Everywhere was dark.
Then — suddenly — it became bright.
Aren blinked. The scenery around him had changed completely. He now stood in a vault-like space, glowing white from top to bottom, as though light itself poured from the very walls. Above him, countless spheres hovered gently in the air like dream-orbs suspended in place.
Everything shimmered. Everything felt unreal. The walls were covered in countless strange shapes, shifting in color—blues, oranges, purples, deep reds. It felt like standing inside a living kaleidoscope made of silence and magic.
Where am I?What's going on?
Aren looked around, eyes wide. His heart thudded in his chest. Confusion gripped him like a chain, dragging him into panic. Was he… abducted?
Then suddenly—The memory of the panel hit him.That floating purple screen.That strange message.That name: The Beyond Shifting System.
A system…?
As if on cue, something shimmered.
Fwoosh.
A glowing panel materialized in front of him. Purple, just like before. Text began forming on its surface, glowing in soft gold lettering:
[Welcome to the Bio Array]
[A place where all creatures—both living and non-living—have their templates stored.]
[Host is currently at Level 1. Host can only access Level 1 templates.]
[Would Host like to try it out? Y/N]
What…?
Aren squinted. He read it again. Then again.
Did I read that wrong?Templates of… living and non-living things?
What did that even mean?
Confusion wrapped itself around Aren like a second skin as he stared at the glowing panel. His eyes flicked back and forth between the words, mind racing with interpretations he didn't understand.
And then he saw the option again.Y/N.
He stared at it.Silent.Thinking.
Then, with a soft scoff, he muttered,"...Screw it." And tapped Y.
WHUMP.
A pull.
That was all. A force. Like an invisible hand had reached out and yanked his soul from behind his ribs.
Suddenly—He was there…And not there.
His body blurred. His vision twisted. His very being warped, folded, scattered like shattered light—until it stopped.
Snap.
He stood still again. Somewhere new and different.
The place was different. This time it was dark, but not the darkness of nothing — it was the darkness of design.
Countless shapes surrounded him, hovering in all directions. Some were clearly animals, beasts, creatures of fang and fur. Others were less familiar — forms he couldn't even begin to recognize.
But every shape glowed.
Some pulsed with soft green.Others shimmered in red, blue, gold, even black.Each one radiated a strange energy. They were alive in a way that had nothing to do with breath.
Aren could hardly look away.Until—
[Welcome to the Level One Primal Array]
[Would Host like to see a description of the place? Y/N]
The panel had returned.
Aren's eyes snapped toward it. His breath hitched. But this time, he didn't hesitate.
"...Yes."
The panel shifted. The old text vanished as new words began to form one glowing letter at a time:
[Description: A sub-section of the entire Bio Array currently accessible to Host.]
[This includes all natural creatures and species available on Host's origin planet and world.]
Aren read the message slowly, every word slicing through him with growing weight.
And then—
His breath caught.His eyes widened.His heart froze.
"Is this… a shapeshifting system?"
No.No, it couldn't be.This had to be a dream. A simulation. A prank pulled by a cosmic jerk.
Right?
He had read stories like this. Light novels. Webnovels. Fiction that played with systems, stats, levels, skills. He never really loved those types of stories—found them repetitive at times. But the idea…?
The concept?
He had always found it fascinating.
But never—never—did he think he'd be the one standing in one.
Staring at a panel.
In a glowing room full of living templates.
Inside a damn system.
His voice came out low. A whisper beneath a shaky laugh.
"If this is real… and not some kind of joke…"
A slow grin began tugging at the corner of his lips.
"…Then hehehe… I guess we'll have to see."
Instantly, Aren called out to the system, his mind still reeling in shock.
He had read enough novels to guess where this was going. His instincts screamed that this was it—the start of something insane. And the moment the word slipped from his lips—
"System."
—it responded.
The panel shimmered, its letters shifting with sudden urgency. A new sentence formed across the glowing interface:
[Host has now been formally introduced to the system.]
[All system questions and functions can only be accessed within the Bio Array. Questions cannot be answered outside this space.]
Aren nodded slowly, taking it in. Then, steadying his breath, he asked calmly:
"Are you responsible for my transmigration?"
The words hung in the air like stones. Heavy. Personal.
His entire being leaned toward the panel, desperate for even a sliver of understanding. And then—
The system responded.
[Only system-related questions may be asked.]
[Knowledge of Host's personal life and origins is limited and not stored.]
[Unlock higher levels to access deeper functions and gain insight into the system's design and rewards.]
[Note: System rewards will be distributed periodically to encourage Host's usage. If the system is not to Host's liking, rewards will serve as continued motivation.]
[To activate your ability: Host simply needs to think of or say the form he wishes to take.]
And then—like a flash of light—
WHOOSH.
The entire scene vanished.
Aren blinked.
He was back.
Back in the muddy, rain-drenched world. Back to the same exact spot he had left.The moment had passed—but something had changed.Something had shifted.
He looked around slowly, the last traces of the Bio Array fading from his memory like a dream. His soaked clothes clung to his skin. The world around him still cold, still grim.
But his eyes…
His eyes now held something different.
A grin slowly crept across his lips as he tilted his head toward the sky, letting the rain splash against his face.
"To think I would actually get a system…"He chuckled under his breath."If someone had told me this yesterday, I would've laughed in their face."He took a slow, steady breath.
But it was no longer a lie.It was real.He had a system.
And although he didn't know why he had been transmigrated...Or who had orchestrated this strange twist of fate...
One thing burned in his heart like a spark newly lit:
"Whatever this path is… I know the road ahead won't be boring."