Kael awoke to the smell of rust, damp earth, and a potent, acrid fear that wasn't his own. His head was a hollow bell, ringing with static and fragmented images - skyscrapers, glowing screens, and a sudden, violent sense of being extinguished. He was lying on a thin straw mat in what appeared to be a cell carved from black, oily stone.
He pushed himself up, wincing as the thick iron shackle around his wrist scraped against the wall. The cell was cramped, no more than six feet by ten. A heavy, barred oak door sealed the exit. Panic was a raw, biological response, but his mind, strangely, was already working faster than his terror.
Analysis:
Location: A dungeon or high-security prison, judging by the quality of the iron and the absence of light save for a small grate high on the wall.
Memory: Total blank slate regarding this life. The other memories - of a different world, a different name - felt like a fever dream. Was this a displacement trauma? A powerful delusion?
Immediate Goal: Assess threat level and find an exit.
He was deep in thought, running mental models on the structural integrity of the bars versus the strength of his own malnourished body, when the air in front of his face shimmered.
A holographic window, brilliant azure and perfectly transparent, materialized just beyond his nose. It was silent, impossible, and yet utterly real to his vision.
[SUPREME COMMAND SYSTEM (SCS)]
Welcome, Host.
Kael blinked once, then again. His first, most intelligent thought was not one of excitement or disbelief, but one of clinical assessment: An induced hallucination due to sensory deprivation and head trauma. Highly detailed, however.
He ignored the panel, closing his eyes and pressing his head against the cold stone, trying to ground himself. "Hallucination," he murmured, his voice dry and foreign. "It's not real."
He opened his eyes. The panel was still there, but it had updated.
[SUPREME COMMAND SYSTEM (SCS)]
Objective:
Tutorial Quest: The First Step.
Condition: Acknowledge the System's existence (Say "Begin").
Reward: Legendary Skill Acquisition: Omniscience (Passive - Rank EX).
Failure: None.
Kael stared. Omniscience (Passive - Rank EX). Even in his fragmented, confused state, the implications of that name were staggering. He was a smart man, a rational man, but in a prison cell with a spectral reward of ultimate knowledge hanging in the air, rationality became a secondary concern.
"If this is a delusion, I might as well enjoy the ride," he muttered, a dry, self-deprecating smile touching his lips. He needed information more than anything, and if a fictional system was offering him a legendary skill that promised perfect analytical ability, the choice was simple.
"Begin."
The moment the word left his mouth, the blue panel shattered into a million dazzling motes of light that rushed into his skull. It wasn't painful - it was the sudden, overwhelming sensation of his brain becoming a supercomputer.
He didn't just think; he calculated.
He looked down at the lock on the cell door. Instantly, an avalanche of data flooded his perception: the specific alloy composition (a crude iron-copper mix), the wear pattern on the internal tumblers, the molecular weakness points in the hinge, the exact rhythm of the guard patrols outside (a heavy boot every 58.7 seconds). The analytical ability was absolute.
He looked at the iron shackle on his wrist. It wasn't merely a shackle; it was a [Gravity Dampening Restraint - Low Grade], designed to suppress 87% of a user's natural Aura flow.
The hallucination was real. This body was weak, imprisoned, and likely about to be killed, but Kael was suddenly armed with something far more dangerous than strength: perfect, comprehensive knowledge.
[SUPREME COMMAND SYSTEM (SCS)]
Congratulations!
Tutorial Quest Complete.
Reward Claimed:
[Legendary Skill Acquisition: Omniscience (Passive - Rank EX)]
Effect: Grants perfect analytical and computational ability for all phenomena within visual range, including magical structures, energy flow, and complex cognitive processes. Limited only by the host's physical processing speed.
New Quest Activated:
The Gacha Draw (1/5)
Condition: Draw 1 item from the Tier S Gacha pool. Cost: 1 System Point (SP).
Reward: 10,000 Gold Coins.
Bonus: The first five tutorial draws are free (Cost: 0 SP).
Kael allowed himself a genuine, calculated grin. A Gacha system. The epitome of luck and randomness, combined with a foundational skill of absolute intelligence. This wasn't just overpowered; it was a terrifying combination of planning and infinite resources.
He had just learned the molecular structure of the atmosphere, the guard's lunch menu, and the complex sealing array that powered the prison's gravity dampeners. Escaping was now a trivial, computational problem.
"Show me the Gacha," Kael commanded mentally.
A new, larger interface appeared. In the center, a spinning, magnificent golden orb pulsed with chaotic energy.
"Let's see what a broken system considers a starting bonus."
Kael initiated the first draw. The orb screamed in a silent spectrum of light, resolving into a single, perfectly smooth black stone the size of his thumb floating in the interface.
[Gacha Tier S Reward Acquired]
[Item: Void Heart Core]
Type: Soul/Catalyst.
Description: A primordial fragment from the deepest corner of the Void. Grants the user an infinitely deep well of Mana and instantly transforms the host's innate mana quality to 'Chaos Void,' allowing consumption and conversion of any energy source without backlash.
Kael's eyes widened, not in surprise, but in a sudden, cold realization of what he had just been given. Infinite mana. No limits on consumption. The system wasn't just strong; it was a fundamental cheat code for the entire universe.
The cell door was still locked. The guards were still patrolling. The world outside was still strong, dangerous, and filled with clever enemies, but Kael was no longer a prisoner.
He was a god in waiting, and he had just solved the problem of how to escape.
Step 1: The shackle.
Kael focused his 'Omniscience' on the Gravity Dampening Restraint. He wasn't strong enough to break the iron, but he didn't need to. He needed to subtly disrupt the magic sealing the Aura. Within a second, the complex, hidden rune array was perfectly mapped in his mind. He found a minor, structural node in the sealing matrix - a point that could be destabilized with a tiny, precise burst of raw, untransformed energy.
He reached into the infinite well of the Void Heart Core, pulling out a single, calculated thread of mana, no thicker than a spider silk. With surgical precision, he pushed it into the node.
Fzzzt.
The shackle didn't break. The iron remained whole, but the magical sealing array failed instantly and utterly, causing the metal to fall harmlessly to the floor.
Kael stood, the chains of his prison already rendered meaningless. The cold grin returned, sharper this time. He was still weak, but he was armed with perfect knowledge and infinite potential.
The complex, smart villains of this world might think they are playing chess, Kael thought, flexing his now uninhibited Aura. But I just changed the rules of the game.