《Chronicles of Athionia》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    [A city on Earth, doesn''t really matter which...]


    The room was bleak, devoid of light, except for the solitary ceiling lamp, hanging atop a messy table, swinging like a pendulum in the breeze that wafted through the gaps along the window sill. Rain pelted the panes from outside, accompanied by vicious, howling wind.Though a dingy, cheap apartment, the foundations were sturdy, and thus the furious elements of nature could only lament in vain as they kept on trying to breach the flimsy barrier of cheap wood and dirty glass, but never succeeded.


    A small bed, barely big enough for a single person was thrust to one corner of the room. The table occupied most of the space to its opposite. The sheets on the bed were surprisingly clean given the condition of the other furnitures and objects in the room. Most of the floor-space was occupied by several arrays of books and folders comprising of newspaper cuttings. At a quick glance, it could be deduced that most of the books were on topics that were found only in fantastic worlds of stories, movies or video games. Books on magic, occult and rituals were propped against books on reincarnation theories, rebirth, ancient scriptures of various religions. There were also topics that tried to signify their ¡®legitimacy¡¯ by adding the suffix ¡®-logy¡¯ at the end of their titles. Demonology seemed to be the one the procurer of the books seemed to have focused on, judging by the sheer number of volumes that were present. Apart from the books, there were several notebooks scattered across the floor. One in particular seemed to be of special importance, because a figure, the only occupant of the room, was hunched over it.


    The figure belonged to Scott Degen, a lanky, tanned man in his mid-thirties. An unruly crop of black hair speckled with grey covered his head. His brown eyes were bloodshot from sleeplessness. The T-shirt and cargo trousers he wore were both long overdue for a trip to the laundromat. Despite the haggard looks, his eyes burned with a fervent passion as his hands kept on scribbling letters in a language not known to the masses. On the floor next to the notebook he was working on sat a small wooden bowl filled with a dark red liquid and a stylus fashioned from the feathers of some bird. A similar stylus was also present in Scott¡¯s hands, with which he was scribing the esoteric symbols. His left arm was bandaged with white gauze, but crimson splotches on the surface of the gauze showed that whatever wound he had dressed was done either in haste, or sheer neglect, or maybe both. The wound or its state obviously wasn¡¯t a big concern for the man because his attention was fully focused on what he was working on.


    Several hours passed. The storm raging outside had mostly abated, the torrential downpour regressed to a mild drizzle. Scott lifted his head and was apparently only just aware of his surroundings. In front of him, the notebook he was scribbling on was down to its last blank page. Scott glanced at the bloody bandage on his arm, a wry smile forming in the corner of his lips as he looked at the bowl, the ¡®red ink¡¯ now merely a lees at the bottommost depth of the container. He dipped his stylus once more in the last vestiges of the ¡®ink¡¯ and started writing once again, on the last page of the notebook. One line, then another, and another¡­.and then he stopped.


    ¡°Three thousand, one hundred and twenty nine. This better work.¡± He voiced out hoarsely.


    Reaching under the bed, he pulled out a duffel bag, from which he took out a bundle carefully wrapped in several layers of newspaper and bubble-wrap (with the bubbles already burst, because otherwise its a heresy). Unwrapping the layers of protective covering unveiled a piece of cured skin, big enough to wrap the notebook in, which was what he did. Once again he dove under his bed, and this time he pulled out a large cardboard box. The contents that came out of the box were in order of rapidly escalating aberrance. A glass jar in which an umbilical cord was floating in a sea of preservative fluid, another jar of the same nature containing a severed human hand, and a third glass jar with perforated lid, containing a humongous cockroach. The insect was alive and twitching.


    Scott arranged the three jars in front of the skin-wrapped notebook and proceeded to bring out yet another object from under his bed. It was a heavy bronze brazier with intricate oriental arts carved along its surface. The brazier was filled with chopped wood chips. Scott gently fingered the chips in the brazier and chuckled, thinking how the most innocuous object of his ritual was the most expensive and dangerous to get. He lifted one of the wooden chips. ¡°10,000 years worth of human history, about to go up in smokes.¡±


    The digital clock on his table went off. Scott glanced at the time. 11:55 pm. He broke the seals of the two jars containing the umbilical cord and the severed hand. Without the hint of the slightest unease, he took the body parts out. The room was instantly awash in the strong, overbearing odour of formaldehyde. Scott placed the notebook on top of the withered, embalmed palm and wrapped them together with the umbilical cord. He placed the ensemble on top of the brazier, making sure the entirety of the book was snugly fit within the circumference of its mouth. Satisfied with the setup, he then reached inside his pockets, took out a matchbox and struck a matchstick alight.


    ¡°I feel like I should say something cool¡­but fuck it.¡± He chuckled and dropped the burning matchstick on the brazier. The wooden chips caught fire unnaturally fast, even for dry wood, and within seconds, the brazier was set ablaze. The flame started out yellow but soon the yellow tinge disappeared, turning blue. Scott opened the third jar and took the cockroach out. It obediently sat on Scott¡¯s palm, waving its antennae around. ¡°Sorry buddy. Nothing personal.¡± He gently dropped the cockroach right on top of the blue flames.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The change was instantaneous. The blue flames immediately turned purple and shot up at least 40 cm in height. The heavy brazier started shuddering on a steady floor. Scott¡¯s eyes were on the digital clock. 11:59:40¡­.11:59:41¡­.11:59:50. The flames were even higher than before, the brazier was shaking violently, threatening to burst apart. 11:59:55¡­11:59:56. Scott opened his mouth. 11:59:59¡­12:00:00.


    In a tongue that would definitely sound like gibberish to any sane person, Scott uttered a series of words. In the middle of his chanting, he saw the brazier being lifted above the floor by an unseen force. The individual flames in the brazier all amalgamated into a single entity - a purple blade of flame, 60 cm tall. It stopped dancing and was now utterly still. ¡°¡­athrush imag nekh rokha hal akah¡­dakh.¡± Scott finished chanting.


    And then he dropped to the floor, unconscious. The brazier was still afloat in air, the purple flame impaled on top of it, still motionless.


    [In a realm far beyond mortal ken¡­]


    A grandiose manor stood amidst a placid, azure lake. There were no visible entrances to the manor, nor a walkway existed anywhere on the water to connect the manor with whatever land that lay beyond the lake. As far as human eyes could see, the lake was endless. Apart from the faintest of ripples, the most subtlest of eddies, the lake was void of even an iota of disturbance. The sky overlooking the lake and the manor was as clear as the purest of crystal. No clouds, stars or other celestial objects were present in the sky.


    A figure stood on the roof of the manor. It was distinctly feminine, dressed in an almost translucent fabric that was wrapped around her body in a tasteful manner, accentuating her womanly curves. Her snow-white hair was parted neatly into two segments, both cascading all the way down to her waist. Her hazel eyes woefully gazed at the horizon.


    She was lost in thought for what could have been ages, or mere minutes¡­since time itself had no special bearing in this realm. However, an anomaly occurred all of a sudden, which drew her immediate attention. In the sky above the lake, a tear formed in the shape of a lightning bolt. The perfect canvass ruined by an errant stroke. The tear stayed intact long enough for a single object to pass through, following which the sky reverted back to its original clinical serenity. The object that passed through was a tiny orb of dazzling brilliance. It slowly drifted through the air-less void and settled on the outstretched palm of the woman on the manor roof.


    ¡°How quaint. A wish.¡± Her flawless lips held the hint of a subtle smile. ¡°No wonder it made all the way to here. This¡­ creature¡­ went to the trouble of using primal essences in all the components of his ritual.¡±


    She turned towards the sky and spoke in a slightly louder voice. ¡°Hraxanthus! I know you¡¯re watching, and probably smirking. Present yourself, at once!¡±


    A snort reverberated across the sky followed by the appearance of a person right in front of the woman. Sleek, red hair tied into a tight ponytail revealed a handsome, chiseled face. The man wore in a long-sleeved jacket, dark violet in colour, adorned with tasteful embroidery. ¡°Your Ladyship¡¯s awareness truly knows no limit. Indeed, she can detect even the minutest¡­¡±


    ¡°Cease your flattery, for it will get you nowhere as far as I am concerned.¡± Her rebuke was curt. ¡°I have an interesting project for you.¡± She held up his palms and the orb gently drifted towards the newcomer. Hraxanthus scooped it up in his own palm and closed his eyes. Very soon, the roguish smile at the corner of his lips broke into a wide grin. ¡°This is most interesting my Lady. This man¡­he actually went to all this trouble. I really am curious what he wants. Do you want me to pay him a visit?¡±


    ¡°I do. However, the realm he is in has lost all its potential. For a person who is willing to go to this extent¡­I want to know what interesting histories he¡¯ll wrought in a realm where he can spread his wings to the fullest.¡±


    A sinister light played in the eyes of Hraxanthus. ¡°Oh? Looks like my Lady is considering him as her champion? Isn¡¯t he too insignificant for that title?¡±


    The female scoffed at his words and her demeanor became aloof. ¡°Don¡¯t make ridiculous assumptions! I thought you¡¯d like the opportunity to partake in a little project, that¡¯s all. Feel free to dispose him off if you like, my interest in him is no more. You can take your leave now.¡± The last sentence, though merely a statement, had enough steel in it that Hraxanthus knew his time was up. Without wasting any more words that could potentially land him in trouble he should avoid, he gave her a devout bow and vanished from the realm. As soon as he was gone, the feature¡¯s of the female regained its original tranquility and she resumed her mournful gaze at the horizon.


    [In yet another realm, also beyond mortal cognition¡­]


    Hraxanthus materialized at the top of a desolate mountain peak. It was an austere structure, devoid of any signs of life. Surrounding the peak, as far as eyes could go, stood countless similar peaks, all shorter in height than the one he was on. Each individual peak was jagged, uneven and had varying contour. Together, however, all of them formed a unique sense of uniformity. Hraxanthus sat cross-legged on the stony floor. The orb floated in air in front of him. A sneer formed on his perfect face.


    ¡°Pretentious harlot. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m nothing if not patient. I¡¯ll be your errand boy, your loyal lackey for now. I¡¯ll savour the look in your eyes on the day you turn back and see none of your followers willing to subjugate their will to your whims. That will be the day when I erase your existence forever. Even gods fall, Neimatria.¡±


    The sneer disappeared, replaced by a curious and eager look. ¡°Thank you for this project Neimatria. I¡¯ll bring this ¡®pet¡¯ of yours to heights you never would have deemed possible. Just you wait.¡± Hraxanthus closed his eyes and opened his mouth.


    The orb flew straight in, settling near his diaphragm after coursing down his body in a leisurely pace. A feeling of comfort soon enveloped all of his senses. Emotions that he hadn¡¯t witnessed in centuries flooded through him like irrepressible waves of a raging sea. It was a rush unlike all else. He reveled in it, and wanted it to never end. But end it did, way too soon for his taste. When he opened his eyes, Hraxanthus, for the first time, and only for a fleeting second, envied the human race. He let out a sigh and the feeling was gone in an instant, as if it never existed.


    Hraxanthus looked up at the sky. The colour of this sky was a stark contrast to the other realm - It was an endless expanse of fiery yellow with orange tint in some places. ¡°Scott Degen. Let¡¯s hear your wish.¡± He whispered. And then disappeared once again from the peak, leaving behind a small, cloudy pearl on the spot where he was sitting.

 Chapter 1 - The wish of Scott Degen

    [Back to the city which we were in¡­]


    The first thing Scott saw when he regained consciousness was the dusty ceiling of his apartment. When he tried to move around, his body felt sluggish, devoid of all strength. He would have probably called for help if not for the fact that the neighbourhood he lived in was notorious for landing you in bigger troubles if you cried for help to get out of the one you were in. Besides, Scott didn¡¯t really feel particularly threatened. Sure, he had noodle-arms and jelly-legs. His eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and he was having trouble breathing. But in spite of all that, he now had something that he had almost lost in the last decade - hope.


    Either through sheer strength of will, or recession of his vegetative state, Scott found himself sitting in a haphazard position after a few minutes. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable of postures but it was one he could manage after exerting himself to the fullest. A quick survey of his room told him two things.


    First, the time. It was 3¡¯o clock in the afternoon. He had been out for about fifteen hours.  If anyone happened to enter his apartment right at this moment, he wasn¡¯t going to have to explain anything beyond a weird collection of books and some empty jars containing embalming fluid. All evidence of the questionable objects he possessed were gone. Though glad of that fact, Scott wasn¡¯t worried. His apartment had never seen a visitor, not even the landlord since the latter rarely came to this building and handled all transactions online.


    The second thing that was of special note, was that the brazier was gone. Unless it suddenly decided to take refuge under Scott¡¯s bed, or inside the bathroom, both of which options he was going to confirm as soon as he regained strength in his legs. For now, Scott considered the brazier missing, taken by some unknown force, and that reinforced the embers of hope in his heart. Obviously, something had to have happened, right? Scott recounted at least thirty rituals that he¡¯d conducted before last night, over a period of five long years. None of them amounted to anything. Not even a blown light-bulb, or creaking windows. No rustling of papers without air, or a feeling in the atmosphere that he wasn¡¯t alone. Or voices in his head, apart from his own.


    And then the event that happened last night. It was simply too big for him to handle. Scott knew he was going to flip out sooner or later, he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He knew the dangers, or at least the ¡®alleged¡¯ dangers of the latest ritual that he had attempted. He knew he was taking a huge risk, but he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to desecrate the oldest living tree on the planet, steal the largest living specimen of cockroach, acquire the umbilical cord of an elf (or at least that¡¯s what he thought he was getting), cut off the right hand of an Egyptian mummy and skin the oldest mammal on Earth¡­just to conduct a ritual for kicks. He knew he¡¯d committed several grave sins in the eyes of many, just by being associated with some of those items. And it would be wrong to just say he didn¡¯t care. He did, a lot. He felt terrible, he cried his eyes out many a times throughout the process of gathering of the items needed for the ritual. In the end however, the need for retribution eclipsed all other human emotions and repressed him long enough so that he had the strength to persevere throughout the end.


    But was it worth it? Scott still had no idea. He knew it wasn¡¯t completely in vain. He knew something way beyond what human logic or scientific knowledge could answer, had happened last night. He just didn¡¯t know if it worked to his favour.


    Scott was wiggling his big toe and summoning the strength to stand up, when he heard his doorbell ring. It was a very unfamiliar sound, so much so that Scott thought for a split second, that it wasn¡¯t his doorbell. Rationally, he knew there wasn¡¯t a chance of that, his apartment was the only one present on this floor. And he was sitting less than fifty cm away from the door. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The sound of the doorbell seemed to lend strength to his feet, and Scott was able to lift himself up after a few seconds. Limping, he reached the door, but not before his stronger hand was grasping the 9 mm that he¡¯d hidden under his mattress. He pressed the muzzle of the handgun on the wooden door and shouted. ¡°Who is it? I¡¯m a bit busy here!¡± The reply that came from the other end was smooth and well-polished. ¡°Scott Degen. After going through all the trouble of summoning me to this plane, the least you could do is make time for a conversation, right?¡±


    Scott froze. He wanted to say something, but realized that he¡¯d lost his voice all of a sudden. The period of shock was short-lived since after a second, he heard the voice that spoke to him from other side of the door once again, behind him.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s not that I need a door to enter this room. Or anywhere for that matter. But still, it would have been a courteous thing, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    This time Scott did find enough strength to turn around, handgun raised at the intruder. He saw a bald, dark-skinned man, probably in his fifties, dressed in a posh dark blue suit, looking around his room like a visitor in a museum. Now and then, he¡¯d pick up a book and his face would show hints of admiration. ¡°I am most impressed Mr. Degen. Some of these books¡­even I would love to read them in my spare time.¡± Without meeting Scott¡¯s eyes, the man kept talking to him with complete disregard for the firearm that Scott was pointing at him. ¡°Honestly, if anyone deserves the outcome you¡¯re expecting from the ritual, it is you Mr. Degen.¡±


    Scott moved to his bed and sat unceremoniously. His legs had started to give out once again. He somehow knew there was no point in raising the gun at this person, so he just dropped it next to him. He finally found his voice and asked in a parched tone, ¡°Are you¡­the one, who I called for¡­last night?¡±


    The man let out a small chuckle and turned to face Scott. ¡°No, I am not the one you initially wanted to call. But I am the one who answered. So¡­Mr. Degen. Since you seem like a person who doesn¡¯t like small talk all that much, let me get straight to the point. You have one wish. I shall not raise a dead person. I won¡¯t entertain nonsense about granting more wishes. Within those restrictions, I will listen to your wish, and if it¡¯s something I feel you deserve, I will grant it. Please keep in mind, I am under no obligation to listen to you. You were granted an audience, and it worked because you were sincere in your request. Feel free to let me know what you want.¡±


    The man stopped his long monologue and chuckled once again. ¡°I am sorry, I have been extremely rude in forgetting to introduce myself. You can call me Hrax.¡± He was holding a book in his hand when he made his speech. After introducing himself, he sat on the only chair in his room and started perusing through the book,


    Scott took a deep breathe and stayed silent for several minutes. At first he was a bit wary that this being, Hrax, would get impatient and leave. But since he seemed to appreciate silence as much as he did, Scott relaxed and started reciting his ¡®wish¡¯ in his mind. He¡¯d done so a million times when he¡¯d embarked on his quest, but facing an actual opportunity to fulfill it, he wanted to make sure to leave absolutely no loopholes.


    When Hraxanthus was about done giving the book an overview, he heard Scott¡¯s voice from across the room.


    "I want to reincarnate 20 years prior to this date, so that I can exact my revenge by killing a certain person before they have the chance to wreck havoc on a lot of lives including mine. I don''t want any special powers... I don''t care if I die immediately after fulfilling my wish. I just need to have memory of the future. I can also give you my word I won''t use the knowledge of future events for financial gains or willingly upset the events of this timeline by drastically changing events in the new timeline. If I ever do such a thing I am willing to pay with my life. I would only need enough hold on the future to execute a single person before a single event." Scott''s paused and gulped down some water from a bottle on his bed. "Can... my wish be granted... Mr. Hrax?"

 Chapter 2 - Memory remains

    Hraxanthus was impressed. He already knew considering the effort the human has gone through in order let his wish be known to the one deity who can fulfill it, he won¡¯t be asking for anything trivial. That¡¯s why he felt it was important to let Scott know some of the restrictions. Those were not all of them, but they were the most common ones people in the positions of granting wishes have faced throughout the history of humankind, in this realm and others.


    Scott hadn¡¯t disappointed him. Hraxanthus gently put down the book he was leafing through and closed his eyes. His face was impassive but there was a hint of a smile, which gave Scott hope that his wish might not be rejected right off the bat. Scott knew what he was asking for wasn¡¯t going to be easy no matter how powerful the deity was. To start with, it was an intricate union of a few wishes, and Scott might be rejected because of that. Moreover, his wish involved reshaping all the events that had happened up until now, centered around his actions. No matter how large or small scale those changes may be, Scott was aware of the butterfly effect. He couldn¡¯t prove its validity of course, but it did make sense to him.


    Scott had also decided on a backup plan should his wish be rejected, that is if the deity was willing to forgive him his folly and give him a chance to ask for another wish. In that case, he would just request for the death of a few people, or even at the worst case scenario, the one who was the hardest to kill. After that, Scott would have no other option but to embark on a suicide mission against the other people on his list. It wouldn¡¯t solve what he wanted to fix, but it would at least give him, and the souls of the other unfortunate victims who were involved with him, a modicum of peace. Since Scott believed in the possibility of reincarnation, he wasn¡¯t going to ignore the possibility of there being an afterlife, or the concept of souls.


    Hraxanthus opened his eyes after what felt like ages to Scott. The smile was still intact on his lips, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Scott noticed it but didn¡¯t think too much about it. He was only concerned with whether his wish was going to be granted or not.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very interesting and well-thought wish, Mr.Degen. I assume you¡¯re going to tell me the details of this¡­person, or the group of people¡­that you want to exact revenge on?¡±


    Scott was surprised. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t already know? I¡­thought you were aware of my life and everything!¡±


    This elicited a derisive snort from Hraxanthus. ¡°Mr. Degen, contrary to what you may think, I have far¡­grander¡­affairs to cater to. So know, I do not know about your insignificant life, nor would I have cared, had you not gone through all that trouble in order to seek an audience with a power far beyond your imagination. ¡±


    Although he sneered at Scott¡¯s very ¡®mortal¡¯ habit of tending to think they are the center of the universe, Hraxanthus felt he should keep the conversation to a civil scale instead of rebuking him. After all, contrary to whatever front he was putting in front of Scott, Hraxanthus had a lot riding on this weak but extraordinarily resourceful human.


    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t diminish the importance of the ordeal you went through. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on any important details, to ensure your revenge is comprehensive from all angles. Therefore, Mr. Degen, you have my full attention.¡± Hraxanthus made a show of leaning back against the chair to get into a more comfortable position and focused his attention fully on the human. Scott was visibly nervous, but he recovered promptly, since the deity in front of him was right, even if a bit brutal in the way of delivery.


    ¡°Very well. It all started like this¡­¡±


    [¡­]


    [Scott¡¯s past will reveal itself in relevant places as the novel progresses. I thought that way it would be more interesting and less tedious to both read and recall compared to a big info-dump in the form of a flashback. For the purpose of story, right now please assume that he told Hraxanthus everything. You¡¯ll still get to know the aftermath of the events that occurred.]


    [An hour later]


    ¡°¡­and so, here I am. Due to what she did, my mother suffered a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital. My father could not accept the what happened. He completely went in denial, became a mental patient, and took his own life after a few months. My sister, who absolutely doted on her, ran to her estate to confront her. Next day she was found naked in the back-alley of a biker¡¯s bar, their ¡®mark¡¯ emblazoned on her, claiming her to be their ¡®bitch¡¯. She was violated by at least ten men. The cops turned a blind eye, all the doctors in the area released written affidavits that she wasn¡¯t raped, and it was all in her mind, and tried to pass her off as delusional. She slit her wrist while crying my name, asking me to come save her.¡±


    Scott paused and took a deep breathe. He realized he¡¯d revealed every single thing about his past to someone who technically shouldn¡¯t even exist. For that matter, this was the first time he¡¯d said anything about his past to anyone, period. He quickly snuck a glance at Hraxanthus and found him unmoved, still seated in his original pose, his demenour stone-like. For an instant, a weird thought played in his head and he was immediate afraid, afraid that all of this was just an elaborate dream¡­or nightmare¡­that his sleep-deprived brain had concocted when he¡¯d passed out from exhaustion at some stage. However, he refused to reassert reality by pinching himself or slapping his own cheeks. As far as he was concerned, this was a chance for him to undo everything that happened. To ensure that his family doesn¡¯t fall victim to his choices. If this was a dream, Scott never wanted to wake up from it. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Clearing his throat, he resumed his monologue, relieved that he was at the end of his narration. ¡°And while all this was happening, I having the time of my life in a different country, with people I considered family, people I called ¡®brothers¡¯ and ¡®sisters¡¯. I was so engrossed in my fun-filled adventures, I didn¡¯t want to talk to my mother, or my father. And god, I definitely didn¡¯t want to talk to my sis. ¡®She¡¯d just nag and whine because I didn¡¯t take her along.¡¯ I was regularly on phone with *** though, the person who I¡¯d given my heart to. She¡­well, she told me she missed me but she wanted me to have fun. She said she couldn¡¯t wait for our honeymoon¡­just me and her, on a cruise to roam the world. She told me my family was doing well, spending a lot of time with her. She¡­I¡­she told me¡­¡± Scott started to falter, but somehow managed to blurt out his words before being completely overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°¡­she told me Brianna, my¡­sis¡­was constantly nagging her to take her somewhere fun. God, I was¡­so annoyed at my sister. But she¡­she just laughed and told me¡­that she¡¯s her big sister. That¡­that she¡¯d always¡­always take¡­Oh god¡­ OH GOD WHY¡­WHYYYY!!¡±


    Scott broke down. Holding his head in between his hands, he dropped to the floor and in between gut-wrenching sobs and screaming fits, he let loose the pain he¡¯d kept tightly bound, deep inside his soul.  For the first time, he didn¡¯t care about appearing strong when meeting people. Fabricating new and innovative lies every time he had to convey meaningful social conversation. Laughing, smiling, smirking with the others when they joked, moaned, bitched about their parents, their siblings, their girlfriends and boyfriends.


    He was completely awash in agony, facing a full frontal assault of emotions that he¡¯d denied himself to feel for so many years. Everything was brought to the surface today, sitting in front of this¡­god, angel, demon, spirit¡­whatever he¡¯d managed to summon. His rational mind did try to nudge him towards sanity a couple of times, trying to tell him that such an abject display of ¡®weakness¡¯ might void his chances with this deity. But what has been let out of Pandora¡¯s box wasn¡¯t going to go back in so easily. Scott didn¡¯t care what his audience thought of him. He was just wanted to lose himself in the ocean of pain and suffering. He felt he deserved this. He felt if he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d do a disservice to the memories of his lost family. He felt¡­a myriad of emotions all at the same time, neither of them winning over the other, but all of them pushing him further and further beyond control.


    Hraxanthus was amused at the outburst at first, but he quickly became annoyed. Several times, he wanted to reach out and slap the pathetic wimp straight. He didn¡¯t due to a couple of reasons. One, he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to properly control his strength. He didn¡¯t want to kill the human even before he had a chance to serve him. Secondly, as annoyed Hraxanthus was, he still found Scott¡¯s breakdown a fascinating sight to behold. Although fully aware of the customs of this realm, Hraxanthus was by no means an expert when it came to experiencing emotions. Seeing the sheer magnitude of so many different emotions, right in front of him, and also watching a human - a pretty strong-willed one by their standards - riling under the onslaught of them - it was an enlightening experience for him. He decided to keep his annoyance in check and let the whole scenario play out in front of him.


    Even though Scott¡¯s soul masochistically desired an endless train of suffering, reality was slowly and steadily settling in. As the feelings flooding his brain slowly subsided and the sobs slowly receded to stifled whimpers, Scott realized he¡¯d been spiraling out of control. Awareness of his surroundings made its way back into him, and Scott scrambled to straighten out his thoughts and establish rationality amidst the chaotic wreck. He knew the witness of his breakdown was the last person to empathize with him, so he just gave up any attempts of explanation, and decided to own his breakdown. He stood up, went to the bathroom and splashed water all over his face.His eyes were still bloodshot, but it had regained most of the cold, calculating glimmer that had been his ally for so many years. After drying himself off in a towel, he came out.


    ¡°Excuse me. It seems my emotions¡­got the better of me.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else, half-expecting a snort or a sarcastic comment. When none came, except a raised eyebrow, he sat down on the bed once again and decided to quickly come to the conclusion. ¡°So¡­I was the clueless idiot, in love, and had no idea what was going on back at home. And I was purposefully kept in the dark by people around me, who accompanied me abroad. When I returned and came to know what had happened, needless to say I was devastated.¡± He paused and chuckled in self-derision. ¡°The breakdown I had then was several times worse than this one, so I¡¯m happy you¡¯re at least spared from that sight.¡±


    He sighed and continued. ¡°Anyway, needless to say I cut off all contacts with this lady and her family. Ever since then, I¡¯ve lived a life of constant vigilance. Never staying anywhere for too long. Always trying to improve my strength. Always planning. Gathering resources. Trying to figure out ways to get back at them. At first¡­I just wanted them dead. In fact I was in a position to do just that. But then some things happened, and I¡­I became aware of an alternative. An alternative I would have never believed is possible, had it been under different circumstances. But I still had to try. I forced myself to keep an open mind. I met with countless failures. But each failure burned the yearning for success brighter. And they taught me the value of patience. So I held on, exploring different avenues, going back to the drawing board again and again. And I guess some God somewhere did take pity on me, because when I was at my wit¡¯s end, I ended up¡­succeeding.¡±


    Scott stopped talking and gave Hraxanthus a meaningful glance. Even thought he couldn¡¯t hope for empathy, Scott hoped that he¡¯d at least managed to convey his sincerity to this being.


    ¡°And so, well¡­here we are. I want a way to undo the devastation caused to my family. I know it¡¯s a very selfish want, but¡­¡± Scott let out a wry grin. ¡°¡­somehow I don¡¯t think you¡¯d care much about that.¡±


    Hraxanthus, who¡¯d been a silent listener all this time, let out a dry chuckle. ¡°No Mr. Degen, indeed not.¡± He realized Scott was done with his story, and was now waiting for his decision.


    ¡°Frankly speaking, what you suggested is indeed doable. And¡­¡± He gave a pause, fully knowing he was being needlessly dramatic.¡±¡­it is well within my power to grant you that. However¡­¡±


    Hraxanthus scrutinized Scott¡¯s face carefully, trying to catch the telltale sudden glimmer of eagerness,of hope, that he¡¯d been expecting. He didn¡¯t find anything but calmness. ¡®Well well¡­¡¯


    ¡°¡­it isn¡¯t without its own set of complications.¡± Hraxanthus finished the hanging sentence, unable to get a rise out of Scott anymore. ¡°If you¡¯d asked for just a simple reversal of your own timeline, that could still have been managed. But you intend to make changes in your new timeline. You want to retain your memory while doing so. These are not simple wishes.¡±


    The moment he said the word ¡®wishes¡¯, he saw a flicker of disappointment and a sense of despair descend upon Scott. It was gone pretty fast, but not nearly fast enough to escape Hraxanthus¡¯ notice.


    ¡®It seems you are not that strong, not yet. Well, that¡¯s good my little puppet. After all, I need you to grow.¡¯


    ¡°Relax.¡± He gave Scott a small chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about having to make just a single wish. Yes, what you asked for spans a number of separate wishes, but I am not going to deny your wish, or selectively fulfill only some of them, simply because of a technicality. However, since neither of us can deny that the complexity of your wish, here¡¯s what I would like to propose, Mr. Degen.¡±

 Chapter 3 - What is going on?!

    Hraxanthus stood up from the chair and approached Scott, who in turn also reflexively shot out of his bed, standing ramrod straight. Hraxanthus stopped right in front of Scott and held out his hand. After several seconds, Scott took the hand, his heart thumping in anticipation and fear. Was this¡­the so-called ¡®deal with the devil¡¯?


    ¡°It¡¯s not. I have no interest in your soul.¡± Scott didn¡¯t even know if Hraxanthus was able to read his mind when he said those words. He simply nodded and accepted the statement as truth.


    Hraxanthus gripped Scott¡¯s hand tightly and looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Due to the nature of your request, I need to bend a lot of rules that usually should be left alone, even by us. Don¡¯t worry, this has no bearing upon you. It is completely my responsibility. But you must wholeheartedly accept that there will be conditions associated with your request. Conditions that cannot be stated unless you accept it. Such is the nature of the forces I wield, and no one is exempt from that rule. Fear not. None of the conditions has anything to do with your wish, at least not directly. However, only when you accept the conditions, can they be enforced. And when they are enforced, your wish will be on the path of fulfillment. ¡°


    Another dramatic pause.


    ¡°Scott Degen. Do you accept the undisclosed conditions, forever binding, indelible, irreversible, and absolutely compulsory for your wish fulfillment?¡±


    Scott was done thinking at this point. He knew even if he stalled now only to ponder more about what he had to accept, it won¡¯t change the fact that in the end acceptance was the only choice. Besides, this deity could have simply denied his wish. There was never a need to pass through so many hoops. As a result¡­


    ¡°I accept your conditions.¡± Scott declared firmly and gripped he palm in his hand a little tighter than before.


    Hraxanthus let out a big smile.


    ¡°Excellent! Scott Degen. I shall grant you your wish. You¡¯ll be reincarnated and have a chance to exact revenge. Is this what you want?¡±


    Scott nodded. With a voice strained with emotions of an entirely different kind that was once again threatening to burst forth, he said, ¡°Yes, that is what I want. That is my wish.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Hraxanthus beamed at the man. ¡°Now that we have completed the most important part of this deal, tell me Mr. Degen. Have you played RPGs before?¡±


    Scott was fighting hard to restrain the hope-filled exuberance from spilling out. He thought he¡¯d heard Hraxanthus wrong. In fact he was definite that he¡¯d heard him wrong.


    ¡°I am sorry, Mr. Hrax. I couldn¡¯t hear your properly.¡±


    ¡°No worries Mr. Degen. I simply asked¡­whether you played RPGs before.¡±


    Scott was stumped. Played¡­RPGs? He did manage to get his hands on a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher and it was stashed somewhere. Was Hraxanthus alluding to that?


    ¡°Ah¡­Mr. Hrax¡­¡¯playing¡¯ RPGs? I mean I don¡¯t have formal training in handling an RPG before, but I¡¯ve seen videos and it is there mostly as a last measure anyway, and I wasn¡¯t planning on using it¡­¡±


    Hraxanthus silenced Scott¡¯s rant short by raising hand and gesturing him to stop. He was really amused for some reason.


    ¡°Mr. Degen, I fear I have conveyed the wrong message. I wasn¡¯t asking you about your cute little weapon. The acronym that I questioned you about stands for Role-playing Games. You mentioned in your story that you and your sister loved playing a lot of video games on your computers. I wanted to know whether you, either with your sister or by yourself, played the genre of games known as Role-playing Games, or RPGs.¡±


    This time Scott was literally lost for words. He opened his mouth a couple of times but he found out that he had no idea what to say. Dumbfounded, he kept looking at Hraxanthus in order for further clarification, or perhaps a glimmer of humour, that could put a comedic light to the question. When he found nothing of the sorts, Scott realized that yes, this question was a serious one, and Hraxanthus wasn¡¯t going offer further details until he¡¯d gives him an answer.


    ¡°Well. Yes¡­we¡­that is sis and I played a lot of Role-playing Games¡­RPGs¡­together. Do you want me to name some?¡± Scott refrained himself from asking why he was being asked such a ludicrous question. He assured himself by thinking that he wouldn¡¯t have been asked this question out of the blue, if it wasn¡¯t important.


    The smile on Hraxanthus¡¯ face widened.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I just wanted to establish a familiar ground for you. Say¡­since you¡¯re no stranger to the concept of RPGs, what do you think about a system that will reside inside you, help you perform superhuman feats, and also grow stronger as you complete tasks given by the system? Tasks in the form you are no doubt familiar with¡­quests. Does the idea appeal to you Mr. Degen?¡±


    Scott was hoping for a justification about Hraxanthus¡¯ question, not a second equally baffling question. But this time he was probably better prepared for potential absurdity. He wasn¡¯t that fazed, although he was intrigued. A possible explanation formed in his mind. Was he going to¡­? No¡­no that is not something he wanted, or needed. Scott put a rein to his imagination and instead of making wild assumptions, he decided to play it safe.


    ¡°I¡­would think such a system would be¡­excellent¡­Mr. Hrax. My sister and I were also avid fans of ¡­forms of entertainment¡­ called animes and web-novels, and the¡­concept of an all-powerful system residing inside someone is something we frequently¡­read about.¡± This time however, he couldn¡¯t resist the obvious question. ¡°Mr. Hrax. Are these questions relevant to my¡­wish?¡±


    Instead of providing a reply, Hraxanthus drew a wide circle in the air in front of him and chanted a few illegible words. Scott¡¯s room, the whole apartment and probably the entire building started violently shaking all of a sudden. Scott found himself landing on the bed ass-first, unable to keep balance from the suddenness of the quake. He found himself unable to breathe and instinctively cupped his throat to see if he was being choked somehow. All around him, imbalanced furnitures were crashing on the floor loudly. Scott started feeling dizzy. The constricting feeling around his throat continued to grow until he was on the floor, gasping for breathe like a drowning man. He could hear glass-panes shattering, debris flying across the room. He thought he heard footsteps outside his apartment. Probably the other tenants rushing outside fearing an earthquake. His eyelids were starting to droop. Strength was leaving his body every passing second. He was going to pass out¡­If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    And then it all stopped.


    Scott coughed and sputtered as he steadied himself on the floor by hunching on all fours. His throat was still hurting a lot but the constriction had vanished. Before he could even decide the next step to take, he heard Hraxanthus voice.


    ¡°I apologize for that Mr. Degen. When something of this magnitude is created, it is bound to cause some¡­ripple¡­in the surroundings.¡±


    Scott lifted his eyes at the voice and saw Hraxanthus standing beside¡­an oval shape, roughly the size of a double-door. The insides of the oval was pitch black and he could see tiny multicoloured lightning sparks surrounding its circumference. The oval shape was formed right in the air beside Hraxanthus. It was like¡­a rift in space. Although hardened and somewhat desensitized by the mental and physical torture he¡¯d put himself through for the better part of his life after his tragedy, Scott¡¯s inner game-loving geek wasn¡¯t so that lost in the grittiness of reality. The correct phrase of the ¡­ rift that stood in front of his eyes came to his mind a split second before Hraxanthus spoke.


    ¡°This, Mr. Degen, as you might have guessed, is a portal.¡±


    Scott nodded blankly. Of course it was a portal. A fucking portal. Well, why not. He was after all standing in front of a wish-fulfilling deity and his wish was to be reincarnated. What was so special about a portal in the grand context of things?


    ¡°My powers are endless, but this isn¡¯t the ideal realm for it to flex its muscles. In fact, this portal took a significant portion of my power. I won¡¯t be able to maintain it indefinitely. So Mr. Degen, if you would be so kind as to step inside the portal. Reincarnation awaits you on the other side.¡±


    This time, Scott didn¡¯t show any hint of hesitation. He glanced at a black duffel bag that stood in one corner of the room. As if reading his mind once again, Hraxanthus said with a chuckled. ¡°No, Mr. Degen. You cannot take anything from this timeline to where you¡¯re going.¡± Scott smiled at him and shrugged. He had to try. Oh well. In for a penny¡­


    Scott was just about to keep his foot inside the dark rift when Hraxanthus stopped him.


    ¡°Oh I almost forgot. How silly of me.¡± For the first time, Scott frowned. Not because of what Hraxanthus said. But because of the grin that crept on his lips after he said those words. That grin wasn¡¯t derisive, or sarcastic. It was downright malicious.


    Before he could ask anything, or for that matter do anything, Scott saw Hraxanthus raise his right hand, and snap his fingers. A tingling sensation passed though Scott¡¯s scalp. He thought he heard a humm, a whirring sound inside his brain. The sound grew in decibels instantly and became a deafening buzz and completely overwhelmed his mind. Scott was screaming and clutching his head, but he didn¡¯t know if any sound was coming out of his lips, since the buzzing in his brain was so loud, he almost couldn¡¯t hear his own thoughts.


    And once again, like the quake, it was gone. Scott glared accusingly at Hraxanthus, to which the latter simply snorted. Without giving Scott the chance to open his mouth, he simply pointed at the portal.


    ¡°Time¡¯s a-wasting Mr. Degen. It¡¯s now or never. Walk through or walk away.¡±


    Scott sighed. Walk away ? Was that ever an option? Without willing to spend any more words with this being, Scott stepped into the portal. Immediately, he felt the sensation of being stuck in a very tight closet. He was unable to move any part of his body beyond a few inches to either side. He saw Hraxanthus give him a nod and then chant another series of syllables that made no sense to him. As soon as the words were uttered, the portal began to close from the other side, trapping Scott in a tight hole in space with nowhere to go. He couldn¡¯t move his eyes to the sides to see what lay there, or behind him. All he could see was Hraxanthus¡¯ frame getting cut off from all sides, inside the rapidly diminishing size of the oval in front of him. Just before it closed completely, Scott heard his annoying voice one last time.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few minutes. Brace yourself, Scott Degen. Athionia awaits your adventures.¡±


    The oval hole closed completely. Scott was shrouded in complete darkness. He still couldn¡¯t move around but he found out he was not having trouble breathing. Few minutes huh? Well whatever, at least the ¡®portal¡¯ came with oxy¡­


    Scott was suddenly alarmed beyond all measures. That man..being¡­he said something. Something about Athi¡­Athionia? What does that mean?


    << System installed. Name¡­Yet to be specified by user. System initialization commencing¡­>>


    Scott would have spat out curses and jumped up in alarm, if he was capable of moving his mouth¡­or moving in general. The voice that played was directly inside his head. It was like his inner thoughts suddenly found a suitable vocal outlet. Except those weren¡¯t his thoughts. The voice was clinical. Devoid of warmth. It could have belonged to a male, or a female. Scott couldn¡¯t distinguish.


    Even before Scott could arrange his thoughts and even begin to make sense of the insanity he was going through, he heard the voice again. How long had it been ? Seconds?


    << System initialization failed. User¡¯s location parameters do not match with parameters specified to System. Calculating parameters specified to System to provide User with advice for relocation¡­>>


    This time Scott wasn¡¯t even going to bother trying to make sense. He just gave up and waited for the voice in his head to keep on doing its thing. It was too much too soon. Scott just wanted to be reincarnated back in time. He figured the sooner he stopped arguing with the changes happening around him and just went with the flow, the sooner he¡¯d be able to step closer towards his goal. After all, he did agree to those ¡®undisclosed conditions¡¯, didn¡¯t he?


    Scott wasn¡¯t kept waiting for long.


    <<User is advised to relocate to¡­Athionia¡­.planar coordinates XXXXXXX XXXXXX¡­.Please note, System installation will be complete upon relocation. System functionality will be fully restored upon successful installation.>>


    Athionia. Where did he hear that before? Oh right¡­the Hrax-guy was saying something like that. Scott wondered what it was.


    Perhaps the day had taken a real toll on his usually quick uptake on things, because it took a few seconds for him to realize that¡­


    ¡°Motherfucker! Athionia is not an it. It¡¯s a place! What the fuck? Why am I being sent to Athiowhatever? WHAT IS GOING ON?¡±


    Providence was probably just waiting for him to finish his outburst because he suddenly felt a sensation of being yanked forcefully against his will. He had no control over his limbs or muscles, so he could only succumb to the force to wherever it seemed to be taking him.


    Scott was being tossed around. Or at least that¡¯s what he thought because that¡¯s how he was feeling. He really wanted to feeling to stop. His stomach was churning. He could taste bile in his mouth.


    Fortunately, his ¡®ride¡¯ came to an end before he could throw up.


    Scott was suddenly ¡®ejected¡¯ out of whatever space he was being confined in, onto a grassy field. He could see lush green saplings spreading as far as his eyes could go, occasionally accompanied by short shrubberies. In the distance he could discern a tree-line. He was in a glade, of some sorts.


    Before he could make further deductions about the environment he was in, Scott suddenly felt an unstoppable churning motion in his stomach and promptly vomited on the grass in front of him.


    In between heaves that hurled out everything his stomach bore, Scott heard the voice once again inside his head.


    <<User location changed. Updating User location. User location updated. User location¡­Athionia¡­planar coordinates XXXXXXX XXXXXX¡­>>


    And then, briefly afterwards.


    <<¡­ System initialization commencing¡­>>

 Chapter 4 - The System (1)

    << ¡­ System initialization commencing¡­ >>


    Scott was going through a rigmarole of emotions at this point. Foremost in his mind was betrayal, the one act he despised more than anything else. Following the sense of betrayal closely behind, was rage. Scott was angry beyond reason, and he desperately needed an outlet to let loose.


    He didn¡¯t ask for any of this. He wasn¡¯t interested in being that character in the webnovels he read when he was young, the character who got hit by a moving vehicle (usually a truck) and then just happened to reincarnate in another realm with a system, in the body of someone who was probably considered a ¡®trash¡¯. He didn¡¯t want the pleasure of face-slapping people who looked down upon the previous ¡®owner¡¯ of his body. He didn¡¯t care for a meteoric rise to fame, to shock nations and dynasties alike.


    He just wanted a do-over. A chance at righting the wrongs of his life.


    Scott solemnly made a vow at this point. He decided, if Hraxanthus really did bring him over to this new ¡®realm¡¯ just to mess with him, after sealing a deal which had guaranteed him a chance at retribution, then he would find a way to make him pay. As for how, that wasn¡¯t something he could think of right now. He was in no position to pick a fight with a deity who could send him across a different realm at his will. Yes, he knew he¡¯d most probably end up dead if he did actually go against Hraxanthus. But that didn¡¯t stop him from hating his guts and making his own promises about him.


    There was also the question of the sincerity of their deal. Unless Scott was gravely mistaken, Hraxanthus would not go through so much trouble just to fuck with an ¡®insignificant mortal¡¯. There obviously was something that Hraxanthus wanted him to do on this realm, and probably he¡¯ll get hints or assurances in some form from him, at some point of time. Scott realized this was as good as blackmail. Hraxanthus was probably banking on Scott¡¯s desire for retribution to be strong enough for the latter to overlook the injustice of what he¡¯d been subjected to.  Scott hated to admit it, but the deity was right, at least for the time being. Scott really didn¡¯t want anything to come between him and his goal to undo the tragedy that befell everyone he loved. He tried to refocus himself.


    << ¡­System initialization is reaching completion¡­User is advised to get rid of stray thoughts for initial calibration and go into a meditative state to minimize risk of possible failures during the process¡­ >>


    Well, so much for that.


    Scott raced towards the tree-line in the distance, trying to get himself out of the open ground as soon as possible. If the system really wanted him to be in a zen state or whatever, staying out there in the middle of the glade wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    As he ran, Scott realized he¡¯d totally forgotten to check his body once he¡¯d arrived. His body felt uncharacteristically fit and stronger than ever. In fact, he couldn¡¯t remember ever being this fit back on his own world. Scott hoped the change was permanent. He wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    He reached the thickets just before the next notification popped inside his head.


    << ¡­System initialization will commence in 15 seconds. User is advised to clear the mind and get ready for the calibration process¡­ >>


    By then, Scott had propped himself against a tree, sitting cross-legged on the slightly damp forest floor. There was a large rock shielding his back and the grasses around him were long enough to not make him stand out immediately. When Scott ¡®transmigrated¡¯ into this realm, he¡¯d been wearing a dark olive shirt and black jeans, so the chances of flashy clothes giving him away was also absent. He was as prepared as he could be, under the circumstances.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    << ¡­System initialization started. User is requested to name the System as the first step. Please note, for any interaction with the System, the user needs to only communicate mentally. The System is capable of predicting the User¡¯s intents while calling upon the System to avoid stray commands¡­>>


    Well that¡¯s a bummer. Scott was kind of glad the System informed him about the intent, because he was tempted to name it ¡®Hrax needs to go fuck himself System¡¯.


    Yeah, that probably wouldn¡¯t be a good name.


    ¡®Hrax¡¯s useless Promise turned into a System¡¯. ¡®I didn¡¯t ask for this System.¡¯ ¡®Please get me back System¡¯.


    Scott discarded all the names that popped into is head as a product of his frustration and anger. He didn¡¯t know whether there was a time limit to naming the System, so he was just going to go with something like the Strongest System ( and it was one of the novels he really liked ) but then, he had another thought.


    ¡®System¡­.I name you¡­Brianna.¡¯


    As soon as he said that, he was starting to regret his choice and wished he could ¡®undo¡¯ the change. However, the System apparently wasn¡¯t having any of that.


    <<¡­ System name set to Brianna. User is requested to keep in mind, the name is final and irrevocable. System initialization will continue¡­ >>


    Scott was offered a moment to himself since the System went quiet after its statement. It apparently didn¡¯t want Scott to know the exact process and was abstracting the details. Scott snorted at the thought - he was half expecting loading bars and percentage completion signs.


    Scott wondered whether the concept of this ¡®System¡¯ was a result of Hraxanthus¡¯ own foray into popular culture of humans. It seemed the most likely scenario. He briefly wondered whether there was any truth to all those Isekai fantasies he¡¯d enjoyed. Immediately, he felt stupid. Unless this was a rather intricate dream that he was yet to wake up from, Scott was practically ¡®living¡¯ that fantasy. He was probably the worst person to be given the system to, judging by the standards of the protagonist¡¯s of those novels.


    ¡®I was advised to keep my mind clear of thoughts, wasn¡¯t I?¡¯ Scott suddenly remembered the ¡®warning¡¯ of the System. He¡¯d totally forgotten about that. He chuckled and realized that just probably proved his point about being the worst inheritor of this System.


    Scott decided to try some pranayama, a series of techniques to control breathing, that he¡¯d picked up in a Yoga class he¡¯d attended. He remembered those helping him calm down when he was at a really bad stage after the tragedy struck.


    ¡®Breathe in, allow your mind to accept all your thoughts. Breathe out, slowly filter them out. Don¡¯t force them, just let them go.¡¯


    ¡®Think of your thoughts as entities. They can listen to you, obey your command. There is no need to be aggressive.¡¯


    ¡®Tell them they are free. Release them as you would a bird from its cage.¡¯


    Scott slowly fell into the well-practiced rhythm of his actions and his mind became calmer than before. He wasn¡¯t completely devoid of thoughts, it was practically impossible given his predicament. But he was not bothered by them, so he could ¡®pretend¡¯ that they didn¡¯t exist in his mind.


    <<¡­ System initialization finished¡­ >>


    The notification was surprisingly curt. Scott waited for more, for quite some time. He was wondering whether the System only had that much to say after all the hoopla.


    ¡®Looks like that was all. Now what?¡¯


    Scott tried to feel the presence of the System in his mind. He was semi-successful. He instinctively ¡®knew¡¯ that his mind wasn¡¯t just his own anymore. There was an indescribable ¡®presence¡¯ deep within, that he couldn¡¯t touch. He could only feel the presence vaguely.


    ¡®Hmm¡­I wonder¡­¡¯


    Scott took a deep breathe and with trembling heart, projected his thought onto the System.


    ¡®Brianna?¡¯


    There was no response. It was eerily calm in the forest. Scott realized for the first time that he hadn¡¯t heard any noise of birds or animals ever since he¡¯d been there.


    Did he mess up somehow?


    Scott was reluctantly contemplating a second attempt when suddenly¡­


    <<¡­ Hello Scott. I am Brianna. How can I help you today? ¡­>>


    Scott almost fainted. That voice¡­the voice in his head.


    The last time he heard that voice, it was whiny, petulant, annoying. The voice was nagging at him.


    It was the most wonderful voice he¡¯d ever heard.


    For the second time, since that day - at least relative to what he¡¯d experienced, the actual timespan can vary- Scott broke down in tears. This time it wasn¡¯t a nerve-wrecking blubbering. Scott wept silently.


    No, he didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d made a bad decision. He¡¯d have give anything to listen to that voice. No matter how ¡®fake¡¯, how ¡®artificial¡¯ it was.

 Chapter 5 - The System (2)

    The crying bout didn¡¯t last long. Scott was able to mentally steady himself pretty fast. Perhaps because this time, he felt the hint of a sublime contentment mixed with all the melancholy.


    Scott did wonder about something after he dried his tears, and he promptly asked the System.


    ¡°Sys¡­.Brianna? How come you have my¡­sister¡¯s voice?¡±


    He cringed a little noticing how loud his voice suddenly sounded in the midst of the silent forest. He¡¯d forgotten to ask ¡®mentally¡¯.


    <<¡­ The System detected a strong emotional bond between the User and the memory of his sibling, Brianna. The System¡¯s empathic module deduced a high probability of the User appreciating the voice of his Sister to help calm him down in an unfamiliar environment¡­.If the User so decides, the System can revert back to using its default voice. Please note, the voicing module, once manually overridden, cannot be changed by the User¡­>>


    The reply from the System came in the original, austere voice. Scott¡¯s decision was made instantly.


    ¡®No¡­that¡¯s alright. Please, keep using Brianna¡¯s voice.¡¯


    <<¡­System voice confirmed. With the changes made, the empathy module also gives User the choice to change the way of addressing the User and the point of view of the System¡¯s narrative. Currently set to Scott¡­First person¡­.Would the User like to override the settings? Please note, these changes are also irrevocable once manually overridden¡­>>


    Once again, Scott didn¡¯t hesitate.


    ¡®Please keep referring to me as Scott, and use the first person narrative.¡¯


    <<¡­System voice confirmed¡­.Hello Scott. How can I help you today?¡­>>


    The abrupt change in the way of addressing and the tone was a little eerie but Scott was nonetheless elated to have his sister¡¯s voice back in his head, so he didn¡¯t much care.


    ¡®Brianna. I would like a detailed explanation of the System and how I, as the User, can utilize its functionalities.¡¯


    He briefly wondered whether ¡®Brianna¡¯ would be offended since he¡¯d just referred to ¡®her¡¯ as an ¡®it¡¯. Scott didn¡¯t want to, but he felt weird to ask about ¡®your functionalities¡¯.


    <<¡­ Certainly, Scott. I am a highly advanced entity incorporated into your very sense of being. I am a part of you both physically, and mentally. The exact explanation of how that works requires delving into topics that you might find esoteric and extremely complex, so I will not be going into the details. Just know, that we share a deep bond and my capacity to evolve and grow stronger directly depends on you¡­>>


    Scott had some questions but upon hearing Brianna politely telling him that he was not smart enough to understand the intricacies, Scott left them alone. Unlike many people he¡¯d met in his life, Scott knew his limits and would only push them if it was practical. He certainly had no authority to question Brianna¡¯s decision about whether he could understand those details. If Scott wasn¡¯t mistaken, Brianna knew him ¡®inside out¡¯.


    <<¡­I have the capability of providing you abilities that will allow you to perform greater physical and mental feats than your body can currently handle. I can also provide you with abilities that is referred to as ¡®Magic¡¯ in this realm. I can monitor your body¡¯s condition down to the minutest details, recover it from most mortal injuries as long as the body is given enough time to recuperate, and I can provide assistance in combat, social and economic interactions, and all other activities that you might require assistance in¡­>>


    The moment Scott heard the term magic, he was once again full of questions. But he didn¡¯t ¡®feel right¡¯ to interrupt Brianna, so he just let her continue with her explanation. Plus, he was a little worried that he¡¯d be again ¡®gently scoffed at¡¯ if he asked for details.


    <<¡­ Additionally, I can generate tasks for you to complete, which will depend upon your interaction with this realm. These will be known as ¡®quests¡¯. Please note that my capability of providing you with abilities depends directly on your strength. The strength I am referring to here is not physical or mental strength, but the strength to withstand the changes to the body associated with imparting those abilities. As you grow stronger, you¡¯ll be able to assimilate more and more abilities and also your expertise with your existing abilities will also improve¡­.>>


    Scott was wondering when the ¡®quest¡¯ part would be coming. Now he had his answer. He did want to ask questions related to everything he¡¯d been told, but for now he thought it¡¯d be prudent to still keep his mouth¡­or rather mind¡­shut. It could also be that he was hearing his sister¡¯s voice after so long, he didn¡¯t want to break the flow of the gentle, slightly high-pitched, mellifluous serenade in his mind. After focusing on the voice for a while, Scott had found out that certain qualities of her sister, like her quirky tonal changes, the occasional ¡®giggle-snorts¡¯ and many other small things were absent from this ¡®Brianna¡¯. But Scott had expected that, and he was actually glad that those qualities did not surface in the System. Some things were too sacred to be copied.


    <<¡­ You¡¯ll be provided with an interface that you can access in your mind. It is similar to the ¡®smart¡¯ graphical interfaces that you interacted with in your parent realm. The interface will display a numerical value against several attributes of your body. You will also find the concept familiar, as you are adequately experienced in games that you played on audiovisual apparatus in your parent realm, which you referred to as Video games¡­>>


    Scott held back the temptation to snort. He couldn¡¯t help find it extremely amusing that his sister¡¯s voice was  mentioning video games in such a matter-of-fact manner.


    <<¡­ Please note that the actual implications of the attributes are much more nuanced than the description I am about to provide. The attribute Strength will determine your physical strength to a rough extent. Agility will determine how nimbly you can perform actions, both combative and non-combative. Dexterity refers to a more finer control over your motor skills and limb-vision coordination. It will be a crucial factor in determining your accuracy with certain weapons as well as interacting with objects that require exceptional control over your digits¡­>>Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Scott could already guess what attributes were going to come next.


    ¡®Is she going with the standard six-attribute layout?¡¯


    <<¡­ Endurance will determine how long your body can exert itself without succumbing to fatigue. Essence is an attribute that will determine the number of feats that are deemed ¡®magical¡¯ in Athionia, you can perform. Recovery will determine how quickly you can replenish the resource that allows usage of those feats. Vitality will ensure you are able to perform without losing your life, even with injuries that could be fatal to other beings¡­>>


    ¡®O¡­kay. She slightly went off-track there didn¡¯t she? I guess using Intelligence or Mana was too main-stream for the System. But the gist is definitely stolen from video-games that she¡­¡¯


    Scott suddenly realized something. He¡¯d mentally referred to the System as ¡®her¡¯ twice already. Before he could ponder over his actions however, Brianna had more to contribute.


    <<¡­ All these attributes complement each other. Focusing on one attribute by selective training will see its sharp rise and can often help rise another attribute closely related to it. For example, performing physical exercises of various types can often raise one, two or even more attributes together. The rate of growth will be determined by the your dedication and perseverance. Increasing Essence and Recovery can be achieved by specific quests or by performing certain actions that you are already familiar with in differing degree. They are Yogasana and Tai Chi¡­>>


    ¡®Awesome. I guess those classes weren¡¯t wasted on me at all. If I knew I would be reincarnating like an Isekai otaku, I¡¯d have mastered them¡­¡¯


    Even though Scott was a little sarcastic, he did feel elated that his choice of his ¡®past life¡¯ was rewarded in a way he never would have guessed. Scott had trained in various martial arts over the past few years when he was preparing for his retribution, to the point where he was confident enough to take down several unarmed fighters using a variety of moves, if the need arose. Scott was a pretty decent Krav maga fighter and had also earned some accolades in Kickboxing and Judo. While those took care of his physical training, he needed a spiritual anchor to ensure his mental health. Yoga and Tai Chi had both been immensely helpful to him to achieve that.


    <<¡­ You should also know about another perk that you¡¯ll receive from me. They are, once again, familiar concepts for you - Levels¡­>>


    Scott raised his eyebrow and grinned. ¡®This is getting interesting¡¯.


    <<¡­While there is no notion of any levels in this realm since it is an abstract concept incorporated to provide a metric of overall prowess, it does provide an approximate estimation and can be quite useful in many situations. I am capable of scanning and assigning a level to any individual in this realm through extended usage of your sensory organs. Under most circumstances, your vision would be more than enough for me to make such an estimate, as long as you critically scrutinize the being instead of giving them a passing glance. In certain cases, further sensory data, like tactile, may be needed. Your level right now will be adequate to cater to most problems that might require combat as long as you do not perform actions that defy logic and can be extremely detrimental to your body¡­>>


    ¡®Is she telling me not to rush into a fight blind? Why do I feel like she¡¯s judging me¡­?¡¯


    <<¡­ Apart from levels, I will also provide a visual indicator signifying threat levels, to beings I have in my database about this realm. Green will denote non-hostile and potentially friendly beings. Yellow will denote neutrality. Red will indicate predisposed hostility towards you¡­.And with that Scott, that concludes my explanation about the System. I have included as much detail as possible while making sure you are able to follow adequately. I¡¯ll provide further explanation about specific functionalities or features when the need arises. So Scott, do you have any questions so far?¡­>>


    ¡®Did she sound just the tiniest bit bossy¡­? Like a lecturer? Nah, probably just my imagination.¡¯


    Scott cleared his throat, and then scratched his head embarrassed, as he recalled that he didn¡¯t need to use his voice.


    ¡®Brianna. Who created the¡­System?¡¯


    <<¡­I am afraid Scott, I am not at the liberty to disclose information about my creator at this point¡­>>


    ¡®Welp. I expected as much, but had to try.¡¯ Scott thought.  ¡®Hmm, she did say ¡®at this point¡¯. Does that mean she might¡­at some point?¡¯


    Scott discarded the matter mentally and proceeded onto the next question.


    ¡®Brianna¡­why cannot you provide me with a large amount of attributes and make me the strongest person of this realm from the start?¡¯


    <<¡­ I am sorry Scott, but I cannot disclose that information at this point. Suffice to know that there is a balance involved that matter on a grand scale, and doing what you suggested will disrupt that and affect a lot of other events¡­>>


    Scott realized the System had some severe information lock-down done on it¡­probably by Hraxanthus.


    He found himself reluctant to ask the rest of the questions since he assumed most of them will be met by the ¡®This is need to know, and you don¡¯t need to know¡¯ speech. In the end, he ended up asking something else.


    ¡®Brianna, is there a time limit to your presence in my¡­being?¡¯


    <<¡­Yes of course Scott. I will only be with you until you have successfully altered the course of history related to your family and the person you loved and their family. After you¡¯ve achieved your goal, I will be purged from your body¡­and mind¡­>>


    Scott, who was leisurely laying down near the tree, shot up like an arrow leaving the quiver. He forgot that he did not have to shout out loud.


    ¡°What?! You mean I still have a chance to complete my ¡­retribution? I have a chance to undo what occurred? How? Tell me now! NOW?!¡±


    Brianna was completely unperturbed by this sudden outburst.


    <<¡­ Yes Scott, I have an entire module dedicated so that you can achieve your goal. I sensed a tremendous amount of betrayal in your emotional mindspace initially when I was being set up. Most of it was related to how you might be denied the chance to do what you desire the most. You can be rest assured, Scott. The being who sent you here didn¡¯t betray you, as you thought¡­>>


    Scott was going to ask the next obvious question but he was a smart guy, and held himself back.


    ¡®Let me guess, if I ask you about that, I guess you won¡¯t be able to tell me, because at this point of time you can¡¯t divulge that information?¡¯


    Scott could almost, almost ¡®hear¡¯ amusement in Brianna¡¯s voice.


    <<¡­Yes, Scott, that is indeed correct. I am so glad that our bond is deepening already¡­>>


    ¡®Yeah¡­definitely sarcasm, no matter how ¡®neutral¡¯ you may sound, Brianna¡¯. Scott thought to himself but decided to let the matter rest. At least now he had the confirmation that all his effort wasn¡¯t just a big pile of waste. He decided to conclude the questioning, so that he could leave this weird place. He still hadn¡¯t heard a single sound except for his own voice, in this forsaken glade.


    ¡®Very well Brianna. I have no more questions about the System.Can I know how you¡­us¡­uh, we¡­are supposed to leave this place? I am not even sure where we are.¡¯


    Brianna was quite prompt in her reply.


    <<¡­ You are at a place called the ¡®Starting zone¡¯, as named by my creator. This is in Athionia but not in a space that the realm resides in. In other words, you¡¯re in a pocket dimension that itself resides in Athionia. We are supposed to leave this place as soon as you accept your first quest, from me¡­Are you ready to accept the quest, Scott?¡­>>


    Duh, Scott thought.


    ¡®I do, Brianna. What is the first quest?¡¯


    <<¡­Your first quest is named ¡®Find Hraxanthus¡¯ message¡¯. There is a small note associated with the quest too. Do you want to hear it?¡­>>