"Why can't I move? It's cold... and everything is so dark," Edward murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper as he drifted through what felt like an endless, black void.
"Oh, that's right... I remember now. I died... right after my transmigration to another world."
Edward's mind flashed with the memories of the chaos before his death. He recalled being relentlessly chased by that monstrous grunt boar, it's snarls echoing in his ears as it closed in on him. In a desperate bid to escape, he'd leapt off the cliff, following the system's advice—only to plummet to his demise.
"Sigh... how long am I supposed to drift in this endless darkness?"
After a while, a voice echoed through the darkness, calling out to him.
"Wake up, human child, i don't have much time left."
The voice was calm yet commanding, carrying an otherworldly sense of divinity that seemed to pierce through the void and forcing him to wake up.
As Edward's eyes fluttered open, the first thing to greet his sight was a ruined temple, its ancient stone walls nearly swallowed by the relentless embrace of nature. Vines crept along its crumbling pillars, and moss blanketed the floor like a forgotten relic of time.
What surprised him even more was his body—completely unscathed. Not a single wound marred his skin, not even the lingering injuries from before. It was as though his broken body had been completely restored.
"I-I'm alive? How is this even possible?" Edward stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Surviving a fall from that cliff was far more astonishing to him than the fact that he'd been transmigrated in the first place.
As Edward remained frozen in disbelief, the same mysterious, divine voice from earlier echoed once more, breaking through his thoughts.
"Come inside the temple, human child."
Fear and suspicion gnawed at Edward as he hesitated, his mind racing with doubts about the mysterious voice. Yet, deep within, his instincts urged him forward, a strange gut feeling telling him to trust it despite the unease.
Navigating through the ruined temple, which barely resembled a place of worship anymore, Edward cautiously followed the direction of the voice. The once-majestic structure was now a shadow of it's former self, with crumbling walls and nature reclaiming every inch. Yet, he pressed on, drawn by the voice that seemed to resonate deep within him.
When Edward finally reached the room where the voice had been calling him from, his heart froze in terror. Standing before him was a towering, shadowy figure, its form impossible to describe—its shape constantly shifting, as if it were made of pure darkness. Despite the apparent weariness in it's presence, the creature radiated an overwhelming power, enough to obliterate entire kingdoms with ease. Edward stood frozen, unable to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what he was facing.
"Welcome, human child," the shadowy figure spoke, its voice resonating with an ancient and otherworldly tone. "I have waited countless years for someone like you to appear."
"W-Who are you?" Edward stammered, his voice trembling with fear. Even with all his knowledge of this world from the novel, he couldn't recall any mention of an entity like this.
"Me?" the entity's voice echoed, deep and resonant. "I have no name, for I am formless, and formlessness is my very form. But long ago, people used to called me 'Shifter.'"
Hearing it's words, a certain spiritual god flashed through Edward's mind. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, realizing there were far more pressing matters to focus on—like the powerful entity standing before him.
"S-So, Mr. Shifter," Edward stuttered, his voice shaky, "are you... are you planning to possess my body or something?"
He braced himself, his fear rising as countless worst-case scenarios played out in his mind.
A heavy silence filled the room before a deep, hearty laugh broke through.
"Hahahaha, possess you?" the voice boomed, its tone both amused and reassuring. "Don't worry, child. I don't share the same... hobby as those evil spirits or demons."
Though Edward felt a slight sense of reassurance, the lingering fear remained. He knew he wasn't out of danger yet.
"So, why were you calling me? What do you want from me?" he asked, trying to steady his voice despite the unease crawling up his spine.
The Shifter's laughter abruptly ceased, and a heavy, serious aura enveloped its formless body, shifting the atmosphere in the room.
"I want your help," the Shifter intoned, it's voice now dark and filled with a quiet rage. "Help me get revenge on those damn demons who sealed me in this place and put me in this state."
Another bombshell dropped on Edward's head. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he couldn't help but shout, "Demons? You want me to fight demons?! Are you kidding me?! I can't even defend myself from a low-rank monster! I'm just a weak mob in this world, not your protagonist!"
His words echoed in the ruined temple, filled with a mix of frustration and fear.
"Calm down, human child," the Shifter's voice rumbled, calm yet firm. "I understand your fears, but don't worry. I will help you to the best of my ability."
Edward took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. "How will you help me?"
He asked, his voice still laced with hesitation, but tinged with curiosity. He needed to know if there was even the slightest chance he could gain power—power he couldn't lose. In this unpredictable and dangerous world, every little advantage could be the difference between survival and death.
"First, let me tell you a brief story about my past," the Shifter began, its tone shifting to something more solemn. "It will help you understand your mission—and your enemy. You surely know about the Great Demon War, right?"
Edward nodded, how could he not know about it? The Great Demon War was the pivotal event in the history of this world, a tale woven into the very fabric of the novel. The demons from the Demonic Continent had tried to invade, seeking to claim the land as their own, only to be defeated and driven back by the heroes of the past. Both sides suffered devastating losses, and since then, nearly a thousand years had passed with no sign of the demons making any move.
"This story takes place long before the Great Demon War," the Shifter continued, its voice laced with bitterness. "Back then, I was a divine beast, hailed as a god by the people of this land. They worshipped me, and in return, I protected them. But for reasons I still don't fully understand, the demons grew wary of me. Using humans as pawns, they hatched a plot against me, framing me as an evil creature allied with their kind.
As time passed, faith in me dwindled, and the entire continent turned against me. Unable to kill me, they sealed me away in this place. The one who placed the barrier was a demon possessing a human. That's why I can't break free—most of the power they used against me was from forbidden arts."
Throughout its story, the Shifter's voice carried a heavy sadness, as if it were mourning the loss of a past it could never reclaim. Yet, despite the sorrow, there was more to be said. The creature paused for a moment before continuing.
"I have waited more than a thousand years for someone with an Essence that could match my power to come here," the Shifter said, its voice tinged with both regret and hope. "But nobody like that came all those years. Now, my powers were fading. At most, I have only a few days left to live. I was on the verge of losing all hope... until you fell from the sky, my last hope.
But your body was gravely injured, and you could have easily died. So, I used the last of my powers to heal you. And now, I have maybe an hour left to live, at best."
Now, as the Shifter's words sank in, Edward finally understood. It was because of the Shifter that he had survived the fall from the cliff, and his body—despite being battered and broken—had been fully healed when he woke up. The realization hit him hard. The Shifter had saved him, but at the cost of its own dwindling life force.
"So, human child," the Shifter's voice echoed softly, filled with both desperation and solemnity, "will you help me with my revenge? You are the only one who can do it. You are my last hope."
As Edward pieced everything together, the truth began to dawn on him. The reason there was no mention of this ancient creature in the novel, the reason it felt so out of place, was because it wasn't meant to survive. Neither was the original Edward. They were never supposed to meet, never supposed to cross paths. But somehow, the system had guided him here, pushing him toward this direction, creating a variable that wasn't meant to exist in this world.
The Shifter waited, its formless presence looming in the silence. But did Edward really need to think any longer? An ancient divine creature, one that predated even the Great Demon War, is offering him power—how could he possibly refuse?
Edward took a deep breath, the gravity of the situation settling on his shoulders. With a determined look, he spoke, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind.
"As a gratitude for saving me, I will gladly help you," he said, his words final.
"That's great, then. Excuse me."
the Shifter replied, its voice tinged with relief. With those words, it extended one of its shadowy, formless fingers and gently touched Edward's forehead. The moment its finger made contact, a surge of power and energy flowed into Edward, a strange warmth spreading through him despite the cold, dark aura surrounding the Shifter.
[New "Blessing of Shifter" has been acquired]
[New ability "Morph" has been acquired]
The core of the power system in this world was based on Essences, and there were four types of them: Elemental, Abstract, Beast, and Primordial. To harness the power of your Essence, you had to form a deep connection with it—feeling it, understanding it, and ultimately learning to control it. The stronger your bond with your Essence, the more power and abilities you could access.
And a Blessing acted as an amplifier to your Essence, enhancing its natural power and unlocking new characteristics. It was like a key to unlocking abilities tied to the Essence you possessed. For instance, if someone had Fire Essence and received the Blessing of Magma, it would allow them to wield magma-related abilities, such as creating molten lava or controlling its flow. The Blessing amplified and refined the user's connection to their Essence, granting them more potent and diverse abilities as they grew stronger.
Edward's curiosity bubbled up as he turned to the Shifter, his voice filled with anticipation. "What power does your Blessing have?" he asked, eager to know what kind of abilities this ancient creature's blessing would grant him.
"My one and only ability is to take on any form as I wish," the Shifter said, its voice filled with pride.
Edward's excitement quickly deflated, his face falling into a mix of confusion and disappointment. "Whaaat? Isn't that super weak? It's just some illusion-like power," he muttered, unable to hide his letdown. The ability to change form didn't seem nearly as impressive as he'd hoped, especially compared to the grand powers the main characters had.
"Don't be disappointed, human child," the Shifter said, its voice calm yet laced with a hint of amusement. "As I said before, I am formless, and formless is my form. Just like that, my power is one, but that one is many. I don't just take on someone's form—I copy them, down to their entire existence. Their Essence, their abilities, everything."
A deep, knowing pause followed, as if the Shifter was letting Edward truly grasp the vastness of its ability.
"Can I do that too with your blessing?"
Edward asked, his voice tinged with awe as the true potential of the power began to dawn on him. The ability to not only mimic someone's form but to absorb their Essence and abilities was incredibly powerful—far beyond what he had initially imagined.
The Shifter shook its formless head, its voice turning more serious. "You are still too weak for that. For you, there will be conditions to use this power. You must prove that your existence is greater than the ones you want to morph into. To do that, you have to kill them. This is the only way for you now."
To Edward, this small condition felt insignificant compared to the vast power the Blessing promised.
"Understood."
"Also, be warned, child," the Shifter's voice grew serious, its tone carrying a heavy weight. "The more you take, the less of you will remain. The more you pretend to be another, the more you will lose yourself. And remember, I was once framed as an evil creature. So, make sure to never show this power to anyone, except the dead."
The warning echoed in the silence, a reminder of the cost that came with wielding such a formidable ability. The price of power could be more than just physical—it could be the very essence of one's identity.
Edward gave a silent nod of understanding, his expression serious as he processed the Shifter's words. He knew that the path ahead would not be easy, and the cost of such power was not one to be taken lightly. But for now, he had made his choice, and he would face whatever consequences came with it.
The Shifter "smiled," though its formless shape made it impossible to tell if it truly had a face. "Good," it said, its voice softer now. "Then you can leave now. My time is already up."
With those final words, a heavy silence filled the room. It was clear that this was the end of its existence in this world, but Edward now carried the power and the burden of its legacy.
After bidding his farewell, Edward turned and left the ruined temple, his mind buzzing with the weight of the Shifter's gift—and its warning. As he stepped out into the open, the air felt different, charged with the promise of the power now within him.
The Shifter, however, stayed behind, its gaze lingering on the spot where Edward had stood. A silent smile spread across the formless creature's presence, it's voice a soft echo in the empty temple. "I hope you can find your place in this world, child of another world."
With those words, the ancient divine being slowly faded, its existence unraveling into nothingness. The Shifter was gone, but its legacy would live on through Edward, for better or worse.