"Where the fuck is my Celestial Fang Katana!!!"
Adriel's voice echoed through the stillness of the temple, his frustration sharp enough to cut the air.
The Celestial Fang Katana, worth a sum of 350 Gold Credits, was missing.
He hadn't even used it once.
He was starting to feel a sharp pain in his chest.
He loved the sword.
Its shape, color, the feel in his hand—everything about the sword attracted him… and it was gone.
'It must have gotten lost during the chase…'
He thought, inwardly cursing the entire bloodline of the Iron-Back Rhino that chased him.
Somewhere along the way, the katana had slipped free—abandoned by accident, swallowed by the forest.
"On my way out of this forest, I will definitely try to look for it," he said with determination, though he knew that it would definitely be a tall task. He didn't even know where or when exactly it got lost.
Although he felt bad, he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind, knowing he had the Primordial Void Seed.
He already had an inkling of what to do with it.
Refocusing on the system, Adriel prepared to view and withdraw all the rewards within the temple.
For several reasons.
First, the place was overflowing with aether.
Even though his aetherix had been reverted to its unawakened state due to the Blank Sheet Protocol, he could still sense its presence.
Second, the temple was secluded—for reasons he couldn't explain.
He hadn't seen a single sign of life so far.
Even the usual roars of beasts were absent.
It was quiet.
Not the eerie kind of silence, but a calm, refreshing one.
Lastly… he just felt like doing it here.
'I want to withdraw all my rewards,' he said mentally.
—
DING
[ All quest rewards have been stored in the inventory. ]
[ Note: Only items that originate from the system can be stored in the System Inventory. External items are not eligible. ]
—
'What type of stingy ass system is this?' he thought angrily.
"Is there a way to store external items in the system inventory?" he asked curiously.
He was a hundred percent sure that he would be able to store external items in the inventory. It probably had some conditions attached to it. And sure enough, he was right.
—
DING
[ Conditions for Storing External Items in System Inventory ]
• Upgrade the System to Level 5.
• Sacrifice a space-type treasure with innate item storage capabilities.
• Fuse the inventory module with a Tier 6 or higher Spatial-Attribute Beast Core.
• Reach at least Low-Tier 6 in the Space Ascendant Path.
• Invest 10,000 Infinity Points to unlock the Spatial Storage Feature.
• Obtain the Spatial Storage Feature through a Random Draw.
—
Adriel stared blankly at the floating text.
'...My bad for asking.'
Apparently, the system was built like a pay-to-win MMO.
He didn't even know the damn thing could be upgraded.
He didn't even bother asking what it would take to upgrade the system. He was sure it would take an astronomical amount of resources.
Sure, the treasure requirement seemed more reasonable—until you remembered how rare and expensive spatial treasures were.
The rest of the conditions involved becoming a Tier 6 Space Ascendant, and reaching Tier 6 in any path was absurd, let alone the Space Ascendant Path, which had one of the lowest awakening rates in existence.
To find a Tier 6 beast was simply a death wish for the current him.
Also, the chances of finding a Tier 6 beast with a spatial attribute were close to impossible.
He only had 1,100 Infinity Points, and that was earned after risking his new and dear life, and the random draw was under probability.
He could only put the thought on hold now.
Right now, rewards awaited.
'Open Inventory.'
—
DING
[ Inventory ]
• Start-up Pack
• 15x Random Draw Card
• 1x Random Weapon Talent Draw Card
• 1x Random Elemental Affinity Draw Card
• Primordial Void Aetherix
• Primordial Void Ascension Technique
• Primordial Void Physique
• Primordial Void Seed
—
The inventory was… cliché.
Exactly what you'd expect from any generic game interface.
A floating, semi-transparent grid appeared before his eyes—five rows of perfect squares, each containing a flat 2D icon and the name of the item beneath it in plain white text.
It was functional, minimal, and entirely uninspired.
There was even a search feature—just thinking about the item caused it to be instantly highlighted in a soft glow. Convenient.
Focusing on any item brought up a neat little box beside it with a basic description and a few stats. No flourish, no flare.
Just simple.
It felt more like a mobile inventory app than part of a mysterious cosmic system.
'Time to withdraw my rewards.'
'Let's start with the Start-up Pack,' he thought.
—
DING
[ Do you wish to use the Start-up Pack? ]
[ Yes/No ]
—
He picked 'Yes' with anticipation.
—
DING
[ Start-up Pack ]
• 100 Infinity Points
• Nutrition Pills 10x
• 100 Grade 1 Aether Stones
• Active Skill - Flash Step (Movement-Type, Mortal Rank)
• Weapon – Shadow Fang Blades (Dual Daggers)
—
◉ Nutrition Pills x10
[ Rank: Common | Type: Consumable ]
'A meal compressed into a single pill.'
• Instantly restores stamina and eliminates hunger and thirst for 12 hours.
• Contains all essential nutrients for physical survival and energy balance.
• Ideal for long cultivation sessions, harsh environments, or emergency travel.
> ⚠ Overconsumption may cause temporary suppression of taste perception.
⚠ No healing or aether recovery effects.
—
◉ Active Skill Acquired: [Flash Step]
[ Rank: Mortal (Basic) | Type: Movement Skill ]
'The wind moves before the eye can blink.'
• Instantly shift 3–5 meters in any direction within line of sight.
• Scales with agility, dexterity, and ascension level.
• Can be evolved through mastery and system upgrades.
—
◉ Weapon Acquired: [Shadow Fang Blades]
[ Rank: Mortal (High-Grade) | Type: Weapon – Dual Daggers ]
'Forged in silence, death in darkness.'
• Forged from nyxite ore for speed and stealth.
• +5% Attack Speed (Dual-Wield Bonus)
• Slightly enhances reaction speed and agility.
• Ideal for close-quarters, assassination, or high-speed combat.
• Can be reforged or upgraded using rare materials.
Durability: 35/35
Elemental Affinity: Shadow
—
Adriel stared at the description of the Shadow Fang Blades in silence. A moment ago, he had been sulking over losing his treasured Celestial Fang Katana, and now he had a new weapon.
He wondered why both weapons he had owned contained "Fang" in their names.
'System, how do I get items out of the inventory?'
—
DING
[ Simply think about withdrawing the desired item. ]
—
Adriel nodded in understanding.
He then proceeded to will the Shadow Fang Blades into existence.
In an instant, a pair of daggers materialized in his hands—sleek, silent, and lethal.
From hilt to tip, the weapons were forged in seamless matte black with purple designs on the blade, like twin fangs carved from the void itself.
The blades were razor-thin on one side, their cutting edge wickedly sharp, while the opposite side tapered into a reinforced spine—built not for decoration, but for precision and lethality. Their form was deceptively elegant, every line and curve tailored for silent death.
No guards. No excess. Just pure, efficient death.
He gave them a test swing.
Reverse grip.
Slice.
Pivot.
Stab.
"Fast," he muttered, immensely pleased with their speed.
He dismissed them back into the inventory and turned his attention to the next item: the new skill he had acquired.
Flash Step required aether, so he couldn't use it just yet.
Only after reawakening would he be able to learn and activate the skill.
With that in mind, he turned to the next reward: the Random Weapon Talent Draw Card.
—
DING
[ Do you wish to use the 1x Random Weapon Talent Draw Card? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
"Yes."
His consciousness was instantly pulled into a pitch-black space that stretched endlessly in all directions.
It was filled with identical cards—pure black with gold outlines.
A long line of cards that seemed to stretch forever filled his view.
Soon, the cards started moving.
From his perspective, it looked like someone was swiping the cards from right to left.
Slowly at first—then rapidly.
A blur of gold-edged cards flashed before his eyes, too fast to count. He couldn't help but wonder how many weapon talents even existed.
Suddenly, the shuffle stopped.
One card hovered in front of him, and the rest vanished.
The black card with gold edges flipped around, showing him what he had gotten.
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Sword Talent ]
[ Grade: ??? ]
[ Description: ??? ]
[ Details will be unlocked after fusion. ]
—
"Mhmm…"
"Sword talent so good that even the system can't grade it," he said with happiness.
"Looks like I'm not letting go of the Celestial Fang Katana after all."
Had it been daggers? Maybe. A spear? Possibly. But this?
A sword talent—powerful, unknown, mysterious.
He had no choice now.
This was fate refusing to let him part with the sword.
The card hovered silently, still shaped like a card but now glowing faintly with a sword symbol.
Its grade and description were unknown.
The only way to know was by fusing with it.
"At this point, I feel like the system should be named the Gambling System," he said sarcastically.
Almost everything felt like a gamble. The only difference was that he was sure he'd get something good every time.
"Time for the Elemental Affinity Draw."
—
DING
[ Do you wish to use the 1x Random Elemental Affinity Draw Card? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes.'
Just like before, he was pulled into the dark space.
This time, the cards that appeared were pitch black and edged in violet.
The same process occurred.
Slow at first. Then a blur.
A cosmic shuffle that mocked time and logic.
Thousands of elemental affinities flashed before him, leaving him to wonder what they all were.
Soon, it was over, and he was left with a single card.
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Ice Affinity ]
[ Grade: ??? ]
[ Description: ??? ]
[ Details will be unlocked after fusion. ]
—
"Ice…" Adriel said quietly.
Not lightning. Not space.
Not one of the flashy, overpowered elements people drooled over.
Not even a classic like fire or wind.
Ice.
Unexpected… but somehow satisfying.
Its grade and description were also hidden—he'd need to fuse with it to learn more.
He also noticed the system allowed him to use his rewards whenever he wanted.
He liked that.
The freedom to choose.
To be in control.
To shape his own path.
A feeling he was already beginning to love.
He shook himself from his thoughts and decided to move on to the Random Draw.
He wanted to use everything and fuse with all rewards before leaving this temple—a decision he'd be grateful for later.
He opened his inventory and selected the Random Draw slot.
—
DING
[ Do you wish to use the 1x Random Draw Card? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
Once again, he was cast into the shadowed void, nothing but endless cards in sight.
This time, the cards were pitch black with a pure white outline.
The same movement started—sliding past his vision slowly, then picking up speed.
Anticipation built in his chest as he waited to see what he would get.
It stopped, and he saw a card in front of him.
The card slowly flipped over.
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Nothing ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
"Wait… nothing?"
The excitement slowly faded.
He didn't even know it was possible to get nothing from the random draw.
'I guess it is called a random draw for a reason,' he thought.
He chose to try again and got—
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Nothing ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
Deep breath.
Exhale.
"Okay… just bad luck. It'll pass."
He picked yes again.
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Nothing ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Did I use all my luck to get the previous items?' he wondered.
The Primordial Void Aetherix, Ascension Technique, Physique, and Seed were all extremely high-level.
There was also the Sword Talent and Ice Affinity.
He started to suspect he had used up his ancestral luck—and now, it was gone.
Still, he chose:
'Yes.'
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Nothing ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes.'
—
DING
[ You have acquired: Nothing ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes.'
—
He tried.
And tried.
Again.
And again...
And again.
By the seventh try, he was desperate.
By the eighth, he was clinging to his last shred of hope.
By the ninth, he was drowning in despair.
Then finally—on the tenth draw—
—
DING
[ You have acquired a new item: Very Good Popcorn (Consumable) ]
[ Description: A very good popcorn made by a very good popcorn maker. ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
"Fucking…"