"Now that I think about it..." Van thought, ignoring the message and scrolling over to his passive window. His eyes settled on the words: Seed of Darkness.
Passive: Seed of Darkness
Description:
You have been infected with an essence that permeates this world, known as the Void. This essence has manifested as the Seed of Darkness, now beginning to sprout within your heart.
Not to be confused with Void Energy—a force belonging solely to the Enlightened One, who exists beyond mortal and divine perception—this passive's true nature and ultimate potential will likely remain beyond your understanding.
'Like it was so far... But... What's this? there's something new to this...'
However... You have caught the Enlightened One's attention. Maybe this passive shall evolve someday.
You are permitted access to its most basic form—diminished and refined across trillions of iterations to prevent it from rupturing your reality—known as Arcane, the foundational magical force of your world.
Effects:
Arcane Interaction:
You can interact with the Void's refined essence, known as the Arcane—the energy upon which all magic in your world is based—as though it were tangible.
Aura Perception:
You can view auras and residual magic surrounding others. The colors of these auras correspond to the God influencing them, while their vibrancy reflects the deity's strength over that individual.
Vision Beyond the Veil:
You can perceive the true forms of beings, seeing beyond their material appearances.
Glimpses of the Beyond:
You are capable of momentarily peering into realms beyond mortal comprehension.
[Additional Notes]
The Arcane stat cannot be directly increased. Its potency is tied to your mastery over yourself and the world around you. Should you falter and abandon your true self, the Seed of Darkness will consume you, erasing your existence as [The Being Veiled in Shadows] draws closer. Another wielder bears the Seed of Darkness—one in a far more advanced form.
'The only new thing here is the mention of me catching the Enlightened One's attention... Whoever that is. Why doesn't the system elaborate on him? Is he like Buddha or something? And then there's the being veiled in shadows that gets closer to me. Who's he?'
[REMINDER: YOU HAVE YET TO PICK WHETHER YOU'LL BECOME A REALLY, REALLY STRONG GOD!]
The prompt popped up in front of his face.
[ACCEPT?!]
[no - you admit you're an idiot.]
'Speaking of the system... What am I supposed to do with this? It seems like it won't leave me alone until I accept. Maybe I can just ignore it...?'
Van thought for a moment, then turned his attention to the Arcane Interaction mentioned in Seed of Darkness.
'Hmm...'
He reached out to grab the reminder.
His palm passed straight through, like it was a hologram.
'No luck, huh?'
[REMINDER: PRESS ACCEPT! OR I'LL JUST KEEP SPAMMING YOU!]
'It's not even pretending to be subtle anymore,' Van sighed.
'No. I can't keep going like this, with it constantly popping up and disturbing my view.'
He stretched his hand toward the message again, this time enclosing it in his palm.
[ARE YOU TRYING TO PRESS ACCEPT?!]
[ACCEPT] [no]
Van closed his eyes, his mind drifting.
He thought about [Hard Swing].
'You can swing stuff really hard with your hands.'
'Stuff...' He recalled how his Hard Swing skill had moved the armor during his fight with Kota.
'Stuff.' He repeated, remembering how Kota's flesh and body had also counted as "stuff" that he could move.
Opening his eyes, he glared at the floating reminder, now fully encased in his hand.
"STUFF," he muttered, his voice low but resolute.
Even if no one else could see it, he realized…
...It was tangible to him. Real to him.
A form of an object only he could perceive.
Hence...
...Stuff.
"[Hard Swing]," he growled, his palm glowing with the activation of the skill. He tightened his grip around the status window.
The prompt began to bend under his will.
[WAIT, STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOI—]
Van tightened his grip, feeling the system's prompt glitch and warp beneath his palm. It stretched unnaturally, like a digital rubber band snapping in and out of reality. Distorted shapes and colors rippled through the air, the edges of the prompt flickering with static as if it were a broken hologram struggling to maintain form.
Lines of incomprehensible code flashed for a split second within the stretched prompt, spiraling in and out of his vision. It wasn't just a visual effect—he could feel the weight of its resistance pushing back, as though he was pulling against the fabric of reality itself.
[UNAUTHORIZED ACTION DETECTED.]
[CEASE IMMEDIATELY, OR CONSEQUENCES WILL—ERROR!]
Van's lips curled into a smirk.
'Oh, fuck off with your consequences. I'd rather deal with those than put up with your spam any longer. Besides, if you're the one spamming me and can't do anything without my permission, I seriously doubt you're telling the truth. Let's be real—you can't do shit, even if I went all in.'
With a low growl, he activated [Hard Swing] in his right palm, gripping the other side of the glitching prompt. His glowing hand slammed onto the warped surface, catching it firmly as the distortion writhed and twisted in his grasp.
The entire apartment trembled violently, wooden beams groaning as the floor beneath him quaked. Cracks spiderwebbed through the wooden walls, sending dust cascading down. The windows rattled furiously, and objects scattered across the room were swept into a chaotic whirlwind. Loose papers, books, and even furniture spiraled through the air as the force radiated outward.
Van, however, remained unaffected amidst the storm. His insane stats rendered the howling winds and shuddering ground little more than a nuisance. His focus was absolute as he pulled the glitching prompt apart, its strained edges flickering wildly with distorted static.
[WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEM INTEGRITY BREACHED.]
[HALT IMMEDIATELY, OR—STOP!!! PLEASE, STOP! I GET IT!! sSTO3789%@569POP@ytgb(^@f(&]
Van paused, though his grip remained unyielding on what now appeared to be a tear in reality itself.
"I'm not crazy enough to completely break you apart. I don't know what would happen, and I'd rather not take any more chances," he said, his voice calm but firm.
The system's message reappeared before him, its text distorted and glitching, almost timid. Triple dots flickered as though it were stunned into silence.
[...]
"But," Van continued with an almost relaxed smile, "how about you don't test me again, okay?"
The prompt quivered in response, its once-arrogant tone replaced by sheer desperation.
[OK&(^f(KAY, I WON'T! I'M SO SORRY, I WON'T SPAM YOU AGA@&%ty&N, SO PL812Y4EASE STOP TEARING I@&#T APART!!@%r]
"Good." Van said, releasing the prompt. His hands relaxed as the fracture in reality stitched itself back together.
A moment of silence followed before new text appeared.
[... I'm sorry.]
"So, you can talk?" Van let out a weary sigh, folding his arms.
Another pause. Then:
[... Yes. I'm a being. Much like yourself.]
"What kind of being? Be truthful," Van growled, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
[I am a supervisor of some sort.]
"A what now?"
[You know how there are gods? Like the human goddess, the archdevil, etc.?]
"Yeah? What about them?"
[I'm the one responsible for their ascension. When someone reaches level 500 and maxes out at least one stat, I offer them the same choice I showed you. If they accept, they reset to level 1 and ascend to Arataxia. They usually accept without much fuss... The "Else you will lose it forever" always gets them; so that's why I started to spam you. No one outright refused it like you.]
Van hummed thoughtfully, his gaze sharp.
[And also, that's why I revealed myself to you in the first place. You've reached level 500 and maxed out not one, but three stats. You are qualified to be a God.]
"I see..." Van paused, narrowing his eyes. "So all those gods—"
His train of thought halted as realization struck.
'Wait. Level 500? Not some G-rank milestone specific to this world, but level 500? Maxed stats? That's not something anyone here could achieve unless...'
"... They're all like me, aren't they? Transmigrators. They, too, have status windows and the like?"
The system prompt hesitated.
[... In a way. Yes. But none of them came from your world aside from Varolia. However, they do have the ability to access the prompt.]
"Are you the one who created it?"
[No. I was merely granted the authority to manage it by... someone. Every supervisor has a boss, after all. I cannot reveal their identity, even under threat. Literally. Here: Their name is @(^)(&^&^($&@# They are ^&@%#&@^%# Coming from @&(^#%(@$% They %#^%@&^#%@ for the sake of &@^(%#(&^@. See?]
Van stared at the garbled mess, his expression deadpan.
'... Though you could have just written all those symbols yourself. That's hardly proof,' he thought, his eyes narrowing into a half-lidded, thoroughly unamused gaze.
"Is it The Enlightened One? Or maybe The Being Veiled in Shadows?"
[Neither, especially the latter. He's a mere native who stumbled into godhood through sheer luck. Do not try to guess who lords over me, as you'll never get it right by chance. It isn't a concept you know of.]
'What's that supposed to mean? Not a concept I know of?' Van thought as he narrowed his eyes.
"Then who's the former?"
[The Enlightened One is someone capable of peering into Void Anomalies like this one. That is what we call him because he's, well, reached a certain enlightenment.]
'How vague.'
"What are void anomalies?" Van asked. "I remember you mentioning it a while ago; that we live in one, right? Right after I level to 500."
[Indeed. Think of them as universes. Though, calling them that is a bold oversimplification.]
"I see. So I'm in a different universe from the one I transmigrated from." Van's tone grew skeptical. "You're awfully cooperative. I half expected you to glitch out or claim you had limits on what you could tell me like with the one who gave you the authority."
[I promised to answer truthfully—though I was threatened into doing so. Besides, hiding information from someone like you would be pointless, especially since you are close to becoming a Co356(&(%T(3782654. Ah, it seems I cannot share that either.]
Van raised an eyebrow at the garbled response.
[Regarding your earlier statement about being in a different universe, however...]
Van's muscles tensed. "What about it?"
[It's only partially true. You are still in the same Void Anomaly. Both your original "world" and this one are in the same... hm, think of it as "instance".]
Van's breath hitched. "What... now?"
[Calm yourself. While you are indeed in the same "universe", there is virtually no way back to your
"home"... Yet.]
Van cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he shook his head.
"That aside," he began, taking a deep breath, "you mentioned I was close to becoming something. Did you mean... a god?"
[No. A god was what I wanted to make you.]
Van paused, his expression tightening. "I see..."
'I guess it won't elaborate on what it really meant, huh?' he thought, frustration simmering beneath the surface.
"Oh, speaking of which," Van said, his tone sharpening. "Why were you so insistent on making me a god? Other than just being surprised I refused."
The prompt hesitated once more. Then:
[... Because of your broken skills and stats.]
"I'm sorry?" Van blinked.
[Two things happen in this world, particularly to transmigrators. First, they are equipped with a system that randomly assigns their stats and abilities. In your case, you were summoned through your circle, and Varolia was responsible for interpreting it.]
"Wait," Van said, his voice tense. "So... it's not the Gods who grant those skills?"
[What?! Of course not. Would you hand a... Say, nuclear reactor to a 4-year-old and expect them to handle it responsibly?] The message appeared to scoff.
[The Gods simply transcribe what's dictated to them. If they take control of the transmigration circle—which drifts unpredictably every 10,000 years.]
Van's eyes widened in shock.
'So... it's all RANDOM!? Magus got like ten harem skills by sheer dumb luck!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!'
He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his spiraling thoughts.
'Alright... setting that aside, I guess it's good to know the gods don't have some cosmic hate boner for me. Well, except for Unicus. He did say Varolia hates me. Huh. I wonder why? Right—'Untrusted.' Does that affect her, too maybe? Is that why she wants me dead? Wait a second!"
He narrowed his eyes in confusion.
'If she didn't give me those abilities, then why the hell doesn't it work on demons either?! Is it really all just luck?! Wow. Just... wow.'
[Second, if they somehow break their limits and reach 99,999 stat points, it's a sign they've grown too strong. My job is to offer them an 'opportunity' to grow even stronger. In reality, this caps their growth indefinitely—though it skyrockets them to an entirely different height.]
Van frowned. "Indefinitely caps their growth? How does that work?"
[Once they accept, I grant them skills that are carefully selected instead of randomly generated. These skills are indeed powerful and elevate them to the peak of this void anomaly. But it also permanently binds them to this void anomaly. They can never grow beyond it.]
The prompt paused before continuing.
[That said, most don't mind. They were mortals to begin with, and the power they gain here far exceeds anything they could have imagined. Most mortals have nothing to seek beyond this void anomaly.]
Van absorbed the explanation, his mind racing.
'So, the gods here are... capped? All that power, and they're still confined. Boxed in...' His gaze darkened as a thought crept into his mind. 'So by refusing; I'm not limiting myself. Does that mean I could...'
His chest tightened as an image of his mother's face surfaced.
'See her again?'
Van clenched his fists, forcing the thought aside, and narrowed his eyes. "Then why not cap them from the start? Why wait until after they transmigrate? Transmigrators are already strong when they arrive here—at least from what I've seen."
[It's a test.]
"A test for what?"
[I cannot answer that.]
Van clicked his tongue in frustration, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. He dragged a hand down his face, exhaling sharply before glaring at the prompt again.
"It's a sick test," he said bitterly. "I never asked for this. Never asked to be transmigrated. To be torn away from my family..." His voice faltered as his mother's face flashed vividly in his mind.
[I'm really sorry to hear that. It sounds like it must have been really difficult for you to go through. If you want to talk more about it, I'm here to listen.]
Van froze, his expression darkening.
"You... motherfucker," he growled, the words dripping with venom. "Are you seriously using Ch*t-G*T to answer me!?"
His fists clenched tightly as he glared at the prompt, his breath hissing through his teeth. After a tense moment, he let out a sharp exhale.
"Okay... Fine," he muttered, his voice quieter but no less bitter. "Either way, I need to go back down. I'll talk to you later."
[I understand. I'll always be here if you need me.]
Van's eye twitched, his frustration bubbling up again. "Grrrr...!!!" he growled, catching the unmistakable trace of Ch*-tG*T's tone in its response.
%(%^ELSE@(&^#(&%(@WHERE(O$@&$)@$%
::: Are you sure about this, %&*@? Wouldn't it be safer to pluck him out now, rather than risk his energy getting snuffed out in the anomaly? :::
"I'd rather not. If we pull him out prematurely, instead of letting him leave on his own, the alignment we need might never come to pass. Besides..." the voice paused, its tone heavy with conviction, "you know as well as I do—we're going to need strong, capable allies. And a self-made wielder is invaluable."
::: I hate this experiment. :::
"Same here, same here. As you know, I've been stuck in one for over 40,000 years."
::: I remember you mentioning that. Yet, honestly, it pales in comparison to some of the other things you've endured. Still, didn't you walk into it willingly? All for the sake of getting stronger? It's always fascinated me how, even as a lower being, you managed to push yourself to such extremes. :::
"Thanks to that, I've learned how to read thoughts—even before they occur. Everything is buried within the flow of Ki. It's truly remarkable. Every answer, everything you seek, is in Ki."
::: ... Hey, %&*@. :::
"What is it?"
::: Your name is blurred whenever I say it. Did you notice? :::
"I heard it just fine when you said it, though."
::: ... Is it my imagination? :::
"You're as on edge as the rest of us. But... I'll stay for a while, just in case."
::: Thank you. :::