Year 5473 Of The Transcendence Era
The 10th Day Of the 3rd Month
10-03-5473
Adriel's head throbbed as he slowly sat up in the unfamiliar bed. The darkness of the room pressed in on him, a stark contrast to the dim light filtering through the window on his left. He paused, his senses slowly coming back to him.
Where am I?
The words echoed in his mind as his memory of the recent events flickered, slowly reconnecting like a shattered puzzle.
'What happened?'
The sharp headache began to subside as his thoughts became clearer.
'I was in my room, sitting at my desk...'
His confusion only deepened. This wasn't his room, his bed, or even his world. He was certain of it now.
The walls seemed too plain, the air too thick, and the strange pressure in his mind only amplified his disorientation.
'Did I die and get reincarnated?'
Adriel had always been an avid reader of webnovels on Earth, and the idea of reincarnation with a system was nothing new to him. But he had always dismissed it as pure fantasy—a mere trope.
And yet...
'I heard something in my head before I blacked out…'
Something like "Welcome to the Infinite System…"
Adriel's eyes widened as the thought broke through his fog of confusion.
'Wait a minute… I GOT A FUCKING SYSTEM?!!'
It was impossible, right? He'd always scoffed at the very notion. But now... now his reality had been flipped upside down, and he was too stunned to form a coherent thought.
Adriel's mind raced to catch up. His self proclaimed '200 IQ' always kept him grounded in logic—reminding him that fantasy doesn't exist. Yet, in this very moment, that same brain seemed incapable of processing the situation. Everything he knew had just been shattered.
'Okay, okay... so if this isn't my room, then there are only two possible explanations…'
'One, I got kidnapped, or two… I died and got reincarnated into another world.'
The second option seemed to fit better with his fragmented memories. That was the one that made the most sense.
'And where the hell is that goddamn ring…'
His mind flashed to the pain—sickening, searing agony that tore through his body. That damn ring. The one that had caused all of this. The last thing he wanted was to think about it, but it was lodged in his memory, pulling his thoughts in directions he didn't want to go. The feeling of his cells tearing apart was something he'd rather forget.
He sat up, gritting his teeth. He reached for his finger.
Empty. The ring wasn't there.
The room was quiet, except for the faint night air creeping through the window. The light from outside barely illuminated his surroundings.
A bed, a simple wardrobe, and a small table with a drawer were the only things present.
Adriel tried to stand, but the moment he attempted to move, his body was flooded with a rush of information, an overwhelming flood that forced him back onto the bed. His head spun, and the agony returned, even fiercer than before.
"AHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream ripped through his throat, louder than he'd expected. His mind felt like it was being punctured, a thousand nails piercing through his thoughts. The pain was unbearable, like his very existence was being torn apart at the seams.
His vision blurred, and for what felt like an eternity, he writhed in agony. Then, just as suddenly, the pain started to fade.
"Oh... I see..." Adriel gasped for breath.
He was drenched in sweat, but the realization began to dawn on him.
The pain had subsided, but the confusion remained, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
In those novels, all the MCs had to do was think "system," right?
Adriel furrowed his brow. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let's see if this works.
With a mental command, he focused on the word, willing it into existence.
'System.'
---
[System Starting...]
[1%]
[17%]
[23%]
[31%]
[42%]
[56%]
[73%]
[84%]
[100%]
---
[Welcome To The Infinite System]
---
Adriel blinked in disbelief as the familiar words materialized before him, floating in a glowing blue panel. His heart raced. His hands instinctively reached out to touch it, but… there was nothing.
No screen, no tangible object in front of him. His fingers passed through empty air.
Wait a minute…
He stared at the panel again. It's not in the real world… it's in my mind.
A sense of realization washed over him.
This is all mental... so only I can see it. Convenient, I guess.
The more he stared at the screen, the more his mind drifted. His thoughts wandered to the endless possibilities. This system—The Infinite System—did it mean he could do anything? Infinite power? Infinite abilities? He felt his imagination race, fantasizing about all the things he could accomplish.
---
[System Cannot Be Accessed Due To Insufficient Energy]
---
[ New Quest ]
[ Find A Source Of Energy To Activate The System ]
Rewards:
• Start-up Pack
• Random Draw 5x
• 100 Infinity Points
---
'Motherfucker...'
It was like a bucket of ice cold water was poured on his head.
Adriel stared, mouth agape.
Insufficient energy? What the hell does that even mean?
His thoughts were racing. He had read enough webnovels to know the typical protagonist's luck—every hero had a system right from the start, one that was powerful, omnipotent, and ready to help them conquer the world.
Yet here he was, sitting in an unfamiliar room with nothing but a quest and a problem.
Find energy to activate the system?
His frustration bubbled over. How the hell was he supposed to do that?
Every novel he'd read had the hero instantly tapping into some kind of unlimited power, an all-knowing system that handed them everything they needed on a silver platter. And yet, here he was, stuck with a weak system that couldn't even function without "energy". The very thought of it made his stomach churn.
How was he supposed to rule the world, much less survive, if he couldn't even access his system?
He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
Adriel let out a frustrated sigh.
Alright. One step at a time. First, figure out how to find this damn energy.
Then, maybe… just maybe, he'd be able to make use of this "Infinite System."
He glanced back at the screen, scanning the details of the quest once again.
Start-up Pack, Random Draws, Infinity Points.
They seemed like a good start, but he needed energy first. And that, unfortunately, didn't come with a manual.
Well, I'm not giving up that easily. I didn't come all the way here to just sit around and be weak.
*Sigh*
"Now I need to go find energy..." he muttered, trying to push through his frustration.
Still, a part of him felt a spark of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, this could work out. A quest this early was something, at least.
He slowly stood up again, his body aching from the earlier pain. The unfamiliarity of his new surroundings only intensified the urgency that grew in his chest. The first step was to open the door. And so, he did.
As the door creaked open, memories of his life in this world came rushing back. He remembered his name, his family, and the harsh reality of the world he now inhabited.
---
Adriel Goldhaven, 16 years old.
With short black hair and light gray eyes, he was considered a decent-looking guy, though nothing exceptional. He was of average height, his build slightly lean but capable of holding his own. But despite his normal appearance, his life had been anything but ordinary.
It was unknown when it began, but at some point in ancient history, the beings of this world came into contact with a mysterious energy source—aether. No one knew where it came from or why it existed, only that its influence was profound. Exposure to aether had varying effects, but one universal trait was undeniable: every creature that came in contact with it developed a deep, instinctive urge to absorb it.
This marked the dawn of a new era.
Those who could sense, absorb, and control aether were called Ascendants—individuals who had awakened to the first step of transcending their mortal limitations. To do this, they had to draw aether into their aetherix, a mysterious, invisible space believed to exist roughly two inches below the navel. Though its exact nature remained unknown, the aetherix functioned as both a storage core and a purification center. Raw aether from the environment was toxic and chaotic—it had to be refined within the aetherix before it could be used.
Humans couldn't channel aether directly. Without purification, attempting to do so could cripple or even kill them. This led to the creation of ascension techniques—structured methods that allowed cultivators to absorb, refine, and harmonize aether with their body and soul. These techniques came in various types, attributes, and ranks. The known ranks, in ascending order, were: Mortal, Earth, and Sky. Beyond these were legendary ranks such as Mystic, Spirit, and Saint, spoken of in whispers and myths—techniques so powerful they could shake nations or reshape the world.
Ascending through these ranks granted immense benefits. Strength, speed, intellect, lifespan, and even elemental mastery all scaled with ascension level. Some believed that true Ascendants were walking the path of evolution—beings striving to transcend the limits of flesh and mortality.
At the age of fifteen, all individuals in the Human Territories underwent the Affinity Test, a rite of passage meant to measure one's connection to aether. Afterward, each person was given access to the Foundational Ascension Scripture—the most basic and universally accessible technique, freely available on the starnet. While weak, it provided the means to begin cultivation.
But for Adriel, things hadn't gone as hoped.
During his Affinity Test, he discovered he had unattributed aether—a rare type with no natural elemental alignment, making it nearly useless. Worse, his potential was rated Level 3 on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being the most promising. This meant that under normal circumstances, Tier 3 was the highest level of ascension he could ever hope to reach—assuming perfect conditions.
The Ascendant Realm is divided into 9 Tiers, each with 4 levels: Low, Mid, High, and Peak. The higher the tier, the more powerful the Ascendant is.
His mother was a Mid Tier 4 Lightning Ascendant, a powerful figure in her own right.
His father, however, disappeared when Adriel was only 13. No one knew where he went or why he left. The disappearance was shrouded in mystery.
And then there was his older sister, a High Tier 3 Fire Ascendant.
As for Adriel?
He was a Low Tier 1 Ascendant.