~27 minutes after being summoned to Luminosa...~

To say that I was scared and confused would be an understatement. One moment, I was heading to the store to buy milk and planning to trick my little sister into making pancakes. The next, I found myself in what could only be a throne room straight out of a fantasy game.

Marble columns soared toward a vaulted ceiling adorned with frescoes of epic battles. Stained glass windows cast rainbow patterns across the polished stone floor, and banners bearing unfamiliar crests hung between ornate braziers that filled the air with sweet-smelling smoke.

The throne itself was a masterpiece of ivory and gold, decorated with intricate carvings of dragons and heroes. The man slouched upon it looked exactly how I'd imagine a fantasy king: middle-aged, with a neatly trimmed beard streaked with gray, wearing a crown that probably cost more than my entire neighborhood. His expression was one of lazy arrogance, his rich purple robes making my jeans and t-shirt feel even more out of place.

"So this is our hope of slaying the Demon Queen?" the king drawled. "Are you sure the ritual was successful?"

I couldn't blame him for questioning his subordinates. After all, I was just a scrawny teenager with acne and an unhealthy love of video games. I wasn't some savior or hero.

"He is also rather plain-looking," added a voice like silver bells.

I turned and felt my heart skip a beat. The princess standing at the king's side looked like she’d stepped out of an anime—not the over-the-top ones, but the kind where the beauty is subtle and perfect. She was probably my age, with flowing golden hair and eyes the color of summer roses. She made every girl in my high school look plain in comparison. If it weren't for the contempt twisting her delicate features, she could have passed for an angel.

The man kneeling before the throne commanded attention despite his hunched posture. His silver hair cascaded down his back, and his midnight blue robes were covered in mysterious runes that seemed to shift and move in the light. A gnarled staff of dark wood rested at his side, topped with a crystal that pulsed with inner light.

"Yes, Your Majesty, there is no mistake," the wizard said. "As you know, heroes are not born; they are made. And this boy indeed bears the blessing of our Goddess. I can feel the power of the elements in him. I believe this hero can succeed where others failed—he wields not just two elements, but three, one of which is Darkness itself."

"Darkness, you say?" The hall erupted in murmurs.

I raised my hand as if I were still in class. "Hey, can I ask something? What the hell am I doing here? Can you guys send me home?"

For a moment, no one paid me any attention. Then the princess approached me, her silk dress whispering across the marble floor. Up close, her beauty was even more striking—and more cruel. Before I could react, she slapped me across the face, her jeweled rings leaving scratches on my cheek.

"Shut up! When the king is speaking, you haven’t been given permission to open your mouth!"

And that was how the world of Luminosa greeted their greatest hero.

~Current time~

The System had me trapped in its pristine cube, examining me like a lab specimen. Just like that time in Luminosa's throne room when they'd first summoned me—a confused teenager being scrutinized by kings and wizards who'd decided my fate without asking. Back then, I'd been powerless. I had thought those days were behind me—that after reaching the peak, after defeating the Demon Queen herself, no one could force me to submit again. Yet here I was, completely helpless against this entity's control.

The System's voice filled the space around me, no longer just an echo in my head. Holographic screens materialized before my eyes, displaying its assessment:

Analyzing divine signature... Unknown deity's traces detected. High connection to elements found. Analyzing Aether code inscriptions on soul... S-class complexity detected. S-class Mana capacity found. S-class contamination rank assigned to entity.

These metrics were delivered in an emotionless tone before the System's voice shifted:

Did you really think we could simply send you to the Tutorial with everyone else without ensuring that you were safe first? No, you're not just some anomaly—you're our doorway to the unknown.

Now that you're here, you have several options:

First: We dismantle you cell by cell to extract the Aether code, analyze it, and create countermeasures against whatever altered you. This is, of course, only a last resort.

Second: You agree to have it safely extracted. This outcome is less desirable for us, but our System is very benevolent and always gives people a choice.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Gives a choice? Yeah, right, I thought, remembering my Tutorial difficulty "options."

We are designed to consider the feelings and choices of sapient beings. After all, we are working on saving the world and making it better. This second option will strip your undeserved powers, but you'll be compensated—10 million System points and enough experience to reach level 100 instantly.

"So how does level 100 compare to my current powers?" I asked, expecting to be ignored like that first day with the king. But it seemed the System was more reasonable than the humans of Luminosa.

Please understand that incorporating your current capabilities into the System would be problematic. Even granting level 100 would be rather generous. After extraction, you won’t be capable of enduring more power than that. To be precise, you’d retain about one-tenth of your current attribute points.

“And let me guess—I’d lose my ability to manipulate elements, right?”

In exchange, you’ll receive abilities that are much easier to use. The System provides powers that can be mastered easily with enough points. Completing quests for us is a fast way to progress. You would recover your current power in no time at all—within a few years, you could even surpass it.

“So if I choose this option, you won’t send me to the Impossible Tutorial, right?”

Unfortunately, the decision regarding your Tutorial difficulty has already been made.

“Brilliant. You’ll strip my power, then throw me to the wolves.” I exhaled slowly. “What are my other options?”

You can keep your powers, and we will partially integrate you into the System. However, there’s a catch.

“And what’s that?”

You’ll be in our debt. Simply put, you’ll have to slay your way until it’s paid off. With this option, you’ll only gain basic attribute points from leveling—no access to Classes or Skills provided by the System.

“Basically, you want me to be under your complete control, while also being limited in what I could do.”

It’s not that bad. With your power level, you will eventually pay off the debt. No interest, of course—that would be too evil.

“How generous. So what’s the base amount I’d need to pay off?”

Well, it’s not that high—only 1 billion System points.

“One billion? That sure doesn’t sound like ‘not a lot.’”

There is a fourth option. A compromise of sorts. Full integration with the System, including access to Classes, Skills, and so on. You see, you’ve accumulated a significant amount of Condensed Mana after reaching your last threshold.

“You mean my cultivation realm?”

Whatever you call it. The last time you altered your body to reach higher limits. This process changes you on a fundamental level, but after that, you just accumulate more Condensed Mana for the next jump in power. In fact, you’ve nearly reached the threshold for your next advancement. But it seems the deity who granted you this opportunity limited your potential. Probably because her world couldn’t provide enough density to advance. Or perhaps she feared you would defy her.

“Or rather, the goal she tasked me with didn’t require me to become even stronger.” I shrugged.

Yes. So here’s what we’ll do: We’ll extract only your Condensed Mana without altering your physiology or aspects of your soul's code.

"So I'm basically going to end up at the bottom of my rank, I guess?" To put things into perspective—I had been at the Fifth Cultivation Rank, Mana Lord, for three years already. It had taken me seven years to reach that rank and almost three years to attain its peak. I would essentially lose those three years of progress, dropping back to where I started as a fresh Mana Lord—which meant losing about half of my current strength.

Yes. This energy will be used to make you compatible with our System's progression. In the long run, it's the best solution for you.

"And what about my debt?"

Of course, we can't do it for free. Our relationship with sapient beings is based on equivalent exchange. Even though we're using your own energy for the process, it still requires significant processing power to complete. Your debt will decrease to 100 million System points. Someone of your caliber should earn that much in less than a decade. Perhaps five years would be enough.

"But what's the point if you're sending me to a Tutorial literally called 'Impossible'?"

Don't worry. Even if you fail, we will find ways to make you work off the bonds. In fact, your failure would be most beneficial for us.

"Yeah, you're so fair and all about give-and-take," I smirked. What was the point of discussing options when the answer was obvious?

It's less obvious than you think. Many would choose the second option, risking the Tutorial while being debt-free. Others would refuse to part with their hard-earned power, even if it's only a portion of it. They would rather accept the larger debt, believing it manageable.

"Okay, I've made my choice. Option four, obviously. Go ahead."

Prepare for the worst. It's not exactly a pleasant experience.

"Do you think I've never been tortured? Just do your worst."

Well, we warned you.

And warn me they did. The moment the voice fell silent, it felt like billions of white-hot needles were threading through my flesh, bones, and soul simultaneously. The pain transcended mere physical sensation, burrowing into realms of agony I didn't know existed. Back when the princess had taken it upon herself to "discipline" me for not learning proper etiquette fast enough—her jeweled rings leaving bloody marks all over my body, her Sound Spells making my earbuds burst, only to be healed by the palace's healers—I had thought nothing could be worse. Later, I revised that opinion after being caught by a particularly sadistic demon. Trapped in its mental prison, my mind had been twisted and shattered in ways that defied reality. I'd had my limbs amputated and regenerated repeatedly for an entire hour, forced to experience every excruciating second of it, and I thought nothing could match that hell.

Well, guess what? I was wrong.

Having the System alter my very essence, drawing Mana from my core and throughout my being—it went beyond pain. It felt like my soul was unraveled thread by thread while my consciousness was forced to experience every moment. I couldn't move, couldn't scream, couldn't even form coherent thoughts. My entire existence narrowed down to pure, unfiltered agony.

Ever had a toothache that made you want to rip out your own jaw? Now imagine that concentrated agony spreading through your flesh, your bones, your very essence. The only mercy was that the process lasted less than a minute, though I only realized this after it ended. During the torture, time lost all meaning—each microsecond stretched into an eternity of suffering.

Puck, this System really isn't joking around, I thought as I finally recovered. And with this, I was finally released from the cube.