---
The fogs grew thicker and thinner...
Pathless closed his eyes as soon as he realized he was thrown off the ground into the underground.
The thing is, space is one of the most unknown and unmeasurable phenomena in Etherlamentia. He was standing in the fog.
Things began fast, and he fell through the fog. He felt immense wind pressure and loud noise, experiencing a brief sensation of stomach-in-throat acceleration before reaching terminal velocity, where it feels like floating with the wind hitting the whole body.
That didn't end like a skydiving feeling, and all of a sudden the temperature started getting hotter the more he accelerated down.
In that state, without him literally realizing it, his skin was smoldering. Eventually his legs and his hands were the first to disappear into the thick fog.
So on like that, he incinerated. He opened his eyes in his final moment; the eyes of the guidancers that were streaming toward him as he incinerated were dazzling like a star.
His vision eventually blurred, and he closed his eyes back, living his last part of his body — his face — incinerate.
Since he was in the absence of external auditory stimulation, his brain constantly created the perception of phantom sounds. These sounds were not only phantom; they were more like his blood rushing through his veins. His heartbeat was like a drum beating on and on.
Until finally, he caught a glimpse of light. Although he thought he died, he had just entered the absolute unknown.
There was no path for him to walk, although he fell down into either existing or unexisting space with no actual time or timelines. That's why what could have happened was nothing but a load of mysteries.
Time passed like a breeze, but once he opened his eyes his physical senses were knocked in. His heartbeat felt more vivid; even the beats were more mimicked than what it actually sounded like either moments ago or years ago.
As he let out the air that was suffocating him, just when he was about to look at the sky, a sudden object busted his back, stabbing exactly at his heart from behind.
Blood splashed off the wound. His eyes cried tears covered by blood. In that exact moment, he coughed blood. Flabbergasted, he turned around abruptly to see a dark figure with a creepy smile.
His eyes were floodlights, freezing the moment in a harsh, cold beam.
The system kicked in right away.
[You have died]
Taking a long breath, he woke up bouncing off from the same ground. The blood was all over his body, but somehow he was fine with no wounds.
But his horrified moment didn't end after ten seconds. The same dark figure, in the same way, stabbed him from behind.
He went back right before that happened. Although he didn't understand what was going on, he felt everything was real.
He didn't actually have the strength to respond. And it just so happened that he had been transmigrated into a body he didn't understand, which eventually led him to an uncontrolled and uncomfortable state.
He kept getting killed again and again and again... At his final moments, he had lost everything. Every time he returned back to the point, even with a torn cloth, he felt like nothing had happened.
Eventually, the pain started to feel more vivid and continued to drag his mental state into nothing but ash.
He crawled, crying out in pain, screaming "save me," but no one was there to save him.
He already gave up, but things went on, and he died over two thousand times. He felt like moving; his natural instincts followed his pain and magically activated his adrenaline rush.
Not bad for a start. As soon as he returned, in just ten seconds he bounced back off the ground — not waking up, but running. Just as he stood up, the dark figure standing on his shoulders like a bird stabbed him again and again.
This time, his naked laugh was one that could rival the devil. PSI was so terrified of already being dead for two thousand times, let alone another one thousand.
Of course, that did happen. He tried to escape with all his might, getting himself killed for about one thousand times. Although it was never something he could overcome, just when he died over ten thousand times—
The blood scattered around, the smell and breath of the dark figure, the atmosphere was denser than usual. Everything felt weird right from the start.
The system responded.
[Do you want to live past this minute?]
Just as he saw it, he died again. Eventually he got back to the same spot, and the system still had the question right in front of him. But due to distance change, he had to get closer to the system to tap it with his finger, as the first time definitely needed a touch.
He started slithering toward the system. The blood got swept away with his clothes. He reached the system but had been killed over fifty times.
After a lot of suffering and pain, he finally clicked on it.
[YES] [NO]
[{YES}] ✓ [NO]
Just as he clicked yes, so many systems appeared right in front of him. This system was a cheat system. This system was actually not allowed until the divine broadcast ends.
Upon ending, the last ten chosen by hard work, not will, will be reincarnated or transmigrated.
That's where the system will be of help. First of all, if this system is a first-time user, it lets the users choose anything they want with it.
When the users actually get incarnated, the users will have the one choice they selected from the system. It will be something they don't need to work for — be it talent or looks. Everything the users might need will be listed and will become the core personality of the users.
---
Max Body Frame – Tall, muscular, perfectly proportioned.
Agile Form – Lean, flexible, built for speed.
Enduring Flesh – Resilient against fatigue, pain, and wounds.
Eternal Youth – Keeps a youthful appearance regardless of age.
Adaptive Body – Adjusts to different worlds' climates and energies.
Perfect Face – Symmetry beyond mortal comprehension.
Skin Variants – Porcelain, bronze, obsidian, jade-like glow, or celestial shimmer...
Supreme Intelligence – Genius in logic, strategy, and innovation.
Photographic Memory – Stores and recalls every detail.
Insightful Vision – Sees patterns and truths hidden to others.
Creative Spark – Births inventions, arts, and philosophies.
Cunning Mind – Schemer, manipulator, deceiver.
Adaptive Learner – Masters new skills at terrifying speed...
Perseverance – Never bends, even when fate breaks them.
Patience – Waits centuries if needed, always striking at the right time.
Empathy – Understands and connects deeply with others.
Charisma – Naturally inspires loyalty and attraction.
Deception – Lies with ease, manipulates flawlessly.
Wrath – Burns with destructive anger, feared by enemies.
Serenity – Calm under all storms, tranquil like water.
Relentlessness – Doesn't stop, doesn't quit, doesn't rest.....
---
So many were listed.
It couldn't have been helped; there was actually nothing much helpful that was specifically aimed at fighting.
But Pathless... as someone who was a fan of a banned novel... he chose that one list that caught him off guard.
His eyes went wild. His head ran on autopilot. Before even selecting perseverance, the effect drove him crazy.
The adrenaline was rushing... His body was getting hotter. At the same time, veins popped all over his hands.
Instinctively, he tapped on perseverance.
"PERSEVERANCE"...
"PERSEVERANCE"...
"PERSEVERANCE"...
"PERSEVERANCE"...
"PERSEVERANCE"...
"PERSEVERANCE".......
"YES! THAT'S ALL WHAT I NEED — PERSEVERANCE...."
"PERSEVERANCE IS ALL WHAT I NEED."
Suddenly, time rewound, and the knife was heading straight to his back. But unlike those times where he used all his energy to run... he made up his mind to fight.
He placed his hand right on the spot and grabbed the knife...
"how annoying..."