The room erupted into chaos. Screams filled the air as people shouted, begged, and panicked, their fear palpable. To them, I probably looked like I'd completely lost my mind—someone who had snapped under the weight of stress and decided to take everyone down with him. But I understood. Everything was happening too fast, and confusion was only natural.
I had to take control.
Raising my voice above the din, steady and commanding) "Everyone, calm down! I'm not going to hurt anyone. Just listen to me—grab a weapon, anything you can use, and get ready to fight. Trust me, just this once!"
My words hung in the air for a moment, the chaos simmering but not entirely subsiding. I could see the doubt in their eyes, the fear of the unknown.
But I didn't have time to convince them all.
My worst fear clawed at the edges of my mind: the possibility of a system-driven tutorial that would split us apart, leaving everyone to fend for themselves. If that happened, Michael and Eve might survive—they were young, strong, and resourceful. But Mom and Dad? They wouldn't stand a chance. They were too old, too fragile for what was coming.
Suddenly, Michael broke the tension. He sprinted past me, heading straight for the weapon shelf I'd prepared. Without hesitation, he grabbed a handgun and turned to face me, his expression wary but resolute.
He was watching me. Not with fear, but with caution, like he was trying to gauge whether I was still in control—or about to lose it.
One by one, the others followed his lead, scrambling for weapons: knives, bats, anything they could get their hands on.
'Good,' I thought. At least they won't be empty-handed.
I glanced at the clock. Thirty seconds.
The tension in the room was unbearable. My family stood together now, their eyes darting between me and the door, their hands gripping their weapons tightly. I could see the fear in Mom's trembling hands, the grim determination in Dad's posture, and the uneasy resolve in Michael and Eve.
They were ready, or as ready as they could be.
I took a deep breath and walked across the room to a hidden compartment I'd kept for myself. Reaching in, I pulled out my weapon of choice—a steel sword paired with a sturdy shield.
Ten seconds.
The weight of the sword in my hand felt familiar, reassuring. I gripped it tightly, the edge glinting faintly under the dim lights.
Five seconds.
I turned to face them, meeting their anxious gazes. This was it.
Zero.
The clock hit midnight, and the world was silent.
Ding!
[INVASION DETECTED]
[WORLD SOURCE EXCEEDS PLANETARY CORE CAPACITY]
[WORLD SOURCE ACTIVATE PREPARATION INITIALIZATION]
[UNIVESAL ANTI-INVASION SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION]....
A voice echoed through the air, though I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Judging by the looks on everyone's faces, it seemed like they heard it too—confusion was written all over them.
Nate's voice broke the silence. "What's happening? Are you doing this, son?"
I shook my head. "No, but it's exactly what I tried to warn you about. I don't know what's coming, but we need to be ready."
Sam stepped forward, his voice strained. "We've been ignoring it for too long. It's too late to turn back now."
Before I could say anything more, something appeared in front of me—a translucent window, floating in midair.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[SOUL RECORD IS NOW AVAILABLE]
[SOUL RECORD]
Name: Samuel Barlow
Race: Human??
Class: Unassigned [Level 10 for available]
Title: Lucky Man 9
Level: 1 [Tier 0]
[STATUS]
Strength: 8
Agility: 8
Vitality:9
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 100
[SKILLS]: -
[COMMON SKILLS]: language, mathematics, cooking, exercises,….Etc.
[TRAITS]: the Eye of ???, Unbound
I stared at my status screen, confusion swirling in my mind. What is that? I thought. I'm 100% human… right?
A nagging thought pushed its way forward, Maybe it had something to do with my past life... That's what had been haunting me lately—an elusive fragment of memory, one that felt both important and utterly meaningless. But now, with all this happening, my curiosity couldn't be ignored. I had to understand.
Eve's voice snapped me back to the present. "What's going on? You guys see this too, right? This thing floating in front of me?"
Kate chimed in, her voice shaking. "I see it too, Sam! You know something, don't you?! Are you saying this... this thing is real? That we're stuck in some kind of nightmare?"
"I don't fully understand it either," I said, trying to sound calm, though my heart was racing. "But I need you to trust me on this. I think the world's about to change. The only way we'll survive is by adapting, and quickly. Look at this translucent window—it's showing us there's an invasion. And the government? I don't think they'll be able to protect us. We're on our own now."
The family began to argue over what was happening, trying to wrap their heads around the situation. But my mind was already focused elsewhere—on the status in front of me. I couldn't afford to miss a single detail. I knew this was just the beginning of something much bigger, and I had to be ready. My goal was set, clear in my mind: Be the strongest. At least on Earth. It's the only way to protect what I care about.
"Might is right," I whispered to myself, the words already taking root deep in my thoughts.
I focused on the text, trying to make sense of it. The first thing was my name: [Name: Samuel Barlow]. Well, it's just a name, nothing more. Then came the next part: [Race: Human??]. It described humans as the inhabitants of Earth and went on to explain their general characteristics. Nothing about it seemed extraordinary until I read the final line: "The Human race is a common species across all multiverses."
Wait, multiverses? Does that mean the multiverse is real? That thought alone was enough to make my head spin. Then again, I am a reincarnator. Maybe I'm from one of these other universes. The idea lingered, unsettling yet fascinating.
The description also mentioned a unique trait of the human race: [Comprehension]. Humans have an innate ability to grasp, analyze, and adapt to new information, making them highly versatile and resourceful. Interestingly, this trait grows stronger as humans ascend through tiers, enhancing their potential even further.
I moved on to the next section. [Class]: It explained that humans are assigned a class upon reaching Level 10. The rarity of a class depends on one's overall record and achievements before starting the Tier 1 class selection. Rarities? Tiers? I wasn't sure how they worked or how many there were, but it seemed like something I would understand once I grew stronger. For now, it was just another mystery waiting to unfold.
The next one is…[Title]: the proof of achievement and reward for it. So short I hope it provides me with more detail because it is one of status that is not empty…[Lucky Man 9]: More than 90% of the sapiens species on my home planet consider me the luckiest individual alive: Luck +90.
Nice…
I've worked my ass off memorizing financial historical events, taking risks most people wouldn't dare to. And now, all anyone sees is the "lucky" label. Whatever.
[Level]: The level represents the capacity of existence energy and the hierarchy of one's being. Simply put, the higher the level, the more powerful the individual becomes. Initially, I thought we'd be using mana as a source of power, similar to the systems seen in many Korean novels. But as I think about it more, this world doesn't seem to follow that typical formula. Something about this feels off, and I can't shake the feeling that there's something deeper at play here.
[Status]: Represents the current capabilities of your existence, defined by the 7 basic stats.10 Stat is considered the peak potential for an average human.
[Strength]: The ability to endure and withstand physical stress, strain, or external forces applied to the body.
[Agility]: The ability to react quickly, move swiftly, and adapt to changing situations both physically and mentally.
[Vitality]: The capacity to hold life force energy and recover from injuries or depletion of energy, affecting overall health and resilience.
[Endurance]: The ability to withstand prolonged physical exertion, improving stamina, body durability, and overall toughness.
[Intelligence]: The capacity to absorb, comprehend, and process information, as well as improve mental power quality, aiding in problem-solving and cognitive function.
[Wisdom]: The ability to retain and apply knowledge gained over time, enhancing mental capacity and aiding in better decision-making and understanding.
[Luck]: The mysterious ability to influence fortune and events in your favor. Luck can only be increased through tier progression or titles.
After I finished reading through all the details in the status section, it became clear to me: everything was important. Pursuing balance—that had to be the answer in the long run.
[SKILLS]: A list of abilities that utilize the power of existence energy. These skills are categorized by proficiency levels, and when a skill reaches its maximum proficiency, it can evolve into a higher rarity.
Once again, I come across this "existence energy" term, but it remains a mystery. Despite its frequent mention on the status screen, I still can't figure out what it truly is or how it works.
[COMMON SKILLS]: A list of abilities that don't require the use of existence energy. These skills are simpler, more fundamental, and aren't bound by energy usage. They encompass everything I've learned throughout my life—things as basic as breathing, sleeping, and even everyday tasks. Unlike other skills, these don't have proficiency levels, making them feel more like instinctive knowledge rather than learned abilities.
The most suspicious part of my entire status screen.
[TRAITS]: Unique attributes an individual is either born with or acquires through other means. Traits don't have a rarity but grow stronger alongside the existence tier. It almost seems like a type of "growth" skill, doesn't it?
[The Eye of ???]: Grants the ability to see ??? (Incomplete). this must be the one that haunted me for the last 28 years of my life. why it is incomplete? there must be a way to complete it.
[Unbound]: You become loose and untied from anything bound to your existence and completely unbound from things weaker than you. Wow, this one sounds grand, full of potential—but right now, I'm just a regular top-tier wealthy person. Aside from being unbound from civilian law, I'm not sure how else I'm going to make use of it.
Nate said "Alright, son. What's the plan?"
Sam answers "First, we need to figure out these 'Soul Records.' Everyone's Soul Record panel says the same thing, but we have to understand what it means. We need to know every advantage we have."
While everyone focused on their Soul Records, I found myself staring at the monitor displaying the scene outside. People were stepping out of their houses, confusion clear on their faces. They were trying to talk to each other, but it didn't seem like anyone had answers. At least there wasn't a monster swarm spilling out of a portal or a rift in the sky—it was oddly normal. Why is it so quiet? It's like the calm before the storm.
After about five minutes, everyone finished analyzing their panels. We shared what we'd learned, though we kept the traits to ourselves. I told them it might be dangerous, so it was better to stay quiet about it for now.
From what I could tell, everyone had something familiar: different titles, varying parameters in the status section, but one thing stood out—no one had any skills or additional sections. Except for my parents, that is. Their titles were different from the rest.
And then...
[WORLD SOURCE ACTIVATE PREPARATION COMPLETE]
[THE WORLD TRANSFORMATION BEGIN]
The ground trembled like an earthquake with a magnitude of 12. The air itself seemed to ripple, shaking visibly to the naked eye. Everyone in the room was thrown to the floor, and the strongest house I'd been so proud of began to crack open. Panic surged within me, and I shouted.
"Everyone, grab each other's hands!"
We crawled across the floor, instinctively reaching for one another, our hands gripping tight, terrified of losing anyone in the chaos.
[INHABITANTS LIFE PROTECTION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]
[TUTORIAL SYSTEM BEGIN]
God damn, the tutorial is really coming now...
And just like that, my consciousness started to fade.