The droning of the history teacher's voice was a familiar lullaby, and Krishna's eyelids grew heavy.
He'd always been a good student, but the hum of the classroom, the weight of the textbook, and the sheer ordinariness of it all often sent him drifting.
He'd been immersed in a particularly vibrant daydream, a swirling kaleidoscope of ancient battles and wise pronouncements, when a new sensation startled him awake.
It wasn't a sound, or a sight, but a sudden presence blooming within his mind.
A cascade of pure information, impossible to ignore.
SYSTEM: AWAKENING.
Krishna's eyes snapped open, his heart thrumming with a bewildered excitement.
This wasn't a daydream. This was… real. He'd devoured countless novels – tales of Eastern mystics, futuristic heroes, and digital realms – and he knew, with a certainty that vibrated through his very bones, what this was.
Chosen one.
The thought, exhilarating and terrifying, flooded him before he could even form a coherent question. A surge of anticipation, a hunger for the extraordinary, propelled his intent.
Yes.
SYSTEM: CONGRATULATIONS, HOST. DIVINE GUIDANCE KARMA SYSTEM ACTIVATED.
The words resonated within him, clearer than any spoken language. His mind, still fuzzy from sleep, tried to grasp it.
He, Krishna, a high school student with a penchant for Indian and Korean webnovels, had just been handed a system."Whoa," he breathed, the sound barely a whisper that went unnoticed in the classroom.
He focused his intent inward, addressing the presence.
"Okay, my dear System. What… what exactly do you do?
Are you going to make me immortal?
Grant me world-destroying powers?"
A pause, not of hesitation, but of deliberate consideration, hung in his consciousness.
SYSTEM: SUCH MATTERS DEPEND ENTIRELY ON THE MANIFESTATION OF MY MANDATE. AND, PERHAPS, MY DISPOSITION.
Krishna blinked, a small, amused smile tugging at his lips.
The System was undeniably… unique.
"A bit… particular, aren't we?" he quipped inwardly. Addressing it more directly,
he asked, "So, what can you do?
"SYSTEM: I WILL PRESENT TASKS. UPON THEIR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION, YOU WILL RECEIVE REWARDS.
THESE REWARDS WILL MANIFEST ACCORDING TO A CHARACTER YOU CHOOSE.
"A chosen character?
" Krishna's brow furrowed.
This was beyond even his wildest fanfiction plots. "What do you mean?
"SYSTEM: YOU SHALL SELECT A CHARACTER – FROM MYTH, FROM SCIENCE FICTION, FROM THE REALM OF FANTASY.
THE REWARDS WILL CORRESPOND TO THAT CHARACTER'S ATTRIBUTES AND ABILITIES.
IMAGINE, FOR INSTANCE, RECEIVING THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROWESS OF AN IRON MAN, OR THE ARCANE SECRETS OF A SORCERER SUPREME.
Krishna's mind reeled, the possibilities igniting like fireworks. This was… incredible. He knew instantly. His own name. His own legend.
"I understand now," he said, his voice filled with a newfound awe.
"My name is Krishna. So, I choose… God Krishna.
"There was a longer pause this time, a palpable hum of cosmic resonance.
SYSTEM: ARE YOU CERTAIN? THE FULL MANIFESTATION OF SUCH A BEING CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY.
"Yes. Absolutely sure.
" His excitement was boundless.
SYSTEM: VERY WELL. CONGRATULATIONS, HOST, ON CHOOSING YOUR DIVINE TEMPLATE.
INITIATING FIRST REWARD PROTOCOL:
BODY STRENGTHENING.
A subtle warmth spread through Krishna's limbs, a feeling of being finely-tuned, of latent power stirring.
The droning of the history teacher faded into insignificance.
To be continue.