The World, the Humans, and the Ability

After great effort, humans finally built magnificent technology that allowed them to traverse the vast expanse outside of Earth. They occupied the solar system and traveled throughout the dark and silent space. The era of interstellar travel reached its peak when humans occupied the beautiful and majestic Milky Way Galaxy.

Everything proceeded smoothly, and the entire human race continued to soar to heights they had never imagined before. Various technologies were built to support the human race. But everything changed when they met another civilization from a nearby galaxy. What happened next was a great war... The human race fought against alien species, and at the same time, they discovered the terror of the dark space.

They met various races from across the universe and slowly built up relationships with amicable ones, while wars occurred among the violent ones. The human race alone would never have survived the war if they had not sought help from other peaceful races.

Apart from technology, the human race discovered that other races had incredibly powerful bodies. They learned from their allied races about the mysterious energy called ether. It was invisible and universally present in the vast cosmos, and ordinary technology could not detect it.

After countless trials and errors, humans finally learned about ether and its purpose. Manipulating the ether, empowering oneself, and the evolution of life became the most important project of the Human Government. Researchers built technologies to use ether, and superhumans finally appeared in human civilization.

A young man with short dark hair and sharp features closed the book in his hands.

'Four thousand one hundred twenty-seven Earth years have passed since then... I didn't think that I would travel into the future,' he muttered to himself.

His name was Azrid Brimfield. The Brimfield family was a small noble family in a star system called Darten. He had a little brother, two elder sisters, and loving parents.

Azrid couldn't help but sigh after remembering how he died in the past. It was his graduation day when an earthquake occurred. He was on his way when a nearby building collapsed, crushing him into a pulp.

"And now I'm back in school..." Azrid surveyed his surroundings. It was a huge hall filled with various books. This was the library of the school he was attending.

Nevertheless, this interstellar era was pretty interesting. There were countless things that he hadn't seen before. The thing that interested him the most was the existence of martial artists with superhuman strength along with those robots that he could only saw in movies.

However, this body of his had not yet practiced any techniques. The original Azrid was waiting for his fifteenth birthday to see if he would awaken any talent. Any person who reached their fifteenth birthday could undergo an awakening ceremony to stimulate the body's potential. Many martial artists awakened their abilities to control fire and create supernatural phenomena in this way. However, not everyone could awaken an ability, and those who were not lucky could only start their training from the lowest level without any boost from abilities.

As for why the awakening ceremony was only for people above fifteen years old, this was because a human's body and soul were not mature enough to handle the stimulation of the ceremony.

'My fifteenth birthday is three days from now,' Azrid thought to himself as he pursed his lips. He stood up calmly and placed the history book he had borrowed back on the shelf. Then, he left the library without looking back.

Even in the interstellar era, many people still preserved books and libraries, even though most could just search for the information they wanted online. Placing his hand in his pocket, Azrid took out his mobile phone and found that the history on the internet was the same as what he had read in the library. Sometimes, the information on the internet was not the same as what was written in books.

He just wanted to make sure that everything was really available online.

"Ether... A powerful energy that can enhance a person's body," Azrid muttered to himself.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited. Who would have thought that becoming a superhuman, like those he had only seen in movies, was achievable in this world? This was beyond his expectations. He even felt like everything was just a dream.

"What kind of talent will I awaken?" Azrid wondered. However, it was bad if he expected too much from the awakening ritual. Not everyone could awaken a talent during their first attempt.

"Azrid, are you going to start your awakening soon?" a voice sounded behind Azrid.

Azrid turned around and saw a tall youth with a smile on his face. The youth had blonde hair and smooth white skin. His body was well-built, something that no ordinary fifteen-year-old boy could attain. This guy was Naoya Greenblied, a person from the same class, and also a small noble on this planet.

"Where's Sisi?" Azrid asked, looking around.

Naoya, a tall blonde youth with well-built muscles, smiled and answered, "She's already left. Are you excited for your awakening ceremony?"

Azrid nodded and replied, "Yes, I hope I'll awaken an ability. What type of talent did you get?"

Naoya explained that he had awakened the bloodline ability called Steel Skin, which allowed him to turn his skin into metal once activated. Although it was one of the most ordinary abilities out there, it was still better than having no ability at all.

Azrid had been living in this body for almost a month, so he was already familiar with the people around him. He wasn't acting awkwardly like he did when he first transmigrated into this body.

"I think I'll go home too," Azrid said.

"Ehe, don't forget to contact me if you awaken an ability. If your ability is better than mine then I'll treat you if not, you're going to treat me." Naoya smiled wickedly.

"Sure." Azrid waved his head with a smile on his face. The two of them also bet when Naoya was about to take his awakening ceremony. Of course, Naoya won the bet since he awakened Steel Skin ability.

"Do you have a bet with Sisi?" Naoya asked.

"Yep, she said that if I awaken a good ability then she'll give me a box of Super Nutrients," Azrid said.

"A box of Super Nutrients?! Don't tell me..." Naoya opened his eyes widely in shock.

"Yep, the one she got from winning the tournament for engineers." Azrid nodded before he added, "I tried to stop her since it's her reward but she insist on betting on those expensive things with me."

"Then, if you lose the bet..."

"Ugh, I don't want to think about it... I will worry once I lose the bet." Azrid scratched his head.

Soon, they went their separate ways and headed back to their respective homes.

Azrid arrived at his house and quickly turned on the television. He saw a news anchor reporting about an incident on the other side of the galaxy.

"Our brave warriors fought against the Tetra Race and successfully drove them away from our territory," the reporter said.

"Oh, those humanoid beings with four arms," Azrid muttered as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed some snacks and drinks. He watched various news programs while eating and drinking.

The vast expanse of space was not safe. If humans encountered hostile creatures, there was only one outcome: a battle to the death.

Afterwards, he went to the virtual community. In the virtual world, people could do many things. They could play games and even fight vicious creatures from other galaxies. It was also a way for young people to familiarize themselves with other races.

Azrid trained his fighting skills in the virtual world. In addition to fighting, he also simulated various spacecraft so that he would not be ignorant if he encountered something like it in the future.

"The virtual world is really amazing! I couldn't imagine something like this in the past!"

Azrid was full of smiles. There were many things he could do in this world that he could not in his past life. Although it was convenient to live in the interstellar era, some things made it worse. Wars became frequent and slavery became common.

'Forget about those depressing things... The most important thing is the awakening ritual,' Azrid thought as he clenched his fists in excitement. This ritual would determine his course of action in the future. He hoped to awaken a super ability that would help him traverse the vast expanse of space and discover the truth about his transmigration to this timeline.

Three days later...

Azrid was in the basement with two people: his parents.

His father, Jaden Brimfield, was a Planet Baron in this star system. He was tall with a huge build, short brown hair, sharp eyes, and a thick mustache and beard.

His mother, Milane Brimfield, had taken his father's surname after they married. She was a beautiful woman who looked like she was in her late twenties, but in fact, she was already forty-nine years old this year. The technology here could extend a human's lifespan up to two hundred years. Milane had pitch-black long hair, eyes, and silky white skin. Women always liked to take care of their appearances, no matter the era.

"This is little Azrid's awakening! I hope you can get a skill!" Milane said excitedly as she held both of her hands close to her chest.

Azrid smiled wryly, feeling that his mother was more excited than he was.

"If you don't gain a skill, you can stay here and manage our land," Jaden said to him.

"I know, father." Azrid nodded. There was a small pool in front of him, emitting a bluish light, and he could feel some sort of energy coming from it.

Milane and Jaden froze. They looked at him strangely.

"Well, in this era, you are considered an adult once you take your awakening ritual," Jaden said.

"Wah! Our little Azrid is all grown up now! He doesn't want to call me Mom! Don't agree with him, dear! You'll sleep on the couch if little Azrid left us!" Milane faked sobbing.

"Huh?!" Jaden opened his eyes, staring at his wife.

Azrid looked at them awkwardly. His tongue slipped and forgot that the previous owner of this body used to call them Mom and Dad.

"Anyway, drink this first." Jaden gave him a small bottle of green liquid. This liquid was going to assist him in his awakening. It was a nutrient made by humans so that they could endure the ritual.

Azrid took the small bottle and drank the liquid in one go. As soon as the liquid fell into his throat, it evaporated and fused into his body. He felt his body burning, and a stinging sensation assaulted him.

Ugh!

Azrid gritted his teeth as he slowly submerged his body in the pool. The sensation changed as he felt a sudden coldness.

Jaden and Milane observed their son worriedly. They watched him carefully, and if something went wrong in this ritual, they would be able to help him faster.

It was like torture for Azrid. He experienced all sorts of pain in five hours. He wondered if the awakening ritual was this painful. He never read that it was this painful before.

Huff... Huff...

Azrid was breathing heavily. He forced himself out of the pool before he lay on the ground. He could barely move his body right now.

"Damnit..."

He collapsed and lost consciousness. The last thing he heard was his parents calling his name.

Jaden and Milane hurriedly went to help him.

"Azrid, are you okay?" Milane asked as her face was slowly turning pale. She didn't know what to do if something bad happened to her son.

"He should be fine. Let's take him to his room, first." Jaden said to his wife.

Both of them carried Azrid to his room. They changed his clothes and wiped the sweat off his body.

The next day, Azrid slowly opened his eyes and saw a familiar ceiling. He looked around and found that he was back in his room.

He pushed himself into a seated position and wondered what sort of skill or ability he had gained.

"The awakening ritual is worse than I imagined... It's too much for me."

He smiled to himself as he held his head. He guessed that he was the first one to experience an awakening like this. Even both of his elder sisters didn't collapse like him.

"But what sort of skill have I gained...? Or maybe, I didn't gain anything."

Azrid muttered. He clenched both of his fists and threw a punch in the air. A sharp sound erupted when he punched the air.

"So this is Tier 1..."

He was a legitimate Tier 1 fighter now. He had completed his awakening, so he had grown stronger, far stronger than he was before. He could also feel the energy flowing inside his body.

Although he was a Tier 1, he was at the bottom of the Tier 1 fighters. At the very least, he was in the realm of superhuman.

"Oh, I know..."

Azrid stood up and went to test his strength. At fifteen years old, he could already lift fifty kilograms of weight in one hand easily, and he was even faster than before. If it was in the past, Azrid knew that he could easily defeat those athletes in the Olympics with the strength and speed of Tier 1.

"But what about my skill... They said that I would know it once I concentrated and felt the energy around me."

Azrid closed his eyes and tried to follow the instructions he had read before. He felt the energy flowing in his body, and knowledge about his ability suddenly came into his mind. It was a pleasant feeling.

When he opened his eyes, he had learned the basics of his awakened ability. Azrid had awakened not just one ability, but two. This wasn't unprecedented, as there were people who had awakened two or even three abilities, but it was very rare. Only one in a million people would awaken two abilities, and one in ten million would awaken three. There were only seven cases of awakening four abilities, and those people were called sages. They were the ones who protected the human race from other violent races in other galaxies.

But Azrid's two abilities were different...

Azrid's eyes were wide open as he stared at the thing that appeared in his vision. It was an interface of his profile, with the format and details similar to those in video games. He felt like he was dreaming, as there was only a few cases of an ability like this in the archive of humanity.

[Ouroboros]

[Great Devil Bodies]

These were his abilities, but they appeared in the form of something like a game. He could view his own stats with this and realized that he didn't need to get those Status Update Crystals to know his current stats.

He viewed his own stats.

Name: Azrid Brimfield

Status: Tier 1

Strength: I-

Agility: I

Defense: I

Ether: I-

Ability: [Ouroboros] and [Great Devil Bodies]

These two abilities would be the foundation for his future growth. His stats were all "I," as it was the lowest rank of Tier 1. He needed to train if he wanted to improve his stats and achieve the eligible rank to promote his Tier Level.

As for his two abilities, he didn't know anything except for the basic knowledge that appeared in his mind. The basic knowledge was simply a training set to promote his stats. But the thing that made him excited was the potential of these two abilities. Although they didn't give him instant power, he knew that they were strong abilities from the knowledge that appeared in his head.

Ring!

Azrid snapped out of his thoughts when his phone rang. He picked up his phone and saw that Naoya was calling him. He smiled before he answered the call.

A hologram appeared on top of his phone, transforming into Naoya's face instantly.

"Hello, Naoya," Azrid said.

"Rid! Did you finish your awakening? Did you get an ability? What's your ability?" Naoya asked excitedly.

Azrid laughed as he could feel Naoya's excitement to know what sort of ability he had awakened.

"It's nothing too special. It's called Devil Body. It just boosts my body strength to a certain degree. I think it's enough for me," Azrid answered calmly.

"Devil Body...? Is it a transformation ability?" Naoya asked with a confused look.

Azrid was about to answer when his phone vibrated again. He looked over and found that his other friend wanted to join the video call. He didn't hesitate to accept the call.

A girl wearing glasses with her bangs covering her forehead and brows appeared. She had long brown braided hair and a pair of eyes of the same color. She was Sisi, Naoya and Azrid's friend.

"Hello, Naoya, Azrid." Sisi greeted the two. She then focused her attention on Azrid and asked, "Rid, what ability did you awaken? Is it good?"

"Yeah, it's called Devil Body. Training this ability will let me gain the strength of devils. It even directly boosted my Agility and Defense to Rank I." Azrid explained.

"Hey, it's slightly different from what you told me before," Naoya complained.

"Ehehe~" Sisi giggled.

"Well, we had a bet so..." Azrid smiled as he glanced at Sisi.

"Fine, you win. I will send you the Super Nutrients tomorrow." Sisi said.

"Nice." Azrid clenched his fist.

Super Nutrient was expensive. A single small bottle of it cost ten million credits or one hundred Ether Stones. It was beneficial for people, and it was helpful for those that wanted to train their bodies. They would be able to speed up their training speed with this.

He talked with Sisi and Naoya for a while before ending the call. Azrid immediately went on the internet and searched for other abilities. He discovered that there were people who could view their own status without using the Status Update Crystal, so he wasn't the first one to do it. The only difference was his abilities, [Ouroboros] and [Great Devil Bodies]. He had different abilities compared to them. However, he did find abilities such as [Devil Hand] or [Devil Wings], but nothing had the name of [Great Devil Bodies].

Later, Azrid was called by his mother for dinner.

Four people sat around a huge table: Jaden, Milane, Azrid, and Razmi. Razmi was Azrid's little brother and was still an elementary student at the most prestigious school on the planet.

As for his two sisters, they were not there. They were studying at a university in another star system.