Leonel's mind buzzed as he stared at the glowing panel. His fingers twitched, eager to press into the air like he could pry it open with sheer will.
"Inventory," he whispered.
At once, another screen unfolded before him, this one empty save for a small glowing square pulsing faintly at the center.
---
[Inventory]
Slots: 1/10
Item: Book of Primordials
---
His breath caught. The book—the one that had cut him, the one that started everything—was there, sitting inside the grid like it had been waiting all along.
Leonel reached out instinctively, and the panel shimmered. A weight dropped into his hands.
The Book of Primordials.
It was real. Solid. Cold to the touch.
He turned it over, and the runes along its cover glowed faintly in rhythm with his pulse, as though the book itself recognized him.
"This… is insane," he muttered, half in awe, half in disbelief.
But before he could lose himself in staring, the voice chimed again.
{System Guidance Protocol activated. Host is advised to begin with Status Familiarization.}
Leonel blinked. "Guidance…?"
The panel reshaped itself, highlighting his listed skills one by one.
[Weapon Mastery] — Passive skill. Increases proficiency with all physical weapons by 30%.
[Zone] — Active skill. Enter a heightened state of perception for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
[Martial Master] — Passive skill. Inherited combat instincts from countless battles. Reaction speed and adaptability increased.
Leonel's lips parted as he read. He couldn't help it—excitement shot through him like fire. These weren't just words. They were power.
And yet, his eyes kept drifting back to the bottom.
[Primogenitor's Legacy — Locked]
That one line weighed more than all the others combined.
"What are you hiding from me…?" he murmured.Leonel's thoughts were still circling around the locked line when a sudden, casual voice intruded.
{Knock, knock.}
Leonel nearly jumped out of his skin. His head snapped around, but of course, there was no one there.
"Wait—what? You… you can talk?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
{Of course I can,} the system replied, its tone dripping with smugness, like it had just been insulted. {What did you expect, some silent, boring interface? I am the Primo System, the one and only, perfectly crafted for a being as rare as you. Silence would be an insult to my brilliance.}
Leonel blinked, utterly floored. "You sound… narcissistic."
{Narcissistic? Wrong. Correct term: self-aware perfection. You're welcome.}
Leonel rubbed his temples, unsure whether to laugh or panic. He had imagined systems as cold, mechanical voices—never something this arrogant.
"…So you're not just some panel," he muttered.
{Finally, he realizes,} the voice drawled, almost smug enough to make him want to punch it. {I am more than a system. I am your partner, your guide, your only hope of surviving what's to come. Without me, you'd be… well, just another clueless human fumbling in the dark.}
Leonel's brow furrowed. "What's to come?"
The system chuckled—a low, amused sound that sent a shiver crawling up his spine.
{Ah, now that would be telling… but don't worry, Host. When the time comes, you'll thank me.}
Leonel exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. A sarcastic, narcissistic system. Just what he needed.
But beneath the irritation, a flicker of curiosity burned. If the system could talk, maybe it knew more than it let on. Maybe it held answers to the questions clawing at him.
And yet, he had the unsettling feeling that it would only speak when it wanted to.Just as Leonel opened his mouth to speak again—
Knock. Knock.
This time, it wasn't inside his head.
The sound came from his bedroom door.