THUD!
The sound of flesh meeting concrete echoed in the narrow alley, muffled only by the sickening crack of bones. Rain pattered lightly overhead, but it did nothing to wash away the blood that pooled beneath Ajal's crumpled body. His breaths came in ragged bursts—short, wheezing, painful. Above him, three silhouettes loomed, laughing.
"Still breathing, huh?" one sneered, slamming a boot into Ajal's ribs.
He didn't scream. He couldn't. His mouth was already filled with the metallic taste of blood, his vision a swirl of shadow and pain. Why? He hadn't done anything. Just walking home. Just existing.
THUD!
THUD!
Another kick. Then another. Until the world fractured, shattering into numbing dark.
Silence.
Warmth. Womb-like. Enveloping.
Then—
[Ding!]
The chime was sharp, melodic—utterly foreign, yet weirdly familiar.
[Welcome, host. Please select your race!]
Ajal's eyes fluttered open—or at least, he thought they did. His vision was obscured by a pearlescent membrane, dim and fluid. He couldn't move his limbs. Everything felt weightless, yet dense, as though suspended in jelly.
"What the... Where the hell...?" His voice came out muffled, distorted by the thick walls around him. It echoed only within his own skull.
"You are within an embryonic state" came a soft, feminine voice inside his mind. A place of safety. Development. Rebirth."
Ajal blinked. That voice... a system? Like in a novel? He narrowed his mental focus.
"You... you're a system?"
"Correct."
"Wait. Why do you sound like a woman?"
"Fufufu~ Because, I am of course."
Ajal laughed—dry, disbelieving. "Great. Reborn, stuck in a damn egg, and I've got a talking system with a soothing voice. Sounds like Tuesday."
He paused, then said, "Fine. Your voice is kind of nice, actually. Do you have a name?"
"Yes, my name is Aurielle."
The name settled with satisfying gravity in his chest. Ajal took a mental breath, bracing himself.
"Okay, Aurielle," he muttered, "what the hell is going on? Why am I here? Last, I remember, I was getting beat to death in an alley."
There was a pause, filled with something reverent.
"Your death was always fated, Ajal. It was the final key in a chain of causality. You were born with me—your System—but Earth has no magic. I could not awaken until now."
His breath caught.
"You were always with me?"
"Since your birth. But bound. So, I could only watch."
That weight settled in his chest. "So, I died… but not by accident?"
"Correct. You were meant to leave Earth. You were born for more—the endless realms. Worlds shaped by magic, ambition, and eternal conflict. And now, you must create a legend of your own."
A pause. A shift in tone—more formal.
"Now, Ajal. You may design your system."
A shimmering golden interface unfolded before his mind's eye, displaying branching functions, runes, and celestial pathways.
"As the bearer of this system, you may define two core functions. Choose carefully. Your design shall shape your entire path." Aurielle spoke.
"Alright... first: I want Hyper-Accelerated Cultivation. Like, absurdly fast. My talent should adapt to any technique or energy source and grow stronger the more I fight or comprehend."
"Alright, consider it done."
[Cultivation rate enhancement unlocked: Adaptive Genesis Core. You will gain comprehension and strength in real time. Your very existence will evolve through exposure.]
"Perfect. Second—Gacha. I want access to something ridiculous."
"Specify." Aurielle said as she looked at Ajal with interest. She was currently inside of his sea of consciousness watching him on a projection like screen. However, all she could see was a beautiful egg.
"I want a Cosmic Gacha—one that draws directly from the Cosmic Treasury or whatever the most absurd treasury is called. Give me overpowered stuff. Legendary items. Forbidden scrolls. Ancient bloodlines. But… make it interesting. Tie it to challenges. Risks. Maybe I get more rolls if I do crazy things."
"Done."
[Gacha Functionality Initialized: Vault of Stars. Each draw pulls from the Cosmic Treasury. Rarity, power, and volume scale with difficulty of feats achieved. Additional rolls may be earned via 'Stellar Trials'."
"And… how many rolls do I have now?"
"One. A ceremonial draw to bless your rebirth."
He grinned in the dim womb of his egg. "Then let's save it. I want to feel the moment."
"Wise."
Another screen opened:
[Please Select Your Race]
[Human] [Elf] [Beastkin] [Draconic] [Mystborn] [Fae] [Custom – Undefined Draconic Bloodline]
He stared at the blank entry.
"Not a chance I'm going with some basic dragon. Can I make my own?"
"Yes, define the name of your race and essence." Aurielle spoke.
Ajal wasted no time before he spoke.
"I want to be a dragon that evolves endlessly. Not just biologically—but metaphysically. I want to become something the world has no system for. Every enemy I face, every law I break, every dimension I touch—I want my body and soul to adapt."
"Understood. Constructing Race Template…"
A glowing rune spun into existence.
[Race Registered: Vyrinthian]
[The Fractal Sovereign. The dragon whose very existence destabilizes fixed power hierarchies. Each confrontation accelerates its capacity to transcend limits. No peak. No plateau.]
"Vyrinthian," Ajal murmured. "That's me."
[Race: Vyrinthian registered. Essence anchored. Initiating rebirth sequence. Estimated time to maturation: 16 years. Your species must awaken slowly—every scale, every cell forged by cosmos and blood.]
Suddenly, his egg pulsed. Magic rippled over him like a tide, folding his awareness inward.
Aurielle's voice, now quiet, whispered.
"Sleep, my sovereign. When you rise again, the world will tremble."
----
Sixteen Years Later
CRACK!
The egg's shell split, white-gold light pouring from the fissures.
CRACK! CRACK!
A jagged claw emerged, then another. The egg burst.
Ajal stood—taller, lean but fit, covered in smooth, shimmering scales. Silver and violet, iridescent. His hair flowed down his back in mixtures of black and silver. His horns curved like blackened obsidian; wings folded against his back. His eyes—like twin nebulae—opened to the forgotten cavern's glow.
He exhaled. His breath shimmered with stardust.
"Welcome back, Ajal. You are now the first of the Vyrinthian." Aurielle's voice echoed in his mind.
He looked down at his clawed hand. It trembled—not with fear, but anticipation. A grin tugged at his now-draconic lips.
"I don't feel human anymore." He said as he took all of this in.
"You are not."
"And I'm totally fine with that."
"Would you like to initiate your first Gacha draw?" Aurielle asked.
He raised his hand, already feeling the flow of magic converge into a swirling glyph of stars.
"Let's see what if I can get a bit lucky...."
[Gacha Roll: Initiated – Vault of Stars]