[Error!]
[Unable to access full system data for user: Lu Shian.]
[Retrying...]
For the first time, the system seemed rattled, and I could feel the hesitation in its responses. I blinked at the screen, completely caught off guard.
"Wait, what's going on?"
As I stood there, staring at the misty horizon, the wind howled around me, carrying the weight of that strange encounter. I had no idea what kind of chaos was unraveling within my system.
"Status," I called again, half-expecting everything to look normal, but instead—
*Ding*
[Error! Neither System, New Underworld System, Exorcist System…conflict detected.]
[Cannot access the status window.]
"What the hell…?" I blinked in confusion, watching the error messages flash across the screen. My status window was glitching out, a garbled mess of numbers and symbols I didn't recognize.
"Uh, Nero? What's going on?" I asked, feeling a growing sense of unease. Nero, normally so calm, seemed equally taken aback.
[It's… unusual. There's a conflict between systems. The Neither System, the New Underworld System, and your Exorcist System are overlapping.]
The hologram flickered, distorted. "How can that happen?"
[It shouldn't be possible. The systems are supposed to work independently, but for some reason, they're merging inside of you.]
"Merging? Like... into a new system?"
[No, more like they're fighting for dominance, and that's causing the glitches.]
As Nero explained, I could feel something tugging at my consciousness—like the systems themselves were competing inside my mind.
It wasn't just uncomfortable; it was suffocating. The weight of three systems clashing made my thoughts feel foggy, disjointed.
"So, what does that mean for me? Will I be able to access my stats again?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing anxiety gnawing at me.
There was a brief pause before Nero responded.
[Eventually, yes. But we need to stabilize the systems first.]
"How?"
[By accessing the source of the conflict—the Neither System. It's the one that's overriding the others. Until we fix that, I can't get a clear read on your status.]
The wind picked up around me, and I felt a sense of urgency. My status window has always been my lifeline, a way to track my progress and understand my abilities.
Without it, I felt… powerless. But this was something new, something beyond my understanding.
"Fine. What do I need to do?"
[We have to confront the source directly, Shian. It means going deeper into the Unknown World.]
"Wait... confront? You mean physically?"
[Yes. There's a place in the Unknown World where the systems overlap. It's called the Conflux of Mirrors. It's dangerous, but it's the only way to realign the systems.]
I let out a slow breath, trying to calm the racing thoughts in my mind. "Dangerous, huh? So, it's not just a bug fix then."
[No, Master. It's a battle.]
For a moment, I stood there, the weight of the decision heavy on my shoulders. I didn't have a choice, really. If I wanted control over my system again, I had to take the risk.
"Alright. Let's do this. How do we get there?"
The ground beneath my feet began to tremble, the mist swirling as if responding to Nero's voice.
[The Conflux is already opening. Brace yourself.]
Suddenly, the air around me shifted, becoming dense and cold.
The world warped, and the mist seemed to swallow me whole. I closed my eyes, feeling the strange sensation of being pulled through space—into the Neither World.
When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in a vast, empty field. The sky above me was dark, fractured like glass, with streams of light filtering through the cracks.
In the distance, I could see a shimmering structure—a giant, twisted mirror that reflected everything and nothing at once.
"That's the Conflux?" I muttered, taking in the eerie sight.
[Yes. We need to reach the center. Once there, we can access the root of the conflict.]
I took a step forward, the ground beneath me feeling unstable, like I was walking on the edge of reality itself.
The mirror in the distance loomed closer with every step, its surface warping and shifting like liquid metal.
But then, just as I was nearing the entrance, a new error message flashed across my vision.
[Warning! System failure imminent. Neither System is taking full control.]
The ground beneath me trembled violently, and I felt a wave of energy surge through my body, knocking me to the ground.
I gritted my teeth, fighting the sudden pressure bearing down on me."Nero!" I called out, but there was no response.
The connection to him had gone silent. The mirror in front of me shimmered, and then—without warning—it shattered.
Out of the fragments stepped a figure cloaked in shadow, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
"You…"I muttered, instinctively stepping back.
It was a manifestation of the Neither System, a guardian of sorts, here to challenge me.
[Shian…] Nero's voice finally broke through the silence, weak but present
[You have to fight it. Only then will we regain control.]
I stood my ground, clenching my fists as I prepared to confront the figure. The systems were clashing, but if this was the key to fixing it, then I had no choice.
After what felt like an eternity of battle, I managed to defeat the guardian. The fractured mirror behind it began to pulse, repairing itself as the systems realigned.
Finally, Nero's voice returned, clear and steady.
[It's done, Master. The systems are stabilizing.]
"And my status window?"
There was a moment of silence before the familiar *ding* echoed in my mind.
[Status Window—Access Restored]
looks like the systems were no longer fighting.
[Welcome back, Master. It seems you've gained more power than before.]
"Yeah," I replied, feeling stronger than ever."But what now?"
[Now, you use it.]
"Status"
[Status Window]
Name: LU SHIAN
Titles: King of the New Underworld, Head of the Lucist Family, Loved by His Powerful Grandfather, Master of Butler Ghouls, Tamer of Evil,
Rank: F
Classes: Summoner
Species: Miracle Human
Age: 21
Level: 100
**Stats:**
Strength: **1500**
Vitality: **1600**
Agility: **15000**
Intelligence: **6000**
Mana: **25000**
Health: **50000**
Abilities: **Double Screen (Lv. 1500), Space-Time Magic (Lv. 40000), Magic Merging (Lv. 10000)**
Remaining Attribute Points: **150,000**
I stared at the glowing numbers, my heart pounding as the sheer enormity of the change sunk in.
Everything had multiplied—stats that were once mediocre had skyrocketed, skills that had taken ages to level were now at heights I never imagined.
"This… this is insane," I muttered.
[It seems the conflict between the systems boosted your stats exponentially, Master.]
[It's rare for someone to survive a system clash, let alone come out with such an upgrade.]
"Survive?" I raised an eyebrow, feeling the residual tension in my body.
"I didn't realize my life was on the line."
[The Neither System is unpredictable. It was designed for a different kind of being—one that isn't bound by the same rules as mortals. But you managed to stabilize it within yourself. That's no small feat.]
I exhaled, the weight of the situation finally hit me. The systems clash inside me… I had been on the verge of losing control, and worse, maybe losing myself. But now, I feel more powerful than ever.
"So, what do we do with all this power?" I asked, a grin slowly forming on my face.
[You'll need it, Master. The systems have merged for a reason. There's something coming—something from the Neither World, and the Underworld—and it's not going to be easy to face.]
I frowned, my mind racing. "Something's coming? Should I act like I didn't know that?"I asked.
[Sure. The systems clashed because of an imbalance in the worlds themselves. The New Underworld is expanding, bleeding into the Neither World and the mortal realm. Forces beyond our control are shifting, and I believe you are at the center of it.]
"Of course, I am." I rolled my eyes, half-joking, but the truth was clear.
This was bigger than just a glitch in the system. It felt like the beginning of something much larger.
[The dungeon is about to start]
"Dungeon?" I confusedly ask, as my eyes widened remembering what happened.
"Dang! I forgot about it! I didn't prepare anything" I said in panicked.
"shit, what about my kids" I mumbled,
I dialed Ethan number, my mind racing with question.
"Yo, Lu! What's up, man?" Ethan's voice crackled through the line, as carefree as always.
Hearing him felt like a relief, but at the same time, it made me even more anxious. "Hey,E. It's been a while. You busy?"
"Nah, just chilling. What's going on? You sound weird."
I hesitated, unsure how to dive into this. "You remember that VR game we used to play? 'New Underworld'?"
There was a pause on the other end before Ethan chuckled, like he thought I was joking."Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. What game? I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I played some weird fantasy thing with you."
My heart sank. What the hell? I gripped my phone tighter, leaning forward. "Come on, man. We both played it. The VR setup? We got into some crazy stuff. It was super immersive, borderline too real. You seriously don't remember?"
Another pause, and this time I could hear confusion in his voice. "You sure you're not mixing me up with someone else? I've never heard of 'New Underworld,' let alone played it. You know I'd be down for something like that, but no. Nothing's ringing a bell."
"Ethan... I'm not making this up. We played it together, man. You annoyed me so much to the point I blocked you. I regret that though, also the weird systems... You really don't remember anything?"
"Look, I'd love to back you up here, but seriously, I've never touched that game,"Ethan said, his tone shifting to concern.
"If you're having some kind of existential VR crisis, I can come over and check on you."
I laughed bitterly, rubbing my temples. "It's not like that. It's more than just a game. It's... complicated. And the thing is, I've got kids now."
The laugh that came from Ethan was instant, full of disbelief. "You? Kids? Lu, you're the last person I'd expect to have kids. What, do you adopt some pets or something?"
"No, not pets. Real kids. Mystical cat's ones, but still real," I said, trying to keep my tone serious despite how ridiculous it sounded.
"I know how it sounds. Trust me, I didn't plan for this, but they're my responsibility now. And I need you to look after them for me."
Ethan went silent for a long moment. "Wait... hold up. You're telling me you have actual kids now? Not VR characters, not some digital pets. Real kids. And you want me to babysit? I thought you were joking!"
"They're not from this world, Ethan. But they're real. As real as you and me. They're connected to everything that happened in 'New Underworld,' even if you don't remember it." I paused, taking a deep breath.
"I can't explain it all right now, but I need someone I trust to keep an eye on them. Just for a little while."
Another pause. Then a long sigh from Ethan. "Man... this is getting deep. So you're telling me you got kids from a game I apparently never played, and they're not from this world. And you want me, your clueless best friend, to babysit them?"
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, pretty much. Look, I know it sounds insane, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. They mean a lot to me, E. I don't trust anyone else with this."
Ethan let out a low whistle, and for a moment I thought he was going to back out. But then, to my surprise, he said,"Alright, fine. You're my best friend, and even though I don't remember any of this, if you need my help, I'm there. But you owe me the craziest explanation of my life when we meet."
Relief washed over me, and I smiled despite everything. "Deal. Thanks, E. You have no idea how much this means."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let them blow up anything while I'm watching them, alright?"
I laughed. "No promises."
[If I can't see your memories, I can say you made up all the stuff... You are lucky to have such a good friend]
"What do you mean Nero?" I mumbled as I get the bag I prepared.
[I already asked other System, there is no vr game like 'New Underworld' they even laughed at me. That's why I think the game target was only you, I know it you're really something]
[Anyways.... Are you ready now?]
"Well, I am always"