*DING*
[ Congratulations on completing the First Trial of the Primordial Void Ascendant. ]
[ Do you wish to view your rewards? ]
[ Yes/No ]
—
Adriel took a moment to compose himself. The pain he endured during the trial was unlike anything he had ever experienced—or ever wanted to experience again.
'System, was that the correct way to pass the trial?' he asked.
—
*DING*
[ The goal was to escape the illusion. The method of escape is irrelevant. ]
[ However, escaping through suicide was a new occurrence. ]
[ Additionally, that type of suicide has never been attempted before. ]
—
'That type of suicide has never been done before?'
'Am I the only person who has taken this trial?' he asked curiously.
—
[ Negative. ]
—
'So, there are others like me who've taken the trial?'
—
[ Positive. ]
—
'Did they pass the trial?'
—
*DING*
[ Host must awaken the system first. ]
—
"Awaken the system, awaken the system... Fine, just wake the fuck up then," Adriel muttered in annoyance.
—
*DING*
[ Congratulations on completing the First Trial of the Primordial Void Ascendant. ]
[ Do you wish to view your rewards? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
"So there's a yes or no option now…" Adriel said as he stared at the golden panel that appeared before his eyes.
It was different from the default blue panel.
Excitedly, he selected "Yes", eager to see what he had gained from surviving the horrifying trial—one so traumatic that even thinking about it made his skin crawl.
—
*DING*
[ Rewards will be calculated and distributed after the system is awakened. ]
[ Host must awaken the system first. ]
—
"You fucking clickbait, you fucking troll, you digital bastard…"
Adriel launched into a tirade, unleashing curses so fierce they might give even gods goosebumps.
"…you immaterial idiot! I asked you to awaken before telling me to choose the rewards, and now you…you…"
He vented all his frustration, anger, and pain on the indifferent, emotionless system.
After a solid ten minutes of ranting, he finally gave in.
"I want to awaken the system."
—
*DING*
[ Do you wish to awaken the system? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Is this system broken?' Adriel thought with a frown.
'I just said I want to awaken it, and it's still asking…'
He shook off the thought and selected "Yes."
—
DING
[ Initializing System Activation Protocol... ]
[ Analyzing Host's Soul Signature... ]
[ Constructing System Interface... ]
[ Scanning Host... ]
[ Syncing with Host... ]
[ Neural Link Established — Connection Stable ]
[ Linking Consciousness with System Core... ]
[ Integration Progress: 100% ]
---
[ Commencing System Awakening… ]
[ 0%... ]
[ 12%... ]
[ 28%... ]
[ 49%... ]
[ 64%... ]
[ 81%... ]
[ 99%... ]
[ 100% — Complete ]
—
DING
[ SYSTEM ACTIVATED SUCCESSFULLY ]
[ Welcome, Adriel Goldhaven ]
—
[ New System Functions Unlocked ]
[ Status Interface ]
[ Skill Archive ]
[ Quest Log ]
[ System Shop ]
[ Inventory (Unavailable) ]
—
Adriel stared at the system interface in silence.
He had half-expected a dramatic surge of aether, gusts of wind—some kind of flashy spectacle—but it was quiet and quick, much to his ironic dissatisfaction.
'Status,' he called out mentally.
—
DING
[ Status ]
Name: Adriel Goldhaven
Age: 16
Race: Human
Ascension Level: Mid Tier 2
Title: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: None
Potential: Level 3
---
[ Attributes ]
Strength: 14
Agility: 16
Dexterity: 14
Endurance: 15
Vitality: 17
Perception: 10
Intelligence: 27
Willpower: 32
Charm: 13
—
Strength: Physical power. Affects melee damage and ability to lift or break objects.
Agility: Speed and reflexes. Improves dodge rate, movement, and attack speed.
Dexterity: Precision and coordination. Enhances aim, control of weapons, formations, and crafting.
Endurance: Stamina and durability. Increases defence and resistance to fatigue or injury.
Vitality: Health and toughness. Boosts HP, healing rate, and resistance to poisons or diseases.
Perception: Awareness and senses. Affects detection of enemies, traps, and hidden details.
Intelligence: Mental capacity. Increases spell power, aether control, learning speed, and technique efficiency.
Willpower: Mental resilience. Improves resistance to mental attacks, enhances breakthrough success, and endures pain.
Charm: Social influence. Affects persuasion, charisma, and interactions with people or spirits. Also affects illusion and mental-based skills.
Average human stat: 10
---
"Not bad…" Adriel murmured, eyeing his Intelligence and Willpower stats.
He hadn't trained his body much in this life, but being a 'reincarnator', it was no surprise that his mental stats were high.
He was about to explore the other functions when the system interrupted.
—
DING
[ Does Host wish to initiate The Blank Sheet Protocol? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Huh… What is the Blank Sheet Protocol?' Adriel asked.
—
[ It is essentially a factory reset for your body. ]
[ It resets all physical stats and hidden attributes to those of an average human, making you a 'blank sheet.' ]
[ System highly recommends this option. ]
—
'Will my rewards be affected?'
Losing them after all that effort would be devastating.
—
[ No. ]
—
"Alright…" he said aloud. Inwardly, he knew he had nothing to lose.
—
DING
[ INITIATING BLANK SHEET PROTOCOL ]
[ 1% ]
[ 17% ]
—
It was agonizing.
Without the trial's conditioning, he would've been screaming.
The pain felt cellular—like every cell was being ripped out replaced with something new yet familiar.
—
[ 45% ]
[ 77% ]
—
He couldn't sense aether anymore. He felt like he had before his awakening—completely human...and weak.
—
[ 89% ]
[ 96% ]
[ COMPLETED ]
—
A sudden wave of weakness washed over Adriel.
It was sharp but swift—like a grown man stepping into a newborn's body.
Both comforting and unsettling.
He checked his body and was stunned.
No aether. No aetherix.
His strength and speed were significantly reduced, but all his injuries were gone.
"So this is what a factory reset means…"
"It's like getting a brand-new body," he said, grinning.
'Status.'
—
DING
[ Status ]
Name: Adriel Goldhaven
Age: 16
Race: Human
Ascension Level: Unawakened
Title: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: None
Potential: ?
---
[ Attributes ]
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Dexterity: 10
Endurance: 10
Vitality: 10
Perception: 10
Intelligence: 27
Willpower: 32
Charm: 10
—
"My Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower didn't change."
"It also said only the physical stats would change, so I can assume those three are my mental stats."
"But what about Charm?"
—
DING
[ The Charm stat is unique. It's a hybrid of physical and mental stats, but doesn't belong exclusively to either category. ]
—
Adriel nodded in understanding. As he reviewed his status again, he noticed his Potential was now marked with a question mark.
He didn't think too much of it and turned his attention to what he'd been waiting for all along.
Taking a deep breath, he said,
"System, I wish to view and withdraw my rewards."
—
DING
[ System Quest ]
Find a Source of Energy to Activate the System
Status: Completed
Rewards:
• Start-up Pack
• 5x Random Draw
• 100 Infinity Points
Hidden Quest
Complete the Quest in Less Than 7 Days
Status: Completed
Rewards:
• 1000 Infinity Points
• 10x Random Draw
• 1x Random Weapon Talent Draw
• 1x Random Elemental Affinity Draw
—
[ Unique Quest ]
Complete the First Trial of the Primordial Void Ascendant
Details: Escape the Mirage of Eternal Stride
Trial Type: Illusion
Status: Completed
Rewards:
➤ Passive Skill Unlocked: [Pain Tolerance]
"To feel pain is to live. To master pain is to transcend."
• Grants resistance to physical and mental pain (scales by level; e.g., level 37 = 37% resistance)
• Enhances clarity under torture, intense training, and agony
• Evolves with Willpower and cumulative pain endured
• Can evolve
➤ Title Unlocked: [Mirage Breaker]
"Illusion is but a lie told to the senses. You have seen through it."
• Immunity to low-level illusions
• 35% resistance to mid-level illusions
• +100% Willpower (passive)
➤ [Primordial Void Aetherix] Acquired
"Before creation, there was the Void. Within you, that truth now resides."
• Converts all aether into Primordial Aether
• Absorbs all types of aether
• Infinite potential
• …
➤ [Primordial Void Ascension Technique] Acquired
"While others climb the mountain of cultivation, you…"
• Cultivate using any aether type
• Converts foreign energy into Primordial Aether
• Doubles cultivation efficiency
• Perfect synergy with the Primordial Void Aetherix
• …
---
[ Hidden Quest ]
Complete the Trial in Less Than 1 Hour
Status: Completed
Rewards:
➤ [Primordial Void Physique] Acquired
"You are fleshless, formless, yet stronger than form. A walking paradox of adaptation."
• Rapid Regeneration
• Full Poison Immunity
• Enhanced Physical Attributes
• 100% nutrient absorption
• Adapts to extreme conditions
• …
➤ [Primordial Void Seed] Acquired
"In your hand lies a fragment of the first nothingness. It longs to become something."
• Can transform into any weapon, armor, or tool
• Cannot be broken, stolen, or destroyed
• Soul-bound; grows stronger with combat and rare material consumption
• Potential to develop sentience
• …
—
"Fuck…"
That was the first word out of Adriel's mouth the moment he saw the rewards.
Every single one of them was overpowered, and he hadn't even checked the system quest rewards yet.
He was still seated on the pitch-black altar but couldn't sense aether or anything aether-related, now that he was a blank sheet.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the Blank Sheet Protocol had definitely been introduced because of the rewards.
The Primordial Void Aetherix, Ascension Technique, Physique, and Seed were essentially giving him a brand-new start—
like an artist preparing to paint a new masterpiece, only this artist needed a fresh canvas.
A "blank sheet."
He kept scanning through the rewards, his eyes eventually locking onto the Primordial Void Seed.
Something about it stirred a memory—
a feeling that had been nagging at him since the rhino chase.
A feeling he'd been suppressing.
A strong, persistent sense that he was forgetting something.
Something important.
"…can transform into any weapon, armor, or tool…"
"…transform into any weapon…"
"…into any weapon…"
"…weapon…"
Then it hit him.
He looked up at a nearby pillar, its pitch-black surface strangely reflecting his entire form.
Pitch-black hair.
Dark grey eyes.
His clothes were tattered beyond recognition.
His 'white' hoodie and black joggers were torn in multiple places.
His once-white shoe was now a bizarre blend of muddy brown and green.
Completely destroyed.
It was odd that Adriel hadn't noticed his condition until now, but that wasn't the issue.
What mattered was that he clearly remembered—this wasn't everything he had when he entered the dark forest.
He stared at his reflection for ten seconds before saying,
"Where the fuck is my…"