It was a dimly lit room, a subtle scent of herbs and incense floated in the air.
I should’ve been panicking, but I strangely wasn't. Recognizing the warmth around my body I try to wriggle out of the grasp of the person holding me down.
As I pull away, I see the person snuggling up to me slowly open her eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
She asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
She moved her long crimson hair to the side and with her slim but firm hand caressed my face.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
She asked again. Even though I was panicking inside, I wasn’t really sure what was happening, so I just nodded.
“Aww, it’s okay, I’m here. Don’t worry.”
I looked around the dimly lit room and then at myself and saw my little hands and fingers.
Saying this she once again pulled me in her arms and patted my small head as she once again drifted to sleep.
It was at this time memories started flooding in me.
My name is Anshe, I don’t have a last name, and I’m the nine-year-old son of Eshreal, the peak master of the Shining Cauldron Peak of the Four Golden Magic Sect.
It was a small third-rate magic sect that was established some years ago. There are four peaks and a main peak overseeing all of them called the central peak.
We were currently on the Shining Cauldron Peak. This big sister snuggling with me was the direct student of my mom. Lily Chambers.
Like the name of this peak would suggest, it mainly focuses on alchemy.
Since my mother is always busy with other important stuff, Lily is always there to take care of me.
I don’t know how exactly I crossed over to this world from earth, if I crossed over, but I clearly remember that I was in a car accident right before I opened my eyes here.
If I truly died there then this can be considered another chance at life.
It wasn’t all good though, I was a magical cripple here and almost everyone other than my mom and Lily here kept their distance from me.
I wasn’t really bullied or anything but that was only because I was the peak master’s son. If it weren’t for that, I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened.
This will not be the case for long though.
There will be an awakening ceremony soon for all the people who have not awakened their abilities and are of eligible age. There, I will be humiliated in front of everyone in the coming days, but I guess this situation still beats dying.
Awakening an ability isn’t an issue, it's using it that’s going to be a problem.
You see, I am a very special case, my body refuses to handle any magic, I cannot focus any amount of magical energy. There are kids younger than me who have a better grasp of magic.
It was a fact that I was going to get an ability in the ceremony but because every ability, no matter what kind, requires magic to be used is the reason I am called a cripple.
Sighing, as I thought about my life here, I snuggled deeper into Lily’s warm embrace. Might as well enjoy this, I will think about everything else in the morning.
My thoughts had just started to calm down when suddenly I heard a beeping sound in my head.
Ding!
A sharp chime echoed inside my skull, sending a spike of pressure through my head. My vision flickered before blood-red text scrawled itself across my sight.
[Initiating The Insatiable System…]
[Broken magic root detected]
[Magic stat detected to be 0]
[Cannot initiate system…Error.]
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[Error.]
[Error.]
[Error.]
[...Compromise found. Cancelling initiation bonus for forced Awakening.]
I felt the presence of the invisible organ called the magic root for the first time. A slow natural healing flow slowly stretched out from there towards my whole body.
[Magic +10]
[Initialization Complete. Welcome to the Insatiable System!]
[The Insatiable System demands more.]
[More power. More strength. More of everything.]
[You will rise or you will break.]
[The Insatiable System Lv.0]
[Host – Anshe]
[Physique - 4]
[Magic - 10] (+10)
[Control - 6]
[Skill Points - 0]
[System Abilities]
- Soul Bind
- locked
[Innate Abilities]
- Locked
- Locked
[Acquired Abilities - None]
‘What the hell?’
I looked at the floating screen before my eyes and my mind stopped working for a second.
It felt like a videogame status screen. I looked at the top where it said
‘What a dangerous name…’
I didn’t even get a chance to properly look into my status, as the moment this screen appeared before my eyes, Lily had abruptly gotten up, her face filled with shock and all the sleep in her eyes was now gone.
“A-Anshe, y-y-you, why do I feel magic from you!? HOW!?”
Um, how do I explain this to her?
Still gotta respond to her, I can’t keep staring into empty space looking at the status screen. As my eyes moved away from the status, understanding the meaning of my actions, the screen disappeared and I moved my eyes back to her.
Gotta act confused now, can’t risk telling her anything about this unless I myself understand it first.
“Magic…? I don’t understand what you're saying so suddenly big sis… you know I can't use magic…”
I spoke. She was stunned seeing as I was also unaware.
“This.. we have to report to the peak mast- your mom, right now!”
She motioned for me to get up, I was slow and also pretended to be reluctant but still obediently got up.
She held my hand as she led me out of her personal quarters. The moment she touched my hands, I was also swarmed by the messages from the system, but I couldn’t really check them now, so I ignored them.
We moved from her quarters to the main residence on the Shining Cauldron Peak, the Shining Residence.
My mom lived here, well I also technically lived here, but I was used to spending my nights either here or with Lily depending on who I was bothering that day, but it’s mostly Lily. Although she is the top student of this peak, she is also my caretaker.
Reaching the main entrance, we didn’t even have to announce ourselves, as a calm but still laced with some worry, voice came.
“Come in.”
The door opened on its own, and we walked in.
Inside, I could see my mom come out of her study and before Lily could even explain what was going on, I felt wind as my vision blurred and I was now being held by my mom by the shoulders.
Her eyes filled with shock and her voice shaking.
“A-Are my eyes deceiving me, Lily?”
I could feel something warm coursing through my body checking every nook and cranny. My mom was moving her mana gently through me to check if what she was seeing was true.
I was worried she would find something about the system or something but my worries were unfounded.
[The system has been bound with the host’s soul, it cannot be detected by anyone.]
I mentally sighed in relief.
Understanding her question, Lily answered with an excited voice.
“No, Master. It is as you see, I don't know how it happened but I felt magic from his body so I immediately came here, it just happened so suddenly, even he didn't understand!”
My mom just hugged me and held me there for some time, I could hear her light sobbing voice.
“I'm glad, I'm so glad...”
I thought I should say something for now.
“I can use magic now?” I asked in a calm voice.
“Yes, My son. It doesn't matter what you awaken in a few days, you will also be a Mage!”
I felt excitement, relief, and happiness all in her voice.
“Don't worry mom, I will awaken an awesome ability and make you proud!”
I replied with a smile. And as I did, I felt something in my mind untangle.
The memories blurred together, my two lives bleeding into one. I could remember standing at a busy intersection, the cold of metal against my skin, and the blare of a loud horn before darkness.
And yet, I also remembered soft hands, warm laughter, and a woman with the same eyes as mine calling me her son.
Who am I? Am I Anshe? Or Am I… what was my name again?
At that moment, my past and present memories fused into one. I could recall everything I had experienced before… except for who I had been.
My head hurt… but I exhaled. Did it matter?
I am here now. I am Anshe. And Anshe is me.
In this life, the woman in front of me is my family, seeing her happy is making me happy.
I had seen the lengths she had gone to in order to heal me. I wouldn’t ignore that.
[Memory Synchronization complete.]
[Spirit Strengthened. Magic +5]
I chose to ignore the system messages, I was not going to ruin this moment.
Separating from me, she had both me and Lily stay in the Shining Residence.
Now that I had magic in my body, she wasn't going to let me out of her sight till the official day came for my awakening.
It's going to be a fun few days.