EXTRA 1: Will's POV

  My name is Will, and unlike most people, I had a dream, an unreachable one, at least until now.

  I can’t even remember when it first took root, this overwhelming desire that consumed every part of me. All I know is that from as far back as I can recall, I was drawn to stories where the protagonist grew stronger, surpassing their limits, carving their own destiny through sheer force of will.

  That feeling of dominating fate, standing above all, and forging my own pce in this world with my own two hands, it was intoxicating.

  But reality? Reality was a cruel joke.

  The world I lived in had no pce for people like me. No one could truly rise above others or reach a level of strength where they became untouchable.

  Strength, in this world, was measured by technology. Guns, bombs, tanks... Boring. Anyone could pull a trigger. There was no thrill in that.

  I didn’t want power handed to me through machines. I wanted to fight.

  To stand against stronger beings. To feel the raw intensity of combat, to csh steel against steel, to test my limits and crush those in my path. That was true strength.

  But this world didn’t allow for that.

  Could a man fight with his sword against a bullet? No.

  Could someone truly stand at the top with only their body and skill? No.

  This world was pathetic. Even if I dedicated my life to training, even if I reached the pinnacle of human strength, I would still be nothing compared to the monsters of fiction.

  But even knowing that, I refused to give up.

  I needed something, anything to fill the gaping void inside me.

  So I begged my parents to let me train. Hand-to-hand combat was acceptable, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted weapons. I needed them.

  At first, they dismissed me outright. Not surprising. To them, I wasn’t a person, I was a tool, a project, a vessel for their ambitions.

  They had pns for me. They wanted me to become a politician, to wield influence in the way they believed mattered. To follow the path they had paved for me.

  I don’t even remember the st time they looked at me with warmth.

  Their eyes held only expectation, cold, rigid, suffocating. A never-ending demand for excellence, for obedience. I was nothing more than a pawn in their game.

  So I did what I had to do. I made a deal.

  I could train however I wanted, as long as I met their expectations.

  And so I did. I studied, I excelled, I achieved. Straight A’s, top of my css. It wasn’t difficult, I was naturally intelligent. But sometimes, I wished I wasn’t.

  Maybe then, they would have seen me differently.

  Maybe then, they would have accepted me for who I was, instead of molding me into who they wanted me to be.

  That’s why I hate overthinking. That’s why I prefer instinct, raw action, because the more I think, the more I realize how much I despise them.

  But none of that mattered. Because I had my escape.

  Weapon combat became my sanctuary.

  I trained relentlessly, immersing myself in every form of martial combat I could find. Swords, spears, daggers, hammers, axes, if it could kill, I mastered it.

  I didn’t settle for just one. Every weapon had its strengths, its quirks, its own beauty.

  The dagger forced me to hone my reflexes, forcing me to get close, to dodge, to strike with precision.

  The spear? A weapon of range, dominance, keeping enemies at bay while picking them apart.

  The hammer? A weapon of raw power, where a single well-pced strike could end a fight instantly.

  Each had its own style, its own rhythm, its own thrill. And I loved it.

  But even as I pushed my body beyond its limits, I could feel the invisible ceiling pressing down on me.

  No matter how much I trained, no matter how strong I became, I was still just human.

  I could never reach the power I longed for.

  Until the day everything changed.

  Until the moment a voice, not of this world, whispered into my ear.

  And in that instant, I knew.

  This world wasn’t as worthless as I had thought.

  Humans had potential after all.

  I had potential.

  I could finally achieve my dream.

  From that moment on, life became fun.

  I know the other council members struggled to understand the shift in my attitude, but I didn’t care.

  Because now, I could grow.

  I could fight powerful enemies, test myself against true monsters.

  I could fight to the death.

  And for the first time in my life…

  I felt alive.

  Just like that, I did whatever I wanted and had my fun. Sure, I handled a few things for the president now and then, but most of the time? I followed my own rules.

  At least, until a certain bck-haired, brown-eyed kid started bothering me.

  He didn’t seem special at first gnce. Hell, I barely paid attention to him. But I knew of him, mainly because the president had taken a particur interest in him. And unfortunately for me, that meant I had to drag him along on hunts a few times.

  Apparently, he was useful or whatever.

  But so what? To me, he was nothing but a time-waster. A weakling who had no business stepping outside.

  And worse? He was dragging down someone who actually could’ve been a fun sparring partner.

  Annoying.

  Yet, despite all logic, he kept going outside. Even when he was weak as hell.

  Why? What was the point? Why not just cower inside with the rest of the weaklings?

  He was weird.

  And then, out of nowhere, he came up to me with a request.

  “Teach me swordsmanship.”

  ...

  Seriously? As if he wasn’t already wasting enough of my time!

  But... well...

  Since he was so honest about food— ahem! I mean, about his intentions to learn, I figured I’d humor him.

  ...

  Damn.

  It was even worse than I expected.

  I had never seen anyone with less talent in my entire life. Not even by accident. This guy was a walking disaster with a sword.

  A complete waste of time.

  Oh well. At least he was fun to beat u— ahem! I mean, fun to train. Right. Train.

  And hey, free food was always welcome. Hehe.

  Then, out of nowhere, he vanished for two days.

  I figured he had finally given up. About time, really.

  But no.

  He came back.

  I expected him to accept his loss. To admit that he didn’t have what it took. But this motherfucker…

  HA… HAHA… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

  I don’t know what the hell happened in those two days, but suddenly, I saw it.

  A path.

  A clear path for him to become something terrifyingly strong in this new world.

  It didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.

  But did I care? No.

  The world itself didn’t make sense, so why should I question it?

  All I knew was that he had become interesting.

  And I wanted to see how far he could go.

  After all, he was still weak.

  Meaning?

  I’d just have to make him strong faster!

  But then, I got hit with the biggest surprise of my life.

  This world wasn’t just evolving into something interesting.

  It already had beings with strength beyond anything I had ever imagined.

  The gods.

  Fighting against that apostle, or whatever the hell it was.

  It was the most fun I had ever had.

  And if that thing was just an apostle, then the gods themselves…

  Just how powerful were they?!

  The thought alone sent chills down my spine.

  But then came the problem.

  When I woke up, I had gained an achievement, Fate Breaker. I leveled up, too.

  But…

  I couldn’t grow anymore.

  No matter what I did, I couldn’t gain EXP. My ability wouldn’t improve. My mastery wouldn’t increase.

  I tried everything I could think of in a single day.

  Nothing worked.

  So now… what the hell was I supposed to do?

  As I was sinking into frustration, the same voice that had once filled me with hope spoke to me again. The very moment I heard how to get stronger, I didn’t hesitate, I rushed toward the tower without a second thought.

  Some people might be pissed about that…

  But that’s their problem.

  Right now? It’s fun time.

  Reaching the tower wasn’t easy.

  The closer I got, the more monsters appeared. And they weren’t just increasing in number, they were getting stronger, and a whole lot more annoying to deal with.

  Not that I’m compining.

  It was a damn good warmup for the real challenge ahead.

  And so, with anticipation burning in my veins, I stepped into the tower, ready for whatever y ahead.

  The trials?

  They were brutal.

  Some of them? Amazing. Combat-based, thrilling, exactly what I wanted.

  Others? A pain in the ass.

  Some nonsense designed to push me beyond my limits in ways that weren’t nearly as fun as fighting.

  Still, after what felt like an eternity, I finally completed the trials.

  Elian’s weapon proved its worth. It was leagues ahead of anything I had ever wielded.

  And the best part? I could switch between two different forms on the fly. And even now, I could feel that the weapon’s potential was still untapped.

  Heh… This thing’s gonna be fun.

  And then, in front of me, the system message appeared:

  [Congratutions! You are one of the very first to rank up as a mortal.][You have obtained the title: [Pioneer] ]

  [Pioneer: As one of the first 25 mortals to rank up, you are considered a pioneer of this new world, paving the way for others.]

  [Effect: Experience gain increased by 10%.]

  Oh? Another hidden part of the system, huh?

  A 10% boost?

  My lips curled into a smirk.

  Not bad.

  And then...

  [Congratutions! You have passed all trials with a high score. You may now choose a css.]

  A css, huh?

  The system presented me with dozens of options, which made perfect sense considering how I had mastered multiple fighting styles and dominated the trials.

  But my eyes nded on one that made my blood stir.

  This one.

  [Bloodfury Warrior]

  [Description: A warrior who is never satisfied on the battlefield. He craves battle and blood, his enemies’ corpses paving the path to his power.]

  Yep. That’s the one.

  The moment I selected it, I felt it.

  My body changed.

  Stronger and sharper. Beyond human. I was evolving.

  More system details appeared before me.

  My smirk widened.

  Looks like I’ll be getting stronger by shedding my enemies’ blood…

  And what’s this?

  I have to create my own martial art?

  …Seriously?

  Heh.

  Now this… this is getting interesting.