The First Reward
Kael did not move.
The crowd around him continued to buzz—parents arguing, children crying, examiners shouting names—but all of it felt distant, muffled, as if the world had been wrapped in thick cloth.
Because the voice in his head was still there.
> [Origin System online.]
[Host status: Active.]
Kael's heartbeat slowed.
He had lived once before. He had ruled, fought, and died. He knew the difference between illusion and reality.
This was real.
He lowered his head and walked away from the plaza, keeping his steps calm. Showing excitement here would only draw attention—and attention was dangerous when you were labeled Null.
Behind him, the crystal pillar stood silent once more, as if nothing had happened.
---
Status Check
Kael turned into a narrow stone alley between two buildings. The smell of dust and iron filled the air. Only when he was certain he was alone did he whisper under his breath.
"…Status."
There was a brief pause.
Then a translucent blue screen unfolded before his eyes.
> [Host: Kael Ashborne]
[Age: 16]
[Physique: Below Average]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 6]
[Vitality: 5]
[Mental Fortitude: 12]
[Beast Crystal Compatibility: 0%]
[System Privilege: Active]
Kael stared at the numbers.
Weak.
Painfully weak.
In his previous life, even a child like this would not have survived a battlefield. Yet his mental stat was noticeably higher than the rest—no doubt a remnant of his past life.
"So I truly can't absorb crystals," Kael murmured.
> [Correct.]
[Host cannot utilize external beast power.]
A lesser man might have despaired.
Kael did not.
"Then what can I do?"
The screen flickered.
> [Host may grow through system-exclusive methods.]
[Effort. Risk. Choice.]
Simple words.
Dangerous implications.
Before Kael could ask more, a new notification appeared.
> [First-Time Host Detected.]
[Initializing Starter Quest.]
Kael's eyes sharpened.
> [Starter Quest: Prove Existence]
[Description: The world has deemed you worthless. Survive your first challenge.]
[Objective: Defeat a beast without Beast Crystal absorption.]
[Time Limit: 24 hours.]
[Failure Consequence: System Dormancy.]
Kael inhaled slowly.
"So if I fail… I lose you."
> [Affirmative.]
No mercy. No second chances.
Kael smiled faintly.
"Good."
A system that handed out power freely would only make him complacent. This one demanded resolve.
---
The Weak Hunt
By dusk, Kael stood at the edge of the forest beyond the city walls.
This forest was known as the Outer Ring—a place where low-grade beasts roamed. Children with green-grade resonance sometimes hunted here under supervision.
Kael had none of that.
No crystal. No weapon. No backing.
He picked up a broken spear shaft discarded near the gate. The metal tip was chipped, but it would do.
> [Warning: Host survival probability below 20%.]
"I've lived worse odds," Kael replied calmly.
He stepped into the trees.
The forest breathed around him—leaves rustling, distant growls echoing through the underbrush. Kael moved carefully, relying on observation rather than strength.
Minutes passed.
Then he heard it.
A low snort.
Kael crouched behind a fallen log and peered through the brush.
A Fangboar.
Its body was thick with muscle, gray hide scarred from previous fights. White-grade beast. Common—but still deadly to an untrained human.
Kael tightened his grip on the spear shaft.
"This is enough."
He waited.
When the Fangboar lowered its head to root through the soil, Kael moved.
He rushed forward—not straight at it, but to the side, throwing a stone hard against a tree.
The crack startled the beast.
It charged.
Exactly as Kael expected.
At the last moment, Kael rolled aside. Pain flared in his shoulder as he hit the ground, but he ignored it. As the Fangboar struggled to turn its massive body, Kael drove the spear shaft into its eye.
The beast screamed.
Blood sprayed.
Kael was thrown back, ribs screaming in protest, but he did not let go. He shoved again—deeper—until the Fangboar collapsed with a final shudder.
Silence followed.
Kael lay there, chest heaving, blood soaking his hands—some his, some not.
Then—
> [Starter Quest Completed.]
Blue light erupted before his eyes.
> [Reward Granted.]
[Stat Points: +5]
[Skill Unlocked: Basic Body Reinforcement (Passive)]
Kael laughed quietly, the sound raw and breathless.
"So this is how I grow…"
Power not stolen.
Power earned.
As the forest grew dark around him, Kael pushed himself to his feet.
This was only the beginning.
And the world that called him Null had no idea what it had just created.