The morning sunlight crept through the thin curtains, scattering golden rays across the messy little room. Ethan stirred, blinking against the warmth as he sat up. His body still felt sore, but his mind… sharper and Clearer.
Luna, the silver-furred catlike creature, was curled beside his pillow, breathing softly. Her fur glowed faintly in the light, almost as if she absorbed it. He smiled faintly and ran his fingers gently through her fur before standing up.
"Alright, new day, new headache," he muttered, stretching.
The system chimed immediately.
[Daily Reminder: Host still has not purchased the shop.]
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," he said, yawning. "You think I'm made of money?"
[Correction: Host has ability to create money.]
Ethan froze, then frowned. "…You told me not to use it."
[Clarification: Creating currency directly interferes with planetary law. Unauthorized use may attract karmic backlash and system restrictions.]
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "So basically, you told me I can make money, but I can't make money."
[Affirmative.]
"Great."
He looked around the room. "Then I guess I'll have to earn it the old-fashioned way."
He knew what that meant strength. Without it, he couldn't hunt, couldn't protect himself, and certainly couldn't afford that shop.
He sat cross-legged on the floor and called up his status window.
[Status]
Name: Ethan Raphael
Rank: G+
Cultivation Path: Creator's Genesis
Energy Flow: Stable
Creation Points: 58
Not much progress. But maybe… it could change.
"System, begin guided cultivation."
[Affirmative. Initiating Creator's Genesis Foundation circulation.]
The air around him shifted. Threads of golden mist gathered, drawn into his body. His breathing steadied as the energy moved through his arms, chest, down to his legs, and up again in a looping current.
It wasn't like normal cultivation methods that just absorbed energy his body was building something. Each breath was a refinement of his soul, strengthening his control over creation itself.
Time slipped away. The world dimmed until only the hum of energy existed.
When he finally opened his eyes, four hours had passed.
A faint golden glow faded from his skin as the system's notification appeared.
[Congratulations! Rank advanced: G → F.]
[New ability unlocked: Deconstruct.]
Ethan blinked. "Deconstruct?"
[Explanation: As Creator, host may now reverse creation breaking down non-living or unstable matter into essence. Useful for dismantling, salvaging, or offensive disintegration.]
"…So I can basically unmake stuff?"
[Affirmative.]
A slow grin spread across his face. "Now that's cool."
He stood up, rolling his shoulders. His body felt lighter, stronger. He could feel the energy humming through every nerve.
Luna lifted her head lazily and meowed.
"Hey there, sleepyhead." He scratched her chin. "You stay here, alright? I've got some work to do."
At that moment, the door opened slightly. Mira his little sister peeked in.
"Brother, were you talking to someone?"
He coughed quickly. "Uh, just… myself. You know, meditation stuff."
Her eyes landed on Luna. "A cat? Where did you get that?"
Ethan froze. "Oh, that? Stray. Found it wandering near the shop. Looks cute, right? You can take care of it."
Her eyes sparkled immediately. "Really? She's adorable!"
"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving a hand. "Just don't let it eat my shoes."
She laughed and scooped Luna up, the creature purring like a tiny engine. Watching them, Ethan felt his chest lighten.
He smiled faintly. "Take care of the shop for a bit, okay? I'll be out."
"Be careful!" she said, waving.
He nodded and stepped outside.
To the Rift..
The streets buzzed faintly with morning activity merchants setting up, adventurers gathering their teams, and the smell of fried bread wafting through the air. Ethan tightened his bag's strap and headed toward the Adventurer's Guild.
He passed a few rough-looking mercenaries and overheard snippets of conversation.
"Another rift opened near the western ridge."
"E-rank beasts mostly good cores if you're fast."
"Some said they saw a mutated one last night…"
Perfect. That's where he needed to go.
The guild gates loomed ahead tall, metallic, engraved with runes. Inside, the air was loud with chatter, the clinking of armor, and the smell of ale. Ethan walked up to the mission board and scanned it.
[Rift Cleanup — West Ridge (E-Rank)]
Reward: Variable (based on cores retrieved)
Notes: Beasts confirmed low to mid-tier.
"That'll do," he muttered.
He registered with the clerk
a bored-looking woman with glasses and made his way out toward the ridge.
The rift shimmered like a tear in space a swirling mix of blue and black energy. The air around it was heavy, pulsing faintly. Ethan stepped closer, feeling his pulse quicken.
"Alright," he whispered, "time to test this new ability."
He crossed through.
Instantly, the world changed.
He was standing in a crimson forest trees twisted and pulsing faintly with mana. The sky was a strange orange hue, and distant growls echoed through the mist.
A faint glimmer caught his eye — a small beast crouched near a tree, its fur bristling, crimson eyes glowing. It looked like a wolf, but with spikes of bone jutting from its back.
[E-Rank Rift Beast detected: Bloodfang Wolf.]
[Recommended action: Run.]
"Ha. Funny," he muttered.
The beast lunged fast, claws gleaming.
Ethan sidestepped, barely avoiding the strike. His hand glowed faintly gold as he extended it toward the wolf.
"Deconstruct."
Golden lines ran across the wolf's foreleg and then disintegrated.
Bloodfamg wolf:".. .."
The creature yelped, collapsing as its paw turned to dust.
Ethan stared, wide-eyed. "That… worked?"
[Affirmative. Target partially deconstructed. Efficiency 32%.]
The wolf staggered up, limping. It tried to retreat but Ethan wasn't done. He gathered the energy again, this time focusing on the core in its chest.
"Deconstruct — focus."
The glow flared brighter. The beast howled once before collapsing completely — its body turning into faint ash, leaving behind a glowing red crystal.
He bent down, picking it up. The system confirmed it.
[E-Rank Beast Core acquired.]
He couldn't help but grin. "Now we're talking."
After hours of Hunting
Time blurred. He fought through beast after beast, testing his power, growing faster with each encounter. Sometimes he used Deconstruct directly. Other times, he used physical attacks, conserving energy. The system guided him, tracking progress.
[Beasts eliminated: 12]
[Cores collected: 8 E-rank, 4 F-rank]
[Fatigue: Moderate.]
Sweat covered his body, and his breathing came heavy, but his grin never faded.
"This is… kind of addictive," he said, laughing slightly.
[Reminder: Addiction to combat may cause neural instability.]
"I wasn't being serious," he said dryly.
But deep down, he knew he was getting stronger. Fast.
By the time he stepped back through the rift, dusk had painted the sky purple. He looked down at his small pouch — glowing faintly with the light of twelve cores.
"Not bad for a day's work."
Back in the city, the Adventurer's Guild bustled even more than before. He walked up to the same clerk, dropping the pouch on the counter.
Her eyes widened slightly at the faint glow. "E-rank cores? That's quite a haul for a solo hunter."
"Beginner's luck," Ethan said casually.
She weighed them, noting down numbers before sliding over a small leather bag. "That'll be 42 Gold coins."
Ethan blinked. "That much?"
"E-rank cores are high in demand," she said. "Lucky you."
He grinned, pocketing the coins. The system's window popped up immediately.
[Currency Conversion available.]
[Current market ratio: 1 Creation Point = 10 Silver = 1/10 Gold.]
[Total equivalent: 420 Creation Points (if converted).]
Ethan whistled softly. "That's… actually a lot."
[Reminder: Host requires 500 Gold to purchase the shop from the landlord.]
"Wait, what?! 500 Gold?"
[Affirmative. Prime city location. Fair price.]
"Fair?! That's robbery!"
[Correction: Legal robbery.]
He groaned. "Then I need to keep hunting."
[Suggestion: Host may also sell crafted items or monster-based materials through the System Store for higher profits.]
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… maybe I could make something out of these cores before selling next time."
[Additional Note: Purchasing the shop will unlock the Roulette Function a feature where host can spend Creation Points for unique, randomized items.]
He grinned. "you meant a scamming feature?"
[Correct. System describes it as 'investment through chance.']
He deadpanned. "That's literally gambling."
[Correction: Cosmic gambling.]
"…You're actually scamming me, aren't you?"
[Affirmative. System enjoys watching host suffer.]
He sighed deeply, pocketing the gold. "You're lucky I can't uninstall you."
[You wouldn't survive five minutes without me.]
"Fair point."
As he walked home, the city lights flickered on, the streets buzzing with distant laughter and music. The coins in his bag jingled softly a small, hopeful sound.
He might've been exhausted, sore, and barely at the bottom of the power chain…
But he was moving. Slowly, surely, toward something greater.
When he reached home, Mira was asleep, curled up with Luna on her lap. The silver cat blinked once at him before going back to sleep.
Ethan smiled faintly, leaning against the doorframe.
"Just a bit more," he whispered. "We'll get that shop soon."
The system chimed quietly — almost softer this time.
[Affirmation: Progress acknowledged. Keep going, Creator.]
He chuckled tiredly. "Yeah, yeah… good night."