Riven woke to the sound of chiming in his head, the noise pulling him from sleep with gentle insistence that could not be ignored. His eyes opened, violet hair splaying across pillows as consciousness returned in slow waves.
Then he saw it. The translucent blue screen hovering in his vision, text writing itself with patient luminescence that only he could perceive.
[Ding!]
[System Has Now Fully Assimilated With Host Body]
[Guide Mode Now Available]
He blinked, processing the information. Yesterday the system had told him assimilation would take three hours. He had watched the timer climb to completion, had seen the interface display his stats and bloodlines and potential. But this was something new. Something additional.
Before he could formulate a question, a voice spoke. Not through his ears but directly into his consciousness, feminine in tone, artificial but not unpleasant, carrying the precise diction of someone designed to convey information with perfect clarity.
"Greetings, Host. I am the Guide assigned to assist you with system related inquiries. The Genesis Star, being the oldest entity currently integrated with the system, has accumulated extensive knowledge about Desolara and its mechanisms. I am here to help you access that information."
Riven sat up abruptly, his borrowed heart racing. Yesterday he had thought the system would leave all the work to him. That he would have to figure everything out through trial and error, stumbling through menus and options without instruction or clarification.
But this changed everything.
"You can answer questions?" he asked aloud, then felt foolish. Of course it could. That was what guides did.
The voice responded without judgment. "Yes, Host. I can answer questions related to system functions, Desolara's history and mechanics, cultivation pathways, bloodline abilities, and any other information within my database. However, some knowledge may be restricted depending on your current level and circumstances."
Restricted knowledge. That made sense. A system that granted access to everything immediately would remove any sense of progression or discovery. But having a guide at all, having something that could explain and clarify and provide context, that was invaluable.
'This is incredible,' Riven thought, his mind racing with possibilities. 'Yesterday I thought I'd have to figure everything out alone. But now I have an entity that can actually explain how things work. That can answer questions about Desolara that books might not cover. That understands the system in ways I never could on my own.'
He felt happiness surge through him, genuine joy at discovering he was not as alone in this as he had believed. The system had not abandoned him to fumble blindly through cultivation and bloodline development. It had provided a guide, a teacher, something that could help him navigate the complexities of this new existence.
"If I have questions about the system or about Desolara," Riven said, wanting to confirm the scope, "I can just ask you?"
"Correct, Host. Though I must note that some information is currently restricted and will become available as you progress through Gates and Realms. The Genesis Star contains knowledge accumulated over vast spans of time, but revealing everything at once would be counterproductive to your development."
That made sense. No point overwhelming him with advanced concepts when he had just awakened yesterday. Better to provide information as he needed it, as he grew capable of actually utilizing what he learned.
'At this point though,' Riven thought, reviewing what he had already absorbed, 'there's not much I desperately need to know. I've read extensively about the cultivation system. Understand Gates and Realms. Know about the family hierarchy and Desolara's structure. My status screen is easy enough to grasp.'
He had spent an entire day in the library absorbing information. Had reviewed his interface carefully. Had seen what the system displayed about his capabilities and potential.
"I don't have any pressing questions right now," Riven said. "But it's good to know you're available when I do."
"I am always accessible, Host. Simply call for Guide Mode and I will respond."
The voice fell silent, though Riven sensed it had not disappeared entirely. Just retreated into passive observation, waiting to be summoned again when needed.
He was about to dismiss the status screen when new text appeared, drawing his attention back to the translucent blue display.
[Starter Gift Package Has Been Deposited Into System Inventory]
[Would You Like To Claim It?]
Riven's breath caught. A gift package. The system was giving him something, offering rewards he had not earned through cultivation or combat. Free power.
His heart hammered with anticipation. In his previous life he had played enough games to understand the value of starter packages. They typically contained items or boosts designed to help establish foundation, to give advantages that would compound over time.
'I'd never reject free power,' he thought, his decision immediate. 'Whatever the system is offering, I'm taking it. No hesitation.'
"Yes," Riven said without pause. "I accept."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You Have Unlocked: Primordial Physique]
[This Trait Has Been Added To Your Inventory]
[Would You Like To Integrate It?]
Primordial Physique. The words carried weight even without understanding what they meant. Primordial suggested connection to original forces, to power that predated current systems, to something fundamental and vast.
'What is this?' Riven wondered, staring at the notification. 'What does Primordial Physique do? Why is it being offered as a gift?'
He needed to know before proceeding. Needed to understand what he was accepting.
"Guide," Riven called. "What is Primordial Physique? Explain it to me."
The voice returned immediately but the response made his stomach sink.
[Ding!]
[Further Information On Primordial Physique Is Restricted As The Host Has Still Yet To Integrate It]
'Restricted,' Riven thought, frustration warring with anticipation. 'I can't learn what it does until after I've committed to integrating it. That's deliberate. The system wants me to accept without full knowledge of consequences.'
But what choice did he have? The system had given him Space affinity and potential for all nine elements. Had granted him capabilities that transcended normal Astravar awakening. Whatever it was offering now was probably similarly valuable, possibly even more significant.
'If I don't know what it does,' Riven thought, changing his approach, 'then at least tell me what integration means. What happens during the process.'
"What does it mean to integrate something?" he asked aloud. "Guide, explain the integration process."
"Traits are permanent modifications to your base capabilities," the Guide explained. "Currently, Primordial Physique exists as an item in your inventory, meaning you possess it but cannot access its benefits. Integration transforms it from item into active Trait, fundamentally altering your biology and capabilities to incorporate its effects."
'So it changes me,' Riven understood. 'Rewrites something fundamental about how my body works. Makes me different than I am now in permanent ways.'
The implications were both exciting and terrifying. Permanent meant no going back. Once integrated, whatever Primordial Physique did would be part of him forever. But permanent also meant lasting advantage, capability that could not be taken away or suppressed or negated.
"Will integration hurt?" The question felt necessary given how vague everything else was being.
The pause before the Guide responded told him everything he needed to know.
"The integration process will be painful. It involves restructuring your biology at fundamental levels to accommodate the Trait's effects. Duration will be approximately one hour. I recommend securing a private location where you will not be disturbed and where your reactions will not draw unwanted attention."
One hour of pain. Riven's jaw tightened. He had jumped off a bridge once. Had drowned in a river. Had died and woken in a borrowed body. Pain was not new to him. But deliberately choosing to undergo an hour of agony was different from accidental suffering.
'No pain, no gain,' he thought, the phrase taking on new weight. 'That's not just a saying. That's literal truth in this world. Power requires sacrifice. Advancement demands suffering. If I want to stand above those who mocked me, if I want to prove the Elders catastrophically wrong, I need to accept whatever cost comes with that ambition.'
The determination crystallized. He would do this. Would integrate whatever Primordial Physique was. Would endure the hour of pain because the alternative was remaining weak, remaining the disgrace, remaining someone others could dismiss and insult without consequence.
'I need the power,' Riven thought, the conviction settling into his bones. 'If I'm going to survive in this world, if I'm going to climb high enough that no one can control or belittle me, I need every advantage the system offers. Hesitating now accomplishes nothing except delaying my growth.'
He stood and moved toward the bathroom, his steps steady despite the anxiety churning in his gut. The tiles gleamed under soft lighting as he entered and closed the door behind him, engaging the lock with careful precision.
Privacy secured. Location suitable. No one would interrupt. Whatever happened next would occur without witnesses.
Riven grabbed a towel from the rack and rolled it into a cylinder. He settled onto the floor in a lotus position, the tiles cool against his legs. The bathroom was spacious enough that he could stretch out if necessary, private enough that sounds would be muffled by the door and walls.
He placed the rolled towel within easy reach and took several deep breaths, preparing himself mentally for whatever came next. His hands were steady. His resolve was firm. The decision had been made.
"Guide," he said, his voice carrying no hesitation. "Begin the integration process."
[Ding!]
[Beginning Integration Of Primordial Physique]
[Duration: One Hour]
[Warning: Process Cannot Be Stopped Once Started]