*****
[ New Chosen detected! ]
[ Chosen Identity confirmed! ]
[ You have gained a new skill: {Detect}! ]
*****
Michael had spent hours reading about the Land of Origin, endlessly speculating where he might find himself upon arrival.
Would it be in the middle of a dense forest? A sprawling plain? Or perhaps, dangerously close to a monster nest?
The possibilities were as vast as his imagination, and Michael had hoped that as long as it wasn't anywhere near monsters, he'd be fine.
When he opened his eyes, however, he wasn't greeted by serene landscapes or open skies. Instead, he found himself in a dark, confined room. The black brick walls were slick with moss. If not for the holes in the roof that allowed a few rays of sunlight to stream in, the room would have been pitch black.
A foul stench filled the air, assaulting his senses, and making him gag in disgust.
"What is this smell? Rotting garbage? Or… worse?"
Shaking his head, he pushed his discomfort aside. 'No, focus. That's not important right now! Where on earth am I?'
If he hadn't registered with the Supers Association and gained access to information about the Land of Origin, Michael might have panicked. However, though Michael knew each Awakener's initial spawn locations were random, he wasn't exactly thrilled about his current surroundings. The problem wasn't the location itself, but rather the disgusting smell.
His current location wasn't the worst per se; at least there were no monsters—or erupting volcanoes—nearby. But he knew it was better to proceed with caution until he learned more about his surroundings.
This wasn't just his own hunch—experienced Awakeners had emphasised caution multiple times in the "Tips for New Awakeners" forum post.
'First step, observe your surroundings.'
Michael turned his attention to inspect the wall beside him.
[Wall]
[A wall made of old, weathered bricks.]
'Figures,' Michael thought sarcastically as he read the description. Having expected it, he wasn't surprised by its sudden appearance.
The information was courtesy of a new skill he had gained—actually, one that every Awakener was granted upon entering the Land of Origin for the first time: {Detect}.
Much like the skills in games, {Detect} allowed the user to gather information about specific objects they focused on. It was an essential skill, especially for both new and experienced Awakeners alike.
However, {Detect} came with its limitations. For instance, it couldn't reveal information about living beings that were significantly stronger than the user. If the target was more than 20 levels above the user, {Detect} simply wouldn't work. On the other hand, the skill revealed detailed information when the user was significantly stronger than the target.
{Detect} could also improve over time, providing more details as the user's knowledge grew.
Shifting his focus away from the room's wall, Michael took a moment to observe his own 'body' in this world.
As expected, nothing from Aurora had followed him—not even his clothes. Thankfully, he wasn't naked. He was dressed in simple attire that commoners wore in the medieval times on Earth.
Aside from the clothing, there was nothing else of note on him.
Now that he had a basic understanding of his surroundings, Michael decided it was time to explore. However, before leaving the room, he decided to arm himself—just in case.
There was no sign of monsters outside, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He had read countless stories on the forum about the unfortunate fates of new Awakeners and had no intention of becoming another cautionary tale on his first day.
The first item Michael retrieved from his storage space was the leather armour he had purchased from the Association. While better options existed, they were either too expensive or impractical for someone at this level.
Suppressing the urge to gag from the foul smell around him, Michael quickly but quietly donned his leather armour.
'Time to arm myself.'
Michael had purchased three weapons from the Association: two melee weapons and one firearm. The gun had surprised him—it was easy to obtain without any complications—apparently, his status as an Awakener was all the "licence" he needed.
Given the gun's effectiveness in the Land of Origin, he decided to bring one along as his primary weapon. Compared to the spear and dagger he'd purchased, he felt that a firearm would be much more reliable. Though he'd never held a gun in either of his lives, let alone fired one, it offered a few clear advantages over melee weapons. For one, it allowed him to attack from a distance, and even if he missed, he could fire multiple shots quickly.
Of course, guns also had their drawbacks. For instance, the noise could attract monsters or other unwelcome attention. Michael had considered this risk and even read about it on the forum and that was why he had also bought a silencer for his gun.
'Guns are one of the best tools to have in the early stages, but they quickly become obsolete as one grows stronger. Like the experienced Awakeners in the forum said, personal strength is still the most important thing here.'
After loading his gun and disengaging the safety, Michael took a deep breath, relaxing his tense shoulders. Then he stepped out of the dark room.
Even if his first impression of the Land of Origin wasn't what he had envisioned it to be, Michael's excitement about this new world remained undiminished.
Edited by Haoshu
12|01|2025