body had remained motionless for over a year.
And apparently—
That had benefits.
Victor quickly checked the details of the newly acquired boons.
---
📜 Physique Grade +1 (Golden Bronze)
→ Your body’s durability and endurance have increased due to long exposure to extreme environments.
→ Benefits:
Increased resistance to harsh weather conditions.
Increased stamina recovery rate.
Small increase in physical strength.
📜 Improved Environmental Stamina
→ Spending long durations in the same terrain grants natural adaptation bonuses.
→ Current Adaptation: Rocky and Canyon Environments
Movement in rocky regions is smoother.
You experience less fatigue in unstable terrain.
---
Victor rubbed his chin.
"Huh. This isn’t bad at all."
Though he hadn’t done anything for a year, the game still rewarded him. Talk about a cheat.
He opened his stats panel to distribute the newly earned points.
---
🟢 Cultivation Points Available: 30
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[ STAT INCREASE ]
Strength: 24 (+3)
Agility: 30 (+4)
Speed: 30 (+5)
Endurance: 34 (+5)
Perception: 33 (+3)
Qi Control: 21 (+7)
Constitution: 15 (+3)
---
After he was done allocating poiints, he closed the panel.
Victor exhaled slowly and prepared to cultivate. He intended to increase his overall cultivation level before he resumed his journey.
Sitting cross-legged once more, Victor slowed his breathing, letting the natural Qi in the surroundings flow into him.
The moment he focused inward, he immediately noticed something strange—
It was flowing into him faster than before.
Much faster.
His eyes snapped open.
"What the—?"