Night slowly descended upon the ruins of Glaze Moon Village.
The flames that had devoured the houses earlier were finally dying.
Only scattered embers remained, glowing faintly among the broken walls.
Ash drifted through the air like falling snow.
And in the middle of the destroyed village…
a lone boy knelt in silence.
Saltraf sat beside his mother's body.
The wind brushed gently across her hair, moving it slightly.
But she did not move.
She never would again.
Saltraf's hands trembled slightly as he stared at her.
His mind replayed the battle again and again.
The assassin.
The power that had erupted inside him.
The strange voice in his mind.
None of it felt real.
And yet the ruins around him proved otherwise.
He slowly clenched his fists.
"I was too weak…"
His voice was barely a whisper.
"If I had power…"
His fingers dug into the dirt.
"…this wouldn't have happened."
The silence stretched across the ruined village.
Then—
a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
Primordial Zeroth System Active
Saltraf froze.
The cold mechanical voice returned.
Strange symbols appeared within his vision again.
Floating lines of ancient text.
Cold.
Unfamiliar.
Powerful.
Saltraf slowly stood.
"What are you?"
The system answered immediately.
Primordial Zeroth System
Purpose: Assist Host Evolution
Primary Directive: Guide Host Toward Absolute Sovereignty
Saltraf stared at the glowing interface.
But instead of relief…
his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why did you save me?"
The system paused.
Saltraf continued.
His voice was calm, but sharp.
"In this world… nothing is given for free."
The wind swept through the broken village again.
Saltraf's gaze grew colder.
"I don't know you."
"So tell me."
His eyes hardened.
"What do you gain from helping me?"
For a moment—
the system remained silent.
Then new words slowly appeared.
Information Restricted
Host Realm Insufficient
Saltraf frowned.
"That's your answer?"
The system continued.
Certain truths cannot be accessed at Host's current cultivation level
Recommendation: Increase cultivation to unlock system archives
Saltraf looked away slightly.
He didn't fully believe it.
In this world, power always had a price.
Everything had a purpose.
Even kindness.
Even help.
And yet…
what could he do?
The system had already saved his life.
And without power…
he would die sooner or later anyway.
Saltraf exhaled slowly.
"Fine."
His voice became calm again.
"I'll accept it."
But inside his mind another thought formed.
One day…
I'll discover what you really are.
The interface flickered.
Then a new panel appeared.
Host Status Interface
Name: Saltraf
Bloodline: Primordial Paradox Origin
Cultivation Realm: — — — (Locked)
Then—
another line slowly appeared.
Physique: ??? Physique
Saltraf's eyes narrowed.
"Physique?"
The line pulsed faintly.
But the information remained hidden.
Three small question marks.
Saltraf stared at them for a long moment.
"What does this mean?"
The system responded.
Bloodline Awakening Detected
Physique Manifestation Incomplete
Full Data Currently Unavailable
Saltraf placed a hand over his chest.
Even now he could feel something strange within his body.
Something vast.
Something ancient.
Something that felt completely out of place in this universe.
His gaze slowly moved down the interface again.
There was one more section.
A faint symbol blinked at the bottom.
A reward.
The system displayed a small notification.
Unclaimed System Reward Available
Saltraf's heartbeat increased slightly.
Power.
That was what he needed now.
Power to survive.
Power to destroy anyone who threatened him.
His finger slowly lifted toward the glowing symbol.
He was about to accept it—
Then he stopped.
His hand slowly lowered.
His eyes turned toward the ground beside him.
Toward the person lying there.
His mother.
For a long moment…
Saltraf remained silent.
Then quietly he spoke.
"…later."
Power could wait.
There was something he needed to do first.
Hours passed.
Under the dim moonlight, Saltraf gathered stones.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Piece by piece.
The wind blew through the ruined village while he worked in silence.
By the time the moon reached its highest point in the sky…
the grave was finished.
A simple mound of earth.
Marked by stacked stones.
Saltraf knelt in front of it.
The night was quiet.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
His voice was calm.
"But I promise you something."
His fingers pressed into the dirt.
"I'll become strong enough… that no one will ever take anything from me again."
The wind carried his words away.
Saltraf slowly stood.
His gaze shifted toward another body lying nearby.
The assassin.
The man who had destroyed his life.
Saltraf walked toward the corpse.
For a moment he simply stared down at it.
Then he crouched and began searching the body.
A sword.
A pouch.
Some coins.
And something else.
Saltraf's fingers paused.
Inside the assassin's clothing was a small object wrapped in cloth.
He slowly unwrapped it.
A stone.
But not an ordinary stone.
It was dark gray.
Its surface was covered in extremely ancient carvings.
Symbols that looked older than anything Saltraf had ever seen.
The moment he touched it—
a faint chill traveled through his fingers.
His instincts told him one thing.
This object…
was not simple.
The system reacted immediately.
Unknown Artifact Detected
Analysis Incomplete
Saltraf frowned slightly.
"So even you can't identify it."
He stared at the stone again.
For some reason…
the assassin had risked everything to steal this.
Saltraf slowly wrapped it again and placed it inside the pouch.
I'll figure out what it is later.
He stood up again.
The village around him had grown completely silent now.
Nothing remained here.
Only ashes.
Saltraf turned his gaze toward the distant mountains.
Beyond them…
the world waited.
But first—
he needed power.
Real power.
He walked toward the forest at the edge of the village.
Somewhere quiet.
Somewhere hidden.
A place where no one would find him.
After nearly an hour of walking…
Saltraf found a narrow cave hidden between large rocks.
It was small.
But secure.
He stepped inside and sat down.
The cave was dark and silent.
Saltraf closed his eyes briefly.
Then the interface appeared again.
Unclaimed System Reward Available
Saltraf's gaze hardened.
This time—
he did not hesitate.
His finger slowly moved toward the glowing symbol.
Then he pressed it.
Instantly—
a violent surge of energy exploded inside his body.
Saltraf's eyes widened.
His muscles tensed violently.
Pain flooded through his veins like burning fire.
The system spoke calmly.
Reward Integration Initiated
Estimated Completion Time: 7 Days
Saltraf gritted his teeth as the energy spread through every part of his body.
His bones trembled.
His blood roared like a storm.
But at the same time—
something inside him was beginning to awaken.
Deep within his body…
the mysterious ??? Physique flickered faintly.
As if something ancient…
was slowly opening its eyes.
Saltraf's consciousness began to fade as the transformation continued.
And just before darkness consumed his mind—
a single thought echoed within him.
What exactly… am I becoming…?
Deep inside his body…
the ??? Physique pulsed once.
And for the briefest moment—
the system interface flickered.
As if even it…
had not expected what was about to awaken.
Integration Progress: 1%
And somewhere far beyond the laws of reality…
something ancient stirred.