{DING! Weapon Master System has been activated.}
A sharp mechanical voice echoed inside Rayne's head.
It was cold, emotionless.
{DING! Danger! Thousands of ancient monsters detected below.}
{Power analysis… failed.}
{Location analysis… failed.}
{DING! Emergency! Activating Berserk Weapon Mode.}
Before he could comprehend what was happening, Rayne's consciousness suddenly vanished.
He felt himself being pulled—falling into emptiness—then arriving in a place he didn't recognize.
In front of him stood a grand throne, flanked by two colossal statues radiating an indescribable aura of majesty.
For some reason, the throne felt familiar. Yet the fact that he had never seen it made him hesitate to move.
Meanwhile, Rayne's unconscious body began to change.
Around him surged a terrifying, razor-sharp energy.
In his hand was gripped a pitch-black sword that seemed thirsting for blood.
Rayne's eyes turned deep red, veins bulging, his aura violently surging.
Dashhh!... He shot through the darkness, as if stepping on thin air.
Duarrrr!... His strike crushed thousands of monsters below. The massive bodies were blown apart, sliced, shattered.
Rayne—or whatever had taken control of him—moved like a shadow of death.
He slashed, stabbed, cut, pierced, and destroyed without end.
Slasshh!
Spurfff!
Slashhh!
If anyone had witnessed that battle, they would have said only one thing:
"Massacre."
In less than an hour, thousands of those creatures vanished—obliterated without a trace.
Meanwhile, Rayne's lost consciousness was suddenly pulled back into his body.
{DING! Berserk Weapon Mode has ended and been sealed.}
Before he could calm himself, that cold voice echoed again.
{DING! You have received your first special reward for activating the Weapon Master System.}
A blue panel appeared before Rayne, displaying three slowly floating objects, accompanied by an explanation:
{Weapon Core}
A small golden orb that can change its form according to the owner's will. It has levels and can be infinitely upgraded. Once bound, it cannot be separated from its owner.
Note: can only transform into weapons.
{Nameless Eyes}
A pair of golden-pupiled eyes.
They grant sharp vision, adapt to light and darkness, and enhance reflexes.
Note: can continue evolving and unlock hidden functions.
{Book of a Thousand Blades}
An ancient book containing all knowledge of every weapon ever existed—even those beyond the universe.
Note: may influence the owner's personality.
---
The three items floated before his face—the golden orb shining, the golden-pupiled eyes, and the dusty old book.
"Ah..."
Rayne's body trembled violently.
Just before his sanity began to waver.
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is all this?!"
"I got thrown who-knows-where, nearly died, woke up in a strange place, and now I'm getting gifts from something I don't even understand?!"
"What kind of sick joke is this?!"
Rayne screamed like a man losing his mind.
{DING! Please maintain your sanity, Master. Otherwise, you won't be able to receive this power.}
"Heh… yeah. I guess I really have gone insane now."
"Hahaha! To hell with this damned life!"
Thud!
Rayne threw himself to the ground, rolling and laughing at his own madness.
{DING! Your sanity has eroded.}
{Searching for optimal solution...}
{DING! Weapon Core and Nameless Eyes will be installed automatically to stabilize your consciousness.}
Suddenly, his eyes felt strange—itchy, then hot, then excruciatingly painful.
"AAAGGHHHHH!!"
His eyes felt like they were being gouged out and reshaped. Burning heat spread through his entire body.
Meanwhile, the golden orb shot forward, piercing through his chest and striking his heart directly.
An indescribable pain exploded throughout his body.
His organs felt crushed, twisted, and burned all at once.
"AGGHHHHHH!!! WHAT IS THIS?!"
Rayne writhed on the ground, convulsing and flailing like a fish thrown onto dry land.
He screamed for a long time until, finally… the pain began to fade.
Replaced by something warm—energy flowing rapidly throughout his body.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a new world.
The deep darkness had turned into dim light.
"Wait… is this ground? Trees? Cliffs?"
He looked around.
The ground was covered in plants, towering trees, and canyon walls with no visible end.
"This..."
Though his vision was somewhat dim, it was still clear enough to see his surroundings—like wearing thin sunglasses in the morning.
Rayne saw everything, occasionally rubbing his eyes to confirm what he was seeing.
"Real?..."
{DING! Do you believe now, Master?}
That mechanical voice echoed in his mind again.
Rayne fell silent for a moment; for someone who had lived his whole life without even a hint of supernatural power, suddenly gaining such power made him extremely cautious.
"Who are you? Why are you inside me?"
{DING! I am the Weapon Master System. I exist within you because we are one; you are the system, and the system is you.}
Still unable to fully grasp it, Rayne kept asking questions—even the pointless ones.
---
"Ugh... Fine, I'm starting to get it. Let's get to the point."
"Where did you come from? And since when have you been inside me?"
"What's your purpose?"
{DING! The system cannot determine its origin, and it has been within your body since you were born.}
{The system's purpose is to make you grow stronger and greater. The Weapon Master System will make you the greatest weapon master of all time.}
"Since birth? The greatest weapon master?"
"Why are you only appearing now?"
{DING! When I first resided in your body, I was on the verge of collapse, with only a fragment of power remaining.}
{Fortunately, you are exceptionally gifted—the only one possessing the advanced lightning root, the third evolution of lightning: 'plasma', as well as a core shaped like the ocean. Thanks to that, I was able to survive and gradually recover until I am now fully restored.}
(Every elemental root has its own evolution. One of them is lightning, whose evolutionary line goes: lightning → thunderbolt → plasma.)
Thud...
"You mean... you absorbed my talent?"
{DING! Correct, Master. But don't misunderstand. Back then, your lifespan was only about ten years, as you were being consumed by your overwhelming and unstable talent. By absorbing that power, the system allowed your life to be prolonged.}
BOOMMMMM...
Ghhhrrrrooooooo.....
Suddenly, a deafening explosion and a terrifying roar echoed from the east, shaking the ground. Rayne clutched his ears, eyes narrowing toward the sound.
{DING! A horde of level 1–5 monsters is approaching, Master. You should find shelter immediately.}
(In this world, monsters have levels that define their strength—starting from level one. So far, only up to level fifty have been recorded, but that is not the highest. Researchers believe there are beings far beyond level fifty.)
Without hesitation, Rayne ran with all his might in a random direction.
"Think of something, system!" he shouted in panic.
Thud... Rayne stumbled, tripped by a root that caught his leg, while the shaking ground signaled that the monsters were closing in.
As he thought of a sword to cut the root—at that very moment, a golden sword appeared in his hand.
Though shocked, Rayne had no time to think; he slashed the root and continued running at full speed.
Not long after, he finally... reached a massive cliff stretching endlessly.
Its depth was invisible—only darkness devouring the light.
Overwhelmed by extreme panic, his knees trembled violently, unable to support his weight.
Thud... He fell to his knees.
In front of him lay a cliff that would surely kill him if he jumped. But behind him, a horde of monsters was ready to tear him apart alive.