The moment my door closed, I slid down to the cold stone floor. My heart was racing like crazy.
"Holy shit," I whispered. "Holy. Shit."
I'd just faced some weird cosmic entity and somehow survived. I'd agreed to a mission I knew nothing about, in a world I didn't understand, while pretending to be someone who scared even his own allies.
[Soul Energy fluctuating due to emotional distress] [Current: 47/50]
Purple text appeared, showing me that even my feelings weren't private anymore. I took some deep breaths to calm down. Panicking wouldn't help. I needed information, fast.
"System," I whispered, hoping for a response. "Can you tell me more about Malek? About who I'm supposed to be?"
[Limited information available to prevent cognitive dissonance] [Basic profile accessible]
MALEK
First Herald of the Alukars
Known aliases: The Silent Blade, The Void's Hand
Status: Feared throughout the Seven Territories
Note: Further information will unlock as you progress
Notveryhelpful. I got up and began searching the room. If I wanted to survive, I needed to understand who Malek was.
The room was bigger than I first thought, with a bathroom and small study attached. The walls were made of that strange black stone, with symbols that seemed to move when I wasn't looking directly at them.
I started with the desk—fancy, made from some black wood I'd never seen before. The drawers had maps of places I didn't recognize, reports in a language I somehow understood despite never seeing it before, and a journal bound in what looked disturbingly like human skin.
The journal entries were cold, clinical descriptions of missions and kills. No emotions, just results. The last entry was from three days ago:
"Hollow shows promise but lacks discipline. Sent to retrieve B-class Core from Axiom. Will observe performance."
I put the journal down, disturbed by how detached Malek was about Hollow, who was now dead.
I moved to a cabinet against the wall and found various items—crystals, metal pieces, and a medallion with a symbol matching one of Malek's tattoos.
When I touched the medallion, pain shot through my head—
A city burning. My hands covered in blood. A woman's voice: "You promised this would end, Malek. You promised."
I dropped it, gasping. The vision faded, but the feelings stayed—anger, determination, and deep exhaustion.
[Memory Fragment Accessed][Soul Resonance: 2%]
"Memory fragment?" I said, rubbing my temples. "So that was Malek's memory?"
The system didn't answer. I carefully put the medallion back and kept searching.
A hidden compartment in the floor had small glowing crystals, each a different color. I picked up a blue one.
[Item: Fracture Shard - Minor]
[Rarity: Uncommon]
[Effect: Temporarily stabilizes reality in a 3-meter radius]
[Warning: Unstable. Handle with care.]
I put it back carefully. Whatever "stabilizing reality" meant, it sounded important—and dangerous.
After an hour of searching, I understood a few things:
1. Malek was one of seven "Heralds" serving an entity called XcVii
2. The Alukars were some kind of revolutionary group fighting against the "Guardian Council"
3. Reality in this world seemed unstable, with "Fracture Zones" mentioned often
4. "Reality Cores" were super important objects, and I needed to get one
I sat on the bed, trying to process everything. My mission would start tomorrow, according to what XcVii had somehow put directly into my mind—which was creepy and I hoped wouldn't happen again.
I needed to understand how power worked in this world. The system had mentioned Soul Energy, and both Lyris and XcVii had radiated some kind of power. To survive, I needed to figure out what abilities this body had.
I sat cross-legged on the floor and closed my eyes. What did those fantasy novels always say? Focus inward? Find your center?
"Soul Energy," I whispered. "Show me how to use Soul Energy."
Nothing happened.
I tried visualizing energy flowing through me, tried commanding it, even tried getting angry. Nothing worked.
"Come on!" I slammed my fist on the floor in frustration. "It's my body now!"
Something flickered in response—a warmth in my chest, like an ember coming to life. I focused on that feeling, trying to pull it outward. The warmth slowly spread down my arm to my fingertips.
[Soul Energy Channeling Initiated [Soul Energy: 48/50]
I opened my eyes and saw my fingertips glowing with faint purple light. "It worked?"
I directed the energy toward a small crystal on the desk. The crystal lifted slightly and rotated in the air.
[Skill Created: Basic Soul Channeling - Level 1]
Type: Active
Effect: Channel Soul Energy into objects or the environment
Cost: 2 Soul Energy per minute
I got excited. I'd created a skill! A basic one, but it was a start. I reached for Malek's sword, wondering if—
Someone knocked sharply on the door. I lost concentration and the crystal fell back to the desk.
"Malek." The voice was female but nothing like Lyris's crazy tone. This voice was cool and controlled. "We need to discuss the Axiom operation. Now."
I took a deep breath, letting the purple light fade from my fingers. Time to act again.
When I opened the door, I saw a woman completely different from Lyris. Tall and composed, with copper-colored skin and silver hair in a tight braid. Her eyes were metallic gold, and she wore fitted armor with those same strange symbols I'd seen around the fortress.
"Second Herald," I said, hoping that was right.
She raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you stand on ceremony, Malek?"
Crap.
"Long day," I replied, keeping my voice neutral.
"Indeed." She studied me, then held out what looked like a small holographic projector. "The Guardian Council has doubled security since Hollow's failure. I've updated the infiltration route."
I took the device, nodding like I understood. "Come in."
She entered with precise, efficient movements. This must be Kora Vex, the Second Herald mentioned in the documents I'd found. Knowledge and Truth, according to one note.
"You've been acting strangely since your return from the Fracture Sea," she said, activating the projector. A 3D map of what I guessed was Axiom City appeared between us. "Did something happen that you haven't reported?"
Another test. Everything felt like a test.
"Nothing relevant to the mission," I replied.
She gave me a long look before continuing. "The Core is being held here." A section of the map lit up red. "The Guardian Council thinks it's secure because of the Soul Energy dampening field. They don't know about your sword's properties."
I nodded, studying the map. The layout was complex, but I could see potential entry and exit points. Intelligence had always been my strength—maybe it could keep me alive here too.
"What about patrols?" I asked, pointing to what looked like a courtyard.
"Rotations every fifteen minutes. Elite Casters with Master-rank capabilities." She tilted her head. "You really don't remember? We discussed this yesterday."
Double crap.
"Testing you," I said, forcing a small smile. "Your information is correct."
"Of course it is." She didn't sound convinced. "Lyris is... excited about going with you. Try not to let her destroy half the city this time. We need precision, not chaos."
"Understood."
She turned off the projector and handed it to me. "One more thing. XcVii has authorized lethal force against anyone who interferes. Even Elian Thorne."
The name meant nothing to me, but I nodded like it did.
"Good. We move at dawn." She turned to leave, then paused at the door. "And Malek? Whatever happened in the Fracture Sea... I hope it was worth it."
After she left, I collapsed in a chair, my mind racing. I had less than twelve hours to prepare for a mission I barely understood, with a partner who was clearly unstable, to get an object I didn't know the purpose of.
And someone named Elian Thorne might try to stop me.
I picked up Malek's sword again, feeling its weight and strange energy. If I wanted to survive, I needed to learn how to use it—fast.
[Quest Updated: Preparation Phase]
Objective: Master basic Soul Energy manipulation before dawn
Reward: Increased chance of mission success
I stood up, determination replacing fear. I might be level 1 in a world of monsters and magic, but I had one advantage—no one expected John, the overlooked nobody from Earth, to be capable of anything impressive.
Time to prove them wrong.
I spent the next several hours practicing with Soul Energy, learning through trial and error how to channel it through my body and into objects. By midnight, I'd made some progress:
MALEK (JOHN)
Level: 1
Class: [Unknown]
Soul Energy: 50/50
ATTRIBUTES:
Strength:10
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 12
Willpower: 10
SKILLS:
Basic Soul Channeling - Level 2
Energy Sense - Level 1 (Detect Soul Energy within 5 meters)
EQUIPMENT:
Malek's Sword - [Soul Energy Reflection]
Not impressive by any standard, but better than nothing. I practiced drawing the sword smoothly, channeling small amounts of Soul Energy into it, and moving quietly around the room. This body seemed to have muscle memory I could tap into, making my movements more fluid than I expected.
As dawn approached, I gathered a few items I thought might be useful—the Fracture Shards, a small knife I found hidden in a boot, and a vial of glowing liquid labeled "Emergency Only" in Malek's handwriting.
A final knock at the door. Lyris's distinctive pattern.
"Ready for fun, Malek?" Her voice was practically vibrating with excitement. "I packed extra explosives, just in case!"
I took a deep breath, centered myself, and opened the door to face my first real test in this new world.
"Let's go," I said, channeling all of Malek's cold authority. "And Lyris? Follow my lead exactly. No improvisations."
Her mismatched eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed with interest. "Ooooh, serious Malek is back. This is going to be good."
As we walked through the fortress toward what Lyris called the "reality gate," I couldn't help wondering: What happened to the real Malek? And what would happen when people realized I wasn't him?
[Quest Stage Beginning: Infiltration]
Objective: Enter Axiom City undetected
Warning: Failure will result in immediate danger
No pressure, then.