Vince stood on the military base's transport platform, the hum of the hovercraft vibrating through his boots. The officer's orders echoed in his mind: report immediately. The parade ground's chaos—his defiance, the Godsealed System's awakening, the instructor's defeat—felt like a dream, but the faint glow under his skin was real. The interface flickered in his vision: *Reality Manipulation: Level 1. Energy: 5/100.* He clenched his fists, Zaroth's voice lingering: *"Time to defy the gods themselves."* His hatred for the Pantheon burned hotter than ever. If they existed, they'd failed his parents, failed Earth. Now, with this power, he'd make them answer.
The hovercraft lifted, slicing through the dawn sky. Below, the ghetto's ramshackle roofs faded, replaced by scarred plains dotted with beast carcasses. Vince gripped the railing, wind whipping his hair. The other recruits, a dozen teens with nervous eyes, whispered about his parade stunt. "He bent fire," one muttered. "Gods' gift, maybe?" Vince snorted. Gods' gift? He doubted their existence, and if real, they were liars, hiding behind Zaroth's "villainy" while portals bled monsters.
The base loomed, a fortress of steel and obsidian, its walls etched with runes glowing faintly against beast attacks. The hovercraft landed, and a drill sergeant, face like weathered stone, barked, "Move, maggots!" Vince followed the recruits into a cavernous hall, holo-screens projecting battle stats and beast anatomies. His interface pulsed, reacting to the runes. *Energy: 6/100.* Was the system feeding off the base's energy? Zaroth's voice stayed silent, leaving him to wonder.
"Line up!" the sergeant roared. Vince stood at attention, tie still rumpled from the parade. The sergeant paced, eyeing him. "You're the troublemaker. Showed up Instructor Pyre, huh? Let's see if you're more than a loudmouth." Vince's jaw tightened. Pyre's fire dragon had been nothing against his reality manipulation, but he barely understood it. The interface was cryptic—numbers, no manual. He needed to test it, but not under this scrutiny.
The sergeant led them to a training arena, a vast dome simulating beast-infested wastelands. "Today's test: survive," he said, smirking. "Pair up, face a Class-3 beast. No abilities unless awakened." Vince's stomach dropped. His power was new, unstable, and the others had trained abilities—fire, ice, speed. He was paired with Lila, a wiry girl with teleportation, her eyes wary. "Don't screw this up," she hissed.
The dome's floor shifted, projecting a rocky canyon. A portal tore open, red light spilling. A Class-3 beast emerged: a lupine creature, scales glinting, claws like scythes. Its silver eyes locked onto Vince, like the forest's pursuers. Lila vanished, reappearing behind it, but her kicks bounced off. "It's too tough!" she yelled. Vince's pulse raced. The system hummed: *Energy: 8/100.* He couldn't rely on Lila—he had to act.
"Stay back!" he shouted, stepping forward. The beast lunged, claws slashing. Vince's instincts kicked in, the interface flaring: *Activate Reality Manipulation?* He focused, and the air shimmered, reality bending. The beast's claws veered, striking empty space. Lila gaped. "How—?" Vince didn't answer, dodging another swipe. The system drained: *Energy: 4/100.* He couldn't keep this up.
Zaroth's voice cut through: *"Stop playing defense, kid. Warp its reality."* Vince gritted his teeth, hating the gods but trusting the voice. He thrust his hands out, envisioning the beast's scales softening. Reality rippled, and the beast howled, its armor cracking. Lila teleported, landing a kick that drew blood. "Keep going!" she urged. Vince pushed, energy dropping to *1/100*, but the beast staggered, vulnerable.
The sergeant's voice boomed: "Enough!" The portal closed, the beast vanishing. Lila panted, staring at Vince. "That wasn't normal." The sergeant approached, eyes narrowing. "Unawakened, my ass. What are you?" Vince stayed silent, system dark, energy depleted. His hatred flared—gods, if real, would've stopped this beast, not left kids to fight. He doubted their power, their existence, but Zaroth's system was real, and he'd use it to expose them.
The sergeant grunted, "Report to Command. They'll want you." Vince's heart sank. Command meant scrutiny, maybe dissection if they sensed his power's source. The recruits whispered, Lila's gaze lingering. As they marched out, a tremor shook the dome. Alarms blared. "Portal breach!" a voice screamed. Red light erupted, and a massive beast—Class-5, serpentine, with molten eyes—burst through. Its roar rattled Vince's bones.
Panic erupted. Recruits scattered, abilities flaring—fireballs, ice shards, futile against the beast. Vince froze, system offline: *Energy: 0/100.* Zaroth's voice growled: *"You're not done, kid. Find the spark."* Vince's hand tingled, orb fragments glowing under his skin. His parents' deaths flashed—gods' failure, lies. "Screw the gods," he muttered, stepping toward the beast. A faint pulse surged, reality bending without the interface. The beast's tail lashed, but space warped, missing him.
"Vince, run!" Lila shouted, teleporting away. He didn't. Doubt gnawed—were gods real, watching? No, they'd abandoned Earth. This power was his, Zaroth's, not theirs. He roared, reality cracking, and the beast's scales shattered. Command officers rushed in, weapons drawn, but Vince stood, glowing, the beast retreating. The lead officer's eyes widened. "Take him to isolation," she ordered. "That's no human power."
Vince's vision swam, energy spent. The system flickered: *Energy: 1/100.* Zaroth laughed: *"Good start, kid. They'll come for you now."* Who? The gods? Vince's hatred burned—he'd defy them all, tear their lies apart, and find the truth about Zaroth, his parents, and the system in his veins. The base's walls closed in, a new battle looming.