Dante groaned as he slowly pushed himself off the floor, one hand gripping his forehead like it might stop the pounding inside. His head felt like it had been hit by a truck...no, several trucks.
"What... happened?" he whispered, blinking through the haze.
His eyes scanned the room. His bunk bed, once perfectly aligned against the wall, was now twisted sideways like it had been slammed by something or more like someone. His stool had lost two of it's legs and lay awkwardly tilted. Everything was wrong. The air itself smelled... different.
He rubbed his chin, fingers brushing over the faint stubble that had started to grow. His snowy white hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions as he ruffled it, trying to force the fog out of his mind.
Then—a flash of memory.
The orb? He asked no one in particular.
His eyes widened. "Wait… the orb?"
It had been there. He was sure of it. Sitting quietly, glowing faintly. But now? Gone. No trace of it.
His memory was scrambled, like puzzle pieces forced into the wrong places, but they were slowly slipping back into order.
He remembered how the orb had changed. It had opened, transformed—into something like a latch. And then... it had jumped at him. Attached itself to his chest like a leech and following it was intense agony.
And just before everything went dark, a screen had appeared right before his eyes. A glowing holographic screen. He was sure that hadn't imagined that.
"What was that all about?" Dante mumbled, a frown forming across his lips.
> [Welcome, Dante. System is fully online.]
Dante nearly jumped out of his skin, staggering back until he almost tripped over the broken stool.
"What the—?!"
The voice was clear, like a real person was speaking right into his mind. It was calm, deep… and masculine.
> [I am Strikx.]
Dante blinked. "S..strix?" he repeated slowly.
> [Correct: S-T-R-I-K-X. A System for Tactical Reactive Interstellar Kinetics and Xenotech.]
Dante raised an eyebrow. "That's a mouthful…isn't it?"
> [You may use Strikx.]
He paced slightly, glancing around the room again. It was as if something had activated. Not just in the room—but in him.
'Is it... reading my mind?' Dante thought, trying not to panic but failing woefully.
> [Yes. I am linked to your neural frequencies. No need for vocal commands.]
His heart skipped and his pupils expanded. 'It really is... in my head.' Dante gulped.
He looked around again, instincts taking over as he searched for something—anything—to defend himself with.
> [No violence is necessary. I will not harm you. I exist to assist you.]
The tone of the voice had shifted. It sounded... promising. Almost comforting. And strangely, Dante believed it.
He exhaled slowly and whispered, "So… what are you?"
> [Commencing download. Unrestricted system data will now be uploaded into your consciousness.] Strikx suddenly said without any prior warning.
In sync, before Dante could even process what that meant, a wave of strange sensation hit him. Like a cold shiver crawling up his spine—but it didn't feel bad. It felt... right. Like puzzle pieces finally slotting into place.
Information poured into him—fast. Like reading a hundred books in seconds. He staggered back a little, holding the side of his head.
It was too much.
But as his mind adjusted, it began to make sense.
Strikx wasn't just some AI. It was an ancient nanotech-based system built by a galactic civilization long gone by now (well according it's estimation). A hive-mind of sorts. A living software designed to "upgrade" human potential.
But... it was outdated. Very outdated. Most of its origin data was locked—restricted. Even its knowledge about Dante's world felt like it came from a different era.
One word kept popping up in the data: Type, something he was very unfamiliar with.
Apparently, humans were categorized by "Type" based on how their bodies processed a strange energy called Neva. According to the information gotten, the type determined ones potential to wielding Neva exceptionally.
Funny, wasn't it?... Because it just had a similar relationship to what they called the 'Code'. "Was this another name, strikx had given [code]" Dante said out loud.
And yet...
"Open status log," Dante said, mostly on instinct.
A transparent screen appeared before him.
---
Status Log
Name: Dante Valis
Age: 16 [o.111*10^15 kilo days]
Race: Enhanced Human
Type: S
Level: 1 [0/100 EXP]
Variants: Unknown
---
"Huh... so it still thinks I'm part of the Valis Household," he muttered, eyeing the surname.
He also looked at the age bracket and saw that although his original was written precisely, it also had another group of figures attached "That must be my age equivalent in where ever Strikx is from?" Dante just assumed not putting much thought to it.
He blew a stray strand of hair from his face and narrowed his eyes.
"Type 'S', huh? That's weird…" Now focusing on what had even confused him in the first place.
If "Type" reflected how well his body could processed Neva, then why was he marked S-Rank? Everyone else had always said his code was incomplete.
"Hey Strikx," Dante called, "what's up with this? Why does it say S-Type when I'm… well, broken?"
> [Incorrect. Strikx is never wrong.]
Dante scoffed. "Cocky much…"
> [Type refers to Neva proficiency. S-Type is the highest classification. You are an anomaly.]
He paused. Anomaly? That didn't sound comforting.
Well from what he could gather though, the system seemed to be well accustomed with Neva meaning that it also existed from wherever it came from.
Then he looked back at the log and decided to pull up his stats.
---
Stats
Strength: 10
Speed: 5
Agility: 5
Endurance: 15
Neva: 10/10
Ability: Mass Manipulation [Level: ...Haha]
Stat Points: None
---
Dante squinted. "Really? You just had to laugh at my ability?"
> [Apologies. It is... uniquely underwhelming.] Strikx said, but Dante could swear that there was a hint on humour in them.
Dante rolled his eyes and flopped onto his bunk bed.
But even as he sat there, staring at the screen, he thought more deeply. Maybe it wasn't the ability that was weak. Maybe it was his code or his [Type]—his broken gateway—that limited its power.
Mass Manipulation didn't sound weak. If used properly, it could be incredible. But only if the output was strong enough and fot that to happen, the input also needed to be great which was impossible due to his poor code.
'So… it's not about the ability,' he thought, hand under his chin again, a habit he also formed over the years 'It's about how much Neva my body can push through.'
Then a thought struck him. "Strikx… is there a stat that measures my code's state? Like, how damaged or incomplete it is?"
> [Error Found. This unit is unfamiliar with the term 'code' as you use it.]
"What?" Dante sat upright. "But you just explained Types and proficiency."
> [Correct. On my origin world, 'Type' is the only classification used. Your term 'code' does not exist in my databanks.]
Dante's mind buzzed. The system… was ancient. So ancient, it didn't even recognize the modern way people talked about Neva's compatibility. Maybe it hadn't updated in centuries. Maybe even thousands of years.
And yet… here it was, speaking perfect Earth dialect.
"How do you even know my language?" Dante muttered aloud.
> [Language modules adapt automatically to user's dominant tongue. Neural sync is complete.]
"Convenient…" he mumbled, now more curious than ever. Just what kind of tech was this?
As he was deep in thought, more notifications popped up.
> [Task Completed: Status Log Opened - 25 EXP]
[Task Completed: Interacted with Strikx - 75 EXP]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2]
> [+2 to all stats (excluding Endurance)]
[Free Stat Points: 5]
[Skill Unlocked: Appraisal]
[Appraisal: A scanning function that allows the user to analyze inorganic materials. Once scanned, the system compares the object with stored data and provides a detailed report. It has no cooldowns.
[Cost: 2 Neva points per use]
---
Dante's eyes lit up. "So you're a walking info bank too?"
He leaned back, his curiosity growing by the second.
Whatever this system was… it was just the beginning.
And he had every intention of figuring it out.
Dante asked a few more questions—even though deep down, he already knew he probably wouldn't get answers. The creators, the system's origin, the actual meaning behind the [variant]—all of it seemed to be locked behind iron doors labeled [RESTRICTED], and Strikx wasn't exactly in a chatty mood today just snubbing him withouta care in the world.
"Do you even want to answer me or not?" he grumbled.
[Inquiry received. Response: ...Ignored.]
"Rude."
Annoyed but not defeated, Dante scratched the back of his head, white strands falling into his eyes. As he moved though, he suddenly felt... different.
It wasn't major, just a subtle shift—like he could breathe deeper, move easier, punch slightly harder. Curious, he opened his status log again.
---
Status Log (Updated)
Strength: 12
Speed: 7
Agility: 7
Endurance: 15
Neva: 10/10
Free Stat Points: 5
---
His mouth curled into a grin. "Guess it wasn't a placebo effect after all…"
He noticed something odd, though. Everything had gone up—except endurance. That one hadn't budged.
"Huh. I guess building endurance in this world needs something more... traumatic?"
[Correct. Endurance is improved through physical stress and sustained resistance. In simpler terms: suffer more.]
"Well, that's dark."
Now, about those stat points... Strikx had already explained how they worked: extra points that could be slotted into his physical stats to boost them further. Like a cheat code for muscle growth.
He didn't spend too long thinking about it—just went with his gut.
"Alright, three into strength, one into speed, one into agility."
He paused. "Why strength?"
He shrugged. "Because... punching solves like, 80% of problems, right?"
[No verified data on that claim.]
"Don't care."
As the changes took effect, he felt a small surge rush through his limbs—like the warmth of sunlight, only internal. He flexed an arm for no reason. Yep. He felt stronger already.
"Alright, time to freshen up, maybe scavenge for some breakfast," he muttered, heading toward what remained of his room.
But of course, Strikx wasn't done with him yet.
Ping!
---
[New Task Received]
Learn more about the System
Reward: Instant Level Up
--
Dante blinked. "Wait, that counts as a quest?"
He chuckled under his breath. As much as the system annoyed him with its cryptic restrictions and robotic sass, he couldn't deny it—this whole levelling up thing? It felt good. Addictively good.
"Alright, Strikx," he said, his tone shifting to something more curious, more focused. "Let's get to know each other a little better…"
One the brighter side, he knew exactly what to do today, He was headed for the LIBRARY...
Authors not: Hope you guys give my novel a chance, if you see any flaws, pls it would be wonderful to comment. It tells me where I'm going wrong at.
I'll update one chapter per day...