<h4>Chapter 1: The System</h4>


    Ss ckwood''s eyes snapped open, his consciousness ripped from the depths of oblivion by a searing pain that threatened to split his skull in two. He groaned, lifting a hand to his forehead and massaging it with his fingers.


    A weird sensation in his chest caught his attention. It felt as if an invisible weight was pressing down on him. Looking down, his breath caught in his throat.


    His shirt was in tatters, but that was the least of his worries. A machine was embedded in his chest, its metal casing filled with intricate gears and pistons. Wires and tubes snaked beneath his skin, disappearing into his flesh.


    At the center of the contraption, a ss orb spun ceaselessly. Aser danced across its surface, etching mysterious patterns into the ss.


    Ss forced himself to calm down and think logically. Tearing it out wasn''t an option - he''d risk damaging the machine or himself. Like it or not, this thing was part of him now.


    He tried to piece together what had happened. Thest thing he remembered was finding a book on his mother''s old desk. When he''d opened it, a machine had sprung out, spraying purple smoke in his face. The same machine now integrated into his body.


    This had to be his mother''s creation. It must have a purpose. She''d been a brilliant scientist on Earth beforeing to Eldoria. Ever since he could remember, she worked tirelessly to treat his condition. This machine was likely the culmination of her efforts.


    With a grunt of effort, Ss pushed himself up off the ground, wobbling as he found his footing.


    His condition was rare and debilitating. Born unable to produce mana, his body still needed it to function. Without it, he''d die. In the magical world of Eldoria, this put him at a serious disadvantage. His only option was to take mana from other sources - people, animals, whatever he could find.


    Ss''s mind drifted to the day his mother was taken. Evelyn and his father, Aldrich, had ventured into the Deadfells in the Aetherwild. It was a ce strictly off-limits to all but the most elite, politically connected families and government officials.


    They''d been after a Leviathan mana core, prized for its vast stores of residual mana. All magical beings had a mana core - it produced mana, stored excess, and acted as a focal point for spells.


    Despite the risks, his parents had been determined to get that core for him. It would''ve given his body the mana he desperately needed.


    But they''d been caught. Mage knights swooped in and arrested his mother for trespassing. Being from Earth, she faced way harsher consequences than any Eldorian would.


    Eldoria had a long-standing grudge against Earth and its people. His father, despite also trespassing, got off scot-free. His status as a respected Eldorian citizen made him untouchable.


    The mage knights only cared about taking Evelyn. They never said where they were taking her, leaving Ss and his father in the dark with no way to find answers or get justice.


    Despite all this, they were able to retrieve the mana core. Before her arrest, she had fashioned it into a ne, so he would receive a constant stream of mana to keep him alive.


    A slight tingle in his ear snapped Ss back to the present. A familiar voice echoed in his head. "Ss. It''s wonderful to see you."


    "Mom?" Ss asked, his heart racing.


    "Hello, Ss," his mother''s voice replied warmly.


    "Why are you in my head?" Ss asked, equal parts confused and relieved.


    "I put a part of my soul into the machine inside you," his mother exined.


    "What''s it for?" Ss pressed, eager for answers.


    "It''ll help you learn magic and get stronger," she said, her voice tinged with worry. "I can''t let you die on the frontlines. I won''t. I''ve lost enough in my life. I can''t lose you too."


    "Oh," Ss said softly. "Thanks. I appreciate the help, but I kinda wish it didn''t involve surprise surgery," he added with a weakugh.


    After a moment of silence, Ss spoke again. "So, how do I work this thing? What can it do?"


    "You can ess the system menu just by thinking about it," Evelyn instructed.


    Ss focused his thoughts on the idea of a menu. To his amazement, a glowing interface materialized before his eyes.


    He navigated to the Skill Trees tab. Three distinct trees branched out: Neuromancy, Biomancy, and Essomancy.


    Under Neuromancy, a single skill glowed enticingly. "Learn," it read, "allows you to master any skill or spell with perfect recall."


    His eyes drifted to Biomancy, where another skill waited. "Drain," it said, "lets you steal mana from magical beings and learn one of their skills or spells."


    Under Essomancy, a third skill beckoned. "Essence Inspection," it proimed mysteriously, offering no other exnation.


    "These skillse frombining the system with your unique condition," his mother exined.


    Ss realized he hadn''t checked his own stats yet. He pulled up the screen with a thought:


    Stats:


    Name: Ss ckwood


    Species: Human


    HP: 10/10


    MP: 10/10


    Magical Affinities: Neuromancy, Biomancy, Essomancy


    Magical Deficiencies: All (except Neuromancy, Biomancy, Essomancy)


    Magical Voids: None


    Level: 1


    Exp: 0/10


    Strength: 10


    Agility: 10


    Stamina: 10


    Intelligence: 10


    Luck: 0


    Avable ability points: 10


    Level 1. It was like he was a character in one of those RPG games he used to y with his mom.


    His luck stat being 0 wasn''t surprising. With everything that had happened in his life, he''d have been shocked to have any luck at all.


    Ss decided to dump all ten of his avable ability points into luck. Couldn''t hurt, right?


    He wondered what luck actually did. In games, it could do all sorts of things. "Mom, what does luck do here?"


    "Luck affects all kinds of things," she replied. "There are too many to list. You''ll just have to find out as you go."


    "Ok, but how does it affect my luck? I don''t understand," Ss said.


    "Quantum mechanics," she replied.


    "Fair enough, I guess," Ss said. He could tell when he was in over his head.


    "I need you to do something for me," his mother''s voice said suddenly.


    "What is it?"


    "I need you to put the mana core from your ne into the machine."


    Ss looked down at the machine nervously. A hole opened in its center, revealing a cradle perfectly sized for a spherical object. He opened the cage on his ne, letting the mana core drop into his palm.


    "Why do I need to do this?"


    "You were born without a mana core," his mother exined. "You need one to cast spells properly."


    "But it''s a beast mana core," Ss protested. "Couldn''t that cause some weird side effects?"


    "Potentially," she admitted. "But do you have a spare human mana core lying around?"


    Ss sighed. "Alright, I''ll do it. But only because it''s literally my only option." He steeled himself and ced the mana core in the machine''s receptacle.


    The core was quickly pulled in, the hole sealing seamlessly behind it.


    "Well, that wasn''t so bad," Ss muttered.


    Suddenly, several pop-ups appeared in his vision, each apanied by a soft ''ding''.


    System Notification: Mana core sessfully assimted!


    System Notification: Would you like to perform essence inspection on the mana core?


    "Yes," Ss said, curiosity getting the better of him.


    Lines of text began popting his vision:


    Leviathan Mana Core Tier: 00


    Magical Affinities: None


    Magical Deficiencies: None


    Magical Voids: None


    Tier 00? Ss furrowed his brow. He''d never heard of such a thing. As far as he knew, tiers went from 10 up to 1. His father was a tier 1 sorcerer. Could 00 be even higher than that?


    Another line of text appeared, sending a chill down his spine:


    Physical changes initiating


    "Uh oh," Ss said, bracing himself for whatever came next.