From his previous life's memories a peculiar detail stood out,
Back on Earth he had read countless web novels to escape the harsh reality of the apocalypse.
His favourite among them was a masterpiece called Saga of the God Slayer. It was a story of a chosen one protagonist with thick plot armour. A world where magic soared, gods schemed, and mortals carved their own paths to supremacy.
The name of the continent in that book had been Aris.
And the name of the continent he currently lived on… was also Aris.
The resemblance didn't end there. The power system of this world, the flow of mana, the structure of society, even the laws of magic, Everything mirrored the fictional setting he had once lost himself in.
It wasn't a vague similarity. It was near identical, as though someone had taken the world from the novel and painted it over reality.
Will couldn't dismiss such a coincidence.
He had two theories.
One: he had been trapped into the novel itself a character within a world whose story he only partially remembered. Maybe an illusion of a demon who tormented him.
Two: He had been thrown into an alternate universe where the events of the story were real, where the author of the novel had, knowingly or unknowingly, glimpsed this world through imagination or fate.
The second option felt more plausible to him, but even then, he wasn't arrogant enough to assume he understood the mechanics behind his reincarnation.
The only thing he knew with certainty was simple:
If this was an illusion or a trap, he would shatter it. And the ones responsible would experience a judgment far crueller than what he suffered in his past life.
DING!!
A soft chime echoed within his consciousness, disrupting the flow of his thoughts. Will frowned, sitting up slightly beneath the laurel tree.
Then glowing text materialised before him.
[system sync rate reached 100%][supremacy system activated..]
Will's breath hitched for a moment.
A system.An actual system.
"I've had my doubts about my rebirth" he muttered under his breath, "but never did I imagine I would get a live system like the ones I only read about in web novels back on Earth."
There was no excitement, only a quiet stir of mixed emotions. Systems were cheats, monstrous advantages capable of propelling one to heights unimaginable. But Will was not the naive young man he once was. The scars of two lives coated his soul.
He already had a goal, carved in the blood of his family. Whether he received help or not, he would chase it to the ends of existence. The addition of the system didn't ignite hope, it merely eased the weight resting on his shoulders by a fraction.
As if sensing his mindset, the system responded.
[amazing host! your temperament is perfect and aligns with the system's ultimate mission. My initial doubts about joining a mortal human like you are now cleared.]
"System."
[yes, host]
"Don't read my thoughts."
[that is impossible. Since I exist in your soul space, every vulnerability of yours is clear to me. I am not saying I wish to read your thoughts, I am saying that I cannot avoid it.]
A flicker of annoyance crossed Will's face.
"Then don't comment on my thoughts. Act as if you know nothing."
A brief pause happened
[understood… now, would you like to know about my capabilities?]
"Before that," Will said, his cold tone sharpening, "tell me your purpose and your origin.
And If you cannot, you are free to leave."
The system let out what suspiciously sounded like a sigh.
[sigh!! fine…]
[I will be brief and reveal only what I am permitted, but everything will be the truth. For you to believe me, I will swear upon the Will of the Universe. If I lie, may the universe erase me from existence.]
Will's eyes narrowed.
Swearing upon the Will of the Universe… the highest oath any being could take. Even gods trembled before such a vow. It was different from swearing to the heavens - heavens were mere layers of existence. But the universe… that was the foundation of everything.
A system capable of swearing such an oath existed on a scale beyond comprehension.
He silently signalled for it to continue.
[I am a sentient entity without a physical form. You cannot know my origins, and you are wise enough to understand why.]
[My purpose is to find a host and fuse myself with them. The host must possess a strong will, an unbreakable purpose, and… infinite madness buried within.]
Will didn't flinch.he continued to listen, till now everything sounded usual things he had heard from the system in countless system novels.
[I devour fate itself. The fate of your enemies will nourish me. In return, you shall bring me more prey, more beings whose destinies I will consume.
It is a symbiotic relationship. although i can sustain without it, but I find fate delicious that's all. Once bound to a host, I cannot unbind myself.
I cannot turn against my host, I am not familiar with that concept it's like going against my existence.]
The words resonated with something deep inside Will, a darkness forged through agony and loss. A promise of brutality. A partnership built on destruction.
He let out a long exhale.
He had half expected such an answer. Systems, in novels or myths, always had enigmatic origins. As long as it didn't pose a direct threat to him, he would not pry further. Not yet.
"Fine," he said, voice cooler than before, though a faint softness lingered. "I won't ask more."
[very well, host]
"Now tell me what you can do."
The system lit up with faint golden text.
[host, currently two features are unlocked]
[1. system shop][2. binding system]
[1. system shop – purchase anything for shop points.
PRIVILEGE: host may buy one item for free once a month.
Note : shop points are earned when you complete a mission
current assigned missions - N.A]
[2. binding system – host may bind specific individuals. Each time the bound individual breaks through or gains strength, the host receives 100x their gains—either in quality or quantity.]
[current binders: 0/1]
[note: more binders can be purchased from the shop.]
Will's eyes sharpened.
"Useful," he murmured.
The outline of a path appeared in his mind - faint but promising. He already had plans for growth, for revenge, for ascension. Now, with the system's help, that path widened. The obstacles became less suffocating. Time became an ally, not an enemy.
His rise would no longer be slow.