Time had stopped.
Even if it had felt like years for him—battling gods, breaking himself, forging the impossible—in the real world, barely a minute had passed.
And yet, as Zero sat in the familiar chaos of his rotting room—floor stained, bulb flickering, the distant hum of city filth outside—he felt heavier. Sharper. Older.
Before he could even process the stillness, the System pulsed again—this time sharper, more electric. Like lightning ready to split something open.
A new panel blinked into place at the edge of his vision:
[ Searching for Compatible System Architecture based on User Core & Preferences... ]
[ Initiating: TRAIT MATCHING ENGINE ]
[ Loading... ] 🔄
The screen stuttered.
Flickered.
Then—glitched.
Then—strobed.
The interface warped violently, flipping through an impossible number of known systems—
[ASSASSIN'S PATH SYSTEM] – "Kill to grow, walk the blade."
[NECRODOMINION SYSTEM] – "Death is currency. Rule the dead."
[SHADOW MARTYR SYSTEM] – "Suffer in silence, ascend through pain."
[TITAN GENOME SYSTEM] – "Implant power. Become the weapon."
[MYTHIC BUILDER SYSTEM] – "Construct realms. Forge stories."
[FATE-WALKER INTERFACE] – "Defy destiny, bend timelines."
[MERCHANT OF FATE SYSTEM] – "Trade anything. Pay everything."
—
It kept going.
Genres flickered past like lightning—cultivation, dungeons, mecha, harem, survival, isekai, cyberpunk, steampunk, demonic contracts, celestial inheritances, reverse time loops, villain arcs, and more.
The screen pulsed one final time.
Then—
static.
And finally, the message:
[Result: NO COMPATIBLE SYSTEM FOUND]
[Reason: User Core is an anomaly. Traits exceed balance limits.]
[Status: Constructing Unique System…]
[Designation: "GENESIS FRAMEWORK"]
—'Genesis' — The System of Prime Creation.
[Estimated Time Until Deployment: 24h]
Zero blinked at the screen.
"...Genesis, huh?"
The entire day passed in eerie stillness.
The system was dormant—still there but quiet, like a dragon sleeping under his skin.
And what did Zero do?
He showered for the first time in too long.
He washed his sheets. He sat by the cracked window and watched the broken world move outside.
Watched two pigeons fight over a biscuit.
He wrote something down.
Just one sentence:
"You'll all pay. With interest. If not, then with Blood."
Then he smiled.
Not wide.
Just enough to mean it.
The first few hours crawled by like molasses.
The Genesis Framework was still building itself—silent, mysterious, untouchable.
Zero had stared at the flickering countdown long enough for his vision to blur.
Eventually, with a low grunt, he stood.
"...Screw waiting."
The system didn't reply.
So, sometime in the late evening—under the tired orange light of a sun ready to set, he stepped outside for the first time in days.
The city greeted him with its usual cracked concrete, tired faces, and the ever-present scent of hot wires and fried despair.
He wandered.
Hands in pockets.
The streets were loud, but his mind was louder.
A little ahead, he noticed a middle-aged man, strangely serene, sitting quietly by the roadside.
He wasn't dirty. His clothes were clean, his posture dignified—but there was no sign of home or direction.
Zero paused just a second longer than usual.
"...You don't belong here," he muttered under his breath. "Not yet broken enough to disappear."
He kept walking.
A few corners later, he saw her.
A small girl, barely ten, holding up crude, handmade bracelets and paper charms on a tray strapped to her neck.
Her eyes were tired, but she still smiled—until she got shoved.
A man barked something cruel. A woman slapped the tray away without even looking.
She hit the ground.
No one stopped.
Zero did. Just for a second.
"...Tch. Cheap world," he muttered again—colder this time.
But he didn't move toward her. He turned into a nearby alley and kept walking.
At a small convenience store, he picked up two things with exact change:
– A plain white mask with a small smiling mouth.
– A pair of white gloves.
As he tucked them into a paper bag, he muttered once more:
"...One day, they'll pay for shoving."
The walk back was slower.
His thoughts stayed restless.
He murmured things the whole way, half-talking to himself, half-thinking aloud—plans, fragments, words with no listener. The city didn't care.
He watched two pigeons fight over a biscuit near a broken bench, not far from his building.
Didn't laugh. Didn't frown. Just... noted it.
By the time the last traces of the sun vanished from the cracked skyline, Zero stepped back into his small apartment.
He ordered cheap food.
But his eyes never stopped flicking to the flickering timer in the corner of his vision.
Genesis Framework: 14 hours, 08 minutes remaining…
And when he lay back on the thin mattress, staring up at that same cracked ceiling with its flickering fly-stained bulb—
His hands rested on the new gloves.
The mask lay beside his head.
And somewhere in the shadows of that rotting room…
Something far greater than destiny was quietly loading.
For a while, Zero just sat there—watching the numbers tick down. Silent. Still.
Eventually, the fatigue caught up with him.
Zero shifted once. Twice. Then just… went still.
Mask beside him. Gloves over his chest. The cracked ceiling above.
Sleep came not like a soft drift—but like a crash. A blackout.
And when his eyes snapped open again—
It was afternoon.
The world outside his window baked in dull golden heat, and his room buzzed with stillness.
Then—
[SYSTEM SIGNAL DETECTED]
A static pulse jolted through his brain like a wire being plugged in directly behind his eyes.
He gasped—bolting upright, blinking wildly.
His vision blurred, then focused.
A countdown glowed, mid-air:
[System Construction – Finalizing Core Load: 13… 12… 11…]
"What the f—"
10… 9…
He scrambled to his feet—pants half on, one glove still in hand—
5… 4… 3…
"…This better be worth—"
1.
The screen vanished.
Nothing.
Just a quiet spinning circle.
[LOADING…] 🔄
A beat.
Then another.
Then another.
"...Seriously?" He groaned. "...You're joking. You gave me a countdown... just to give me another loading screen?"
The circle spun slower.
Then faster.
Then—
Then flashed again.
Bzzt—FrrrMMMM—CHK—
(That last one might've come from inside his head.)
A glowing title formed across his vision:
[System of Sovereign]
Then—
One by one, the letters began to glitch.
S-Y-S-T-E-M ⌫ O-F ⌫ S-O-V-E-R-E-I-G-N ⌫
They unraveled like they were typed in reverse—deleted letter by letter.
He blinked.
"…Huh?"
New letters typed themselves in. Clean. Deliberate.
[Supreme System of Sovereign]
Zero stared at it.
Squinted.
Then sighed, "…Oh come on," he muttered, dragging his palm down his face.
"A name change mid-launch? What is this, a gacha game update patch?"
The interface pulsed once—like it heard him—and did not care.
He leaned back, rubbing his temples.
"…At least it's not something like 'Ultra Hyper God Core Omega System'... yet."
[ You want to rename? ]
"NO THANKS!!"
The loading symbols were gone now.
Zero blinked.
Something cold. Metallic.
He turned his left hand instinctively—and froze.
A ring now sat on his finger. Deep gold, perfectly smooth, yet etched with impossible runes that shimmered faintly in the dull light of his room. It pulsed once with warmth—alive, almost breathing.
"...I didn't put this on," he muttered.
Before the thought could even settle, the System pulsed again, sharp and golden, overtaking his vision with a regal shimmer.
[⚜️ Supreme System of Sovereign]
A new interface bloomed into full form, elegant and layered, as if royalty itself coded it.
🔹 USER PROFILE
Name: [Zero]
Title:Absolute Sovereign of Reality
Race / Class: [Human?] / Sovereign
System Level: [X]
Card Slots Remaining:4 (Locked 🔒)
Health: [50 / 50 (-50)]
Stamina: [65 / 70]
Coins: [🪙999,999]
Status Effects: [Weak]
LEVEL UP Requirement:Unknown
Zero's eyes narrowed.
'Still human...? With a question mark? Tch.'
But he didn't comment aloud.
The ring pulsed again, syncing almost too perfectly with his heartbeat.
"…You're part of this too, huh?" he murmured, flexing his fingers. The ring didn't resist. Didn't loosen. Didn't glow more. Just existed, like it always belonged.
And then—
[🧭 DASHBOARD]
Panels unfolded—like a kingdom opening its gates.
🔱 MAIN
•📄 System Message
•📜 Skills
•👥 Companions / Contracts
•🛒 Shop – Universa
•📦 Inventory
•🧠 Titles & Reputation
•🏆 Achievements
🧩 OTHER PANELS
•🐾 Beastiary
•🏛 Structures
•🎯 Quests
•📚 Dungeon Records (Locked)
•🔮 Timeline / Dimensional (Locked)
•⚙️ System Settings
•☯️ Karma / Alignment (Not Available)
•🔐 Hidden Traits (Locked)
"…You weren't kidding about the word Supreme," Zero muttered, eyes scanning the full array.
It wasn't just a system.
It was a throne room. A battlefield. A treasury. A god's manual.
He tapped the Inventory icon. The interface didn't click—it resonated.
A new panel opened, semi-transparent:
📦 INVENTORY [3 / ???]
• Item Sort Mode: [Auto / Manual]
White Mask – "Smile" – A plain mask bearing a neutral smile. Bound to Sovereign Identity.
White Gloves – "Clean Touch" – Sovereign-bonded gloves. May evolve with use.
The Ring of Genesis – Bound to Zero, cannot be stolen or lost, temporary removable. ???. ???....
Linked Ability:
Total Extraction - results or stolen essences may populate inventory.
Vault Access - items also appear here.
He stared at the third entry for a long time.
"...Ring of Genesis," he whispered. "But I didn't choose it."
Before his thoughts could go further, another panel slid in—quiet, smooth—slotting itself neatly below the Dashboard.
____________________________________________
🧿 Artifacts
1- The Ring of Genesis
Description: A simple-looking gold ring with intricate, shifting inscriptions only visible in moonlight or under immense pressure.
– Touch Trigger: Certain passive or active system abilities can be used via direct contact with the ring.
– Sentience: Semi-aware. Adapts with your intent.
Hidden Trait (LOCKED)
Acts as the anchor between the System, its Coins, and Reality
Without it, System-related entities (Coins, functions, etc.) cannot manifest in the real world
Needed only during initial transfer, stays permanently once bonded
Enables certain functions and grants direct access to System Coins
Cannot be stolen or lost, temporary removable
__________________________________________
Zero tilted his hand slightly, watching the ring catch what little light filtered through the dirty window.
'So you're the key. The... tether.'
He narrowed his eyes.
'No wonder the System made sure I didn't lose you.'
His gaze flicked back to the word:
Anchor.
"...So if I ever take it off... this whole thing might go silent..... Fair enough..."
A pause.
Then he smirked, just faintly.
"Guess I won't be pawning this anytime soon."
He closed the panel with a gesture.
The room dimmed again. Still quiet. Still stale.
But something had shifted.
The System wasn't just installed.
It was here now.
Threaded into his bones. Bound to his breath.
The Sovereign had finally awakened.