Suddenly, a voice —cold, neutral, and devoid of emotion— echoed in his mind, chilling him to the bone. "The data panel has been generated, and the Integration will begin in ten seconds. Please be prepared."
10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
A relieved smile spread across Zain's face.
Assessment in progress…
Planetary Grading: D
Metaphysical Integration: F
Initiating System Calibration. Integrating Metaphysical Attributes.
Commencing System Announcement.
Attention, inhabitants of Universe 7A82, Integration #I875X1, Local Name: 'Earth.'
Congratulations.
Your planet has been selected for Integration into the Boundless System.
Rulership Entity Detected: High Council of Earth.
Hidden Quest Completed: Form a Rulership Entity having upwards of 66% of Planet Resources.
Hidden rewards: Distributed.
The voice shifted to a more authoritative male tone, one that demanded attention. The voice of the High Council of Earth.
Integration: Protocal #112X4 changed to Protocol #002X3
Tutorials will commence for selected sentient beings on Earth to facilitate this transition.
You will have one hundred days in one year (365 days) to complete the tutorial and familiarize yourself with the system interface and its functions.
There will be a short grace period, gradually increasing the planetary challenges begin.
Fight for your planet's survival and ascend as a dominant force within the Multiverse. Should you succeed, Earth will join the ranks of self-governing entities under the System.
Good luck.
The words sent a chill down Zain's spine. The casual way the announcement had been delivered like a routine message, rather than a harbinger of doom for most of humanity.
As the announcement ended, Zain's reality shifted.
He found himself in an ancient colosseum, its towering columns and grand arches covered in glowing runes. The arena was filled with ghostly spectators from long-forgotten eras, their forms shimmering with a majestic aura as they silently observed his presence.
The High Council of Earth.
They're analyzing, Zain thought, realizing that these presence—or their vassals—were observing him closely.
Despite the eerie sensation, he continued moving forward until he encountered a gate. It was tall and ancient, its surface etched with intricate patterns. Zain's fingers traced the designs, his touch causing a faint glow to emanate from the gate. At its center was a smooth orb, pulsing with a dark, obsidian light.
Assessment complete. Welcome, Zain Valerius, to the Inner Sanctum, a familiar voice echoed.
It was a space without walls or a ceiling, giving it an infinite, otherworldly feel. In the middle stood a vaguely human-shaped figure.
The Warden, Zain thought, recognizing the entity known as the Voice of the High Council.
The Warden had a pale blue, almost holographic body, with smooth sockets for eyes and skin that looked like a mannequin's but more textured. It wore a business suit, a poor attempt to appear human.
System, Zain commanded mentally.
A virtual screen popped up, blocking the Warden from view. Zain felt a surge of relief at the familiarity of the blue screen, but his relief quickly turned to horror as he read the stats.
Identity: Zain Valerius [ Human ]
Level: 1
Stats:
Vitality - 2
Strength - 1
Resilience - 2
Perception - 3
Arcane - 2
Zain gaped in shock. All his stats, everything he had worked for, gone. He felt like a novice again, with the strength of someone who could barely manage ten pushups.
Just as he was about to close the screen, a notification popped up.
Welcome to your stat page! Here, you'll see the quantification of your progress. Let me guide you...
Annoyed, Zain tried to exit the guide, but the system's mental commands had reset to default. He had to physically close the screen, feeling the clunkiness of manual commands.
The guide's voice continued in his mind, grating and persistent. It took him a minute to disable Orientation mode in the settings.
Are you sure you would like to disable Orientation mode? [Yes / No]
Yes.
The voice finally stopped, leaving him with the guide page.
Zain sighed as he closed the window. He understood the necessity of starting fresh but didn't have to like it.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Orientation Ended!
The last notification vanished, revealing the Warden, now closer and more intrigued.
Ah, Zain Valerius, a bastard bearing faint trace of Bloodline, yet forsaken by the Ancient. The Warden circled him, its voice dripping with curiosity and a hint of condescension. How does it feel to hold such potential, yet be rejected by your own Family?
The Warden paused, waiting for Zain to reveal something.
Zain felt a twinge of irritation but remained silent, remembering that the Warden was not truly alive. It was a representative of the Council, devoid of genuine emotion. Still, its probing nature was unsettling. The dog of the High Council was anything but not a fool.
No questions? No desperate pleas for answers? No cries of 'What is this place?' or 'Who are you?' The Warden's tone was mocking, as if disappointed by Zain's lack of panic.
Zain stared back, refusing to give the Warden the satisfaction.
Silent strength, or ignorant bliss? the Warden mused, stopping directly in front of Zain. No matter. The System's judgment is absolute, and your path is set.
The Warden extended a scroll towards Zain, its eyes gleaming with something that might have been amusement. With resignation, Zain touched the seal. The scroll disappeared, and the letter reappeared as text on his interface.
[ Hell Tutorial Available ]
[ Reward: 1000x ]
Zain's heart raced. This was not what he had wanted. The High Council's SCAM.
"I will say, there's a quite generous signing bonus—"
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
A white lie. There wasn't much to think about by this point; the whole point of the tutorial was for the Members of the High Council of Earth and other Starlords to collect players and let them join their Collective.
He had already chosen Hell mode in his previous life and lived the life of a solo player connected with an external starlord. And didn't like it one single bit.
Deny, he thought, ready to face the challenges of the real world.
"So angry. Very well then," the Warden said, "I'm certain we will be seeing another soon, Mr. Valerius."
For the third time that day, Zain was consumed by a blinding flash. And as his world disappeared around him, the Warden's smile seemed to stretch into something deeply unsettling.
***
The room shimmered into existence around him, walls adorned with arcane runes that pulsed with an eerie light. Before him, a pedestal rose from the floor, two crystal spheres hovering above it. Inside each sphere, distinct glyphs glowed: one depicted a warrior, the other a rogue.
The Warrior sphere showed a heavy armor figure wielding a massive sword. He could almost hear the clash of steel and feel the weight of the armor.
The Rogue sphere portrayed a shadowy figure, nimble and quick, knives glinting in the dim light. Visions of silent footsteps and deadly precision filled his mind.
His hand hovered over the pedestal. But the sphere wasn’t what he wanted. These were morsels given to all the uninformed, thinking that it was good. But there were other hidden options.
The system has options, and players can gain enormous profits by exploiting those options. Options that the Council created to tilt the scale on their side.
He bit his finger, a metallic taste filling his mouth. Removing the bleeding finger, he watched drops of blood well up. A drop of blood on the pedestal created two new spheres.
The figure in Sorcerer sphere was cloaked in flowing robes, surrounded by swirling arcane energies. The air crackled with magic, and he almost felt the power surging through his veins. Mystical symbols glowed and pulsed around the sorcerer, hinting at the limitless potential of their spells.
The Elementalist sphere was surrounded by the raw forces of nature, flames flickering in one hand and lightning crackling in the other. The air hummed with elemental power. The elementalist commanded the primal forces of fire, water, earth, and air, shaping the battlefield with their destructive and creative energies.
But those were also not what he wanted. This time, he was going to gamble big.
A class related to the Primeval Legacy that he glimpsed before he died.
How do I unlock it? He stopped his hands, recalling fragments of his past life’s knowledge. Nothing was in the room beyond the runes, the pedestal, and the four spheres.
The blood sacrifice—he needed to perform the ritual. Maybe a simple one would do. He couldn't risk depleting his lifeblood. This has to work. It’s my only chance.
He hesitated momentarily, then constructed a blood sacrifice diagram centered with a dark rune, the Runic presentation of what he wanted. The rune absorbed his blood instantly, glowing brighter.
A similar vortex appeared above the room, but the strength was way less than the last time. The room's temperature plummeted, a gust of icy wind swirling around him, tugging at his clothes and hair. His vision blurred, and he staggered, feeling his very essence being pulled into the symbol.
The light dimmed, revealing a transformed room. The warrior and rogue spheres had vanished, replaced by an obsidian mirror. He stared at his reflection, a twisted abomination with eyes dark and hollow, a deep hunger lurking within them, and looked back. Soon, the pedestal and spheres crumbled into dust as the obsidian mirror expanded to show his entire body.
He stepped back, heart racing, and felt a surge of power unlike anything before. His hands glowed with a dark aura, and he knew he had made his choice. Soul Devour.
Ominous enough…
The room's symbols dimmed, the eerie light fading to a dull glow. He stood alone as the vortex closed, a silent testament to the path he had chosen.
A slow touch on the glass and power coursed through his veins.
Trait Acquired: Soul Devour
Penalties Applied:
* Class Option Removed
* Professions Removed
* Skills Options Limited to 10
* No Stat Points for Class Level Upgrades
* No Stat Points for Profession Level Updates
* New Progression: Soul Points
Fuck. He stood there, absorbing the gravity of his choice. No class, no professions, he mused, thinking back to his previous life where he had wielded such power effortlessly. Just raw, unfiltered power. It cost me everything. But hopefully it would provide me a better path.
A new notification popped up, listing his updated stats:
Identity: Zain Valerius ( Level 1 )
Race: Human ( F Grade )
Trait: Soul Devour
Character Stats:
* Arcane: 2
* Soul: 0
Skills (1/10)
The soul stats box glowed ominously, a stark reminder of his new path. He flexed his hands, feeling the unfamiliar dark aura swirling around them. No more class upgrades, no profession bonuses. Every step now depends on these soul points. He sighed, the weight of his decision settling heavily on his shoulders.
As he stared at the new stats, a chilling sensation crept up his spine. The air grew thick, and he felt the presence of something watching him. His skin prickled with dread, a primal fear rooting him to the spot. He slowly turned his head, but there was nothing visible. Yet, the feeling of an unseen eye locked onto him remained, its gaze cold and unyielding.
What have I awakened? The thought echoed in his mind, leaving him with an unsettling realization. The power he sought had come with a price, one that he might not fully understand until it was too late. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.