Itsuki: "That's because you awakened. Kinda."
Shane: "What do you mean 'kinda'? Are you playing with me?" — Shane asked, flabbergasted.
Itsuki: "It's a long story, so listen carefully."
His tone shifted. It was still casual, but there was something buried under it. Like a weight he'd carried for a long time.
Itsuki: "When I first died, I thought that was it. End of story. But then I met God. The god of your world. He said—word for word—'You have died and have gotten the chance to reincarnate. Tell me your desires, and I will manage to fulfill as much as I can.'"
"I was shocked. I didn't have a family. No girlfriend—hell, not even a lover. No goals. Life was trash. But this? This was a once-in-a-lifetime roll of the dice."
"So he made this form spawn—well, appear. It asked me to choose things: race, eye color, hair, face, build—you could literally pick your entire body. And your potential."
"I picked your looks, wanted to be a mage, and as my gift… I asked for a system. One that could analyze strength, track progress, and help me get stronger. And you can guess what happened next."
"After regaining my bearings, I scanned you. And guess what? You had two cores—an aura core and a mana core. But they countered each other. That's why Raphael's scan failed."
"Then came the Jus incident. That idiot injected aura into you. Your stepmother tried to stop him, which ended with you being hit with mana. And just to pile on, the healer injected you with kai to save your life. Three world energies… most people would die from that."
Shane's eyes widened as Itsuki continued with a strange excitement.
Itsuki: "But then your Innate Energy Refining Physique activated. Instead of rejecting the energies, it absorbed them. But here's the kicker: you only had two cores. So, what about the third energy?"
"Your two cores—shaken by the overload—smashed into each other. The crash formed a new space. A space where neither aura nor mana could dominate. That's where kai settled."
Shane: "...What?"
He was shocked out of his mind. It shattered the very foundation of what this world understood about power systems.
Itsuki: "Simply put, you can become a fighter, a mage, or a priest... or..."
A pause. Then, a mental drumroll.
"...you can become all of them."
The temptation in those words was palpable. But for Shane, it felt like the devil himself was whispering promises. Too good. Too dangerous. Too unreal.
Itsuki: "If you don't believe me, check it yourself."
A soft chime. A translucent blue screen appeared in front of Shane.
Name: Shane Noah CrimsonBladePhysique: Innate Energy Refining Physique (Active)Core: Aura / Mana / KaiPhysical: 9.9Mental: 10 (Superhuman)Energy: 0.5 (Aura 0.2, Mana 0.2, Kai 0.1)Current Power: 6.8Potential: ???
Itsuki: "What you're seeing now? It's just the fragmented interface. The system is incomplete. I can still use it to show you stats and run basic simulations—but nothing more. The full system didn't survive the half-assed merging. It's broken beyond my control."
The flood of information left Shane reeling. He felt as if the floor beneath his mind was cracking.
Then, a quiet thought escaped his lips.
Shane: "Can I... really get stronger?"
Itsuki: "You could become the strongest. Even this downgraded version of the system is better than Raphael. It just can't predict your true potential. If you ask me..."
"You hit the jackpot."
A strange emotion stirred in Shane's chest.
Hope.
For the first time in years… it wasn't just pain or numbness. He could grow. He could change.
Shane: "...Wait. What did you mean when you said my stepmother 'tried to stop him'?"
Itsuki: "Exactly what I said. She stopped Jus before he could kill you. Weird, right? If you were dead, her son would have no competition for the heir position. I tried using Insight, but it didn't work on her. It works on your father, so it's not about mental strength. Maybe she has… other powers."
That left Shane thinking. She had always been cold. Distant. Never showed interest. And now, this?
Too many contradictions.
Shane: "...So what do you want in return?"
Itsuki: "Heh. You finally caught on. Honestly, I wanted your body back at first. But after seeing your life—watching it day by day—you kinda feel like a little brother now. So I'll settle for something easier."
"Just find me a body that's at least half as powerful as yours someday. That's all."
Shane: "Half? You could've asked for the same power, you know?"
Itsuki: "Kid… do you know how rare your physique is? A body like yours appears once every few centuries. I'm being generous just asking for half."
After weighing the pros and cons, Shane nodded mentally. He'd lost so much. If he could gain power—and help someone who had watched him suffer in silence—that was a fair deal.
He was finally excited.
He rang the small brass bell beside the bed. Clanging echoed. Moments later, the door burst open.
???: "BROTHER!"
A small figure tackled him—his younger brother Will, face soaked in tears, eyes puffy from crying.
William: "You're awake! I was so scared!"
Shane blinked.
Then smiled softly.
Shane: "I'm okay, Will. Don't cry."
Will immediately grabbed the water cup and helped Shane drink. The cool liquid slid down, finally freeing Shane's throat.
His new life had begun.
And with it—a path never walked before.