Sam lay sprawled on the floor, completely knocked out, his world a blurry haze. After what felt like an eternity of unconsciousness, he slowly stirred back to life.
"Ugh, my head!" Sam groaned, rising from the ground. Pain pulsed through his head, an unrelenting reminder of his collision with the unforgiving cave wall. "I hit it pretty hard."
As he rubbed the back of his head, the realization hit him – today was not his day. Instead of being snug in bed, recovering from the day's toil, he found himself trapped in this dim, foreboding place.
Once the throbbing in his head subsided, Sam mustered the strength to stand. But before searching for an escape, he needed answers.
"Where's that book?" Sam questioned, his voice echoing in the cavern. The mysterious book, now transformed into blinding white light, had vanished after its forceful entry into his mind, leaving him bewildered.
"Today's not my day. I just need to go home and rest. Is that too much to ask?" Sam muttered, resolving to plunge into one of the ominous holes for an escape. Yet, as he took a step forward, a peculiar presence materialized, shrouding his vision.
[Merging with Host]
[Merging process estimated to take approximately 5 seconds...]
[Analyzing...]
"What the hell is this?" Sam exclaimed, his confusion merging with a growing sense of unease.
Sam was taken aback as a sudden notification materialized before him—a blue-colored holographic display that hovered in the air. He had to read the words to comprehend the message, a reminiscent touch of the games he had once bought for his daughter, games they used to play together before her untimely passing.
[Merging complete]
[Welcome, host. I am the system, here to guide you on the path to power.]
"Why?" Sam pondered, deciding to entertain the enigmatic notifications that appeared one after another. Uncertainty lingered, as he questioned his own sanity, wondering if the impact on his head had triggered something unusual. Regardless, what intrigued Sam at the moment was the entity referring to itself as 'the system.'
'Power.'
Power was the one thing Sam craved—an instrument to exact revenge on the champions and humanity itself. All he desired was to make them suffer as he had suffered. However, achieving that required power, power capable of rivaling the champions. Could this system truly fulfill his yearning?
"Whatever you are, you claimed you can give me power," Sam inquired, feeling a bit strange talking to what seemed like himself. To verify, Sam tentatively reached out to touch the message, only to find his hand passing through.
'Am I going crazy?' Sam wondered.
'No, you're not.'
Suddenly, a voice responded in Sam's head. Initially attributing it to his conscience, he soon realized consciousness doesn't speak back. The situation overwhelmed Sam—messages appearing, a voice in his head—he felt like he was losing his mind.
'And to answer your first question, the system grants you that, I think,' the voice explained.
"I thought you were the system thing?" Sam said, attempting to make sense of his predicament.
'No, I'm different. The system's just a thing. Even though I don't know its full purpose, I am in your mind,' the voice clarified.
Panic set in for Sam; nothing seemed to make sense, and the weight he felt grew heavier.
'Could you put yourself together!!' the voice snapped. 'You're acting like a p*ssy.'
With no other choice, Sam followed the voice's advice, attempting to understand his situation rather than succumbing to panic. He noticed something blinking red in the corner of his eye, and then another message from the system appeared.
[Would you like to view your status]
"Ugh, okay?" Sam muttered.
"Whoa," Sam expressed, confused by the information presented.
[You can find out more about the bars by clicking them]
Remembering the earlier issue with touching the bars physically, Sam attempted a different approach.
"How am I supposed to…" Sam started, attempting one more thing. He decided to use his mind by thinking of clicking the bar, and to his surprise, it worked.
[0 level body: At the moment, your body level is zero. With each level-up, your body will increase, granting you a stronger physique than any other human. When you reach a certain level, your body will evolve, and you'll acquire what is called a special body, making you strong on an even higher level]
"Doesn't this mean I can become stronger with the help of this system?" Sam exclaimed, excitement bubbling up as his wishes seemed to be coming true. His situation had just become more intriguing.
'As I said before, it would help you,' the voice reassured.
"Awesome! But wait. If the system would help me on my path to power, then what are you?" Sam inquired, wanting to know more about the presence in his head.
'You're not eligible to know the answer to that question,' the voice asserted.
Although Sam was curious about the identity of the voice in his head, he decided not to dwell on it for now. It felt peculiar to have someone conversing with him in his mind. Sam continued to tap on the other bars – the first was his name, so there was nothing there, and the next was his race, which was self-explanatory. Having checked the body level bar, he now turned his attention to the Energy bar.
[Energy: This status bar serves as a measure of your stamina and agility. Depending on the number on your energy bar, you can perform feats that normal humans can't.]
"That's cool. I'm like those Champions but totally different," Sam remarked.
The champions weren't the sole possessors of extraordinary abilities; they bestowed their powers upon individuals who became their disciples. These people, granted abilities by the champions, potentially worked for them, but in doing so, they became subservient, almost like slaves, all in pursuit of greater power.
Becoming a disciple of the champions was the ultimate dream for many, as it meant gaining abilities that surpassed those of an average human. People were willing to go to extreme lengths, even committing unthinkable acts, just to secure a chance at becoming a disciple. It was a universal goal for everyone in the tier five cities on Earth—everyone except for one person: Sam.
"Bastard!" Sam exclaimed, his feelings about the champions and their disciples clearly not favorable.
******
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