Chapter 2: The Selection

TIME: A MILLENNIUM BEFORE THE CURRENT TIMELINE.

Out of the blue....

[ Ding!!! The host has been marked by the mana signature. The host can now access and view their status screen]

''.....What is this....?'' A middle aged man muttered as he read the mysterious blue message displayed in front of him.

[ Derek Grant]

Level: 0

Race: Human

Title:

Class:

Strength: 8

Agility: 6

Health: 10

Stamina: 9

Mana: 60

------------------------

He double-checked to confirm the existence of the so-called status window. Due to his confusion, he decided to find out whether he was the only person witnessing this strange phenomenon.

The formally dressed man in his executive swivel looked around, only to identify another female colleague with a confused look on her face.

She seemed to stare into space and was having a hard time believing what she was seeing at that moment.

After a 360-degree scan around to identify others who were in a similar, only the female had a confused look which led to the conclusion that; either all his other colleagues were good actors or they were the only two individuals in the office that could see the strange window that seemed to display their body attributes.

In different parts of the world, a similar event was taking place. This occurrence, even though happening to a minority of the world's population invoked a state of mayhem and chaos in all parts of the world.

Sandstorms, heavy rainfall, volcanic eruptions, shift in gravitational forces and extreme tidal waves had become a normal occurrence just after the appearance of this ''mana signature''.

The most prominent and lasting effect of this phenomenon was the rise in the number of corpses accounted for around the world. Car crashes, collapsed buildings, and flooded vicinities were the many causes of the spiked death toll.

Right after these natural disasters, a burst of mysterious energy spread throughout the entire earth. This served as the final act which signaled the conclusion of a phenomenon that will go on to disrupt the world order.

This burst of energy was termed mana. Mana served as the energy source that activated the use of the mana signature. The widespread mana due to its eruption caused a rapid evolution of the inhabitants of Earth including all plants and animals.

Forests grew in disproportionate sizes, beasts gained evolutionary traits and humans finally stepped on the path of evolution. This phenomenon- where individuals awakened mana signatures- was dubbed ''The Selection''

But just like the world before this event, there were chosen individuals and individuals that were neglected. Fate seemed to hold its power even in the face of this strange yet magical phenomenon.

All inhabitants could sense this mysterious energy but only a selected few could use this energy. Inhabitants of Earth that awakened a mana signature were dubbed ''The Chosen'' and those unlucky were dubbed ''The Unfated''.

Even those on the seemingly chosen side of fate were further segregated based on the grade of their mana signature. All these factors created a society where discrimination and segregation was a major facet of human relations.

The strong looked down on the weak and the weak looked down on those weaker than them.

After the chaos and mayhem, well-institutionalized governments and individuals capitalized on the situation to cement their status and wealth in the new superpowered and magical society.

After order had been relatively restored, six major factions had risen to a level of hegemony where their words were absolute, and those that defied...

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧

''Huuu.....these recurring dreams are getting frustrating. I have to get to the arena and earn some money'' Dante heaved a tired sigh as he prepared to dress up.

He took his bath and styled his silver hair into his signature spiky form with two strands falling on both sides of his face. He selected the least faded and torn outfit from his limited ensemble of clothes just before he strapped his katana to his hip.

Without the ability to use mana, Dante had to go through all these mundane processes to appear presentable. With his limited options as an ''Unfated'', he could not join any mage organization. All he could do was participate in live arena matches to earn a living.

The money made from that could barely cover his basic expenses since his strength could only handle newly awakened mages. This explained his choice of a makeshift house made of wood, metal, and other materials.

Once prepared to face the day, Dante stepped out of the confines of his ''paradise''.

Once he stepped out and inhaled, he felt the aftertaste of the thick air, laid heavy with the scent of blood and dust behind the back of his throat.

His vision was filled with layouts with poor infrastructure and decimated houses that were abandoned with even mutant plants growing in them. Most areas that were once schools, hospitals, and even commercial areas had been closed down and neglected.

Sirens wailing in the distance- as a consequence of maybe a nearby car chase- and mutant pet dogs lay panting in the shade with no signs of their owners.

This was the usual sight of the sector in a much larger city -with much more aggravated conditions- in which Dante lived.

Dante continually traversed on his familiar path as he gradually got closer to his destination. With little to no human interaction, Dante was able to arrive at the arena without the usual thievery and menacing threats from thugs and killers.

''Haaa....when will I get to leave that shithole.'' Dante cursed about his living conditions just as he arrived at the entrance of the arena.

''Hey kid, How are you doing? Will you join the usual group?'' The arena manager asked Dante as he recognized him.

''Yes. Mr. Jason. I will sign up for Group C'' Dante replied indifferently just before he finished the required procedures and entered the arena.

''Haaa.....the usual cold attitude and here I was, hoping he will open up more. It has already been a few years and no sign of a relationship has been formed between us.'' Jason thought as he stared a little longer at Dante's back.

Jason always hoped he could get the poor kid to open up since he understood his situation. He was also an orphan and with the cards, he was dealt he climbed his way to becoming a manager. But most of it was possible due to the intervention by the people he built relationships with.

And he wanted to open Dante's eyes to such a world. A world- even though messed up- had people who could have his back even if they were rarely found.

''Next.....'' Jason called the next participant after that brief and abrupt thought.

''What is it with that guy? Why does he always try to strike up a conversation with me? It is so exhausting'' Dante heaved a tired sigh as he arrived at his usual waiting spot.

After a life of isolation, living in constant fear and danger of the unknown, and continuously being in survival mode, Dante developed a narrow view of the essence of building relationships of trust and friendship.

And with that view, a cold and aloof personality was the only way he could express himself.

''Huuuuu...I wonder when I will be able to awaken my mana signature. My Unique Meta Traits can only get me so far with my current mastery'' Dante thought as he stared at the ongoing match on the stage of the arena.

He was always amazed by the beauty and power of destruction, mana held. He always wished he could infuse mana to elevate his swordsmanship.

Even though at this stage of his life, the probability of Awakening was abysmal, with his firm will and belief in himself, Dante still held out hope.

Another reason he held out hope was because of the absence of people who singled him out and continuously pointed out his inadequacies.

Sure, once he came to the arena, he was surrounded by people with terrifying moves and powers that could crush him. He could barely react to the movement patterns of these people but that did not discourage him.

An example was the very fight that was going on the stage at the very moment.

In the large arena, sounds of cheers could be heard coming from the audience. Some were cheering whiles others were chanting the name of a person who had just arrived on the battlefield that was displayed on the massive screens.

These massive screens projected a battlefield that was riddled with destruction at different spots with thick humid air with traces of dust and blood laying heavy in the surrounding.

A group of ten backed away in fear as a fifteen-year-old teen approached them with quick and nimble steps.

He was about five feet four inches tall with black bob-cut hair that reached up to his chin with golden under-lights. He had a slim build with lean muscles.

''Haaa...How can you be this weak?'' The boy sighed as he suddenly increased his pace while he coated both of his daggers with lightning.

Crackle~ Shuii

''Haaa....too easy'' The boy sighed in disappointment as he sheathed his daggers.

Maxi! Maxi! Maxi! Maxi!

The chants of the teen's name resounded throughout the arena after winning his bout easily.

The audience continued cheering him on as he left the stage back into the waiting lobby.

Once he arrived in the lobby he scanned the area in search of someone. After finding the person, he walked towards him with a mischievous smile on his face.

''Oh. Who do we have here? '' The boy said as he arrived in front of Dante.

''Hey, Maximus'' Dante replied perfunctorily as if expecting this confrontation.

''Oh. The usual coldness from my best friend. I told you to call me ''Maxi'' like everyone else.'' Maximus replied as he faked an expression of dismay.

''Whatever. See you later. I am the next participant.'' Dante cut the conversation short as he replied indifferently before he left the lobby towards the stage.

''Well...we might never meet each other again'' Maximus muttered as he stared at the golden coiling dragon token in his hand.

'Huh?.... What did he mean by that?' Dante thought before he shrugged his shoulders and focused fully on his upcoming bout.

This was the announcement displayed on the screens to signal the arrival of the next contestant. With this, Dante arrived on the stage of the arena. Opposite him, stood a hulking man about two meters tall with black hair clutching a long spear in his right hand.

The large man looked around the stage, stretching and yawning from time to time. He seemed disappointed by the view in front of him.

''A little runt is the reason for all this commotion. Haha, to think I was paid big money just to take you out...What a lucky day for me.'' The man known as Gunnar shook his in disappointment as he stared at the lean brat in the rugged clothes that was supposed to be his opponent.

He was so much surprised that he forgot to keep his mouth shut about the hit the Arena Lord placed on the kid.

(A/N: An Arena Lord is the legal owner of an arena and has supreme power over all the major decisions including bookings, finances, and even contest matchups.)

''Well whether he knows it now or not, it does not matter. With the severe consequences of forfeiting a match, all he can do is wait for his death.'' Gunnar grinned maliciously intending to make quick work of Dante and cashing out after completing the task.

He finally trained his gaze on Dante with an expression of disdain mixed with hints of killing intent.

Dante for the first time since his arrival looked up and matched his gaze. He could feel the chill, disdain, and killing intent once he met his gaze.

With his level of intelligence, Dante was able to quickly deduce information about his current circumstances.

In business involving arenas, the satisfaction of the audience is always paramount. For an audience of unawakened and ungifted mages, sometimes bare brutality and violence were the necessary entertainment to distract them from their insecurities and their standing in the overall world hierarchy.

Sometimes, created fables of warriors of the arena are enough to replace the gratuitous violence. One of the most popular legends in this arena surrounded Dante. What is better than a fable about someone exactly like them who could break away from the shackles of status and talent?

Since his arrival, Dante had remained undefeated except for just a single match he lost against a rather monstrous opponent. Proof of the opponent's strength is the deep scar that ran across Dante's chest.

But, enough of that. Except for that single match, a legend about an ''Unfated'' kid taking on multiple enemies ranging from unawakened persons to mages-even if though they were only newly awakened was born.

This legend served as good business for the arena since viewership increased drastically but this came with one problem; it lessened the status of the previous ''top guy'' in the eyes of the audience since they could relate more with the street rat who became the dark horse through sheer will and what seemed to be an insane amount of luck.

And this situation created a polarity in the decision-making of the Arena Lord. But, he decided to sneakily get rid of the ''Unfated'' brat since in the long run, an unawakened could never compare to the worth of a full-fledged mage.

Therefore he decided to hire a mercenary just a level above a newly awakened to ensure the success of the job.

But going overboard might cause a massive impact on the viewership and hence the cautious effort in trying not to expose his intention since at the end of the day, this was equal to crushing the beliefs of his audience. And everyone knew what crushing a person's belief meant.....

But here they were with the hired fool not going according to plan and spilling out the information of their confidential conversation. Anyway, what he needed to do was what he was doing.

Which explained the hulking man in front of Dante brimming with killing intent with his spear stretched out and a billowing wind covering his entire body...

''So that is how it is huh?'' Dante murmured as he finally placed all the pieces together. A slight smile appeared on his face as he unsheathed his katana.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Inked_Dragon

Hey, guys. I am a new author trying out for the Webnovel Spirity Awards 2023. This novel is my contest entry. English is not my first language so pardon the mistakes. I hope to improve my writing and imaginative skills to provide you with a wonderful reading experience. Please support my novel and point out any errors. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

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