The time is ticking down; the system shows only one minute before activation. That means, in just sixty seconds, it'll be my 18th birthday. I still can't believe it's been eighteen years since I was reincarnated into this dog-eat-dog world, where strength is literally the only ID for survival. The only reason hope still flickers in my heart is this system.
I sigh, glancing around my house—a poor straw hut riddled with holes and leaking rainwater. My only roommates are the rats and cockroaches.
I watch the lively guests scurrying around. With a grim smile, I greet them warmly—with my broomstick. "Get the hell out of my house, you motherfuckers!"
I swing my broomstick furiously, chasing my unwelcome roommates like a madman. But these damn rats and cockroaches keep dodging my pitiful, futile attacks. My breath grows ragged, and I collapse onto my straw bed. It's itchy, but after eighteen years, I've gotten used to it. Now, those little bastards are mocking my weak physique—how do I know? It's just a feeling, but they always seem to make more noise after I fail to kill them.
Damn, even rats and cockroaches are mocking me. System, please—God, just give me a useful system. I'm not asking for some overpowered, instant-cheat code system. I just want a normal system, something that'll actually help me survive in this world dominated by demons, beasts, other races, and aliens. Otherwise, I'll end up as nothing more than cannon fodder.
One minute later, the system activated. I sighed—not because it finally turned on, but because it didn't ask for any star power energy. My existence is already pitiful; if I had to fetch star power energy just to get started, I might as well give up and die trying. That would be an embarrassment to all fellow reincarnators and transmigrators.
I immediately opened the system. The panel began to load—a simple, white screen. As it loaded, I started to pray to the gods for luck, but then paused. Wait, I don't even know what gods exist in this world. Surviving alone is already hard enough; who has time to study theology? Still, I kept praying anyway, just in case.
A few minutes later, the system finished loading. When I opened my eyes, I was completely stunned. The system offered me two options—but these weren't ordinary choices. On one side, there was the blessing of the Mother of Light. She appeared calm and surreal, the embodiment of light itself—peaceful, gentle, and warm like a mother's embrace. On the other, the blessing of the Mother of Darkness—an embodiment of death and shadow. Her eyes were like deep abysses; stare long enough, and you'd forget your own existence.
Faced with these two blessings, my body trembled—not from excitement, but from the sheer pressure of their presence. If it wasn't for the system, I'm sure my body and soul would have been ripped apart long ago. There was a timer: ten seconds left to choose.
I was about to make my decision when I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. My body and instincts screamed at me to get out, but I didn't care. Blood started pouring from my nose and ears. If I didn't choose, I was going to die. With all the strength and willpower I could muster, I pointed at the Mother of Light's blessing—but, in the last second, I switched and chose the Mother of Darkness.
Instantly, my vision went black. My body and soul floated in the abyss.
A few minutes later—what felt like an eternity—I woke up in my straw hut, completely naked. I ignored it. My body felt light, as if I'd been reborn. My muscles were smooth but not bulky. When I looked around, I could see every detail as if nothing could escape my gaze. Even the movements of the rats and cockroaches appeared slow to me now; I was 100% confident I could slaughter them with ease. Yet, for some reason, they seemed more energetic than ever.
Sensing something was off, I quickly opened the system panel. What I read nearly made me pass out from ecstasy:
Mother of Darkness Blessing
Trait No. 1: At the same level, your stealth cannot be detected, even with heaven-defying treasures or techniques.
Trait No. 2: At the same level, you are INVINCIBLE in combat. The only exception is someone with the blessing of the Mother of Light—they can only fight on equal footing, but even they cannot kill you. In other words, at your level, you are truly INVINCIBLE.
Tears of joy streamed down my face. "Thank you, thank you, Mother of Darkness!" I sobbed. I swore a lifelong oath—no, I swore on the Mother of Darkness herself—that I would never disgrace or dishonor her name.
Suddenly, the system panel flickered: "Your oath has satisfied the Mother of Darkness. She bestows upon you additional skills. Enjoy, mortal."
I was speechless. What else could I do? I was already crying with happiness—do they want me to dance like a madman? Well, I did exactly that, leaping around the hut, still naked, as I checked my new skills:
Skill No. 1: When night falls, all your basic stats are doubled (passive).
Skill No. 2: When you're dying or critically wounded, you're automatically transported to the Abyss—outside of reality and time—to recover. The cost: your minor realm will be reduced by one (passive).
Weapon Techniques: Blade Series
Blade Slash: Single-target damage
Blade Shield: Summons blade aura for protection
Blade Infinity: Summons infinite blades for area-of-effect damage
Movement Technique:
Abyss Walk
Seeing these dazzling techniques, my mind was blown. I really was dancing like a madman, jumping around the house in utter joy.
Seeing those rats and cockroaches so lively, I finally understood—they must have thought I was dead after my sudden disappearance. The corner of my mouth twitched. These little bastards are celebrating my absence. The reason they can't sense me now is thanks to Trait No. 1—my stealth is completely undetectable at the same level, and it's passive, so I can't turn it off even if I wanted to. Not that I mind; in a world like this, who wants to attract attention?
Muttering to myself, I started putting on my clothes. Just as I finished, I heard noises coming from outside.
If you can even call this place a refugee area, there's always something happening here. Sometimes it's decent—like when some rich folks toss us their second-hand clothes or hand out leftover food. But more often, it's trouble. Every now and then, some lunatic comes around looking for people to use as beast-hunting bait, promising amazing rewards. In reality, they just want cannon fodder.