Chapter 1: Goal
Morning arrived gently, like a quiet promise whispered across the land.
The distant crow of a rooster broke the silence, followed by the soft, rhythmic chirping of birds hidden among the trees. Golden sunlight slipped through a small window, stretching across the wooden floor before finally reaching the face of a sleeping teenage boy.
Reo.
The warmth brushed against his skin, stirring him from his dreams.
His eyes slowly opened.
"Yawn… what a beautiful morning," he murmured, his voice still heavy with sleep, yet carrying a natural brightness.
He sat up, stretching his arms above his head as the quiet comfort of his home wrapped around him. For a brief moment, he stayed there—just breathing, just feeling.
But today wasn't a day to linger.
Today felt different.
With a sudden burst of energy, Reo jumped out of bed and began gathering his belongings. He moved quickly, almost excitedly, as if something ahead was calling him forward.
After finishing, he headed downstairs.
The familiar scent of warm soup greeted him before he even reached the dining area.
"Good morning, Pops," Reo said cheerfully as he entered.
His grandfather looked up, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Oh, you're awake now, Reo. Come here, let's eat."
Reo sat down, but his eyes wandered around the room.
"Pops, where's Granny?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"She went to the river to pick some vegetables," Pops replied. "She'll be back soon."
Reo nodded and began eating.
The moment the soup touched his tongue, his expression softened.
It was warm. Rich. Comforting.
It tasted like home.
"Mmm…" Reo closed his eyes for a second. "Your cooking never disappoints, Pops."
Pops laughed heartily. "Hahaha! You say that every morning. I'm starting to get tired of hearing it!"
Reo blinked in surprise.
Then Pops chuckled again. "Just kidding!"
The two burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the small house.
For a moment, everything felt simple.
Peaceful.
After finishing his meal, Reo stood up, wiping his mouth as excitement returned to his eyes.
"Thank you, Pops. I'm heading out now. See you!"
Pops waved his hand lightly. "Stay safe, Reo. Goodbye."
Outside, the world felt alive.
Reo walked along the dirt road, his steps light, almost bouncing with anticipation. The breeze brushed past him, carrying the scent of grass and river water.
Then—
In the distance, near the riverbank, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Granny!" he shouted, raising his hand.
The old woman turned, her face lighting up instantly. "Oh, Reo!"
"I'm heading to the district!" he called out.
Granny smiled warmly. "Alright, take care on your journey! Come back safely!"
Reo grinned and waved before continuing on his path.
Soon, towering gates came into view.
The Circle Kingdom – Southwest District[1].
As he passed through, the atmosphere shifted.
Voices. Movement. Energy.
This was where adventurers gathered. Where heroes were made.
Reo walked through the streets, his eyes scanning everything with quiet excitement. But then—
He stopped.
A crowd had gathered around a large board.
The leaderboard[2].
Slowly, he stepped closer.
His eyes searched… and found his name.
Rank: 11,899
His smile faded slightly.
Then he saw another name.
Ash.
Five ranks above him.
Reo clenched his teeth.
"That idiot… he didn't even tell me he went hunting…"
"Hahahahaha!"
A sudden voice exploded beside him.
Reo jumped.
"Did I scare you, little mouse?" Ash laughed.
Reo immediately smacked his head.
"You dumbass! You didn't just scare me—you nearly scared the life out of me! And you didn't even tell me you went hunting!"
"Ouch!" Ash rubbed his head, frowning. "My father called me. There was a D-grade monster near our house. It was nighttime too, so I couldn't call you."
Reo crossed his arms. "Still… I want to rank up too, you know."
"I know," Ash said, grinning. "That's why we're going now."
Reo sighed… then smiled.
"Fine. Let's go."
As they approached the guild, something changed.
The noise… faded.
The crowd… parted.
Two figures walked forward.
Amber Rosethorne.
Solfin Quimero.
The Absolutes.
Reo felt his breath catch.
Amber's beauty was overwhelming, like a rose blooming in perfect form—graceful, dangerous, impossible to ignore.
Solfin, on the other hand—
His presence felt heavy.
Like standing beneath a collapsing sky.
Then— Everything stopped.
No sound.
No movement.
Time itself froze.
Reo couldn't move. Couldn't even blink.
And the— It resumed.
Amber and Solfin were gone.
"What… was that?" someone whispered.
"William Chronostein…?" another voice said.
Before anyone could process it—
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion shook the earth.
The ground trembled violently.
Everyone turned toward the outer gate.
Far beyond the kingdom…
A colossal shadow stood.
"The Abyssal Dragon…"
"S-grade…?!"
Fear spread.
But Reo— Reo didn't feel fear.
He felt something else.
A pull.
His eyes locked onto the battlefield like it was a stage meant only for him to witness.
The Battle Begins
Near the forest, Solfin stood calmly, his gaze fixed on the dragon.
He raised one finger.
"Divine Beam."
A massive beam of golden energy shot forward, tearing through the air and slamming into the dragon's chest.
The impact carved a crater into its scales.
"Watch your aim!" Amber snapped, narrowly dodging the blast.
"Relax," Solfin replied casually. "You're still alive."
Amber clicked her tongue as the dragon's tail swung toward her.
She leapt back, eyes glowing.
"Let's see how you handle this… Thorn Dominion."
The ground erupted.
Massive rose vines burst upward, wrapping tightly around the dragon, their thorns piercing deep into its flesh.
Then— "Blaze!"
A blazing arrow descended from the kingdom's core wall, igniting everything it touched.
Flames consumed the vines and the dragon alike.
"That bastard…" Amber muttered.
"…trying to steal the kill again," Solfin finished.
The dragon roared.
"ROOOOOAAAARRR!!!"
The sound shook the kingdom itself.
People covered their ears.
Reo stood frozen.
Then—
The dragon began to glow.
Its wounds closed.
Its body expanded.
Its scales hardened, shining with a terrifying brilliance.
It had evolved.
The Absolutes Gather
Solfin narrowed his eyes.
Amber's expression hardened.
Then—
New presences arrived.
Dante Simondant.
Zein Zenith.
Tomoe Zenith.
William Chronostein.
Dante stepped forward.
"Gravity Domain."
A massive spherical field expanded outward.
The world bent.
Gravity shifted.
Debris lifted into the air, floating like lost fragments of reality.
The dragon slowed, its massive body struggling against the pressure.
Meanwhile—
Zein moved.
A flash of blue lightning.
"Lightning Pierce!"
She struck one of the dragon's eyes.
Tomoe followed instantly.
"Lightning Cut!"
The second eye was destroyed.
The dragon screamed in rage.
Blue and yellow streaks of lightning danced across the battlefield as the siblings attacked relentlessly.
William & Dante
Not far from the chaos, Dante stood calmly within his domain.
William appeared beside him.
"You're really not going to join?" William asked.
"They're doing fine," Dante replied.
"That's not what I asked."
Dante exhaled quietly. "If I step in, the fight ends too quickly."
William smirked. "And that's a problem?"
"They're enjoying themselves," Dante said, glancing at Zein and Tomoe.
William chuckled. "You're too considerate for someone controlling gravity."
"And you're too curious for someone who controls time," Dante replied.
For a moment, they simply watched.
Then— A distant explosion echoed.
William's eyes narrowed. "Michael's getting impatient."
"…Then we should finish this soon," Dante said.
A bullet—small, precise—shot from the palace.[3]
It struck.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion tore into the dragon's chest.
"I think we should end this," William called out.
Zein and Tomoe nodded.
At that moment—
A blazing arrow.
A powerful blast.
And massive thorned vines.
All struck at once.
The dragon was burned.
Pierced.
Crushed.
And finally— It fell.
Silence.
Then— The kingdom erupted in awe.
"So that's… the power of the Absolutes…" crowd chattering.
Reo stood still.
His heart racing.
His eyes shining.
A fire had been lit inside him.
Above the gate, a mysterious girl holding a bow watched the same scene.
At the same time— Both of them whispered:
"I will become one of the Absolute someday"
[1] Circle Kingdom are one of the kingdoms in the continent of
[2] Leaderboard are spread all over the kingdom.
[3] William Attack