Samuel let out a heavy sigh as he entered his cramped, stuffy boarding room. The musty smell immediately greeted him, mingling with the lingering aroma of instant noodles from the previous night. Eight hours of standing on the electronics factory production line had left his joints screaming. Wearily, his exhausted body collapsed onto a secondhand sofa that creaked loudly in protest.
"Wages never go up, but cigarette prices keep soaring," he grumbled, lighting a cheap cigarette. The room grew even stuffier as smoke began to curl through the air, but that wasn't a problem for Samuel.
He opened the short video app on his scratched-up phone. Videos showcasing luxury and lavish lives filled the screen, making him green with envy. "Don't forget to like and subscribe, guys!" chirped a famous creator's voice, starkly contrasting with his own mood.
Just then, an irresistible urge to urinate came over him. Grumbling, Samuel stood up, his eyes still glued to the phone screen. He didn't notice the puddle of spilled cooking oil on the kitchen floor he was crossing. His foot stepped onto the slippery surface.
"Whoa--!"
The world spun. His phone flew out of his hand, bouncing on the floor with a cracked screen that still played the video. Samuel fell backward, his head hitting the tiles with a loud crack that echoed through the small room. A sharp pain shot through his skull, quickly replaced by a spreading numbness. The sound from the broken phone was still faintly audible, "...don't forget to like and subscribe..." before everything went dark.
[Ding... Scanning soul condition...]
[Soul detected: Low life satisfaction, high desire for change... Compatibility met.] [Binding soul to Fusion Nexus System...]
[Binding successful! Welcome, Host.]
The voice echoed in his head, clear and mechanical, but unfortunately, Samuel had already lost consciousness.
---
Samuel opened his eyes, but what he saw wasn't the stained ceiling of his boarding room, but an unfamiliar wooden roof. He tried to move his hand, but what he saw was a pair of tiny, chubby hands with still-red fingers.
"Nira… elven thar, nira," a woman's voice chirped in an unfamiliar language. Samuel fell silent for a moment. What was that? An alien language? It sounded like some strange incantation… Samuel wanted to shout,to ask where this place was, but all that came out of his mouth was a shrill baby's cry. A woman with a tired but happy face came into view, holding him tightly, and for a moment, Samuel felt safe in that embrace and fell into a deep sleep.
But then, his memories of his previous life began to fade like a forgotten dream. The name "Samuel" slowly faded, replaced by a new name: Adam. Memories of the factory, the boarding room, and his old life turned into vague shadows that only appeared in his dreams.
***
Fifteen years later...
Adam hauled the net with great effort, the muscles in his arms straining. Twin suns began to set on the horizon, casting a golden glow on the calm sea surface.
"Another meager catch," he muttered to himself. His handsome face—a inheritance from his mother's genes—was mismatched with the poverty that gripped his family. His father was gone, swept away by a storm seven years ago, leaving the three of them: Adam, his gentle yet stubborn mother, and his twelve-year-old sister.
Life as a fisherman in this remote village was harsh and unforgiving. Adam often complained inwardly, cursing the fate that had brought him to this life. But every time he saw his always-smiling sister and his mother working without complaint, all his grumbling died down.
As he was cleaning his old wooden boat, a transparent blue panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Ding... Happy 15th birthday, Host Adam Foster]
[Fusion Nexus System fully activated.] [Status: Perfectly bound. Initializing...]
Adam rubbed his eyes, thinking he was just tired. But the blue panel didn't disappear. Strange text kept appearing with a sound only he could hear.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered, his eyes wide with fear and astonishment.
[Scanning environment...]
[Mapping local resources...] [Analyzing host condition: Health 78%, Hunger 60%]
"What kind of whispers are these? Am I going crazy?" Adam held his head, his heart pounding. But then, his practical nature as a fisherman took over. Instead of panicking, he decided to try to understand what was happening.
Carefully, he reached out and touched the blue panel. His finger passed through the hologram, but the text inside began to change.
[The Fusion Nexus System is ready to help the host change his destiny.]
[Let's start with something simple.] [Find 2 fish of different types and touch them with both hands.]
Adam frowned. This had to be a prank. But something inside him—perhaps a remnant of his past life memories—made him want to comply. With a racing heart, barely believing what he was about to do, Adam picked two fish from his meager catch.
[Materials detected: Sea Herring, Blue Mackerel]
[Fusion possible. Deducting 5 FP. Initiating fusion...]
The two fish glowed briefly, causing Adam to step back in surprise. Shortly after, the two fish merged into a single, strange-looking fish with blue fins but a silver body.
[Fusion successful! Obtained: Silver-Blue Hybrid Fish]
[Quality: Rare. Nutritional Value: +50%] [+10 EXP]
Adam stood in a daze, staring at the strange fish in his hand. The fish was still fresh, even fresher than the previous ones.
This... this is real. Not a dream. Not a hallucination from hunger, he thought, followed by a wave of hope so powerful it made him slightly dizzy. With this... with this strange power... can I...?
"Is this my cheat?" he whispered to himself, as vague memories from the life in his dreams—a world with magic boxes that played videos and voices saying "like and subscribe"—flickered in his mind, feeling like a nearly forgotten dream.
His heart raced, no longer from fear, but from burning excitement. The strange fish in his hand was no longer just a fish; it was proof. Was this some kind of magic? Or a power like the sorcerers the travelers talked about? Whatever it was, the important thing was that it was real.
He stared at the blue panel, which now displayed a new menu.
[Fusion Nexus System]
[Host: Adam Foster] [Level: 1 (10/100 EXP)]
[Fusion Points: 5/10](Regeneration rate: 1 point/hour)
Fusion Points? So there's a limit, Adam thought. And it costs 5 for one fusion... So I can only do it one more time before... waiting? How do I get more?
A near-hysterical laugh threatened to escape his mouth. This was insane. This was completely absurd. But it was real.
He looked toward the simple house where his mother and sister were waiting for dinner with his always-meager catch. Then he looked back at the silver-blue hybrid fish glowing softly under the twilight sun.
For the first time since his father left, Adam smiled. Not a resigned smile, but one full of anticipation.
"Okay, System," he murmured, his voice determined. "Let's change our fate."