The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion

[You have two passes to choose either 'Equipment,' 'Knowledge,' or 'Skill' from the system.]

"I can choose two options from either 'Knowledge,' 'Equipment,' or 'Skill,' huh?" Damian muttered to himself, hesitating before coming to a decision.

He decided to assess his current situation first.

At present, he had already earned all the [First Timer] achievements related to monsters.

There would still be some time before the next opportunity to gain more achievements arose, so he could afford to spend a moment considering his options.

"First, I'll obviously choose equipment," he decided, selecting one of the two passes for 'Equipment.'

As soon as he made the choice, another interface appeared.

[You may choose one piece of 'Equipment' from the options below:]

 1. Dagger

 2. Shield

 3. Gauntlet

 4. Spear

 5. Leather Armor

 6. Helmet

 7. Double-Edged Sword

 8. Single-Edged Sword

 9. Cloak of Protection

 10. Halberd

"Of course, I'll choose the [Double-Edged Sword]," Damian said decisively.

As soon as he made his selection, a sword materialized out of thin air and landed before him.

Damian grasped the sword, finding it moderately heavy but still manageable.

He unsheathed the weapon, exposing the blade.

The metal was a sleek, gleaming gray, and its sharp edge gave off an intimidating gleam.

The handle was intricately adorned with blue engravings, adding an air of mystique.

_____

[Name: Monster Slayer]

[Origin: Arcane]

[Description: A double-edged sword forged from one of the rarest metals in the world of Arcane, Orichalcum. Known for its high energy-conducting properties, Orichalcum is a favored material among Aura Masters in the world of Arcane.]

_____

"Orichalcum... This is a good sword. I can probably use it for a long time," Damian mused, appreciating the weapon's quality.

Orichalcum was one of the sturdiest metals used by Awakeners between levels 35 and 60, even after obtaining their classes.

Its high energy-conducting properties and resilience against high-level monsters made it highly coveted during the first year and a half following the Day of Awakening.

"What should I do with the second pass? I'm not going to choose another piece of equipment, so it's either skills or knowledge," Damian thought as he glanced at his Status.

"Skills are out of the question... I can develop those on my own."

Many awakeners in the earlier stages often mistake skills for abilities or talents.

To put it simply, they are very different, but at the same time, they can influence each other.

Talents are innate; they are something we are born with and cannot be created, except in rare cases, such as by being reborn, changing one's race, or evolving to a higher race.

Abilities, while similar to talents, are either inherited through bloodlines, acquired from another awakener, or developed by meeting certain unique conditions.

Skills, on the other hand, are entirely different.

They are learned through practice and experience.

Talents and abilities can influence the growth of skills, but skills cannot influence the growth of talents or abilities.

Take Damian's [Martial Lord] talent, for example.

It increases his efficiency and proficiency by 30% when creating techniques or wielding weapons related to martial arts.

At this moment, skills are not as crucial, though they will eventually become vital to the point that wars will likely break out over them in the future.

For now, the priority is knowledge.

"I choose knowledge," Damian decided.

[You may choose one piece of 'Knowledge' from the options below:]

 1. Knowledge of Class

 2. Knowledge of Mana

 3. Knowledge of Qi

 4. Knowledge of Elements

 5. Knowledge of Control

 6. Knowledge of Tactics

 7. Knowledge of Aether

"This is tough… I have to think this through," Damian murmured, rubbing his chin.

He had already awakened his affinity to both Mana and Qi, thanks to his [Elementalist] and [Martial Lord] talents.

With an active mana core and an active dantian, he was progressing steadily.

The best choice would likely be either [Knowledge of Mana] or [Knowledge of Qi].

"Both of them seem equally important right now," he mused.

"With [Knowledge of Mana], I could learn how to cultivate my mana core and manipulate the mana within me, which would help me create spells.

"Since my talent gives me an affinity for four elements, I could become a highly skilled mage."

"Meanwhile, acquiring [Knowledge of Qi] would allow me to increase my efficiency and proficiency in martial-related skills."

Damian found himself torn between the two options.

"Let's look at it from another angle," he thought. "Right now, I'm a close-range fighter who relies on a sword, but I don't want to limit myself."

After several minutes of deep contemplation, Damian finally came to a decision.

"Between [Knowledge of Mana] and [Knowledge of Qi]… I choose you."

[You have chosen 'Knowledge of Mana.']

[All basic knowledge related to mana, its applications, uses, circulation, and more has been transferred to your mind.]

"Ugh…" Damian closed his eyes as a torrent of foreign information flooded his mind.

A dull ache formed in his head, but it wasn't unbearable.

"With this, I can become both a close-range and long-range fighter," Damian smiled in satisfaction before summoning his status panel once again.

________________________________

[Awakner: Damian Ignatius]

[level: 14]

[Class: None]

[Titles: Regressor, Solo Hunter]

[Achievements: First Killer Titles, First Dungeon Clearer]

[Talents: Elementalist, Martial Lord]

[Abilities: Extraction(Unique)]

[Strength: 19 ║ Agility: 20 ║ Vitality: 20 ║

Stamina: 20 ║ Perception: 29 ║ Mana: 0 ║

Qi: 0 ║]

{Stat Points: 45}

[Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Basic Archery, Basic Axe Techniques]

________________________________

"Wait, I still haven't checked the effects of the title [Regressor]." Damian's eyes widened as he focused his attention on the title.

_____

[Title: Regressor (Passive)]

[A title given to those who have broken the rules of time and space to confront their fate, an uncertain and undecided future.]

[Effect: Your luck has increased several fold.]

_____

"What does 'undecided and uncertain future' mean?" Damian wondered, a bad feeling rising in his chest as he read the description.

"Well, the effects are certainly impressive... increasing my luck several fold," Damian sighed, unsure whether to feel relieved or uneasy.

It had been three hours since the system descended onto Earth.

Damian was still inside the Red Gate, preparing to exit, yet he had no idea what the consequences of his actions were... how his interference in the sequence of events after his regression might have altered the future he remember.

Meanwhile, the video of the man who had streamed his fight with the savage Lycans had gone viral.

Perhaps it was due to the calm that had settled over the world, following the successful descent of the system and the towers.

The atmosphere and other abnormalities had stabilized, and with the return of normal communications, news was spreading fast.

On social media, the footage of Damian's battle, where he seemed to grow stronger and faster with each monster he killed, was being shared and discussed endlessly.

...

[A/N: Come on, everyone! You've made it this far, so why not add my novel to your favorites? And if it's not too much trouble, please leave a review or drop some POWER STONES!]