by Luke Burgess·Translated by Novel AI Studio
In the ash-choked ruins of Terra, humanity huddles in walled enclaves, terrified of the nocturnal predators that hunt them. Atlas is a beacon of hope in this dark post-apocalyptic wasteland, masking his deepest terror behind a contagiously cheerful smile. Blessed - or cursed - with the unique ability to copy any skill he witnesses, Atlas should be the ultimate survivor. However, his power is a double-edged sword: to copy a skill, he must intimately witness the exact moment of a target's absolute despair. When a catastrophic vampire raid decimates his home enclave, Atlas is forced into the brutal, blood-slicked wilderness. Armed with his stolen talents and a desperate grin, he must climb the levels of a ruthless global system to avenge his fallen kin. To survive the apex predators ruling the ruined world, Atlas must confront a terrifying truth: the more skills he copies from others, the more of his own humanity he leaves behind.
