“Don’t be like that. This is the best for both of us,” Neo said, knowing why the painful look was present in Professor Daniel’s eyes.
The time around the ball of Intent warped.
It disappeared and reappeared in the past.
…
Age of Gods
A ball of light floated above the bedroom of a young boy.
The room was silent except for the soft whisper of the wind outside.
Moonlight filtered through the window, casting pale streaks across the wooden floor and the disheveled bed where the boy lay.
Unaware of the ball of light, the boy was peacefully floating in the sea of dreams.
His cheeks were stained from dried tears.
His face expression continued to change as if the sea of dreams were turning into stormy nightmares.
The ball of Intent floated into the chest of the boy.
It didn’t release the enlightenments and techniques stored inside it.
Neo’s consciousness appeared inside the ball of Intent.
Just like how he could split his consciousness between himself and his Intent clone and control both, he could do the same with the ball of Intent.
It was a loophole that Neo used to see what was happening in the past.
‘Ugh, this is making me feel like my head would split.’
Neo groaned.
As a ball of Intent, he could only move for now. Stay updated via empire
He focused on the scene before him.
In a modest bedroom dimly lit by the pale light seeping through the curtains, young Daniel Caelum lay fast asleep.
The blankets were slightly rumpled, and a cool breeze drifted in from a cracked window, making the curtains flutter softly.
Neo stared at the sleeping figure, then gathered his focus, pressing his will forward and embedding thoughts as Intent into the young Daniel’s mind.
[Binding Divine System…]
Daniel shifted, murmuring under his breath, his face scrunching slightly.
“Let me sleep for a few more minutes.”
[Binding Divine System…]
The Intent projected by Neo manifested inside Daniel’s mind, stronger this time.
The words echoed like a whisper in the depths of his thoughts, jolting him awake.
His eyes blinked open in confusion.
“I said let me sleep….”
His voice trailed off as he looked around the empty room.
Silence greeted him.
“Huh? I’m sure I heard someone.”
Daniel frowned, his eyebrows knitting together.
He leaned over the side of the bed, peering underneath where a few books lay scattered.
“Selene, come out. I know it was you.”
The underside of the bed was empty, save for the books and a forgotten sock.
The silence deepened, broken only by the faint creaking of the wooden floorboards as Daniel shifted.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Divine System successfully bound.]
[Newbie package has been gifted to host.]
“Woah!”
Daniel flinched, his heart racing as he scrambled back.
His foot caught the edge of the blanket, and he tripped, crashing into the wall with a dull thud.
A groan escaped his lips as he clutched his forehead.
The pain brought slight tears to his eyes.
“What was that?”
He rubbed his head.
His breath slowed as he scanned the room more carefully this time.
The pale light revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet, he remained vigilant.
After the apocalypse, the world had become unpredictable.
Monsters lurked in the shadows, and danger could manifest without warning.
‘Was it a monster’s voice,’ Daniel thought. ‘But I’ve never heard about a monster that can talk.’
Neo chuckled faintly, observing how cautious Professor Daniel had been, even as a child.
The scene warmed him slightly despite the strain on his mind.
Splitting his mind between two timelines – one present in the future and one in the past – was making him feel as if his mind would be torn apart.
But he persisted.
Focusing once more, he sent another surge of thoughts as Intent into Daniel’s consciousness.
This time, he added a visual Intent, accompanying the message.
[Please say ‘Status’ to check the menu screen.]
“What the hell?!”
A translucent blue screen suddenly materialized before Daniel, illuminating his face with a soft glow.
He swung his arm instinctively.
But it harmlessly passed through the screen.
“Who are you!?” Daniel shouted.
He thought the screen was a monster.
[I’m Divine System, host.]
Neo kept up his act.
Telling a child to save the world was not simple.
There was a high chance Daniel would refuse.
It was better to act like a system, pass down his powers gradually, and direct Daniel’s thoughts towards saving the world and his sister, who would get kidnapped by Typhaon soon.
We don’t have much time before Typhaon tries to kidnap the Child of Mana.
“System?” Daniel muttered.
He had read a few novels he found while scavenging the town outside the walls.
A system was something the protagonist received.
It was a cheat that allowed the protagonist to become the strongest in the novels.
‘I got something like that?’ Daniel thought, his wide eyes reflecting the pale blue glow of the screen.
A smile appeared on his face.
Excitement bubbled within his gaze.
However, he quickly reeled in his emotions and his smile faded.
“How can I be sure you aren’t a monster?”
[It is easy, host.]
[Please open the newbie package and use the rewards.]
[Then, you will know I’m not a monster.]
“Newbie package?” Daniel asked.
He remembered something about receiving it.
But he had been asleep and hadn’t paid much attention.
“Open the newbie package?” Daniel muttered, unsure of how to open it.
Rows of text—made from Neo’s visual Intent—appeared before Daniel.
[Congratulations on opening the newbie package.]
[You have received: Time Stop Slip x3, Strength +1, Constitution +1.]
Power surged within Daniel’s limbs.
Heat spread from his chest as if flames had been ignited inside him.
His Seed of Existence trembled from the influx of strength.
Neo wasn’t worried.
He transferred only a small portion of the strength stored inside the ball of Intent into Daniel, carefully restraining the flow.
He knew giving too much too quickly could harm the boy.
Only when done slowly could Daniel make the powers his own.