"Good heavens…"
Rey's breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened at the glowing display of his status panel. His voice trembled with disbelief.
Aiden, Victor, and the others stood frozen, their gazes locked on a particular section of the interface. Even Zero—usually unreadable—showed a flicker of astonishment.
"Where in the world did this boy get such a thing?" Victor muttered, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed the data.
Rey tilted his head in confusion, noticing the shift in everyone's expressions. "Why are you all acting like you've seen a ghost? Is there something wrong? I mean… I did notice some strange, law-like elements I seem to understand on instinct, but… nothing feels out of place to me."
He scratched his cheek and smiled. "Feels like something you'd expect to find halfway through a fantasy manga, but I've got it at the very start. Isn't that kind of fun?"
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to collect himself. "You're completely unaware, aren't you? That what you possess is so absurdly rare and valuable… even Rank 10s would kill for it."
"Wait… you're serious?" Rey frowned. "I didn't notice anything in my status that stood out."
"Because you didn't check the right tab," Aiden said grimly, tapping his finger on a specific section. A portion of Rey's status detached and expanded into a separate window.
Rey leaned forward—and his pupils contracted.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Law Affinities Detected:
— DEATH {.00001}
— SOUL {.0000001}
— [DARKNESS] {.00000001306}
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He blinked. "This? I don't see what's wrong with it."
"Look again," Aiden said, pointing. "That last one… the one with the brackets. That's not normal. It's not just an element—it's a classified anomaly."
"Oh… I thought that was part of my physique or something," Rey said, waving his hand dismissively. "Honestly, I found the Death and Soul laws more interesting than that."
Aiden frowned. "You're missing the point. That last one—[DARKNESS]—is progressing faster than the others by several magnitudes. Click on one of them. Start with the Soul Law."
Rey obliged, tapping the one that intrigued him most.
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Law: Soul
Grade: Superior
Stage: Infant
Progress: 0.0000001
Description:
The Soul Law governs the ethereal essence of all beings. Rooted in the fabric of creation, it commands the balance of life and death, magic and fate. Masters of this law, known as Soul Weavers, can commune with spirits, mend the soul's injuries, and rewrite destiny itself. However, such power demands not only talent—but the clarity of spirit and burden of will.
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Rey whistled. "Now that's some serious stuff. Healing, communing with spirits, fate manipulation? Sounds like protagonist-tier power."
He tapped the Death Law next.
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Law: Death
Grade: Superior
Stage: Infant
Progress: 0.00001
Description:
One of the most feared and revered Laws, the Death Law grants its wielder dominion over the end of life. Practitioners—Necromancers, Death Knights, and Dark Mages—can raise the dead, summon forgotten souls, cast decay curses, and wield shadows as blades. But meddling with death risks inviting it too close. The boundary between soul and void is thin, and one misstep may trap the caster's essence in eternal torment.
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Rey chuckled. "Damn… necromancy, death knights, decay curses. Feels like something out of my favourite dark fantasy series."
[Author's Note: Just like me. HeHeHe.]
"Huh? Who said that?" Rey looked around, bewildered.
With a smirk, he tapped the final one—[DARKNESS].
Then he froze.
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Law: [DARKNESS]
Grade: ORIGIN
Stage: Infant
Progress: 0.00000001306
Description :
Darkness is Eternal. And Eternity is Darkness.
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Rey stared, stunned. "What the hell? That's it? No flashy paragraph? No lore? No abilities? Just… that?"
"Because it's not meant for anyone to read," Aiden replied solemnly. "The Origin Laws… they write themselves in reality, not on screens."
"I don't get it," Rey muttered. "What's the big deal?"
Aiden turned to him. "Let me explain. Laws fall into three main categories
1. Common Laws: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and so on.
2. Uncommon Laws: Ice, Magma, Thunder, Gravity, Light, Blood… and yes, Darkness.
3. Superior Laws: Soul, Death, Shadow, Space, Time, Chaos, Null… the kind only legends speak of.
"But beyond all that—exists the Origin Laws. They aren't taught, practised, or even comprehended by most. To have one is to stand at the boundary of divinity. And you…" He pointed at Rey, "…you possess one. And not just any—you possess Darkness. The most abstract, most elusive of them all."
Victor stepped forward, voice grim. "Even a Rank 5 being with a Superior Law would bow before someone who's mastered an Origin one. They're one in a hundred trillion. People with Origin Laws don't rise—they are born to stand above."
Rey's expression darkened. "But… this progress rate. It's practically zero. Even in a thousand lifetimes, I won't master it."
Aiden nodded. "That's because laws typically activate at Rank 3. Only freak geniuses get a glimpse at Rank 2. You've not only seen it—you've started it. And with us guiding you, you will understand it someday."
Victor folded his arms. "Even without mastery, the fact you have this Law… puts you on a pedestal most never dream of."
Suddenly, the room's door slammed open.
"BROTHER!—"
Rey turned as Emmy barged in, only to freeze mid-step. Her jaw dropped.
Her eyes scanned him from head to toe—his bare, sculpted chest glistening under the room's light.
"W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING SHIRTLESS?!" she squealed, covering her face with both hands while peeking through her fingers.
Rey blinked, flustered. "I-I just got out of the bath! I was about to change, I swear!"
He quickly grabbed a yellow-and-white shirt and slipped it on. It was tighter than expected—hugging muscles he didn't even realize he had.
"What the…" he muttered, turning toward the mirror.
His reflection showed a taller, leaner version of himself—at least 3 to 4 cm taller, skin flawless, like a model fresh off a commercial shoot.
"I-Is this really me?" he whispered.
"Brother, your skin is smoother than mine!" Emmy pinched his arm and gasped. "Did you get taller overnight?! And your muscles—what happened to your nerdy body?!"
"I… I don't know," Rey mumbled.
Just then, Emmy shook her head and remembered her purpose. "Anyway! Mom said dinner's ready! Hurry before she gets mad!"
She turned and bolted out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Rey stood there, dazed.
"...Dinner, huh?"
As he made his way toward the window to breathe, Zero suddenly materialized in front of him, blocking his path.
"Where were you when Emmy came in?" he asked her suspiciously.
Before he could move, Zero leapt onto him—her silver matter crawling across his body once more. His new shirt began to dissolve.
"H-Hey! My favourite shirt—!"
"Let her finish," Aiden interrupted. "She's… optimizing."
Within seconds, Zero formed a new set of clothes, perfectly sized and styled like his old ones—only now they fit his enhanced frame like a tailored suit.
Rey blinked at his reflection.
"Okay, that's cool… Just like a manga character transformation."
With one last glance at his transformed self, Rey walked out of the room, heading downstairs for dinner.
A new power burned quietly in his chest.
And somewhere deep within, [DARKNESS] stirred.
--> To be Continued...