After eating, Ray wandered back to a small, creaky room tucked below deck. It was only then that he realized something chilling—they hadn't escaped the Void Sea. The black, endless ocean their ship still sailed on was the same cursed Void Sea. The very sea feared by even S-Rank system users. A sea of death.
Ray sat alone on the edge of the cot, staring into a cracked shard of a mirror resting in his trembling palm.
"How the hell am I still alive?" he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I remember it clearly... I died."
The moment those words slipped from his mouth, the memories surged—raw and uninvited. That monstrous creature. Its gaping maw. The suffocating darkness. The pain.
Agonizing pain bloomed through his nerves like a wildfire. His body stiffened, his breath caught, and a deep, primal groan escaped his throat as the phantom agony returned, flooding his senses.
"Arghhh... damn it," he hissed through clenched teeth, nearly crushing the mirror piece in his grip.
Drip.
A warm, sharp sting jolted him. His eyes dropped to his hand.
Blood.
A thin, deep gash had opened on his palm, red droplets dripping onto the wooden floor below. His vision cleared a little, the pain snapping him back to the present. He stared at the blood as if seeing proof that he was truly alive.
"So it wasn't a dream... It was all real." His voice trembled, both in fear and in awe. "But if I died... how the hell am I here now?"
(Can't believe you still haven't figured it out.)
A strange voice echoed inside his head.
Ray jumped, eyes wide. "Who—who said that?!"
(Still looking around? Really?) The voice was laced with dry sarcasm.
His face went pale. "No way... Don't tell me I can hear ghosts now just because I died once!"
(Oh, very nice. So now I'm a ghost?)
Ray began hopping on one foot in panic, waving his arms. "Wha—who are you?! And why can you hear my thoughts?!"
(Because I'm inside you, genius.)
Ray hesitated, then peeked down his shirt. "Well... that's a pretty weird place to hide, Mr. Ghost."
Silence.
The voice didn't reply this time. Ray tilted his head, more confused than ever. His palm still stung sharply.
"Ow, right. I need to find Sicilia and get this patched up before I bleed to death."
He reached for the doorknob.
Bzzzzt.
A mechanical buzz halted him in place. Then, an ethereal blue light blinked into view in front of him.
[System: Code-X Lv. 0.01]
[Congratulations on completing your first task.]
[Reward: You may now access the system.]
(Hello, Host.)
The same voice echoed again—but this time, in perfect sync with the words glowing on the screen.
Ray stood completely frozen. Shock and glee warred inside him. His body was stiff, his eyes unblinking.
"I'm dreaming... I must be dreaming," he whispered, then slapped himself—hard. A red handprint bloomed across his cheek.
Still, the glowing interface remained.
(How in the world did I end up with someone like you?) The voice sighed inside his head.
Yes—this wasn't just a system. It had a will.
In this world, every true system core came with its own consciousness, although it was only limited to choose the host or get choosen. Some were sealed in artifacts, some within weapons. But only a rare few were sentient enough to choose their master.
Ray blinked rapidly, stunned. "So... you're really mine? A real system? Not the weird fake one I got during that Trial?"
(Of course not. That garbage you used earlier couldn't compare to me even if it tried for a thousand years.) the system replied smugly, its text pulsating with pride.
(Anyway, Host, let's talk business. I had to activate my emergency protocol the moment I woke up—thanks to you.)
Ray looked away guiltily, puffing his cheeks. "That's not my fault! You're the one who asked me to feed you all those red crystals and stuff!"
He perked up, eyes wide. "Wait... was it you who brought me back to life? If so, that means... you're really strong!" His eyes sparkled with hope.
(Oh, I'm beyond strong. But cool your excitement—my current level is 0.01, and you're ranked F. That means a worm could probably defeat you in a fight.)
The interface flickered and shifted again.
(Scanning Host...)
Name: Ray
HP: 12 / 1000 [WARNING: Critically Low – Continuously Decreasing]
EX: 00 / 1000
Strength: 00 / 1000
(See? You're basically a rotting corpse with a heartbeat. If you want to survive, you need to fix that—fast.)
Ray flailed his hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah, I'll work on it. I just got you. Can't expect me to be strong right away."
He stared at the system screen with a mischievous smirk and flipped his hair. "So? Tell me. What do I have to do to get stronger?"
In this world, systems were everything. They guided the host, gave quests, handed out rewards. Experience, skills, HP—it all came through the system. Some explored dungeons, others cracked cases for the Bureau. Every step forward made them stronger.
Ray imagined it clearly: the golden road ahead, lifting pebbles today and mountains tomorrow. Being the best in his academy. Everyone bowing to him. Cheers. Glory.
Then—
(Why in the name of all systems would I make a roadmap for an idiot like you?)
Ray's imaginary world shattered like glass. "Huh?! Isn't that how systems work?!"
(Sorry to break your delusion, but I'm not that kind of system. I could give you a sword that slays gods—but unless you're strong enough to hold it, it'll only break your bones.)
Suddenly, the interface glitched violently—then vanished altogether.
Ray blinked. "Hey—what just happened?!"
(Relax. I'm still here, in your mind. But I burned through most of my stored energy. I can't maintain a physical form for now.)
Ray glanced around nervously. "Oh. That's... good to know."
(I'll be down for a few hours. But before I go, I've issued your first quest.)
[Quest: Feed the Shadow Scroll]
[Reward: Shadow Invisibility – 10 Minutes Duration]
(That's all. Good luck, Host. Let's hope I don't wake up and find your corpse lying around...)
And with that, the voice faded into eerie silence.
Ray's eyes stretched wide. "Wait—what shadow scroll?! Give me a clue at least!"
He slumped to the floor, groaning. "What's the point of a system that doesn't even tell me how to get stronger?!"