Arden—no, Arpheus—was struggling to breathe. Panic clawed at him from the inside, squeezing his chest as though his ribs were too tight. Calm down, calm down, Arden... His mind raced with thoughts too jumbled to follow, but somehow, in the midst of the storm, he forced himself to slow his breathing. He needed answers. He needed to focus.
He turned back toward the mirror, his hands trembling slightly as he reached up to touch his face.
What the hell is going on? His reflection stared back at him, and it was all wrong. His blue eyes—his real eyes—were gone. In their place, glowing gold stared back, bright and unnatural, like two pieces of molten metal that had been dropped into the sockets of his skull. This is bad. This is so bad.
But something felt... familiar. Part of me is still here, Arden thought as he studied the face in front of him, still in shock but oddly connected to it. There was no mistaking it; his soul had somehow merged with Arpheus's body. He wasn't just looking through the eyes of someone else. He was someone else.
No, no, no. This can't be real. There's no way. His mind spun in circles, trying to piece together fragments of the truth.
What about my system? Is it still here? His heart skipped a beat at the thought. His system—the thing that had been with him through every fight, every trial. Could it still be functioning?
He focused, concentrating all his will on the familiar summons.
"System, open," he said, his voice rough, but firm, the words slipping past his lips with a calm authority that didn't quite match the chaos in his mind.
For a moment, there was nothing. Then—
[System opening...]
The words blinked into existence in front of him. A good sign. Maybe he wasn't completely screwed after all. But that didn't last long.
[Name: Arpheus Headow
Level: X
Title: X...}$●"□□"$]
The screen was glitching. It was static and error-ridden, as if someone had torn the system apart and left it hanging by a thread. Arden—no, Arpheus—felt his heart race, hoping beyond hope that his system would still work.
Wait... no, no, no, no! Panic surged. This couldn't be happening. Not now. He needed his system, his help, more than ever. His fingers clenched into fists, eyes glued to the malfunctioning screen. The blinking symbols taunted him, mocking his frustration.
[System malfunctioned.]
That was it. No more system. No more safety net. His stomach churned.
And then—another beep. Another shift.
[System replaced by £uc|<]
What? Arpheus blinked in confusion. Was this some kind of joke? A glitch? But then the words that followed sent a shiver through his spine.
[System reformatted to latest version: v19862.1]
Arpheus closed his eyes, letting out a long, heavy sigh. Relief flooded his chest. The pressure of his panic—of his uncertainty—melted away, just a little.
Sigh… Thank God... I thought it was gone. He relaxed, letting his shoulders drop, his breath slowing to something more steady. The world around him didn't seem as crushing now. He still didn't have all the answers, but at least the system wasn't completely wiped.
He shifted his gaze to the window beside him. The curtains were drawn, blocking out the light, but with a small tug, the thick fabric slid aside. The world outside was bathed in sunlight, clear blue skies stretching endlessly.
It's... beautiful, he thought, his breath catching at the view. Beyond the window, the city sprawled out before him—vast and bustling. The streets were full of people, all walking, talking, and shopping. It was like something out of a dream, too perfect to be real.
This reminds me of my city... The thought struck him like a heavy blow, forcing a lump into his throat. His home city. Where his friends used to be. Where everything had been normal before it all came crashing down. Before everything was ripped away from him.
But the thought was fleeting. The city he saw now—this city—wasn't his home.
Get a grip, Arpheus. He shook his head, trying to refocus. The past wasn't going to help him right now.
Suddenly, a voice—sharp and mechanical—echoed in his mind.
[You have been given a Quest.]
Groan… Arpheus rubbed his face in frustration. The last thing he needed right now was a damn quest.
"Of course," he muttered sarcastically, letting out a sigh. "What now?"
[Go to attend the Wayfinder's exam.]
Wayfinder? Arpheus blinked, completely confused. What the hell was a Wayfinder? An exam?
"Wayfinder...?" he repeated aloud. "What the hell is that?"
The voice didn't answer immediately. For a long moment, the silence in his mind was thick and suffocating. Then—
[To learn what a Wayfinder is, you must know what this world is.]
Arpheus frowned, leaning against the wall, trying to wrap his head around everything. He needed answers, fast.
[All people are born within the Land Of The Beginning. The Land Of The Beginning is a dungeon, with 1,000 levels. Each level has its own set of problems, some deadly, some peaceful, and some—completely devoid of life.]
His mind raced to catch up, absorbing the words as quickly as he could. A dungeon? This was a dungeon?
[You are currently in the first level, where everyone is. No one has ever been able to reach Level 2, since the humans in this world are weak. And that's where the Wayfinders come in.]
Wayfinders. The word kept echoing in his mind, but it was still foreign.
[Wayfinders are essentially adventurers, each with a party. And guilds. Wayfinders have ranks from E-SSS+, and in this body, you are currently E.]
E? Arpheus blinked. Was that... bad? He didn't know what any of this meant.
[The system will continue to give you quests until you reach Rank SSS+. But your skill will technically overpower all the others. I want you to know about this skill, not having me to help.]
Arpheus' eyes widened at the mention of skill. A skill?
[Yes, I know what you're thinking, Arden. Indeed, I am impressive. ]
What the— Arpheus couldn't help but laugh, his disbelief turning into a small grin. The system—it wasn't just a machine. It had personality.
"I wasn't thinking that," he muttered under his breath.
[It's a 'she,' you idiot.]
Arpheus blinked, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt.
"Wait... what?" he asked aloud. "She? It's a girl? What the hell..."
There was a long, awkward silence in his mind. He could almost feel the system—she—rolling her eyes at him.
"Woah. Sorry for that," Arpheus said, half-apologizing, though his tone was more amused than anything. "I didn't know systems had personalities."
[Im not an ordinary system!]
*Chuckles* Arden smiles, "Right right, you arent. You're extraordinary."
It was silence. Pure silence. But he could feel her blushing.
[Just go already!]
"Alright!" Arpheus rushed, changing his clothes into the Wayfinder's uniform.
*Creaaaak...* he slowly opens the house's door, sneakingly walking outside.
*Im scwared. I wanna cwy...* Arpheus had that thought while he was walking down the streets, as the people watched him.
As he finally arrived outside the Exam area, he took a big breath. *inhaleee...* *Exhale....*
*You can do this Arde—no, Arpheus.*
As he walked into the colosseum-like structure, he saw hundreds of participants. All chattering.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
He walked into the groups, blending in — or so he thought.
..!
Arpheus felt a grab on his left shoulder. It was them. The bullies.
"Hey Arpheus." He grinned. The boy was tall, and muscular.
"You got the money?" Another one asked, grinning. It was clear — if he didnt give them money, he would get hurt.
"No." Arpheus answered gently. "I dont have it."
The tall boy clenched his fist.
"Gand. Dont. Let me do it." The other boy stepped in, cracking his knuckles. And grinning.
He threw back his hand — ready to throw a fist. In Arpheus' face.
As the fist was about to touch Arpheus' face —
*Crack!*
"AGHHH!!!" The boy screamed, in pain. "WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO!?"
Everyone looked this way. Confused, and some scared.
In that exact moment, his arm had a trrible muscle cramp. The most painful, and terrible muscle cramp.
*Did I do that?* Arpheus thought, completely calm.
"You arrogant idiot, I will teach you a lesson." Gand threw a kick on Arpheus' legs — but before he could even do it —
*Slip!*
Gand slipped, and hit his left shoulder dislocating it, and also hitting his right temple to the ground. Causing a concussion.
He had fainted.
Both Gand and Dan had fell to the ground, with Arpheus not even moving.
*System... did i do that?* Arpheus communicated, telepathically to her.
[Yes. You did that. Didnt you see?]
*See what?*
[Dummy. God gave you a skill.]