Awakenings and Shattered Realities
Arjun gasped as his eyes flew open.
His body felt like it had just walked out of a furnace—aching, hot, but alive. The dry taste in his mouth. The tingling in his fingers. Something had changed.
Before he could even sit up fully, a notification blinked before his eyes:
[Congratulations on your awakening of your soul nature]
[Soul Nature: Dark Amiba]
Skill:
• Poison – Can poison any dangerous cells or germs in your body.
• Eater – Can consume dead cells to gain energy.
"…Dark… Amiba?" Arjun whispered, blinking hard.
He looked down at his arms. Still his. Still human. But something stirred inside. Like something alive was writhing quietly in his bloodstream. Waiting.
The world around him slowly came back into focus. Cold morning air. Damp ground. The light of dawn gently breaking through the treetops.
Then he looked around—and saw the others.
They were all still on the ground, unconscious. Vhim. Joxon. Sarvad. Manglu. The new brothers. They were breathing, but motionless, like statues caught in a storm of transformation.
And then—
More notifications.
[Vhim: Soul Nature – Divine Human]
Skill:
• Divine Growth – As time passes, the growth rate will increase.
• Immortal – Will never age beyond his twenties.
[Joxon: Soul Nature – Cold Tiger]
A tiger spirit from the frozen islands. Can fully control its bodily instincts and needs.
[Hixomaru: Soul Nature – Red Kijin]
Skill:
• Fire Kijin Form – Transforms into a fire-elemental demon.
• Weaponry – Enhances weapon mastery instinctively.
[Sarion: Soul Nature – Golden Lotus]
Skill:
• Gold Creation – Can generate gold daily.
• Gold Storage – Stores gold in an invisible spiritual vault.
[Zinga: Soul Nature – Star Pegasus Rider]
Skill:
• Star Fall – A signature strike using the Pegasus, falling like a star. Damage increases with weapon synergy.
[Manglu: Soul Nature – Seven Dead Realm Eyes]
Eyes that see through the seven realms of hell, projecting terrifying illusions of each realm.
[Kripat: Soul Nature – Parsu]
A divine axe of destruction. Each use may cause death to the wielder depending on their willpower.
[Sarvad: Soul Nature – Fishman]
Expert in underwater survival, fishing, and aquatic combat.
[Varad: Soul Nature – Orc]
A gigantic body of orc bloodline. Physical enhancement beyond human limits.
Arjun stared blankly as more system messages appeared:
[Double soul nature detected from 5 of your family members.]
[Other family members will also awaken their second soul nature.]
[As the Family Head, you must awaken 3 soul natures.]
[Processing…]
[Finding Unique Soul Nature…]
[Found.]
[Attempting Force Awakening…]
[Error.]
[You and all family members must first create the Foundation Core.]
[Reach the 3rd Level of Core Foundation Realm.]
"Core… Foundation Realm?" Arjun muttered aloud. His heart skipped. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He looked at his hands again. Looked around the camp. Everyone still unconscious. Birds chirping in the distance. Sun rising.
Everything felt real.
Too real.
"…This… wasn't supposed to be like this…"
His breathing quickened.
"What happened to the world I created? The system. The soul nature leveling. The breathing styles. The elemental fruits—"
His chest tightened.
"This isn't mine."
Then, in that exact moment, the voice inside his head changed. A calm, mature tone—sharp, deep, and clear.
[Welcome, host.]
[Thanks to your full awakening, the system has also unlocked completely.]
[Congratulations.]
[Multiverse Family System is now at your service.]
"Multiverse…?"
Arjun froze.
His mouth was dry.
No… no, no, no…
His throat clenched.
The pain in his head returned—not physical, but emotional.
All this time… he believed he was reborn into his own world. That this reality was something he dreamed of, something he built in the final years of his life through his writing, his wishes.
That it was his.
But now, piece by piece, those walls were crumbling.
How did he know?
Because the moment his soul nature awakened, his suppressed mind—the subconscious part of him that had been sealed away since arrival—had begun to wake up too.
And with it came memories. Details. Tiny inconsistencies. Gaps in logic.
Things that didn't fit.
This world was similar to the one he imagined.
But not identical.
And he didn't know why.
He didn't understand how a "Core Foundation Realm" suddenly existed when he never imagined it. Why so many characters and events had grown beyond his thoughts. Why his own system had rules he didn't recognize.
He wasn't the creator.
Maybe he was a visitor.
Or a stolen soul.
But definitely—not a god.
And for a boy who had always needed control to survive, who built fantasies just to feel safe, the truth hit like an earthquake.
He sat there, breath trembling.
Eyes wide open.
"Then… what am I?"
Was he even important?
Was he just another soul reborn in a chaotic world?
A pawn?
A piece of someone else's story?
A dreamer who woke up in someone else's nightmare?
The system stayed quiet now.
But a final notification echoed:
[Wake up to your reality.]
*
*
*
[Wake up to your reality.]
The system's voice echoed through Arjun's head—steady, calm, emotionless.
[Everyone is the hero of their story.]
[To become the world's hero, you just need to sacrifice… sacrifice everything for the world.]
[Are you ready?]
A moment of silence passed.
[Or do you want to live only for yourself—taking everything from the world, becoming what they call a villain?]
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"…Or?"
[Or, do you want to become so powerful… that you don't need to lose anything? So powerful, that helping others becomes your choice, not your burden?]
Arjun didn't even blink.
"The third one. I want the third. I mean… this one."
[That path is called… becoming a powerful one.]
[And to walk that path, I will help you.]
Arjun's fingers clenched. "Who are you… and why do you want to help me?"
[I am born from your wishes.]
[Your last wish—to not become a loser. That wish gave me form. I exist to fulfill that.]
[Now, you are ready to enter another world. Right?]
Arjun's eyes widened. "Woah, hold on. Then… what about the others?"
[They will stay here.]
[But don't worry—they'll get the chance to receive powers similar to yours, through the system store.]
He took a deep breath. "Okay… but still. I want to know. What kind of world are we living in here?"
[This world is a cultivation world.]
[Core Foundation Realm is just the beginning.]
[The journey is long, boss.]
His eyebrows twitched. "Can I add the other slaves into my family?"
[You can't.]
[But your family members can. Use them well.]
"…And your features? What can you really do?"
[You can travel to another world through me, but not with your powers.]
[Your real body will stay here in deep cultivation.]
[An avatar will be created in the other world—you'll possess it. You'll gain new powers there. You can summon him into this world later or extract powers from there to here.]
"…And my real body? What will happen to it during all this?"
[Your real body will remain in a cultivation meditation state. It will continue training passively. No risk.]
"If it's a cultivation world… then there must be cults?"
[Oh, there are.]
[But I don't think you'll want to join them.]
"Why?"
[Because all those cults serve the Constellations.]
[They're slaves to higher celestial beings.]
That made Arjun pause. His thoughts were loud.
"…But we need power. We need a place… a foundation."
[Then don't join a cult.]
[Become one.]
His head snapped up. "…What?"
[I mean, become a Constellation yourself.]
[Get powerful. Rule your own star.]
"…How?"
[Oh, leave it to me. I've got a super plan. Hehehehehe.]
A pause. Then:
[But first, you need to give instructions to your family.]
[Tell them to join the major clans and grow stronger.]
[Get more members into your family. Expand your influence.]