Chapter 2:- System awakening

As Alex ventured into the gaping lower depths of the ancient stone pillars, he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that clung to the air. Just moments ago, he had narrowly escaped the clutches of the colossal behemoth, a monstrous entity resembling a living mountain. Its sheer size and ominous presence had made it a terrorizing figure in these desolate lands.

This behemoth, in a cruel twist of fate, had marked Alex as a scapegoat, unleashing a horde of bloodthirsty creatures upon him. Now, he found himself encircled, their ghastly forms closing in. His heart raced, and beads of sweat formed on his brow, for he knew this was a dire situation.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the stillness, breaking the tension like a thunderclap. It was the voice of his watch, or more accurately, a sleek bracket attached to his neck. The device, though foreign in its design, was a marvel of technology, with its inky-black hue and a single, faint pink line. It projected a holographic screen before his face, the lines and symbols dancing in the gloom.

~... [_---_][_---_][_---_][_---_]....~

DANGER LEVEL: V

TOTAL NO. OF MONSTERS IN 100M RADIUS: 1234

HIGHER LEVEL MONSTERS: 8

OPTIMUM LEVEL MONSTERS: 450

LOWER LEVEL MONSTERS: 704

OPTION: RUN AWAY!

~... [_---_][_---_][_---_][_---_]....~

Alex's eyes darted across the screen as he absorbed the data. It was a lifeline, a beacon of knowledge in the sea of uncertainty. He knew he had to make a decision, and the options were right there, laid out for him in luminescent letters.

However, this device was more than just a gadget; it was a meter, a guide through the relentless chaos of this world. It measured threats, evaluated options, and hinted at the very pulse of survival. Alex couldn't help but smile, though his face was mostly shrouded by his dark cape. He still had that shock of white and black hair, a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding him.

But as he delved deeper into the information, a revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning. This meter, this beacon of data, was not just a tool—it was a reflection of his essence. It was a manifestation of his Affinity, an affinity for fire that coursed through his very being.

This elemental connection, this unique relationship with fire, was what had kept him alive for four long years in this unforgiving land. It was an affinity so potent that it granted him the power of a mage for five precious minutes each day. It had made him the strongest being in this forsaken region, a champion in a world teeming with horrors.

With this power came a peculiar attribute. His Affinity of fire rendered him repellant to flames, protecting his vital parts from harm. It was a partial immunity, a flicker of salvation in the midst of the inferno. But now, in this moment of dire need, the very essence of Alex was far from this realm. His soul had transcended, leaving his physical self vulnerable.

And in this absence, something extraordinary had occurred. Alex's body had undergone a metamorphosis, a change that defied comprehension. It had taken on the essence of the undead, a concept shrouded in legend and myth, a force so enigmatic that it was often referred to as the "horror Affinity."

For Alex, it was more than a mere legend; it was his reality. He had become the embodiment of this horrific power, a creature with abilities that defied imagination. His very being was now a repository of malevolence, a source of dread that would strike fear into any who dared cross his path.

In front of him loomed a monstrosity, a nightmarish fusion of anatomies. It possessed five limbs, resembling the bulk of a mammoth, the horned visage of a rhinoceros, and the lower half of a centaur. Its entire form was shrouded in dark, matted hair, and its spine bore a glistening, bony prominence.

Its abdomen was grotesque, resembling a fleshy gum lined with rippling muscles and bristling with coarse hair. But most horrifying of all was the gaping maw, a cavern of gnashing teeth, with an arm-like appendage emerging from its shoulder girdle. The monstrous aberration had two more arms sprouting from its midsection, and another two at the same point on the opposite side. Its tail, long and sinuous, seemed larger than its own body, and it clutched a formidable obsidian staff, eighteen feet in length and a foot in breadth. Its single eye glowed with the malevolence of dark, ancient blood.

But this creature was not alone. The desolate landscape teemed with a grotesque assembly of monstrosities, each more nightmarish than the last. Alex's heart raced, not just with fear but with the eerie realization that in this world, such voices were known as "Holy whispers." And within the labyrinth of his mind, a voice repeated just two words:

"Alex, you never lied. Come back here for your family. I have been waiting, and I cannot bear this humiliation any longer."

The voice was a tearful plea, and it ignited a wrath within Alex that surged like a tempest. Even his newly transmigrated soul was shaken to its core, brimming with a fury that burned hotter than the most savage inferno.

"Alex, I know you are somewhere in the darkness," the voice continued, and from the very point where Alex's heart resided, a grotesque network of violet, blue-black, and glowing nerves extended outward, ensnaring his entire body. The change was staggering, for his hair floated in the void, suspended by a sinister miasma.

His half-black side of hair turned bone-white and swirled in tandem with the darkness. In the blink of an eye, he had become a devil, a harbinger of malevolence and destruction.

With a surge of power, he lost control, dashing forward like a sonic wave. He wielded his weapon with deadly precision, the chains affording him a unique balance between long-range strikes and a formidable defense. In the air, particles of soot congregated, forming minuscule spheres that followed the trajectory of his long knife, rendering him nearly invisible to his monstrous foes.

His movements became an embodiment of acrobatic perfection, a symphony of stealth that allowed him to engage ten, a hundred, or even more monsters at once. But the behemoth, the monstrous titan at the center of it all, remained an unmoving sentinel, its colossal form an enigma amidst the chaos.

Amidst the ceaseless back-and-forth, the carving and slicing, Alex's blade became an instrument of devastation. His strikes were swift and precise, each motion executed with deadly intent. His body seemed impervious to harm, for any injuries sustained were swiftly and miraculously healed, a testament to the swiftness of his regeneration. This was the power of his horror Affinity, a force that granted him mastery over his own body, enabling him to negate pain and repel injury

.

But the true extent of his horror Affinity went beyond mere regeneration. It granted him command over the very elements that populated the air. Tiny objects, like soot, bits of debris, leaves, drops of blood, or even the severed claws of the fallen monsters, all answered to his malevolent will. He imbued these fragments with consciousness, commanding them to swarm and assail the monstrous horde.

The land, once ashen and barren, now bore witness to a grotesque spectacle, as these malevolent objects swarmed their monstrous counterparts, piercing and rending flesh, leaving a sea of monstrous blood in their wake. Meanwhile, Alex's once-pristine attire was torn asunder, revealing his half-naked form.

But what he had lost in clothing, he had gained in power. In his outstretched arms, he held a chain, ten meters in length, with a blade sharp enough to cut through bone and steel. To wield such a weapon was no small feat, but for Alex, it was a mere extension of his malevolent will.

He called upon his horror Affinity, and the very objects he controlled, the undead-blood, the fragments of malevolence, obeyed his command. They contracted around his arms, forming an imposing, malicious visage. Alex now stood as a harbinger of dread, his very presence an embodiment of the nightmares that haunted the darkest corners of this forsaken realm.

He taunted the eight higher-level monsters, a sinister grin playing on his lips.

~... [_---_][_---_][_---_][_---_]....~

NO. OF MONSTERS IN 300M RADIUS: 451

NO. OF MONSTERS IN 600M RADIUS: 700

NO. OF MONSTERS IN 800M RADIUS: 79

~... [_---_][_---_][_---_][_---_]....~

In this world, distinctions were drawn among the monsters, categorizing them into higher, lower, and optimum levels. Each classification corresponded to their power and threat level. The eight higher-level monsters had been dispersed across these three regions: one in the 300-meter range, three in the 600-meter range, and four in the 800-meter range.

With grim determination, Alex reassured a presence known as "wife" that he would return, a promise layered with the sinister timbre of his voice. But this time, it was not the voice of the shadow puppet; it was his own consciousness, asserting itself.

He stood resolute before the colossal behemoth, a formidable adversary. With the knowledge etched in his mind, he understood that each monster possessed unique vital points, secret weaknesses waiting to be exploited.

Behind him, a maelstrom of dust swirled into existence, forming an axis of rings that extended around him. It was a manifestation of his power, an abnormal, potent energy that overshadowed the strongest in the world, a testament to the enigma of his horror Affinity.

With his left hand, he grasped the hilt of the long knife attached to the chains. With his right hand, he controlled the soot and fragments, commanding them with a sinister grace. And then, with a sudden burst of power, he leaped into the fray, his weapon clashing with the behemoth's colossal staff.

In that fleeting moment of collision, the obsidian staff shattered, and the behemoth unleashed a thunderous punch that sent Alex reeling. As the world faded into darkness, he felt the grip of unconsciousness tighten its hold on him.

Three days passed in a haze, and Alex finally awoke. His vision cleared to reveal a holographic black screen, adorned with bold, italicized golden text.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=-----((((_[... LIMITED EDITION...]_))))-----=

/_—. TRANSFORMATION . —_\

Soul Form *locked*

Human Form *locked*

Hybrid Form *locked*

..... Reborn to unlock all this.....

10.

9..

8...

7....

6.....

5...

4.....

3....

2...

1..

0.

Manifesting the soul and system

[..... 78%... ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex's bewildered eyes roamed the screen, struggling to comprehend the cryptic message. It was as though he stood at the precipice of a profound transformation, an awakening that would reshape his very being. The percentage inched closer to completion, and with it, a burgeoning anticipation welled within him.

The transformation was a profound journey, an enigmatic rebirth that beckoned him to unlock its secrets. It promised new forms, new abilities, and a deeper understanding of his existence.

But as his vision swam in and out of focus, he grasped the profound truth that he was no longer the same Alex. He was reborn, remade in the crucible of the horror Affinity, and now he stood poised on the brink of an evolution that would redefine his very essence.

He couldn't decipher the mysterious process, and as his blurred vision sharpened, he realized he was no longer in the land of the living. This was a foggy realm, a place where the laws of existence blurred and merged, and he stood not as the being of flesh and blood but as the very embodiment of his essence.

In this ethereal realm, he was no longer alone. A presence, a voice, beckoned to him. It was the voice of the shadow puppet, the consciousness that had resided within him, a witness to his transformation.

"Hey puppet, you're the soul that transmigrated into my body, aren't you?" Alex questioned, seeking to establish a connection with this enigmatic entity.

"Yes," came the response, a whisper from the depths of the void.

Alex, resolute and determined, offered a deal, a proposition born of necessity. He promised to relinquish control of his body, to let the puppet regain dominance over his physical form. But in return, he sought a commitment, an assurance that the puppet would undertake a profound task.

"Perish from this place, but protect my family ,don't ever let them getting hurted, I will come back puppet," Alex implored.

The Shadow puppet hesitated, seeking guarantees, a sign that his sacrifice would not be in vain. Alex, in turn, revealed the name of the realm, a realm shrouded in mystery and enigma, one that even he could not name.

With a solemn vow, the shadow puppet sealed the deal, accepting Alex's terms. The fog began to recede, and as it did, Alex caught a glimpse of his own visage, a presence that had transcended into a form of existence beyond comprehension.

The transformation was nearly complete, and the voice of the puppet echoed in the darkness.

[..... 100%.....completed....]

With a sense of renewal and determination, Alex stood upright, his body imbued with newfound power. He removed the holographic screen from his vision with a deft swipe of his fingers. His gaze shifted to the boundless expanse above, the void that stretched endlessly.

"I will do it for you," he declared, his voice a solemn vow that resonated in the darkness, its echoes lingering like an indomitable promise.

And so, shadow puppet reborn as Alex, reborn and transformed, stood ready to confront the daunting challenges that lay ahead, his very essence an embodiment of dread and malevolence. His journey was far from over, and the horrors of this world would soon learn that they had awoken an entity beyond

their darkest nightmares.