《Omnipotence: Beloved Child of Chaos》


 New Beginning in a new life.

    ''What is going on?'' A feeling of falling into the abyss engulfed Th¨¦oden. He would have flinched or panicked but he had no control over his body. He couldn''t open his eyes either. He could only helplessly feel the wind and small debris collide against his body as the environment constantly changed.


    He felt as though melting in lava then freezing within ice then drowning in water. Sometimes hit by a heavy hail then soft showers while other times he would feel as if blanketed in warm clouds. He could feel all these sensations but couldn''t make anything of it.


    It was an impossible situation. Unless he was going through a simulation, why couldn''t he remember? His body seemed unaffected by the sudden extreme climate changes. As the temperature went beyond freezing levels and he could be assumed frozen to death or the extreme heat that surpassed that of melting metal he would have turned to ashes.


    None of the reasonable things happened as he could still fill his body well intact or rather unaffected. The laws of physics he learned about were right about useless. There was no aftereffect after the sensation. No time for adaptation but sudden switches. This didn''t give his mind any freedom to try to rationalize anything.


    Th¨¦oden was sure he was traveling at a very fast speed as the rebound was affecting him as he was feeling nauseous and heavy. Very heavy. Gravity was several times denser.


    Th¨¦oden realized that during this period he wasn''t breathing. He had an idea why that was so. It was something that became apparent, only when he thought of it. When the normal reaction to nausea was to take in deep breaths. He couldn''t do that. He didn''t feel any air running to his nose or the rising and falling of his chest. Neither the pumping of his blood by his heart. He could literary not do anything.


    This went on forever and he was sure hours or even days went by. His sense of time was long distorted. It could have been a decade for all there was to it. Maybe the fast-switching situations outside, in reality, took a long time, but his brain registered things too slowly thus the fast income making up the illusion of the situation. However, that never explained anything other than climate change.


    Giving up on trying to find the reason, he simply became fascinated.


    ''How in the world is this possible?''


    What Th¨¦oden was going through now was unheard of. So unusual it was phenomenal. There was no rule against that. There was no solution to his predicament anyways. Instead of worrying his active brain with useless thoughts, why not find the joy of it? The thought he made up in the spur of the moment.


    Th¨¦oden chose to be deviant and had an unexpected reaction. To enjoy the moment. There was no pain or effect thus there was no consequence of his action.


    That went on for a long, long time. After his boredom, he felt a change jogging his consciousness to be active once again.


    However, his body felt strong resistance like passing through a very thick glass wall. However, his body pushed through, and at last, he could feel the air much more vividly than ever. This time the sense of gravity had activated and he felt the feeling of falling. With no balance or control over his body, he could only expect the worst. Though he couldn''t open his eyes, he felt like he had locked them once again.


    The terror of what he expected never came.


    He landed on hard ground. He felt the impact in full. The feeling of hitting something impenetrable thus landing on it. The force with which he had landed was enormous. The ground shook and vibrated at his landing which he felt through his entire being. That was all. There was no pain or broken bones. At the very least from the fall.


    ''Wait, feel...I can feel my body!!''


    Given that he still could think that meant he was still alive, somehow.


    Th¨¦oden felt the control over his body coming back to him. He managed with great difficulty to open his eyes and painfully twist his neck.  He turned and looked around. There were no signs of impact from where he had landed.


    Th¨¦oden didn''t have time to think over the possibility of how he had survived a full-impact crash landing that left no trace. His eyes were glued to the scene that unfolded in front of him. He was too astonished to do or say anything. He saw something far too eye-catching to be ignored.


    ''Maybe the first thing that happens after I just arrive is to die?'' He thought.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Maybe it''s the saying that your life flashes in your eyes at moments of death that all memories started resurfacing; From childhood to teenage-hood to engagement or marriage promise. The memory of leaving for the army up to his death all came rushing into his mind.


    One thing he was sure of was that these were not his memories. He felt he had lived through a new life in a blink.


    Yes, a blink.


    The light that approached him at an astronomical speed still happened. A golden arrow-like light flew through the sky at terrifying speed, leaving an aftersound behind the rung over the place. It headed in the direction of Th¨¦oden''s position. NO.  More accurately, straight at him.


    He didn''t have much control over his body. He felt heavy, but much more numb. The feeling of an oncoming end consumed him. He knew that if the light impacted him, he was as good as dead.


    However, the most unthinkable thing happened. He smiled. A grin formed on his lips. It was far too absurd for him to smile in this situation, but his heart followed suit. It was joyful and exciting as it drummed in his chest, sending all adrenaline rushing. He felt these emotions as his own. Though his mind thought otherwise, his body was honest to give him what he felt. It trembled ever so slightly with excitement.


    The one thing that didn''t make any sense in this was he didn''t feel any foreignness with this. It was as if he was used to it.


    As the light approached the temperature rose alongside it. It was like a comet the closer it got to Th¨¦oden. He should have been terrified or fainted or had any reaction that wasn''t what was happening right then.


    His body continuously trembled with pure excitement. The light reached him as he kept eye contact until he could no longer bare the blinding light and shut them.


    The end. Well, that was what was supposed to happen. After things not going per nature''s law, Th¨¦oden gave up on hoping for logic to explain things.


    After who knew how long, he finally regained the ability to move his body once again. The comet that was rushing towards him with all the intensity to it,  hit after all and he passed out. Not until he woke back up in the same position he was laying. He rose his body and examined it.


    The first thing he found out was that the body he had was not his. The memories he had were not his. He grasped a rough idea of what had happened, but even then, he had to simply accept. He was moving the body at his will with no trouble at all.


    What would he do then? He wanted to stay alive and he did. He had realized how much he wanted to live when the comet-like light threatened it once. Maybe because he had experienced the death of the current body.


    The host of the body was a boy sent to the battlefield among all other male members of his village who could move and were not handicapped. The boy''s name was Mallory.


    He was quite unfortunate since birth. His mother died while birthing him and he was criticized for it. The child of misfortune they labeled him. Mallory''s father turned a blind eye to this, and he was later abandoned by his entire family for being rumored to cause all other village misfortunes. They were ashamed of him.


    He was, after all, uselessly weak. He met the only girl he ever loved. A sweet young maiden who got praised for her beauty. She, fortunately, agreed to marry him. They did their vows secretly, but such marriage was not officiated and thus was not completed. In the aim to try to prove himself to the girl of his dreams, he was willingly sent to the battlefield and his death without ever achieving any of it. His last regret was not keeping the only promise he made to her. Not a moment of his life was of fortune.


    Th¨¦oden confirmed he was in Mallory''s body because of the significant changes. His hands were thin and bony and he was much shorter. He didn''t remember having jet-black hair either. His entire look was different.


    ''At least I am still male.''


    After examining his body Th¨¦oden stood up to look at the horizon. There was a beautiful red sunset was happening at that time. He would have had the joy to appreciate it if not for the countless corpses around him.


    To say he was scared would be an understatement. Th¨¦oden was terrified. When laying down his vision was obstructed but now he was looking at corpses. They looked like they died recently as there were no signs of decomposing.


    Maybe it was due to the realization, but his other senses came rushing to him. The strong stench of blood clouded his nostrils. He felt dizzy and nauseated at the new registration of his situation.


    He was standing in the middle with all sorts of sliced and cut bodies surrounding him. The normal Th¨¦oden would have found it hard to adapt. Th¨¦oden''s current adaptation rate was fast. Terrifyingly fast.


    He accepted that he landed miles from home at who-knew-where and was fine. He quickly accepted the fact that he had another body with another pair of memories. He was fine that he was confused about his entire situation, but finding himself in the middle of a graveyard was too much.


    He fell on his bottom and breathed in and out in a forced matter. Trying to calm down and sooner get himself from the situation. After a while, he had finally calmed down. He looked around once more.


    Why? He could not walk away from there without seeing his surroundings, right? He wished that was the case.


    Some bodies lay weirdly over each other while others were simply scattered. Some had a few severed limbs such as missing hands or legs or were decapitated. It was such a brutal way to die. He tried avoiding making eye contact but that was impossible. He had not seen a face that was in peace. They died in an extreme emotional state or severe pain.


    Adding the clues which he had gathered, led to the analysis that this was indeed a graveyard, but before that, it was a battlefield. The several corpses lying around had armor on them and swords and spears. The memories in Mallory''s body were blurred until his death, for reasons that remained unknown.


    While his mind was filled with these thoughts, something appeared in his line of sight while another alerted him in a clear monotone voice.


    [The Omnipotence System had Identified the host.]


    [System assimilation starting.]


    [System assimilation in progress: 2%]

 System and survival.

    [System Assimilation to the host in progress: 88%]


    The monotone voice said in a voice that of an AI bot. The progress filled up pretty fast than Th¨¦oden would have expected it to.


    In the meantime, Th¨¦oden was consumed in his thoughts. A few pieces started piecing up the big puzzle in his head. The reason he survived falling into the new world and the comet-like light didn''t kill him instantly.


    He possessed another body so the fall wasn''t his body but rather his soul which had collided with the body. A body which he took host off. It was the only deduction Th¨¦oden could make out with so little information


    It seemed that that light that almost killed him was a system. The Omnipotence System. The synchronization of the system didn''t take as long as he thought it would. Only roughly half an hour in Earth''s time had passed.


    [Assimilation completed]


    [The omnipotence System has identified the host as a suitable vessel]


    [System synchronization starting]


    [System Synchronization to the host in progress: 1%]


    The sync process occurred live in real-time right before his eyes. He decided to ignore it for now. He didn''t have the leisure to give it any attention. The sky was quickly darkening and he didn''t want to be food for creatures of the dark.


    Growl!


    Most importantly, he was starving. He needed food if he was going to make it anywhere. Both food and water were a priority to him.


    The terrain was somewhat flat. There were hilly areas but not high enough to block his view to the ends of the horizons as he stood on relatively high grounds. There didn''t seem to be any human life as far as the eye could see. The area seemed like a wasteland.


    ''The perfect place to dump lives.''


    The ground was of sand with a mixture of fine soil and small rocks, but it wasn''t too hard to navigate over. The color of the soil was very light like that of beige-silver. The dark marks of blood on the ground were rather very highlighted with the color difference.


    There was no sign of water sources anywhere. In a desert-like place, water was a must-have. The high temperatures of the day would cause quick dehydration. It was not a risk Th¨¦oden liked to take. He thought of many different ways to move from there but there was no silver lining to this line of thought.


    Moving around he realized there was no other method but to get his hands dirty. Not dirty in the sense of dirt or stains but to search the corpses.


    In truth, he knew it was a ''bit'' disrespectful but was also highly aware of the benefit. A good stimulant. A low loss high-profit maneuver. He leaned down to one of his former fallen comrades in battle. He took a breath and tensed his muscles and extended his arms.


    He went through their pockets and picked out anything that held some value. It didn''t matter if it was inappropriate, it was more important to survive, right? He did this repeatedly until he had gone through twenty of the dead people.


    He had, of course, met with women''s corpses as well but he didn''t see any issue if it was stiff, cold, and dead.


    In the process, he found out that the soldiers didn''t have items much of importance to them except for a select few. They were dressed in much more convenient clothes that could carry things safely. Of course, this was after he had taken off their armor. A hard and tiring process.


    It was something he normally would have never done, not even in the same situation, back on Earth. He could never have the courage nor the gut to approach a dead man. However, his heart seemed partial to this. It was like an every other day activity. There was still the pungent smell that haunted his nostrils but even then it didn''t seem to phase Th¨¦oden.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    His calm heart rate scared him a bit. Though he wasn''t scared, his thoughts said otherwise. He was never this cold-hearted. Not to feel remorse, pitiful, or guilty while doing that. He knew well enough now, that he had drastically changed. He felt so unfamiliar with himself.


    The reason was not something that anyone could give him. He came up with a few theories. Maybe, the death of the body made it so that he lost all attachment to his humanity.


    It could have been the fact that he was still in a shock reactive state where his mind was pushed to the extremes causing a shutdown of certain body actions in the necessity to take certain actions.


    Or...rather the third which he preferred not to think about and hoped that it was not the case. All in all, there was no definite answer. There was no conclusive evidence to confirm.


    He gathered all the things he had collected together in one place and appraised their value and necessity. There were a few eye-catching pieces of jewelry made of gemstones, diamonds, and gold. A few random stuff like photographs, cigars, lighters, pens, and paper. Papers were scribbled something, but he could not tell what language it was. There were valuable things like a steady long sword, knives, daggers, multiple packets of grain balls, and water jars. He looked down at the things and sorted them out.


    He had already changed his clothes to some cleaner ones at least those without blood. Speaking of blood. While Changing, he noticed something peculiar. There were large blood stains on his clothes but there was no open wound or scarring on his body.


    ''Was the blood his or another''s?''


    Th¨¦oden wondered. It came to make him question how the former host died, or rather, how he was still alive.


    He wore warm clothes and kept minimal metal armor on his body. Just some chest chain vest and joint-protection gear. For his knees and elbows. He wore many layers to which he could still walk comfortably.


    He was lucky that a person shared his shoe size and had worm leather boots on him. He had no idea how cold the nights in the new land were going to get but he hoped for the best or at least similar to that of Earth''s equator.


    His back hair was tied in a band he borrowed from a dead to keep it off his face. He also had a sack. There were no bags to carry, just a belt case for the sword and water and a sack for the rest.


    "It''s so quiet."


    Th¨¦oden already started missing his phone. A high-end digital communicator and internet surfer for entertainment, but much more importantly, which was his window to his social life on Earth. The convenience of instant delivery was something that could make the Earth a paradise.


    "Haah!" He sighed.


    He took in all the things necessary and left those he could not carry with him.


    Th¨¦oden thus, took his first step into the new world.


    [System Synchronization to the host in progress: 32%]


    The Synchronization process of the system took longer than the Assimilation process. His eyes looked at the hologram screen and looked back out to the world.


    He thought it was best to leave his current position to find a place with fewer corpses maybe then he could feel safer in the night. There was the thing he had with superstition, that scared him witless, and to know or not know if it existed was even scarier. He had seen enough to assume the impossible on Earth could very well be a possible reality in the new world.


    If Th¨¦oden was asked where he was, he would not know. He knew it was a new world but nothing other than that. There was no confirming if it was a parallel universe but this place was not like anywhere on Earth he knew of. He thus tried his best to walk in one direction without going in circles.


    With the help of a rusty compass, he kept heading West.


    The sun had set by the time he was done. The night was pitch black covered by a black thick blanket. It was a beautiful starry night. There was also something extraordinary in the sky. There was a double moon. They seemed aligned over each other and shone very dimly in the sky. The closer one was much bigger than the other moon at the back. They were huge as they were near and visible from where he was.


    Th¨¦oden thought it was a nice night to bask under the night. The place he arrived at was another end of the field. The bodies there were not as many as where he had first woken up at. The place was less stenchful and had a nice smooth surface where he could lie down. He stared up at the sky which was not short of wonders.


    The stars glittered and twinkled in the dark sky. It was like the sky was alive. It felt so unreal to Th¨¦oden. He was awestruck by the beauty the starry sky held. A beauty he wished to bath under for a lifetime. He ingrained that view in his mind.


    This was in case any of this was a dream, then it would have one thing he would love to keep with him. The night sky view. The stars shimmered in his eyes as a reflection of the night and a warm smile appeared on his face. A shooting star passed by and he made a wish. To survive. Survive till the end. Not riches of gold or comfort of leisurely or his way back home but hope to live. Live a little longer.


    [System Synchronization to the host in progress: 38%]


    The sync was still not done. It was indeed very slow. After a short day of both mentally and physically tiring activities, he was beyond exhausted. His young, feeble, and malnutrition weak body could no longer hold the urge to rest.


    ''I will get some sleep first.''


    He closed his eyes and let the soft winds drift him to sleep.

 The Omnipotence system

    Khaa! Khaa! Grrrkrrr! Kraah!


    Th¨¦oden reluctantly woke up to the horrible loud noise. His eyes opened to a bright light making him shut them instantly. He rose lazily and yawned to get rid of the stiffness of his muscles.


    ''It is not a fun experience, to sleep in the open much less the ground. Damn, my body is all strained and stiff.''


    His eyes squinted trying to make out the source of the sound. High in the sky, black birds were circling the area They looked very much like ravens or crows. They had an eerie feeling to them. Looking around him he found the few curses of the dead being torn apart piece by piece by vultures.


    It was the playground of the birds of death.


    They were unlike any vulture he had seen or even heard of. They had long beaks with saw-like edges. They tore the dead flesh quite easily and mercilessly showing their deadly sharpness. This caused Th¨¦oden to shudder in horror. His entire body coved with goosebumps and cold sweat. They are at least twice the size of normal vultures. It was an understatement to say Th¨¦oden was scared shitless. He was paralyzed in shock. He stared wearily at the scene in front of him in fear to make any alarming large movement that would gain their attention.


    ''Maybe I will die to those birds. No...I can''t.''


    His eyes had gained full focus and could see the surrounding much more clearly. Now he was completely awake. He wished all this would be a dream instead. He was so very unlucky to have been in that situation. He wondered if all transmigrators faced the same fate. He didn''t know how it happened but only knew that he was now in a new world after what seemed like an endless fall.


    "Haah!"


    He audibly sighed, forgetting the scenery in front of him while thinking. He regretted it soon after. He covered his mouth quickly and made eye contact with the vultures that seemed to have noticed the foreign sound.


    He flinched at the dark almost lifeless eyes staring back at him, but soon noticed they had no interest in him. They simply went back to their free served meal. How would he have even been alive if they did? They didn''t seem particularly on guard against him. Maybe it was because he had such a thin body and bony limbs.


    ''Should I be happy they don''t find me particularly appetizing?''


    He had not thanked the heavens as much as he did now when his malnutrition body was saving him from being a ready dish. It was quite the irony.


    [System start]


    The same familiar sound of an AI bot rang in Th¨¦oden''s ears. He unconsciously looked up to view the massage.


    [Synchronization process completed]


    [Host has been determined a suitable vessel for the Omnipotence System]


    ''I guess this is what took so long to complete.''


    Th¨¦oden could somehow understand the situation he was in. The information didn''t seem to be just written down but ingrained into his brain. The foreign words were to his understanding. It didn''t just end there.


    [Viewing the Host''s Identity]


    [Former Host: Mallory]


    [Status: Dead]


    [It has been confirmed that a new host possesses Mallory''s body]


    [Identifying Host]


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras]


    Th¨¦oden''s name was the same as his. He didn''t think the System was capable of seeing through something so absurd. It was not registered as the identity of the body, but that of himself. His soul.


    ''To think this is possible.''


    Truthfully, if someone told Th¨¦oden that something like reincarnation or body possession existed, he would view you as overly sectarian. A cultist or a crazy person.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    However, he existed in a body of a former host. That fact was confirmed by the system if Mallory''s memory was not enough.


    [Race: Human]


    He wondered what other races there were.


    ''Can the system possess an animal then? Is that considered a race then?''


    [Age: 16 years]


    This was definitely, an error. He was never so young. But looking at the body he was currently in it made sense that he was suddenly considered an adolescent.


    [Authority: None]


    [Host currently has no special privilege as Host''s level is too low.]


    [Gain strength to unlock privileges, Host]


    [Attributes: Strength:2 Dexterity:3 Stamina:1 Mana/Magic:2 Intelligence:1]


    Two things astounded him at this point.


    First was his thought on the overall distribution of Stats. Was he so weak or was the system calculation based on different scale values?


    The next was the ''Magic'' attribute.


    ''What does that mean? Is it superpowers or just something else entirely?''


    It didn''t linger in his mind for too long as the next thing was more interesting.


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    His luck. Th¨¦oden had to say he had the best and worst luck in life. He got things others would have wanted but never what he wanted. Maybe that was the definition of luck; ''The good premonition positively accepted by the majority.''


    [Skills: None]


    It wasn''t something he could be surprised about. He had confidence in his knowledge and wits, however, it seemed that was not considered a skill in terms of the System. This reminded him of the fact that he simply had a ''1'' in his Intelligence Attribute. Th¨¦oden could not help but feel insulted.


    [Status: Hungry and fatigued]


    This reminded Th¨¦oden had not eaten since the last few food grains he had forcefully swallowed the day before after having gathered them.


    [Newbie package.]


    [As all of the Hosts conditions are dire the system has offered the Host a newbie package.]


    [The package is to help the Host live a little longer.]


    [It will generate according to the Host''s highest necessity.]


    [Good luck Host:-)]


    Th¨¦oden didn''t know if to be sad or happy at the system''s last comment. There was simply nothing in the System to help him out of the current pinch he was in. He needed to meet up with civilization, rest he would go crazy. He had no maps, no food source, or any basic guidance.


    He had faced many hardships, but never as much as this in a single day. His will felt tested with every second he endured.


    Th¨¦oden stared blankly at the hologram messages that had yet to disappear. He first tried to touch the holo-screen but it was intangible. His fingerers simply went through it. However, after racking his brain for a while, he found out that he could make the messages appear again by thinking of them. The AI sound would not repeat though. It was quite convenient.


    Thinking a bit about it, he had seen something similar back on Earth. It was the layout for game plays. Almost every aspect of it was based on a game schema. Given that this was another world he wondered if there was a similar thing in this world. This reminded Th¨¦oden of the games he used to howl himself with during the weekend ignoring everything else. Maybe, it was karma in a way. From playing too much.


    This didn''t seem like a game to him though. He could instinctively tell that if he died here there was no going back to Earth. Not that he had any idea what had happened to his body back on Earth. He was sure this was no game.


    He suddenly missed his consoles and theater screen back at his penthouse. The phone was like his life and the internet pieced everything together. His social life, his work life, and his love life. Thinking about it more it sounded sad. Maybe it wasn''t such a good thing as he has expected it to be, but who cared? He deeply missed his entertainment.


    "Haah!"


    He sighed again. He didn''t need to be on guard against the predators in the area as they paid him no interest. That was also sad. To be unworthy of even being a meal to a mere bird. He wasn''t even worth that much in this life.


    "Haah!"


    He looked up trying to get rid of his depressing thoughts. It worked. His gaze was met with a mystical view. A sky like he had never seen in his entire life. One that was real and right in front of his eyes.


    The sun which had not completely risen shone in its bright orange light. The clouds hang lazily in the violet-purple sky. The light saturation was similar to the Earth''s blue sky. Such a peculiar sight drew Th¨¦oden''s eyes more like an enchantment. He felt the need to look at it and engrave it in memory. He was simply mesmerized by its wonder and mystic beauty.


    This calmed down Th¨¦oden''s tired heart and he felt the motivation to do something. The rays that landed gently on his body were like food for the soul. Nourishing and warm. Simply purifying.


    With all the negative things thrown away to the back of his brain, Th¨¦oden got up. He stretched his muscles that seemed glued in place causing several cracking sounds to echo. That was buried in the raspy, drawn-out hissing sounds of the vultures feeding. It sounded like hungry pigs or barking dogs in the near distance. It was mixed with the sound of grunting and yapping. It was simply repelling.


    He picked up his sack and walked away.


    The barren field stretched for quite a distance as he had yet to see any trace of humans or shelters nearby.


    "Mmm?"


    As he walked much further, he realized he had not met any being the soldiers on the battlefield seemed to have been fighting with. They had died brutally being slaughtered like lambs to the slaughter, however, there was not a single being he could identify as the enemy they were fighting against.


    The idea of fighting amongst themselves was cast away as there as they were killed, not with clean slices of the swords that they carried but something rather blunt and messy. He could only assume that it was a one-sided massacre.


    He identified large tracks much bigger than a human''s tracks. They were a bit larger than or probably roughly the size of elephant tracks. They seemed like horse hooves but they dug deep into the ground.


    ''I guess I would rather not know.''


    Th¨¦oden ignore that and went on his way.


    A short saying was ''ignorance is bliss''.

 The first battle of life and death

    Th¨¦oden kept walking at a slow pace in one direction hoping to find the light at the end of the tunnel. It was of little hope but there was nothing else he could do besides waiting to be rescued. That condition depended on where he was, thus, that possibility was close to null. He was on a battlefield in the middle of nowhere with not a single survivor except him.


    He willed himself not to lose hope, for when he did that, it would be the end. In the span of walking, his body had gotten used to the terrain, and he could navigate without too much focus on the ground. With nothing, but himself, his thoughts began to wander. The mysteries he had faced could not be well explained yet. Like how he was alive? What caused his body to live? Why didn''t he possess someone much more fortunate? Why did the system he could only read about in fantasy novels possess him?


    With all the unanswered questions, his head began to ache. The sun shone brightly in the sky thus it was hot and he was sweating profusely. Th¨¦oden found some shade behind a hilly place and lay down to replenish his energy under its shade.


    [Gained strength: 1 ]


    [Gained stamina: 1 ]


    [Status: Fatigued and dehydrated]


    He drank a bit of water and forced down a food grain in his mount before taking a mouthful of water again.


    ''How did things come to this?''


    He still vividly had the memories of his former life, despite still retaining the former host''s memories. They didn''t align at all. He still felt like he was himself at all times. He slowly remembered the memories he had when he was on Earth. His name was the same just the surname was excluded. Maybe, because it was a family name? He had no clue.


    Th¨¦oden was a quiet kid growing up who liked being at home. He loved games and anime and reading fantasy. He could drown himself in folktales and mythologies of all kinds. He loved imagining the impossible.


    ''Maybe my life has turned into a fantasy. How Ironic.''


    Th¨¦oden never got to meet his father. He was raised in a single family by his mother. His mother loved and cared for him dearly. He wished he could have acknowledged it sooner before she died, leaving him in an endless loop of depression.


    This memory haunted him for a long time but he kept living. Trying to find meaning in life. This was the last wish left for him by his mother. "Live. No matter what. Just live." She looked at him and said it with such a pained expression. She still smiled at the end so the last memory was her radiant smile.


    That was before she never came back. She disappeared and left him. Her last words were a curse that tied him to the desire to live. Thanks to that he strived to live. A life she would be proud of.


    He grew up to be a middle-aged office worker otaku. He led a stable life with only the things he needed. He fell in love multiple times, but never married. His life always felt somewhat empty. He gave up on ambition and led a life in the majority class of the capitalistic community. He didn''t have huge riches but he wasn''t poor. He achieved the ideal lifestyle of any middle-aged man.


    Th¨¦oden had no regrets about his former life. This was because despite being social, he never made any personal connections with others. At most he had acquaintances. He liked being a lone dog.


    He wasn''t isolated as many may think. He was popular due to his handsomeness and excellent social skills. Th¨¦oden simply never cultivated anything to a serious level. He built high walls that no one ever managed to cross. Maybe this was his form of defense.


    Thinking more about his life, he felt pathetic.


    ''I wasted my sweet youth.''


    However, now he had another chance. He wasn''t going to make wasteful choices anymore. He thought more about it and it would be a lie to say he could have climbed up the social circle. With his wits and qualifications, it wasn''t hard to be the richest or the most influential person back on Earth. He had avoided it in his past life, but there was nothing wrong with ambition despite the high-risen walls of his heart.


    ''Let''s make the best of this life. First of all, I have to survive in this wilderness.''This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After having rested enough he got up.


    [Status: weak/normal]


    The status was a bit too accurate. He was very weak at the moment as the body was not well taken care of. He was missing a lot of essential muscles to partake in the long journey ahead of him. His bones were visible and his fingers were very thin. Th¨¦oden pushed himself with a great will to move with each step. All while carrying a heavy sack of necessities.


    The sky had grown darker and he was able to see mountains from afar. They seemed to have some vegetation. Maybe he could get some food there. Anything, other than the dry and unappetizing food grains.


    With the new motivation, he began to walk faster with much more steady steps. His scrunched expression softened a bit. The sun set very fast. It was evening and only a bit of rays from the sunlight illuminated the area. They caused shadows to be elongated twice as much. He needed to find a safe place to make camp as it was no longer in his capabilities to see at night.


    The sky despite being beautiful, was nothing more than that. The ground remained pitch-black and one could only see a short distance from oneself. With that in mind, he searched and found a huge rock that could make up for a resting pillar. As well as a blockage to the wind.


    Grrrrr! Ah! Grrrr!


    While moving, Th¨¦oden heard a peculiar sound. He quickly turned around to find a species of some kind near him.


    ''What is that?''


    He was too focused on the big bolder to have noticed the creature. It was more like a demon to be precise. It had ebony dark skin with no fur. It took a humanoid figure as it stood in the front. Its eyes were hollow with a red glow in them filled with killing intent. Its sharp claws grew longer than its palm. Just looking at the thing, Th¨¦oden was already intimidated.


    ''What demon is that? Is it even a ....''


    Yes, he was very intimidated. His heart beat fast, and his hands trembled. He was, however, breathing very calmly. Too calmly. He was sure that he was intimidated, scared, and wanted to run away. However, his feet were planted on the ground. His lips formed curves with a small smirk that only seemed to grow into a bigger smile. His eyes kept eye contact with the demon. Observing every movement the creature made. His body was moving on its own and not listening to his thoughts.


    He was in a situation where he should have been scared, instead of so calm. He remembered he was excited instead of feeling scared in the face of danger.


    ''I want to run away. Why doesn''t this body move? Come on move already. Why do you feel excited, you dummy?''


    His thoughts were only filled with his desire to run. Ran far away. He regretted coming in this direction, then possibly he would not have met that thing. It was too late to regret. The thing had gotten even closer that running was giving your back to it. If he turned away he felt like he wouldn''t even know how he died.


    He could only face it head-on.


    ''I have no choice.''


    He had decided not to be a coward anymore. This was a decision he had just made a while ago. Not to run from life anymore. Th¨¦oden wouldn''t break that vow only a day into making it.


    ''What do I do? What can I do? Think, damn it. Think. How do I get away?''


    That answer was quite obvious. He had to defeat the monster. At the very least immobilize it so it couldn''t follow him. That was the only way he could get away with his dear life.


    Observing the creature better, he saw that it had black stains running down its body. It looked like liquid. Seeing the many torn parts on its skin Th¨¦oden knew the thing was injured. The blank stains would then be its blood. However, the pressure didn''t diminish as it got closer but only got heavier and more suffocating.


    ''What luck is this? The first thing I get to meet just happens to be a demon. I just got to this life and it seems to not want me already.''


    He didn''t dare break eye contact. He knew what the creature was trying to do. To first dominate the opponent by fear and access the opponent''s strength. The second Th¨¦oden showed weakness or fear, his head would go flying. The sharp claws were as threatening as they probably looked. He didn''t want to test the waters with his life on the line in a gamble he was not sure to win or lose.


    He gulped. He felt the caress of the saliva as it went down his throat. It was true he felt nervous but his small smile began showing teeth. He tried to consciously control it but to no avail.


    ''I wish I could cry for help like a damsel in distress. How I wish I could.''


    Stupid thoughts began to fill his brain as if having forgotten what was in front of him now, not more than ten meters away. He cursed this issue of not feeling the need to fear when his life was in danger.


    He was still thankful for it since it was maintaining his calm in the face of danger. From the start to now, Th¨¦oden''s face never aligned with his thoughts, but his feelings. He had to say he was feeling very excited. Every gland and hormone facilitated this. He was sure his Adrenaline levels were at the max.


    His hands found their way to the hilt of the sword he had hanging on his belt. It felt a bit familiar holding it like this. Mallory''s body was accustomed to the sword. He was, however, fragile and nothing could be done about it. Maybe it was because the person holding it was different but the sword felt at home in his hands.


    Once it was in his grip, he felt things more sensitively. With it as the medium, his emotions, thoughts, and even movements had aligned. He felt the slightest movement of his fingertips.


    Th¨¦oden''s eyes gained a new conviction. A new confidence was awakened as he faced the monster in front of him.


    ''I must defeat it. Running is not an option.''


    THE OMNIPOTENCE SYSTEM


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]


    [Authority: None]


    [Attributes: Strength:3 Dexterity:3 Stamina:2 Mana/Magic:2 Intelligence:1]


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    [Skills: None]


    [Status: Weak/Normal]


    [Newbie package.]

 New skills quirk

    Th¨¦oden pulled out the sword. A fine double edge symmetrical long and thin knife, he would describe it. It shone in a silver shine due to the sun''s rays. Th¨¦oden hadn''t noticed the change of environment as the pressure around him became heavier due pressure he exuded.


    His breathing let out a soft but warm mist. His ruby-red rare lustered eyes turned a slight shade of blue. His mind was clear. Very clear, it was scary.


    He could notice the slightest details he had missed before. The movement of the wind could be felt much more sensitively as all sound resonated in his ears giving him a better grasp of where he was standing at. His observation became that of a predator.


    Th¨¦oden tried to find the weakness of the creature. It was, however, not as easy. Other than its injuries, it didn''t show any obvious opening. I mean, it simply paced toward him nonchalantly, and that was hard enough to deal with.


    ''Whoever makes the first move wins is what they say. I have to do it.''


    Th¨¦oden rushed forward putting all the power bust to the heel of his foot. He plunged himself with the most power he could gather and pushed toward the demon. The sound of metals clashing was heard.


    Clang!


    ''Huh? Clang?''


    The humanoid demon had somehow stopped the vertical slash from cutting its head in two. The demon was not so tall. At least not taller than an average human. It used one arm at that to stop a sharp sword with its claws.


    Looking closer, the claws that met the sword had been scratched a little. The demon twitched a little. It seemed to be in immense pain, but Th¨¦oden didn''t have the leisure to pity it. It was his survival or the monsters. Looking at the state of the demon you could tell it wasn''t interested in him, but saw him as food to replenish its health somehow.


    It was a kill-or-be-killed situation.


    Th¨¦oden didn''t stop there. He needed to utilize everything he could at the moment. By observance, he could tell the demon''s other arm was unfunctional. That was one less danger to him. He pulled back a bit and rushed in again. This time aiming for its eyes. They looked almost lifeless. A hollow abyss of blood-craving void holes.


    ''A dying demon is still a threat to me.''


    When it put its claws up to defend he twisted his body so the sword would shift towards the demon''s torso. His attack landed. A place with a torn and open bleeding wound. The sword hit precisely, but there was a problem. He couldn''t pull it out. In a panic, he let go and jumped back a few steps behind.


    He quickly got a knife from the side and pointed it forward. There was something weird. The demon that was supposed to attack him in the moment of weakness didn''t. He realized that the demon never took the initiative. It only defended.


    ''Why is that? Why won''t it attack?''


    "...eak human.....grrr....dare....challenge me? Stupid....pest....human. I am...superior. " The demon said in a low sinister voice mixed with rough growls that gave Th¨¦oden chills.


    "It can speak?" Th¨¦oden mutter under his breath. He pointed the knife even wearier than before. The monster had to have the intelligence to manage speech.


    "I.....Nalbthalur..am the envy demon in the 10th class of Envy demons. I am not to fall to a mere human. Now I shall eliminate those who challenge me. Become my nutrient human. Feel honored."


    The demon''s speech got more fluent. Th¨¦oden felt insulted, devalued, violated, and most of all angry. His eyes which had gained a cold azure blue gleam switched again and glowed an intense crimson red. They were completely bloodshot with reptilian pupils.


    Similarly, the pressure he had was more intense and heavier as the ground sank a bit little to Th¨¦oden''s knowledge.


    He held the knife much more tightly, and small blood droplets fell from his palm. He rushed in with only one aim.


    ''I have to make it out alive. NO MATTER THE COST.''


    He kept fighting for his dear life. He was scratched multiple times and his skin torn many times over that he was in a more miserable state than the demon.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The demon parried his attacks and casually swung its arm with razor-sharp claws.


    Th¨¦oden never let go of his weapon. The knife was getting more and more cracks. They fought close quarters and it was inevitable to receive the attacks directly. Th¨¦oden couldn''t let himself fall here.


    ''Go on. Stand up again. Don''t slack. Don''t turn your back. The minute you do, it will be the end. ''


    He kept chanting words in his mind. It was true that his body which had never held a knife was moving with only one instinct. To defend and survive. He instinctively knew that a direct hit from the demon was his death sentence, so with full concentration, he dodged every attack that came to him a breath''s distance.


    His goal wasn''t to defeat the thing. He wasn''t conceited enough to even dream of it. He was aware of the pathetically weak state of the body he possessed and due to that, he understood where his limits reached. He only needed to live. He could gain strength elsewhere at another time, but he would need to stay alive then.


    The demon was not able to move much or quickly at that. It was obvious that it was getting hurt as much as Th¨¦oden was, but something was off.


    ''This piece of sh*t... It plans to use its life to defeat me. I...can''t let you have your way.''


    Th¨¦oden was losing blood quickly. He was barely able to stand up since his sheer will made it possible with his weak body. The demon, however, didn''t mind getting hurt. It was taunting him in a way. It hadn''t died until then even with the very severe injuries so their position was never on equal stands. Reverse the wounds and Th¨¦oden would be undoubtedly dead.


    [Threat identified.]


    ''It wants me to get angry.''


    [Host''s life is endangered]


    Most system messages were sent but non of them registered in Th¨¦oden''s mind. He had fallen into a trance of survival. It was his instincts speaking.


    [Countermeasures are being taken by the system.]


    [Initiating System defense]


    ''Don''t let it get to your head.''


    [The host state is critical.]


    [Newbie package automatically utilized]


    The Newbie package that was locked on the system window was activated.


    [Host has received a new skill]


    [Skill: Devour]


    [Congratulations on acquiring the first skill Host.]


    Messages came one after another. They flashed in front of Th¨¦oden''s eyes but Th¨¦oden didn''t notice any of this as his sights were concentrated on the demon. They activated on their own. The package seemed to consider the situation to give its host a higher survival chance.


    [Mana gained: 3]


    [Intelligence gained: 2]


    [Will Host use the skill now?]


    Th¨¦oden''s mind was hazy and he was losing vision of his surrounding. He lost the strength to his feet. He had lost too much blood. The demon Nalbthalur made a mocking smile. Even in its disfigured ugly face it still couldn''t hide the mocking smile. The system request passed Th¨¦oden''s mind like a very distant blurred echo.


    ''Bastard demon...I will wipe that smile off your face,''


    [Choice: Yes/No.]


    Th¨¦oden didn''t even notice the information gushing in his brain. He was completely detached from the surrounding as if it was only him and the demon in existence. His hands which had grown numb due to the tension of his tight grip on the weapon, moved at the will of his thoughts ignoring the piercing pain that lingered.


    [The System forcefully taken over.]


    [Choice: Yes]


    [The skill Devour has been forcefully activated by the system]


    ''I want to survive. No. I must survive. I can''t die. Not yet. Not like this. I have yet to...I have yet to start my new life. No matter what, I will survive.''


    While thoughts like this filled his mind he hadn''t noticed the change in his surroundings or the fact that he was kneeling already.


    An urge was created and only growing in him. A void in his stomach followed by hunger to consume the demon. Th¨¦oden''s unfocused hazy eyes suddenly became predatory. He had the urge to eat or swallow the creature in front of him whole. Th¨¦oden flinched and stopped in his tracks only realizing the thoughts and sensations he was feeling. An insatiable hunger that was craving for the demon.


    ''What the hell??? I don''t want to eat that...thing...but it looks kind of.....tasty? F**k! Snap out of it.''


    That simple thought completely brought Th¨¦oden from his trance as he vigorously shook his head. Th¨¦oden was filled with very contrasting feelings.


    Even his thoughts were being affected slightly by the activation of the skill. He stuck out his tongue in disgust, but his eyes remained on the demon looking at it like it was the best chopped-up cuisine in the world. His eyes were full of greed and...hunger.


    The demon on the other hand saw Th¨¦oden just drop and stop in his tracks not attacking any further. It was now certain that the human in front of it had lost its stamina and would only be a matter of time until it could feast on the human.


    Nalbthalur had been abandoned after its defeat by a human during the war. Since then, it was lost. After wandering for a long time in search of a way to get its health to a stable state, it luckily caught the scent of a human that was still alive.


    The human looked weak. It wasn''t like the humans it fought with. For the fun of it, it engaged in a long fight with the human. It noticed the human''s movements becoming more adaptive and it could fight with the demon of equal standing in its injured state. However, the demon didn''t panic. Since it wanted to play with the human it never utilized any of its major attacks but only its body to defend and sometimes scratch. It found the human''s pain and suffering amusing. The feeling of being superior was like an addictive drug.


    ''The filthy human must be exhausted now. Be honored to be of use to this demon.''


    The demon had not seen the sinister change in Th¨¦oden''s attitude. It was only thinking about absorbing the human''s vitality. How to completely humiliate the human. The emotions of despair and pain were the icing cream on the cake.


    The Omnipotent System.


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]


    [Authority: None]


    [Attributes: Strength:3 Dexterity:3 Stamina:2 Mana/Magic:5 Intelligence:3]


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    [Skills: None]


    [Status: Weak/Normal]


    [Newbie package.][Used]

 System Advance

    It seemed like both the demon and Th¨¦oden had similar aligning thoughts, in some way.  The void in Th¨¦oden''s stomach only grew at an alarming rate. He felt the constricting and twisting of his intestines and organs. His lips were salivating a little and his throat felt parched as if deprived of water for a long time. These were severe signs of starvation as his eyes looked nothing but hungry.


    The demon looked like a dish in front of a starved person. Not the best dish but beggars couldn''t be choosers, could they? This was exactly the situation.


    A light shot out of Th¨¦oden and a thick light gray fog encircled the demon enough to just see its silhouette. In its confusion, it slowly and painfully disintegrated. It crumbled and fell apart, similar to being eroded.


    "How? Human...Impossi..." The demon died trying to utter something along the words but had completely disintegrated before it could finish. It didn''t get enough time to even react as it completely vanished. Its words were unfortunately not passed on to its recipient who was in a trance-like salivatory state.


    Th¨¦oden saw the demon turn into nothingness leaving a small red bead behind. Only it belongs fell to the ground where the demon last stood, and the red ball flew and disappeared a close distance to Th¨¦oden.


    ''The look on its face was priceless. Hahaha.''


    Th¨¦oden was in confusion but was also ecstatic. He was on cloud nine. Maybe it was because the threat to his life was eliminated or a far more venomous reason. He had no idea what had happened and he didn''t care less what had. He was only glad of the fact that the abhorrent demon was erased from existence. However, his heart calmed in both relief and joy.


    A warm smile appeared on his face a bit uncharacteristic of the scenery. The blood stained the ground from the wounds earned from battle. Nevertheless, he felt the joy of victory and achievement at the moment. The fact that he survived was the fact that he had worn the war.


    He panted softly but deeply as he fell on his back looking at the already dark sky. The beauty of it was truly always remarkable. There wasn''t anything like it, he would swear on that. Nothing he had seen in his life.


    The light that had shot out returned and entered his chest area leaving a warm tingling feeling. It was denser and held a deep shade of red. Th¨¦oden was too tired to care about its origin or the reason it was that shade.


    [Host has devoured the unranked demon.]


    [The vitality in the demon is being transferred to the Host.]


    [health has risen]


    [Gained Intelligence +3]


    [Gained mana +4]


    [Gained stamina +2]


    [Gained Strength +2]


    [Gained Dexterity +4]


    [Wounds (internal & external) are being healed.]


    The pain Th¨¦oden was in slowly began to fade away as if it wasn''t there. He didn''t see it, but the cuts on his skin were mending while leaving no scars, just the residue of the already-dried blood. They happened with a tingling feeling like thousands of small ants eating away at him. It was a torturous but rewarding process. The recovery rate was at a rate it could be observed by normal human sight. It was an abnormally rapid recovery rate.


    Th¨¦oden''s eyes were heavy with fatigue and sleepiness. His mind was too exhausted to register anything other than his life was no longer in danger. With relaxation came all the tension from the fight being released at once. His eyes tried to resist the urge but he couldn''t.


    ''I want to rest.''


    [The demon core has been placed in the storage space]


    [You have met the conditions to advance the authority]


    [The omnipotent system upgrading and updating]


    [Process: 0.2%]


    After the torture, Th¨¦oden felt a warm embrace of the vitality he had absorbed. Like in the middle of a soft warm cotton ball. Just like that, he fell asleep in the sweet embrace of the warmth while in the cold night.


    The next day greeted Th¨¦oden with a stiff body. His tense muscles were screaming with pain all over. Most of all, he couldn''t believe he was alive in the first place. He had received many heavy injuries resulting in him checking his body first thing in the morning.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ''W-what? Was it a dream? No...It can''t be.''


    However, there was no wound on his body which made him almost think it was a dream only if the blood stains weren''t there. There were exactly at the places he was hurt making him believe something must have happened. He was confused and awestruck but he couldn''t help but fill a bit of fear deep down.


    He tried remembering. The last of his memories was seeing the demon''s surprised face as it vanished into nothingness and the night sky after sunset.


    [System update is complete]


    [Your health has been fully restored.]


    [Skills: Devour. Grade 3 unlimited growth. Type: Active skill. Description: Consumes a living creature''s vitality. The host may gain healing of internal and external injuries in correspondence to the vitality absorbed. Assimilation of the core characteristics if absorbed. Can gain stats of the absorbed to a certain degree of difference in strength.]


    A message Th¨¦oden stared at for a long time before understanding what had occurred and why it had occurred. It was abnormal for all injuries he gained the previous night to suddenly heal for no reason. However, he wondered what ''assimilation'' was.


    That didn''t answer the pain he was feeling all over his muscles. The cramps from the fight.


    ''I guess even with the system it doesn''t take away the natural body biological activities and reactions like muscle pain and fatigue.''


    Th¨¦oden was curious about something else. The thing called Authority. This was something that he had not come to understand yet.


    What was Authority?


    What benefits did it give or how much Authority he had now? He wondered if the world knew anything about the system but rechecking Mallory''s memories there was no such thing as a system.


    The world was completely different from Earth, at least from Mallory''s perspective. He grew up in the countryside area where there was an agricultural lifestyle with not much technological or infrastructural development. It was clear that a thing like a system didn''t exist on the planet. It was unheard of.


    "Haah!" He sighed.


    ''These things should come with a manual.'' Th¨¦oden grumbled as he thought of the misfortunes in his life.


    Theo lay back on the hard ground and closed his eyes. He remembered the irking memory of his hunger for the hideous creature. When his thoughts actually aligned with the body''s newly found weird tendencies. To be more accurate, his body forced such thoughts on his mind, but even that fact was repulsive in Th¨¦oden''s mind.


    The monster actually smelled sweet and appetizing. He craved feasting on it whole and had images of it being cut up into pieces and made in his favorite forms of food. In stew form, hard grilled or fried.  It was so vivid he visibly shuddered.


    He realized how much humanity he was losing at the moment. This wasn''t something a human would think towards a demon. It was disgusting and irking and his entire being trembled with the rejection of the idea, but at that time yesterday, he was completely immersed in the aromatic scent of the monster.


    Th¨¦oden realized the attachment of his humanity he had lost. Something he couldn''t erase or get back for the rest of his life. It could be because the body he possessed had gone through death and thus lost its humanity. Mallory was not the type to have such thoughts either.


    ''I have really changed. I should go back to normal. I have to.''


    His thoughts getting more muddled he rose up and looked at the vicinity of where he was. He noticed the few things piled up near him. They looked like the belongings of the humanoid demon. Dirty ragged clothe like a robe, a few thick metal cuffs, and a piece of weird neck jewelry.


    [Host has reached the novice Authority: Low.]


    [Congratulations Host for meeting this feat.]


    [A new function has been added to the system.]


    [System storage enabled.]


    [Host can store items in a dimensional space.]


    [Limited to 100 items.]


    [Host has gained a reward for advancing the authority of the system through the great feat.]


    Maybe there were buffs like that when you had more authority over the System. There was too little known about the system to assume anything.


    [Skill gained: Mind''s eye.]


    [Skills: Mind''s eye. Grade: 2 Unlimited growth. Type: Passive skill. Description: May view details of the Host''s focus of curiosity. It may reveal the quality of an item or the characteristic of a person. It is now limited to beings of equal or lower strength than Host.]


    Having read the description, he stared at the neck jewelry much more intently due to its golden luster. It was probably made entirely of gold. It had intricate curving of an ancient language scribbled around it. They seemed to glow a bit. In curiosity, he reached out and touched it.


    [Type: Neck Jewelry. grade: Unique. Description: Allows for multiracial communication. Enables the Host to understand others'' massage or intentions as if a native. Passes on Host''s intention or massage as well.]


    Looking back, Th¨¦oden was somewhat able to understand the demon''s words despite it not speaking in a language he knew. He was too preoccupied with fighting for his life, that, that detail completely slipped his mind.


    It was a handy item to have on a completely new planet. The item looked precious and by looking at the fact that Mallory never had seen one it was classified as a rare item. Expensive at least.  It would higher his chances of survival, with that in mind he didn''t mind taking the item from the perished demon. He had done it multiple times to fill any guilt.


    ''My victory trophy.''


    Th¨¦oden placed the golden chocker on his neck since it was a piece of neck equipment, but he felt it was too huge. It would probably fall on his shoulder due to its wide circumference, but that didn''t happen. The choker shrank as the ancient texts glowed to fit his neck perfectly.


    The texts sank into the choker leaving no trace of it. It turned into a natural neckpiece with a slightly less eye-catching glow. It wasn''t uncomfortable or heavy as it formally looked. It felt like a cool scarf on his neck. Th¨¦oden smiled at the discovery of something impossible, actually possible.


    The Omnipotence System


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]


    [Authority: Novice - Low]


    [Attributes: Strength:5 Dexterity:7 Stamina:4 Mana/Magic:9 Intelligence:6]


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    [Skills: Devour. Mind''s eye.]


    [Status: Normal]


    [System Storage][Unlocked]

 Demon core

    Th¨¦oden went through the new information and could somehow understand how the system worked. He knew the given status window from the games he played back on Earth but this one was similar but entirely different.


    First, there were no quests. The system just functioned alongside his normal daily activities. He would gain stats by doing something repeatedly to the point of exhaustion which was no different from training. In other words, it was simply a mirror that showed his embodiment.


    He, at the very least, could observe the progress he was having in real-time. He didn''t quite understand the authority but he understood that it gave more benefits compared to when he had none. The whole requirements for advancement were not clarified. The system only demanded he gained strength.


    ''What type of strength? It...couldn''t just want me to be rugged and brawny,...right?''


    The new function was ''System Storage''. It seemed like a reward for gaining more authority or it was a perk of gaining the so-called authority. The layout of the storage was a bit different than he thought. It was four pages, each page visible of twenty-five boxes. One box was occupied which was labeled as an unclassified demon core. There was no description of how many objects or the capacity of each so it was not reliable to assume. He was happy that there were adequate boxes, nevertheless.


    Thinking back to the previous day before falling asleep he saw a small ball similar to the one inside the box flow towards him and disappear. He unconsciously reached out to the occupied box, but it popped out before he could reach the hologram screen.


    ''How could I forget? The hologram is intangible.''


    The ball appeared in his hand. That didn''t quite explain how the system initiated the command to retrieve the ball.


    ''I just thought of it...is this how it works?''


    The thing he discovered is that the system was following his thoughts and will. When he wanted something he could simply think of it appearing on his hand and it would. It was such an advanced technology far surpassing anything he had ever seen.


    Having something like that attached to him was scary since it could read his mind, but since it was of help so far, it was no harm having it around. Not that he knew how to get rid of it in the first place.


    He stared at the small ball in his hand. It could roughly fit within his closed palm. Similar to a marble. It was red and glowed in a dull light. It was like a heated stone that exuded some mist. It was cold to the touch.


    Th¨¦oden thought it was deserving of something from a fantasy world where even demons existed. He wondered why the system specifically stored this in his storage when he had just come to learn of its existence that very day. It was indeed a mystery.


    [Would Host like to absorb the unclassified demon core?]


    ''I guess I know why now.''


    [Choice: Yes / No.]


    ''Why would it display it when I can''t touch it?''


    The thought of it a while. The core had to be something special. Given the few conclusions he had drawn so far, he was sure the system would never recommend something that could harm him. They were in a symbiotic relationship so it was only right for the system to want the best for its host.


    With that, he thought of ''yes'' as the answer.


    [Skill: Devour activated on the target unclassified demon core]


    The sore shattered into mist and dissolved within him. The warm fuzzy feeling he awaited was nowhere to be felt. Instead, he was followed by agonizing pain.


    ''W-why?''


    [Unclassified demon core fusion rate: 1%]


    With the pain that followed he could not help but fall over his body as could not help it. Th¨¦oden was writhing in agony as small groans escaped his lips. He tightly bit the cloth that was nearby to spot the urge to scream or bite his tongue.


    His body audibly shattered and crackled. His bones seemed to be broken and mended the shattered once more. The process of reconstructing his body was more than he could sanely bear.


    However, he was beginning to lose his sanity at that point. He couldn''t fall unconscious due to the immense pain either. Amid the pain, there was the anticipation he felt in his very core.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    [Unclassified demon core fusion rate: 7%]


    The hologram message showed time went far too slowly to his dismay.


    Enduring was hard, but what could he do? Somewhere deep down he knew there was something good from the agonizing pain. A reward he would receive. After all, you reap what you sow.


    Somehow, he persisted as he was already shedding tears and could not stop them either. Not sobs or groans, but silent tears flowing showing the pain felt by his nerves. That would be the least form of release from the repetitive torture.


    After an hour of torture, the rate still hadn''t reached a full percentage. However, there was less pain at least. However, the traumatic experience Th¨¦oden went through still lingered in his mind. Testament to this is that his body still trembled as he curled himself tightly holding his knees close to himself. His eyes had long lost focus, but he wasn''t asleep. He bared it all awake. They were bloodshot from all the tears he shed.


    He was in a state of being conscious, but at the same time unconscious. A self-defense mechanism that occurred when the body determined that the mind could not endure the pain or surprise or trauma and cut nerval response during the time. So, Th¨¦oden could not feel the pain at this point, but that didn''t mean the body didn''t feel anything. It reacted appropriately since it was at the peak of this pain that his senses were cut off.


    He still needed some rest to come to fully control his body once more. Another hour passed before he could wake up from his daze-like state. His breath was unusually shallow and calm at the same time. His arms and body had not regained enough strength but he could still manage to raise. He felt numb all over. His eyes had lost some light as they seemed dull.


    The first nerves to reactivate must have been his mind. He raised his arms to touch his throbbing head when he felt a certain protrusion on his forehead.


    ''What...?''


    [Host has successfully absorbed a percentage of the core to the body''s current adaptability capacity.]


    [Unclassified demon core fusion rate: 87%]


    [The Host has gained changes from the core.]


    [Gained Strength +4]


    [Gained Dexterity +3]


    [Gained Stamina +5]


    [Gained Mana +5]


    [Gained Intelligence +4]


    ''Wow. Is this real?''


    The results were unbelievable. He wasn''t wrong when he said the system wanted the best for its host. His gamble was worth it.  His judgment was right at the very least. With a bit of good news, he moved his body with excitement only to find he was stronger than he thought.


    When hitting the ground with his palm it went through the sandy ground. Something like this was not possible for his former self a few hours ago. The results were visible causing him even more joy.


    ''This feels great. My body feels so light. I could do a marathon.''


    Th¨¦oden chuckled to himself before noticing a certain peculiar detail on his arms and legs. His happy thoughts froze at that second and his smile disappeared too fast. He felt that something was wrong. With that in mind, he remembered the incident when touching his forehead.


    ''What happened to me?''


    His entire skin was a pale light shade of red. Like he was painted with diluted red ink. Not just his skin but his entire being. He quickly looked back at his system status. One thing had changed.


    [Race: Human/demon]


    His race. His race was different.


    There were small horn-like protrusions on his head. His hair could cover that up, but not his entire skin. His eye''s sclera had turned dark as the darkest night. His red iris was even more conspicuous.


    Despite the body structure remaining the same, no one could tell he was even half human. He could not believe he was still human. His messy black hair which was formerly short grew to shoulder length much smoother and straight. His nails were like that of a cat. Sharp and hard,  black and claw-like.


    Th¨¦oden felt it instinctively, they were powerful to slice through a stone. His ears were sharp at the top. His teeth were saw-like sharp teeth. He could easily pierce his pinky with a touch.


    ''I was thinking of getting back the humanity I had lost a couple of hours ago, but now I don''t think I am even human anymore.''


    The next amazing change was his vision. He was able to see further and if he focused enough he could see things moving at a fast pace. Not that time slowed, but his eyes could follow the movement.  As far as he was concerned, this was superhuman. His binocular vision range had increased by a few degrees as well.


    Lastly, his strength. He could jump higher and run faster. The punch through the ground was just the start. He had so much strength that it was impossible to walk how he was used to walking.


    ''Haaah!''


    Th¨¦oden sighed in resignation. He had seen too many things in a short period, his head would probably not keep up with him. However, ironically, it did process everything. A bit too calmingly. He neither panicked nor felt the need to even go back to his former self. His feeling had completely assimilated into the situation.


    ''I am weird...''


    His mind was thinking differently. He needed to be in human form to meet other civilizations or he would remain stranded in the wilderness to survive without being hunted.


    From Mallory''s memories, demons were targets of hate and were deemed to be eliminated on sight. He was that very demon. Though half he knew very well how humans operated in the face of a potential threat. He was once one. He would have probably rejected even himself on sight if not for his unusual body.


    The point was, he needed a way to survive, and being a demon was not one of the options. However, he still liked the benefits. With the looks of it if he would not come across any other civilization he would likely die of starvation and hunger. But the body he currently had didn''t seem to need food too often. This would save his food poll and water supply for a longer time.


    Nothing seemed to be working out like he wanted it, but the risk was not without rewards.


    He lay back down thinking of his unforeseeable future.


    Th¨¦oden smiled as he closed his eyes and let the sun warm his red tan skin.


    ''Let''s not stress. It is not the worst that could happen.''


    THE OMNIPOTENCE SYSTEM


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]


    [Authority: Novice - Low]


    [Attributes: Strength:9 Dexterity:10 Stamina:10 Mana/Magic:10(+0,4) Intelligence:10(+0,3)]


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    [Skills: Devour. Mind''s eye.]


    [Status: Normal]


    [System Storage][Unlocked]

 Desert Merchants

    After wandering for two weeks in the dry lands, Th¨¦oden was nearing his destination. A forest area he had set his eyes on as his first target. At the very least, a forest was the best place to secure food and water. It would only take a few more days at the rate he was traveling by. He had not gotten there earlier because of fear of meeting other humans in his demon form.


    There was no way to fool any human, unless blind, with such eye-catching features. Most of them were his skin pigment changing to a red shade and sharp elongated claws and thin rough horns protruding from his forehead.


    Later after full absorption, he realized he could go back to his human form. Of course, this was enabled by the system. Th¨¦oden''s race was still the same, not a hybrid nor a demonic human. They were two distinct races labeled which he could switch with the help of the system. Over the two weeks, he used his time to understand better the system; An Artificial Intelligence which had superpowers. More accurately, gave him superpowers.


    He was completely transformed into a demon when he reached a 100% absorption rate. He realized a few days after absorbing the demon core completely, he gained some more demon characteristics. However, he wasn''t as revolting as the demon he had fought with that night. His skin simply turned a deeper shade of vermilion red and his horns grew a bit longer. He could elongate and shorten his nails at will. His hair had grown longer with apparent life of its own as it swayed in imaginary winds. He retained his human facials except for his corpse-like paleness, sharp ears, and sclera that had long turned dark as an abyss, leaving his red iris conspicuous, oozing with bloodlust.


    That reverted when he was asked by the system if he liked to switch back to human form.


    Th¨¦oden noticed apparent changes when he switched to his human form. With his physic that had been nourished by the demon''s vitality, he gained a manly look, growing a few inches taller instantly. His muscles were more outstanding and chiseled with his newly acquired abs, biceps, and triceps. His body features, those of a human''s were much sharper and more defined. This was apparently in both forms, so the two races had no major body difference.


    He looked healthier overall with his malnutrition completely vanished. He resembled a completely different person.


    There was one very noticeable trait difference between his human and demon forms. He could pull most of his strength in his demon form. His human form gained a huge boost, but at the end of the day, the demon form was almost twice as strong. This was something he couldn''t explain or understand. It could be understood that demons were innately stronger species compared to humans.


    Now there was a shred of hope moving forward as Th¨¦oden''s former worries were erased. He could utilize his human form and demon form without any restrictions or downsides. Blessings in disguise. He was over the moon with things finally taking a turn for the better.


    Over the time Th¨¦oden roamed the deserted wilderness he gained more stats; Strength stat +2 Stamina stat +3


    That being said, his system was going through an upgrade.


    [Updating system authority in progress: 37%]


    He was eagerly waiting for what the benefits of the update would be. It could only be a good thing. His chances of surviving would increase at the very least. Meeting a demon as the first opponent made him wonder if things could turn for the better or if he would meet worse foes in the future. Th¨¦oden stared out at the horizon.


    That was before a pleasant surprise met his eyes. A wagon fleet that was a few hundred meters away from him was crossing the wilderness. They looked like gypsy caravans.


    A smile appeared on Th¨¦oden''s chapped lips. He was never this happy with civilization in his life. The loneliness of the desert, the few mirages, and the echoing he could only get back from his frustrated cries in the night. He was finally going to leave all that behind. The fear of being alone and the hopelessness of the situation he was in itself were enough to drive any normal human crazy.


    Not to mention, not a single day in his life had he needed to sleep outside or think too much about where to get food or clothing. He just needed to work for his comfort. Everything that he had viewed as suffering back on Earth currently looked like child play in Th¨¦oden''s eyes.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    There was a ray of light and hope at the end of the dark tunnel. He switched his direction with a 90-degree turn without thinking twice and headed for the caravan. The caravan seemed to notice him sooner. They drove the wagons in his direction.


    His heart beat faster and faster and his fast strides soon turned to running. He stopped right in front of the wagon where he met with a few men''s condescending gaze. Th¨¦oden leaned on his knees to catch his breath and fix up the overdrawn curve of his lips before standing back up with a gentle smile.


    He first didn''t say anything as he wasn''t sure of their intention. He observed them one by one. Those he could see. Those were the coachmen sitting in the front exterior. It was a group of five. They had sabers on their waists and turbans wrapped around their heads. Their loose robes were tightly knitted at the ankles and wrists. Classical wear for traversing the deserts. Something he only saw in the tv programs back on Earth.


    Finally, meeting with other humans, he was curious if they were the same as those of Earth. Well, they pretty much looked similar just of the Eastern race. They had slightly tan skin contrary to his pale white skin. Thin slightly open eyes under their thick eyebrows and a few almost unnoticeable freckles on their skin. They weren''t as handsome as he would have expected those of fantasy people, but they were, in no way, ugly. Just average.


    They held genuine distant and suspecting expressions on their face and Th¨¦oden could not feel any malice or threat from them. They didn''t attempt to speak to him until a person emerged from within the most luxurious wagon with fine silk linen curtains. The cottage which he had just noticed had lizard-like creatures pulling it, but he didn''t have the time to be surprised as he finally heard a fellow human''s voice.


    "Fellow friend, do you want to join the ride to the city?"


    A young, darkly tanned man with more defined features spoke. His eyes shone with a bright hazel-green serenity of a person who had seen it all. He spoke with a warm smile as he gestured a welcome. He was very eye-catching compared to his fellow men. He wore robes adorned with golden trinkets and his face was especially painted with Egyptian-type art.


    He looked expensive. Th¨¦oden stared a bit before replying so as not to come off rude and replied.


    "I would love that if you don''t mind having me of course." A slight smile hung on Th¨¦oden''s lips at all times.


    "Hahaha. Not at all friend. I go by the name Oman. How would I address you?"


    "Theo."


    "Welcome abode, Theo."


    With the leader of the caravan speaking so cheerily and friendly, everyone else warmed up to him. Th¨¦oden didn''t quite catch their names due to the rareness and difficulty. He soon forgot, but what was there the need for names when they could discuss openly? Th¨¦oden rode in the same wagon as Oman who was the caravan leader. The interior was even more spacious than it looked as they sat across each other inside. The wagon-pulling lizards started their move once more.


    "Where are you heading, Oman?"


    This was what Th¨¦oden had been most curious about. He wanted to know, at the very least, about his first destination without showing his ignorance of the world''s geography. He had the memory but that wasn''t enough. Mallory was not much of a traveler. His life centralized in one village, led by others, and never had the ambition to travel or go on adventures.


    "We are heading to the capital of Slevaria Kingdom, Landus."


    Oman began his explanation with a hand on his chin as if too bored to sit up without support.


    "We don''t usually frequent these places much, but kid, you are in luck. We found you in the middle of nowhere. If you continued on the path you were at, you would have met with the forest elves, and that is not something you want to do. They despise humans. A lot. "


    He had a strong accent emphasis on the ''A lot.''


    "Hahahaha." Th¨¦oden laughed weakly.


    ''I didn''t know that.''


    Th¨¦oden didn''t have much to comment on that. He could feel his subtle anger rising but was forcefully calmed for the favor they had done for him. Oman had gotten too familiar too fast that he called him a ''kid''. Th¨¦oden didn''t have the energy to complain but he wasn''t happy with it either.


    Theo learned a few things from conversing with the merchants. They said they were travelers who bought and sold things in different parts of the kingdom. Ornaments, fabric, and artifacts. The rarer they were the better. The merchants were affiliated with one of the major business guilds in the kingdom.


    The kingdom which he was in was called Slevaria. It was a whole continent ruled by one king. The king didn''t have much influence on all the places thus the dukes existed. The four Dukes; of the West, East, South, and North dukes. They each run their territories with the main castle being on the central plains. It was the central point of trade. The Merchants traveled in between these dukedoms for their business.


    He found out about something else he had no idea on but to some level suspected. There were elves on this planet. Th¨¦oden could barely believe his ears. However, unlike what he had known of elves in the books and fairy tales, a race that secluded itself from the world and lived peacefully, the elves here were ones that not only secluded themselves but were also hostile to every other race. They would kill on sight making them a scary race to come across. So far, Th¨¦oden had met demons and humans and just found out about elves. This made him wonder if more races existed.


    THE OMNIPOTENCE SYSTEM


    [Name: Th¨¦oden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]


    [Authority: Novice - Low]


    [Attributes: Strength:10(+0,1) Dexterity:10 Stamina:10(+0,2) Mana/Magic:10(+0,4) Intelligence:10(+0,3)]


    [Luck:???][Locked]


    [Skills: Devour. Mind''s eye.]


    [Status: Normal]


    [System Storage][Unlocked]

 Traversing the desert

    Th¨¦oden managed to get all the information without revealing too much about himself but making it seem like he was a na?ve ''Kid'' they thought he was. The advantage and the main reason he didn''t bother to correct the man. Oman who was too happy to brag or give origin descriptions on his items was more than willing to comply.


    "This is a crystal ore that comes from the north. It is mined right outside the Northern Dukedom outskirts. Outside the Kingdom of course." said Oman.


    He held a blue clear crystal that was the size of a fist. It shone to the sun''s rays and shimmered creating many more rays of light to illuminate the cottage. They held the special light blue light as well. It was a sight far too beautiful for Th¨¦oden not to appreciate.


    "So that was where you get that. I assume it seems to be rare, more than normal ore." Th¨¦oden nodded in understanding.


    "Yes. This is one of the rarest. There is no apparent use for it but nobles love it for its beauty."


    "That is a use isn''t it?"


    "You have a knack for making me smile, Kid," Oman said while his eyes formed crescents and a curve formed on his lips. "You have the mind of a merchant."


    Th¨¦oden simply smiled at the comment and compliment but couldn''t bring himself to feel happy about being called a kid.


    "How did you end up all alone in the wilderness Theo?"


    The topic took a sudden turn but Th¨¦oden didn''t falter. He had a plan set in place.


    "I found myself here. Not sure how I ended up there either. I have been aimlessly walking in search of food and water."


    Th¨¦oden wasn''t sure how he even got to the one-sidedly eliminated battlefield. To be on the safe side he gave a vague answer not far from the truth. He could lie without batting an eye and could twist the truth even better. A strength he had in situations that called for it. He continued to give a summary of his scavenges.


    "It wasn''t long since I came to. I had water and food so I was fine but as I was running out, I saw a forest which I wanted to get more food and water. I didn''t quite know I was in this part of the elf''s forest...." A story Th¨¦oden carefully weaved and knotted to make a complete explanation.


    He gave a few details that he made up on the spot since he hadn''t thought of meeting anyone on the desert lands this quickly. He was sure to add sad and exaggerated expressions when storytelling making it more convincing. This was bound to earn adequate sympathy, but for some reason, Oman remained passively dispassionate toward it.


    "Hmm! I see."


    ''I can''t tell what he is thinking at all.''


    ***


    They traveled until the sky was veiled in beautiful dusk rays that ranged from vermilion to velvet. It was a mystical dusk veil.


    Clank! Clang!


    The sound of metal crushing resonated outside the veil signifying a fight was ongoing, but Oman didn''t seem worried. He even played with an ebony and ivory vintage abacus. It looked expensive like every other thing in the wagon, but Oman seemed to pay special close attention to it. He often moved the pieces as if seriously accounting for something but then he stopped.


    Th¨¦oden who had been following the multiple series of calculations was stunned at the intricate handling of numbers but non of them had consistency. Something he would do to keep his mind from boredom. It didn''t seem to be the case for Oman though. Th¨¦oden felt uncomfortable with joy riding so-The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Would they need more help out there...actually, what is happening out there?"


    Oman raised his eyes and looked at Th¨¦oden seeming a bit annoyed from him breaking his concentration.


    "They will handle it." He coldly said making one think he didn''t care if his companions died or lived.


    ''....''


    In silence, Th¨¦oden nodded and went back to staring away at the antiques within the wagon. He could almost grasp their value with modern currency. The items in the carriage were astronomically expensive. Museum-level rarity or maybe more. They were simply priceless. A common drinking cup was made of even more expensive porcelain.


    The ability ''Minds Eye'' kept Th¨¦oden from boredom in the week''s journey.


    There were frequent attacks along the way and Th¨¦oden had the grace of witnessing it in person and it was not something he would have loved to witness.


    ''Seeing dead bodies was fine but seeing them kill is a bit...''


    Unlike his former composer at the mass slaughter grave land, witnessing them broken down gave Th¨¦oden a new kind of thrill. Almost intoxicated as he stared at the sight.


    His ''twisted'' personality which he decided to call it on the other hand found the thrill in the fragility of life. If not for the constant conscious reminder he would have found himself smiling at the scene.


    The gruesome gore scene a slaughterhouse deserved.


    ''I can''t show any abnormalities to them.''


    Ultimately, it wasn''t the repulsion of his thoughts, but the impact it would have if he invested in them that made him resist that urge successfully.


    It made Th¨¦oden question what was the value of the so-called items they were transported.


    ''How many have lost their life so far...''


    There was no way multiple waves of robbers would stake their lives for merely a few pennies. Th¨¦oden tensed-up attitude to the attacks relaxed and he resigned to relaxing since none of the attacks had gotten to the leader, Oman. He was beside the man so in that sense, he was in a protected space. By the comrades outside of course.


    In the night, they had the leisure to even camp out and have dinner. Everyone was in high spirits until one or two times there was an attempt to steal on the way. It was not a completely safe sailing journey without danger. With the sabers on their waists, they fend for themselves, Th¨¦oden didn''t even need to join in the fight.


    The journey was long. The landscape soon changed and Th¨¦oden saw the capital from afar. A magnificent place is all he could call it. Though it was on a flatland there were several tall buildings far surpassing the normal Earth''s tall building height standard. From afar he could see a central point which was the highest and most grand.


    ''Must be the palace.''


    They arrived at the city gates before dusk on the same day. The journey from the place he was found to the entrance of the city was a week''s long trip. This was all because of the lizards'' astronomical speed.


    ''Slimy creatures are surprisingly fast.''


    The cottage they rode on was not uncomfortable at this high speed either.


    However, they could not take him into the city as he didn''t have any legitimation pendant. This was essential for everyone to show their origins and to survey the migrations. He was more than happy to get to the city outskirts. At the very least, he could sell the gems he got from the corpses and have a keep. Just until he understood what situation, he could go on from here in the city. Th¨¦oden had now made his first step in making a new destiny for himself. With that in mind, he was happy.


    "Thank you so much for helping me get here."


    "It is nothing much than lending a helping hand as anyone should, fellow friend."


    "Once again, your kindness saved me, Oman. For that, I am grateful." Th¨¦oden said with a slight bow akin to a nod of the head. It didn''t seem like it help much sincerity but he was as sincere as he could get. For some reason, he could not bring himself to bow to another.


    "I am honored then, little friend. See you if fate permits, Theo." Oman rode his wagon into the city after bidding farewell to Th¨¦oden.


    Th¨¦oden had long parted ways with the merchants who were now in the city still riding on their cottage.


    "Why did you let him join us without asking for anything in return? Boss."


    The merchants turned out to not understand their leader''s choice when he ordered to take him in from the desert instead of selling him off as a slave.


    "He has the eyes of someone who will make it big."


    "Him? Isn''t he dressed in rags?"


    "Don''t judge a book by its cover. Look at his stance and demeanor. His language even. These are not the qualities you find in a peasant. I can tell he is hiding something. I trust my business intuition."


    "Just that? Hasn''t your intuition made you almost broke a few times?"


    "hahaha."


    There was still humor in the group. They continued in their Jolly spirits as they discussed.


    "This time it is different. He is someone I want ties with. It doesn''t hurt to help does it? There is no loss after all."


    The green hazel-eyed, tanned young merchant smiled as he closed his eyes once more hiding the mysterious glint that shone in them.


    ''A good investment indeed.''

 The City Outskirts

    Almost three weeks had passed and in between that period, there had been huge changes. Enormous changes to be precise. It was hard to believe until one saw it for themselves. It wasn''t just Th¨¦oden who couldn''t believe his situation; all the people around him couldn''t either. Well, except... maybe one.


    Th¨¦oden had just woken up and was being dressed by several attendants before going to get breakfast. He was dressed in fancy attire meant for a Prince. Priceless jewels were placed on him but he didn''t have any complaints.


    Why?


    Because of his new position. It was a modest norm to dress up for the occasion at any time.


    His hair which had been far too long and unkept was nicely trimmed and styled to complement his facial appeal. A quiff style, where his hair was pushed back combined with tapered sides for contrast. It gave him a stylish and cool and aloof appearance making his already young self look even younger.


    He wore a three-piece slim-fit black suit with a navy blue shirt with a black tie. He had sapphire cuffs on his sleeve ends and a white pocket hankie with a silver tie clip. A stunning, neat, formal wear too fancy for just breakfast. But, that was, what it was.


    Just breakfast!


    His life had changed drastically and even, he, was having a hard time understanding where all his luck came from.


    The place he was currently at, was a huge castle-like mansion well decorated with the wealth he could only ever imagine. Every vase was an antique that was worth a fortune and the hallways were filled with them used for holding flowers. The walls had traces of gold decorations as well. The curtains on the windows were probably made from fine fabric given that they held an enchanting shimmer against the sun''s rays. They flattered lovingly to the wind exposing the grand view that was outside. Even more magnificent finely gardened flower bed; An entire field of them. The scent they held made them more genuinely beautiful as they calmed one''s nerves and emotions.


    The hall led to countless rooms of relatively grand size and extravagance. There were few he had visited. There were those he frequented.  Most, he had never been to.  He headed to the dining room. A woman awaiting him was already seated beside his seat. A feast was served for them of what was to be their breakfast.


    ''We can''t even finish a tenth of this. Life of the riches...'' thought Th¨¦oden.


    Th¨¦oden sat down ever so naturally after having a few days of practice. He was a fast learner and etiquette was something he had horned from his salad days. Looking forward, his gaze was met with the seductively beautiful woman beaming with youth.


    She was apparently, his mother. Adoptive mother, more accurately. A gorgeous blonde with captivating golden eyes. She resembled the sun. Her deep eyes held a glint of mystery in them he could not pinpoint. Maybe due to the unique glow, they had when they met his own.


    "Morning, Madam," greeted Th¨¦oden


    "Morning, Dear."


    A short greeting was exchanged before starting their meal. The meal ended in silence the awkwardness was suffocating. Th¨¦oden and the woman had not exchanged more than ten sentences when he first arrived at the castle. However, it was different that day.


    He had a long week where he was taking a couple of lessons and practicing them daily. Lazy as he was, he still took heart to give it his all when learning.


    "Dear, We have an important guest today. Your To-be-fianc¨¦ will be visiting. Make sure she is comfortable."


    ".....Yes, Madam."


    ''I have a what now?''Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Though Th¨¦oden''s facial expression remained the same his mind was riddled with questions. He was frozen in place.


    So what might have transpired leading to this outcome was simple, but it would need to be told from the start.


    ***


    ''Where did things go wrong?''


    It was only the first day that Th¨¦oden had arrived at the outskirts of the city he asked himself this question? Well, it was not some question he could not answer, but one would find the answer ridiculously unbelievable.


    Okay. Quick retake.


    Th¨¦oden was strolling outside the city walls. There was a lot to take in from the new world and Th¨¦oden was not short on the excitement of adventure. There was a lot to see. Many things he had never seen back on Earth and a lot more he never thought he would see in his life.


    The technology was not as developed as the 21st century but it did have its efficiency. He confirmed there were no phones, TVs, or anything that was powered with electricity. The lingering hope to reconnect with his all-time entertainment gadget was shattered.


    Like a young child''s innocent dream.


    However, Th¨¦oden was in high spirits since he could figure out how to gain a foothold in the new world. He needed a foundation. With that in mind, he utilized his enhanced sense of hearing to figure out where to start.


    "The food stall is bringing in a new recipe recently. I tried it and it is truly delicious as it is said to be."


    ''Useless''


    "Mnnh! Where can I get a map of the city?"


    ''Useful but, not now.''


    "Have you heard? The underground is more active these days. You might not want to run into them so look out in the night."


    "I know. The horror of knowing they are lurking within the crowd is nauseating."


    "I know. So shush. Hurry, we shouldn''t be late."


    ''Underground?''


    Th¨¦oden was listening in to the disjoined conversation trying to piece things up. It was difficult since he couldn''t focus on one specific conversation for long. He was taking in too much and his mind was overloaded from trying to make sense of what they were saying.


    It wasn''t like it was his first language. Then that would be easier. Having them talk in a whole different manner mixed with multiple accents was difficult to figure out.


    "Hello, young man!" A rough hoarse low voice a few notes deep, broke Th¨¦oden''s concentration.


    A man, many inches taller than Th¨¦oden with a bulky build stood in front of him. It was surprising seeing someone initiate a conversation with him. Th¨¦oden didn''t think too much about it and responded in a formal tone since the other was older.


    "Hi. What can I help you with?" Th¨¦oden arced his brow in curiosity.


    "Haha~ No, I don''t need help. On the other hand, you seem to need a tour of the place, young man." He said folding his hands in a relaxed stance. "I am well-navigated in the city as well as the outskirts of the city. You could use some help."


    The man was good with his hand gestures. Th¨¦oden scanned him a bit before thinking it was easier to talk to a person than to listen in to countless conversations in the area.


    "I do, sir. I''m Theo. You?"


    "Call me Ben."


    "Okay, Ben. Please help me find a place to stay for the night."


    "Sure, young man. How will you pay? I can decide based on that. There is silver and gold currency on the cheaper side and crystals on the more expensive side."


    "Ah!" Th¨¦oden suddenly remembered he didn''t have money on him. He was not empty handed but what he had could not pay for a place to stay. "Ben, do you know a jewelry shop?"


    "Those shops are within the city. It is restricted to those of residence to do such business within the city. Hmm!" Ben looked to be thinking hard about a solution. After a few minutes of hopeless silence, he seemed enlightened.


    "Theo, if you would let me, I could sell them for you. I have an entrance permit. I will give you a liability badge. My symbol of faith."


    That has a hard choice. Ben was helpful so it did seem like a good choice. Th¨¦oden was getting edgier after a long time without getting a good rest on an actual bed with concrete unmoving walls.


    He was not given much choice but to trust the man. Beggars can''t be choosers after all.


    "Okay, Ben. I will take the badge first. I will leave the commission to you where you will get 10% of the total exchange excluding your service to me."


    Theon extended his hand hoping for a handshake for the agreement, but he straight got the barge. A metal barge with a scorpion-like pattern on the front and the name ''Ben'' on the back. It seemed genuine at least.


    Th¨¦oden fished something from his sack which was almost empty and retrieved a pouch of jewelry from his system storage. Ben''s eyes lit up a bit then dulled once again as quickly. A small smirk that was about to form on his lips was pushed down and he returned to his free spirit good guy self. Th¨¦oden didn''t see it due to his concentration on making it seem natural to the public.


    "Here." Th¨¦oden, placed the pouch in Ben''s hands somewhat reluctant since he realized that was his entire stash. "I will be wai....ah!?"


    It took a while to realize that the pouch was out of his sight. Coincidentally enough, so was Ben. Th¨¦oden spotted him a few meters away. It would be fine to run after him but it was so crowded that moving forward was hard enough. That was when Th¨¦oden realized what was going on. The city entrance was the opposite side the man run to after all. He had just been cheated and robbed.

 A beggar of the side lane

    After meeting good souls who helped him, he unconsciously let his guard down. He believed a smile from a crook who offered to help him get his gems changed to gold and silver. The currency which was used in this world. The guy simply pinched his bag and ran with his money. No matter how much he tried, he could not get a hold of the man despite his speed having improved. It was not a place he was familiar with let alone navigate when running in between lanes filled with people.


    "Haaa! Huff! Huff! Haa!"


    Th¨¦oden was panting and soaked in his sweat. He didn''t easily sweat due to his changed physic but that only gave testament to how much he tried to run after Ben.


    "Is he even called Ben?"


    ''Wait...shouldn''t I have confirmed using the system?''


    Th¨¦oden lost sight of him long ago and even his sense of smell could no longer find a trace of him. It was like he vanished into the air within the crowd.


    ''Damn it! That fucker. How dumb can I be to trust a face like that? A crook. Shit!!''


    He gritted his teeth in annoyance and was fueled with anger that was only short of exploding. Regret filled the brim of his heart.


    Soon he had lost sight of the man in the busy streets.


    ''What stupidity made me put all the money in one bag? Who knows where it is?''


    "I should kill him the second I see him again. No. That is not the point. I should have just sliced down everyone that was on my way...then maybe I could get to him before he slipped away." Th¨¦oden was muttering under his breath, his teeth gritting together.


    The killing intent in Th¨¦oden''s eyes was surging. His ruby iris glimmered with rage as they flickered in a similarly intense crimson flare. Everyone who walked past him would feel a huge pressure and a creaking coldness of a knife...on their necks.


    At a sharp squirm of a woman, he came back to his senses. Th¨¦oden realized he was getting too agitated.


    ''Sunshine, pretty women, cozy bed, steak. Think happy thoughts. Just happy thoughts.''


    He recited a few of his favorite things like a mantra.


    Th¨¦oden kept a positive mind trying to get the idea of killing out of his mind. He didn''t want to cross that line. His thoughts however stated otherwise, which he found dangerous even for himself.


    He wanted to get rid of every obstacle in his way to get back what belonged to him, even if the method entailed killing a few people. He had never had such an idea no matter how much he was enraged.


    ''Deep breathes.''


    A remedy that could work. It was simply about having a distraction before he did something stupid. Th¨¦oden was not too confident about his control over his body as of late. Though he could change races with his system, the system wasn''t reassuring.


    He wouldn''t risk letting instincts and emotions take control when he knew nothing of the consequences. This was a new world, governed by its rules. Rules he had no idea about. Though the thought of taking risks sounded fun, it was not at the cost of his life.


    Logic overpowered instinct.


    Th¨¦oden walked aimlessly in the streets his eyes scanning where to find refuge in the cold nights. He walked into a few stalls and inns. He found out he needed to pay to get to stay. True to Ben''s words, they took payments in gold, silver, or crystal depending on the level of luxury. Of course, one tiny but enraging detail was left out. He could exchange his stay with items of the same value, which if unpaid for a certain time, would be claimed by the inn.


    That being the case, all the valuable items he could credit out were all gone...


    With no solutions to his dilemma, Th¨¦oden stalled around aimlessly once more. It was already dark and fewer people were walking the streets. He was able to tell the more quiet places. A few free and unused street alleys.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    With motivational positivity as the base, he slept on the street, hoping to give better results the next day. A corner out of anyone''s sight, where there was shelter from the blazing sun and sanitary enough not to feel grossed out. This was by standards set based on his experience in the wilderness.


    Yaaaawn!


    Th¨¦oden opened his heavy, tightly-clung eyelids. A warm humid air surrounded him, clearly not helping rid of his sleepiness.


    ''Damn, this is not better than the desert wilderness.''


    It was mortifying waking up in such a state. His whole body ached and his muscles were tense due to his crouched-up sleeping position.


    The sun had risen and Th¨¦oden was set to find out more about the place he was. The street''s chatter was the best source. Sitting down on a corner like the beggar he was, he listened, slightly hoping some nice people could drop a coin or two. His advanced hearing was quite convenient. He could filter out the noise and listen in on conversations within the few meters range around him.


    "What is such a dirty rat doing here? Don''t they do street cleaning these days?"


    "What an ugly thing."


    "He can''t sell even if we take him...Plus I don''t know if it bites."


    Of course, planet-to-planet humans remained the same. Most comments he heard were of himself. The sense of seniority made them mock those at a disadvantage. With such comments every few hours Th¨¦oden was holding in the last of his sanity straws. He had never in his life been treated like that but logic overpowered his mind at the moment. As time went by and hunger took over, he could almost wish to shut the mouths of the people who mocked him. In a more eternal form of shut up.


    It had been several days but not even a soul helped him. The cruel reality dawned on him. He didn''t have much of a plan for what he could do once he came to the city with civilization but he began having regrets. Of course, some cast leftovers to him as humiliation.


    ''I''m starving...''


    He couldn''t turn down the little food that was thrown to him and other sources of course. He needed to live for as long as he could. Living meant eating food.


    However, he got to learn a bit more in his endeavor while listening to more productive talks. The Capital was called Landus. It was the main center of almost everything. There were several guilds and multiple occupational institutes. The best of the best existed in the Capital of Landus in the entire Slevaria Kingdom. The place the royal family resided, was also the place royalty had the most influence. The main marketplace and a place filled with all sought of politics.


    A story especially caught his ears. One was about the King being ill and the eldest prince being assassinated. The next in line had mental issues while the youngest princess was a bargaining chip in an intermarriage affair. However the story didn''t end there, as the princess was meant to marry another kingdom, but suddenly the Duchess of the Astalles Dukedom wanted to marry her to her son. A son that didn''t exist. She was never known to have an heir or a husband so it was absurd for her to have a son. However, given the influence of the Southern Duchess, it was difficult to decline thus the young princess was engaged to a figure who hardly existed.


    Th¨¦oden found this a fairy tale story, but there were also growing business rumors. It began a few years ago, but now, was thought to be the fastest-growing business in the kingdom. The plot twist was, it was started by a teenager who was hardly an adult. He came out to the public once he was officially an adult. Now he was the most promising bachelor on the charts. Even after claiming he was a youth, he never revealed his face to the public. It was soon rumored that he was too ugly to show his face. Being that there was no clarification to that claim, it was assumed to be true, but there were those who believed there were other reasons for not saying anything.


    There were many talks of a famous magician who made the prettiest flames. It was unknown who they were. The gender was also unknown. They disappeared as fast as they appeared. It came as a shock that magic existed. Several other discussions proved this. There was magic and aura that existed. This was however not common. Only a few noble families or special lineages had superhuman abilities. They were strictly supervised by the kingdom thus only a few were known while others never came out in the open.


    These topics were the most talked about. It didn''t give much about any information that Th¨¦oden needed then. Of course, there were small talks about the best dishes in the capital and the best places to visit. Nevertheless, this was not what Th¨¦oden wanted. He simply wanted food or a place to stay. All he could do was wait for the graces of others so he could at the very least have something to eat.


    But as it turned out, no soul was willing to stop and even spare him a second glance. Thus he went several other days without food. His body, however resilient, was reaching its limits as well. At that moment he was picturing other extremes to sate his hunger but non of them settled with his conscious. He gave up the whole idea of getting food thus he hid in a corner away from other''s sight for the day.


    His powerlessness was on full display in front of him. Not just brawl or strength, but the power of money and backing. All the things he was lacking were presented to him with humiliation as the method. If he was a senseless psychopath, he could go on a killing spree in which he would get whatever he wanted, but his morals contradicted this. He could neither kill nor steal. Something he was taught over his life back on Earth.


    "I should try my luck tomorrow...."


    Th¨¦oden mumbled as he fell asleep once again in the cold street.


    He swore to make Ben regret the moment he had any evil plans for him.


    [Status: Starving and weak]