Julie's voice pulled him back.
"Eron… Eron… Eron."
She said his name three times—soft, then a little louder, worried. Her hand reached out and touched his arm gently, fingers light against his sleeve.
The touch brought him back.
He blinked hard. The room came into focus again.
Julie's emerald eyes were fixed on him, full of concern.
"What happened?" she asked quietly. "You were gone for a minute."
Eron took a slow breath. The words came out heavy.
"I don't have a system."
Julie looked at him for a long second.
Then she gave a small smile—trying to lift him up.
"Maybe it's just late," she said. "Maybe you have to meet some condition first. Some people say the system wakes up at different times for different people. Maybe after a breakthrough… or a trial… or something only the system decides."
Her voice was warm, encouraging. But Eron could see it clearly in her eyes—she was trying hard to make him feel better. She was worried for him. She wanted him to hold on.
That look stirred something deep inside him—something quiet and heavy. Gratitude. And a little ache.
He looked at her for a moment longer.
Then he asked, "Did this happen in your house too?"
Julie blinked. "What?"
He gestured around the room—the bamboo walls, the tatami floor, the rice-paper screens glowing red.
"This house. It became… traditional."
Julie nodded slowly.
"Yes," she said. "It happened to every house. Every building. The moment that big *boom* came and all technology died, the whole world changed shape. Concrete turned into wood. Steel turned into bamboo. Glass turned into paper. It happened to everyone at the same time."
She paused, remembering.
"It was like the modern world just… disappeared."
Eron stayed quiet. His mind was heavy with it.
Julie shifted on the mat, pulling her knees closer.
"I've been given a task," she said.
Eron looked up. "Task?"
She nodded. "The system gave me a quest. I have to go to a martial school."
"Martial school?" The words felt thick and strange.
Julie's face lit up a little, though worry still sat behind her eyes.
"Yes. Ever since the system came, this world changed completely. Hospitals don't exist anymore. Now there are halls where people heal with arts—qi techniques. People who awakened powers can close wounds, fix broken bones, even bring someone back if they're strong enough."
She took a breath.
"Everyone has different powers now. Because of the system. Some people control elements—fire, water, wind, earth. I saw a man lift a whole cart into the air with wind. Others make their bodies so strong that steel bends under their hands."
Eron remembered the hospital—the man in the next bed, eyes glowing, throwing a chair across the room without touching it.
Julie kept going.
"Martial schools are places ruled by the strongest cultivators. The ones who have trained the longest. Right now the strongest there are at Mortal Realm +4. They can run faster than 230 kilometers per hour. Their strength is like ten elephants. Their bodies are so tough that normal weapons can't even cut them."
Her voice dropped lower.
"They're like living legends already."
She looked down at her own hands, opening and closing her fingers.
"I was given a cultivation technique of ice," she said. "I can train it—make qi turn cold, shape it, send it out. But right now… I can only freeze a cup of water for a few seconds. I can't even break a wooden door."
She looked up again, eyes fierce.
"But one day I'll be stronger. Strong enough to protect anyone. Everyone."
Eron listened. The weight of her words settled in his chest.
The system gave everyone a different cultivation book. Different paths. Some for the body. Some for elements. Some for other things.
No one had said you couldn't train more than one.
The thought sat heavy in his mind.
Julie stood up suddenly. She brushed her yellow dress smooth.
"I have to go," she said. "The task has a time limit. If I don't reach the school soon, there will be penalties…"
She didn't finish. She didn't have to.
She walked toward the door. Then stopped.
"Eron," she said softly. "You'll be okay. I know you will."
Then she slid the door open and left.
The door closed with a quiet sound.
Silence filled the room again—heavier than before.
Eron sat alone on the tatami mat.
His mind was deep in thought.
The book.
It had appeared in his house—his house—when he had no system. No cultivation. No reason to have it.
Why?
He stood up. Walked to the desk in three long steps.
The book waited there—thick leather cover, edges worn.
He opened it again.
This time the title stared back from the first page, written in gold letters that seemed to pull in the red light:
*Supreme Ruler.*
The words hit him hard.
His vision blurred.
The room spun.
Golden light exploded behind his eyes—bright, endless, warm.
He collapsed.
When he opened his eyes again, he was not in the room anymore.
He was floating.
Golden space stretched everywhere—infinite, shining, warm like sunlight but deeper, older. No floor. No walls. No end. Just gold, moving like slow liquid.
He tried to move. His body listened—slow, weightless.
*Where am I?*
No sound. No wind. Only a low hum that vibrated through his bones.
Then—
*BOOM.*
A golden screen appeared in front of him—huge, perfect, edges flickering with faint runes.
Words formed—elegant, burning.
**Welcome to the Great Supreme Ruler.**
**We have waited for you… for eternity.**
Eron's heart slammed hard against his ribs.
The screen pulsed once.
Then again.
The golden void waited—silent, heavy, endless.
Eron floated in the golden void, staring at the massive screen that hovered before him like a wall of light.
Is this the system Julie was talking about?
He reached out slowly. His fingers passed straight through the glowing panel—no resistance, no touch. Just empty air.
"Invisible…" he whispered. His voice echoed strangely in the endless space.
He lowered his hand. His mind spun.
Before he could think further, new lines appeared on the screen—clean, sharp letters that seemed carved from pure gold.
Eron
Hybrid (Human and God)
Age – 18
Body – Mortal+ (Very weak, lack of blood, lack of qi, polluted)
Cultivation – Star 0
Technique – None
Unique Ability – No Restrictions
Hidden Ability – Locked
Eron's breath caught in his throat.
"Hybrid…?" The word came out small and disbelieving.
He was human. He had always been human. How could he be half god?
His mind raced back to that blurry night. His father slipping into the room. The cold touch against his chest. The sudden bloom of heat spreading through his ribs. The pendant—gone now. Not on the desk. Not near the pillow. Just… gone.
Did it merge with me?
The thought felt ridiculous. Impossible.
But everything that had happened since then was impossible too.
He looked back at the screen.
Cultivation – Star 0
Julie had said people started at Mortal Realm. Everyone she knew had some kind of Mortal level.
But Star 0? What did that even mean?
Technique – None
Julie had an ice technique. She could already make frost appear from her qi.
He had nothing. No starting gift. No path.
Body – Mortal+ (Very weak, lack of blood, lack of qi, polluted)
Mortal+? Julie never mentioned that.
Very weak. Lack of blood. Lack of qi. Polluted.
The words sat heavy in his chest. He felt them—like truth he had always known but never admitted.
Unique Ability – No Restrictions
No restrictions?
What did that even mean?
No limits? No rules? Or something else?
Hidden Ability – Locked
Locked.
Because of his body? His cultivation? Or something he hadn't done yet?
He stared at the screen, heart pounding.
Then—without warning—the golden space collapsed.
Light snapped shut.
He woke up gasping on the tatami floor of his room.
The golden screen was gone.
The book was gone.
The pendant—gone.
He sat up slowly. His head spun. His stomach growled louder than before.
Was it a dream?
But the room felt too real. The tatami under his palms. The faint herbal smell still lingering from Julie's food. The emptiness of the house pressing down on him.
He pushed himself to his feet and walked to the kitchen.
Reality hit hard.
No food.
No fruit.
No water in the spout—just dry bamboo, silent.
He stood there, staring at the empty chest. The empty shelves. The cold hearth.
Something inside him broke.
He dropped to his knees. Fist slammed into the wooden floor—once, twice. Pain flared through his knuckles, but he didn't care.
Tears came hot and fast.
He cried—quiet at first, then harder—kneeling on the tatami like a child who had lost everything.
He wasn't crying only because he was hungry.
He wasn't crying only because he was weak.
He was crying because he had always been a coward.
He had the sharpest mind anyone could ask for—able to see patterns, solve problems, understand things faster than anyone around him.
But he had never used it. Never stood up. Never fought back.
He had hidden behind average grades, behind apologies, behind stepping aside in hallways.
He had chosen safety over everything.
And now the whole world had changed—people were becoming stronger, faster, braver—and he was still the same.
Still afraid.
Still alone.
His sobs slowed. His breathing steadied.
Then—without sound, without warning—the golden screen appeared again.
Right in front of his eyes.
Floating. Silent. Real.
Eron
Hybrid (Human and God)
Age – 18
Body – Mortal+ (Very weak, lack of blood, lack of qi, polluted)
Cultivation – Star 0
Technique – None
Unique Ability – No Restrictions
Hidden Ability – Locked
Task – _______
The last line blinked—empty.
He stared at it.
His hand lifted slowly. Fingers trembling so badly it was visible—shaking like leaves in wind.
Hunger clawed at his stomach.
Weakness pulled at his limbs.
Fear sat heavy in his throat.
But he remembered Julie's words.
"Tasks give you rewards. You can become stronger."
He remembered his parents—gone, somewhere out there.
His hand shook less now.
He took one deep breath.
Do or die.
He reached forward.
His fingertip brushed the word Task.
The screen flared once—bright gold.
And everything waited.
To be continued…
### Chapter 3: The Weight of the Unchosen Path (Continued)
Eron's fingertip brushed the glowing word **Task**.
The screen flashed once—bright, golden light that stung his eyes.
When the light faded, new words appeared below the empty line.
**Task:**
**Do 1 push-up**
**Reward:**
**Spirit Fruit Apple**
**(Restores blood, reduces hunger, improves body constitution by 1%)**
Eron stared at the simple words.
To anyone else, it would have looked easy—laughably easy. One push-up. Something children did for fun. Something Julie could probably do a hundred times without breathing hard.
But for Eron it was impossible.
His body felt like it was made of wet paper. Lack of blood made his head swim every time he moved. Hunger had hollowed him out for days—his arms trembled even when he lifted them to wipe his face. His legs felt distant, like they belonged to someone else.
He knew the truth deep in his bones:
*In this world, no one is coming to save you.*
*Only you can help yourself.*
He tried to move his hand.
It shook badly—visible, uncontrollable shaking that made his fingers look like branches in a storm.
He tried to sit up straighter. His spine protested. His arms wobbled under his own weight. His breath came in short, painful gasps.
*If I try to get into position… I might die before I even start.*
The thought was calm. Cold. Logical.
He could feel it—death sitting very close, patient, waiting for him to make one wrong move.
He closed his eyes for a second.
Then he opened them again.
*There were no instructions.*
No diagram. No correct form. No warning about posture or breathing. Just the words: **Do 1 push-up**.
A small, desperate idea flickered in his mind.
*If there are no rules… maybe I can bend them.*
He shifted slowly—very slowly—until he was sitting on his knees. His back leaned forward just a little. His palms pressed against the tatami mat in front of him.
He pushed.
His arms bent. His chest lowered a few inches toward the floor. His whole body trembled violently. Sweat broke out on his forehead instantly. His vision darkened at the edges.
He pushed back up.
One.
It wasn't a proper push-up. It wasn't even close.
But he had done *something*.
The screen stayed silent.
No flash. No sound. No reward.
Eron's heart sank.
*Failed.*
He sat back on his heels, breathing hard, feeling the last of his strength drain away. Tears of frustration burned behind his eyes.
Then—suddenly—the screen shimmered.
**Loading…**
The word blinked once. Twice.
Two minutes passed.
To Eron it felt like two years.
Every second dragged. His heart hammered so loud he could hear it in his ears. His vision kept blurring. He was sure he would black out before it finished.
Finally the loading stopped.
A small golden gift icon appeared in the center of the screen.
Eron stared at it.
His hand—still shaking—reached forward.
He touched the gift.
The screen flared softly.
Two red apples materialized in his lap—perfect, glossy, glowing faintly with inner light.
Eron's breath caught.
*Double…?*
He had done it wrong. He knew he had done it wrong.
But the system gave him double the reward.
He lifted one apple with both hands. It felt warm. Alive.
He took one bite.
Flavor exploded across his tongue—sweet, crisp, impossibly refreshing. It was like drinking sunlight mixed with the memory of home. For one clear second he could almost hear his mother's laugh, feel his father's hand on his shoulder.
Tears slipped down his cheeks. Not from pain this time. From something softer.
He ate the whole apple slowly—every bite filling the hollow places inside him. Hunger faded. His head cleared. Strength trickled back into his arms, his legs. Not full power—not yet—but better. Much better.
He looked at the second apple still in his hand.
*Better save this.*
He focused on it. In his mind he thought: *Store.*
A faint shimmer ran over the apple. It vanished—clean, silent.
A new icon appeared on the screen:
**Storage (Unlimited)**
Eron blinked.
*Mind control…*
He had never tried that before. All this time the screen had waited for him to *think* the commands.
Regret hit him hard.
*If I had known earlier…*
But there was no time for regret now.
He was still weak. Still alone. Still confused.
But he had food. He had a system—his own, strange, hidden system.
And he had a choice.
He stood up—slowly, carefully. His legs wobbled, but they held.
He looked around the empty room.
The world outside was waiting—dangerous, beautiful, unforgiving.
He took one deep breath.
*Do or die.*
But…
To be continued…
STATUS :
**Eron** (Main Protagonist, 18 years old)
- **Physical Appearance**: Black hair (shoulder-length, messy waves), dark brown eyes, now visibly stronger and more defined body after the mysterious change (broadened shoulders, toned muscles, improved posture). **Height: 6'1"** (tall, lean but powerful build—his new physique stands out more, though he still moves cautiously and hunches slightly when uncertain or weak).
- **Mental/Emotional State**: Emotionally heavy and raw—grieving his family, overwhelmed by isolation and his strange hidden system. He has always been a coward at heart (hiding his genius, avoiding conflict), but the desperation of near-death hunger/weakness and the golden screen forced a turning point. He cried hard from frustration and self-realization, but now feels a quiet, burning determination to change ("do or die"). Regrets not experimenting with mind commands earlier. Still logical and analytical—he quickly figured out how to bend the push-up task and discovered storage—but fear and self-doubt remain deep inside.
- **Current Condition**: Physically much improved after eating one Spirit Fruit Apple.
- Blood fully restored (no longer lacking; normal levels).
- Hunger almost completely gone (only faint traces remain).
- Body constitution improved by 1% (still Mortal+, but noticeably less weak—less shaky, clearer head, more stable energy).
- No longer on the verge of collapse; can move normally without immediate risk of dying from weakness. Still not at full strength—body remains fragile overall—but the immediate crisis has passed.
- **Possessions**: One remaining Spirit Fruit Apple (stored in unlimited storage). Family silver pendant (missing—likely merged with him or absorbed during the book incident). *Supreme Ruler* book (missing—disappeared after golden space vision). Two bamboo sticks (basic defense, still in the house).
- **Power/Status**: Has his own hidden system (golden screen).
- **Hybrid (Human and God)**
- **Age – 18**
- **Body – Mortal+ (Very weak, lack of blood, lack of qi, polluted)** → Improved after 1 apple (blood restored to normal, hunger nearly gone, body constitution +1%). Still lacks qi and remains polluted overall.
- **Cultivation – Star 0**
- **Technique – None**
- **Unique Ability – No Restrictions**
- **Hidden Ability – Locked**
- **Storage (Unlimited)** — Activated via mind command; currently holds 1 Spirit Fruit Apple.
- **Task Completed**: 1 push-up (modified/sitting version) → Double reward (2 Spirit Fruit Apples).
- **Location**: Inside his transformed traditional house, in/near the kitchen area. Standing up, feeling stronger and ready to act, but still cautious.
- **Goal**: Find his missing parents (Lira & Harlan) at any cost. Now layered with survival (food, strength) and understanding his hidden system (Hybrid, Star 0, No Restrictions). He has decided to let go of his past cowardice and transform—no matter how hard the journey ahead.
**Julie** (Childhood Friend)
- **Physical Appearance**: 5'6", golden-yellow hair (long waves to waist), emerald-green eyes, porcelain skin. Extremely beautiful. Wears flowing yellow silk dress with crimson floral embroidery.
- **Personality**: Warm, caring, teasing, loyal. Encouraging and protective of Eron. Left with worry but hope for him.
- **Power/Status**: Has normal system. Cultivation Level: Mortal Realm +1.
- Ice cultivation technique (limited control—can freeze small things briefly).
- Summons ingredients from air.
- Qi flames for cooking.
- Superhuman knife skills.
- Current quest: Reach martial school (time-limited).
- **Emotional Connection**: Deep childhood bond. Always defended/encouraged Eron. Came to check on him, tried to lift his spirits before leaving.
- **Current Condition**: Fine, energized. Concerned for Eron.
- **Location**: Left Eron's house to complete her quest (heading to martial school).
- **Goal**: Reach the martial school. Become strong enough to protect everyone (especially Eron).
**Family Pendant** (Heirloom)
- Silver, etched runes. Passed down generations (Lira: "protects the family," "carries our history").
- Missing—likely merged with Eron or absorbed during the book/golden space incident. No active power shown yet. Purely emotional significance so far.
**Missing Family**
- **Lira** (Mother): Gentle, kind, library worker. Vanished.
- **Harlan** (Father): Enigmatic, secretive. Performed nighttime ritual on Eron. Vanished.
- Status: No trace. Eron's core motivation.