Chapter 1: Chapter One: Burdened with a goal

Chapter One: Burdened with a goal

[Profile:

Name: Valen

Username: Night Star

Rank: 0 (Apprentice)

Level: 0.01% Energy Absorbed

Points: 0

Status: Nominal]

Valen read the information from his silver watch while clenching his fists. Three years. It had been three straight years since he had absorbed 0.01% of trophic energy.

Normally, this was sufficient to trigger evolution. Without evolution, it was impossible to progress beyond Level 0.01%.

Usually, that amount of trophic was enough to allow one to surpass their limits. But Valen was on the short end of the stick— unable to evolve and progress.

In reality, he still had a bit of hope. After going through his father’s relics before his fall in the abyss, Valen realized that some genes were simply too powerful to evolve with only 0.01% energy. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

So he had to continuously absorb trophic energy— even if he didn’t progress— until his genes were ready for Evolution.

He was now twenty, and this was his final opportunity to evolve, or he would have to settle for mediocrity.

This wasn’t an option to Valen as he hoped to become powerful enough to investigate the true cause of his father’s death.

Taking a deep breath to calm his thoughts, Valen tapped his watch, dispelling the projection in the air. He gulped down the last of his tea and stood up, exiting the café.

Across the street stood a massive building bearing the words "White River Energised Chamber." A large crowd had already gathered before the chamber as Valen approached the all-too-familiar building.

He had come here every month for the past three years, after all.

"Isn’t that the faded prodigy? He sure doesn’t give up. How many times has it been? Thirty-six months already? Doesn’t he know that the times have changed? He isn’t the genius he used to be. He’s already regressed, so he should just give up and live the peaceful life of a peasant."

"I heard his junior sister, Aaliyah, is already above level thirty, and she only evolved last year. Yet he’s still clinging to the delusion that some miracle will happen."

"You can’t blame him. Statistics show that the chances of evolving beyond 20 years old are almost zero. This is his last chance, so leave him be. Haha."

...

The moment Valen arrived before the building, a ripple spread through the crowd as most of them let out snide remarks.

Valen swept a casual glance around, seeing a bunch of teenagers. Most were between seventeen and eighteen, with a few around nineteen and even fewer at twenty— his current age.

However, he did not particularly pay any mind to the remarks of the surrounding teenagers. They were just young men who hadn’t seen reality, so we’re hot-blooded. Some of them might not even evolve today. Comments from such people could not shake him.

A middle-, aged fat man emerged from the building at this instant, causing everyone to fall silent.

"Hello everyone. I’m Michael. As we all know, everyone’s body has limits," the fat man said with a smile. Glancing at the crowd, he continued:

"With every evolution and level-up you experience, the burden on your body increases. Once you reach your limits and try pushing further, you’ll develop a disability which can subsequently lead to the total break down of your body. During your evolution process, your body would also tested. The sooner one absorbs trophic and evolves, the better their body and potential, and vice versa. Alright, enough talk. Let’s proceed."

Michael led them into the massive building. Valen had undergone this process many times already, so he knew how things worked.

During his first potential rating, he had attained a peak-grade body, the best in the world back then. But for some mysterious reason, he hadn’t evolved, whereas others had. This caused him to be mocked for being a ’faded prodigy’.

He shook his head as he pressed his thumb against the screen, alongside the other participants. Through their fingerprints, the Humanity System could search their database to verify whether they had registered for the White River Energised Chamber.

These registrations were normally carried out in advance, because the potential rating and evolution process took place on the first day of every month. Valen had already pre-registered, so he had nothing to worry about.

The participants were divided into two groups, and were seated within a large hall separated by a glass wall. The males sat to the left of the glass wall while the females sat on the other side.

Valen glanced around, noting the expressions of everyone on his side of the hall.

’That one looks strong, and he maintains his composure. A worthy seedling,’ he thought while observing a red-haired teenager a short distance away.

At his first evolution process, even he had felt nervous. Yet the red-haired teenager could remain calm. From his astute observation, he could make out this wasn’t an act by the red-haired teenager, prompting him to utter a word of praise inwardly.

Then he shifted his gaze to another young man with long black hair. Similar to the red-haired youth, he also maintained an air of calm confidence. It was neither arrogance nor pride, but a kind of silent proclamation that meant: Bring it on.

Valen’s eyes lit up as he nodded to himself.

’Not bad.’

His current goal for becoming powerful was to investigate the reason behind his father’s demise nine years ago. It was said that he had ventured into the abyss on a special mission, which had later failed. What exactly happened was kept secret by the world’s leaders.

He aimed to not only wanted to grow stronger, but also navigate the politics of this world until he became Greenfield Planet’s first supreme king. That way, he could learn the truth behind his father’s death with no lies mixed within.

To achieve that, he would need a powerful backing and a legion of well-trained experts, which was why his current goal was to establish the strongest guild. For that, he needed talented experts, and he had already found two promising ones.

He searched around once more, intent on scouting for more potential experts, when all the exits of the hall were suddenly sealed shut, and white mist began to seep from the walls.

The mist gathered around the seated occupants, entering their bodies through their pores.

’It’s starting,’

Valen inhaled deeply, feeling increasingly comfortable, but also anxious. He closed his eyes to calm himself while simultaneously circulating the trophic energy within his body clumsily.

Time slowly passed, and a few minutes later, a low grunt sounded ahead. A lean, pale-skinned young man with bright red lips stood up while staggering toward the door.

Valen was slightly surprised by this. Whenever someone absorbed trophic energy, the sooner their body filled up, the better, as it meant they had a high absorption rate of trophic. Conversely, the later one’s body filled up, the lower the indication of the test, as it also indicated a slower absorption rate.

The higher the absorption rate, the better the body, and vice versa.

Filling up in just a few minutes was already outstanding, as it meant the young man possessed a high-grade body.

Of course, Valen had already filled his body long ago. Accurately speaking, his body had filled with trophic within just a few seconds. This was why he had been crowned the greatest genius back then.

Even now, his potential had not regressed in the slightest, but he knew that this energy was not facilitating his evolution. Instead, it would just slowly vanish without a trace.

He did not stand up because he was determined to evolve today.

Valen tapped his Silver Watch, and a blue screen popped up before his eyes.

[Profile:

Name: Valen

Username: Night Star

Rank: 0 (Apprentice)

Level: 0.01% Energy Absorbed

Points: 0

Status: Nominal]

’Come on... move! Increase! Even if it’s just by 0.001%!’

Valen gritted his teeth, his body beginning to ache. The longer he remained with his body saturated with energy, the more damaging it would become, and he might even become a cripple. Since that was the case, if he continued to stay, he would only be courting death.

Waiting for a few more agonising seconds with hope filling his heart, Valen stared unblinkingly at the ’Level’ section of his profile. Disappointment washed over him like a tide, when he saw nothing change.

’Am I really fated for mediocrity? Am I truly a faded prodigy? But how will I uncover the cause of my father’s demise if I don’t evolve? Sigh, In the end, humans are helpless before destiny.’

Sighing in despondency, Valen slowly stood up with renewed determination. Although he couldn’t evolve, he could still walk down the political path. His junior sister was an already Evolver. Once he created a massive guild and ruled the world, he would obtain the information he needed, and his sister would descend into the abyss to avenge their father.

No matter what, whether or not he could become an Evolver, he would still take this path. Ordinary humans created wonders during an era without Evolvers.

Just because this was now an era of evolution did not mean a normal human could not rise to prominence.

If society thought they only needed Evolvers, then he would break that binding on everyone’s mindset.

For his father’s sake, he would become the first normal human to rule over countless Evolvers. No Evolver or Creature would stand in his way.

Just as he turned around, about to depart the hall, he suddenly felt something within him change. The energy filling his body gradually vanished, merging with his bones and veins as it strengthened them. His perception of the world began to shift as his senses heightened to an unprecedented level.

Valen froze, astonishment flashing across his face.

’The energy is merging into my bones. My senses are strengthening. Evolution. I attained evolution?’

For a moment, Valen was struck with disbelief, unable to make sense of the situation. He summoned his profile and checked it once more.

[Profile:

Name: Valen

Username: Night Star

Rank: 0 (Apprentice)

Level: 0.05% Energy Absorbed

Points: 0

Status: Nominal]

’My level increased?! By 0.04% at that? Wait. That’s not important. I evolved! Hahaha, I evolved!’

Valen grinned in excitement. Although he did not know what was happening, his three-year-long wait was finally over. The joy was like a waterfall, unable to be stopped.

Once he calmed down, Valen noticed something. Normally, after first absorbing 0.01% of trophic, one would remain at that level and would need to grow accustomed to having energy within them before progressing further.

But that was not the case for him, as his level continuously climbed. Soon, it stopped at 0.07%. Valen began to feel bloated, and he knew what this meant. He would need to exercise his body to let the clogged-up energy flow freely.

With that, Valen stood up while glancing around him, only to realise that there were only eight other people left in the hall.

’I suppose the process took a while.’

Valen pondered briefly before turning to leave the hall. He had evolved, but he did not know his path of evolution. To determine that, he would have to undertake a test by the Humanity System.

The Humanity System would conduct scans and tests on one’s physical body before determining one’s evolution path. This left Valen feeling excited and in anticipation.

His strength had increased rapidly, so all his senses had grown stronger, making him unable to distinguish which of them constituted his evolution path.

’Once I discover my evolution path, I can finally begin carrying out my plans and obtain a pass to the Astral Veil,’ Valen thought to himself as he exited the large hall.

He did not need to walk far, as the White River Energised Chamber had a testing room installed with the Humanity System to test one’s Evolution Path.