Rain hammered down as night deepened. Howling winds tore through the trees, shredding leaves and branches throughout the forest. A relentless storm battered the land. Shadows leapt with every flash of lightning, yet a young man lay unmoving at its heart. The chaos raged, but around him lay a strange hush, as if the night itself feared to disturb his sleep.
A sudden chime echoed in the void, not from the storm, but from within.
[System Initialization Complete]
Welcome, Zyren.
Race:Human
Path: Undefined
Evolution: Awaiting
Zyren stirred from his sleep. His eyes opened in a fog before a flood of memories surged inside him.
I'm alive? Who..
Before he could register his surroundings, a splitting headache tore through Zyren's skull, blinding and sharp, as if the outside storm had invaded his mind. His vision spun, every heartbeat pounding like thunder. He clung to the ground, gasping, until an otherworldly whisper slid into his consciousness. Past and present memories collided as if fighting to break him open.
[Neural Link Established]
[System Core Awakening…]
The pain didn't fade — it evolved, spreading through every vein, rewriting him from within. Zyren screamed, though the storm drowned his voice, and in that agony, he understood: this was not the end, but the beginning.
[System Core Awakened]
[Absolute Evolution System Complete]
Zyren became aware of his situation. He was no longer on Earth. He had transmigrated after dying to Sytherra, a planet several times larger than his previous world—so vast it is never fully explored, both dangerous and unforgiving.
So, I can remember my past life, even after dying. Was being a corporate enslaved person what led me here? Still, whose body is this now? Am I really Zyren?
Still confused, Zyren steadied himself. Panic would accomplish nothing. His breath shuddered, but he forced them even, anchoring himself to the wet earth. The raging storm outside seemed trivial compared to the tempest in his mind.
[World Identification: Sytherra]
[Classification: Hostile Survival Environment]
[System Protocol: Adapt → Evolve → Ascend]
So… this isn't Earth anymore. I really am somewhere else.
His thoughts trembled, but the words etched in his mind were undeniable.
Sytherra... I've never heard of this place. It truly feels like I've been thrown into its jaws.
[Status Window Opened]
Name: Zyren
Race:Human
Path: Undefined
Evolution: Awaiting
Traits:
[Adaptive Will] – The ability to endure and evolve under extreme pressure.
Skills:
None
The screen pulsed once, then dissolved into the darkness.
So, this is me... I actually have a system, just like in games and novels from my past life. Only one trait and no skills? Still, if this system exists, I can grow. I will grow.
Sytherra was unlike anything Zyren had known. The air pressed down, heavy, reminding intruders they did not belong. Towering trees loomed unnaturally high, bark glistening as if alive. Unfamiliar cries echoed—neither beast nor bird he recognized. The storm concealed a harsh truth—this world overflowed with predators, and he had landed in their midst.
I'm soaked and freezing. I need to find shelter and start a fire if I want to get dry. I have no idea where I am in this dark forest.
Before Zyren could take even a single step, he heard the bushes behind him rustle. Suddenly, a slime jumped out and attacked him!
This is just like a game, but I don't have any weapons at all!
With no other option, Zyren used his bare fists. He struck and hit the slime squarely.
SPLAT!
Luckily, Zyren hit the slime's core. It was a low-level monster, but a swarm posed a significant danger. This time, only one attacked, and he killed it.
DING!
[Skill Acquired: Absorption]
Did I get a skill?
[Status Window Opened]
Name: Zyren
Race:Human
Path: Undefined
Evolution: Awaiting
Traits:
[Adaptive Will] – The ability to endure and evolve under extreme pressure.
Skills:
[Absorption] – You can absorb anything within your capacity.
Absorption, huh? The description is vague, but it also makes sense in some way. If I can really absorb anything, I'll have to test it later. For now, I need to get somewhere safe before more monsters show up.
Zyren forced himself upright, every muscle aching. He scanned the forest and spotted a faint, wide path ahead—enough for several people abreast.
With no other choice, he steadied his breath and followed it—deeper into Sytherra.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zyren walked the faint path as the storm weakened. Rain still dripped from the canopy, but the worst had passed. His clothes clung to him, heavy with water. Each step sank into the mud.
He tried to recall how he'd ended up in the forest. He knew he had transmigrated and knew his past life. But the exact crossing into this world was gone.
How did I get here? I remember the pain of death, then oblivion, then—Sytherra. But the bridge between… why is it blank?
He frowned, pressing his fingers to his temple, forcing himself to think. No matter how hard he tried, it was like hitting a wall of fog.
It wasn't natural.
It feels as though it's been erased—an intentional absence, as if something is actively keeping me from the truth.
A low chime rang in his head, cold and mechanical.
[System Notice]
Specific memories have been restricted.
Access: Locked.
Zyren froze.
Restricted? Did the system steal my memories, or is it hiding the truth from me?
His fists clenched. A bitter laugh nearly escaped his lips.
Perfect. Another life, but I don't even know whose choice it was—mine, or someone else's.
His jaw tightened. He wanted to curse, but what good would it do? The storm didn't care. The system didn't care. All he could do was survive.
He pressed forward. After hours of trudging through mud and roots, the trees thinned. Half-hidden in moss and vines stood a small stone structure, its cracked walls radiating odd serenity.
A temple? Here, in the middle of this forest?
The entrance was narrow, its arch carved with faint, unrecognizable symbols. Whatever civilization had built, it was long gone, but the walls endured, defiant against the passage of time.
Inside was dark but dry. Broken pillars lined the sides. Moonlight filtered through a shattered dome. Dust and silence filled the air. It wasn't much, but it was shelter.
Zyren sat against cool stone, exhaled deeply. His body ached, his stomach churned, but his mind refused rest. He closed his eyes, searching for the missing piece: the gap between death and the storm.
But the answer remained the same: emptiness. The system had locked it away, and until it allowed him to see, he was blind to that truth.
Fine, keep your secrets. Survival comes first now.
Once he resolved to stay, Zyren's eyes adjusted to the dim. The shattered dome above let in faint moonlight, enough for him to see the cracked altar at the far end.
Curiosity tugged at him. Though old, the altar seemed untouched in the ruined temple. Atop it rested a single book, its cover worn and flaking. The pages glowed faintly, as if resisting time.
A book? Out here?
He approached. The temple was silent, no traps or guardians, but the book's presence felt unnatural—too deliberate, too perfect. His hand hovered above it.
Dangerous… but perhaps my only real clue in this world.
He pressed his fingers against the cover.
At once, his Absorption skill stirred on its own.
[Skill Activated: Absorption]
[Absorbing… Object: Ancient Codex]
Light surged from the book, flowing into his palm like fire. Zyren staggered back. The book dissolved into shimmering dust, vanishing into him. Echoes rang in his mind—whispers in a strange language, symbols flashing before fading.
[Absorption Complete]
[Skill Acquired: Language Deciphering]
Zyren gasped, gripping his head.
The book didn't just disappear—I absorbed it. Can I really understand now?
He glanced at the archway. The carvings that seemed like meaningless scratches now rearranged in his mind, their meaning clear.
This skill doesn't just take—it adapts. It gives me what I need most.
His heart pounded, the fear of the unknown mixing with a dangerous excitement.
If I can absorb more than monsters, this world just got a lot more interesting.
He looked at the altar's base. Carvings at a glance seemed mere decorative etchings, long worn by time. He hadn't thought much of them—just the scratches of a forgotten craftsman.
But now… they moved differently in his eyes.
The shapes twisted into clarity, forming words he could suddenly understand.
"Here lies the Gate of Trials. Only the chosen may walk forward. Only the evolving shall ascend."
Zyren's breath caught. His eyes darted across the temple walls. The same symbols were everywhere—pillars, archways, fragments of the broken dome. Where he once saw random marks, now each burned with meaning.
So, this is the reward: understanding this world's language, at last.
He brushed his fingers across the nearest pillar, tracing the words.
This changes everything. Absorption isn't just about power—it's about knowledge.
His heart raced with a dangerous thrill.
If one old book changed everything, what else could I absorb in this world?
The storm outside had faded into a drizzle, but inside the temple, Zyren felt as though he had just stepped onto a path no ordinary human could walk.