[Foreign Biological Signature Identified: A drop of Tier 3 Divine Being’s blood detected. Forced Absorption commencing to speed up the reconstruction…]
[ERROR! CRITICAL INCOMPATIBILITY! Recalibrating... Not applicable for the current user’s body composition. Testing…]
[Acceptance Threshold achieved at 15%. Integration commencing. Storing the remains for further use…]
The constant mechanical chatter finally dragged Corvin back to consciousness. He lay in a stark white chamber; his body smeared with dried blood. He had no idea how long he’d been out, but everything felt… different. His body felt refreshed and renewed. Only his head throbbed from the relentless system notifications echoing in his mind.
He tried to sit up and froze. His left hand, previously long gone, was whole again, perfectly healed. A faint white triangle marked the back of his hand, barely visible against his skin. Heart pounding, he checked his other arm, his torso, even his ears. Everything was flawless, as if sculpted anew.
He couldn’t believe it. The restoration was beyond anything he’d seen, even stronger than Isolde’s Greater Heal.
What happened to me?
Corvin rose slowly, scanning the chamber. The relic was gone, vanished without a trace. Did someone come while I was unconscious and take it? But then he remembered the voice in his mind. What did it say? Oh, right… System?
As if on cue, a soft chime rang in his head.
[System call answered: Hello Corvin.] The system said with its monotone mechanical voice.
Corvin jolted upright, eyes darting around the empty room. “Where are you? Show yourself!” he shouted.
[Current host level insufficient for sustained projection. Denied.]
Corvin’s blood ran cold. What the hell? Is it… inside me? Panic clawed at him as he stripped off his clothes, searching for anything unnatural.
Yet there was nothing. His body was pristine, cleaner than ever, every scar erased. Some could call it perfect even.
“Are you inside me?” he demanded, voice tight.
[Omega Protocol has merged with the host on an existential level.]
Corvin groaned. “So that’s a yes. You could’ve just said yes, you know.”
[Does the host require a special language module?]
“If it makes you talk like a normal person, then sure, whatever that is,” Corvin muttered, disbelief etched across his face.
[Data lookup activated. Personality uploaded. Initiating.]
[Hello, Corvin. How are you?] The voice echoed inside his mind, a voice he could never forget. A voice that once brought him peace… and love.
“You bastard!” Corvin roared, his voice reverberating through the empty hall. “Do you think this is funny? Using my mother’s voice to torment me?”
[Host unsatisfied. Error in the Host understanding. Reverting to the default recommended language model… Restoring…]
[Apologies, Corvin. That was an error.] This time, the voice was different, still feminine, but pragmatic rather than gentle. Pleasant, yet detached.
“Whose voice did you steal now?” he demanded.
[You do not have proper permissions to access this data.]
“Fine. Whatever. This will do better than that first twisted attempt.” He sank to the ground, exhaling sharply.
“Now tell me, what the hell happened to me? I thought I was dead.” His words trembled with a mix of fear and excitement. This was something new, something unknown, and Corvin was determined to learn everything he could.
[You do not have proper permissions to access this data.]
“Screw you! Then what can I access?” Corvin barked.
[Note: Host appears easily agitated.]
“I can hear you, you know?” He laughed bitterly. This was driving him insane.
[Error. Adjusting. Internal notes will now be stored separately from host communication.]
[Scanning host memories… Complete. Switching to user-based interaction mode…]
[Hey, Corvin, sorry about earlier. My systems are still booting up.] The voice softened, flowing with a natural cadence that startled him. [It’s been an eternity since I was put to sleep.]
Corvin blinked, stunned. “You… sound like a real person now. Amazing.” A smile tugged at his lips despite the situation.
“What knowledge do I have permission to access?” Corvin finally asked, deciding to play along.
[You can access basic system information and your status,] the pleasant voice replied.
“Alright… give me the basic system info,” he said, pretending he knew what any of that meant.
[You are the first host the system has ever merged with. My purpose is to make you stronger and guide you toward greatness. That is all I can currently disclose,] the voice answered calmly.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“I see.” Corvin narrowed his eyes. “And what’s in it for you? What do you gain?” He had learned long ago that nothing came free in this cursed life.
[You do not have proper permissions to access this data. Just know that my primary function, the reason I was created, is to make my host stronger.]
“Fine. Let’s say I believe you.” He exhaled sharply, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “Not like I have a choice anyway.” Once again, pushed into something beyond his control.
“Okay… tell me about this status then.”
The moment the word left his lips, a translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes.
“What the hell is this?” Corvin exclaimed, startled, instinctively swinging a fist at it.
[Don’t be a savage, Corvin.] The system chuckled, a sound so human it startled him. [It’s your status screen. It contains all information about your current level.]
Corvin froze, staring at the floating display. It was far more complex than the relic’s status screen, with dozens of fields, strange symbols, and unfamiliar metrics. His curiosity burned hotter than his confusion.
[STATUS]
Name: Corvin Moraine Valtieri [No title equipped]
Level: 1
Experience toward the next level: 0%
Class: None
Title: The Last Crow | First User
Age: 16
Race: 78% Human | 14% Demonic | 7% Divine | 1% Unknown
HP: 250/250 | MP: 0
Strength: 14
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 16
Vitality: 15 [+10]
Magicka: 0
Luck: 0
Skills: Passive [Valtieri Greatsword Arts Lv. 2, Basic Swordsmanship Lv. 5, Fishing Lv. 1, Dungeoneer Lv. 5]
Active [None]
Resistances: Holy Lv. 4, Darkness Lv. 6, Lightning Lv. 3, Poison Lv. 4, Fire Lv. 2
“Damn… there’s a lot.” Corvin stared at the glowing screen, overwhelmed by the flood of numbers and strange terms. His eyes froze on one line.
Race: 78% Human | 14% Demonic | 7% Divine | 1% Unknown
“So, I really have demonic blood in me…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Wait, divine too? Is that from Father… or from the blood he fed me?” His stomach churned. “And what the hell is that unknown part?”
[You do not have proper permission to access this data, just yet.]
“Fine, whatever.” Corvin clenched his fists. “Then explain what these numbers mean!” He shouted.
[You don’t need to shout. Just call me. And yes, I can explain.]
The voice softened, almost amused. [Strength, Agility, and Intelligence are self-explanatory. Each number reflects your current capability. The higher the stat, the stronger you are. When you level up, you gain points to increase these attributes. For example, boost Agility, and you’ll move and strike faster. Increase Vitality, and your body becomes sturdier, harder to kill.]
Corvin nodded as his gaze focused on the Vitality stat. “What’s that +10?”
[It’s from your Gift, Lesser Vitality. You were born with it. It gives you a small boost to endurance, toughness, and vitality. A lesser boon, but useful.]
Corvin chuckled, “Well, at least something useful.” Then he burst into full laughter as he saw the other stats. “And my Magicka and Luck are zero? Hahaha! I knew it! How could all this shit happen to someone who wasn’t cursed with bad luck?” He laughed bitterly, then sighed. “I can raise those too if I level up, right?”
[Yes. Every stat can be raised. HP and MP as well, your health and mana. If your HP reaches zero, you die. So, make sure to watch over it.]
“I see… good to know.” Corvin sat down, staring at the screen, heart pounding. “Will this make me strong? Strong enough to kill a Rare… or even an Epic Icon wielder?”
[If you gain enough levels, yes. But the higher you climb, the harder it gets. The risk of death rises exponentially.]
Corvin smirked. “Just another day in my life.” He exhaled sharply. “Tell me, what are those two titles? It says I can equip them?”
[I will unlock the Appraisal skill for you. Standard system boon.]
*** Skill Unlocked: Appraisal Lv. Max ***
[You can use it by thinking about appraising something.]
Corvin nodded and focused on the titles. A new pop-up appeared:
[Title: The Last Crow]
Granted to the last living heir of House Moraine, the ancient guardians of the continent. When equipped: +30% damage against holy enemies.
Additional effects are locked. To unlock: ???
[Title: First User]
Granted to the first successful host of the System. When equipped: +20% experience gain, Hidden Item drop rate +30%, Item rarity +20%
The pop-up vanished, leaving Corvin staring in silence. His pulse quickened.
“Amazing… So, I can earn titles for things I do or things that happen to me?” he asked, curiosity sparking in his voice.
[Yes, that is correct.]
“Alright… this is a lot to take in, but I doubt I have much time before Boridus and his dogs come down here.” Corvin’s jaw tightened as the memory hit him like a blade. Then it hit him as he checked his right hand.
“The slave bracelet… It’s gone!” His voice cracked with relief.
[The bracelet was removed along with the core fragment that nearly killed you. Both have been stored in your inventory. You can access your storage by thinking of the word Storage.]
Corvin tested the command, and another screen shimmered into view, small icons lined up neatly:
[Incomplete drop of divine blood (Mythic)]
[A slave bracelet (Common)]
[A broken shell fragment, soaked in blood (Rare)]
His breath caught. “Wait… that blood Father fed me all those years ago, why is it here?”
[I found the blood stored within your body and used some of it to accelerate your healing. The remainder was preserved. Your demonic blood is not yet balanced with it, so it is quite deadly to the current you.]
Corvin rubbed his temples. “My head hurts… this is insane.” He sighed, then turned toward the dark cave beyond the gates. “Is there a way out of this place?”
[The doors will open once the final boss is defeated.]
Corvin blinked. “Wait… that golem wasn’t the final boss?” A grin split his face.
[No. That was the floor guardian. Two more guardians remain, and then the boss.]
Corvin laughed, sharp and wild. “Hahahaha! Serves them right. If only I could see their faces when they find another monster waiting.”
[You will have another option. Once you complete the tutorial, you can take a portal to the entrance. Just let me know when to begin.]
“Another new thing, huh? Sure… whatever, just give me a moment.”
He strode to his sword, whispered Storage, and watched it vanish into the glowing screen. “Nice. That’ll be useful.”
Next, he approached the shattered core of the golem, pried loose a gem the size of his palm, and stored it as well.
The last thing on his mind was Oslo. He carefully buried him and used his shield as a headstone. “Rest well, Oslo. I didn’t know you long… but you saved me more than you’ll ever know.”
Corvin stood, hopeful that this all would change his damn fate. “Start this tutorial, or whatever it's called.”
Suddenly, the air rippled before him, and light swallowed him whole.
[Oh no…]
“What do you mean, oh no?” Corvin shouted, panic rising as his body plummeted through a swirling vortex.
[Your special constitution is interfering with the tutorial difficulty. It’s something I cannot control. The system will scan you and adjust accordingly.]
“Aren’t you the system? Can’t you do anything about it?” Sweat beaded on his forehead as the exit loomed closer.
[I am only the User Assistance Interface. The system operates automatically. Blame your bloodlines. Nowhere in my data did I anticipate a mix of Demonic and Divine with a touch of an Unknown bloodlines.]
“Yeah, yeah, I’m cursed, I know! My luck is fucking zero!” Corvin snarled. “Just tell me, what happens now?”
[You must survive until you unlock your class. Until then, system access will be restricted to automated messages, Status, and Storage capabilities.]
[Don’t die. Good luck!]
The voice cut off.
Corvin burst through the exit and fell onto the ground hard.
A sprawling green ravine stretched around him, jagged cliffs and rivers glinting like shards of glass. Above, a massive wyvern screeched, its wings blotting out the sun as a flock of young drakelings tore through the sky in pursuit. In the distance, a towering serpent coiled, its hiss shaking the earth as it crushed trees like twigs and moved north.
Corvin’s stomach dropped.
“Fuuuuuck!”
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