.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting long golden lines through Chris's apartment window. The world outside still turned as it always had—cars honking, dogs barking, the occasional buzz of city life weaving through his ears.
But something in the air had changed.
Chris sat cross-legged on the floor, his breathing slow and deliberate. The system hummed softly within him, like a low song sung by stars. He wasn't in the Tower. He wasn't training. He wasn't even talking to Nia.
He was listening.
And the system was finally ready to speak.
[System Update: Chris Protocol 0.83]
[New Features Unlocked – Divine Metrics Interface]
Chris blinked. "Divine Metrics?"
The interface shimmered open before him, ethereal and gold-tinged.
[Divine Metrics – Chris System Overview]
— Total Active Users: 127
— Core Abilities Registered: 58
— Worshipping Individuals: 4
— Linked Follower Slots: 1/5
— Skill Sync: Active
His eyes widened slightly. "People are already using it… and worshipping it?"
[Note: Admiration or belief in the system generates divine connection. Worship creates a tether that may eventually lead to a follower link.]
Then another section flickered open beneath it.
[System Notification: Skill Synchronization Active]
— Sync Rule: No bearer of the Chris System may surpass your skill level.
— For every Chris System user who levels a skill you possess, your version will automatically adjust to remain one tier above.
Chris leaned back, jaw slack.
So that was the fail-safe. The tether.
He wouldn't just lead Earth's awakening.
He would be the ceiling.
"No one stronger than the god," he murmured. "Of course."
It made sense. He could already feel the divine weight pressing subtly into his thoughts—like pressure building inside his skull as his name rippled through invisible prayers.
And yet, it didn't feel… invasive. It felt natural.
He was their cornerstone.
Their origin point.
Their system.
He exhaled, voice calm. "System. Show me the strongest user under the Chris System."
A soft pulse answered.
[Top-Ranked Chris System User: Nia Zaire – Level 3]
— Core Ability: Arch Healer
— Current Stats: +20% party sync, Lesser Echo Pulse, Healing Light
— Status: Follower
Chris nodded. "And the others?"
[User #2: Malik Ray – Level 2 | Core Ability: Soul Piercer]
[User #3: Harper Jin – Level 2 | Core Ability: Shadow Echo]
[User #4: Reese Elani – Level 1 | Core Ability: Blade Skin]
Most were low level, scattered randomly across Earth. The system didn't say how they awakened—but the passive spread of his divinity was clearly accelerating.
It made Chris uneasy… and proud.
Power was moving. Reality was shifting.
And he was at the center of it.
⸻
By midday, he'd warped back into the Tower for another dive.
The monsters weren't particularly dangerous this time—a nest of shriek bats in a cracked obsidian cavern—but Chris wasn't here for a fight. He was testing something else.
As he cleaved the final bat in half and absorbed its flickering soul, the system chimed again.
[+3 Lesser Souls Acquired]
[Passive Influence Effect – Triggered]
[New user awakened: Julius Moreno – Core Ability: Echofinder]
Chris smirked. "Just from killing a bat? This is escalating."
He exited the Tower soon after, hands tight around the growing weight of reality's shifting balance.
The moment he stepped through the veil, the city's chaos greeted him. A car alarm somewhere down the block. The dull hum of construction.
But also…
A whisper.
From a young man in an alley, checking a glowing blue screen that hovered just out of view of passing civilians.
"Chris System… it's real. It's actually real…"
Chris narrowed his eyes.
The kid didn't notice him. Just stared in awe. Chris took a step back into the shadows, watching as the screen shimmered and updated.
A second whisper left the kid's lips.
"Praise the one who gave us this."
Another system ping.
[+1 Worshipping Individual]
[Divinity +0.05]
Chris's breath caught in his throat.
It wasn't just admiration now.
It was reverence.
And for the first time, he felt something bloom inside him—a warmth, like fire in a frozen room. His system didn't just evolve from power… it grew from belief.
⸻
That night, Nia knocked on his door with a bag of takeout and a bottle of energy tonic.
"You look like you've been through a blender," she said, flopping onto the couch.
"Thanks," Chris muttered, eyes still locked on his interface. "I've been tracking the Chris System."
"Wait. You can actually… see people using it?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah. And more are joining by the hour."
He showed her the divine metrics briefly—careful not to share too much.
Nia frowned. "So you're basically becoming… the app store of superpowers."
He laughed. "In a way, yeah."
She leaned forward. "Then you better start planning ahead. If this keeps spreading, people will expect you to do more than just watch. You'll need structure. Rules. Guidance."
Chris nodded slowly. "I know."
And then, as if the system heard her words, another message appeared.
[System Update: Planetary Integration Progress 34%]
[New Function Detected – Divine Order Blueprinting]
[Locked – System Version 1.0 Required]
Chris leaned back and stared at the flickering message.
Version 1.0.
The line in the sand.
Everything led to it.
And to reach it, he'd have to conquer Mars.
⸻
The next morning, a final alert greeted him as he stepped out of the shower, still towel-wrapped and sore from training.
[Warning: New Chris System Users Detected in Conflict Zone]
[Deaths Occurring Without Divine Oversight]
Chris's eyes darkened.
The system was growing faster than he expected.
And Earth was no longer ready.
He clenched his jaw.
"Time to get ahead of this."
He turned toward his gear pile—the sword, the vest, the notes.
Mars loomed.
And this time… he wouldn't go alone.