✦ ─── ❖ ─── ✦
"Some doors are opened by courage.
Some are opened by desperation.
The most dangerous ones...
Are the doors that never allowed you to walk away."
_Chronicles of the World Scar: Chapter 10_
✦ ─── ❖ ─── ✦
*********
Out of every possibility Kalexi had imagined... never—not even once—had he expected to encounter a System that would force him into accepting a contract.
Even worse: one that intended to drag him into a race older than civilization itself.
Kalexi had heard countless stories about Vessels who ventured into the World Scar. One thing they all shared was the exact same tale: the moment someone stepped inside the World Scar, they would become connected to the Universal System.
That was one of the few reasons he wasn't panicking despite floating inside an endless sea of darkness. The existence of a System wasn't what surprised him.
It was... this System.
Never once had he heard a Vessel describe the Universal System as something capable of holding conversations—let alone teasing people or making sarcastic remarks every other sentence. Honestly, the voice reminded him far too much of someone his father would happily sit down and become friends with.
That thought alone made Kalexi sigh. "...Dad would probably enjoy talking to you."
The cheerful voice answered almost instantly.
《I have excellent conversational skills.》
"...That wasn't a compliment."
《I accepted it anyway.》
Kalexi pinched the bridge of his nose. "...Of course you did."
The more the mysterious voice spoke, the more convinced Kalexi became that everything it claimed was real. Its confidence never wavered. Whenever it mentioned the Race of Ascension, or the power it promised, or even godhood, it spoke with the certainty of someone discussing yesterday's weather. Not fantasy. Not myths. Facts.
That alone made Kalexi even more cautious. He wasn't foolish enough to accept such an offer blindly.
Yet, deep inside, a quiet feeling refused to disappear. No matter how carefully he thought about it, no matter how much he searched for another path, he somehow felt there wasn't one. Ever since the Rift Bridge had dragged him into this place, nothing had felt like a coincidence. It all felt... planned, as though invisible hands had been quietly moving every piece long before he was ever aware of the game.
Kalexi had always wanted power, fame, and the wealth that came with becoming a powerful Vessel. He wanted to give his father a better life—to make sure Daren would never have to worry about repairing the roof of their house ever again.
Those dreams had never changed. But wanting power didn't make him stupid. He wasn't about to accept a mysterious contract without knowing exactly what waited at the end of it.
The System had promised power. It had promised worlds beyond imagination, even godhood.
But why? What was the true purpose of this race? Surely it couldn't simply be about becoming stronger. Something told him there was far more hidden beneath those tempting promises.
Unfortunately, judging from the sarcastic voice constantly dodging his questions, getting a straight answer wasn't going to be easy.
Before him, the golden window continued glowing softly. The two choices remained suspended within the darkness:
YES
NO
Kalexi stared at them. Seconds passed, then minutes—or perhaps time simply no longer existed in this place.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Why me? Why was I chosen? Out of everyone... why am I standing here?
Finally, he rubbed the back of his neck. "...You know... I'm still confused about why I'm being forced into this whole Candidate of Ascension thing." He sighed. "And normally, I'd spend a lot more time thinking before pressing mysterious glowing buttons offered by voices inside my head."
The cheerful voice hummed thoughtfully.
《That's actually a healthy habit.》 A brief pause followed. 《You probably should've started practicing it about five minutes ago.》
"..."
Kalexi stared blankly into the darkness. "...I really don't like you."
《Aww. Unfortunately for you... your opinion doesn't change the outcome.》
Kalexi sighed again. "...You're surprisingly difficult to deal with."
The voice sounded almost proud.
《Oh? Congratulations. You finally figured that out.》
Kalexi simply covered his face with one hand. "...This is going to be exhausting."
Kalexi slowly lowered his hand from his face, his expression gradually turning serious.
"...Tell me two things."
The cheerful voice immediately perked up.
《Only two?》
Kalexi shrugged. "...Yeah, I guess."
The voice hummed thoughtfully.
《Very well. Ask away.》
Kalexi took a slow breath before speaking. "You keep talking about the Race of Ascension... about power... about godhood." He looked down at his empty hands, a bitter smile appearing on his face. "I just failed my Genesis Awakening. I'm powerless. So... how exactly am I supposed to participate in this race?" He paused briefly. "And... what's waiting at the end of it all?"
The voice chuckled.
《Was that your two questions?》
Kalexi frowned. "...What do you mean? That was one question."
《No. You asked two.》 The voice began counting as though explaining something painfully obvious. 《Question one: 'How can I participate after failing to awaken a Genesis?' Question two: 'What's the endgame of the Race of Ascension?' That makes two.》
Kalexi stared silently. "...You know... you're annoyingly right this time."
The voice sounded unusually pleased.
《I usually am.》
Kalexi rolled his eyes. "...Let's pretend I didn't hear that."
The voice became quieter, less playful.
《As for your first question... you don't need to worry about your lack of power. That problem has already been accounted for.》
Kalexi blinked. "...Accounted for?"
The voice ignored the interruption.
《As for your second question...》 A brief silence followed. 《...There is no endgame.》
Kalexi's eyebrows slowly knitted together. "...What?"
Something about that pause, something about the way those words were spoken... didn't sit right with him.
Before he could ask another question, the voice cheerfully continued.
《Now then... what's your second question?》
Kalexi sighed. "...You really dodged that."
《Professionally.》
"...Figures." He shifted his attention back to the floating window. "...Fine. My second question..." He looked directly at the glowing choices. "...If I press NO... what happens to me?"
The endless darkness became strangely still. Even the floating golden window stopped shimmering as silence settled over the void.
Then the two choices vanished, and another window slowly unfolded before him.
⟦ CALCULATING OUTCOME OF REFUSAL ⟧
A small golden circle appeared, spinning lazily round and round and round.
Kalexi waited. "...Why does this feel unnecessarily dramatic?"
The System ignored him. Several more seconds passed.
DING!!
The chime echoed throughout the endless darkness. The spinning circle disappeared as new words appeared.
⟦ CALCULATION COMPLETE ⟧
✦ Outcome: Death
"..."
Kalexi blinked once, then again. "...Death?" He tilted his head. "...That's... surprisingly direct."
The cheerful voice immediately returned.
《Would you like the detailed report?》
Kalexi looked up. "...There's a detailed report?"
Without waiting for permission, the golden window expanded. Another screen unfolded, then another, then another. Thousands of glowing pages began flipping past one another so quickly they became a blur of golden light.
Finally, everything stopped as a single page floated before him.
⟦ DETAILED REPORT: CAUSE OF DEATH ⟧
✦ Page: 1 of 98,472
Kalexi's left eye twitched. "..." "...Never mind."
The enormous report instantly disappeared, and the cheerful voice chuckled.
《Wise decision. Reading all of that would probably kill you before the punishment did.》
Kalexi slowly looked upward. "...You're enjoying this way too much."
The reply came without hesitation.
《Immensely.》
Kalexi sighed so deeply it felt like part of his soul had escaped with it. "...I somehow knew you'd say that."
The countless pages vanished as the golden window folded back into itself until only two glowing choices remained suspended before him.
YES
NO
Kalexi stared at them for a long moment. "...So... I'm technically being forced into joining?"
The System answered without even pretending to be subtle.
《Absolutely.》
Kalexi sighed. "...And there's no way home unless I accept."
《Correct. You wouldn't even survive long enough to go home otherwise.》
"...You're the worst guide I've ever met."
The cheerful voice sounded almost offended.
《Yet I'm currently the only guide you've been assigned.》
"..." "...Fair enough."
Kalexi closed his eyes and took a slow, steady breath. Then another. His racing heart gradually settled as, for a brief moment, everything around him faded away—the glowing windows, the endless darkness, even the strange voice.
Only one face remained in his thoughts: his father's.
Daren Rowan. His calm smile, his rough hands, and the words he had repeated countless times throughout Kalexi's life:
'Always make the right choice when you're faced with a difficult one'
Kalexi slowly opened his eyes, his fingers curling into a fist.
If there truly was no path home without accepting... if refusing meant certain death... if this race really held the power to surpass humanity... if somewhere beyond all of this lay the truth behind the World Scar...
Then he already knew his answer. More than anything, he wanted to see his father again.
Refusing would give him nothing: no future, no answers, no chance.
Kalexi slowly raised his hand. His voice was calm and steady. "Fine. If power is the only road left before me..." A faint smile appeared on his lips. "...then I'll walk it."
His fingertip gently touched the glowing choice.
《YES》
The window rippled. For one heartbeat, nothing happened.
Kalexi blinked. "...Did it break—"
Suddenly.
BOOOOOOM!!
The golden window exploded into countless fragments of radiant light. Millions of ancient symbols erupted across the endless darkness. No... millions wasn't enough to describe it. The symbols stretched farther than his eyes could follow, each one shimmering with an ancient brilliance, resembling fragments of forgotten worlds woven together into a language reality itself could understand.
The endless void trembled violently as a deep vibration echoed through the darkness. The space around Kalexi rippled as though existence itself had acknowledged his choice.
Before him, the countless golden fragments began stitching themselves together as new windows unfolded into existence.
⟦ CONTRACT SYSTEM ⟧
✦ Agreement: Accepted
✦ Contract Status: Irreversible
✦ Process: Binding Soul...
✦ Process:Binding Origin...
✦ Process:Binding Fate...
Kalexi read each line, his confident expression immediately disappearing. "...Hold on..." His eyes widened. "...Binding... what?"
The cheerful voice answered almost lazily.
《You've already accepted. It's irreversible now.》
Kalexi froze, his eyes shooting wide open.
"...WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S IRREVERSIBLE?!"
His voice echoed across the endless void. The System responded with a cheerful giggle.
《You should really start reading the terms of contracts before agreeing to them.》
Kalexi nearly exploded. "...YOU NEVER GAVE ME ANY TERMS!"
Without missing a beat, the voice replied,
《Exactly. It saves everyone a lot of time.》
Kalexi pointed accusingly into the darkness.
"...You're actually evil!!"
The voice paused thoughtfully.
《Professionally speaking... yes.》
The cheerful voice faded, and in its place, the golden windows shimmered one final time.
⟦ SYSTEM STATUS ⟧
✦ Binding: Complete
✦ Status: Candidate Successfully Added to the Race
The rows of windows slowly dissolved until only one remained. Unlike the others, it was black, its borders shimmering with colors Kalexi had never seen before—colors that didn't seem to belong to reality itself.
The moment his eyes landed on it, every instinct in his body screamed. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
The playful atmosphere vanished. For the first time since this strange encounter had begun, the voice spoke without a trace of amusement. It was calm, heavy, and ancient, making even the endless darkness grow colder around him.
《Listen carefully, Candidate. The moment you accepted that contract... your old life came to an end.》
Kalexi's faint smile disappeared as his heartbeat accelerated.
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
Something about those words, something about the weight behind them... made his chest tighten.
The voice continued. "From this point onward... you are no longer merely a citizen of Elyndra. You are no longer simply Kalexi Rowan—the boy who failed his Genesis Awakening. You are now one of countless Candidates climbing toward Ascension."
A brief pause followed. Then..
"Some have already conquered worlds hidden deep within the World Scar. Some wield power beyond human imagination. Some have lived for long before you."
Every sentence landed heavier than the last. Kalexi listened in silence, and for the first time, he truly understood how insignificant he was. Compared to whatever waited beyond the World Scar, he was less than a beginner. He was nothing.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice quiet. "...Then... where do I stand?"
The answer came instantly.
"Where do you stand?" The voice repeated the question almost thoughtfully. A brief silence lingered before it added, "At the very bottom of the Race."
Another pause. 《 CONGRATULATIONS 》
Kalexi stared blankly ahead. "...That doesn't sound like something I should be congratulated for."
Without hesitation, the System replied,
《Because it isn't》
"..."
For a moment, Kalexi simply stood there. Then... he laughed. A quiet laugh at first, then louder, until he had to clutch his stomach.
He wasn't laughing because anything was funny; he laughed because the situation had become so unbelievably absurd. It all felt like one endless chain of terrible luck: first, he failed his Awakening; then, he was swallowed by a Rift Bridge, dragged into another world, forced into a conversation with a System that seemed to enjoy bullying him every chance it got, and tricked into signing an irreversible contract.
And somehow, despite all of that, it still felt like this was only the beginning.
Eventually, his laughter faded. He wiped the corner of one eye and looked up into the endless darkness, his expression slowly steadying.
"...Alright." His voice carried quiet determination. "...Show me. Show me this path. Show me the power I'll need to climb it."
For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the window trembled as a wide smile slowly formed across its surface, and the familiar playful voice returned.
《.Good... now that's the answer I was hoping to hear.》
The endless darkness shattered like glass breaking beneath unimaginable force. A blinding radiance flooded every direction, swallowing the void, the windows, and Kalexi himself.
Just before his consciousness faded, the voice echoed one last time through the collapsing darkness. This time, it sounded genuinely excited.
《 Excellent. Let's see just how far you can ascend... with your power.》
The light consumed him completely. Unbeknownst to Kalexi, his journey beyond all understanding had finally begun—and he had absolutely no idea what awaited him next.
2026-08-20 19:00:02
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