As the sun set, a certain baby was lying in his cot next to his mother, both needed rest after the tiring events of the day, but Neo couldn't sleep because of excitement, his tiny eyes were too focused on the System-like message that was hovering slightly above him.
After a full week of painful waiting, the System was finally open.
[System Calibration: 100%]
[Paladin System active]
[Soul Divine Shard detected]
[A paladin has been born]
//ERROR// //ERROR//
[¢H∆0$ Divine Shard detected]
[An anomaly has been detected]
[Deleting...]
[Deleting...]
[Deletion process: Compromised]
//ERROR// //ERROR//
[¢h∆0$ disrupts]
[Deletion protocol denied]
[Title:[Fate's Bane] is in effect]
[Your existence is a crime against reality and you are damned by the world. Effect: Luck -99%]
[Title:[Rebel] is in effect]
[???. Effect: 99% resistance to fate, mental, soul, celestial-based attacks]
[Title: [Chaos Paladin] is in effect]
[Chosen by the Star of Chaos himself, Avon Voidnir. You are destined to be one of the protectors of your world]
[Title:[Soul Paladin] is in effect]
[Effect: Comprehension of Soul techniques, Soul Energy]
[Please activate Status page to apply effects]
(What the hell is this.)
(/Oh, hey Neo, glad you made it\)
(Avon?! What the hell is all this?)
(/It's a system, duh\)
(I know that, but what did it mean by deletion?!)
(/Yeah that's what I meant by erasure, since you're not a registered Paladin, you could have been erased by the System's server, luckily my chaos energy was able to nullify the deletion process.\) He added quietly (/ Honestly, I wasn't sure it would work.\)
(And you sent me here anyway.)
(/Yup, don't worry, you'll be fine\)
(Sigh)
(/Go on, open your status screen\)
'Status'
Suddenly, a crimson screen appeared in front of him. It was simplistic in it's design and seemed to glitch faintly around the edge.
----------
[Status Window]
----------
[Name: Neo Castreed (human) Lv 1]
Mana Rank:
[Class: None]
[Title(s): Chaos Paladin (S), Rebel ($-+#@), Fate's Bane (S)]
[Affinity:
----------
[Life force: 5]
[Strength: 1]
[Agility: 1]
[Endurance: 1]
[Intelligence: 15 (+999)]
[Luck: 10 (-99%)]
[Soul: 30]
[Chaos: 25]
[Bloodline:
----------
[Skill tab]
[Empathy (SS)]
[Aura of Chaos (F)]
[Hacker's Eye (Innate) (SS)]
[¥£§¢√# ]
----------
(/...\)
(What is it?)
(/What is it... he says.You're not supposed to already have skills, and how in the world did you get two SS-ranked skills?\)
Avon started murmuring incomprehensible words under his breath.
(Can't you explain it?)
(/Yeah, whatever. Okay, let's start with the stats.
Life force: Think of this as a sort of health bar, it measures your overall vitality, energy and basically the amount of damage you can take.
Strength: This attribute measures your body's average physical power and muscle capacity. It determines the body's ability to exert force, lift heavy objects, and engage in physically demanding tasks.
Agility: This attribute represents the speed, nimbleness, and coordination of an individual's body. It determines the ability to move and react swiftly, and maintain balance in various situations.
Endurance: This attribute measures your stamina, resilience, and ability to sustain prolonged physical effort. It determines the body's capacity to withstand fatigue, endure challenging condition over extended periods.
Intelligence: This attribute measures the mind's speed of comprehension, cognition and knowledge. It determines the person's ability to analyze information, solve complex problems and make informed decisions.
Luck: This attribute basically works as your 'plot armour' meter. It determines how things generally work for you and is tied to your fate. \)
'Hmmm, it seems like there are two different ways to increase my strength. Either by leveling up or by increasing my mana rank, but what of the Soul and Chaos stats, can I level them up too?'
(Is there anything else?)
(/No, not really...\)
(Just talk.)
(/Sigh. Anyways, there's someone I'd like you to meet\)
Suddenly, Neo felt a lift and found himself in a small room, just an ordinary bedroom. He noticed that his body has seemingly reverted to his original age. There was only a small bed and a desk to the side. On the desk was an open comic "H.Galaxy". But his eyes weren't on the comic or the bed but the countless cartoon drawings etched into the wall above the bed. The images sent a jolt of recognition through him, each sight brought a new memory, each glance, a pang of nostalgia.
He recognized the room, after all, he had lived in it most of his life.
"How is this possible...our old place?"
Suddenly he felt a chilling presence behind him.
A soft voice breathed down his neck.
"Hello... Neo, it's been far too long."