Kai’s awareness returned abruptly, a jarring shift from oblivion to a sudden, all-encompassing presence. There was no transition, no soft awakening—just a brutal snap into existence. His mind reeled, trying to grasp the torrent of confusion swirling in the void.
Before panic could take hold, messages etched themselves into his consciousness, undeniable and absolute.
----------------------------------------
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
System initialization sequence...
Translating existing background into Paths...
Error: Too many high-tier paths translated. Extracting top 5 character-defining paths—completed.
Top 5 Paths Selected:
1. Path of the Cheesing Gamer (240)
2. Path of the Devouring Reader (180)
3. Path of the Legendary Voyeur (180)
4. Path of Least Resistance (120)
5. Path of the Unremarkable (90)
Too many paths—omitted—system compensation increased ease of unlocking related paths instead.
Scanning base attributes, talents, and gifts—completed.
Detect existing skills—unable to port over skills.
¥£^
System compensation (1): Lower threshold to create and level up skills ×2 until 3 Tier 3, 10 Tier 2, or 20 Tier 1 skills are reached.
System compensation (2): Transfer location set to low-tier world (lower dimension) and temporary safe zone (1 km²).
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The torrent of notifications ended, leaving a silence that felt almost louder in its absence. Kai’s mind reeled, trying to piece together what he had just absorbed. Before he could fully process it, the void cracked open. A flood of light and sensation rushed in, and gravity seized him.
He fell.
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Kai landed with a muffled thud, the damp ground breaking his fall. For a moment, he lay still, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The cool air against his skin was a sharp contrast to the oppressive void he’d just left behind.
Slowly, he sat up. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. Towering white trees stretched toward the sky, their glowing leaves casting an ethereal light over the mossy ground. The sky looked normal at first glance and Kai couldn’t place the difference at first…
“Damn it’s like when I replaced my HD screen with 4K.”
In the distance, a translucent barrier shimmered faintly, marking the boundary of what he now knew to be the "safe zone."
“This isn’t Earth,” Kai murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
He glanced down at himself, patting his arms and legs. Everything seemed intact. No glowing tattoos or alien features. His clothes were damp but unscathed. Whatever had brought him here hadn’t physically altered him—or so it seemed.
“Alright,” he muttered, forcing himself to his feet. His legs wobbled slightly as he stood. “Don’t panic, it’s just like an isekai novel - this is what I daydreamed about before, I just need to figure out what this world setting is like and not immediately get eaten by zombies or something.”
His eyes flicked to the shimmering barrier in the distance, then to the bioluminescent trees around him. The safe zone was likely the only thing keeping him alive right now. He needed to act fast. Years of gaming and reading isekai novels had left him with a mental checklist for situations like this, and he clung to it like a lifeline.
“Step 0: Ensure survival. The safe zone should take care of immediate threats, but I’ll need food, water, and shelter soon.” He spotted a glint of water in the distance—a stream winding through the area. “Good. That’s a start.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Step 1: Figure out this world and the system. What are the rules? Constraints? What’s possible? What’s overpowered? Most importantly, what can I exploit?”
The initialization messages hinted at something skill-based, with compensation mechanics. His heart raced at the possibilities. Compensation implied an imbalance—one he could take advantage of.
“Step 2: Break the system.”
A faint grin tugged at his lips. If his assigned paths were anything to go by, the System already knew his specialty. The Path of the Cheesing Gamer practically guaranteed it.
----------------------------------------
Kai decided to start with the basics - getting more information. “Status,” he said aloud, testing the System.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Status unlocked (Tier 0):
Identity: Kai
Condition: Healthy
Skills:
* Status (Tier 0 - Level 1)
Paths: None
Skill Points: 1
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The translucent screen that appeared before him was sparse but functional. It wasn’t much, but it confirmed the System’s existence.
“Alright,” Kai murmured. “Let’s try something else. Inspect.”
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He crouched and picked up a small rock from the mossy ground. “Inspect.”
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Inspect unlocked (Tier 0).
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Rock: Unknown.
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Kai frowned. The result was underwhelming, but he knew better than to dismiss it outright. Skills like these were meant to be leveled. If grinding was the key, then he’d grind.
“Log,” he tried next.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Log unlocked (Tier 0):
Tracks up to the last 5 system messages.
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“Help,” he added, testing another command.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Help unlocked (Tier 0):
Provides basic explanations for system notifications and skills.
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Kai’s mind raced as he processed the new skills. They were rudimentary, barely functional, but their potential was clear. With the System compensation active, rapid leveling seemed not just possible but inevitable.
“Alright, System,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
----------------------------------------
Kai began spamming Inspect, pointing it at everything in sight—rocks, plants, dirt, even his own hands. At first, the results were laughable.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Rock: Unknown.
Plant: Unknown.
Soil: Unknown.
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But as the skill leveled, the descriptions improved incrementally.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Rock: Hard gray pebble.
Plant: Small green stem.
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By Level 9, the results were marginally useful.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Rock: Hard gray pebble, smooth texture.
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Encouraged, Kai turned his attention to Status, Log, and Help, grinding them with the same fervor. Speaking commands aloud quickly became tedious, but he soon discovered the System responded just as well to mental commands.
The realization quintupled his pace. In what feels like less than an hour, all four skills reached their first tier-up threshold along with a pleasant surprise of unlocking a new skill in the process.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Focus unlocked (Tier 0):
Slightly enhances mental clarity and concentration.
Unfortunately the difference provided by the new Focus skill appears to be negligible at this stage, making Kai wonder if it was only a placebo effect.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Multiple skills - Help, Inspect, Log and Status ready to advance to Tier 1. Confirm?
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“Confirm,” Kai mentally commanded with a tinge of anticipation, nothing beats the excitement of a power-up.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Path unlocked: Novice (10):
The first path most people take.
----------------------------------------
The changes were immediate and came with an additional system prompt. The Status skill updated with rough descriptors of his attributes and revealed the paths he had unlocked during initialization.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Status (Tier 1):
Identity: Kai
Condition: Healthy
Attributes:
* Intelligence: Many times that of an average adult male.
* Dexterity: More than double that of an average adult male.
* Wisdom: Almost double that of an average adult male.
Skills:
* Inspect (Tier 1 - Level 10)
* Log (Tier 1 - Level 10)
* Help (Tier 1 - Level 10)
* Status (Tier 1 - Level 10)
* Focus (Tier 0 - Level 1)
Paths:
* Path of the Cheesing Gamer (240)
* Path of the Devouring Reader (180)
* Path of the Legendary Voyeur (180)
* Path of Least Resistance (120)
* Path of the Unremarkable (90)
* Path of the Novice (10)
Skill Points: 30
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Kai scrolled back through Log, re-reading the initialization messages. The compensation system made sense now. By rapidly grinding and unlocking skills, he could maximize his advantage before reaching the thresholds.
“This is just the beginning,” Kai murmured. “Let’s see how far I can take this.”
With blazing speed and relentless focus, Kai had taken his first steps into this new world. The System was vast and full of mysteries, but if there was one thing he knew, it was how to break systems.