The bar was loud in the comfortable way.
Cheap music thumped through old speakers. Laughter rose and fell in waves. Glasses clinked, and the smell of alcohol, grease, and sweat lingered in the air.
Kael Verin liked places like this.
No expectations.
No pressure.
No future.
He leaned against the counter, glass in hand, watching his friend sit stiffly on the stool beside him.
Kaelen Varis looked calm on the surface, but Kael could tell something was off. His shoulders were too straight. His grip on the glass was too careful.
"I already told you," Kaelen said quietly. "It's not a big deal."
Kael snorted.
"You got into Royal Aether University."
"So?" Kaelen replied too quickly. "It's just a school."
Kael took a slow sip.
Royal Aether wasn't just a school. It was where the gifted went. Where ambition gathered. Where people who wanted to change the world ended up.
Kaelen had earned it.
"You studied like your life depended on it," Kael said. "Don't pretend you didn't."
Kaelen looked away. "I didn't do it for praise."
"That's obvious," Kael said. "You hate attention."
Kaelen sighed. "Please don't start."
Kael smiled.
He turned slightly toward the bartender, voice casual, like he was making small talk.
"This guy?" Kael said, jerking a thumb toward Kaelen. "Studies all day. Sleeps early. Never wastes time."
Someone nearby glanced over.
Kaelen groaned. "Kael."
"He worked for it," Kael continued. "Way harder than me."
"That's not hard," Kaelen muttered.
Kael laughed.
"True. I sleep."
A few people nearby chuckled.
Kaelen relaxed a little. "See? That's the difference between us."
Kael tilted his head. "Is it?"
Kaelen frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kael shrugged, alcohol loosening his tongue.
"You just decided to aim higher," he said.
He straightened slightly, swaying just a bit.
"Watch," Kael said. "This is how you sound."
He cleared his throat and spoke in a flat, serious voice.
"Yeah, I'm Kaelen Varis.
I work hard.
I take responsibility.
I'll probably end up doing dangerous things."
Laughter broke out.
Kaelen covered his face. "Please stop."
Kael wasn't mocking him cruelly.
This was how they'd always joked.
"You don't even like attention," Kael continued.
"But if power helps people, you'll take it.
If getting stronger is necessary, you'll do it."
Kaelen peeked through his fingers. "You're exaggerating."
"Only a little," Kael said. "You're basically me."
Kaelen blinked. "What?"
"Same person," Kael said lazily. "Different effort."
Kael raised his glass.
"To you," he said. "Going off to do risky things so the rest of us don't have to."
Kaelen shook his head, smiling despite himself.
They clinked glasses.
For just a heartbeat, the noise of the bar dipped.
No one noticed.
---
Far beyond the bar, beyond the world itself, something listened.
System D-9999 did not understand jokes.
It did not understand intent.
It processed names, claims, and patterns.
[Name detected]
[Ambition confirmed]
[Location locked]
[Binding initiated]
---
The world vanished.
Kael blinked and found himself standing in an endless white space.
Silent.
Clean.
Empty.
"…Great," he muttered. "I'm sober."
A calm, emotionless voice spoke.
"Host confirmed."
Kael sighed. "Let me guess. Dead?"
"No."
"Kidnapped?"
"No."
"Promoted?"
"…Yes."
Three translucent panels unfolded before him.
The System had shown these same choices 9,999 times before.
---
Option One: Path of Absolute Offense
Gain overwhelming offensive power.
Your attacks will destroy any enemy instantly.
What Kael saw: power. Trouble. Effort.
What he could not see:
This path granted zero defense.
No durability.
No resistance.
No protection.
Previous hosts shattered under their own power.
Some died from recoil.
Some tripped.
Some were struck once.
All of them died quickly.
---
Option Two: Path of Absolute Defense
Gain perfect protection.
No force in existence can harm you.
What Kael saw: safety. Boredom.
What he could not see:
This path granted zero power.
No strength.
No authority.
No ability to change anything.
These hosts survived.
They were removed from their worlds and reassigned into endless system administration work.
They lived.
And they hated this system.
---
Option Three: Sealed Private World
A closed personal space isolated from all realms.
You may create items and materials within it.
No combat abilities are granted.
This option had no lie.
Because the truth itself was enough to make people reject it.
Outside this space, the host would be completely normal.
No enhanced strength.
No protection.
No durability.
A knife would kill them.
A monster would tear them apart.
From the System's calculations, this was the fastest death of all.
That was why no ambitious host had ever chosen it.
---
Kael leaned closer.
"Inside the space," he asked, "can I make food?"
"Yes."
"A bed?"
"Yes."
"And no one can bother me?"
"Yes."
Kael nodded.
"I'll take this."
The System paused.
For the first time.
[Selection confirmed]
[ERROR]
[Authority conflict detected]
---
The white space shattered.
Kael stumbled into a vast hall of smooth black-and-white stone.
The air felt calm.
Heavy.
Absolute.
"…Nice," he said. "Too big, though."
A floating interface appeared.
House of Sin — Ruler Status Active
Kael barely looked at it.
He tapped one option.
Summon: Assistant
"I'll get bored alone," he muttered. "Just send someone normal."
---
Far away, in another world—
Valer had been enjoying silence.
Steam rose slowly from the bath. Blood-wine rested on the tub's edge.
Then the world collapsed.
The tub vanished.
Valer fell.
Instinct erupted.
Killing intent exploded outward—
And vanished.
Not suppressed.
Erased.
Valer slammed into smooth stone. Water splashed violently. The tub shattered.
He stood instantly.
His bloodline screamed.
This place did not resist him.
It denied him.
His legs buckled.
Reality had already chosen.
Valer dropped to one knee.
"My… Lord…"
The man on the couch blinked.
"…Did you bring the bathtub with you?"
Valer laughed weakly.
"Yes."
Kael leaned back.
"Can you help manage things?"
That question terrified Valer more than any command.
Manage… this place?
Valer lowered his head fully.
"I will serve."
---
The System said nothing.
It could not undo the binding.
It could not tell the truth.
It could not harm its host.
And for the first time since its creation—
System D-9999 realized it had chosen the wrong host.