"Uhhh… where am I? Why can't I see anything? I feel so weird."
Carter felt as though everything that made him human was taken from him.
"What happened to me?"
[Notice]
Creator Being System has been acquired
"WAH—WHO SAID THAT?!"
A wave of silence followed, but somehow, he felt something. Not with their eyes, because, well… they didn't seem to be able to hear anything. Not with their body, either. It was as if they were simply… there. A speck of nothing.
[SYSTEM]
Welcome, host. Would you like to understand your current situation?
YES/NO?
"I-I don't know who or what you are, but it doesn't seem like I have another option. YES!"
[SYSTEM]
The host's previous life has come to a tragic end. However, fear not, for you have been chosen by the Creator Being System.
Carter stood silent for a moment, his mind racing. "So I died, huh? …Sigh. My life wasn't much, but it wasn't so bad… How did I die?"
[DENIED]
[SYSTEM]
Host does not have access to such information.
"What?! I don't have access to my own death?"
[SYSTEM]
Yes. The information regarding the host's demise is inaccessible and cannot be accessed with the host's current state.
"Can you at least tell me what's happened to me and where I am?"
[SYSTEM]
You are an interplanetary object of atmospheric entry, floating through an infinite expanse of cosmic singularities, where interstellar phenomena and galactic architectures interlace within an ever-expanding continuum of space-time.
"...Repeat that?"
[SYSTEM]
... programming grammar based on the host's intelligence... You are a meteor floating through space.
"Hey, RUDE! BUT WHAT?! I'M A METEOR!!"
"OUT OF EVERYTHING, A METEOR!?" Carter continued his rant.
"Even in novels, the mc is usually turned into a living biological creature like a slime."
[SYSTEM]
We would be killed with copyright.
"What!? I don't even—"
[SYSTEM]
Never mind. hough the host is not a biological entity, you are, in a sense, a living creature, and with the help of the system, you could gain biological experiences like sight.
"Really? But meteors don't have eyes so how would i be able to see?"
[SYSTEM]
It wouldn't be seeing in the conventional sense. You would release an invisible zone around you, allowing you to perceive everything within that zone.
"Sounds great! Well, what are you waiting for? Get it up and running—I wanna finally be able to see!"
[NOTICE]
Zone vision cost: 200 celestial energy.
"Huh? What's celestial energy and how do I even obtain that?"
[SYSTEM]
Celestial energy is the source energy for your path to evolution and the currency for system functions. It can be gathered from nearby celestial clusters, nebulae, and other celestial objects as you drift through space. You can also absorb energy from nearby cosmic phenomena.
Carter thought for a moment before replying. "Wait, so I just... float around and gather energy from space?"
[System]
Correct. However, there is an alternative method: You may shrink your size to gather 5 celestial energy per foot reduced in size. You are currently 200 feet in size, which means you can shrink 40 feet to acquire 200 celestial energy for the vision function.
"Ok, i guess that also works."
[NOTICE]
Host does not have any celestial energy. Would the host like to shrink to obtain 200 celestial energy?
"YES. Goodbye, darkness."
Carter felt a strange twinge of movement, as if his entire form was compressing. The sensation was odd, but bearable. Slowly, he began to shrink, the immense 200-foot size dwindling in increments. His body—well, meteor—compressed, reducing to 160 feet in length. He felt lighter; though he was still suspended in the void unable to move.
[SYSTEM]
200 celestial energy acquired. Zone vision available.
"Alright, let's use this zone vision thing," Carter muttered. " finally get some light up in this... whatever this is."
[SYSTEM]
Activating Zone Vision.
Carter waited, but at first, nothing changed. His world remained a vast, empty void. Then he felt it—his awareness expanding in all directions, like the ripples from a stone thrown into water. He could sense things moving, debris from asteroids, and the flowing solar winds, but the limits of his perception were clear.
"I can… See things," he said, more to himself than the system. "No… Seeing Isn't the right word. It's more like… I'm aware of them."
[SYSTEM]
Current range of Zone Vision: 10 miles.
Carter frowned. "Ten miles? That's it? I thought it would be more than just that."
[SYSTEM]
The host's current size limits the range of perception. As the host grows larger, the radius of vision will expand.
"Well, it is a bit anticlimactic," Carter muttered. "Ten miles isn't much in space, is it?"
He tried to make sense of his new abilities. He could feel the energy of objects within his 10-mile zone—faint, wandering asteroids. Everything was there, some out of direct sight, like knowing something was happening on the other side of a wall.
"Still, I guess it's better than nothing," Carter sighed. "And it's not like I have many options."
He focused on a nearby asteroid, feeling its mass and cosmic energy radiating within his range, he could sense its presence quite vividly, even though he couldn't actually "see" it.
"Hey system, You said i was able to absorb cosmic energy from asteroids, correct?
[SYSTEM]
Yes, that is correct.
"...Do i just sit here and hope for the best or what? I'm still not able to move."
[SYSTEM]
The host does not have access to any movement abilities at the moment. Would the host like to purchase Astro Movement for 500 celestial energy?
Carter sighed. "How much more would I shrink?"
[SYSTEM]
...The host would shrink down by 90 feet.
"90 feet, huh? I swear, by the end of this, I'll be the size of a golf ball. Fine, let's do it. It's not like I can get around any other way."
As soon as the words left his thoughts, that odd shrinking sensation came back. Carter watched as his size shrunk down to 70 feet. His zone vision's reach dwindling down with him. It was like he had pressed the zoom-in button on his entire existence.
[SYSTEM]
The host has down by 90 feet.
Suddenly, Carter felt... something. Not like walking or flying, but an awareness of direction. He couldn't feel limbs or wings, but he could somehow will himself forward, and sure enough, he started to glide through space.
"Whoa... I can actually move now!" Carter shouted, laughing as he spun in random directions. He propelled himself forward, then stopped, then veered left, repeating this action in multiple directions.
"This is awesome! I'm like a space ninja!"
As he sped through the cosmos, he quickly came to a stop, focusing on his main goal. "Hold up. Since i can move, I can control where I go next. System, is there a way to find more of that celestial energy stuff?"
He continued.
"I already can sense celestial energy but it all feels the same, and I can't tell the exact location. I just want to know if im able to tell them apart and know their exact locations.
[SYSTEM]
The host can enable the Auto-Detection funtion. It allows you to automatically detect multiple nearby celestial energy without focusing on just one. As long as it is within your zone vision, you will also be able to track down its coordinates.
[SYSTEM]
Would the host like to activate this function?
Carter zipped around again, enjoying his newfound freedom. "Oh, yeah! If celestial energy can help me do this, sign me up."
[NOTICE]
Auto-Detection activated.
As soon as the function kicked in, Carter felt a slight buzz in the back of his mind. It wasn't overpowering, but it was noticeable. Like a sixth sense.
"That's new," he muttered. Focusing on the strange feeling, he quickly noticed several weak pulses spread throughout his Zone Vision, each one giving off a faint glow in his awareness. "It's like I've got a radar for space energy. Sweet!"
Carter drifted toward the nearest pulse. It was faint but persistent, about 6 miles out from where he was. When he reached the source, he found another asteroid, about 50 feet in size, lazily drifting through the void.
"Hey, System, what do I do with this?" Carter asked, eyeing the meteor. "How exactly do i absorb it?"
[SYSTEM]
Meteors provide both mass and celestial energy. The host must fuse with it to obtain half its mass and celestial energy.
Carter blinked. "And how exactly would I go about that?"
[SYSTEM]
...Collide into it.
Carter stared at the meteor for a moment, unsure how to feel about the answer. "You want me to... crash into it? Seriously? Won't that hurt? I've seen armageddon.
[SYSTEM]
The host need not worry; the process is painless.
Carter sighed. "Great. First I'm shrinking, and now I'm playing cosmic Agar. Fine, let's do this."
He willed himself forward, picking up speed as he aimed directly at the drifting asteroid. Carter could feel the tension building as he closed the gap.
"I swear, if this hurts..." Carter crashed into the asteroid.
The impact wasn't as jarring as he expected. Instead of a violent collision, it felt like the two objects merged smoothly, as if the asteroid was made of soft clay rather than solid rock. As they fused, Carter felt a surge of energy, like a jolt of electricity coursing through his core.
[NOTICE]
Meteor absorbed, 25 mass gained, and 250 celestial energy.