Awakening

Awakeners have been sending continuous warnings for days, yet the Association remains stubbornly silent. Although the Awakeners, having confirmed an unprecedented crisis through a ‘Message,’ are moving with urgency, experts find it difficult to propose any viable countermeasures.

Inside the darkened house, only the blue light from the television flickered.

It was like lightning without thunder.

– “A ‘Transcendent Being’ will descend. Based on various circumstances, it is highly unlikely to be benevolent towards humanity. We must prepare for an unprecedented crisis.”

I lay sprawled on the sofa, utterly lethargic, bathed in the glow of that blue light.

On the screen, people called Awakeners spoke with conviction in their voices and eyes.

– “So how exactly are we supposed to prepare? I understand that all Awakeners, after seeing the ‘Message,’ are unanimously saying a formidable entity is coming. My point is, if no one knows when, where, or how it will arrive, then who can possibly prepare?”

In a world where monsters ran rampant and Awakeners became heroes, my family and friends, all without abilities, had perished.

Some died from a rock dislodged when a monster landed, striking them on the head. Others were swept away by the aftermath of an Awakener’s power unleashed during a battle.

Ah, and there were those who were captured by monsters and torn to shreds.

Yet, I had survived.

Despite possessing no abilities whatsoever.

– “We must evacuate ordinary citizens first. Whether to shelters or underground bunkers, everyone must stop what they’re doing immediately and evacuate!”

‘I envy them.’

I envied their ability to voice opinions and discuss countermeasures. Powerless individuals like me had no choice but to follow the plans they devised, and if we were unlucky, we simply died.

My loved ones had been unlucky, and I had been lucky.

‘…No, was this truly luck?’

– “That’s realistically impossible. Making hasty moves before we uncover more concrete information will only prove detrimental!”

A sudden chill made my body tremble.

Perhaps it was because the house no longer held any human warmth.

– “Even as we speak, precious time is slipping away! The Message directly warned the Awakeners! Isn’t the Association taking this matter far too lightly?”

The voice from the TV grew agitated. The moderator attempted to intervene, but it seemed the two speakers were no longer listening.

– “What nonsense! The Association, of all entities, is the most on edge about this matter! And you, Awakener, what do you accomplish by simply escalating anxiety without offering any concrete solutions?”

– “What did you just say?”

Disgusted by their bickering, I switched off the TV.

The blue light vanished, plunging the house into a profound silence.

Just as I contemplated turning the TV back on, unable to bear the horrifying quiet, a series of messages appeared before my eyes.

[You have awakened.]
[A Status Window will be generated.]
[Unique Trait: ‘Stronger with Each Touch’ has been granted.]
[Trait Skills will be generated.]

I had awakened.

****

It was widely known that awakening had no conditions or premonitory symptoms.

Even so, wasn’t this a bit too sudden? To awaken while lying on the sofa, watching TV?

“Status Window.”

[Name]
– Park Minhyuk

[Stats]
– Strength: E / 15
– Agility: E / 13
– Stamina: E / 13
– Mana: E / 08

[Unique Trait]
– Stronger with Each Touch

[Trait Skills]
– Ah, Just Let Me Touch It Once! – Lv 1
– Touch It All You Want! – Lv 1

…A Status Window had truly appeared before my eyes.

Curious, I reached out, but my hand passed right through the text.

“Wait… but why are these skill names like this?”

Stronger with Each Touch? Touch? What?

Holding that question, I brought my hand toward the trait window, and this time the Status Window reacted.

[Stronger with Each Touch]
– I Will Touch It!: Provides the optimal environment for touching, even in the most adverse conditions.
– This unique trait must be linked with trait skills.

‘……?’

Next, I reached my hand toward the skill window.

[Ah, Just Let Me Touch It Once!] – Lv 1
– Indicates the area to be touched.
– The indicated area must be touched by hand for a minimum of 5 seconds.
– If successful in touching for 5 seconds or more, the unique trait will randomly replicate the touched target’s abilities.
– Cooldown: 168 hours.

[Touch It All You Want!] – Lv 1
– The first target touched after skill activation will feel no aversion to the caster’s touch.
– When linked with the ‘Ah, Just Let Me Touch It Once!’ skill, the target will feel ‘slightly pleasant.’

I expressed my emotions as politely as possible.

“f*ck.”

‘This… this is my Status Window?’

The exact moment and conditions for awakening remained unknown. It was now generally accepted that awakening simply occurred at random.

However, the unique traits and skills received at the moment of awakening were said to be related to the Awakener’s life.

For instance, if a dojo master who had trained in Taekwondo their entire life awakened, they would gain traits and skills related to it.

But I had acquired such traits and skills.

‘It’s not as if I have no idea why, but….’

Even so, how was I supposed to use such skills in front of others?

Lost in thought, I hugged my arms.

“Why is it so cold?”

…It was cold. It wasn’t the kind of weather that should be this cold, yet it was.

Each breath I exhaled produced a white mist.

“What’s going on?”

It was early autumn at best, but the cold I felt was that of deep winter, or even beyond. Had some abnormal climate phenomenon occurred?

Stepping down from the sofa onto the floor, a chilling cold crept up through the soles of my feet. I walked straight to the window and dramatically pulled back the blackout curtains.

“…What in the world is this?”

The landscape outside the window was a frozen village.

[Trait ‘Stronger with Each Touch’ is activated.]

****

My hometown was a rural area with few people.

A quiet village, traversed by a small river. That village was now entirely frozen white.

“What is this?!”

I rushed out of the house, only to be utterly captivated and frozen by the unbelievable sight. The cold was intense enough to freeze the entire village.

My first thought was for the villagers. It was a village where all the young people had left, leaving only the elderly. This sudden, severe cold could not possibly be harmless to them.

‘Wait, why am I fine?’

Certainly, the exposed skin on my body stung from the cold, but that was all. To feel only this much cold in a frigid environment that instantly froze an entire village meant….

“Is it because of the trait’s effect?”

The effect attached to my Unique Trait, ‘I Will Touch It!’ It claimed to provide the optimal environment for touching, even in the most adverse conditions.

I had thought the description was ridiculous, but seeing that I was perfectly fine in this cold, the effect seemed quite real. Regardless, it was clear that the villagers could not endure this cold.

‘I have to do something.’

There was no way an Awakener would be in a rural village like this. Just as I was about to move, a message appeared.

[Transcendent Being descends.]
[Location: Approximately 10m north of the Awakener.]

Suddenly, the air ahead shattered.

“Hmm… It truly is a wretched place.”

A final boss had abruptly appeared.

****

Inside the headquarters of the guild ranked 3rd in Korea.

“Team Leader! Did you see it?!”

People who had been bustling about frantically suddenly froze. They stared into the air before turning to one person, their faces tense.

This was Han Areum, the individual who had rapidly climbed the ranks, gaining recognition for her abilities and securing the position of Team Leader for Hwaryeon Attack Team 3.

Han Areum, who had stopped to gaze into the air, slowly nodded.

“…331 km to the south.”

Everyone present must have seen the same message. It was the message that had plunged the entire world into anxiety for nearly a month.

[An incomprehensible Transcendent Being is preparing to descend.]
[Be cautious.]

This was only the second time the Message had issued such a direct warning. The first was during the Great Cataclysm, the very day monsters first appeared in the world and Awakeners emerged.

The casualties were impossible to accurately tally, and the world had been plunged into uncontrollable chaos.

And following that hell, the second warning message had appeared.

The entire world was gripped by extreme fear, yet there were no suitable countermeasures. No one knew where or when it would appear in this vast world.

But today, it had finally appeared.

331 km to the south.

“It’s certainly far… but too close,” Han Areum murmured.

331 km. It was definitely far from Seoul, but on a global scale, it was by no means a great distance.

Rather, it was far too close. Of all places on the vast Earth, it had descended upon Korea.

“First, we must do our part. The Guild Master will convene a meeting, so prepare yourselves. If it’s in the south, it’s another major guild’s territory, so for now… it should be fine.”

‘Probably.’

Han Areum stifled the words threatening to escape and hurried away.

‘331 km to the south… No, it can’t be. Surely not.’

She forcibly suppressed the unsettling thoughts that tried to surface.

And at that moment.

“Ah! Just let me touch it once!”

I was shouting such words in front of the Witch of Bitter Cold.