The world of Aetherium was renowned for its beauty and majesty. It was a realm centered around magic and mystical forces that bent the world to their will.
There were many paths to power—namely mages, knights, assassins, and swordsmen. Anything was possible in this world, provided one possessed the talent and applied the necessary hard work.
The splendor of this world flourished with the first appearance of the Gates. No records existed of when they emerged; they had simply been there for as long as anyone could remember. Through these Gates, Aetherium was baptized by various energies, the most prominent being Mana.
While all other energies derived from Mana—making it the most abundant—this did not necessarily mean it was the most powerful. Other energies used Mana as their foundation, yet each possessed unique properties and effects.
Aetherium Academy
The Academy had existed since the emergence of the Gates. It was so deeply woven into the history of the world that it was named after the realm itself. This institute served to nurture promising youths for the cruel world lying beyond its borders.
Situated on its own island, the Academy held enough power to rival the top families. No clan dared protest its sovereignty; if a greedy family decided to attack, the others would unite to protect the institution, creating a perfect deterrent.
In the lower-level dormitories, a teenage boy lay on a bed. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully until he woke with a sudden jolt. He clutched his head, groaning in agony.
"Arghhh!"
A few seconds later, the pain subsided. His eyes cleared, then widened in shock.
"Holy shitttttttttt!"
This young man was Aethel Watts, who had just regained his memories after seventeen years of reincarnation. It was a true reincarnation, as his original soul had transitioned; he had simply been unaware of his past life until this moment, for reasons he did not yet understand.
'So I was reincarnated. Why did I only get my memories now? I wonder what triggered it?'
'Wait a second... now that I think about it, this world seems familiar.'
A moment later, his eyes widened as the realization hit him.
'I remember reading a novel about a world exactly like this. I forgot the title, but I think I only read about 40 chapters out of 500 because I wasn't feeling it.'
'I was looking for a story with an overpowered main character, and this wasn't it. Every character was overpowered, but I specifically wanted an invincible protagonist. It might sound stupid to others, but that was the "slop" I was craving at the time.'
'From what I recall, this is a slightly modern-medieval world featuring different types of Gates.'
The story was unique because, instead of an overpowered protagonist with a useless harem and repetitive "face-slapping" tropes, it offered a twist: the protagonists faced truly overpowered enemies and had a relatively competent supporting cast—at least in the forty chapters he had finished.
After sorting through his memories, Aethel realized his name was identical to the one he had on Earth.
'Wait... I don't remember any character with my name. Does that mean I'm an extra?'
'Shit, that's not good. I don't want to be cannon fodder in this cruel world. Even though I have decent talent—enough to enter the Academy—it's nothing compared to the named characters and villains.'
"Mmmmm, this is not goo—"
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{{SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE}}
[ORIGIN SYSTEM HAS FUSED WITH THE HOST'S SOUL]
[WELCOME, HOST, TO THE ORIGIN SYSTEM]
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Seeing the blue screen hovering before him, a wide grin slowly spread across his face.
"Hahahaha! Looks like I have nothing to worry about."
'System, show me my status,' he thought.
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{STATUS SCREEN}
* NAME: Aethel Watts
* RACE: Human
* Age: 17 (Previously 19)
* Talent: Superior Comprehension (B)
* Affinity: Lightning (C)
* Rank: E
STATS:
* Strength: E
* Speed: E
* Intelligence: C
* Mana: E
* Luck: B
* Charm: E
Skills: Mana Control (C), Mana Sense (C), Minor Regeneration (E)
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Looking at the status screen, Aethel realized his stats didn't look like those of an average persons . Most people in Aetherium are Rank F with corresponding stats, obviously excluding the overpowered named characters.
'It must be because of my talent.'
While elemental or physical talents were more common and often ranked higher in terms of raw destructive power, mind-related talents held a unique, understated supremacy. They were rarely considered "the best" by those who sought immediate strength, yet their utility was peerless. A mind talent allowed a user to perceive patterns, master complex techniques, and adapt to combat at a speed that physical training alone could never match. In a world where a split-second decision could mean the difference between life and death, having a mind that functioned like a high-speed processor was a hidden cheat that most overlooked until it was too late.
Talents were rare. While not quite one in a million, they appeared in roughly one in a thousand people. With most being F-Rank, many who possessed them chose to avoid the Gates, using their abilities for everyday lifestyle purposes instead.
The ranks were: F, E, D, C, B, A, S-, S, S+, SS-, SS, SS+, SSS-, SSS, SSS+. Rumors persisted of an EX Rank, though no proof existed.
'Even the weakest SSS-rank is capable of destroying planets ten times the size a small solar system. I can't even fathom the power of an EX Rank—probably enough to destroy universes. They're beyond my comprehension.'
Considering the scale, a B-rank talent was quite impressive.
'Though the fact that all named characters have at least an S+ talent doesn't make mine look great by comparison...'
'Hah, I'm overthinking. Hey System, what are your functions?'
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{{SYSTEM FUNCTIONS}}
* Copying: Ability to copy abilities, talents, affinities, spirit roots, etc.
* Fusion: Ability to fuse all things that copied (Upgradable).
(Note : the host can choose to sacrifice one of the chosen items to increase the others .)
*????????
* %&##&^#&#
****
***
**
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Aethel was stunned. This meant he could harvest everything from the named characters. He could easily surpass them all.
"Looks like I was worried for nothing."
"A B-rank talent and a broken system? It's almost unfair. I almost feel bad for the 'geniuses' of this academy... almost."
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