Fin opened his eyes, with a pounding head and vision blurry, there was also the smell of dust that filled his nose.
He tried to move and sit up, but his body felt heavy, like lead, with a sharp pain shooting through his chest.
"Kuh..."
'Where... am I?'
He blinked a few times, clearing his vision.
He was in a room, but it was in ruins.
Broken furniture scattered everywhere, massive cracks in the walls, and the ceiling looked like it was about to collapse. The bed he was lying on was the only thing somewhat intact, though it was covered in debris.
'Did... did the roof fall on me?'
He looked down.
His shirt was torn, stained dark red, and right in the center of his chest, there was a hole.
A clean, wide hole, like someone had stabbed him with a massive sword.
'I... I have a hole in me.'
He ran his fingers over the edge, his hand shaking and breath stuck in his throat. It looked like the wound was old and fresh at the same time.
'What in the world is happening, I don't remember...' Memories of his old started to flood his mind, making it all clear where he was.
'Ah, so this is the new world the goddess was talking about, then this must be,' he stood up and walked over to a broken mirror.
'So this is my new body,' his eyes went back to the wound, 'but why do I have a hole in my chest, and why is this place in such a state.'
Strangely though, there was no pain at all.
'Thrown into a ruin with a hole in my chest... what a great start you gave me, Goddess.'
[You are welcome.]
He flinched, spinning around, but no one was there. The voice was in his head.
'You! You put me in a corpse?!'
[Not a corpse, just... deeply compromised. He was taking his last breath when I put you in, so think of it as a fixer-upper.]
'A fixer-upper?!' He turned back to the mirror, fingers trembling as they traced the rim of the hole. 'I can see the room through my own chest!'
[Details, mere details. You begged for a life and I found you one, the last of a fallen noble line who met a tragic end. Take his memories and use them.]
He gritted his teeth, 'this isn't a life, it's a death sentence! Fix it! You promised to help me!'
[I cannot knit flesh, child, that is your burden now. However, I did promise a gift.]
A blue screen snapped into existence, hovering before his face, reflecting in the cracked mirror.
[System Initialized]
[Gift Received: High-Speed Regeneration (Lv. 1)]
[There you go, this tool will accelerate your growth, and I even threw in a freebie skill to silence your whining, so use it well.]
'A system? I used to see them a lot in isekai anime back in day.'
[Indeed, so grow strong, fulfill your purpose, and perhaps one day you will actually be worthy of the debt you owe me.]
'Debt? Right, the deal.'
[I expect great things from you, Fin, so do not disappoint me, or her.]
'Her?'
[I must go now, the connection is straining across the realms, I wish you all the luck.]
The presence in his mind vanished, leaving behind a silence that felt awkward.
"Wait! Goddess!"
No answer.
He stood there for a moment, staring at his reflection. He hole in his chest was really bothering him, but there was nothing he could do about it for now, then suddenly his legs gave out.
He stumbled back, collapsing onto the bed.
"Haa... haa..."
Exhaustion washed over him, 'This is crazy, this body is in a much worse state than my original body, and that's saying something.'
He sighed, not sure what to do.
'Maybe I should just sleep... let the regeneration skill do its work...'
His eyes started to close, his thoughts drifting away.
'Regeneration... healing... Emma.'
His eyes snapped open.
He sat up so fast his head spun, black spots dancing in his vision.
'Emma! I forgot to ask about Emma!'
Panic washed over him, how could he forget something so important.
'The Goddess said she sealed Emma's soul inside me! Where is she?! Is she okay?! Did the transfer work?!'
"Goddess! Come back! Where is she?!"
No answer. Panic started to raise again, did the goddess lie?
'Answer me! Is my sister here?!'
Ding!
The blue screen flickered, the text dissolving and reforming into new words.
[Soul Vessel Detected]
[Subject: Emma]
[Status: Dormant (Sealed)]
[Condition: Stable]
[To unseal: Requires host to reach 10th star at the minimum]
He stared at the words, his breathing ragged and tears pricking the corners of his eyes.
'She's... she's here.'
He placed a hand over his heart, 'You're really with me, thank you, goddess.'
He wiped the tears away, 'Okay... okay. But wait, what does that mean? 10th star?'
He frowned, staring at the requirement again.
'I know systems usually have levels or ranks... but stars?'
As if answering his confusion, another window popped open beside the first one.
[Power System Information: Core Formation]
[The core is the center of power and life for all awakened beings. It collects mana from the environment and refines it into star energy.]
[Every awakened being starts with a 1-Star Core. This is the absolute lowest rank, capable of basic mana manipulation.]
[Through training and cultivation, the core can be strengthened, adding more stars to its surface. Each star represents a significant leap in power and density.]
[The maximum rank recorded is 20 Stars. Reaching this level is considered godhood.]
He read through the text twice, 'So 10 stars... that puts me halfway to godhood?'
He let out a dry laugh, 'Halfway to godhood just to wake up my little sister. This is so ridiculous, that seems way too harsh, but I guess nothing comes easy..'
He looked down at his chest, 'wait... if I need a core to get stars... do I even have one?'
Ding!
[Diagnosis: Core destroyed. Mana pathways severed.]
[Reconstruction Probability: near 0%.]
He stared at the message, a cold feeling settling into his stomach as his mind raced to put the pieces together.
'A wound through the chest... a destroyed core... severed pathways.'
He wasn't dumb, he knew what this meant, someone didn't just kill the previous owner, they made sure to wipe out his future too.
'This was an execution.'
He looked around the ruined room, the reality of his situation sinking in, 'If they find out I'm still alive... they'll come back to finish the job.'
He sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on him. He let himself fall back onto the messy bed.
'A broken body, a shattered core, and enemies who want me dead... this world is going to be a headache.'
[New Quest Available]