[Processing of Sin has been completed.]
[You are the Progenitor of the sin of the Meaningless]
[Progenitor Ability] : Meaningful Resurrection.
[First Circle has been unlocked]
[First Circle abilities of the Sin of the Meaningless have been unlocked]
[View personal profile?]
[Yes/No]
A translucent, blue screen hovered in the air, its text glowing just inches from Seth's face.
Seth vaguely felt that this hovering screen could only be seen by him mentally.
He lay on the thin futon, blinking slowly, half-convinced he was still trapped in a bizarre dream.
He'd read his fair share of brain-rotting webnovels about transmigration and systems, of course.
They were always ridiculous power fantasies, filled with cheats that broke the world.
But to see one materialize before his own eyes?
He didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or scream.
A hysterical giggle bubbled in his throat, but it died before it could escape.
'A cheat ability? Like some kind of main character?'
The absurdity of it all left him feeling numb.
He just stared, his mind a blank slate, until the patient, unblinking screen demanded a response.
With a sigh that came from the tiredness of it all, he mentally pressed Yes.
[Sinner] Seth Arden (Progenitor)
[Sin] The Meaningless
[Progenitor Name] : (Unnamed)
[Progenitor Ability] Meaningful Resurrection
[The more the Progenitor dies a meaningful death, one that alters destinies, ends eras, or births new meanings for others and himself, the stronger they become upon returning.]
[Energy Affinity] Chaos
[Book of Purposelessness] (Locked)
[Stage] First Circle
[Abilities] :
[Authority of The Meaningless (1st Stage)] Experiencing first-hand the abilities of other Sin users grants knowledge about their Sin's properties and limitations.
[Null Presence] Others overlook your existence, forgetting details about you easily. Tracking abilities, clairvoyance, and even fate-based targeting struggle to lock onto you. This ability also allows you to become invisible against people who do not actively seek you out.
Seth sat up immediately.
"Progenitor ability…? I get stronger each time I die a meaningful death?"
He muttered under his breath.
His brows furrowed as his mind raced.
He absolutely did not want to experience death again!
He had already died once just a few hours ago, and now this absurd system wants him to die again?!
What kind of a cruel ability is this!
He could bare the thought of death, but the thought of the pain before he'd experience these deaths were things that frightened him the most!
'First Circle…? '
Seth wondered if such an indication most likely hinted that there were more.
Higher stages and possibly stronger abilities?
He was about to continue analyzing everything when something strange tugged at the edge of his senses.
He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but there was something… flickering in the air.
Tiny sparks that were almost invisible.
Faint lights that danced, then vanished just as fast.
Like static in a dark room, changing every second.
He stared quietly for a while, unsure if they were real or just some side effect of everything he'd just gone through.
'Am I going insane...?'
He thought to himself before he stared at a particular notification in the system he had just received.
[Energy Affinity] Chaos
...
Morning came.
Seth sat on the futon, rubbing his eyes.
He barely got any sleep...
That was, of course, if an hour of closing his eyes then waking up again to nightmares of him being stabbed was considered sleep.
Too much was going through his head.
Death, resurrection, sin, systems, abilities...
He couldn't shut his brain off even if he tried.
But one thing was certain... this world wasn't normal.
If this truly was some kind of isekai or alternate world, then the existence of something like "Progenitor Abilities" or "Energy Affinity" clearly hinted at magic.
Or something close to it at the very least.
Still, he wasn't sure if magic here was accepted… or considered heretical.
Was it normal here, or was it heresy?
Would using his abilities paint a target on his back, leading him to another death?
'Actually, death is the least of my worries...'
He corrected himself with a grimace.
'I should be more worried about whether they'll torture me or imprison me. Who knows if the people in this world have a way to make someone immortal, just to condemn them to eternal punishment?'
He thought.
It really wasn't impossible considering this wasn't an ordinary place.
Perhaps the people in this world had some sort of ability to make him immortal and condemn him to eternal punishment?!
'Phew. Calm down, it can't be that exaggerated'
Yes... Usually in fantasy novels, the powerful are respected.
Maybe if he just grew stronger, he'd have nothing to worry about?
He thought about asking Phoebe last night when he first saw the system
But something held him back from doing so.
She was kind, yes.
But she wasn't as panicked as she should've been when he came back to life.
In fact, she was more confused than horrified.
It wasn't normal.
Most people would've screamed, fainted, or called for help.
Even if that were not the case, reaction towards resurrection would definitely be more overly dramatic than one would expect.
Yet Phoebe did not do any of those...
She accepted the situation way too easily, even invoking tears before she invoked fear of the thought that he was a monster.
That could only mean two things...
One, she'd seen strange things before and had gotten used to it.
Maybe not a resurrection, but something close enough to keep her calm.
Or two, her personality just made her react like that...
'She's definitely not a normal person either.'
Seth thought to himself.
He stood up and checked the wall clock. It was already past 8 a.m.
He scanned the small living area, expecting to see Phoebe preparing breakfast or walking around, but the kitchen was empty.
And there seemed to be no signs of movement around the house.
Maybe she was still asleep.
Seth walked to her room and knocked on the door.
"Phoebe?"
He called softly.
No answer.
He waited a few more seconds before knocking again, a little louder this time.
Still nothing.
'Did she sleep late too?'
He wondered.
'Or… did she leave already?'
A spike of panic shot through him.
'Did she pretend to be normal last night only to report me to the authorities this morning?'
Just then, a door creaked open down the hall.
"Hm? Man..."
A groggy voice complained.
"It's still so early, what is it?"
Phoebe emerged from her room, her wavy black hair a magnificent disaster.
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, squinting at him with clear annoyance.
'Isn't it already eight in the morning?'
Seth thought, but he kept the observation to himself.
"Sorry."
He said instead.
"I'm... unfamiliar with how things work here. I wasn't sure what to do."
Phoebe waved a dismissive hand, shuffling toward the kitchen.
"It's fine. I'll reheat the soup from last night. I have to go to the thrift store today for new clothes. It's Sunday, so everything's cheap."
She paused, glancing at him over her shoulder.
"Uh, do you wanna come? Might help refresh your mind. Maybe you'll remember things along the way..."
She continued, almost murmuring to herself.
"I also have to drop by the telegram office to send a message to your sister, tell her to visit as soon as possible. Of course, I won't mention the whole... you know, coming back to life thing. The clerks at the office might see it, and we can't risk that."
Seth watched her, wondering if this 'murmuring to oneself' was another of her odd habits.
He hesitated as a certain worry popped up in his head.
"Shouldn't I... stay here? So I don't get recognized by anyone who thinks I'm supposed to be dead?"
Phoebe blinked, then made a soft "oh" of realization, as if the thought had just occurred to her.
"Oh. Right."
She shrugged.
"Well, it's your choice. But your hometown is quite far from here. And you didn't really visit this part of the city often. The chances of someone recognizing you are pretty slim."
Seth's mouth twitched.
He couldn't tell if she was being brilliantly nonchalant or dangerously neglectful.
Was it really not that big of a deal, or was she just unreliable?
In the end, his need to understand this new world outweighed his caution.
"I'll come."
He decided.
After a quick breakfast of reheated vegetable soup, Seth changed into the borrowed clothes from Phoebe's father.
The trousers were a bit too long, and the tunic hung loosely on his frame, but it was a vast improvement over the grave-soiled rags from yesterday.
Soon, they were squeezed into another creaking pedicab, rattling their way toward the town center.
Seth tried to focus on the world passing by—the cobblestone streets, the mixed architecture of stone and wood, the strange fashions—but one nagging thought pushed all others aside, a detail he had been too panicked to properly consider until now.
'Why was I buried all alone in that forest?'