Sunlight filtered through enchanted crystal windows high in Sylvaine Citadel, casting rainbow prisms across polished marble floors veined with natural mana conduits. Ten-year-old Elaric Sylvaine stood before a full-length mirror framed in living silverwood that subtly adjusted to flatter the viewer. His reflection showed a slender boy with tousled midnight-black hair, sharp emerald eyes inherited from his mother, and the pale complexion of one raised in luxury rather than sun-baked training fields.
Today marked his tenth birthday—the age when noble heirs formally began their path into the great power systems of Elyndor. Servants had dressed him in a miniature version of the house regalia: a deep azure tunic embroidered with the Sylvaine eagle emblem clutching lightning and wind runes, soft leather boots enchanted for silent steps, and a small aura-tempering belt that hummed faintly against his waist.
A gentle knock sounded. "Young Master Elaric, the Duke and Duchess await in the Grand Hall for the traditional talent assessment and realm explanations. The feast is prepared, and guests from allied houses have arrived." The voice belonged to Head Butler Harlan, a loyal Foundation Establishment cultivator who had served the house for decades.
Elaric nodded, his mind calm yet buzzing with an inexplicable anticipation he couldn't name. "I'm ready, Harlan. Lead the way."
As they walked the wide corridors lined with glowing mana-lamps and ancient tapestries depicting legendary battles—knights wreathed in golden aura cleaving dragons, mages summoning meteor storms, qi cultivators soaring on sword light—Elaric's steps felt lighter than usual. Unbeknownst to all, inside his sea of consciousness, a golden panel materialized for the first time.
DING!
A crisp, genderless mechanical voice resounded directly in his mind, audible only to him.
[Supreme Omni-System] fully activated! Host: Elaric Sylvaine. Age: 10 years, 0 months. Soul bound permanently. No prior-life recollections will burden the host per protocol—only the System's guidance remains. All functions online. Welcome to your path of supremacy, Sovereign Candidate.
Elaric stumbled for half a step. Harlan glanced back, concerned. "Young Master?"
"Nothing, just a loose boot lace," Elaric replied smoothly, years of noble etiquette training masking his shock. Inside, his thoughts raced: What in the name of the high gods is this? A System? Like those game interfaces from… somewhere? It feels natural, powerful. No memories attached, just pure potential. Perfect.
The interface expanded into a crystal-clear HUD only he could see:
[Status]
Name: Elaric Sylvaine
Title: Heir of House Sylvaine (Locked)
Age: 10
System Level: 1 (0/1000 EXP to Level 2)
System Points: 0
Power Systems Progress:
• Mana Core: Dormant (0%)
• Aura Body: Dormant (0%)
• Qi Dantian: Dormant (0%)
• Ki Sea: Dormant (0%)
• Bloodline: Sylvaine Eagle (Sealed, 12% affinity)
• Other Systems: Locked (requires milestones)
Attributes (Base – no bonuses yet):
Strength: 8 | Agility: 9 | Vitality: 10 | Spirit: 7 | Luck: 12 (System bonus)
Functions Available (Full List – Expandable):
1. Daily Sign-In – Claim daily rewards. Consecutive streaks multiply value (Day 1: Basic; Day 7: Rare+; Day 30: Epic guaranteed).
2. Gacha Lottery – Spend points or tickets on themed pools: Basic (common pills), Advanced (techniques), Rare (artifacts), Epic (bloodlines/skills), Legendary (divine items), Mythic (world-altering). Pity system: 100 pulls guarantees SSR.
3. Mission Board – Daily/Weekly/Main/Hidden quests. Rewards scale with difficulty.
4. Shop – Buy anything from low-grade spirit stones to immortal-grade pills using points. Stock refreshes daily.
5. Inventory – Infinite dimensional storage, time-freeze, sortable.
6. Analysis/Scan – Instant full info on items, beasts, people (with permission or power gap).
7. Cultivation Assistant – Optimal routes for all systems, simulation mode, bottleneck removal, auto-circulation.
8. Skill Fusion & Comprehension – Merge techniques, instant mastery up to host's realm.
9. Achievement System – Unlock titles, permanent buffs for milestones (e.g., "First Breakthrough" = +10% all energies).
10. Lottery Wheel (separate from Gacha) – Free daily spins for minor items, upgraded by sign-ins.
11. Pet/Companion System – Hatch eggs, contract beasts, evolve them.
12. Quest Journal & Map – Auto-track, reveal hidden areas. … (and 20+ more unlockable functions).
First-Time Bonus Activated! Perform your inaugural Daily Sign-In? (Y/N)
Elaric mentally selected Yes without hesitation.
DING! First Sign-In Success! Streak: 1 day.
Rewards:
• Low-Grade Mana Awakening Pill x3
• Beginner Aura Tempering Manual (Perfect Grade) x1
• Qi Gathering Breathing Technique (Flawless) x1
• Ki Condensing Seed x1
• System Points +500
• Random Bloodline Enhancement Ticket (Rare) x1
• Starter Cultivation Simulator Session (1 hour)
The items materialized instantly in his Inventory, invisible to the world. Elaric's heart pounded with excitement, but his face remained the picture of noble composure. This changes everything. No more average talent. I'll master every system and stand at the absolute peak.
They reached the Grand Hall. Crystal chandeliers floated via levitation arrays, tables groaned under spirit fruit platters and mana-infused wines. Duke Reginald Sylvaine— a towering man at Grand Knight realm in Aura, Archmage in Mana, and Core Formation in Qi—sat at the head. Beside him, Duchess Elara, renowned for her Ki mastery and bloodline awakening, smiled warmly. Siblings and cousins, aunts and uncles from branch families, and representatives from allied houses filled the seats.
"Elaric, my son," the Duke boomed, aura flaring subtly to command attention. "Today you enter the true path. Before the talent crystal test and feast, I shall explain the power systems of Elyndor in full, as every Sylvaine heir has received since the founding. Listen well—these are the pillars upon which our house, and the continent, stand."
Elaric bowed respectfully and took his seat, inwardly thrilled. Perfect timing. The System will record and optimize everything.
The Duke stood, projecting his voice with gentle mana amplification so every ear heard clearly. He began with the most widespread system.
Mana System (Arcane Path – Mages & Sorcerers):
"Mana is the primordial energy suffusing all creation—the breath of the world itself. It exists in the air, ley lines, spirit stones, and living beings. Mages sense mana with their spirit sense, draw it into their bodies, and condense it within a Mana Core usually formed near the heart or solar plexus.
Cultivation Method (Step-by-Step):
1. Meditation: Sit in a mana-rich environment, empty the mind, and extend spirit sense until you 'feel' the flowing energies (colorful motes for different elements—red for fire, blue for water, green for wood/wind, etc.).
2. Absorption: Actively pull mana through skin pores or breath, guide it along spirit channels without clashing.
3. Core Formation: Compress gathered mana into a stable, rotating core. Size and purity determine future potential.
4. Refinement & Expansion: Absorb higher-grade mana crystals, comprehend spell runes, meditate on elemental laws. Dual or multi-element affinities are rare and powerful.
5. Spell Casting: Form runes or incantations to shape mana into fireballs, barriers, flight, teleportation, etc. Higher realms allow domain creation where you control local laws.
Realms of Power (with sub-stages):
• Novice (1-9 Stars): Basic sensing and low-power spells (fire spark to small gusts). Lifespan ~80-120 years.
• Adept (Early/Mid/Late/Peak): Multi-element control, larger area effects. Can power household arrays.
• Master Mage: Flight, advanced elemental manipulation, construct golems.
• Grandmaster/Archmage: City-level spells, elemental incarnation (become living fire, etc.).
• Saint Mage: Law comprehension—rewrite local physics temporarily (time dilation pockets, absolute barriers).
• Divine/God Mage: Create pocket dimensions, immortality via mana rebirth. Rare even among empires.
Our Sylvaine bloodline grants strong wind and lightning affinities, making us excellent aerial mages and storm callers."
The Duke paused, letting the knowledge sink in. Elaric's System automatically recorded every word, cross-referenced with optimal paths, and displayed notes: Host affinity projected 87% wind, 64% lightning after bloodline ticket use.
Next came Aura.
Aura System (Knight/Martial Path):
"Aura is the refined life force and indomitable will made manifest. Knights do not rely on spells but on the perfect tempering of flesh and bone. Aura circulates through 108 major acupuncture points and countless minor channels, coating the body like invisible armor or infusing weapons for cutting steel like paper.
Cultivation Method:
1. Body Tempering: Rigorous physical training—weighted runs, sparring, iron-skin exercises—to generate initial aura particles from blood and marrow.
2. Circulation: Learn specific breathing patterns and movement forms (our house's Eagle Soaring Steps) to guide aura in cycles, strengthening organs, bones, and muscles progressively.
3. Manifestation: Project aura externally as blades, shields, or domain pressure. Combat experience accelerates growth by tempering will.
4. Advanced: Fuse with weapons for 'aura armament,' achieve flight via aura wings, or create pressure domains that crush weaker foes. Pills made from body-tempering herbs (dragon bone powder, phoenix blood lotus) speed the process.
Realms:
• Squire/Trainee: Basic strengthening, minor aura coating.
• Knight: Full body armor, enhanced strength/speed (lift 10x body weight).
• Great Knight: External projection, weapon aura extension (slash mountains from afar).
• Palace/Royal Knight: Domain pressure, aura avatars.
• Imperial Knight: City-destroying strikes, near-immortal body regeneration.
• Divine Knight: Aura transcends flesh—exist as pure energy, shatter space with fists.
Knights often hybridize with other systems; a mage-knight is a nightmare on the battlefield." The Duke demonstrated by flaring his own golden aura, making the air tremble and candles flicker.
Elaric felt the pressure wash over him harmlessly, protected by the System's subtle shield. Note to self: Use gacha for hybrid techniques immediately.
The Duke continued to Qi System (Cultivation Path – primarily Eastern Sects but universal now):
"Qi is vital energy drawn from heaven and earth, the foundation of longevity and transcendence. Unlike mana's external focus or aura's physicality, Qi builds an internal 'dantian' sea in the lower abdomen and opens meridians for flawless flow.
Cultivation Method (Detailed Stages):
1. Qi Gathering/Condensation (13 layers): Absorb spiritual Qi via specialized breathing (our house possesses the 'Eternal Eagle Breath'), refine impurities, fill body and early dantian. Use spirit stones, medicinal baths, or dual cultivation (rare, consensual).
2. Foundation Establishment (Early/Mid/Late/Peak): Solidify dantian foundation, fully open 12 main + 8 extraordinary meridians. Breakthroughs often require insight or heavenly tribulations (lightning strikes that temper the body if survived).
3. Core Formation (Golden Core): Condense liquid Qi into a solid, rotating golden core that generates infinite Qi. Lifespan jumps to 500+ years.
4. Nascent Soul: Core births a miniature soul infant that can exit the body, possess others, or survive physical destruction. True immortality begins here.
5. Soul Transformation / Void Refinement: Merge soul with laws of heaven, refine void energy.
6. Integration / Tribulation Transcendence: Body and soul become one with the Dao, survive multiple heavenly tribulations.
7. Immortal Ascension / Dao Ancestor: Transcend mortal world, create minor worlds, eternal life.
Pills are crucial—Qi Condensing Pills, Foundation Pills, Core Breaking Pills, etc. Combat, enlightenment, and spirit herbs accelerate everything."
Ki System (Shadow/Assassin Path):
"Ki is condensed killing intent and stealth energy, a lethal variant of Qi. Practitioners form a 'Ki Sea' parallel to the dantian, focusing on speed, illusion, poison, and one-strike kills. Cultivation mirrors Qi but emphasizes assassination forms, shadow stepping, and intent sharpening. Realms parallel Qi but specialize in concealment and burst damage. Our house employs Ki for intelligence and covert operations."
The Duke covered additional systems briefly but thoroughly:
• Bloodline Awakening: Inherited traits (our Eagle Bloodline boosts speed, wind affinity, vision). Awaken via high cultivation + catalysts; higher purity grants divine abilities like true flight or storm summons.
• Spirit Contracts: Summon and bond beasts/elementals for companions that grow with you.
• Rune/Array/Alchemy: Inscribe formations for traps or boosts; refine pills that grant instant breakthroughs.
"Elaric, you may choose primary paths, but true Sylvaine heirs pursue balance. Now, the talent crystal."
A large multifaceted crystal was brought forward. Elaric placed his hand on it as instructed. It glowed weakly—average across all systems. Gasps and disappointed murmurs rose. The Duke's face tightened, but he forced a smile. "Average is still respectable. With hard work—"
Elaric bowed. "Thank you, Father. I will not disappoint." Inside: Just wait. The System will flip this script in minutes.
The feast proceeded with toasts and gifts, but Elaric excused himself early, citing excitement for private reflection. Back in his lavish chambers—silk drapes, mana-ventilated air, personal training array—he locked the door and dove into the System.
First, Daily Sign-In rewards claimed and used.
He swallowed the three Mana Awakening Pills. The System's Cultivation Assistant activated: Optimal absorption route simulated. Impurities expelled. Core formation in 3…2…1…
Warmth flooded his chest. Mana motes visible only to him swirled in, compressing into a perfect, rotating sapphire core pulsing with wind and lightning. Breakthrough sensations: euphoric energy rush, vision sharpening, spells instinctively forming in his mind (Basic Wind Blade, Lightning Spark). He reached 5-Star Novice instantly, mana capacity exploding.
Next, the Aura Tempering Manual. System simulated perfect circulation while he performed basic forms. Aura particles ignited in his blood; muscles densified, bones strengthened. He hit Early Knight realm—body now capable of lifting twice his weight effortlessly, skin tough as leather.
Qi Gathering Technique: Seated meditation, flawless breathing. Dantian formed, Qi flooded in like a river. Layers 1 through 7 condensed in minutes thanks to the Simulator. Foundation Establishment beckoned but paused at peak Qi Condensation for safety.
Ki Condensing Seed: Planted in his Ki Sea. Sharp senses emerged; he could now fade his presence, move silently, and generate killing intent threads. Early Ki Condensation achieved.
Random Bloodline Enhancement Ticket used: Sylvaine Eagle Bloodline unsealed to 45% purity! Feathers of wind manifested briefly on his arms before retracting; lightning crackled in his eyes. Speed doubled, wind spells gained 50% boost.
DING! Achievement Unlocked: "Multi-System Prodigy" – First simultaneous breakthroughs in 4 systems.
Reward: Permanent +15% energy efficiency. Title: "Nascent Sovereign" (minor aura of majesty).
Elaric tested his new power subtly—levitating a cup with wind mana, slicing it cleanly with projected aura blade, circulating Qi to heal a paper cut instantly, vanishing his reflection in the mirror via Ki. The room trembled lightly from the power surge before he suppressed it.
Mission Board Updated!
Daily Mission: Cultivate 2 hours total (All systems). Reward: 50 points + Low-Grade Spirit Stone x10.
Main Quest: Reach Adept in all primary systems within 1 year. Reward: Legendary Gacha Ticket x1 + Hidden Bloodline Unlock.
Hidden Quest Triggered: Investigate the family ancestral vault tonight. Reward: ??? (High value).
A soft knock—his mother, the Duchess. "Elaric? The crystal showed average, but I sense… something changed. Are you alright?"
He opened the door, aura and mana subtly leaking in controlled bursts. The Duchess's eyes widened. "This… this is impossible for average talent! You broke through multiple realms in an hour?!"
Elaric smiled innocently. "Perhaps the birthday blessings awakened hidden potential, Mother. The System— I mean, the heavens smiled on me." (He caught himself.)
Shocked but overjoyed, she hugged him. "We must tell your father privately. Our house will rise!"
Word spread carefully within the inner family. The Duke tested him again in a sealed training chamber, witnessing Elaric cast a 3-Star Novice storm spell, shatter a steel target with an aura-infused fist, and cycle Qi visibly. "Genius! Hidden dragon indeed!"
The rest of the chapter unfolded in rich detail:
• Extended private training montage (System simulations running parallel, Elaric mastering basic hybrid techniques like Aura-Infused Wind Blade).
• Family dinner scene with siblings' reactions (jealous younger brother, supportive sister), political discussions about rival House Vesper plotting in the capital.
• First Gacha pull (spent 200 points): Obtained "Flawless Multi-System Foundation Technique" (Epic) + Spirit Beast Egg (Rare – Wind Eagle hatchling).
• Analysis of the egg: "Hatches into loyal companion, grows with host, shares bloodline synergies."
• Inner monologue exploring System depth: daily lottery wheel spin yielding minor pills, shop browsing (he buys a spatial ring upgrade for 100 points), planning future sign-in streaks.
• Nighttime stealth mission to ancestral vault using new Ki, discovering a sealed ancient manual the System analyzes as "Partial Immortal Ascension Insight" (quest reward).
• Sensory descriptions: Every breakthrough felt as visceral ecstasy/pain/empowerment—meridians widening like rivers, core spinning like a star, aura coating skin like molten gold.
• World-building asides: Brief history of Elyndor's great wars where multi-system users dominated, current political tensions, monster tide predictions in 3 months.
• Ending hook: As midnight struck, another DING! – Streak Day 1 complete, new daily mission, and a hidden world message: "External threat detected – rival scout at citadel walls. Optional side quest: Eliminate silently. Reward: Shadow Ki Technique."
Elaric grinned in the moonlight. "System, begin auto-cultivation while I handle this. Time to test my new power."
End of Chapter 1.