Silence descended over Aethyros Stadium.
The giant crystalline spire in the center—known as the System Obelisk—still glowed faintly from Neil's awakening. Its resonance had shaken the entire continent moments ago, and now the air felt heavier, charged with a strange energy that made even the most experienced awakeners sweat under their collars.
Neil stood at the center of it all, his expression calm, almost indifferent, though his heart pounded in his chest like a war drum. He wasn't supposed to exist. That much, he understood now. The whispers in the wind… the strange voice echoing in his mind… they all pointed to something beyond comprehension.
---
[System Initialization Complete]
Welcome, Neil Runders.
You have awakened the Primordial Nexus.
Designation: The Forbidden Origin.
---
Those words burned into his mind like brands. For a moment, Neil couldn't breathe. He had heard of Legendary Systems, even the rare Mythic Systems, but what he just saw didn't belong to any known classification. The entire database of mankind had no entry for something called the Primordial Nexus.
Then the voice returned—smooth, cold, and yet… ancient.
---
[I am Nexus.]
The beginning and the end. The silent convergence. The One who threads Eternia and Oblivion.]
---
Neil staggered slightly as torrents of data slammed into his consciousness. For an instant, he wasn't standing in the stadium anymore—he was in a void. A black and white sea stretching into infinity, stars blooming and dying in the distance like sparks from a forge. Two forces wrestled across this emptiness—Eternia, a blinding ocean of cascading light, and Oblivion, an abyss devouring everything in absolute silence.
And there, in the center of it all, was a throne. Empty. Waiting.
---
[Origin Parameters Loading…]
Your existence is an anomaly. The Nexus binds you to the Primordial Duality: Eternia and Oblivion.]
You are not a wielder of these forces. You are their convergence point.]
---
Neil gasped as reality snapped back. He was back on the marble platform, Sophia's worried eyes locking onto him. Around them, thousands of spectators whispered nervously. Their murmurs couldn't pierce the storm roaring in his head.
---
What is the Primordial Nexus?
As the system interface unfurled before him like an endless scroll, Neil realized the truth—the Nexus wasn't just a System. It was older than the concept of systems themselves. Each page of data felt like reading forbidden scripture:
[Primordial Tier]: The only classification above Mythic. Said to predate reality.
[Core Authority]: Absolute Manipulation of Duality—Eternia (Infinity) and Oblivion (Nothingness).
[Evolution Mode]: No level cap. System evolves based on dimensional entropy absorbed.
[Singularity Engine]: Generates infinite mana streams by converting universal decay.
[Dominion Protocols]: Locked. (Requirement: Sovereign Ascension)
[Fatal Clause]: The bearer was never meant to exist. Reality will try to erase you. Survive or perish.
---
Neil swallowed hard. Every line of text screamed danger, and yet… power. Pure, unadulterated power. If other systems were weapons, the Primordial Nexus was the forge that made those weapons—and then shattered the forge itself.
He scrolled further and found a section that froze his blood:
---
[Origins of the Nexus]:
Before systems, before gods, before existence itself, there was Balance. Two forces danced in an eternal paradox: Eternia—the infinite continuum, and Oblivion—the eternal erasure. Together, they sustained the Omniverse. But something broke that cycle. Something that should never have been born. The Nexus was forged from their collision—a singularity of pure contradiction.
Every bearer of the Nexus has rewritten fate itself. All were erased from history to maintain stability. You are the last attempt. The final heresy.
---
Neil clenched his fists. His very existence was a cosmic error. And if the system's warnings were true, the world would hunt him down the moment they learned what he possessed.
But then came the whisper. That same calm, unshakable voice:
---
[Do you wish to view Subsystems?]
---
He accepted without hesitation.
The screen exploded into branching sigils of light and shadow, weaving together in patterns that felt alive. The Primordial Nexus wasn't one ability—it was an entire multiverse of abilities.
---
Primary Subsystems:
1. Oblivion Matrix (Active)
Branches: Nullfire, Quantum Erasure, Soul Silence, Causality Collapse.
Description: Unmake reality at will. Erase matter, energy, even concepts.
2. Eternia Core (Active)
Branches: Infinity Surge, Eternal Genesis, Chronolight Dominion, Absolute Amplification.
Description: Infinite creation, time-layer manipulation, and boundless regeneration.
3. Convergence Authority (Locked)
Requirement: Survive 3 Reality Collapse Events.
Effect: Merge both extremes. Rewrite existence under your will.
---
Neil stared at the screen, breath shallow. This wasn't just power. This was cosmic authorship.
And then came the Tasks—the very first quest of the Primordial Nexus:
---
[Quest: Establish Dominance in a False World]
Objective: Reach Level 100 before your 18th birthday.
Penalty: Reality Annihilation.
Reward: Unlock Dominion Protocol [Phase I]
---
Neil let out a cold laugh.
"Reality annihilation, huh? Guess that's one hell of a motivator."
---
Meanwhile, Sophia approached him cautiously, her own interface glowing in the air. Neil finally glanced at it—and his eyes widened. Her system wasn't normal either.
---
[System Acquired: Seraphic Warden]
Class: Celestial Dominion (Mythic Tier)
Primary Authority: Absolute Command over Light Constructs and Divine Judgement Protocols.
---
Her face was a mixture of awe and fear.
"Neil… what is happening to us?"
Neil didn't answer. Because even as Sophia spoke, a second line of text scrolled across his vision like a bloodstain:
---
[Warning: High-Priority Entity Detected. The Architect has marked you.]
Countdown to First Pursuer: 72 Hours.]
---
Neil smirked.
"So… the game starts now."
The shadows lengthened. And in that silence, the world unknowingly stepped into an era it could never turn back from.
---
✅