Chapter Five: Into the Unknown and Ultimate Being System Awakening
I slowly started to come back to my senses after everything went dark.
But when I truly woke up, I was in a very strange place. All I could see was empty, dead land under a red sky, and huge bones scattered everywhere. These weren't just any bones; they were giant skeletal parts of creatures and people I'd never heard of or seen before. It felt like a graveyard for giants from another world.
At the same time, I couldn't feel my own body. My human shape was gone, but I was still aware, still thinking. "Where am I? Where am I?" I kept asking myself, my thoughts echoing in the empty space.
Then, a strange voice whispered, soft but clear: "You are in the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb. It is a place no being can escape. The Primordial Black Dragon God was trapped here long ago and couldn't escape its fate."
"Who are you?" I demanded, my mental voice screaming into the vast silence. No answer. I asked again, and again, my desperation growing in this alien place.
Finally, the voice returned, sounding ancient and distant. "It's too early to know my identity. If you can survive here for a week, I will introduce myself to you. Good luck till then."
Then, silence fell once more, heavy and complete.
After a while, I completely regained my awareness. I realized I wasn't in my human form anymore. I was now a completely different being: a tiny, black, circular life form. I had no race or identity, because I didn't want to define myself that way. I was simply… me, in this new, strange shell, in this horrifying tomb of giants.
Moments later, my tiny black shell began to disappear. The environment here was eating away at me. I suddenly understood: all these giant bones around me, all these creatures, they had died because of the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb itself. It was like a vast prison with poisonous air and constant wear and tear, a place where only the strongest survived by preying on the weak for food.
I desperately looked for a place to hide, but it was already too late for me. My very existence was fading, leaving me with only what felt like two tiny dots of myself remaining.
Then, a sudden series of flashes and mechanical sounds echoed all around me.
"Host detected."
"Awakening initiated."
"Loading 1%… 7%…"
"…
…
…100%!"
"Ultimate Being System has awakened."
"Initializing, please wait."
Everything stopped.
At that moment, I was overwhelmed with joy, a pure, intense feeling. But there was no body, no physical form, to show it. I was just consciousness, floating in anticipation, waiting for whatever came next.
A new wave of mechanical sounds flooded my mind, then a calmer, steady voice.
"System has fully awakened."
"Host existence has stabilized."
The voice continued, its tone flat and factual. "The host is too weak to regain his human form. If you can gain a medium form and overall stats reach 200 points, the host can regain his human form or any other form you choose."
I pondered this new information. A form, any form. That was a goal.
"These panels are open for now:"
"Status"
"Mission"
"Inventory"
"You can only use these for now."
"You are the system, right?" I thought, sending my question into the silence.
"Yes," the voice responded instantly.
"Where were you all this while?" I asked, a mix of anger and curiosity bubbling up.
"I was with you because I am you," it replied.
"You mean you've been with me all along, and you are me?" I couldn't believe it. All that struggle, all that pain, and this thing was just… part of me?
"You will know in the future, if you don't slack off," the system stated, a hint of something that almost sounded like amusement in its voice.
"This system… it's really getting on my nerves," I thought, but then I quickly pushed that feeling aside. "Alright, I'll focus for now."
"Status," I commanded, and a panel of glowing text appeared in my mind's eye.
Name: Aka Zema
Race: Unknown
Class: Unknown
Age: 19
Strength: 0
Speed: 0
Mind: 2
Stamina: 1
Luck: 2
Mana: 0
Ultimate Skills:
* Fusion: The ability to combine two or more things—like skills, materials, energies, abilities, or even living beings—into a single, stronger or more developed form.
* Absorption: The power to take in outside energies, abilities, qualities, or materials and make them your own. This often helps you get stronger or increases your energy supply.
* Adaptability: The ability to change, grow, or mutate when facing new dangers, places, or situations, either for a short time or forever.
"What terrible stats are these?" I thought, a wave of disappointment hitting me. "But my skills… these are incredibly powerful!" The thought sent a jolt of strange, new excitement through my non-existent body. These weren't just simple abilities; they felt like fundamental powers, able to twist and shape reality itself. How had I, a mere human, contained such immense potential all this time? The "unknown interference" suddenly seemed less like a block and more like a protective seal.
The system's voice cut through my thoughts, a flat command.
"Mission Panel is now available. Would the Host like to view current objectives?"
"Yes!" I mentally shouted. A new panel shimmered into existence.
[Current Mission: Survive the Forbidden Red Sky Tomb]
Objective: Endure for 7 days in the current environment.
Reward: Identity of the Mysterious Voice, Intermediate Form unlocked.
Penalty for Failure: Annihilation of Host's existence.
[Urgent Sub-Mission: Acquire a Temporary Medium]
Objective: Consume / Absorb organic matter from the surrounding environment to form a temporary medium.
Time Limit: 30 minutes.
Reward: Basic Medium Form, +5 Strength, +5 Stamina.
Penalty for Failure: Rapid degradation of Host's current existence.
My joy was instantly replaced by a sharp sense of urgency. Thirty minutes! My current form was fading, and these stats were useless. I needed to act now.
"Okay, System," I focused my thoughts, "how do I 'consume/absorb' in this state?"
"Host may utilize the 'Absorption' Ultimate Skill. Focus your will on desired organic matter within range."
I looked around the desolate landscape, the huge bones everywhere. They were organic matter, decaying but still here. This prison, this tomb, was also a buffet of death. My first step to survival, to regaining a form, was to consume what was left of those who failed here. A grim thought, but a necessary one.
"Here goes nothing," I thought, fixing my non-existent gaze on the nearest giant skeletal remains.