Inside the silent Pocket Dimension, space distorted without warning, rippling like a disturbed surface of water. A moment later, Alex's battered body appeared and collapsed heavily onto the cold, empty ground, the system barely managing to bring him back in time.
His condition was horrific.
His right arm hung at a twisted, unnatural angle, clearly broken beyond normal limits. Several ribs had collapsed inward, making each breath sound strained and painfully shallow, as if his lungs themselves were struggling to keep him alive.
Alex groaned weakly.
His vision blurred, the world spinning faintly as dizziness overwhelmed him. Still, he forced his eyes open, scanning the endless emptiness around him as the familiar void of the pocket dimension slowly came into focus.
"…So I made it back here…" he muttered faintly, his voice barely audible.
For a brief moment, relief washed over him like a fragile wave, easing the tension in his chest. But that feeling didn't last long before something else took its place.
His thoughts drifted.
Back to the memory.
The image of his mother.
Alex frowned weakly, his brows tightening as confusion crept into his mind. That memory felt strange—familiar, yet distant, as though it had been buried deep inside him for years, hidden behind something unseen.
It didn't feel complete.
It felt… blocked.
"I… don't understand…" he whispered, his breathing uneven as pain surged through his chest again, cutting his thoughts apart before they could fully form into something meaningful.
"T-This… must be what the system meant…?" he muttered, struggling to connect the fragments of his thoughts.
"…About my soul…?"
His mind was unstable, drifting dangerously close to unconsciousness as the pain continued to intensify. His thoughts scattered, slipping through his grasp like sand, refusing to stay long enough to make sense.
Then—
The system screen appeared.
[Host's body is in critical condition.]
[Emergency Recovery Mode is being activated.]
The moment those words appeared, a warm, golden light spread throughout Alex's body, wrapping around him like a protective embrace, gentle yet overwhelmingly powerful.
His broken right arm trembled violently.
Then—
Before his eyes, the bone began reconstructing itself. The twisted limb straightened as muscles, tendons, and flesh regenerated rapidly, reforming perfectly as if time itself had reversed the damage.
Within seconds—
It was healed.
Completely.
Alex stared at his arm in disbelief, his breathing pausing as his mind struggled to process what he was witnessing.
But the process wasn't over.
Another surge of energy flowed into his chest, stronger this time, more intense. His shattered ribcage began repairing itself at an even faster rate, bones snapping back into place and knitting together flawlessly.
The pain vanished instantly.
Like it had never existed.
It felt unreal.
Like a miracle.
Alex slowly pushed himself up from the ground, his movements cautious at first, as if expecting the pain to return at any moment.
But it didn't.
He looked down at his hands.
Then touched his chest.
Then moved his arm again.
Everything felt normal.
Perfectly normal.
"Wh… what…?" his voice trembled, disbelief clear in his tone.
"What kind of… miracle is this…?"
He stood up fully now, still trying to process everything that had just happened. His body, which had been on the brink of collapse moments ago, now felt completely restored without a single trace of injury.
Cautiously, he tested himself.
He bent his arm, slowly at first, then faster.
He clenched his fists tightly, feeling strength flow naturally through them. Then he jumped slightly and threw a few punches into the empty space, confirming what his senses were already telling him.
He was perfectly fine.
For nearly a minute, Alex simply stood there, experimenting with his movements, disbelief lingering in his eyes as reality struggled to align with what he had just experienced.
It felt impossible.
But before he could fully process it—
Another message appeared.
[Host has received a Gift Package from the System for successfully binding with the Host.]
[Would you like to open the Gift Package now?]
[Y / N]
Alex blinked slowly.
"…Wait."
His brows furrowed as something clicked in his mind, a distant memory surfacing from years ago, faint but recognizable.
"This… this looks familiar…"
He had seen something like this before.
In novels.
Years ago, he had spent countless nights reading stories filled with systems, abilities, and powerful protagonists who rose above everything through mysterious gifts and hidden potential.
"…Why didn't I think of that earlier?" he muttered.
"Maybe it's because it's been so long…"
He scratched his head lightly, trying to recall those stories more clearly as fragmented memories slowly returned to him.
Gift packages.
Overpowered abilities.
Ridiculous growth.
His curiosity ignited instantly.
He looked at the system screen again, his eyes sharpening slightly as excitement mixed with caution.
"System," he asked carefully, "will I also receive overpowered abilities like those main characters in novels?"
The system responded without delay.
[Yes, Host. That statement is partially correct.]
Another message followed immediately.
[However, the abilities within this gift package are only a temporary match for Host's current state.]
[Host's soul possesses extremely high potential.]
[This gift package will appear overpowered for now, but will not suffice for Host's future growth.]
Alex frowned again at the mention of his soul.
It kept coming up.
Again and again.
But deep down, he understood something.
Even if the system explained it—
He wouldn't fully understand.
Not yet.
So he let it go.
For now.
His focus shifted back to the gift.
He straightened slightly, his voice steady.
"Open the gift package."
A strange excitement began building inside him, growing stronger with each passing second.
The screen flickered.
[Gift Package Opening…]
Then—
The rewards appeared.
[Host has obtained Ability: Omni Presence.]
[Host has obtained Ability: Omni Growth.]
[Host has obtained Ability: Omni Space Master.]
[Host has obtained Weapon: Kalkor's Katana.]
[Host has obtained Ability: Omni Physique.]
Alex's breathing stopped for a moment.
Not because of the abilities.
But because of a name.
Kalkor.
A strange sensation passed through his mind, subtle yet sharp, like something trying to break through from deep within his consciousness.
"…Kalkor?"
He frowned deeply.
"Why does that feel familiar…?"
It was like a memory—
Almost within reach.
But just as quickly—
It vanished.
Leaving nothing behind.
Then his attention shifted again.
[Host can view all ability details in the Status Screen.]
[Simply say the command: "Status".]
Alex blinked.
"Oh right…"
He rubbed his chin slightly.
"That was a thing in those novels too…"
Then he spoke.
"Status."
The system responded instantly.
A new screen appeared before him.
But the moment he saw it—
His eyes widened.
[Status]
Name: Alex #@!*&
Age: 24
Species: "%$#$ Human"
Abilities:
• Omni Presence
• Omni Growth
• Omni Space Master
• Omni Physique {Integrable}
Strength Status
STR: 11
STM: 8
VIT: 19
AGL: 10
SOUL POWER: UNKNOWN
[Inventory]
Alex stared at the screen in silence.
Then slowly—
His expression darkened.
Two things stood out immediately.
His surname.
And his species.
Both were corrupted.
"What kind of joke is this…?" he muttered, irritation creeping into his voice.
"My surname is obviously—"
He tried to say it.
But the moment the words left his mouth—
They changed.
"#@!*&"
Alex froze.
"…What?"
He tried again, more firmly this time.
"My surname is—"
"#@!*&"
The same distorted sound echoed again, mechanical and unnatural, completely replacing his actual words.
Alex's eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell…?!"
Frustration turned into anger instantly.
"My surname is—"
Again.
"#@!*&"
The sound repeated, cold and absolute, leaving no room for resistance.
Alex clenched his fists tightly, his breathing growing heavier as anger surged through him.
"What the hell is happening?!" he shouted.
"Why does it keep turning into gibberish?!"
His chest rose and fell rapidly, emotions spiraling out of control as something far more personal was being tampered with.
"…Damn it!"
"My mother gave me that name!" he yelled, his voice filled with raw anger and pain.
"She gave me her surname instead of that useless man who abandoned us!"
His fists trembled violently.
To him—
That name wasn't just a word.
It was her.
His only connection.
And now—
Even that was being taken.
The thought alone filled him with a deep, burning rage that refused to settle.
He tried to calm himself, but his emotions wouldn't listen.
And then—
The system flickered again.
A new message slowly appeared on the screen.