Tenebrous Wolf

What did it feel like to be the center of attention?

Klaus Schwarz soon found out the answer to that question.

The moment his ID number was called, countless eyes turned to him.

He could feel them watching—silent, scrutinizing, judging. Strangers he neither knew nor acknowledged, assessing him as if he were some specimen under a microscope.

How can anyone live with this kind of pressure weighing on them?

This was precisely why he never wanted to be in the spotlight, not even for a fleeting moment.

There was an old saying: The tallest trees catch the most wind.

Klaus exhaled quietly, sealing away his unease, and stepped forward.

A few seconds later, he stood in front of Sergeant Griffon, who gave him a quick once-over before speaking in an emotionless tone.

"Place your hand on the machine."

Klaus didn't respond verbally. Just a short nod and a simple, "Yes, sir."

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, pushing aside his doubts, he placed his hand on the machine.

He had nothing to lose. Whatever the result, he told himself he would be fine with it. He really thought he would.

The moment his palm touched the Awakening device, Omega, he felt a strange warmth spreading through his body. He had expected it to be cold.

Thirty seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

He frowned, waiting a little longer.

Still nothing.

Sergeant Griffon, glancing at the stopwatch in his hand, clicked his tongue in mild irritation.

Another failure. Out of fifty graduates, only one had awakened. And he just happened to be from a major family.

On the other hand, Klaus, who had been clinging to the tiniest shred of hope, felt something sink deep inside his chest.

Even though he had set his expectations low, even though he had prepared for the inevitable disappointment, the reality still stung.

This is it, huh? I was never meant to be the protagonist. Well, I can't say I didn't expect such an outcome.

A small, sluggish smile formed on his lips, but It didn't reach his eyes.

It was the kind of smile that carried a quiet, lingering bitterness.

Just as he was about to remove his hand from the device, he suddenly froze.

The Omega started to vibrate.

It was subtle at first, and barely noticeable. But within moments, it pulsed with an intense glow, flooding the room with an otherworldly light.

"Wh-what? That is…"

"He awakened?! But there was no reading a moment ago!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

Even Sergeant Griffon was momentarily stunned. More than that, he could feel it, Omega was surging with more energy than it had with Adrian.

If Adrian's awakening had been a brilliant spark, then Klaus was a raging tempest on the verge of eruption.

Could it be…?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the trembling stopped. The Omega let out one final pulse before falling silent.

And then—

A vast and unfathomable presence stirred within Klaus Schwarz. A scorching heat ignited in his chest, and rapidly spread through his veins. His blood felt like it was boiling, burning him from the inside out. He couldn't scream. The sensation gradually grew unbearable until his consciousness faded.

When he came to, he found himself in a Half-Cognition state, adrift in an endless void.

Pitch-black darkness.

No matter where he looked, the abyss stretched infinitely, devoid of a beginning or an end. It devoured all traces of light, leaving only an expanse of nothingness.

Above this sea of absolute darkness, a crimson glow burned.

A massive sun as thick as blood loomed over the void, casting its eerie light. Klaus hadn't noticed it at first. It was as though it had concealed its existence until the moment his eyes fell upon it, but its presence was undeniable.

It was calm, yet terrifying.

It was ruthless, yet serene.

It was silent, yet deafening.

Klaus couldn't comprehend how something so thick with the color of blood could exude such an air of calm and stillness.

Then, he understood the situation.

He was inside his Soulstream.

Or rather, the unique world within his soul, the manifestation of his Soul Core.

He recalled that during the awakening ceremony, [Omega] stimulated a person's soul, triggering their ascension into an Ascendant. If successful, their Soul Core would form, granting access to their awakened Facets and the spirit power that now resided within them.

It was a simple process. Even so, standing in this vast, uncharted space, Klaus couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

After all, who wouldn't be fascinated by the unknown?

"So this is my Soulstream..."

He hadn't expected to find himself submerged in a void of pure darkness.

From what he had learned from other Ascendants, a Soulstream was usually bright and full of life shaped by the essence of the individual.

But his was a black abyss, ruled by a blood-red sun.

"I guess it really is unique to each person… As expected, individuality is indeed important, but what does this say about me I wonder?"

The moment that question took shape in his mind, a voice echoed from the depths of the abyss.

This was the voice of his 'Inner World'.

[Congratulations, you have awakened a shroud of divinity.]

[Your Soulstream has been formed.]

[The remnants of your humanity shall be cast aside.]

[The black blood now flows through your veins.]

[You have received the blessings of a Fallen God.]

[You have successfully awakened as an Ascendant.]

A slow grin spread across Klaus's face. Whether his Facet was of the lowest grade or something beyond comprehension no longer mattered.

He was a bottom feeder no more.

[You have received the Divine Name: Abyssal Sun.]

"Wait... Wh-What? This is..."

His eyes widened in disbelief, and his jaws seemed like they would drop.

A Divine Name! A Fucking Divine Name! He thought he was hallucinating but it was really reality! He had just become a Apprentice, yet he had already received a fucking Divine Name!

There were five stages or progressions that an Ascendant could undergo. They ranked from lowest to strongest as follows;

"Apprentice." "Enlightened." "Inquisitor." "Saint." "Emperor."

If the information he had gathered was correct, not even all Saints, who were basically Demi-Gods in human flesh, had the privilege of receiving a Divine Name. And yet, he—a mere Apprentice—had received one.

It should have been impossible!

No, it was impossible!

He knew if he asked anyone else, they would definitely say the same thing. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand.

Wasn't he supposed to remain a side character?

If that was the case, then why had he obtained something that could only belong to a protagonist?

His body trembled with excitement.

A Divine Name was the true name of the Soul. Simply possessing one meant an individual was destined for greatness. Just thinking about the list of rewards and luxuries he would obtain in the future was enough to make him feel like he was about to explode with euphoria.

No, this was beyond euphoria.

Screw that! He felt a greater rush than even the one he had when he first slept with a woman!

But that was not that end.

[Your Attribute is awakening...]

[Your Attribute has successfully awakened!]

[Attribute Rank: Primordial.]

Klaus stopped moving and even felt he had stopped breathing.

[Attribute Name: Devouring Tenebrous Wolf.]

† †

Tenebrous Wolf…?

Klaus tilted his head at the strange terminology.

A Tenebrous Wolf? What is that?

He was confused.

Given his Divine Name was [Abyssal Sun], he had expected his attribute to be related to the Sun as well. But wolves were more commonly associated with the Moon. A well-known example of this was werewolves, whose very existence was entwined with lunar cycles.

Had something gone wrong with his awakening? Or was there a deeper meaning behind this title?

Klaus manipulated the mechanism of his Inner World, and projected the details of his Attribute onto a system interface.

[Attribute Name: Tenebrous Wolf.]

[Attribute Rank: Primordial.]

[Description: You are the last descendant left behind by a pitiful fallen god. As a descendant of a divine being, you possess a great degree of strength and strange, mysterious abilities. None shall reign eternally at the top, those who do will inevitably face solitude.]

[Unique Characteristics: Craving.]

[Description: An insatiable hunger. A void that can never be filled. The more you consume, the greater your strength becomes. An endless desire that seeks to swallow all light and darkness alike. The more you indulge in this craving, the closer you tread toward a fate beyond human comprehension.]

That's certainly a lot to digest.

Klaus narrowed his eyes and slowly absorbing the information.

What's this about an endless craving? Is it something that amplifies the user's seven desires to the extreme?

How peculiar. I haven't heard about such an Attribute. Well, most people would keep their unique attributes to themselves, so that can't be helped.

Either way, this is truly fascinating.

A wide smile which betrayed his excitement formed on his lips.

People with Awakened Attributes were rare enough to be fiercely sought after by various factions. These factions were typically established by singular powerhouses who wielded Mythic or Dragonic Attributes, serving as the pillars of strength for the Emperor of Humanity, the sole human in this world to possess a Transcendence Attribute.

Even then, in all his time, Klaus had never once heard of anyone acquiring a Primordial Attribute.

Did such a thing even exist?

Perhaps he had truly acquired something that even the human race had yet to discover. After all, the ranking system used by humans hadn't gone past Transcendence.

In all myths and legends, Transcendence marked the pinnacle of power, and the Emperor embodied that absolute truth. Even if a thousand Saints gathered and worked together with ten thousand Lords, they would still fall short of overthrowing the Emperor.

That was the unshakable guardian of humanity.

The Victorious and the Most Honourable of Humanity.

If humanity had never heard of a ranking called 'Primordial,' did that mean he had the potential to surpass even the Emperor himself?

'Ah!'

Realizing the gravity of his thoughts, Klaus trembled in horror.

Fortunately, he hadn't been reckless enough to voice such blasphemy aloud. To speak against the Emperor was the gravest of sin, and a crime punishable by death!

If anyone had overheard his thoughts, even by chance, he would have been executed without hesitation or mercy.

Thankfully, there were no Psythes present within the military base in the outside world. Furthermore, I am within my own unique world, so I can entertain such thoughts freely.

Klaus sighed.

He then turned his attention to the most troubling aspect of his 'unique characteristic'. While he could already guess the nature of the dormant abilities it granted, the possibility of his craving spiraling out of control unsettled him.

If that were to happen, what would separate him from a mindless beast?

What was the point of gaining strength if it came at the cost of his sanity?

The thought was repulsive.

His rationality and sense of self were what kept him grounded, but his so-called uniqueness filled him with an eerie sense of dread.

I guess there's no helping it. Klaus thought with a wry smile.

His train of thought was reasonable. There was no point in dwelling on something he couldn't control, at least for the moment. Perhaps, once he grew stronger, he would gain the ability to rein in his heightened urges.

Klaus Schwarz was a simple man.

If he wanted to do something, he did it.

He liked what he liked and despised what he hated.

That was how he had always lived, and he saw no reason to change.

It was an amusing way to view reality. If his Inner World had an Alter Ego, it would have laughed at him. But it didn't.

Instead, it spoke once more:

[The First Seal has been broken.]

[The dormant powers within you are awakening…]