The world had changed.
Dungeons erupted across cities and countryside, spilling monsters into the streets. Hunters, humans awakened to strange powers, trained, fought, and hunted endlessly.
Civilization adapted, trading fear for opportunity. Rare artifacts, legendary weapons, and forbidden magic had become common commodities.
Above it all, the sky remained quiet, filled with countless celestial observers. Most delighted in the chaos, cheering at dungeon raids and monster slayings.
But one among them was different. He drifted apart, bored by the repetition of mortal games. His peers found joy in struggle, but he found it dull.
"Same tricks, same struggles," he muttered, tracing a fragment of a system. "Let's change the rules."
No mortal noticed. No peer suspected. The fragment was placed into a child not yet born. The child would enter the world ordinary in appearance but extraordinary from the first breath.
***
From the moment I was born, I knew I was different.
The Arden family was powerful and influential. They doted on me, their youngest son, seeing only a charming, mischievous child. Yet something inside told me I was far from ordinary.
The first time I opened my eyes, it was not my parents who greeted me. Not the warmth of their hands or the soft coo of nurses. It was a floating figure, shimmering and hovering above my crib.
Finally, it spoke.
"Finally, my little baby can see me," it said.
I stared. I could not speak or cry, but I understood.
"Do not be afraid. I am your Father-Unit, Nyxil. I will help you grow. And you, my baby, will have fun."
A tingle ran through me. Mischief, curiosity, and a thrill of chaos awakened.
"First quest: steal the pacifier without waking your parents. Success earns your first stat boost," the figure instructed.
I grinned. Though I could not speak, I knew the rules already.
"You are impossible, but clever," it muttered. "Luck plus one."
And so, my journey began.
***
Even as a toddler, I could not resist mischief. Crawling out of my crib to sneak cookies, rearranging toys, charming the adults around me. Nyxil scolded but with amusement.
"Not again! Strength could use a boost, not luck for sneaking sugar," it said.
I earned EXP from minor deeds, unnoticed by anyone. By age three, I manipulated the servants and charmed my parents effortlessly. Mischief became instinct.
***
By age six, I began experimenting with the family's artifacts. Tiny trinkets moved mysteriously, and small dungeons near the estate became my playground. Nyxil often warned me, half frustrated, half amused.
"Stealing again, my baby? Clever, but do not trip over your own cheekiness. "
Stats grew steadily: Strength five, Agility ten, Intelligence fifteen, Charisma twenty, Luck twenty-five. Skills unlocked: Minor Telekinesis, Trap Detection, and Charm Aura. Mischief remained playful; my kindness toward family untouched.
***
At seven, tutors and trainers arrived, hoping to shape me into a proper Arden heir.
It was pointless. My system allowed me to outwit them effortlessly. Dungeons, once dangerous, became tests of cleverness rather than strength. Minor monsters and traps were no challenge.
First morally gray quests arrived. Trick a rival hunter? Done. Borrow a dungeon artifact without detection? Done. Each task brought stat boosts, artifact rewards, and laughter from Nyxil.
"My baby, outwitting humans already? Do you realize how dangerous this could be?" it asked, exasperated.
Stats by age twelve: Strength fifteen, Agility twenty-five, Intelligence forty, Charisma fifty, Luck sixty. Skills: Stealth Walk, Lock Manipulation, Artifact Sense. Cleverness had become habit; mischief, second nature.
***
Adolescence brought greater challenges.
From thirteen to sixteen, dungeons grew more active. Hunter guilds, rival families, and city factions presented new obstacles, but I saw opportunities. I outsmarted minor guilds, played pranks on experienced hunters, and used monsters and traps to gain maximum EXP.
At fifteen, Nyxil assigned my first major ascension quest: manipulate a city guild into surrendering a rare artifact. Success brought the Shadow Gauntlet, enhancing stealth and minor telekinesis. I chose a fivefold boost to Agility.
Stats at sixteen: Strength twenty-five, Agility forty, Intelligence sixty-five, Charisma seventy, Luck eighty. Skills added: Shadow Gauntlet Mastery, Quick Thinking, Minor Illusion. Mischief evolved into calculated cunning.
***
At seventeen, I stood on the threshold of the world.
I completed the system's first major level cap quest: outwitting a rival hunter family in a mock tournament. A-Rank Hunter registration awaited me.
Stats at seventeen: Strength twenty-five, Agility forty, Intelligence seventy-five, Charisma eighty-five, Luck ninety. Skills: Shadow Gauntlet Mastery, Minor Illusion, Quick Thinking, Stealth Walk, Artifact Sense, Minor Telekinesis, Charm Aura.
Nyxil floated above, a digital smirk on its display.
"Finally, my baby is recognized by the world. Tomorrow, the real fun begins," it said.
I grinned. Mischief, cunning, and curiosity had brought me here. The world had yet to see the true Adrian Arden. Somewhere above, the celestial entity who had gifted me smiled. Its experiment was only just beginning.