Lucian leaned back, still sitting on the edge of the bed. His breathing had steadied, but his mind was anything but calm.
His fingers tapped lightly against his knee.
"System," he said finally, voice low but steady. "What are you, really?"
The screen pulsed in response. The voice returned—same smooth, confident tone. Almost casual now. Familiar.
[I am a system born from paradox. Your death fractured time. Your return broke the script. I am the result—a manifestation built from your soul's refusal to stay erased.]
Lucian tilted his head.
"You're saying I… made you?"
[Correct. Not by intent. But by impact. You shattered the framework of this world. What was once a passive system became sentient, structured, and bound to you.]
He frowned. "Why infinite, then? Why not just… give me my old ability back?"
[Because the old path led to failure.]
That one hit.
Lucian looked down at his hands.
"So this time… you want me to win."
[This time, you are not meant to play within the rules.]
Lucian nodded slowly.
He had a thousand questions, but one burned louder than the rest.
"If I have infinite stat points and system points… then what's stopping me from becoming the strongest person in the world right now?"
The screen went silent for a second. Then—
[Because power without path is collapse.]
[Because structure still matters—even to infinity.]
[To evolve from Rank F to Rank E, you must meet two conditions:]
[1. Raise all your base stats to the maximum limit of Rank F.]
[2. Pass a Trial of Ascension unique to your existence.]
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
"So… I still need to earn it."
[Exactly. You are infinite—but infinity is built layer by layer.]
A new screen blinked into existence beside his status window.
It showed a scale—ranks etched in glowing tiers:
[Power Rank Scale]
F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS → ???
Current: F-Rank (Base)
Stat Threshold: 100 (Each Attribute)
Trial Status: Not Yet Unlocked
Lucian let out a breath, part relief, part challenge.
"And here I thought I could just dump a few hundred points and become a god."
[You could dump a million. It would change nothing if you skip the foundation.]
He chuckled. "Strict system."
[Efficient system.]
Lucian leaned back again and stared at the ceiling.
"All right. What else can you do? Show me what I've got access to."
The system screen rippled—then expanded into a full display grid.
[System Interface Menu – Infinite System]
– [Status Window]
– [Skills & Abilities]
– [System Shop]
– [Trials]
– [Titles]
– [Inventory]
– [Blueprint Archive]
– [World Logs]
– [Locked: Legacy Path]
– [Locked: Dimensional Anchor]
Lucian blinked.
"…That's a lot."
[You will grow into them. Not all functions are accessible yet.]
He pointed at the System Shop. "Let's start there."
The screen shifted.
[System Shop – Tier 1 Access]
Currency: ∞ System Points
▸ Minor Healing Elixir (x5) – 10 SP
▸ Basic Storage Ring (30 Slots) – 100 SP
▸ Common Weapon Voucher (F-Rank) – 500 SP
▸ Beginner Spellbook Pack – 750 SP
▸ Manual: Mana Reinforcement (F-Rank) – 1000 SP
— Locked Items Below —
▸ Advanced Combat Vouchers – Requires Rank D
▸ Elemental Skill Orbs (Rare) – Requires Rank C
▸ Mythic Gear Blueprints – Requires Rank B
▸ Chrono-Break Techniques – Requires Rank A
▸ Divine Skill Cores – Requires Rank S
▸ System Forged Relics – Requires Legacy Path
Lucian raised a brow.
"So I've got infinite currency, but I can't buy most of this."
[Correct. Your current rank determines what you can wield. Power without readiness corrupts the user. You must grow into each tier.]
Lucian clicked his tongue, amused. "You sound like a disappointed old master from a scroll."
[Would you like me to simulate an old man voice?]
He laughed. "Don't push it."
He scrolled through the shop a little longer.
Eventually, he picked:
[Purchase Confirmed: Minor Healing Elixirs (x5)]
[Purchase Confirmed: Basic Storage Ring]
[Purchase Confirmed: Beginner Spellbook Pack]
[Purchase Confirmed: Manual – Mana Reinforcement]
The items shimmered into existence in front of him, glowing briefly before settling on the floor like summoned projections solidifying.
Lucian picked up the ring first—cold silver, embedded with a weak mana gem.
"Classic," he muttered, slipping it onto his middle finger.
Next, he looked at the manual.
"Mana Reinforcement…"
He tapped it. The book dissolved into light, streaming into his mind.
He flinched.
Flashes of diagrams. Flow channels. Breath techniques. Mana coiling across muscle fiber. Reinforcement through vibration.
Lucian's eyes snapped open.
He exhaled slowly, testing the rhythm in his breath.
[Basic Reinforcement technique acquired.]
"…Nice."
This was it.
No gimmicks. No borrowed powers. No cloning tricks. Just him, and a system that wasn't pretending to play fair.
Lucian sat on the edge of the bed again, looking out the small window as night finally took over the sky.
Ashvale's barrier shimmered in the distance. He could see lights from the Academy towers. Dots moving—students. Other Awakeners.
And Evelyn.
He still didn't know why she awakened Infinite Replication. Maybe it wasn't stolen. Maybe fate really wasn't fixed.
But that didn't matter anymore.
She was walking that path.
Lucian?
He was forging his own.
[System Notice: Stat Distribution Interface Available.]
[Would you like to allocate stat points now?]
He hovered his hand over the panel.
Then paused.
Lucian stared at the glowing panel, fingers hovering just above it.
[Would you like to allocate stat points now?]
[Yes] – [No]
His eyes narrowed slightly. The blue screen reflected in his gaze, pulsing like a waiting heartbeat.
Then—
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Let's do it."
He tapped [Yes].
The screen shifted immediately, flickering into a full stat grid. Numbers appeared beside each attribute, glowing faint gold.
[Stat Allocation – F-Rank Limit: 100 per attribute]
Strength: 10 → [Input value]
Agility: 10 → [Input value]
Intelligence: 10 → [Input value]
Endurance: 10 → [Input value]
Perception: 10 → [Input value]
Luck: 10 → [Input value]
Stat Points Remaining: ∞
Lucian sat up straighter.
He could feel it already—the system waiting, the potential like static under his skin. He flexed his fingers once.
"Alright," he whispered. "No cheating. No going over the limit."
One by one, he moved down the line, typing the values.
Strength: 100
Agility: 100
Intelligence: 100
Endurance: 100
Perception: 100
Luck: 100
The moment he locked it in, his body shifted.
A ripple went through his veins. Not pain. Not mana.
Force.
Realignment.
Every nerve felt tuned. His muscles didn't grow bigger—but tighter. Denser. Like something had trimmed the excess and built a weapon instead.
He stood up from the bed slowly.
The floor didn't creak.
Even the air around him felt quieter.
[Stats successfully allocated to Rank F maximum.]
[Warning: Stat points beyond this rank will be capped until Trial is passed.]
Lucian rolled his shoulders, breathing once.
Deep.
He walked to the mirror near his desk.
Same face. Same frame.
But his presence felt… full. Like his body had caught up to the weight in his soul.
"System," he said, voice steady now. "Trial of Ascension… is it available yet?"
The screen pulsed.
[Trial is now unlocked.]
[Trial of Ascension – Rank F → E]
[Would you like to begin now?]
[Yes] – [No]
Lucian stared at it for a long time.
He could feel the eagerness buzzing beneath his skin.
The desire to charge forward. To prove something.
But…
He shook his head.
"…No."
[Trial declined.]
[You may attempt the trial at any time.]
Lucian stepped away from the mirror and sat back down.
"I just got this system. Just learned how to breathe again. If I rush in now… I'm no better than before."
He leaned back, voice quieter.
"I need control."
The screen pulsed once—almost like approval.
[A wise decision.]
[Your foundation must match your ambition.]
He nodded, exhaling slow.
Then—
"Hey," he said suddenly. "Show me the Spellbook Pack I just bought."
The system complied instantly.
Five small books blinked into view, hovering midair. Each glowed with simple elemental runes: wind, flame, stone, light, and shadow.
[Beginner Spellbook – Choose One to Bind]
Lucian browsed them carefully.
Wind was versatile. Flame was explosive. Light was rare.
But it was the last one—shadow—that caught his attention.
Not because it was flashy.
But because it was quiet.
Controlled.
He tapped it.
[Beginner Spellbook: Shadow Grasp]
Rank: F
Description: Launch a tether of shadow that binds a single target. Low mana cost. Target becomes immobile for 3 seconds. Usable twice per minute.
[Would you like to bind this spell?]
[Yes] – [No]
"Yes."
The book dissolved instantly, symbols flowing into his palm like smoke pulled by gravity.
He flexed his hand. Shadows curled briefly around his fingers before vanishing.
"Alright, tell me about the other functions."