《The God I Never Wanted To Be》 "The Awakening of a Curse" The God I Never Wanted to Be Chapter 1: The Awakening of a Curse The town of Velmont had always been peaceful. Farmers tended their fields, merchants sold their goods, and knights trained in the barracks. It was a town where everyone had their place. But for Adi Veyne, that place was still unknown. Today was the Awakening Ceremony¡ªthe day when every fifteen-year-old discovered their Level Cap, the limit of their potential. Once revealed, it would decide their future forever. Adi stood among a group of nervous teenagers in the town square, staring at the Oracle Stone¡ªa massive crystal pulsing with soft blue light. This sacred artifact, a gift from the gods, measured a person¡¯s natural limit. A boy in front of Adi, Liam Dryden, stepped forward. He placed his hand on the stone, and immediately, the crystal flared with golden light. "Liam Dryden ¨C Level Cap: 45!" The crowd murmured in approval. A respectable number. He could become a knight or a skilled merchant. Next was Sienna Veras. When she touched the stone, it shone brightly. "Sienna Veras ¨C Level Cap: 72!" Gasps of admiration. She had the potential to become a Royal Mage. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. One by one, the others went, each receiving their limit. Then¡ª "Gareth Thorne ¨C Level Cap: 100!" A roar of excitement filled the square. Gareth stepped back, arms crossed, a smirk on his face. He was the strongest in Velmont, a natural-born warrior. A Level 100 was legendary¡ªhe was guaranteed a place in the kingdom¡¯s army. Adi took a deep breath. His hands trembled slightly. Then¡ª "Adi Veyne. Step forward." Everything fell silent. Adi walked toward the Oracle Stone, feeling hundreds of eyes on him. His chest tightened as he raised his hand and placed it on the cool crystal surface. For a moment, nothing happened. Then¡ª The light inside the stone flickered. The usual golden glow did not appear. Instead, the crystal pulsed erratically, shifting between blue, red, and white. The crowd murmured in confusion. The Elder frowned, stepping forward. "Strange¡­" Adi¡¯s heartbeat pounded in his ears. He felt something deep inside him being pulled, as if the Oracle Stone was trying to find an answer that did not exist. Then¡ª CRACK. The Oracle Stone shattered down the middle. The crowd gasped in horror. Shards of glowing crystal fell to the ground, and for the first time in history, the sacred artifact had failed. Adi jerked his hand back, his breathing sharp. His body felt hot and cold at the same time, as if something was awakening inside him. "What¡­ What happened?" someone whispered. Gareth stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "I''ve never seen the Oracle Stone break. Did it¡­ refuse him?" The Elder¡¯s face was pale. He turned to Adi, his voice uncertain. "I¡­ I do not know what this means. The Oracle Stone has never failed before." Adi stared at his trembling hands. He didn¡¯t feel different. And yet, something had changed. Lina grabbed his arm. When he turned to her, he was startled to see fear in her eyes. "Adi¡­ what are you?" she whispered. A deep, sinking feeling formed in his stomach. For the first time in his life, Adi wasn¡¯t just ordinary anymore. But something told him¡ªthis was not a blessing. It was a curse. --- The Unknown Limit The God I Never Wanted to Be Chapter 2: The Unknown Limit A shattered Oracle Stone. A town frozen in silence. And in the center of it all¡ªAdi Veyne, staring at his trembling hands. His chest felt tight. His pulse pounded in his ears. The sacred artifact that had determined the fate of every person in Velmont for generations had cracked in half the moment he touched it. The Elder knelt beside the ruined crystal, his face pale. He ran his fingers along the fractured surface, murmuring something under his breath. Adi swallowed hard. His mouth was dry. The stares of the townspeople bore into him¡ªsome curious, some terrified. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ never happened before.¡± It was Gareth who spoke, his voice sharp with suspicion. The golden-haired warrior stood a few feet away, arms crossed. His piercing green eyes studied Adi as if he were an enemy. The Elder finally stood, his gaze uncertain. "Adi Veyne¡­ something is wrong." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Adi flinched. "W-What does that mean?" The Elder hesitated, then shook his head. "The Oracle Stone measures one¡¯s Level Cap¡ªbut in all my years, I have never seen it break. Either it failed to read you¡­ or you have something beyond its ability to comprehend." Beyond comprehension. A chill ran down Adi¡¯s spine. His hands clenched into fists. "But what does that mean for him?" Lina asked. She stood beside Adi, eyes darting between him and the Elder. Unlike the others, she wasn''t afraid of him¡ªjust concerned. The Elder hesitated before answering, his voice heavy. "It means we do not know his limits. Perhaps¡­ he has none." A ripple of shock and whispers spread through the crowd. No limits? That wasn''t possible. Everyone had a cap. Even the strongest heroes of old had their limits. Gareth narrowed his eyes. "That¡¯s ridiculous. There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®no limit.¡¯ Everyone stops somewhere." Adi wanted to believe him. But the deep, unsettling feeling in his chest told him otherwise. Then¡ª A sound rang in his ears. A voice, mechanical yet distant, like it came from within him. ? System Detected. ? ? Initializing Adaptive Growth¡­ ? Adi staggered. His vision blurred for a moment, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. No one else seemed to hear it. Was he imagining things? ¡°Adi?¡± Lina placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You okay?¡± He forced a nod, though his mind raced. What was that voice? The Elder cleared his throat. "We will investigate this further. For now, Adi, I must ask you to remain in town until we understand more." Adi barely heard him. His mind was still echoing with the system¡¯s words. Something inside him had awakened. And it wasn¡¯t normal. --- Whispers of the System The God I Never Wanted to Be Chapter 3: Whispers of the System The sun was setting, casting long shadows across Velmont. Adi sat alone outside his home, staring at his hands. He hadn''t felt different since the Oracle Stone broke. Yet, he couldn¡¯t shake the unease creeping through him. That voice. It had sounded¡­ mechanical. Almost like the system screens that appeared when people leveled up. But it had spoken directly to him. He let out a shaky breath. "Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking¡ª" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ? System Activated. ? ? Adaptive Growth Online. ? Adi gasped. Before him, floating in the air, was a screen of glowing text. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Adi Veyne Level: 1 Level Cap: ??? Unique Trait: Adaptive Growth (Limitless) ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ His blood ran cold. This wasn¡¯t normal. Everyone had system notifications, sure. But they only appeared when leveling up or checking status windows. And Level Caps were always displayed as a number. Not ???. His hands trembled. What does this mean? The screen flickered, and a new notification appeared. ? New Quest: First Kill. ? ? Defeat a creature and absorb EXP. ? Adi stared at the screen, his stomach twisting. It wanted him to fight? He clenched his fists. He had never trained as a fighter. His body wasn¡¯t strong. But¡­ A dark thought surfaced. If I truly have no limits¡­ then leveling up should make me stronger. And he needed answers. Decision made, Adi stood up. It was time to test this "curse" for himself. ---