Night had already fallen by the time Cain stirred. His eyelids fluttered open, and the world swam in darkness broken only by shafts of moonlight cutting through the canopy. His body ached as if it had been trampled, his mind foggy. He groaned, forcing himself upright, brushing dirt and leaves from his clothes.
That was when he felt it—the sticky coldness clinging to his shirt. He looked down. Blood. His breath caught as the memories flooded back: the fight, the rage, the stone in his fist, Kiron's scream.
His gaze drifted to the corpse sprawled near his feet. The body was stiff now, lifeless eyes staring upward. Cain's stomach tightened, his throat dry.
"Yes… I killed him."
The thought made him tremble. He was a killer now. Fourteen years old, and his hands were already stained with blood. But another memory rose unbidden. That voice—the one that had spoken before he collapsed.
"Was it just an illusion?"
"Not an illusion at all, brat."
The voice struck him like thunder, resonating in his skull. Cain jerked, eyes darting wildly, but he saw no one. It was a man's voice—young, yet weighted with an ancient quality, as though it carried echoes of countless years.
Like the A.I. Chip's mechanical tone, it bypassed his ears entirely, speaking straight into his mind.
Cain opened his mouth to respond, but he hesitated. A spark of intuition flashed in his eyes. He shut his lips and thought instead. "You can read my mind."
A low chuckle followed. "Smarter than you look. Yes, I can read your thoughts. Not that it matters—there's no way a child like you could deceive me." The certainty in the voice was absolute. No boasting, no arrogance—just fact.
Before Cain could react, the voice continued. "And before you pester me with endless questions, I'll explain what happened."
Cain bristled at the commanding tone, but he swallowed his irritation. He needed answers, and this presence—whoever or whatever it was—had them.
"First of all," the voice said, "congratulations. You are now the Vessel of the Absolute Life Form System. As its name implies, its purpose is to raise you to the pinnacle of existence."
Cain's heartbeat quickened. Vessel? Pinnacle of existence?
"As for me, I am the spirit of the Absolute Life Form System. You may call me Apex. My role is to guide you… and to determine whether you are worthy of carrying the system. Normally, the fusion would occur directly with your soul, but since you already had an A.I. Chip, I took a detour.
"I fused with the Chip, assimilating it into what I now call the [A.I. Chip Module]. Through the system, you still retain all of its functions—enhanced and evolving alongside your soul. As you grow stronger, so will it.
"While you lay unconscious, I used the module to access the Godslayer Humankind Empire's Digital Network. I only scratched the surface, but even that fragment yielded knowledge. As for your body, the energy I carried healed your wounds."
Cain's fingers brushed over his ribs. No pain. No fractures. Only faint soreness where hours ago there had been agony.
"That is my introduction, brat," Apex concluded. "Now, you may ask three questions. Any three. And no matter how deep the secret, I will answer."
Most would have shouted in joy at such a revelation. A system? A chance to rise from nothing to everything? It was the dream of countless stories. But Cain was not so easily swept away. He inhaled, steadying his emotions, then walked a few paces away from Kiron's body. Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and thought in silence for half an hour.
Apex did not interrupt.
Finally, Cain spoke—not aloud, but within his mind. "Why was I chosen as a Vessel for the Absolute Life Form System? And what happens if you decide I'm unworthy?"
The question carried no naivety. Cain had learned enough from this brutal world to know there was no such thing as a free gift. Everyone had an agenda.
Apex responded without hesitation. "Technically two questions, but I'll allow it. The answer is simple: you fulfilled the criteria.
"You possess a will strong enough to face adversity, and a heart ruthless enough to make the hard choice when needed."
Cain frowned. He wasn't about to diminish his own resolve—he knew he had endured more than most fourteen-year-olds could bear. But if that alone were enough, there should be thousands of others just as qualified.
Apex seemed to sense his doubt. "And most importantly, you are a Reincarnator."
Cain's breath caught. "A… Reincarnator?"
"Yes," Apex said smoothly. "A unique soul that resisted the purge of the Eternal River of the Afterlife. That resistance left your connection to the River flawed, making it possible for the Absolute Life Form System to anchor itself within you. That is why you were chosen."
Cain's eyes widened. The word rattled in his mind like thunder. Reincarnator.
"Oh, I see—you haven't awakened your memories yet. But it's true. You lived before, in another place, another time. That explains why your will is stronger, why your mind is sharper than most your age." Apex's tone softened, almost indulgent. "Think back. You've had dreams, haven't you? Fragments of other worlds, other lives?"
Cain stiffened. He had. Vivid dreams since childhood—strange cities in ruins, golden sunlight falling on broken towers. They had always felt real, though blurred and distant. He had dismissed them as imagination.
Apex chuckled knowingly. "Those are echoes of your past life. The memories will return, in time. Whether that is a blessing or a curse… well, that remains to be seen. Some truths are heavier than chains."
Cain's hands clenched in his lap. Reincarnated. If his past was filled with greatness, could he rise again? And if it was darkness… would his mind endure it?
Apex let the silence linger before delivering the final blow.
"And as for what happens if I find you unworthy…" The ancient weight in his voice grew colder. "Then I will command the Absolute Life Form System to devour your existence. Your soul will be erased, and I will seek another Vessel."