[ Installing the system: 34% ]
[ Collecting information: 0% ]
[ Please be on stand-by... ]
"Asta, this thing in front of me, can you see it?"
Alden already had an idea. The familiar blue boxes, the digital font, and of course, the content it displayed. It was clearly a system notice.
Even in his busy past life, he kept up with the culture. So of course he recognised the textbook system manga trope. They were perfect braindead reads, one of his favorite pastimes.
He should have known, he was hit by a truck, after all.
Asta's head whipped toward Alden.
"What is it?" He asked with a childish curiosity. "Quickly describe it for me, I should be able to tell you more about it."
"Uh… I think it's a system window. Do you not see it?"
Alden blinked. Wasn't this Asta's power bestowed onto him? So why is the god in question acting surprised?
Asta wore an annoyed look as he inched closer toward the floating window in the air.
"Tsk, you are being too casual with your thoughts about a god. I'm too lenient." He grumbled, squinting at the window. He clearly could see it as well.
"I told you before, even I don't know what form my divinity will take until you manifest it. But because it's my divinity, it should be the sort of power that pushes you forward and enforces growth."
"So you don't know?" Alden concluded.
Asta ignores him as he continues examining the system window, even poking his hand through it like a kid prodding jelly. After a few moments of curiosity-fueled inspection, he stepped back, looking mildly amused.
"... I may have overdone the bestowment. This is [Wanderlust] and [Play]." He said, smirking. "You inherited two of my divinities, Alden! Now that is surprising!"
"... "
"You are truly blessed. This makes me a bit proud. You did well, Apostle."
Praises truly meant nothing to fools who don't understand anything.
"...Can you just explain it a bit more? What exactly are these wanderlust and play?" Alden really has to squeeze out an answer himself every time.
Asta raised a brow.
"[Wonderlust] and [Play] are just it. You have experienced them before, they are beautiful and grand divinities. The appropriate response when you received these two would be kneeling in reverence."
"Do you want me to kneel?"
"Tsk, are you acting smart? Want to get smitten?"
"I apologize."
Teasing Asta was actually kind of fun. He was starting to get used to the ethereal voice—if ignoring that, it felt just like bullying a spoiled kid.
"So," Alden continued, "Explain it to me a little more, Asta. How do I use them?"
"But you are already using them?" The blond god tilted his head, poking at the system window. "This power of yours is [Wanderlust] and [Play] themself? That is what an apostle's power is, your god's divinity."
Alden decided to just accept the fact he would never understand his own power.
"Your speck of knowledge is truly lacking to be my apostle." Asta shook his head with a tired sigh. "Anyways, you referred to this power as 'System', correct? Clarify it for me."
"You read my mind."
"I did. Now clarify."
"It is indeed somewhat familiar to me. It's a popular concept from Earth's fantasy stories."
"So you already know what it does?"
"Not really. There are many types of systems I have read about. But overall I guess you could say it is something that does promote growth? It is installing, so we could just wait and see."
[ Installing the system: 61% ]
[ Collecting information: 0% ]
[ Please be on stand-by... ]
Alden was really not sure. It could either be a traditional system that just displays stats, levels, and skills, or it could be ones that talk to him and force him on dangerous quests.
"Oh? Sounds fun." Asta grinned. He was probably smiling in favor of the second option. "If you are familiar, it makes sense why [Play] and [Wonderlust] are manifested this way."
"The thing is, Alden." He suddenly leaned in. "You should probably avoid fighting with other apostles for now with this type of auxiliary power."
Alden immediately felt his body tensing up.
"Other apostles? Why?" His eyes squinted at Asta. "Will I be fighting other apostles?... Why?"
"Well…"
Asta looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I am not exactly the most beloved among the gods."
"Excuse me?" Alden felt his stomach churning. With Asta's personality, Alden wasn't surprised. But he could tell that something was wrong. "Tell me what is wrong."
"Come on, don't be so tense! It's nothing!"
Asta waved it off with a bright smile. He reached up and patted Alden on the shoulder.
"It's just something that keeps the lazy bums on their toes! Heaven is too boring these days!"
"Asta,"
Alden reached up to stop the patting. This was technically their first physical contact, but Asta's skin felt exactly the same as any other person. Moreover, this was no time for skinship appreciation, he was serious.
"What did you do?"
"Fine, fine." Asta sighed dramatically, floating away from Alden's grip. "I might have insulted and stolen divinities from a few gods. Nothing worth mentioning."
"You what!?"
"They were weak divinities. Honestly, those gods should thank me. Anyways, some of them might try to get to you. It's just politics."
"..."
This guy was a bully. A child bully. And Alden has to suffer the consequences.
"Nothing of that sort." Asta scoffed. "You have to understand, there are probably as many gods as students on that Earth of yours. So conflict is a common occurrence. And if a god wins in a fight, they steal away divinity. It is just how things work. Honestly, I didn't ask for these low-level stuff, I just hate annoying pests."
"That means you don't fight often… right?" Alden was gradually getting more irritated.
"Look," Asta's face hardened. "The pantheons got a serious pest infection. The recent minor gods are very annoying."
Alden could already see a dark future ahead.
"Minor gods?" He asked after taking a second to calm down, he at least wanted to be prepared. "Is there a ranking for gods?"
"Minor is more of an insult. There is no ranking, but there are different classifications." Asta explains nonchalantly. It's only when he is guilty does he willingly divulges information.
"Some manifest from a faith or religion, we call those faith gods. They usually just hang out in their domain. Above them, are gods like me, a manifestation of a concept or desire. We are conceptual gods. I am [Adventure] itself, with three divinities under me, [Wonderlust], [Play], and [Pathfinding]. As long as these things exist, so do I. So yes, I am indeed mighty."
It does sound very large.
"Then at the top, there are entities that exist prior to even gods. The Progenitors. These guys aren't around often, so I am practically at the top of the pantheon, you should be honored."
"You just said there was no ranking."
"There aren't, I just personally rank them on those weaker than me, and those who are probably equal or stronger. Universal comparison is a bit messy. Faith gods lost their powers outside of their domain, but are practically unmatched within it. Conceptual gods aren't necessarily powerful, either. It all depends on what concept they embody. I'm great, but most of the minor god pests are also conceptual gods, their concept is just so pathetic that they live and act equally pathetic. I killed Limmra of Sensible Footwear just because he kept nagging me about my choice of boots."
"... What exactly did you gain from that?"
"[Perfect Footwear] divinity, but it got absorbed by [Play]." Asta scoffed. "I knew my taste was good."
Alden stared at him in disbelief.
"Will these gods also send such fashion-forward apostles to kill me?"
"Maybe. Probably the stronger ones, though." Asta whispered.
"Which gods have you offended, Asta? Tell me the full story."
As if already waiting for the cue, he started.
"I tried cutting the Loom of Fate goddess Nereval once, I argue a lot with Verenne of Preservation and probably smite one or two of their apostles, Azrel the Warden tried to recruit me so I spat on his helmet, I challenged Ytruun of Conquest to a duel but never show up, I locked Tholm of Safety up for a while, I turn Sibilia of Pessimism hair orange for a few days,..."
Asta hummed, recounted while casually using his finger to keep track. When he circled back for the fourth round of finger counting, Alden's face was already drained of all colors.
'Fate, Preservation, Conquest… Won't I just die!?'
It was horrifying. The list of atrocities committed against embodiments of terrifying concepts.
The devil. Alden is serving the devil as his god.
He is up against the collective wrath of the heavens.
"I burned Ithielle of Serene lotus lake, I borrowed some creations from Korrin of Iron, and uh… I once asked Fortuna of Luck to inherit her divinity, I really wanted it. She just smiled back at me, so not sure if she is mad or not. Well, I think that is all."
"...Are you sure you are not the god of Hardship?"
"Osken also dislikes me, but I heard of this through gossip. I myself don't understand why."
[ The system expresses its disbelief ]
Both Alden and Asta's attention snapped to the sudden pop-up screen.
[ Installing the system: 77% ]
[ Collecting information: 26% ]
[ Please be on stand-by... ]
As if responding to their surprise, other windows popped up.
Alden's head hurt. He decided to ignore it for now.
"Can you apologize to them first before I reincarnate?" He could only plead. "This is extremely dangerous. Please think of me too."
"I will do no such thing," Asta firmly replied with an unhealthy conviction. "They're petty. They'd come after you anyway. The gods are just too spoiled, tsk tsk."
Said the devil.
"Why would they even target the apostle? Couldn't they just fight you? Isn't this bullying?"
"It is our bad luck." Asta sighed. "I can defend myself just fine, but they probably might get a shot if they go for you instead. As my first apostle, killing you would significantly damage my status."
"'Our' bad luck?" Asta's casual attitude was pissing Alden off. "You knew about all of these!"
"What kind of apostle blames their god? Defend yourself. If they only send apostles, it should be light work."
Asta began floating again, letting out one last shameless chuckle before zoning out completely. Any questions now would likely fall on deaf ears. Alden could only grumble to himself.
He wasn't exactly unbothered by Asta's habit of spacing out mid-conversation, but he had a good idea of what was happening each time. So he couldn't really bring himself to stop him.
I wonder what kind of adventure he's watching this time, Alden thought.
One of Asta's many titles—The Eyes That See All Paths—made it obvious. Alden had briefly glimpsed Asta's vision during the bestowment himself, and the memory of that experience still lingered: overwhelming, mesmerizing, impossible to look away from.
As the God of Adventure, Asta was fulfilling his role—witnessing stories as they unfolded across countless worlds.
It was still annoying, regardless. Like seeing a child glued to the television when the house was burning down around him.
A dark, dangerous new life lay ahead of Alden.
He should have dodged that truck harder. He should have used tanks to get around.
He should have chosen the rock instead of this hard place.
Suddenly, a simple, foreign 'ding' sound disrupted his lamenting. Alden was returned to reality as he turned his attention toward the system.
[ Installing the system: 100% ]
[ Collecting information: 52% ]
[ Starting the system…Success! ]
[ Hello, Alden. ]
Along with a few notices, the system greeted him. With it came a sudden stir of excitement and anticipation inside Alden's heart.
It was a childish curiosity. He just wanted to test out this new 'power' of his.
"Uh… Yeah, hello. Nice to meet you."
There was no further response.
Alden first glanced at the idle Asta. Seeing no reaction, he once again refocused his attention.
"System, can you open the status window?" He voiced out what he assumed was the appropriate command. It sounded dumb. He'd definitely test out direct mental access next time.
Thankfully, the system promptly reacted to his words and a familiar blue window manifested itself.
[ You are currently deceased. Some stats receive correction )
===Status===
Name: Alden Vaughn
Age: 23
Status: Deceased
Race: Human (Soul)
Title: Earth's Representative; 1st Apostle of Adventure (*New)
Gift: Spark (Incomplete)
Overall Rank: F
Strength: 0 (7.1) / 10
Dexterity: 0 (6.3) / 10
Stamina: 0 (8.6) / 10
Intelligence: 8.8 / 10
Luck: 89 / 100
Charm: 80 / 100
—-----------------------
Active skill:
[Poker Face - G]: (100%)
You have a face that is capable of hiding your thoughts.
- Effect: After activation, put on an act that makes emotion impossible to read.
- Cost: 0.01 stamina/ 10 seconds.
- Cooldown: None.
—-----------------------
Passive skill:
[Earth's Support - SS]: (100%)
You are chosen as a potential 'Spark' by your world. The Earth will guide your path forward. Success is certain.
- Effect: +25 Luck. Stats improve 50% easier. Reduce the time needed to master a skill or talent within 'Earth'. The probability of success of every action executed is raised by 50% within 'Earth'. It is easier to raise favorability with citizens of 'Earth'. Health and Stamina regenerate slowly when standing on 'Earth' natural ground.
[The Heir's Intuition - A]: (100%)
You are born with a six-sense that surpasses most.
- Effect: Your instinct will always point in 'beneficial' directions. More effective when calm.
[Divine Revelation - S] (*New): (0%)
As an apostle of Heaven. You will heed your God's instructions, following their will. Whenever and wherever.
- Effect: It is now possible to communicate with the Lord you serve.
- Trigger based on the (Asta - God of Adventure) intention.
[Adventure Affinity - SS] (*New): (0%)
The universe wishes for you to go on exciting adventures! It will do its best to reward you.
- Effect: You are likely to encounter an adventure.
- Trigger randomly based on the 'Luck' stat.
==========
"This… this is pretty fun."
Alden muttered to himself as he eagerly examined his existence being broken down into concrete statistics and letters. Reading about it was one thing, but experiencing it was a whole different experience.
Firstly, his stats were unexpectedly high.
Although Alden doesn't have any references, he can't imagine 8 being the average if the limit is 10.
For stats without a cap like luck and charm, Alden is even more clueless. Personally, he felt like he was pretty unlucky. Subjectively, he should probably be smitten for thinking so.
Alden decided just to ignore stats altogether for now. It was from his previous life, anyway.
He let out a soft sigh at the skill [Earth's Support].
Alden wasn't surprised by the effect. He had already vaguely understood the important meaning of being a 'Spark' thanks to Asta. It was just so overwhelmingly beneficial that Alden felt a bit guilty.
This was the first time he knew the planet he was living on had its own will. And based on this information, Earth favors him a lot.
Unfortunately, it was grace unreciprocated.
All of these benefits and Alden still died so pathetically. Not only does Alden let his family down, but he has apparently disappointed a whole planet.
Earth would have been better off picking literally anyone else. Looking at it this way, he understands why it was considered a crime against the world. He could only silently send his sorry and hope the next spark would do better.
A title and two new skills were gained from being Asta's apostle. [Divine Revelation] was straightforward enough. [Adventure Affinity] though, was very concerning based on its description.
"Asta," Alden called on his God. There was something he had always found strange. "Why am I your first apostle?"
"Why are you suddenly asking that now?" Asta was not looking at Alden, but he still answered. "I just don't see a need, that is all. Conceptual gods don't need worship to exist in the first place, and adventure would be boring if I intervened."
"So am I the only Apostle?"
"Yep."
"..."
Alden was not convinced. Asta's answer makes sense, but it also left many loopholes to be answered. However, seeing as the god isn't adding anything else, Alden could only lament and push this matter to the back of his mind for now.
While they were conversing, Alden was also continuously practicing triggering his only active skill [Poker Face]. He wanted to get used to the feeling of actively using 'skill'. It was probably the effect of the system integration, but it is very different from when he was doing it unconsciously.
A faint tingle sparked in his brain every time he thought about triggering the skill, then immediate effect manifested. His face probably looked ridiculous with continuous triggers and dismissal, but what could he do?
After a while, when his facial muscles were twitching from the abuse, Alden decided to explore the system further.
"System, what else can you do? Show me your features." He asked politely.
The system once again reacted to his words.
=== System Window ===
- Status Window
- Information Tab
- Adventure Log
- Customization
===================
Ignoring the customization function, there were only three options, one of which he had already explored.
Cool, he will just overwhelm the gods with his vast knowledge.
Alden first opened the information tab.
He lightly selected the option with his finger, it was like touching air in VR.
[ Location: Limbo Dimension. ]
[ Description: A place where the deceased comes to rest. ]
[ Notice: Further information is currently being collected. ]
Underwhelming. Alden rated this feature one star. Below expectation. Would not die again for this.
Now, he was really worried.
Alden quickly moves to the next function.
=======Adventure Log========
Earth's Spark (Failed)
- Description: Earth expressed its wish to evolve to the Mythical Age! You were chosen to herald this change!
==========================
Alright, Alden officially got nothing.
The system seems to just display what was already there, it did not give Alden any significant power boost like he had covertly hoped for. He doesn't get any quests and rewards like in the manga.
Alden let himself sprawl down to the floor with a tired sigh.
This would be a perfect moment to sleep, a quick reset, but unfortunately the dead don't have such luxuries and Alden was forced to be perfectly conscious.
Lying in silence with his thoughts.
Well, this was pretty much his normal Sunday morning.
"System, do you have any other functions?" He asked the air, hoping for miracles.
"System, how can I get stronger? Give me a quest."
"System, take control of body operation."
"System, change the color of windows to green."
[Configuring Customization. The color theme is set to 'Green'.]
"Tsk."
[ Collecting information: 78% ]
Unfortunately, there was no meaningful response.
Still, it was pretty fun. If he were to die, it was because of Asta, not the system. Alden was actually happy with the functions of his supernatural auxiliary power, getting to feel like a protagonist was an added benefit.
"We had it tough, system. You did well."
He sighed at his new partner, receiving no response.
Just having the system makes him feel a bit safer. It was a familiar concept from his previous life, a welcomed connection to his past on Earth.
'A concept… I wonder if there is a conceptual god of system…' Alden mused.
He then tilted his head to look at Asta hovering nearby.
This god remained carefree, even in the face of the looming dark future ahead of them.
After spending a while together, he was able to understand when Asta was interested in what he was watching, and when he was not. His posture would turn a little bit more upright, and his arms would cross. Such as… right now?
Honestly, that was a guess. Even with their soul being connected, Asta remains unreadable.
Contrary to the mischievous spoiled kid image he displayed when talking to Alden, there normally was rarely ever an expression on his face. And despite Asta talking about himself pretty often, Alden didn't get the feeling that he was getting to know this god any better.
An enigma. He intrigued Alden.
Just as Alden was analyzing Asta to entertain himself, Asta's head suddenly snapped toward him.
At the same time, a few windows suddenly popped up.
[ Warning: Access Denied. The target status exceeds system current authority level. ]
[ Forcibly Bypassing Restriction. The user receives penalties. ]
===Status===
Name: □□□
Status: □□□
Age: □□□
Race: God
Sub-race: Adventure □□□
Title: □□□ Eyes □□□ □□□; □□□ of □□□; Chaos □□□ □□□
Gift: □□□ □□□ Seeker
Overall Rank: □□□
Strength: □□□
Dexterity: □□□
Stamina: □□□
Intelligence: □□□
Luck: □□□
Charm: □□□
+ □□□ Unknown attributes.
Active skill:
Unable to retrieve information.
Passive skill:
Unable to retrieve information.
==========
"ARGGHHHH!?!"
Before Alden could comprehend what was happening, he was struck with an overwhelming pain in his eyes.
It was so sudden and painful that Alden's body convulsed in shock. If someone were to power drill a hole in his eyes, it would probably feel like this.
"Close your eyes, Alden. Dismiss the system." Asta calmly gives instructions.
However, the god's attention was placed more on the hovering status window than on Alden, who is rolling around in agony.
"Interesting." Asta mused.
"SYSTEM! STOP!" Alden screamed. It was lucky that he even heard Asta's words amid his pain.
As soon as the window disappeared, the excruciating pain stopped. However, the feeling of his eyes being drilled into him was still very much fresh as Alden breathed in deeply to calm himself down and recuperate.
"What the hell was that!?" Alden failed at calming down. His eyes were still closed.
"This is surprising. Not only does that power work on you, but it can also peer at the nature of others. Even me. That was very unpleasant."
Asta replied in place of the system.
"Well, inspecting a god is a little too arrogant for now. This is on you, Alden." He chuckled. "This is exciting indeed. What a fun power!"
"System, do not open the status window of a god from now on! Absolutely not!"
[Configuring Custom Command. Information on Being of Higher Status will no longer be automatically displayed. Please access through manual commands.]
It was his mistake.
Alden was arrogant. He was too curious and casual, playing with power he did not understand.
The entity next to him was not just a simple spoiled kid. He was a being of higher 'status'. Alden was once again reminded of how weak and insignificant he was in this new world.
It turns out that system customization was probably the most important function of them all.
Such excruciating pain just from glancing at a god's information, Alden resolved himself to be more careful in the future. He needed more practice.
"Mortals, always so dramatic."
Asta doesn't seem to think the same, though.
"Alright, apostle." He commanded with finality. "It's time to leave."
Alden forced open one of his bloodshot eyes. Asta was grinning.