Lucian Vale stood in silence, taking in the wild, primeval forest around him.
"Did I just... transmigrate?"
One moment he'd been on the rooftop, staring at the moon. He blinked, and suddenly—this.
No warning. No flash of light. Just a jarring shift so abrupt, he still hadn't fully processed it.
"Other people get cool systems when they transmigrate. Why don't I have one? That's so unfair!" he muttered, ruffling his hair in frustration.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Divine Gift System successfully bound.]
Lucian froze.
"A system? What system?"
[Divine Gift System.]
"Divine Gift what?"
[Divine Gift System.]
"...What?"
[...]
"Say something!"
[Divine Gift System!]
Lucian smacked a fist into his palm. "Oh!"
Then—dead silence.
Finally, the voice broke the silence, clearly unable to hold back anymore.
[Don't you have any questions for me?]
"I'm waiting for you to explain," Lucian replied.
[Then ask!]
"Then say something first!"
[How am I supposed to reply if you don't ask anything?!]
Lucian sighed. "A mature system should know how to introduce itself. What kind of low-level AI are you?"
[You little—!]
Lucian blinked. "What the fuck? Did you just curse at me?"
"A system that curses people? That's definitely not a normal system. Based on how this goes in novels, you're probably some special entity masquerading as a system."
[How did you know?]
"What, you think I'm stupid? You think all the novels I read were just for fun?"
[...]
[Fine. Since you've guessed it already, I won't hide it anymore!]
The next moment, a swirl of gray light gathered in front of him, forming into a tiny, palm-sized humanoid figure.
She was adorable—short silver-gray hair, matching gray eyes, a round baby face, and small black horns on her forehead. Her pale skin was dressed in a snug gray dress, and two pairs of translucent, leaf-shaped wings fluttered on her back.
She looked like some kind of pixie.
"I am the Goddess of Time!"
"Lysera!"
"Tremble before me, mortal!"
Lucian gave her a once-over, his eyes finally settling on her chest.
"So... are you a guy or a girl?"
Lysera: "..."
She glanced down at her very flat chest—and her whole face went red with rage.
"What's wrong with you?!"
"Guy or girl? Seriously?!"
"I'm obviously... a goddess!"
"And asking that right off the bat is beyond rude!"
"Want me to smite you with divine punishment?!"
Lucian replied calmly, "I don't believe you."
Lysera: "..."
Lucian shrugged. "You dragged me to some weird place, bound me to a system, and now you're threatening me? That doesn't add up."
"Besides, based on the trope, you're probably a system sprite or something like that."
"So I doubt you actually have that kind of power."
"Unless, of course, you're one of those systems that nukes the host at the drop of a hat. In that case, forget I said anything."
"But even if I die, there's always the chance one of my sperm will grow into a new me someday!"
Lysera: "..."
She stared at him, stunned, at a complete loss for words.
Because... Lucian was right.
Whatever she might have been before, she really was just a guiding spirit now. She didn't have the power to smite anyone.
Her tiny face flushed again—this time with frustration. "W-Who said I don't have powers? Don't underestimate me!"
Lucian nodded solemnly. "Okay. I won't."
Lysera blinked. "Why not?"
"Because you're still a god. That's gotta count for something. I wouldn't dare underestimate you."
Lysera snapped, "Then why did you ask if I'm a guy?!"
Lucian chuckled awkwardly. "I was just being honest. I really couldn't tell. You know how many gender-bending characters there are these days..."
Lysera gasped. "What did you just say?!"
Seeing she was about to explode again, Lucian quickly changed the subject. "Anyway—more importantly, why are you a system now? And what does it do? And why was I transmigrated?"
Faced with the barrage of questions, Lysera calmed down a little.
"I'm not the system. I'm the system's guide spirit... Though yes, I was once the Goddess of Time."
"You're not the system? Then what is the system?"
"I don't know. My memories are sealed. All I know is that I'm supposed to help you use it correctly."
Lucian nodded. "Alright. So what can it do?"
"It has four main functions: translation, analysis, copying, and cultivation."
"Translation is two-way—you'll be able to communicate with any intelligent species. It's essential for surviving in this world."
Lucian nodded. "Honestly, I thought this was gonna be one of those universes where everyone just magically speaks English."
Lysera: "..."
Ignoring him, she continued, "Analysis lets you examine anything—creatures, objects, magic, you name it."
"Magic?" Lucian perked up. "There's magic in this world?"
"Yes, and with analysis, you can learn and master what you examine."
"So I can analyze a spell... and then use it?"
"Exactly. Full mastery," Lysera confirmed.
"Copying lets you replicate skills—whether magical or innate abilities. Once copied, you can use them for a limited time, depending on your own stats. But you can't manually remove them before time's up. Also, you don't currently have any copy slots."
"How do I unlock those?"
"Leveling up. We'll get to that."
Lucian nodded.
"Lastly, cultivation," she continued. "The system will automatically absorb, refine, and guide ambient energy—like mana—so you don't need to go through all the tedious prep work. You'll be able to directly absorb and grow stronger, much faster than a normal person."
Lucian beamed. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
"As for why you were summoned... it was the will of the world."
"The will of the world?" Lucian echoed, confused.
"Yes. You were chosen by this world. Why, and for what purpose—I don't know."
"But as you grow stronger, the answers will reveal themselves."
"And my job is to guide you along the way."
"Oh, and what I just told you? That's just a general overview. The system has more hidden features and functions—you'll have to discover those on your own."
Lucian nodded eagerly. "Got it. Let's begin. How do I start cultivating?"
Lysera flew up to his face. "Wait, wait, wait. You're not seriously planning to start right now, are you?"
"Why not?"
"Because we're in the Savage Wilds! This place is crawling with monsters. During meditation, your mind has to be completely relaxed—meaning you're defenseless. Even a low-tier beast could kill you in that state!"
Lucian frowned. "So what should I do?"
"You could look for a human settlement and train safely there... or—"
"Or?"
"Or, you could train here in the Savage Wilds."
"Not traditional cultivation, though. I mean the other way—what you Earth folks would call... grinding."
Lucian blinked. "Wait, that works here?"
"Of course. Kill a magical beast, and the system will absorb its life force and soul essence to strengthen your body and soul."
"The stronger your body, the better your strength, agility, reflexes—all that."
"The stronger your soul, the better your mental power—resistance, spiritual attacks, perception."
"And by extracting the beast's magic from its core, your own mana capacity and quality will improve too."
"Unless you find some crazy magical hotspot, monster hunting is your fastest path to power."
Lucian's face lit up. "So I just kill things and get stronger? That's amazing! Can other people do this too?"
"Absolutely not," Lysera said smugly. "Only you get this perk. Others can only absorb mana from the cores—and without system refinement, their absorption rate is way lower. That's why most people train with magic crystals, not cores."
Lucian grinned. "Hell yeah! Let's do this!"
"Hold on!" Lysera yelped.
"Now what?"
"Idiot! Sure, killing beasts gives you XP—but monsters aren't exactly easy targets."
"With your current stats, you couldn't even take down a Tier-1 Arcane Hare!"
"Uh..." Lucian froze. "No way. You're telling me even a Tier-1 magic beast is too much for a normal person?"
"Of course not. Normal people can handle Tier-1 beasts. You can't."
Lysera folded her arms as she floated beside him. "The average person in this world is way stronger than someone from yours—physically, mentally, everything. They've got training, weapons, experience."
"But you? You've got none of that. No weapons, no armor, no spells."
"How exactly are you planning to hunt a monster? Get on your knees and politely ask it to stand still while you kill it?"
Lucian puffed up his cheeks, looking offended. "Wow. Rude."
Then he grinned.
"Not gonna lie though—kneeling and then charging? That's usually enough to make a woman pretty happy."
Lysera: "..."
Lucian coughed. "Anyway, I'll just target weaker beasts. What's below Tier-1?"
"Tier-0. But killing those won't boost your stats at all. It's a waste of time and energy."
"So I suggest finding a human settlement first, cultivate until you're at least Tier-3, then go monster hunting. Much safer that way."
Lucian nodded. He took her advice without complaint.
She was a guide spirit, after all—her job was literally to keep him alive. And besides, this was his first time in another world. He had no enemies, no grudges, no reason to rush.
Slow and steady. Safety first, always.
"Alright then," he said cheerfully. "Step one—find civilization!"
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I remember watching a survival show back on Earth... something about moss growing on the north side of trees because it's shadier there."
"I don't know if that rule still applies in this world, but it's better than nothing."
He examined a few nearby trees—and sure enough, all the moss was growing on the same side.
"Nice! North it is. And if I can find a river while heading that way, even better."
"Settlements are usually near water, right? So following a river should improve my odds."
Lysera fluttered down to sit on his shoulder. She gave his cheek a light pat and smirked. "Not bad. I thought for sure you'd just rely on me for everything."
Lucian chuckled. "If I depended on you and the system for everything, this adventure would get boring real fast."
"Gotta put in the work myself. That's where the fun is."
Lysera blinked, then gave him an approving nod. "Not bad at all. You're starting to think like a real warrior. I'm impressed."
Lucian struck a confident pose. "Of course. I'm destined to conquer this world!"