"So you've come… my greatest fragment of creation."
"Welcome… me."
His voice echoed through the empty chamber like a ripple in time itself.
As he said those words, I stood there—stunned, confused, speechless.
"What do you mean?" I demanded. "Who are you, and why are you calling me the greatest fragment of creation?"
He smiled faintly. "I don't have much time… you will know everything when the time comes."
Suddenly, his body began to dissolve, evaporating into a swirl of dark mist. From his chest, something pulsed—a black heart, wrapped in shadows, beating once… then flying toward me.
It struck me in the right side of my chest.
BADAM.
"Aghh… what is this… this pain!?"
My entire body convulsed. The shadows from the heart wrapped around me like living chains, constricting tighter and tighter.
"Ugh… I can't… breathe…"
Then—nothing.
I blacked out.
---
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the cold floor of the chamber. But something was off.
All my wounds—gone.
My breathing—calm.
My heart—still… yet alive in a new way.
And then I heard it—not through my ears, but inside my mind.
> [Activation requirement complete]
[Activating System: NEXUS]
[Activate]
[Welcome… the greatest fragment of creation]
"…Wait… is this—"
My voice trembled. "Is this… a system? Like in those novels?"
> [Notice: You can make the system appear by commanding "NEXUS."]
My heart skipped a beat. This couldn't be real. But…
"Alright then… NEXUS."
---
[NEXUS – SYSTEM STATUS]
[NAME: RYEN]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[LEVEL: 9]
[TITLES:]
THE GREATEST FRAGMENT OF CREATION
#"'!#!"%✓=^°`ו (Unreadable)
---
[ATTRIBUTE]
STR: 16
AGI: 13
INT: 20
SS: 19
LUK: 10
> [ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 10]
[SYSTEM COINS: 200]
---
[ABILITIES]
BASIC SWORDMANSHIP
BASIC MARTIAL ARTS
[@#@#!:*+":+;@(LV50)~ Required] (Unreadable, Locked)
---
"Woah… not so good,"(٥↼_↼) I muttered. "Still, this is insane…"
My eyes landed on the last unreadable title and the glitched-out ability. "What even is this? Some sort of corrupted power?"
I scrolled to the end.
> Minimum Requirement to Use This Ability: Level 50
"Hah… if only I had you before entering the gate, I'd be Level 30 by now."
Too late now.
> [Notice: That doesn't mean you won't get any reward. You've worked hard. Because you killed them before I activated, I can only give you 50% of the rewards.]
"…Really? Yatta."
---
> [CONGRATULATIONS]
You've received:
9000 EXP
1000 SYSTEM COINS
20 ATTRIBUTE POINTS
Title: BEAST SLAYER
Title: VIPER SLAYER
Title: THE ONE WHO DRANK THE TEARS OF THE FOLENS
> [LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[Current Level: 17]
---
I blinked as the screen refreshed again.
"Let's go—NEXUS."
---
[NEXUS – SYSTEM STATUS UPDATED]
[NAME: RYEN]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[LEVEL: 17]
[TITLES:]
THE GREATEST FRAGMENT OF CREATION
#"'!#!"%✓=^°`ו (Unreadable)
BEAST SLAYER
VIPER SLAYER
THE ONE WHO DRANK THE TEARS OF THE FOLENS
---
[ATTRIBUTE]
STR: 20
AGI: 19
INT: 25
SS: 24
LUK: 11
> [ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 30]
[SYSTEM COINS: 1200]
---
[ABILITIES]
BASIC SWORDMANSHIP
BASIC MARTIAL ARTS
[@#@#!:*+":+;@(LV50)~ Required] (Unreadable, Locked)
---
"Wow… that's actually pretty good."
I smiled a little. "Still… not everything is clear."
I looked up at the faint glow of the chamber's ceiling.
"I don't know what's next... but I've got power now. And I'm going to use it."