Location: Unknown
3rd POV
Feldway stood frozen, staring up at the massive, cyan-colored dragon before him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the dragon's deep, cosmic voice cut him off.
"Well, that's probably a lot to take in. But hey—come with me."
Before Feldway could even blink, an unseen force pulled him off his feet. The world twisted—light bending, wind vanishing—and suddenly, he was standing on a towering peak above the clouds. Cold air bit his skin. Stars hung so close, he felt like he could touch them.
"Welcome to the Star Palace!" came the same voice I heard a moment ago, far too chipper for the altitude.
Feldway turned to face a stunningly androgynous man with black hair with white specks and piercing blue eyes. Horns curled from his head like a crown, and his very presence screamed authority.
This was Veldanava. Apparently.
Feldway's POV
I squinted.
"You've gotta be kidding."
The man—god—grinned like he'd just gotten away with stealing creation. "Ta-da! Pretty, right? I modeled this place after the edge of the observable universe. Gotta keep the aesthetic high."
I stared blankly. "...Okay. Real talk—what the hell is going on?"
"Excellent question!" He spun once like a magician revealing a trick. "Short version: You died, I reincarnated you, and now you work for me. Congrats!"
"I—what?"
"You're my first artificial soul to wake up with a functioning ego, so naturally, I had to show off a little."
"...Are you seriously giving exposition with jazz hands?"
He paused, blinked at his own hands, then slowly put them behind his back like a guilty child. "Force of habit."
I rubbed my temples. "Alright. Fine. Whatever. What's a skill?"
"Oh-ho! Now that's a spicy question," he said, voice pitching up like he was narrating a game show. "You see, in this world, skills aren't just spells. They're soul-coded abilities—a manifestation of will and desire, formatted by the Voice of the World for functionality."
"...The what now?"
"The Voice of the World," he said, waving a glowing finger in circles. "It's like... metaphysical programming. Skills are commands you interface with reality through. Common skills are simple. Extra skills are advanced. Unique skills are soul-etched. And Ultimate Skills? Those rewrite the rules."
I blinked. "...So basically, cheat codes for existence?"
"Exactly!" he beamed. "And you, my pointy little miracle, just unlocked one."
I flinched as glowing text lit up in my head. My first instinct was to freak out—but instead, my mind calmly absorbed it like muscle memory. Huh. Weird.
⸻
[Administrative Authority] – Intrinsic Skill
- Law Manipulation – Reshape magical or physical laws.
- Apotheosis – Transform into your "true form," based on race.
- Space-Time Domination – Warp reality or teleport at will.
- Thought Communication – Universal telepathy.
- Analysis – Instantly understand people, objects, and concepts.
- Thought Acceleration – Process thoughts at light speed.
⸻
I read the list. Slowly.
"...You basically handed me admin rights."
Veldanava winked. "Well, you've got the attitude for it."
"Why would you trust a total stranger with something this broken?"
"Oh please. I've run simulations using Raphael. If we fought a thousand times, I'd win a thousand times. Besides—what's life without a little chaos?"
I narrowed my eyes. "So I'm your science project."
"My passion project, thank you very much."
I sighed. "And why can't I use all this yet?"
"Ah! Because you lack a true form," he said, pulling a monocle out of nowhere and inspecting me like a gemstone. "Which I am about to fix."
Snap.
A blinding white light engulfed me. My instincts screamed. Please not another reincarnation—
And then... silence.
When the light faded, I saw a new body—mine. White hair, black starlit armor, radiant horns, and glowing eyes. My soul slid into the vessel like it had always belonged there.
I caught my reflection.
"...Damn. I look incredible."
Wait. Was I simping for myself?
Veldanava gasped in glee. "You like it?! I knew you'd like it! I used dragotite for the base frame, gold-threaded magicules for internal wiring, and Hihiirokane plating so you don't shatter like glass when reality punches back."
I raised an eyebrow. "You put gold in my body?"
"Conductivity," he said, smug.
Just then, something slammed into my face.
"Ow—what the hell!?"
I looked down. A sword, humming with power.
"That's Ark! Legendary-grade. Think of it as a bonus. Go on—slash something with it."
I stared at the sword. Then at him.
Then back at the sword.
"...I'm not ready for this job."
Veldanava grinned ear to ear. "Too late. Orientation starts now!"
To be continued…