"To start with, create this magic circle on the ground. Make sure your strokes are exact—just a small deviation, and the whole process could collapse," Khos instructed, projecting the intricate pattern onto the ground like a shimmering light from a projector.
"What do I create it with? Should I carve it into the earth?" Alex asked, eyeing the small marbel dancing around.
He had a nagging suspicion that this little marble could do all these things effortlessly, yet here he was, forced to toil as if for no reason. After witnessing how easily the marble conjured food and water, tracing a pattern on the ground seemed like child's play.
"No, no, no—that won't work," Khos said, bouncing up and down in the air excitedly. "It's generally done with monster blood, but human blood will suffice. Cut your finger and start with that. I only have energy for a few days left, after that i wont be able to create food for you; the faster we begin, the better."
Alex watched Khos's strange dance in the air, cursing silently. "I don't have enough blood to cover that entire circle. Even if you drained me dry, it wouldn't be enough."
"Don't worry, Alex. We can spread it out over a few days. I can keep creating food for you, keep your strength up. We'll finish this in no time," Khos reassured him calmly.
Alex didn't know what to think, but one thing was crystal clear—Khos wasn't telling him everything.
Since waking in the cave and meeting Khos, something felt off. The strange marble wanted to keep him alive, but only long enough to achieve its goal—escaping this place and finding others(maybe). Learning that Alex, as a human, couldn't use divine energy seemed to frustrate Khos, who had grown desperate to bestow this "system" by any means.
He might not have a genius IQ, but this disco ball clearly wasn't his friend.
"Can't you just create monster blood like you create the food?" Alex asked hopefully.
"No," Khos replied firmly, "I cannot directly assist with this ritual other than telling you what to do. You have to do it yourself. That's necessary to form a proper system."
Alex squinted his eyes but reluctantly agreed to start. There was no choice. He had explored the cave—no exit except upward. The cave's open top had shown faint glimpses of light whenever the meteorite passed though some far away stars.
He picked up a sharp stone, wiped it clean on his clothes, and sliced his finger. Droplets of blood fell precisely on the magic circle, each a few centimeters apart. Then he traced the lines carefully, repeating the process.
After some time, dizziness crept in, forcing him to stop. Pressing on his wound, he sucked the blood to stop the flow. "I don't think I can go on..."
"That's enough for today. Ten percent complete. Good job. Rest now. I'll create food when you're hungry."
"Sure, I'm going to sleep..." Exhausted from blood loss, Alex leaned on the hard floor. Khos refused to conjure anything but food, claiming low energy.
Day after day, Alex repeated this ritual, losing blood and strength. Mostly he rested, fighting weariness, until finally, on the 15th day, it was completed—though the last couple of days he persisted cautiously to avoid extreme anemia or just dying.
"Finally done. I feel like I could drop dead any second," Alex said, weary but excited. "Hey Khos, what's next? How do I get this system?"
Despite knowing Khos's has some hidden agenda, his hunger for magic and martial prowess outweighed his doubts. Anything was better than his dull life on Earth.
The food Khos created was magical indeed—each morning Alex awoke feeling renewed. Today was the last day of small blood offerings, leaving him relatively strong for the final step.
"Now, read the verses I project while supplying divine energy to the circle. Don't worry about the energy—I'll transfer it to you. Just keep your hands on the circle," Khos instructed.
"What language is that? I can't read a word."
"This is the language of the gods," Khos said, "Let me read it for you. Repeat after me."
"OH GREAT LORD OF REPRISE, I COME TO YOU AFTER FORSAKING ALL. HEAR ME, GRANT ME AUDIENCE FOR I HAVE ATTAINED COGNITION. AS PER THE ANCIENT CONTRACT OF ALL LIFE, HEAR ME, INTEGRATE ME INTO THE CYCLE OF EXISTENCE AND UPHOLD THE CONTRACT."
Alex glanced at the marble skeptically. This didn't sound like any divine verse to awaken a system; it was probably meant to sound like gibberish to him, as the written text had.
He wasn't sure what to expect, but he decided to trust the process—there was no other choice now. Maybe this was his chance.
"Here I go," he whispered.
Repeating the words, what came from his mouth was nothing but unintelligible sounds. Khos nodded encouragingly, bouncing up and down as if to say, "Keep going."
After finishing, Alex waited. Nothing happened.
"Wasn't something supposed to happen? Like me gaining a system or something?" he asked, glancing around for a hidden interface or status window.
"Give it some ti—"
Before Khos could finish, the meteorite trembled violently. The cave began collapsing, debris breaking into smaller pieces swirling around them.
Outside, countless stars glimmered like tiny light bulbs in the vastness. But Alex barely had time to appreciate the view before the air began leaking through giant fractures, and suffocation clawed at his lungs. He felt death closing in, fast.
Suddenly, everything shifted—he was back on solid ground. He pushed himself up but lost balance and fell on his backside, forced to look up.
What he saw made his stomach churn with dread.
The scene remained breathtaking, yet before him floated a being born of swirling debris, gas, colors, and light—alive only because its face looked eerily humanoid, with huge, black, round eyes staring simultaneously at everything and nothing.
Floating beside the entity was the familiar marble—Khos.
Alex knew he had been duped. But all was not lost. If this entity was truly the entity he'd invoked, then as the ritual's summoner, Alex had the right to make a request same as Khos.