Chapter 1 – Everything Has a Price

  Everything in this world has a price.

  If anyone had told me that, I would've laughed. After all, I was born under a lucky star—everything always worked in my favor. That is, until my favorite game—ironically developed by my rival company—was shut down. The company went bankrupt, and the stubborn CEO refused to sell the game rights until the bitter end.

  I remember logging in one last time before the servers shut down for good.

  But when I opened my eyes... I was surrounded by eternal darkness.

  What was the last thing I heard?

  I contemplated.

  Crackle!

  A sudden jolt of electricity smacked me in the face as a familiar voice echoed inside my head—the system voice.

  [System Error]

  [Your wish is being granted]

  [Fate is being merged]

  [Skill: Refiner – Acquired]

  [Skill: Divine Memory – Acquired]

  [Error]

  [Skill: Divine Memory downgraded by three stars]

  [Skill: Folder – Acquired]

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  [Skill: Battle Sense – Acquired]

  [Error]

  [Your Absolute Fortune Providence is being stripped, as per your request]

  [As per your request, you will be born into a family of adventurers]

  [As per your request, your talent level is low—but can be improved through effort]

  [Error]

  [You are now human. System contact terminated.]

  Then, I fell—onto something, into something, I don't even know what it was for all that was in front of me was a never-ending void.

  The system voice faded, and nausea hit me like a hammer. It felt like my organs were being ripped out and replaced, one by one, while I was still awake.

  I suppose I lucked out, eh?

  I laughed in pain, slowly the pain and nausea was overtaken by suffocation. I was most probably dead.

  But who would want me dead?

  I thought deep, only to remember that alot of people actually would love to see me dead.

  Being the only person with full Nano System resonance was no joke, especially when Nano System resonance determined your status. I basically lived like a king, and now I was stranded—just a dead soul at best.

  Looking around I saw light. A small dot, but still light nonetheless. It reminded me of all those stories of religious fanatics waking up after supposedly dying, sweat covering their body, voice being reduced to insignificant squeals, mumbling repeatedly.

  "I saw a light."

  I mused, then instantly proceeded to ask forgiveness. Couldn't risk an eternity in hell. Never thought that I, Arthur Evergreen, would fear the eternal punishment of Inferno.

  Seeing no other choice I started moving towards the light, I moved and moved. I made significant progress, but it still felt like I made no progress at all. Each moment felt like eternity, and the suffocation increased till I couldn't breathe anymore.

  Then light suddenly grew larger, and I realized I was being pulled toward it—not walking, not floating, just... drawn. Like gravity, but with purpose.

  My body—or whatever was left of it—was stretching, squeezing, reshaping itself. The pain was unbearable. The nausea, the suffocation, the panic—they all blurred together into something primitive.

  A weird sensation covered my body.

  Cold.

  Wet.

  Blinding brightness.

  And noise. Loud, chaotic, overwhelming noise.

  I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t control my lungs.

  So I cried.

  A disgrace, considering I was the most influential person in the world.

  "Congratulations Mr and Mrs. Argil it's a baby boy."

  Huh?

  "Aww, little Bedi looks so cute! Give papa a kiss."

  "Come on honey, let the child rest."