Shadow of the First Sovereign: The Weakest System

Chapter 1: The Zero-Percent Hero in the year 2045, your "System" was your life. When a child turned ten, a blue screen would flicker into existence before their eyes. Some became [Warriors], others [Mages], and most became [Workers] or [Craftsmen]. The System gave you your stats, your skills, and your place in society. Then there was Han. Han was nineteen, and his vision was perfectly clear. No blue screens. No stat bars. No floating icons. In a world of digital gods, Han was a "Null"—a biological glitch. "Hey, Null! Catch!" Han looked up just as a heavy leather bag slammed into his chest. He tumbled backward, hitting the cold pavement of the Academy courtyard. A group of students in shimmering silver armor laughed as they walked past. "Sorry, I forgot," mocked Kael, the top-ranked student in the class. "Without a [Strength Stat], even a gym bag is too heavy for you. Why are you even here, Han? You're just taking up oxygen. "Han didn't say a word. He gripped the straps of the bag, his knuckles turning white. He didn't have a Strength stat, but he had something else: endurance. He had spent nineteen years being pushed down, and he had learned how to get back up. "The dungeon raid starts at five," Kael shouted over his shoulder. "Stay out of the way, or a goblin might mistake you for a snack. "The "Grey Zone" was the edge of the city where the magical barrier was thin. It was a place of broken concrete and rusting cars. Most people stayed away, but for a Null like Han, it was the only place he could find work. He spent his afternoons scavenging "Mana Scraps"—tiny pieces of crystals left behind by real Hunters. The sun was setting, turning the sky a bruised purple. Han reached into a cracked pipe, hoping to find a shard, when the air suddenly turned ice-cold. Crrr-ack. A sound like breaking glass echoed through the alley. Han froze. Ten feet away, the air ripped open. A dark, jagged hole appeared—a Void Tear. Out of the hole stepped a creature that shouldn't be in the city. It was a Void Creeper. It looked like a wolf, but its skin was made of shadows, and its eyes were two glowing orbs of hateful violet light. Han's heart hammered against his ribs. Run, his brain screamed. Move!, But a Null had no [Agility] buffs. He was too slow. The creature lunged. It was a blur of black fur and silver claws. Han threw his arms up to protect his face. He felt the sharp sting of claws tearing through his jacket and into his skin. He fell hard, his head hitting a brick wall. Blood blurred his vision. Everything started to fade into a dull hum. Is this it? Han thought. Dying in an alleyway because I didn't have a screen?, Suddenly the world turned gray. The sound of the wind stopped. The Void Creeper was frozen in mid-air, its teeth inches from Han's throat. A sound erupted inside Han's head. It wasn't the friendly "ding" of a normal System. It sounded like a massive iron gate being ripped off its hinges.[CRITICAL ERROR DETECTED.][HOST LIFE-FORCE: 0.01%][DETECTING ANCIENT PROTOCOL... OVERRIDING BIOLOGICAL LIMITS.]A screen exploded in front of Han. It wasn't blue like everyone else's. It was a deep, burning gold that scorched his eyes.[DELETING "NULL" STATUS...][INSTALLING: THE SOVEREIGN SYSTEM (V. 1.0)]The heat in Han's chest became a fire. He felt his bones knitting back together. He felt a power so heavy it made the ground beneath him crack.[FIRST QUEST ACTIVATED: KILL OR BE ERASED.][TARGET: VOID CREEPER (LVL 15)][CURRENT HOST LEVEL: 1]The gray world snapped back into color. The monster resumed its lunge, its jaws opening wide to crush Han's skull.But Han didn't feel slow anymore.He reached out and grabbed the monster's throat with one hand. The creature whimpered, its purple eyes widening in shock. Han felt a cold, dark energy flowing from the monster into his own arm.[SKILL ACTIVATED: SOVEREIGN'S TOUCH (RANK F)][EFFECT: STEALING TARGET'S STRENGTH...]Han felt his muscles swell. He looked at the monster and smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile."My turn," he whispered.He squeezed. There was a sickening crunch, and the monster turned into black dust.[LEVEL UP!][LEVEL UP!]Han stood up, his clothes soaked in blood, but his body feeling stronger than it ever had in nineteen years. He looked at the golden screen floating in the air.Then, his heart stopped.At the bottom of the screen, a new notification appeared in bright red letters:[WARNING: THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM USERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF YOUR ASCENSION.][THE HUNT HAS BEGUN. RUN.]From the rooftops above, three figures in dark cloaks looked down at the alley. Their blue screens were flickering wildly."Did you feel that?" one of them whispered, drawing a glowing sword. "The Null... he just killed a Level 15 with his bare hands.""Kill him," the leader replied. "Before the Sovereign wakes up completely."