Chapter 1: The Artifact

Jiho wiped the sweat from his brow, the scorching sun beating down on the desolate plain. He had spent the last three months in this remote part of Central Asia, leading an archaeological dig that was supposed to be routine. Yet, every day, it felt as though they were uncovering more questions than answers.

The site had initially appeared to be the remnants of an ancient nomadic settlement, possibly from the Bronze Age. But the deeper they dug, the more out-of-place artifacts they found—fragments of tools and pottery that didn't match the historical timeline, strange markings etched into stone that defied explanation. Something was off.

He stood up from the pit he had been examining and stretched his stiff muscles, scanning the horizon. The other members of the team were scattered across the dig site, most of them engrossed in their work. A few meters away, Dr. Kim, the lead researcher and Jiho's mentor, was hunched over a peculiar stone slab that had been unearthed just yesterday.

"Jiho! Come take a look at this!" Dr. Kim's voice crackled with excitement.

Jiho hurried over, his curiosity piqued. Dr. Kim was not one to get excited over just anything. When Jiho reached him, he found the older man crouched beside a large, flat stone embedded deep in the earth. It was covered in intricate carvings, none of which Jiho recognized.

"Look at these symbols," Dr. Kim said, tracing the carvings with a gloved finger. "They don't match any known script from this region or time period. And the material… this isn't local stone."

Jiho frowned, kneeling beside Dr. Kim. "It looks like some kind of language, but it's not any script I've seen before. Maybe something proto-writing?"

"Possibly," Dr. Kim mused. "But what's more intriguing is this." He pointed to a circular indentation at the center of the slab. "It looks like something is supposed to fit here."

Jiho leaned closer, feeling a strange sense of unease. "Like a keyhole?"

"Exactly. But whatever fits in there, it's not here." Dr. Kim sighed, sitting back on his heels. "We'll have to search the surrounding area. It could be the key to understanding what this site really is."

Jiho nodded, but his attention was drawn back to the symbols. They seemed to swirl before his eyes, almost as if they were alive. He blinked, shaking off the sensation. It was just the heat and the fatigue playing tricks on him.

They spent the next few hours combing the site, but as the sun began to dip below the horizon, it became clear they weren't going to find anything more that day. The team packed up their tools, their excitement tempered by exhaustion, and headed back to camp.

That night, Jiho couldn't sleep. He lay in his tent, staring up at the canvas, the strange symbols from the stone slab imprinted in his mind. There was something about them, something that felt… familiar, yet completely foreign.

Unable to shake the feeling, Jiho slipped out of his sleeping bag and pulled on his boots. He grabbed his flashlight and stepped out into the cool night air. The camp was quiet, the only sound was the gentle rustling of the wind through the dry grass. He made his way back to the dig site, the beam of his flashlight cutting through the darkness.

The slab was still there, half-buried in the earth, the symbols glowing faintly in the moonlight. Jiho kneeled beside it, running his fingers over the carvings. The circular indentation in the center seemed to draw him in—a magnetic pull that he couldn't resist.

As his fingers traced the edge of the indentation, he felt a sudden, sharp sting, as if something had pricked him. Jiho jerked his hand back, but it was too late. The world around him began to blur, with the ground tilting beneath him. His vision swam, and he felt as though he was being pulled into the very stone itself.

The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him were the symbols on the slab, glowing with an otherworldly light, and the distant sound of drums echoing in his ears.

________________________

Jiho awoke with a start, gasping for breath. But something was immediately wrong. The air felt different—thicker, more humid—and the ground beneath him was not the dry, packed earth of the dig site, but soft, damp grass.

He pushed himself up, only to find that his limbs felt strangely weak. His body was… smaller. His hands, now scrawny and covered in dirt, trembled as he brought them closer to his face. The sight sent a jolt of panic through him.

This isn't my body!

Jiho scrambled to his feet—or tried to. His legs gave way beneath him, sending him crashing back down onto the grass. He forced himself up again, more slowly this time, and took stock of his surroundings.

He was in a dense forest, with the canopy above blocking out much of the sunlight. The sounds of strange birds and insects filled the air, completely unlike anything he had heard before. The world around him was wild, untouched by modern civilization.

Panic bubbled up in his chest as he realized he was no longer in his own body. His new form was that of a child, no older than ten or twelve, judging by the size and frailty of his limbs. His stomach growled, and he became painfully aware of how thin and malnourished this body was.

As he struggled to comprehend his situation, a flood of foreign memories crashed into him. Images of a harsh life in a primitive tribe, of constant hunger and struggle, and of the cold, dismissive eyes of those around him. This child—his new body—had been discarded, abandoned by his family as too weak to be worth the effort of feeding.

No wonder they left me here to die.

Jiho's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp pain in his head. He clutched at his temples, gritting his teeth as a voice echoed in his mind.

[ Initializing… ]

[ Primordial System awakening… ]

A cascade of information poured into Jiho's consciousness, and he realized with a start that he could understand it. The words were clear, as if they were being spoken directly into his brain.

[ Welcome, User! ]

[ You have been selected as the host of the Primordial System. ]

[ This system will assist in your survival and growth in this world.]

Jiho blinked, his thoughts racing. A system? Like something out of a game? But this wasn't a game—it was real, and he was in very real danger. Still, if this "system" could help him survive, he had no choice but to rely on it.

"What… what do I do?" Jiho whispered, half-expecting an answer.

[ User is currently in a severely weakened state. ]

[ Immediate actions recommended:

1.) Consume food to replenish energy.

2.) Find shelter.

3.) Begin physical conditioning to strengthen the body. ]

Jiho looked down at his scrawny limbs, the system's words echoing in his mind. Strengthen the body… It made sense. This body was on the verge of collapse, barely strong enough to stand. If he was going to survive, he needed to get stronger—fast.

But first, food. His stomach growled again, reminding him of his most immediate need. Jiho pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he tried to regain his balance. The forest around him was unfamiliar, but he had no choice. He had to find something to eat.

Stumbling through the underbrush, Jiho kept his eyes peeled for anything edible. He didn't know much about survival in the wild, but the system's presence gave him some hope. Maybe it would guide him to what he needed.

After what felt like hours, Jiho's legs gave out, and he collapsed beside a small stream. He was exhausted, his body trembling with weakness. He scooped up a handful of water, drinking greedily, but the cold liquid did little to satisfy his gnawing hunger.

Just as he was about to give up, a notification flashed across his vision.

[ Edible plants detected nearby. 

Energy values: low. ]

Jiho's head snapped up, his eyes scanning the area. There, nestled among the rocks by the stream, was a cluster of small, green plants. They didn't look like much, but the system had pointed them out. He had to trust it.

Crawling over to the plants, Jiho plucked a handful of leaves and stuffed them into his mouth. The taste was bitter and unpleasant, but he forced himself to chew and swallow. As he ate, he felt a faint warmth spread through his body—a small but noticeable improvement.

[ Energy levels stabilized. Continue consumption and rest. ]

Jiho ate a few more handfuls before leaning back against a tree, his body spent. He still felt weak, but the edge of his hunger had been dulled. For now, it would have to be enough.

As he sat there, the reality of his situation began to sink in. He was alone in a strange world, inhabiting a body that had been abandoned and left to die. But he wasn't completely helpless. The Primordial System was his lifeline, and he would have to rely on it if he was going to survive.

"I won't die here," Jiho whispered to himself, his voice hoarse but resolute. "I'll get stronger. I'll find a way to survive."