I didn't die.
At least, I don't remember dying.
One moment I was in my old world—Earth—half-asleep, scrolling through my phone, thinking about nothing in particular. The next moment, my consciousness was dragged under, like I'd been pulled into deep, freezing water.
When I opened my eyes again, the world was wrong.
Not unfamiliar.Just… different.
The ceiling above me wasn't concrete or plaster. It was polished wood, warm beneath my fingertips. Sunlight filtered through tall windows etched with strange geometric patterns that glowed faintly blue before slowly fading away.
Mana.
That realization came naturally, as if it had always belonged to me.
And that was when the real shock hit.
These memories weren't mine.
They belonged to Rio Gray—a fifteen-year-old boy born in this world. Somehow, impossibly, I had become him.
The world's name surfaced without effort.
Eldonava.
A parallel version of Earth… but altered by mana.
The continents were familiar, history partially aligned, but everything diverged the moment dungeons appeared. Monsters followed. Mana flooded the atmosphere. Humanity survived—but at a cost.
Eldonava wasn't as technologically advanced as Earth. Innovation had stalled. Why build machines when awakeners could do the job better? Why automate when raw power solved everything?
It was inefficient.
Wasteful.
And most importantly—full of opportunity.
From birth, every child in Eldonava was taught basic breathing techniques to prepare their body. At the age of sixteen, fate would decide everything.
Those whose bodies and luck aligned would awaken, gaining elements, classes, and levels. Society bent around them.
Those who failed could still walk the path of cultivation—slow, painful, resource-hungry, and socially discarded.
Awakeners were kings.
Cultivators were tolerated.
Everyone else existed in their shadow.
I was fifteen.
One year away from judgment.
And then—
[System Initializing…]
The translucent words hovering before my eyes erased any doubt.
[Synchronization Complete][Welcome, User: Rio Gray]
A system.
Of course.
Information flowed in calmly, efficiently.
[Infinite Currency Access: UNLOCKED]
Infinite money.
Not fake. Not imaginary. Currency validated by the system itself.
[System Shop: AVAILABLE]
I could buy almost anything—technology, knowledge, blueprints, services.
Almost.
[Main Quest Assigned]
The screen darkened.
Main Quest: Influence Before Power
You are prohibited from using system functions to assist awakening or cultivation.
Objective: Establish influence within Eldonava through non-combat means.
Influence may be social, economic, political, informational, or ideological.
Evaluation will be based on long-term impact.
I stared at the words in silence.
No shortcuts.
No instant strength.
Just money.Just knowledge.Just time.
[Quest Completion Reward: ???]
Unknown.
But the implication was clear.
Something greater than awakening.
I leaned back against the bed, a slow smile forming.
This world worshipped power and called it destiny.
Good.
That made it blind.
I had one year before awakening day.
One year to move quietly.One year to reshape foundations.One year to build something no dungeon could destroy.
"I don't need to awaken," I whispered.
By the time Eldonava realized what true influence looked like—
The world would already belong to me.