I had long wondered about the cryptic system and the scripts it held, lingering in the recesses of my mind. The Fate Scripts were still largely a mystery, their true potential hidden behind vague descriptions and the eerie, almost prophetic tone of the system's prompts.
But today was different.
As I stood before the obelisk, the chaotic energy from it pulsed like a living thing, resonating with something deep within me. My fellow students had all gone through their trials, some barely holding on to their mana, others collapsing under the weight of the challenges thrown at them.
It was my turn now.
"Ryuji Valorian," Instructor Kaede called. Her voice was flat, unreadable. "Approach the obelisk."
I stepped forward, heart pounding. As I neared the stone monument, I could feel its magic pulling at me, like a thousand threads of mana reaching out, testing me, searching for weakness. I extended my hand, fingers trembling slightly, and touched the cold surface.
A shockwave of energy surged through me, and I was no longer in the room. Darkness enveloped me, the kind that reminded me of the office I used to hate, and then—nothing. Only silence, except for the faint voice echoing in the back of my mind.
[System Initialized]
Welcome, Sovereign of Fate.
The familiar message appeared before me, the same one that had greeted me when I first awoke in this world. But this time, something was different.
Fate scripts available: [10,323]
The number had decreased, a reminder of the script I had already used to save my life during that first, chaotic moment of this new existence. I had narrowly escaped death once, but now, standing before the obelisk, the challenge before me wasn't about survival—it was about dominance.
I had to prove my strength.
Suddenly, the world around me shifted. I found myself standing in a vast arena, the sky above me churning with dark clouds. Across from me, a beast unlike anything I had ever seen roared to life—a massive creature made of pure mana, its form rippling with raw energy.
I didn't flinch. The trial was designed to test us, to push us beyond our limits. I could feel the magic pulling at me, urging me to respond. But I wasn't just any student. I had something none of the others had—a way to change fate.
Would you like to alter the script of this world?
[Yes] or [No]?
I selected Yes without hesitation, knowing I had only a few seconds to act. The fate of this trial, the outcome, was within my grasp.
[Fate Script: Ryuji Valorian's Defeat by the Beast]
My heart raced as I read the script. The trial was meant to break me, but I had no intention of losing. I scrolled through the options, searching for something that would turn the tide in my favor.
Select new outcome:
The beast falters, allowing Ryuji to overpower it.The beast is struck by a sudden weakness, collapsing.An external event interrupts the trial, postponing the battle.
I chose the first option, my instincts telling me that I needed to take control of my own strength rather than rely on an outside force. Power surged through me as the threads of fate rewove themselves around me. The beast charged, its claws crackling with mana, but I was ready.
With a swift movement, I raised my hand and summoned my own mana, channeling it through my body like a raging current. I focused, the threads of fate swirling around me, and unleashed a blast of energy that collided with the beast's attack.
The creature faltered, its form destabilizing as my magic overwhelmed it. I could feel the shift—the change in fate that I had invoked. The beast roared, but it was no longer the hunter. I was.
With one final surge of power, I struck, my mana-infused blade cutting through the beast's core. It shattered into fragments of light, dissolving into the air as the trial came to an end.
[Fate Script Altered: The Defeat of the Beast by Ryuji Valorian]
The system's notification confirmed what I already knew. I had changed the outcome. I had rewritten my fate.
As the beast's remnants faded into the ether, the world around me returned to normal. I was back in the trial room, standing before the obelisk. Instructor Kaede watched me, her expression unreadable, but there was a faint glimmer of approval in her eyes.
I stepped back, my heart still racing, the weight of what I had just done slowly sinking in.
I had rewritten fate. Again.