Born in apocalypse

After the dialogue ends, A small creature appears in front of me. This creature's appearance is bizarre, unlike anything I have seen before.

It has a five-year-old boy's body, skin composed of stars, and a substance that resembles purple mist in place of flesh. The only features on the face are two purple eyes that illuminate in the dark.

[Hello!! I am Coby, nothing but a humble servant of the universe, but as a fellow cosmic entity, I am here to educate you on the fundamentals of this situation so that you can endure it and reach far greater heights.]

Said the creature without addressing the fact that we are amazed by his appearance and that this isn't his first time dealing with this type of situation.

[First of all, let me teach you how to use your cosmic mark. As you were engrossed in listening to the revelation, you missed that a mark of the cosmos is inscribed on your chest.]

I and every other prison inmate started removing the clothes from their chests in an attempt to see the cosmic mark.

And there I see a stunning abstract art piece featuring a jellyfish-like creature in shades of purple. The background is predominantly purple, with some lighter hues and stars scattered throughout the composition. In the center of the image, there is an illuminated circle that stands out against its dark surroundings. This light source casts a blue hue on one side of the jellyfish and creates an interesting contrast between light and dark elements. The jellyfish itself has intricate details such as small leaves or tentacles that give it texture and depth. Overall, this mark conveys a sense of mystery and beauty through its use of color, lighting, and shape to create an eye-catching visual experience.

[That's what we call the cosmic mark, And it has two purposes.]

He said this, pointing at the mark I was looking at.

[The first one is to connect you to the cosmos itself

you will learn more about this in the far future so let's move on to the second purpose.]

[For your survival in this post-apocalyptic world, the second purpose is as important as breathing, if not even more so.]

He pauses for a moment for us to digest this new information..

[As I've seen, you guys seem to be familiar with the concept of 'SYSTEM'. So this will be easy for me.]

'System', I think I have read something similar about this in web novels, in my high school. It was a pretty popular genre at that time, but I don't remember it very clearly.

[For you to activate your mark, you have to say the word 'STATUS' or if you don't like the acti... 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Status," I said without listening to the end part of the sentence.

\\ Name: Dhruv

Class: N/A

Title: N/A

Magic Affinity: NOT AWAKEN

Stats: Strength Lv. 11, Stamina Lv. 13, Agility Lv. 12, Magic Power Lv. 47

Abilities: Absorption Lv.??? < Unique ability given to chosen ones until the start of evolution >

Evaluation: One of the 'chosen ones'. Due to the long exposure to mana, your body has become a better and stronger version of your past self. //

While I was looking at my status and reading my information, a strong energy started flowing inside me, and I felt as though I were being electrocuted. My internal organs started to hurt like....

"Ahhhh!!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Everybody started looking at Dhruv due to his voice being a disturbance in their conversation, but the expression everybody was giving was different. Some people are gazing at him with angry expressions; some are questioning his behavior; and some are delighted for him to be miserable. However, if anyone in this room could read Coby's expression, they would see the unending fascination on his face, as if a very unusual episode were about to occur.

After some time, when that excruciating pain disappeared from my body, I felt rejuvenated, better, and stronger.

And this new strength is no joke; now I feel as if I can take down five Dekion, no, six, maybe even more, without any difficulty, and one particular thing I notice is that new and powerful energy seems to flow in my body.

Maybe this is the 'Mana' thing I heard in the previous announcement.

[ I hope you all have seen your status.]

[Let me tell you some basic things about your status window. First, If you look at your status, there is a thing called stats.]

I hastily opened my status, and there sure is a section for Stats in my window.

[Stats: Strength Lv. 11, Stamina Lv. 13, Agility Lv. 12, Magic Power Lv. 47]

'Hmm! I have a higher magic power than the other stats; why is that? Is this typical, maybe, and what are typical human stats for a point of comparison?' I think rather fast.

Uhmm! Something is weird, why I can think so fast compared to my slow processing brain. Is this the effect of Magic power or the system? Maybe both, maybe none. Let's first hear what Coby has to say.' I once again think at the speed of an F1 racing car.

[Your stats are divided into four categories: Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Magic power.]

[ Strength represents your physical power and ability to exert force. It determines how effectively you can engage in melee combat, wield heavy weapons, and perform feats of raw physical might. So in simple words, strength means your physical body's raw power. On the Other hand,

Stamina reflects your endurance and overall physical resilience. It represents your ability to sustain physical exertion, endure prolonged battles, and resist fatigue. It also influences your ability to withstand and recover from physical injuries or detrimental effects. While...

Agility measures your physical speed, dexterity, and nimbleness. It affects your reflexes, balance, and overall finesse in combat. High agility enables you to move swiftly, dodge attacks, perform acrobatic maneuvers, and strike with precision. Last but not least, we have magic power...

Magic power refers to your aptitude and proficiency in manipulating 'MANA'. It determines your ability to cast spells, channel magical abilities, and harness supernatural forces. A being with high magic power possesses greater spellcasting potential, allowing them to cast more potent and complex spells. Magic power is the most important stat if you choose to become a mage or similar class.]

[Do you understand that?] Asked Coby.

'I think I get the gist of it, but I want a reference number to compare with my stat. Should I ask or let them ask the questions? Let's wait; if they don't ask, then I will do it myself.' I thought.

A few moments later, one of Dekion's goons started asking questions.

"Sir Coby, can you provide us with a reference number to compare our stat against?" He asked the question nervously, as if he were afraid that if he said something wrong, then that would be the end of him.

[Why not? So for your species, the average stats for a normal adult would be Lv. 1.]

'Huhh! WHAT?'

'Normal stat should be Lv. 1 but my average is right around Lv. 10, with the highest being Lv. 47 in magical power.'

As I was trying to process why my stat is so high compared to a normal human, Coby spoke again.

[With this, your basic knowledge learning session comes to an end.] After saying These final words, Coby snaps his fingers and disappears into nothingness, leaving a silent and menacing prison hall for us.

But this silence didn't last long because a moment later I got a notification from the system saying...

[The main quest has started.]