The awakening came to me in a way I could never have imagined. I felt something strange stirring inside me and, unable to contain myself, I let out a cry of surprise while clutching my chest, my eyes trying to penetrate the darkness that surrounded me.

It wasn't pain that I felt, nor something unpleasant, but rather a completely new sensation for me. It was as if my entire body was being shaken and awakened, flooded by an unknown and strange energy.

The most disconcerting thing was that this energy didn't come from outside, but emerged from the depths of my being, as if it had always been there, dormant, waiting for the precise moment to emerge. I felt it spread through every fiber of my body, filling me completely.

My emotions became more intense, clearer, while my body began to transform. In the center of my chest, I felt as if a tiny star had begun to burn.

From it emanated waves of heat that slowly spread: first toward my stomach and shoulders, then down my arms and legs, until reaching my hands and feet.

Under the influence of the flame, my dying body began to repair itself. My shattered bones recomposed from the fragments. My torn flesh regenerated and became whole again. My collapsed lungs and damaged heart came back to life and rejuvenated, becoming strong and healthy in an instant.

Suddenly, I could breathe again.

Under that scorching heat, I felt everything inside me rebuilding: my bones, my muscles, my organs, even my blood vessels. It was as if I was being reborn. I felt stronger, faster, healthier than ever.

The sensation was euphoric.

With each passing second, the transformation became deeper. A new confidence took root in my heart. I was no longer that weak and fragile child who had lost his mother.

After what seemed like an eternity, the star in my chest began to cool. The heat was replaced by a comforting coldness that spread throughout my body, taking with it every pain and discomfort that had accumulated over the years. It ascended to my brain and, finally, reached my eyes.

The world I perceived had changed drastically. Colors intensified in a way I had never seen: reds were more vibrant, blues deeper, blacks more absolute.

All these intensified colors mixed before my eyes like in an impressionist painting.

My vision began to blur, and although my mind felt light, it maintained extraordinary clarity. I felt like a castaway floating in the vast sea of consciousness.

Gradually, the environment began to take shape again. The colors returned to their natural state while a grayish and diffuse mist dissipated around me.

The Tower's voice abruptly pulled me from my reflections.

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"The moment of truth has arrived," I thought to myself.

Quickly, I invoked my status, needing to understand the changes that had occurred in me.

[Name: Arceus Pendragon.]

[Level of existence: 1 (F)]

[Sex/age: Male/10]

[Height/Weight: 149.3 cm/38.5 kg.]

[Alignment: Lawful/Chaos]

[Class: None]

[Alias: Training Masochist]

[1. Statistics]

[Strength: F (6)] [Resistance: F (7)]

[Agility: F (5)] [Intelligence: F (6)]

[Perception: F (8)] [Vitality: F (5)]

[Stellar Energy: F (12)] [Luck: C (41)]

[Soul Fragments: 0/100]

[2. Talent: None]

[3. Public Attribute: Below Average]

[Effect: The user possesses no particular talents or qualities. You will suffer for your lack of talent. There's no point in trying. No matter how hard you work, you'll never be more than a third-rate Ascendant. The user's future is very concerning.]

[Private Attribute: The Man Who Overcame Adversity (S)]

[Effect: At the moment when you cannot fight, all statistic levels and skill classes increase by one grade. Additionally, there is a small healing effect and you won't feel pain until the duration ends.]

[4. Innate Abilities: None]

...

The stellar core I discovered inside me was something truly extraordinary. Although it resided within my body, it seemed to exist in a dimension different from that of my internal organs. It was a living paradox: infinitely vast and, at the same time, infinitely tiny.

I observed that the core had a spherical shape, its surface covered by a fluid white light, as if it were a delicate protective layer. This thin luminous membrane kept the opening stable, preventing it from collapsing upon itself.

Inside, as expected, was the stellar energy. The nucleus was extremely bright, its white color dazzled wonderfully. There was an intense flow of energy and particles, creating an exceedingly turbulent atmosphere.

I opened my eyes and quickly sat up, aware that this place didn't inspire any confidence in me. After having survived through pure tenacity, the last thing I wanted was to fall victim to an ambush.

While searching for my spear, I reflected on the nature of attributes.

It was evident that there was an inversely proportional relationship between public and private attributes: the more unfavorable the public trait, the more powerful the private trait would be, and vice versa.

As a newly awakened Ascendant, I had received certain information, though not all. The data visible to others included my name, class, public attribute, and level of existence.

In the Paradise Tower, the status window was a fundamental tool, universally used for its immense utility. It showed everything from personal information to skills and mental state of the user.

However, this window was strictly personal; no one else could see it, and even if they could, everyone would prefer to keep this information hidden. Revealing these data would give others an incalculable advantage, allowing them to identify strengths and weaknesses to neutralize any Ascendent.

To put things in perspective, the statistics of an average adult man would barely reach 1 point in most aspects. In contrast, five points were needed in each statistic to be considered an awakened, so the difference was not small.

As I headed toward the end of the hallway with my bone spear in hand, I prayed again and again to find only one monster in the next room. Just one!

Despite feeling much stronger, I knew with certainty that I shouldn't be overconfident.

But luck wasn't on my side. At that moment, I remembered again why one should never enter the Tower alone. When the door opened, my heart stopped for an instant.

I saw them immediately. At least five of them were within my field of vision.

I knew that silently closing the door would be useless. Their vision was far superior to mine, and their eyes glowed in the darkness like those of nocturnal felines.

My presence didn't surprise them, these creatures knew no fear. They only understood blood and fury, and they had been waiting for someone to tear apart.

The first one that saw me lunged toward me running, and the others didn't take long to follow.

Six, seven, eight, nine... and the number kept increasing.