When his eyes adjusted, he found himself inside a cube-shaped room, 3 meters on each side. Every surface glowed faintly with warm white light that seemed to emanate from within the walls themselves. The air was sterile, the silence absolute, as if the room existed outside normal space.
At the center stood a transparent capsule, surrounded by a shimmering liquid-like barrier that rippled with internal energy. The sight was both beautiful and ominous—a technological cocoon designed for metamorphosis.
To his right, a man in a military uniform stood like a statue. Expressionless. Unmoving. His presence was purely functional, a guardian of this sacred process. Without words, he gestured toward the capsule.
The boy, soon to be remade entirely, stepped forward and entered.
Shuaaa—
A screen materialized in front of him, letters appearing as if written by invisible fire against the darkness of his closed eyelids.
[ANALYZING...]
The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Something vast and intelligent touched the edges of his consciousness, reading him like text upon a page.
[WELCOME, C-786]
[PLEASE ENTER YOUR NAME]
He stared at the blinking prompt, understanding that this was more than mere identification. This was the moment of death and rebirth that the General had spoken of. Whatever name he chose would define not just who he became, but how the universe itself would know him.
A name forged from ambition and the ashes of his former self.
He typed each letter carefully, feeling the weight of destiny in each keystroke.
V-A-R-E-N
Submit
Shuaaa—
The light pulsed, accepting his choice with finality.
[NAME: VAREN]
[AGE: 14]
[SOUL CONDITION: UNINJURED]
The interface continued its clinical assessment, but something flickered in the display—a momentary glitch that suggested depths beyond the surface programming.
[YOUR NAME HAS BEEN REGISTERED. KINDLY PROCEED TO CHOOSE A SKILL FROM THE OPTIONS BELOW.]
Varen stared at the list that unfolded before him, an endless stream of power compressed into simple lines of text. Each option was a key to survival, a doorway to strength, but also a limitation that would shape everything that followed.
He scrolled slowly, analyzing each option with the cold precision that had carried him this far.
Superhuman Strength -
Grants four times your normal power for 30 seconds. Duration increases with overall physical development.
Invisibility -
Conceals aura and physical presence from all existence below the immortal-tier for 3 minutes. Moving while active reduces concealment effectiveness and shrinks duration to 30 seconds.
Time Stop -
Reduces time flow by 100x for 2 seconds. Duration scales with soul strength development.
Hawk Eyes -
Enhanced night vision and long-distance sight. (Passive)
Self Heal -
Activates automatically upon death, reviving the user three times. Soul damage cannot be recovered through this method.
Homing Arrow -
Trainable archery skill. Fired arrows track a locked target with supernatural precision. (Trainable)
Shadow Leech -
Attach a shadow fragment to another person's shadow. Allows switching positions with the marked target once per month. Cooldown duration and fragment count scale with soul strength.
Aura Steal -
Absorb aura and life force from killed targets. Adds absorbed energy to the user's own pool. Warning: Extended use may affect personality and moral flexibility.
Absolute Defense -
Grants total invulnerability for 2 seconds. Duration scales with cultivation advancement.
Regeneration -
Heals wounds 100x faster than baseline human recovery. Limbs cannot yet be regrown. (Trainable)
Mind Control -
Control the target for 60 seconds. Requires line of sight and physical contact. Maximum range: 30 meters.
Elemental Control -
Gain permanent affinity with one chosen element. Allows manipulation (not creation) of present elemental matter for 3 minutes. Duration increases with soul strength.
Space Warp -
Allows one dimensional warp per day within 10-meter radius. Additional warps unlock with spatial affinity development.
He studied and analyzed each option, ran simulations in his mind to figure out the best way forward. Raw power was tempting—superhuman strength, time stop, absolute defense. But survival in unknown worlds required more than brute force.
"Time Stop is devastating... if I live long enough to develop the soul strength to use it effectively," he murmured to himself. "Two seconds won't save me from a prepared enemy. Self Heal offers insurance, but three lives won't matter if I lack the power to learn from my mistakes."
His gaze returned again and again to one particular option.
"Shadow Leech..."
The skill stood out like a hidden blade among obvious weapons. Strategic rather than destructive. It offered mobility, espionage potential, and most importantly—unpredictability. In a world where strength was expected, subtle powers often proved most decisive.
After long consideration, understanding that this choice would define his path toward power, he made his decision.
[CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU HAVE ACQUIRED: SHADOW LEECH. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED TO ASSISTANT SELECTION?]
"Yes."
The interface shifted, revealing a new category of choices that proved even more complex than the skills.
[ASSISTANT SELECTION AVAILABLE. CHOOSE YOUR COMPANION CAREFULLY - THEY WILL SHARE YOUR TRIALS AND YOUR FATE.]
The list that appeared was diverse and disturbingly specific, suggesting the Empire's selection process accounted for every possible personality type and strategic need.
One Human Realm Warrior
An experienced fighter with extensive battlefield knowledge. Strong in solo combat and skilled as a tactical general. Possesses unwavering loyalty and moral principles.
One Human Realm Spy
Master of infiltration and information gathering. Has maintained perfect mission success record. Deadly in combat, excels in discretion and subterfuge.
One Human Realm Barbarian
A savage fighter steeped in blood and battle. Possesses unique "Killing Aura" that suppresses beings of similar or lower cultivation levels. Charismatic leader and fearless in combat.
Three Human Realm Maids
Loyal domestic servants trained for comprehensive support. Skilled in maintenance, basic combat, and logistical management. Low individual combat potential.
One Human Realm Secretary
Former princess with extensive political and strategic education. Highly intelligent, tactically minded, naturally protective. Exceptional at managing complex operations and personnel.
Three Human Realm Concubines
Stunningly beautiful companions with specialized training. Weak in direct combat but possess extraordinary stamina and persuasive talents useful for espionage and negotiation.
Three Human Realm Bodyguards
Trained protection specialists with enhanced danger-sensing abilities. Swift response times and ruthlessly efficient in neutralizing threats.
More options continued, but these drew his attention. Yet something fundamental bothered him about making such crucial decisions with incomplete information.
The cultivation realms mentioned—the Human Realm and others—were mysteries to him. Power structures, relative strengths, advancement methods, all locked behind barriers of secrecy that the Empire maintained jealously.
It was no secret that becoming a candidate required clearing the trials. Every aspirant had five years to succeed, but only those between ages five and ten could participate. Those who cleared the trials paid a price beyond physical hardship; all memories of life before joining were erased, save for their motivation to join and knowledge of the Ananta Empire itself.
Despite knowing this cruel cost beforehand, youths joined willingly. Families pushed their children forward on the slimmest hope of ascension.
Varen was the 786th person to clear the trials, and he had cleared them in his third year. Thus, his ID "C-786." His knowledge of anything not learned after joining the trials was essentially nil.
The familiar sting of incomplete information gnawed at him—a reminder of how the Empire controlled even basic knowledge.
"What exactly are these 'Realms' in terms of power scaling?" he asked the interface directly.
[RANK INSUFFICIENT TO ACCESS DETAILED CULTIVATION KNOWLEDGE. COMPLETE TRANSMIGRATION PROCESS TO ATTAIN KNIGHT RANK AND UNLOCK BASIC INFORMATION PROTOCOLS.]
The response surprised him; he had expected his queries to be ignored. That had been the style during the trials. At least he now understood the information hierarchy. Survival meant advancement, and advancement meant answers.
Anyone employed or affiliated with the Empire, directly or indirectly, was given a rank. Knight rank was the most basic one. He had learned this during the trials when he encountered some knights.
He focused back on the decision at hand, working with available information.
"The Warrior offers loyalty and tactical expertise... but upright soldiers often struggle with morally flexible commands. The Secretary brings intelligence and strategic thinking... but political backgrounds can mean divided loyalties."
His attention kept returning to one particular option.
"The Barbarian... someone who has embraced violence as a tool rather than a last resort. That Killing Aura suggests enemies will fear him before fighting even begins. And 'charismatic' means he can lead others when I need to delegate authority."
A fragment of knowledge surfaced from his trial memories—barbarians were not mere savages; they were warriors who had forsaken the fear of death itself. Unpredictable and thus feared, for their enemies knew that if pushed too far, they would embrace self-destructive tactics to drag their foes into oblivion alongside them.
A subtle smile adorned his face. This was exactly the type of man he needed.
"A man who understands that power flows from the edge of a blade... and isn't squeamish about where that blade cuts."
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED: HUMAN REALM BARBARIAN. YOUR SKILL AND ASSISTANT WILL BE PROVIDED POST-TRANSMIGRATION.]
[PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE...]
[TRANSMIGRATING IN: 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]
[SELECTING RANDOM PLANET...]
[PLANET SELECTED: ASTINA]
[INITIATING TRANSMIGRATION SEQUENCE...]
Shua.
A streak of silver light split the twilight sky of a distant world, carrying within it the compressed essence of his dream, his ambition, and his life.