{Earth, 2036}
With a population of five billion, Earth was surviving.Due to a worldwide epidemic in the year 2025, the world population was halved, and not until 2028 was this epidemic fully brought under control.Eight years had passed since then and the power system had changed completely. Now, the whole world wasn't run by governments or agencies but by families and large businesses.The higher a family's rank in wealth, the more power they held globally. Most of the businesses that occupied top positions and powers were run by families thereby making global power fall in the hands of a few families that numbered in the hundreds.These families were scattered around the globe and were wealthy enough to decide the life and death of basically anyone of a lower status.Today was just another average day on Earth. It was 9 am and while some took their first breaths as they came into the world, others took their last as they left for good.While some went out to work, some returned home and others headed to a different job after closing one.As some woke from sleep, others went to sleep.While some drove on the highway, others decided to walk down the road.Some had just fallen victim to robbery and some had escaped it.Some robbers had successfully robbed others and some had been caught.Amidst all these events was an unfortunate young man.Pitch black was the color of his hair. It was tied in a bun and held in place by a silver pin with a silver dragon head and a very sharp tip. Its body, a design of spiraling lines.His black eyes darkened like they could consume light itself, a white young face that told others he was in his late twenties, covered with dirt while he wore white robes with stripes of blue that were stained all over with blood. His blood.He had cuts all over as he panted and ran away with all the energy he could muster."Young Master Yen Khan, there's no outrunning me nor hiding from me. I was hired specifically to keep you dead." A voice called out, obviously speaking to the young man running for his life.…The burly man didn't get a reply which resulted in a twitch on his face.While the man playfully called out, the young man whose name was Yen Khan ran into an alley with lots of pathways and started snaking through them.As if he could see Yen's location, the man entered the alley at his own pace and followed the exact pathway Yen had followed.Even as he yelled while walking, there wasn't a single soul who came out to complain. The reason was of course status!Even though the young man referred to as Young Master Yen was in serious trouble, his status couldn't allow just anyone to intervene."It's over." As if he could see beyond even Yen, the man spoke loud enough so Yen who was tens of meters away could hear him.His words proved to be so in the next few seconds as Yen came to a stop before a wall that was over three meters tall.Yen's heart leaped into his throat as he looked for other paths to take but there was none. The last turn was over ten meters behind.Yen turned backward as he made his way toward the next path he saw."It's useless." The burly man's voice was heard again."You're cornered."And so was the case as Yen was met with another wall after making his turn into the path he thought was free."No! No! No!!" Yen refused to accept what he was currently facing as he turned and headed for the next turn."Keep running, looking for hope as when you've found it, it'll slip away at the last moment. I'll make sure of that." The man spoke, assuring Yen of his words.Ignoring the man and running like a claustrophobic animal, Yen searched all available turns searching for an exit but found none.He spotted another hidden turn a few steps away and ran towards it and as he arrived, he saw the streets. Kids walking, holding hands with their parents, a group of teenage students returning from school. A spouse walking, holding hands with their son who was in between them.Yen smiled as he pushed forward, heading toward the streets where he could be free. As long as he made it out, the man after him wouldn't be able to hurt him. They were bound to find someone of a higher status in the streets.He took the first step and then another and another followed and then the next. He could see the street as he only needed a few more steps before he escaped death.Tap.He felt a grip on his robe and then a tug."What'd I tell you, Young Master Yen?"The burly man's voice sounded just behind Yen's ears and a shiver ran through his body.The man's last words rang in Yen's head. He had been told that when he gained hope, the man would make sure it slipped away and he did just that.Yen had lost hope but that didn't mean he would give up. "What offense did I commit for the family of my wife to send an assassin after me?""You don't know? Then how would I know?" The man's fist landed solidly on Yen's chest and he coughed out saliva."They've maltreated me ever since I married into the family and now they plan to shut me up for good?" Yen asked, his face twisted in pain and his heart pounding twice as fast."Damn~ That's no good at all." The man said with a sad expression.Bang!"Like I care!" Another blow met Yen's ribs."Ugh!" Yen fell to his knees as he puked, hauling out the contents of his stomach."Dear young master Yen, I'm only paid to kill you. I don't ask for a reason as being paid is all I care about. What you did or didn't do has nothing to do with me." The man explained to Yen who remained faced down."Even though I did my best to serve them as a lowly in-law, this is how they repay me and Qing couldn't even do anything as she only watches her husband die at the hands of her family.""Curse this life! Curse my family for abandoning me! Curse my wife's family!"Bang!The man kicked Yen from the side throwing him to the floor."Slow down with the curses. If you end up including me, you'd be dead in the blink of an eye." The man warned him."I'd be dead either way so curse you too." Yen coughed up blood.He could see the face of his wife Qing, a beauty wanted by many who ended up being married to him, Yen Khan.He was married into the family and since the marriage three years ago, he hasn't had a single day of peace.It was trouble after trouble and today, it was death. He would be free from this life of daily horror."Well, death it is." The burly man pulled out a dagger.Puck!It dug into Yen's heart and his racing heart slowed down.He didn't want to die but if the only way out of his misery was death, he would embrace it."Thank you." He smiled at the burly man."What?" The man asked, doubting if he heard well."Thank you." Yen repeated and closed his eyes as he took his last breath."Man… that was one hell of a man. Who gets killed and thanks his killer?" The man murmured as he pulled his dagger.He cleaned it on Yen's body and placed it back inside his cloth and walked away leaving the lifeless body of Yen Khan in an alley no one would think to pass through."Where the hell is this?" Sovereign Yen questioned himself as he opened his eyes to stare at the black spacious room he found himself in.Like the void itself, he could tell its beginning nor end. He couldn't even tell up from down as he simply floated amid this expansive space.Caught between confusion and surprise, he was met with the most bizarre thing he had encountered ever encountered.Ding!A white panel popped up in front of him.{Name: Yen KhanTitle: Sovereign of ExistenceAge: 329,003 YearsStatus: Dead (Pending?)...}As he read through the foreign words on the panel which he somehow understood, he had to stop when he saw his status. His death was pending?What the hell did that even mean?The panel's content continued.{...Your soul was detected right before your death and was summoned here by the Supreme One…}'And who might that be?' Sovereign Yen asked himself.{... The Supreme One watched your sacrifice to protect his creations from a mistake he had made and decided th
"Pardon but can I get something to eat?" Yen asked a woman serving food to people around."What are you saying?" She asked in a language that was foreign to Yen."I meant food. Something to eat." Yen replied again. He understood her words due to a feature on the system that allowed him to automatically understand any language even if he was hearing it for the first time. The problem was that she didn't understand his words.She looked at him confused. What language was he speaking?'Shit! This is messed up!' He slapped his forehead.He decided to gesture with his hand for a second trial.He brought his palms in front of him and rubbed them together in an act of pleading and then brought one hand close to his mouth, folding it so all the fingers were of the same height.'She should at least get this one, right?' Yen thought while repeating the gesture.She stared at him for a moment and he could tell she was specifically looking at the blood that covered the chest region of his robes.
"Ignore the mission, how do I even go about using you?" Yen stared at the red panel shining before his eyes with a line of text displayed on it.{You have received your first mission…}The notification remained unchanged amidst Yen's ranting.Yen gradually got lost in his thoughts, his goal being to figure out how to operate the so-called system given to him.'There should be something that lets me know how to operate something as complex as this. Something like a manual…'At the thought of a manual, the panel flickered and when it returned to normal, the contents of the panel had changed.{Supreme System Manual…The Supreme System, granted by the Supreme One to a single individual, is a self-conscious system that operates with intelligence surpassing the smartest individuals.It comes with a list of commands and features that perform various functions. While some features are automatically activated, others require manual activation…}The new panel content started with an introductio
{Time's up! The mission has been completed successfully!}The voice of his new assistant rang in his head.'Could you at least lower it down next time? It's like you're screaming directly at my brain.'{That's basically what I do each time I communicate with you.}'Ugh!' Yen rubbed his temples in frustration.He wasn't used to the system yet and he could tell, it would be a tough road.He couldn't abandon it because…'How about I just put you to sleep for the rest of my life?' Yen thought to himself but the system could read his very thoughts so it responded.{You put me to sleep and the rest of your life would only last five seconds before you fall asleep 'for the rest of your life'. That is not a threat, it's a warning. The moment I shut down, you'll go down as well.}'I don't believe you!' Yen disagreed with the system's words.{Then go ahead and try it. The command phrase is 'System Shut Down'. Let's both be witnesses to what happens next.}'If that's true, then I'll need the phra
As the sun rose to brighten the sky a certain man did something similar. He rose to hunt for money."There are auction houses in this world, right? There has to be."Yen spoke to himself as he walked down the road.{There exists an auction house a few blocks away.}Unexpectedly, the system replied to Yen's words.'How the hell did you find out about that?' Yen asked with suspicion and happiness.{I possess a map of any world the user visits.} The system replied."A map of any world as soon as I visit it? Seems like too much of a cheat."'Either way, lead me there.' Yen smiled as he commanded Stem, his system to lead him toward the auction house a few streets away.{In that case, go left at the next stop…}The system began giving out directions to its owner like a passenger directing a taxi driver."I want one of those!" Yen's eyes widened at the sight of a man riding a bicycle across the street.He had memories of all available means of transportation available on Earth but since he ha
The auction went on for another hour as the auction house owner did his best to sell off the items in his auction.Finally, the time came for the item he had prized the most. He had kept it for last as he had ordered his workers to quickly craft four fancy small boxes where the items could be placed to attract more buyers."Our final item on the list today is one that was never on the list.""Brought in today by a person I dare not disclose his identity, this pill could heal even a punctured body part within seconds. It was discovered in an abandoned place by a person who stumbled upon it by coincidence.""After being stabbed in the heart, this person took five of the pills and survived the situation that fell on him."As he spoke, a man walked forward with a small gold-plated box, dropping it on the table before the auction house owner."Here's a demonstration." The auction house owner nodded and when the man who had brought the box turned to leave, a piercing screech reverberated th
"Why the hell is it so small!?" Yen exclaimed, his question directed at the system which had mentally communicated the amount to him.[I'm certain I stated to you that the prices of the pills were exaggerated because they were sold in an auction house for more than twice the initial market price.]'How do you know that? Why the hell would you give me 2000 System coins in exchange for twenty million Khartos?' Yen asked is disagreement with the system.{I'm knowledgeable about almost everything concerning this world we've found ourselves but there are restrictions on me that prevent me from revealing such information. You'll have to slowly unravel them and only through missions I give can you do that. Oh, of course…}Ding!Yen heard a ringing in his head as he waited for the news that would arrive and it didn't fail him.{You have completed the mission.}{Reward granted: 900,000SC for providing 30 million Khartos before the deadline. 5 middle-grade qi gathering pills for completing the
Yen woke up on top of a luxurious bed, his face filled with marks left by the bed and blanket. It was obvious he had taken a great nap.His exhaustion from walking, riding a bicycle, and then walking again was long and was now replaced by a burning passion to explore even more of this world Yen had found himself in.'An elevator huh? Made me feel like I was flying as I originally could.' Yen smirked at the thought of the hotel's elevator that was built and attached outside of the building. As one rose inside, they would see everything outside the hotel as the walls of the elevator were made of thick and fortified glass."Paying 50,000 Khartos per day is certainly worth it." Yen nodded, his eyes moving across the one room he had rented which aside from the room, only had a bathroom and a small wardrobe.{It's one of the cheapest rooms you'll ever find so enjoy it while it lasts.} Stem replied as it had no choice but to remain quiet while the host was asleep."I… I see." Yen murmured un