Returning to the present, Vidax gazed at his son, the ache in his chest tightening once more. Despite humanity's leaps in strength and technology over the past decade, no one had been able to do anything about Blue's peculiar condition. At humanity's current level, there were countless people who could wake others from comatose states within seconds—but they were powerless when it came to Blue's strange state.
"You've always been special, my boy. And now, even after the world has changed so much, you're still so special... I don't even know if I should be happy or sad about that," Vidax said softly, his hand gently ruffling the boy's hair.
A somber silence followed before Vidax straightened. His voice carried authority as he called out, "Shade."
A shadow-like figure emerged silently behind him, its presence almost blending into the dim light of the room.
"I'll leave you here to protect him," Vidax commanded. The figure moved toward Blue's bedside, melting into the shadows that cloaked the room.
Satisfied with the measures in place, Vidax left, his footsteps fading into the silence that once again enveloped the space. The room became eerily still, not a single sound betraying its quietude.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, shattering the perfect silence. A young-looking man entered briskly, his features strikingly similar to Blue's, though marked by slightly older characteristics.
Without hesitation, he crossed the room and placed his hands on Blue's head. The chill from the boy's skin seeped into his palms, sending a shiver through him. The man seemed to slip into a strange resonance, as though tethering himself to Blue's unconscious form.
Minutes passed in silence as he held the posture, unmoving. Slowly, his ruddy complexion faded, taking on the pale hue that mirrored Blue's strange pallor.
"I'll be gone for a while, little bro," he murmured, his voice quiet yet resolute. "Show me a more interesting world when I return."
Without another glance, the man turned and exited the room, leaving behind an air of mystery and unanswered questions.
The room's silent harmony lingered for a while before it was broken—not by external noise, but by something profound. What shattered the stillness was a single... heartbeat.
The boy who had been in a comatose state for ten years was awakening.
---
In another plane of existence, a figure stirred, sensing the shift.
"He's awake already? Phew, that was quicker than I expected. I doubt 'they' would have noticed his inaction in such a short time," the figure mused. "Finally! I can have some fun too—staying idle without being able to sleep is nothing short of torture."
With those words, the figure vanished in a sudden flash.
---
Back in Blue's room, a dim light flickered on his forehead. Shade, ever watchful, was immediately alarmed. Just as the shadow-like guardian moved to take action, the light disappeared without a trace, as though it had never been there. Confused, Shade retreated back into the darkness.
Suddenly, Blue's eyes shot open. His pupils shimmered with a vivid blue glow. He looked around at the familiar room, his expression tinged with disappointment.
"Oh, so I didn't die and get transmigrated, huh," he thought, sighing. Clearly, the outcome was far from what he had hoped for.
"I wonder how long I've been unconscious. It seems there have been quite a few changes to my room," he muttered, carefully standing on his feet. He moved delicately, unaware of the shadow silently attaching itself to him as he headed toward the door.
Opening it, he found two guards stationed outside. Their startled expressions betrayed their unease.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in front of my room?" Blue asked sharply, his inquisitive gaze drilling into them.
"Sec... second young master, you're finally awake!" one of the guards stammered, while the other bolted off to deliver the news to Vidax.
Blue furrowed his brows, his patience wearing thin. "What's going on here? Am I some sort of sleeping beauty? Why are you being so dramatic?"
The remaining guard hesitated before asking cautiously, "Second young master, do you have any idea how long you've been asleep?"
"I don't know—maybe a week or two?" Blue replied with a dismissive tone.
The guard burst into laughter. "Weeks? Hahaha!"
Blue's smile froze, turning cold. "Would you care to share what's so funny?"
"My apologies, second young master. But the thing is... you haven't been asleep for weeks or months—you've been unconscious for ten years."
Blue's face darkened at the revelation. "Ten years? So I spent ten good years of my life sleeping, only to wake up in this dull, boring world. What a waste."
He sighed and turned away, intending to leave. However, before he could take another step, a sudden wave of weakness washed over him, and he collapsed, unconscious once more.
The guard rushed to his side, frustration flickering across his face. "Why is the young master's body so weak? Fainting for no reason..." he muttered, carefully lifting Blue and placing him back on the bed.
Acting swiftly, the guard summoned a wind spirit in the form of a cat and commanded it to intercept his partner before the news of Blue's awakening reached Vidax. If Blue were found back on the bed, others might assume they were playing games—and the guard wasn't willing to take that risk.
---
Meanwhile...
This time, Blue's unconscious state did not pull him into another coma. Instead, he found himself in an ethereal white space. A sense of deja vu stirred within him.
"Where is this place?" he wondered aloud, not expecting an answer.
"It's your headspace—or, if you prefer, your mind space," a voice replied unexpectedly.
Blue narrowed his eyes, his tone calm yet probing. "And what are you doing in my head?"
"You don't need to know that. All you need to know is that I'm a friend, not a foe," the voice assured him.
"A friend too scared to show their face," Blue countered with a smirk.
"Alright, alright," the voice said. "I'm your system. My task is to make you an overlord among Gods. You can call me the 'Overlord-making System.'"
Blue's smirk widened. "You seriously expect me to believe that? This world doesn't even have Gods. How do you plan to make me an overlord among them?"
The voice said nothing as a figure materialized before him. Blue's eyes widened slightly in shock—it looked exactly like him, but radiated a shiny, ethereal glow.
"Don't be alarmed," the figure said. "I'm bound to you, so I can take on your appearance if I wish. Now, let me show you how much the world has changed in the past ten years."
Shiny Blue raised a hand, his fingers lightly touching Blue's own.
Different scenes from the past ten years unfolded in Blue's mind. As he braced himself for the pain that often accompanied sudden surges of information, he was surprised to feel... nothing.
"What do you think I am? My memory impartation isn't one of those third-rate ones you read about in novels," Shiny Blue said smugly.
Ignoring its comment, Blue began sorting through the influx of memories. "Ethereal Zones? Bloodline Tracing? Hybrids? A Mass System?" he mused aloud. "It seems you were right after all—this is no longer the world I knew."
"Glad to see you catching on," Shiny Blue replied with a grin.
"But why do you want to make me an overlord?" Blue continued. "I have no ambitions of conquering the world, even if it has become more... interesting."
Shiny Blue quickly clarified, waving its hands in mock alarm. "No, no, no. You've got it all wrong! Being an overlord isn't about conquering others; it's about leading them. It's a responsibility, not domination."
"I see," Blue said, arms crossed. "Give me one good reason why I should take on this 'responsibility,' though. I'm already ten years behind everyone else. A decade is no small gap—how am I supposed to lead anyone when I can't even contend with them?"
Shiny Blue's confident smile didn't waver. "I may not have a list of reasons to offer you, but I can promise one thing—it will be plenty interesting." Its grin widened as Blue's eyes lit up with curiosity.
It leaned closer, its voice filled with certainty. "And do you think I'm called the Overlord-making System as a joke? Even if the gap between you and the others were a hundred years, you'd still catch up—and surpass them."
"I see..." Blue muttered, his expression unreadable. Then, he gave a slight nod. "I don't think I have any other choice anyway. You're already bound to me, and if I want to live conveniently in this new world, I might as well go along with it."
But Shiny Blue, connected to his thoughts, knew better. It smirked to itself, amused. Blue wasn't agreeing out of necessity—he was hooked by the promise of something 'interesting'.
"So, what's the next step? How do I leave this... 'Mindspace'?" Blue asked.
"Don't worry about that. I'll bring you out," Shiny Blue replied. "But before that, there's something more important we need to do."
Blue raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"I'm going to trace your bloodline source and help you awaken your bloodline ability," Shiny Blue declared.
"Alright," Blue said skeptically, crossing his arms.
"Close your eyes," Shiny Blue instructed. Blue obeyed, and a faint sensation touched his forehead.
"You can open your eyes now," Shiny Blue's voice rang out.
"So quick?" Blue muttered, confused as he opened his eyes—only to find himself lying back in his bed.
"Hey, Shiny? What's going on? I don't feel any different." He paused, looking around the room. "Shiny? Shiny!" he called, his voice tinged with frustration.
When there was no response, Blue thought, *System?* Instantly, a glowing interface appeared in his mind.
---
[ Name: Blue Viridian ]
[ Age: 19 ]
[ Bloodline Legacy: Pele / #### / #### ]
[ Bloodline Ability: Spirit Summoning / #### / #### ]
[ Current Power Level: High Mortal ]
[ Experience Points (EXP): 0 / 10000 ]
Attributes:
- Strength: [ 11 ]
- Agility: [ 11 ]
- Endurance: [ 11 ]
- Mana Reserves: [ 100 / 100 ]
Special Abilities:
- [ #### ]
- [ #### ]
**Perks:**
- **Overlord's Growth** – You gain 5x more EXP than others.
- **Multi-Talented** – You may choose one more special ability than others at the same stage.
- [ #### ]
---
Blue's sharp eyes scanned the interface, his attention drawn to the locked sections marked by "####." A slight frown crossed his face. "Figures," he muttered. His gaze shifted to his attributes and power level. "High Mortal," he noted. "That's... something."
But then his eyes landed on his age. His expression tightened. "Nineteen? Still nineteen?" A mix of disbelief and amusement rippled through him. "So I spent ten years unconscious—and my age hasn't changed one bit?"
Calling out again, he demanded, "Shiny? System? Wake up!"
This time, a calm voice replied within his mind. "System is in hibernation mode. To fully awaken, you must enter an Ethereal Zone."
Blue fell silent, leaning back, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a faint smile.
"It really is a new world," he murmured, his blue pupils glinting with a newfound determination. "And I am a new Blue."