POV: Tânia Le Blanc
"Thank the Gods…" I whispered, feeling the weight of the tension finally leave my shoulders.
My fingers slid through my new straight, silver hair. It was soft. Strangely soft. I almost couldn't resist the urge to pull out a few strands — an old, ugly, and persistent habit that has accompanied me since my parents' death.
"Are you okay? What happened?" I asked the young man who, moments before, was writhing on the ground like the severed tail of a lizard.
He looked up.
His eyes were… dangerously enchanting. Not because of beauty, but because of intensity. They analyzed me carefully, as if trying to decide if my concern was genuine… or mere social formality.
"I am fine… I think," he replied with uncertainty. "I don't know what happened. It must be another of the strangenesses of this situation."
Interesting.
Either he truly doesn't know — which seems unlikely, considering the names that came out of his mouth and that, for some reason, my mind simply cannot retain — or he is hiding something. And if he is hiding something… then he knows much more than he let on.
"Good for you," I replied, looking away while searching for a place in the cave to sit.
I observed the environment once more. Damp stone. Broken eggs. Naked people. A dead magic serpent. Did I really need to sigh again? I walked to the eggshell from which I had hatched — if that could even be called an egg.
"It could be an alien capsule…"
"Pff."
I almost laughed at myself. But, thinking better of it… that sounds more plausible than being teleported to some kind of cheap isekai.
"Gods… what a hellish situation."
At least I gained a marvelous body. I looked at myself. 'How beautiful.'
Nothing remained of the thin body, marked by old scars and even worse choices. Now, my skin was smooth. Firm. Young. If I had a mirror, I would probably see a tall, beautiful woman in her peak early twenties. Maybe twenty-three. Maybe twenty-four. Nothing like my old, tired thirty-two-year-old body.
I sat down calmly. The last few minutes were too violent. Too fast. I still haven't had time to really think. I woke up in a cave full of strangers… and minutes later I was fighting a magic snake using powers I never had.
'My God… not even in my wildest dreams.'
The last thing I remember is being caught trying to kill my unscrupulous brother. And then… darkness. And now this.
It was strange, by the way. When I woke up and realized I was naked, something inside me moved — and my mind simply followed. Instinctively. The same happened when we faced the serpent.
"It was as if I knew what to do," I murmured, almost without realizing I was speaking out loud.
Just as a newborn knows how to breathe or cry… I knew how to move. How to react. How to fight. But that doesn't seem to have happened to everyone. I remembered the initial chaos. The despair. The hesitation. Perhaps the impulse to hide my old scars was a catalyst.
'For the handsome youth… Yukeli… it must have been pure survival instinct.'
Regardless, I need to access this system thing. Someone said you just had to think about it.
"Let's see how this works."
As soon as I did, my mind was violently ripped from my body. There was no transition. No warning. Just a forced plunge into an infinite ocean of knowledge.
I saw a small caterpillar access the system. I saw its evolution. Order after order. Battle after battle. Growth. Transformation. Ascension. Until the pain began. First light. Then overwhelming. My head felt like it was being pried open by force. Information being dumped without mercy. I almost screamed. But I remembered the promise I made. I bit my lip until I tasted the metallic tang of blood.
Warnings about the integration of the Absolutes — Body, Mind, and Soul — appeared like invasive, repetitive ads, impossible to ignore. And then… silence. The pain ceased. In its place remained something much more dangerous: comprehension.
"Well… that was something."
In short: in this world, there are three absolute pillars — Body, Mind, and Soul. When these three reach enough harmony within a being, they generate Primordial Essence. And this awakens abilities. After that, the individual can cultivate essence naturally… or by absorbing it when killing another being that possesses Body, Mind, or Soul.
Simple. Brutal. And extremely efficient.
'So the Genesis Order system works as a regent of this process… it imposes limits, but also rewards.'
Golden shackles. It's basically a game. Kill. Get stronger. Kill again. Keep climbing.
"That psychopath would have loved this."
I observed the people around. Muffled groans. Tense expressions. Irregular breathing.
"It must be the infusion of system wisdom."
Everyone reacted differently. That means different levels of comprehension. And the deeper the knowledge… the greater the pain. The criterion is likely linked to individual capacity. The more potential, the more information, the more suffering.
Considering the intensity of the pain I felt… and the power my ability seems to have… I doubt most here went through the same. From now on… I need to fear what I know. Knowledge has become dangerous. Literally.
I looked at Yukeli. He was too quiet.
"The pain that guy felt wasn't normal."
He isn't ordinary. My suspicion only grew. I stood up. If everyone was distracted, this was the best moment to explore.
"System," I whispered, accessing what was now my only guide in this absurd world.
[SYSTEM — GENESIS ORDER]
[Congratulations, Human.]
You assisted in the death of a Second Order Evolved Beast: Armored Fire Serpent.
You absorbed its Primordial Essence.
Your existence becomes more solid.
[You gained an Artifact]: Flaming Sword
[You gained a Body-Type Rune]: Fire-Armored Skin
GENESIS STATUS:
Name: Tânia Le Blanc
True Name: Blinded Sword
Race: Human (Awakened)
Description: You have awakened the paths of greatness within yourself, abandoning the fragile shell of Homo sapiens and taking the first steps on the primordial path. Now, you are Homo Imminens — "The Imminent" — the next stage of humanity.
Age: 1 year
Primordial Essence: [266/500]
Consciousness: [250]
Will: [100]
Strength: [150]
Order: First Order
Attributes: [Soulmate] [Sword Mastery] [Touched by Corruption] [Natural Mage]
Class: None
Aspect: [Herald of Rules]
Aspect Rank: Ancient
Aspect Description: You were not born to obey the laws of the world — you were born to write them. Your voice carries the weight of the inevitable, and your words leave invisible marks on reality. Where others see chaos, you see unwritten clauses. However, each rule imposed brings you closer to absolute silence.
Aspect Ability: [Binding Decree]
Innate Ability: [Cruel Equity]
Runes: [Fire-Armored Skin]
Artifacts: [Flaming Sword]
I sat down again in the cave, looking at my fingers, still running through my silver hair.
'Interesting… my body is new, but I am still me. At least in part. The rest… feels more like a tool than anything else. A body without memory, without scars… but not without consequences.'
'Primordial Essence… Body, Mind, and Soul.'
I repeated the terms mentally. Three pillars. Three ways to measure strength. And everything so… absolute. And feeling the system push me into that sea of knowledge… the pain was a warning. Whoever couldn't handle it would break right there. It's not just power. It's survival.
My Aspect… Herald of Rules. I was never born to obey. I was born to write. And yet… every rule I create will charge me a price.
'It is fair,' I thought.
Cruel Equity makes no exceptions. Not even for me. This means that with any slip-up, I could pay with my own body or mind. The idea was terrifying, but… fascinating.
I looked at Yukeli. He doesn't seem like an ordinary human. The pain he felt wasn't normal. He must be dangerous. I need to measure every word, every gesture. Because knowledge and strength in this world… are not just weapons. They are blades pointed at all of us, including me.
I looked at everyone in the cave. Groans, tension, fear. They don't understand yet. Some will succumb. Some might not even be able to process what happened. But I… I need to understand. I need to predict. I need to write my own rule before someone writes it for me.
"Yes… this is dangerous. But it is my path."
Then I focused my attention on the attributes section; I had a feeling that something terrifying awaited me.