When Rex first woke up, he was in a hospital. He initially thought it was some foreign country, because the language spoken around him was completely unfamiliar. He tried to communicate, but no one understood him. Panicked, Rex even tried to get out of bed—but then a doctor approached him.
The doctor wore glowing gloves that appeared out of nowhere, and before Rex could react, a blue light shone from the doctor's hand. He was immediately put to sleep.
The next time he woke up, it was to the sound of a ding.
Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see a holographic screen floating in front of him. It was dark red with strange text glowing on it. As a part-time otaku, how could Rex not recognize this? The whole light novel market was flooded with it—
He had a SYSTEM!
An unknown holographic slab of that appears when the MC transmigrates or reincarnates. Some called it a cheat. Others, a golden finger. No one truly knew its origin—authors usually threw it in just to showcase the protagonist's progression. Some stories treated it as a divine gift from the world or a god; others, as a parasitic entity that would eventually kill the host.
"Does this mean I really transmigrated!?" Rex hadn't fully confirmed it yet. For all he knew, this could still be Earth. But none of that mattered now—he had a system. So, he shifted his attention to the glowing panel in front of him.
[Useless System]
[Status]
[Race : Human]
[HP : 1/1]
[Strength : 1]
[Agility : 1]
There was no additional information about anything. Rex tried clicking, tapping the air, even thinking commands in his mind, but got no response from the system.
"It's written at the top that it's a useless system... I guess it's one of those robotic, passive types... well, that's still better than nothing," Rex thought.
After staring at the screen for some time, it suddenly flickered. It was as if he had clicked something by accident. The next moment, a surge of basic memories was injected directly into his brain, and a severe headache followed.
He learned that his current identity was Ray Mortal, who had been in a coma and hospitalized for the past three months. The cause? A critical failure during the forging of his first Soul Tool. He had used up all his Soul Fragments—vital energy required for forging—and was left in a near-death state as a result.
In this world, there existed supernatural powers known as Soulforge. From the memories he received, Rex learned the following:
In the Soulforge Crafting, humans gain power by forging fragments of their soul into unique, metaphysical "tools" that manifest specific abilities. Each tool is a tangible representation of the human's essence, shaped by their desires, experiences, or core traits. Crafting a tool requires intense focus and sacrifice, as it permanently binds a portion of the user's life force, making each tool a deeply personal extension of themselves. Overuse or crafting too many tools risks depleting the user's vitality, potentially leading to physical or mental collapse.
There are Three power levels to Soulforge:
Shaped (Basic Level): The user learns to forge a single soul-tool, channeling a fragment of their essence into a specific ability. The tool is rudimentary, with limited scope and power, but still unique to the user's identity.
Crafting the first tool causes mild fatigue or emotional vulnerability, reflecting the sacrifice of a soul fragment.
example :
forges a "Soul-Dagger" to symbolize their desire to overcome obstacles, allowing them to cut through minor barriers (physical or magical). The dagger's strikes are precise but weak, requiring close combat.
Forged (Intermediate Level): The user can forge multiple tools (typically 2-3) and combine their effects for greater versatility. The tools grow stronger, reflecting deeper understanding of their own essence and purpose.
Crafting additional tools causes noticeable physical or mental strain (e.g., chronic pain, recurring nightmares). The user must balance power with health.
example :
Soul-Dagger now cuts through stronger barriers and pairs with a new "Soul-Cloak" that grants minor invisibility, reflecting their growing cunning. Combining them allows stealthy, precise strikes.
Soulwrought (Master Level): The user becomes a master of Soulforge Crafting, capable of forging tools that reshape reality itself. Their tools are now extensions of universal concepts, but crafting or using them risks catastrophic Soulfade.
Each use or new tool risks complete Soulfade, potentially killing the human or erasing their identity. Even minor uses cause severe physical or emotional tolls.
example:
Soul-Dagger evolves into a blade that can sever fate itself (e.g., undoing a destined event), while their Soul-Cloak can render entire armies invisible. They might forge a final "Soul-Beacon" to inspire hope across continents.
There were only three levels of Soulforge, but each level granted a significant power boost to a human.
Rex also received information about the world and Skarath. This new Earth wasn't divided into countries anymore, but into districts named from A to Z. This planet was definitely not Earth—not by any means. Originally, it had been a single supercontinent with various nations. But after Skarath's initial attack, which caused the deaths of billions, the world changed into what it was today—fractured, militarized, and rebuilt into these survival-focused districts.
How—or why—he had transmigrated, Rex still didn't know. But one thing was certain: this system was created by Ray Mortal himself by sacrificing his all soul fragment.
Not long after, the doctor returned to check on him. His name was Jim—a kind man with a stern face and blunt attitude. After the check up he looked trouble and wanted to say something. After taking breath he finally said.
"Rex Mortal, you have less than 10 years to live," Jim said, shaking his head, pity written across his face.
Then he added with a rare, encouraging smile,"But I know you'll handle it, boy."He turned back to his digital tablet, tapping away as he updated the records.
"10 years left to live…" Rex mumbled, Black lines formed on his forehead—he had just finished piecing together Ray's memories, and now this news hit him like a truck.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you, your hospital bill had been paid by your family and they told me to give this news, they have disowned for being disgrace to Mortal family" Jim said, only had pity as he gaze at Rex knowing you had 10 years to live and top of that family disowning you, You need to have different level of bad luck.
"... " Rex.