4 From an Artifact to a System

Death, it's a simple but a complicated topic to understand. Will you reincarnate or will you see paradise and live eternal happiness.

For an unknown amount of time this topic had been left unanswered, however, there's one fact that is known throughout the passage of time and that's, for there is to be death there should be life at first.

Living is the main goal of survival which we humans and other organisms do, whether it be the monsters inside the dungeons or us humans who come to raid them living and surviving is the goal of everyone.

These two topics have been around since the first emersion of life in this boundless universe.

Life is connected to death and vice versa, but what kind of creature will defy and reject these two topics. What will someone have to do in order to both reject and accept a satisfying union, what will it take to both reject death and turn away from life?

Zen was nothing but a mush of flesh and blood at this time, but instead of dying and his soul leaving his body he felt something kept him chained from leaving this world.

He could not leave this world and what's more, is that he had been seeing various information flow inside his mind.

Philosophy about death, the meaning of life, these kinds of thought were floating inside his mind but he could care less about this though as he was still feeling the pain from his smashed body.

'It hurts! Make it stop!'

These thoughts were reverberating inside his mind but not a single time did his mind thought that he wanted to die or it would be better if he were to die there and then.

He did not want to feel this torture but he also did not want to die and even if he didn't want to admit it Zen was feeling a little delight at the fact that he can still pain.

It's not that he awakened to masochism or anything like that, no, it was because if he's feeling pain then he is still alive or has the chance to live and get out of this place.

Zen did not know what is happening but he was glad that it was happening to him, and then his eyes stared up to the sky and a blue panel appeared with a bunch of text written on its surface.

[Conditions of Artifact awakening has been met moving to the questioning]

[…]

[Do you want a power that you will choose death for you to achieve it? Please answer in 10, 9, 8…]

Zen did not know what is happening and what kind of mysterious changes occurred to the system for it to be questioning him like this as he's about to die but for some reason, Zen felt the need to answer this questions.

Call it whatever you like, stupidity, idiocy, or anything like that but at that time Zen called it survival instinct. He did not know what will happen if he didn't answer but he knew that he will be regretting it all his life.

His mind was currently blank from the pain but hearing the question he answered the first thought that appeared inside his mind.

"Yes I will, if I can achieve the power that I want by choosing death I will embrace it with open arms."

Gooong!!!

A Gong was sounded inside his mind as if telling him that something had been opened or freed.

[Will you kill if for power? Whether it be humans or monsters, will you kill them indiscriminately if they hinder your path? Please answer in 10, 9, 8…]

"I will… I will do anything if it means I can go forward even if it means doing all those things."

Gooong!!

Another sound reverberated in his ears, this time it was much more powerful. It was enough to rock his soul that's hanging by a thread.

[Will you… defy the rules set in the worlds to live for your goals? Please answer with care, yours truly will not be held liable of your answer, depending on your answer you might face challenges that can bring about the great [Ragnarok] or others might call, [Heavenly War].]

A long explanation was given and as Zen was reading through it all he had already made the decision.

"I will."

His voice was more resolute than before.

Gooonggggggg!!!

Crack! Crack!! Crashhhh!!

The gong sound was followed by cracking sounds and then a long winded sound of something crashing and breaking.

[Congratulations, you have answered every question successfully.]

[Please insert your name: __________]

"Zen"

A blue panel appeared just like in video games and as it did Zen answered after seeing the request of his name.

[Artifact owner registered]

Another panel appeared confirming the 'ownership' and as it was finally confirmed another longer panel appeared.

[Artifact Updated]

[Warning: The Shop opened]

[Warning: Status has been updated]

[Give the artifact name: (Optional)]

A long blue panel appeared before his eyes 'reporting' what had been opened and what he had just acquired after freeing the so-called artifact and at the end of the panel, there was an optional category.

"System."

[Artifact name: System]

It didn't even take him a few seconds before answering, ever since it had appeared he had always called it a system so it was not that hard thinking of a name.

[Congratulations for registering as the owner, your rewards will now be given]

[Choose what to accept]

[Reward #1: Reconstruction, Reward #2 Random Weapon, Reward #3 Black Cloak]

The sight in front of Zen right now was like a game, he did not know what kind of artifact that can become something like this but the fact that one of its rewards was a way for him to live was enough for Zen to accept what's happening.

He didn't need to know what kind of thing was inside him nor did he need to know it and even if he wanted to know what kind of artifact the 'system' or who or what created it he first needed a clue or a lead which he didn't have.

With his situation like this Zen began choosing the rewards, he had earned by chance. The three rewards were already his and no matter what he chooses the others will not disappear until he chooses them too.

"Accept reward #1."

[Warning: Reconstruction will now commence, please wait a moment… 3, 2, 1]

A blinding flash of light enveloped his entire body as his soul that had been loosely bordering from life and eternal death was dragged back to his body.

Chains seemed to have been dragging him back as he felt something pulling him back to his mush up and painful body of his. The reconstruction of his body proceeded swiftly and without any problems but as he was being resurrected he felt an itch all over his body as an indescribable feeling spread to his muscles and limbs.

It was as if the thousands of ants were biting him all everywhere as his body was reconstructed.

[Restoration of the body… complete]

[Soul Binding… complete]

[3, 2, 1… Body Reconstruction completed, congratulations your body has finished reconstruction your soul has also been bound once again and the limits set upon to your very being has been lifted.]

Feeling the particular sense of touch Zen knew that he was alive, the cold floor and the chilly wind that had been blowing on the bottom of the Clift made Zen feel wide awake.

Opening his eyes he was welcomed by darkness. Normally when a human enters a dark place he or she would need to get used to the different lightning but Zen was quickly able to adapt.

Feeling out his body Zen tried getting up, even though he was unsure if he was truly alive or not, he touched his chest and felt nothing and so he looked down and right beside his right feet was the broken dagger that had been stabbed on his heart.

"Huu! The dagger was taken out huh, I don't really know if this is real or something that's beyond death but… my goal of getting out of this dungeon."

Zen fiddled with some of the information that came flowing inside his mind like the commands and the various rules of the system. It didn't take him a while and after some time he spoke with a soft voice,

"Status."

A blue panel with a bunch of information appeared in front of him.

Name: Zen

Level: 1

Health: 150

MP: 100

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Vitality: 15

Senses: 10

Intelligence: 10

Remaining Points: 3

The status bar was not the only thing present in the panel as to the side there were other things listed like the [Inventory], [Shop], [Skill List], [Upgrades], [Equipment], and others.

"It really is like the RPG I played in the past. Did the artifact modeled its new form after it?"

The so-called artifact which is now a true system stuck Zen's mind. He had always thought that the system was nothing but an alarm clock but as he browses through the various setups Zen finally understood its value.

Zen opened his equipment and there he saw the only equipment that he is wearing were [Ragged Clothes] and [Ragged Pants]. Zen did not even need to look down as his image was also projected at the panel and as he continued looking at himself the more he felt worse about it.

"Accept reward #3."

Zen could not take it anymore so he opened the third reward and equipped the [Black Cloak] which covered his entire body all the way to his heels.

It protected him from the cold but that's not the only effect.

=Item: Black Cloak

Item Class: None

Type: Cloak

Description: Made from a monster's skin it provides an additional 1% defense.=

The additional one percent defense may seem useless but his status didn't really have anything that directly raises his defenses.

"I got myself a rather good item well considering my situation anything I can get is good enough the only thing I need is a weapon, accept reward #2."

Zen accepted the last reward and…

=Item: Black Stringer

Item Class: B

Type: Dagger

Description: Using the Poisonous Tail of a Black Scorpion a poisonous dagger with a sharp edge known to tear cut even the hide of A-rank monsters.

Additional Effect: Poison, a lethal poison that will kill any E-rank monster and below after a few seconds of contact (For higher ranked monsters the effect of the poison may be weakened and even nullified.)=

"This kind of weapon can sell up to at least a few million in the market and with the additional effect of poison it may even fetch a higher price."

He had previously seen the price of the weapons on Whitehaven's Guild and after C-rank and above everything's price all spiked up costing up millions of credits per purchase.

However, credits were important to him outside so it was impossible for him to buy a new weapon that's higher than his original dagger.

"Credits are important for me outside this place I had to save up every little credit that I could just so I can help Freya a little but now I have the system and if I can get out of here I can finally enter and go raid a dungeon, maybe I can even convince Freya to stop."

He started talking to himself all of a sudden. He started thinking of the possibilities that may open to him if he ever gets out of this dungeon but that's only if he ever gets out and in order to do that he needed to become stronger than he currently is right now.

[Main Quest: Kill or Conquer the Boss and clear the Dungeon]

[Reward/s: A-rank Magic, Instant Dungeon Map]

[Side Quest: Kill the Exiled Leader]

[Reward/s: 10 Status Points]

Zen took a deep breath and felt the surrounding air. He should have been dead by now but he was able to live thanks to the mysterious system that had plagued him for two years.

Death is a terrifying thing indeed, not knowing of what's beyond death and what will happen to you if you really died can make anyone feel suffocated.

However, Zen who experienced such tragedy should have been the one to avoid danger and try to live his life as carefully as he could so he can live to see tomorrow.

But deep within Zen, something scarier lies deep inside his abyss of a heart and that's the feeling of shame and fear of him not being able to change.

To Zen right now, death is not the scariest thing because the scariest thing to him was staying as the sorry excuse of a man that he is.

With a weapon on hand Zen wanted to meet the wolf once again and fight it with all he has, he wanted to win but first, he needed to one important thing and that is to kill low ranked monsters and grind away to the highest possible level he can achieve.