novelraw Chapter 1
Chapter 1
"You don't have much time. Enjoy what's left."
The doctor’s words echoed in Aiden’s ears as he stumbled down the street, the diagnosis crumpled in his fist. Just yesterday, he’d won ten million dollars. Today, a routine check-up had delivered a death sentence: terminal cancer.
He had a month, at best.
He had a fortune he couldn’t spend and a woman he loved but had never dared to touch. His life was on a countdown, with nothing but a void waiting at the end.
A sudden torrent of screams tore him from his thoughts. Aiden looked up. In the middle of the city's central plaza, a man was spraying the crowd with an assault rifle.
The attack was brutally efficient. People fell before they could react, and within seconds, the plaza was a slaughterhouse, a dozen bodies already still on the pavement.
A pair of twin girls, no older than six, had tripped in the chaos. They lay on the ground, wailing, their cries drawing the gunman’s attention.
As the rifle swung toward the children, Aiden didn't run. A final, defiant energy surged through him. He charged, tackling the gunman with everything he had.
Bullets tore through his body, his shirt blooming crimson.
CRACK!
A single, sharp report echoed from a nearby rooftop as a police sniper took the shot. The gunman’s head exploded.
Aiden gasped in relief. He managed a faint smile in the twins' direction before a wave of exhaustion washed over him. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
In a disorienting haze, Aiden watched his own body fade into nothing. His consciousness remained, a weightless entity floating above the frantic scene.
...
[Ding! Welcome to the Antechamber of Rebirth. You have four opportunities to draw a new vessel. Please choose.]
A mechanical voice resonated in his mind. A moment later, a dazzling wheel of fortune materialized before him.
Aiden stared, stunned. This isn't heaven. Where am I? And what is this wheel?
[Please draw your vessel immediately!]
A ten-minute countdown timer appeared above the wheel. It finally sank in. This was a second chance. Death hadn't been the end.
Hope surged through him. With a trembling hand, he spun the wheel, his mind a silent prayer.
Whirrrrr—
The wheel blurred, the pointer flickering past countless options before slowing to a stop.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the vessel: Minotaur Warrior]
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Unit: Minotaur Warrior
Grade: S
Description: Minotaurs are born warriors, ferocious and fearless. Their powerful physique and straightforward nature make them favored shock troops. Their only drawback is a hair-trigger temper that demands strict oversight.
Growth Ratings:
Strength:★★★★★Agility:★★Defense:★★★★★Mana:☆Potential:★★★☆Abilities:
Blood-frenzied Roar (S)Savage Charge (A)Sundering Blow (A)War Stomp (A)Totemic Power (B)Weaknesses:
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Dim-wittedProne to Rage------------------------------
"Incredible," Aiden breathed. As a gamer, he knew what a Minotaur Warrior could do. But he hesitated. Dim-witted and prone to rage. That's a crippling weakness. They're frontline tanks, designed to soak up damage. One bad fight and I'm dead all over again. I'd rather be a glass cannon, dishing out pain from the back line.
He still had three more chances. But what if they were worse?
As if sensing his hesitation, a new line of text appeared.
[Due to the nature of your death, Providence has granted you a boon. You have an increased chance of receiving a high-tier reward for all four draws. You may review all results and choose your preferred vessel at the end.]
Aiden’s eyes lit up. What is there to even think about?
"Again!"
A flash of light revealed the next vessel.
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Unit: Necromancer
Grade: SS
Description: A Necromancer is a force of nature, capable of raising armies of the dead vast enough to overwhelm continents. However, due to their unique physical reconstruction, all Necromancers are genderless.
Growth Ratings:
Strength:★★Agility:★★Defense:★★Mana:★★★★★★★★Potential:★★★★☆Abilities:
Rite of Oblivion (SS)Form of the Undead (S)Summon Skeletons (A)Curse of Frailty (A)Mana Shield (A)Weakness:
Vulnerable to Holy Magic------------------------------
"So cool!" Aiden gaped at the eight-star mana growth. The power was insane. But as his eyes fell on the final line, his excitement vanished.
Genderless? A life without sex? The thought was unbearable. He had to see the other options.
"Next."
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Unit: Dwarven Vanguard
Grade: SS
Description: Dwarves are masters of defense and possess a formidable natural resistance to magic. Their stout frames make them inherently slow.
Growth Ratings:
Strength:★★★★★☆Agility:★☆Defense:★★★★★★★Potential:★★★★★Abilities:
Forge Mastery (SS)Runic Resistance (SS)Avatar of the Mountain (S)Rune-Forging (S)Ale-Brewing (E)Weakness:
Sluggish------------------------------
Aiden frowned. Slow speed wasn't a deal-breaker; a good mount could fix that. But he couldn't imagine spending his new life as a stocky, bearded man.
Before he died, he’d been handsome, the kind of guy who turned heads. He’d even been scouted for movies in college.
The Dwarf was objectively better than the first two, but it still wasn't a perfect fit.
He braced himself. One last chance. If this one's a dud, I'll take the Dwarf.
Aiden initiated the fourth draw. Gods, whoever you are, please give me something amazing, he pleaded.
This time, the wheel pulsed with a new intensity, brighter and more dazzling than before. It spun for twice as long.
This has to be it. Something powerful is coming.
His fists clenched, his eyes locked on the pointer. Finally, the wheel slowed to a halt.
Aiden stared, dumbfounded.
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Unit: The Enigmatic Egg
Grade: SSS
Description: An egg of wondrous possibility. Upon hatching, its potential will be a minimum of ten stars, but this is not the limit. It has the capacity to transcend the scale and become something far greater.
Growth Ratings:
Strength:☆Agility:NoneDefense:☆Mana:☆Potential:★★★★★★★★★★Abilities:
Fiery Crown (SSSSS)Dragon's Heritage (SS)Accelerated Growth (SS)Hardened Shell (D)Nutrient Absorption (E)Weakness:
Immobile------------------------------
The four choices hovered before him. He was torn between the Dwarven Vanguard and the Enigmatic Egg. He reread the egg’s stats, his eyes lingering on its ten-star potential and the staggering final description. Gritting his teeth, he made his choice.
The egg was a gamble, currently weaker than a field mouse. But that potential… it dwarfed everything else. If he could just survive long enough to hatch, he was certain he could become a being of unimaginable power.
As he confirmed his selection, the voice returned.
[You have made a wise choice.]
[Dragon's Heritage is being transferred. Estimated time remaining: 30 minutes.]
The world began to spin violently. When his senses cleared, he was somewhere else entirely.
He was in a quiet cave, bathed in faint, filtered light—a safe, secluded sanctuary.
Yet his very consciousness was alien. He had no eyes, but he could sense the contours of the stone around him. His mind was flooding with information that wasn't his own—instinctive knowledge from his new ability: Dragon's Heritage.
He knew what he had to do. He needed to sleep, to absorb, to let the ancient power gestate. Only then could he break free from his shell and become a true dragon.
The inherited memories brought with them one last, chilling realization.
He was not the only egg in the cave.