This time, as the teleportation began, I felt no nausea. The world around me blurred, but I held my eyes open, curious about what I'd see. The alley in Egypt distorted, as if it were being erased, until suddenly a new scene snapped into focus, a snow-covered landscape, pure white as far as I could see. It looked bone-chillingly cold, with icicles hanging from every home and streetlight. Despite it being late March, with spring just starting, this place seemed locked in winter. I was amazed that, even dressed in only a light sweater and jeans, I felt perfectly comfortable, barely noticing the biting cold.
Behind me, a forest stretched out, its trees laden with ice and snow. According to the system's map, I needed to head there. Out of curiosity, I asked the system for the current temperature. A sharp Ding! sounded in my mind, and a screen popped up:
I was stunned; I'd known it was cold, but this was extreme. Yet all I felt was a faint, refreshing chill as the icy wind blew past me. I marveled at my new body's resilience and set off toward my destination. I reached a small hill cloaked in snow. There, I dug down, revealing a small chest hidden beneath the layers. The chest began to emit a faint glow as I touched it, and with a soft pop, the lid opened to reveal a silvery, white liquid inside.
The liquid shimmered in the cold air, sending a blast of icy wind over me. I knew that without my new abilities, I would have frozen instantly, so I drank it quickly. The instant the liquid touched my lips, I felt an intense cold seize me, spreading through my body until I began shivering uncontrollably. I fell to my knees as ice formed around me, encasing me completely. I could only surrender to the cold, drifting into a deep sleep.
When I awoke, I felt the ice around me shatter with a powerful burst, pieces falling off in shards. Even my clothes had frozen and broken apart, scattering on the ground. Looking at myself, I noticed my skin had become almost porcelain-pale, with a subtle rosy hue. I asked the system to turn its screen into a mirror, and with a soft Ding! it complied, creating a high-resolution reflection of my face.
I looked into the screen and barely recognized myself. My once-dirty blond hair was now fully blond, with a muted golden-white glow. My features had sharpened, more striking than ever, handsome enough to seem almost otherworldly. Before, I might have passed for a solid "9," maybe "10" on a good day, but now? I was a clear 11, maybe higher. There was something about my new appearance that was both mesmerizing and eerie.
After confirming I was, indeed, completely naked, I asked the system for clothes. It provided a fresh set: a white t-shirt, jeans, boxers, and shoes (since mine had shattered along with the ice). As I dressed, I asked the system how long I'd been here. I expected a few days at least, but it surprised me by replying that I'd only been frozen for an hour.
Next up was my destination: Pyongyang, North Korea. I requested the system to help disguise my appearance, and with a Ding! it informed me:
I nodded, grateful for the assistance. Then, I gave the command for teleportation, and with another Ding! the system announced:
And again, I stared straight ahead, my body now unaffected by the constant scene changes, and I found myself unbothered by the shifting surroundings. An eerily quiet city unfolded before me once more, and I realized I had been teleported to one of its narrow, shadowed alleys. I noticed no cars and only people in old bicycles riding at this time apparently working. I chose to stay silent, neither glancing around nor acknowledging the eerie emptiness. Instead, I focused on the system's map, which was directing me towards my next bloodline. My destination lay by the city's river, near a park, where the treasure was supposedly hidden.
I walked forward, blending seamlessly into the environment; no one paid me any mind since I appeared to be just another ordinary Korean guy. Finally, I reached the location, a quiet bend in the river where I noticed a small, moss-covered chest floating right at the water's edge. Carefully, I reached out, gripping the chest tightly to avoid dropping it, aware that it was about to glow as the system had warned. Right on cue, a faint but radiant light began to leak from within, illuminating the chest as it gently burst open. Inside, there was a vial of clear liquid.
I lifted the vial, opened it, and took a hesitant sip of the liquid that resembled water. The moment it touched my lips, a sharp, almost unbearable pain exploded in my head. The throbbing headache lasted a grueling five minutes, and yet with each step of the fifteen-minute walk here, only twenty minutes had passed since my arrival in North Korea. It felt as though something deep within me was being unlocked. Suddenly, I sensed a network, an invisible web of connections stretching out for miles around me, binding me to every living being within range. If I chose, I could manipulate these connections, commanding not only people but also every animal nearby, a truly frightening power.
The thought alone unsettled me. This ability to seize control over others' will, to possess them, was terrifying. As the sun began to set, I noticed my body instinctively rejecting the sun's rays. I forced myself to deactivate my nullification ability, allowing the warm sunlight to reach me once more. The sunrays comforting heat seemed to reassure me, even as I grappled with the realization of this strange, formidable power I'd just acquired.
I decided to teleport next to Balikpapan, Indonesia, though a sense of dread filled me. I knew I was about to be bombarded by lightning, and I couldn't help but feel a little anxious about the challenge awaiting me. But before diving into that storm, I had something on my mind. The system, which I'd come to rely on more and more, was always there, guiding me with what seemed like a young female voice. Curiosity struck me, and I asked, "Hey, do you have a name?"
A cheerful "Ding!" chimed, and the screen appeared with the system's response, her voice resonating softly while the words glowed on the screen.
There was something almost emotional in her tone, which surprised me. I replied gently, "No, you've been more than helpful. In fact, I feel quite attached to you. It's almost like you're another friend to me, and that's why I'd like to give you a name. One that I hope you'd like."
A few moments passed, and then another "Ding!" chimed, followed by her voice and a message on the screen.
I paused for a minute, letting possible names drift through my mind, until one finally resonated with what she meant to me. "How about the name Angela? You're like a guardian angel, always watching over me and, in a way, helping humanity. What do you think?"
A bright "Ding!" sounded, followed immediately by a tone of warmth in her voice. The words on the screen read:
A sense of happiness filled me, and I replied, "You're welcome, Angela. I'll be depending on you, as always. Thank you, for everything."
She responded with a final message that glowed softly on the screen:
After the warm conversation with Angela, it was time to teleport. I requested her to initiate the teleportation sequence, and with a cheerful "Ding!" chime, her voice appeared, sounding brighter than before.
I noted how she said "Okay" rather than "Affirmative." It felt like another small step in her development, a sign of her growing personality.
The scenes around me blurred and shifted, the world twisting as I was transported to a dense forest, about a mile from the base of a large, imposing hill in Balikpapan, Indonesia. Though it was just after midnight, the air still buzzed with life, filled with the soft murmurs of people walking nearby and even the occasional laughter of children, their voices drifting through the trees. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, adding to the strange, lively atmosphere. It felt like an ordinary, carefree night for them, full of simple pleasures, yet my purpose here was anything but ordinary.
I pulled up the mapping screen that Angela had provided, and a bright marker appeared on the display, directing me toward the treasure's location. Dead center on Puncak Jaya, the towering hill itself, the treasure waited, concealed from the casual eyes of passersby.
As I moved closer, the atmosphere began to change. Dark clouds crept across the sky, forming a thick, ominous shroud overhead. It was late in the evening, and the dwindling number of people still around began to notice the gathering storm. Their carefree expressions shifted to worry as they glanced upward, whispers of concern spreading among them. Faces drawn with anxiety, they hurriedly made their way down the winding trails, eager to escape the impending tempest.
I paused for a moment, taking in the stark contrast, their haste to leave and my own determination to press forward, into the storm and toward whatever awaited me atop that hill.
Once I was about 100 feet from the hill's base, I heard thunder rumbling in the clouds. Angela had mentioned that the treasure was causing these daily thunderstorms, which would continue until someone claimed it. Bracing myself, I clenched my fists and advanced, fully aware of the trial awaiting me.
The trek up the hill was challenging, but finally, I reached a spot where several heavy rocks lay piled together, clearly hiding something. For an average person, moving these rocks would be nearly impossible, as each weighed hundreds of pounds, about the size of a small child. To me, though, they felt like mere pebbles. Clearing them aside, I uncovered a small chest wedged tightly between two rocks. The moment I touched it, thunder cracked directly overhead, making me flinch.
As I opened the chest, I was utterly stunned. Inside was a vial filled with a liquid that appeared alive, with white and golden lightning coursing through it like electric eels swimming beneath the glass. I opened the vial, glancing up as the storm above intensified. People who had been nearby scattered, screaming as lightning streaked across the clouds, creating an intimidating display.
I drank the liquid. The moment it hit my throat; I felt as though I'd been struck by a billion volts. Had it not been for my enhanced body, I'd have been reduced to a charred husk. But the storm didn't end there; the clouds seemed to swirl with a fury as if responding to an invader. White-golden lightning, stronger than any bolt I'd ever seen, began to strike me directly. Each impact felt numbing rather than painful, but it was far from pleasant. I watched as the hill itself began to shrink, the ground around me disintegrating under the relentless barrage of lightning.
By the time the storm finally subsided, fifteen grueling minutes had passed. I lay at the bottom of a deep crater, about twenty feet below ground level, surrounded by scorched earth. My clothes had been completely burned away, leaving me exposed, battered, and utterly drained. I could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me, but I forced myself to call out to Angela, my voice hoarse.
"Angela… I need fresh clothing," I managed to say, barely above a whisper.
With a soft "Ding!" the system responded, and within moments, Angela provided what I needed, a neatly folded set of clothes appeared beside me, a small comfort in the aftermath of chaos.
Angela then notified me that people were approaching the crater, and I realized it was time to leave. I requested her to teleport me to Central Park in Manhattan, New York. The familiar "Ding!" sounded, followed by her cheerful voice: