> [Detected: First login. Initial scan in progress. Please wait...]
[Scan complete. Synchronizing user data...]
[Name: Oscar Everett]
[Age: 16]
[Citizen ID: 5517******2002]
[All login conditions for the Divine Nexus have been met. Would you like to generate a data panel?]
A vast white expanse stretched endlessly in every direction.
Oscar Everett stood still, his body weightless, his breath echoing faintly in the silence.
The mechanical voice in his mind faded, replaced only by his own heartbeat.
He lowered his head and flexed his fingers. His hands — his body — were all there. Solid. Real.
A long breath escaped his lips.
"...Not the worst case," he murmured.
It all began sixteen years ago.
Oscar wasn't born in this world.
He came from another — a different Earth — and one day, without reason or warning, he woke up in a place called Atherium.
At first glance, Atherium looked almost identical to the Earth he remembered. But under the surface, everything was… different.
According to history lessons and the fragmented memories he'd gathered, this world had once been a technological civilization not unlike the one he knew — advanced, logical, and bound by science.
Until it arrived.
A billion years ago, the Divine Nexus descended.
No one knew its origin. Some said it was the will of the planet itself — others called it the consciousness of the stars. Whatever it was, it rewrote the very laws of existence.
Every living being received a digitized panel — a way to monitor their own body and soul in real time. More than that, it granted the ability to grow stronger by fighting monsters, completing missions, and transcending natural limits.
That day marked the end of science and the beginning of divinity.
Humanity, armed with the system of the Divine Nexus, evolved at an impossible pace. Even without the infinite respawns of online games, they turned from fragile mortals into an unstoppable civilization — a "Fourth Calamity" that swept across worlds.
Now, a billion years later, humanity ruled over 108 great worlds, three thousand dimensions, and countless lesser dimensions.
In this age, every citizen awakened their Nexus at sixteen — no earlier, no later. Children still went through ordinary schooling, living normal lives until the day of their Awakening.
That day was today.
For Oscar, who carried a soul not native to this world, anxiety had haunted him for as long as he could remember.
Would the Divine Nexus even accept him?
Would it sense that he didn't belong here?
For sixteen years, that fear had gnawed quietly at his heart.
And now — at last — as the glowing interface floated before him and the system's voice confirmed his connection, the boulder that had been pressing on his chest finally fell away.
He had done it. He'd been recognized.
When the prompt appeared — [Generate data panel?] — Oscar didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
A transparent window unfurled before him, glowing faintly blue.
> [Name: Oscar Everett (Citizen ID: 5517******2002)]
[Level: 1 (0/1000)]
[Occupation: None]
[Health: 100%]
[Mana: 230/230]
[Strength: 12] [Agility: 13]
[Physique: 11] [Spirit: 23]
[Intelligence: 15] [Charm: 11] [Luck: 10]
[Free Attribute Points: 0]
[Talent: Hundredfold Amplification]
Oscar's eyes brightened as he studied the numbers.
For years, he'd trained his body obsessively, never knowing if it would matter. But now, seeing his attributes, he couldn't help but smile.
When most first-time awakeners started with an even 10 in every stat, his were all above average — especially Spirit, which reached an astonishing 23.
"Maybe having two lives really does strengthen the soul…" he murmured.
He remembered what each stat meant from the system guide he'd studied in school:
Strength: Physical attack power and carrying capacity.
Agility: Movement, reflexes, and dynamic vision.
Physique: Endurance, defense, and resistance to physical status effects.
Spirit: Magical energy, perception, and resistance to mental interference.
These were the four pillars of a professional's power.
The rest — Intelligence, Charm, and Luck — were hidden attributes, subtler but just as important. They affected learning, relationships, and the odds of fate itself.
Oscar nodded. Even these were slightly above average. Everything looked promising.
Until his gaze fell to the very bottom.
Talent: Hundredfold Amplification.
He blinked. Then, curious, tapped the description.
The next instant, his pupils contracted sharply.
Every professional received a unique talent when activating the Divine Nexus — a gift shaped by their essence.
Some were barely noticeable, like "1% increased running speed." Others could change a person's destiny, like "Double spell power."
But Oscar's was… absurd.
> [Talent: Hundredfold Amplification]
All gains — from combat drops, skill mastery, item effects, and system rewards — are increased one hundred times.
He stared blankly.
"Wait… what?"
If he killed a monster that normally dropped 1 copper coin — he'd get 100.
If a quest rewarded a basic weapon — his would upgrade to Rare or even Epic.
If a skill offered a 5% buff — his body would amplify it to 500%.
It was the kind of talent that defied logic — one that could break entire worlds.
For a moment, he almost worried the Nexus would ban him for being too overpowered.
Then he laughed under his breath.
"...So this is my Cheat Talent huh? Sixteen years late, but it finally arrived."
The anxiety that had followed him for so long melted away, replaced by something new — quiet, burning excitement.
The beginning of his story — and perhaps, humanity's next legend — had just begun.