Groggily, I opened my eyes, the weight of sleep slowly lifting from my consciousness. Disoriented, I tried to gauge how long I had been unconscious, but it was impossible to tell. My surroundings were unfamiliar, and my senses took a moment to adjust.

Gradually, the dimly lit space came into focus, and I realized I was shackled and confined to a cell. Anger surged through me, and I violently thrashed against the restraints, desperately attempting to free myself. The shackles held fast, their cold, unyielding metal biting into my skin.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to find a sense of calm, realizing that wild movements would only worsen my predicament. I turned my attention to analyzing my situation and tried to recall the events that led to my capture.

I closed my eyes and focused, sifting through the chaos of the battle and the final moments before I lost consciousness. The assailant's whisper echoed in my mind, along with the countdown that signaled my impending blackout. With each passing moment, the memories became clearer, and I grew increasingly determined to find a way out of this prison and seek answers.

I relaxed my arms, giving up on the shackles for now. A thought crossed my mind, and I couldn't help but think that if I had been in control sooner, I wouldn't have gotten involved in some drunk dwarf's business even if we had been co workers.

I sat there, thinking and observing the cell. Surprisingly, it wasn't in a terrible state. In fact, it almost looked like a decent hotel room if it weren't for the shackles and bars. As I continued to assess my surroundings, I heard someone approaching and the sound of a key unlocking a metal door leading to my room.

The slim human's black armor was meticulously crafted, with intricate details that spoke of its high quality. His chestplate was adorned with swirling patterns that seemed to absorb the light, creating an illusion of depth and darkness. The pauldrons were shaped like the wings of a raven, adding an air of elegance and mystery to the ensemble.

The gauntlets were slender and flexible, allowing for deft movements, while the vambraces were engraved with runes that glowed faintly, hinting at the enchantments they contained. The greaves and sabatons were similarly adorned with patterns and runes, making it clear that each piece of armor was designed to work harmoniously together, providing both protection and power.

The man himself exuded an air of arrogance, speaking with a high society, nasal tone that made it apparent he believed adventurers were chosen by the gods, while everyone else was disposable scum. "Oh, how delightful to see you awake," he said, a smug grin plastered on his face. "It's truly remarkable how you've managed to recover, considering the state you were in." With a self-satisfied expression, the man continued, "My name is Reginald Fairweather, one of the chosen and a proud member of the esteemed Celestial Vanguard Guild. And you, my captive friend? It's only proper that you introduce yourself in the presence of someone of my stature."

His condescending tone was infuriating, but I knew that I was in no position to argue. I knew this asshole just wanted to be praised and I had more chance of a happy ending if i played the ass kisser for the duration. So, I swallowed my pride and answered, "My name is Dylan," providing him with the introduction he demanded.

Reginald eyed me carefully and with a sly smirk, he said, "Ah, I was told you have no markings or runes on your body. That must mean you're one of the 'untethered,' then. It's been quite some time since our guild has come across an individual like yourself. While your growth might have been unpredictable due to the lack of supervision, you still hold great value."

Leaning in even further, Reginald continued with a hint of curiosity, "So, tell me, what do you know about this world and how it operates?"

I looked at Reginald, a hint of disgust crossing my face as I replied, "To be honest, I don't know much about this world. I've only been here for a few months, and I've been working as a lumberjack for most of that time – just relaxing, you could say. But I'm eager to learn more about this place and how it works. I'd much rather put my talents to use in a more productive way than chopping wood alongside some dwarf." My words carried a certain disdain for my previous occupation, making it clear that I had greater ambitions.

Reginald raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Based on the violence visited upon my men, I assumed the dwarf and you were good friends."

I internally thought I did right by Stonegorge, despite changing the dwarf helped me along in this world and I did my part he was in trouble and I took care of it until I didnt. What happened after thats on life, shit doesnt always workout and I gave it my all, now I need to focus on my own situation.

I smirked and shook my head, "Well, I've recently had a change of heart regarding friendships and their value in this world."

Then, with a mischievous glint in my eyes, I asked, "By the way, why do you have such soft men working for you? They didn't seem to be up to the task."

Reginald's expression turned slightly sour at my remark, but he quickly composed himself.

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Reginald started laughing, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Oh, those men were simply commoners, not Chosen like us. A single gold coin could replace each of them," he said, giving me a sharp look as he mentioned it.

Reginald looked me over, smirking. "It's clear you don't even know the basics, which makes sense since you're just a teenage boy," he taunted.

I thought about how, despite my older mental age, I now inhabited the body of an 18-year-old.

Reginald continued, "You see, Chosen can live for hundreds of years, as long as they maintain their progression. Most chosen go to academies and receive specialized training until they're nearly 35, which is considered adulthood for one of the Chosen."

He chuckled, a hint of arrogance in his voice. "Commoners are lucky if they even make it to their 80s. Pathetic, really."

Reginald's condescending attitude irritated me, but I knew I couldn't afford to make any enemies at this point. His hatred amused me in a way, given how narrow and misguided it was. I had learned long ago that focusing on anything outside of yourself was a waste of energy. This fool expended hatred on a group of people he viewed as so far beneath him. Hatred should be reserved for those who consider themselves your equal. I smirked at the thought.

Reginald continued, "By the laws of my guild and all guilds on this world, any untethered adventurers must be turned over to the crown." A grin spread across his face as he added, "And I'll receive a handsome reward for merely handing you over to a Justicar of the crown."

He went on to explain that any of the untethered must be sent to an academy to develop their powers and become licensed 'adventurers'. Reginald mockingly emphasized the word 'adventurers', clearly preferring the term 'Chosen' instead.

Reginald's eyes glazed over as he briefly reminisced about his years in the academy. "Ah, my time in the academy was quite memorable. I was selected for the Celestial Vanguard Guild during my senior year," he said, a note of pride creeping into his voice.

Reginald wished me luck, explaining that food would be served regularly and that a Justicar would arrive tomorrow morning to take me with him. As he turned to leave, he made a comment, "I must say, you're quite durable. I fully expected you to be a corpse after those two strikes in the alley."

I shot back a quick retort, "Barely felt them."

The atmosphere changed instantly; the light-hearted tone vanished. Reginald's head snapped back to me, his eyes filled with rage. In the blink of an eye, he was before me, kicking me repeatedly until darkness clouded my vision. As I passed out, his voice carried a cold, menacing tone, "Quite durable indeed."

I woke up some time later, not feeling too sore thanks to my divine regeneration healing me fully during that period. The thought of getting any form of revenge on Reginald brought a smile to my face before I noticed a meal had been placed in my cell. Despite being shackled, I had enough movement to eat, although it was a bit uncomfortable.

As I ate, I wondered why I hadn't seen any notifications about leveling up. I decided to mentally select my character sheet, and a blue screen materialized before my eyes

Character Name: Dylan

Race: Demi God

Class: Void Harbinger

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Level: 5

Attributes:

Strength: 11

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 30

Intelligence: 11

Wisdom: 11

Charisma: 11

Hit Points: 300

Mana: 200

____________________________________________________________

Skills:

Woodcutting: 19

Mana Manipulation: 5

Void Strike: 2

Void Resilience: 1

____________________________________________________________

Perks:

* Void Touched: The character's abilities are influenced by the mysterious void, altering skills and perks in unpredictable ways. The effects and triggers for these changes are unknown and may manifest at any time.

* Divine Regeneration (Passive): The character possesses a divine gift that grants a slow, continuous health regeneration. Restores 2% of maximum hit points every minute, even during combat.

* Void Hunter: You gain the ability to sense the weak points, allowing you to target these areas for 20% increased damage. Your accuracy also improves by 15%. This skill is enhanced by the Void Touched perk.

* Abyssal Fortitute- For every 10 points in constitution above 20 you gain 1 point to all other attributes.

I was puzzled by the fact that my level-up selections seemed to have been made already. As I pondered over this, I realized that these changes must have taken place during my interaction with The Void. The character sheet now showed my class as Void Harbinger.

I wasn't entirely sure what all this entailed, but I was now aware of my new class perk.

As I continued to think about my newfound abilities, I realized that my Void Touched perk hadn't activated in a while. It occurred to me that if that perk were to work in conjunction with Abyssal Fortitude, the potential for growth and power would be immense.

As I considered the potential power I could wield, I realized that I never would have even tried this if the old man was still in the driver's seat. He would have been too cautious, too hesitant. But me? I was willing to take the risk.

I began to focus on my core, circulating not just my mana but also the inkling of the void within me. I pulled up my character sheet and started an intense battle of wills with my own body, forcing it to accept the mixture of mana and void energy. Pain surged through me, and sweat dripped from my brow, but I pushed through it all, refusing to back down.

As I continued to channel the void energy, I felt and then saw the black void ooze onto my character sheet, making its way towards my Abyssal Fortitude perk. I watched in anticipation, my heart pounding in my chest, as the dark substance inched closer and closer...