Raiyu walked along the dusty trail, the faint crunch of dry grass beneath his boots echoing softly in the quiet air. The orange hue of the setting sun stretched across the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of amber and crimson.
He glanced around as he walked — the world looked… familiar.
Green fields stretched endlessly, the gentle breeze brushing through the blades like waves in motion. The air was crisp, fresh — too real to be a dream.
For a brief moment, he almost felt like he was back on Earth.
If not for the two moons hanging faintly in the pale sky, he might have believed it.
A part of him whispered quietly, "The world hasn't changed… only the rules have."
With the knowledge the system had just poured into his mind, Raiyu now understood what kind of twisted world he'd been thrown into.
The beauty around him was nothing but a mask for the rot underneath.
As he neared the settlement, he could see small, worn houses built from rough timber and stone. Smoke rose weakly from a few chimneys. The people — thin, tired, and hollow-eyed — moved like ghosts through the streets.
Their faces were rough, their clothes tattered.
Men carried tools instead of weapons, and women hauled bundles of wood or jars of water. The children sat quietly near the doorsteps, their bellies sunken but their eyes strangely calm — as if hunger was no longer pain, but routine.
Raiyu slowed his steps.
Despite the wooden carts filled with harvested crops and stacks of cut lumber, there was no laughter. No chatter. Just silence.
"They have food… they have land…" he murmured softly. "So why can't they eat what they grow? Why can't they just live peacefully, even if it's short?"
The system's voice chimed in, calm and unwavering.
[Answering the Host's query.]
[The Morvanes are permitted to grow crops and gather resources, but they are not allowed to consume more than the assigned quota.]
[Failure to deliver the monthly shipment of raw materials results in immediate punishment by Pureblood enforcers.]
Raiyu's fists clenched. "Punishment… you mean they're hunted down."
[Affirmative.]
He fell silent for a long moment, watching an old man push a cart of lumber that looked heavier than his own body weight. The man stumbled, his legs trembling, but no one moved to help — not because they didn't care, but because they couldn't.
Raiyu looked away, jaw tightening.
"This world really is rotten to the core."
[Host's observation is accurate.]
[In Atherion, mercy is weakness, and weakness has no place in the cycle of power.]
Raiyu exhaled slowly, looking up at the fading sunlight. "Then I guess it's time to start rewriting the rules."
Without thinking, Raiyu stepped forward.
"Here, let me help."
He pressed his shoulder against the back of the cart, muscles straining as they pushed together. The cart creaked, rolling slowly down the slope until it reached even ground.
"Ahh… there you go," Raiyu said, exhaling sharply and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
The old man turned to him — his face wrinkled, skin pale and dry like old parchment. His eyes, though dull with age, still carried a faint light of gratitude.
"May the gods bless you, child," the old man said softly, voice trembling with sincerity.
Raiyu smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah… take care, old man."
He watched as the elder slowly pushed the cart away, his figure growing smaller with each step until he disappeared into the crooked line of huts.
For a moment, Raiyu stood there — silent.
Then, under his breath, he murmured,
"How sad it is… that the gods you pray to are the ones who made this world so fucked up."
The wind blew gently past him, carrying the faint scent of dust and woodsmoke.
Somewhere in the distance, a child coughed.
The world didn't answer.
Then—
Ding!
A faint blue screen flickered before his eyes.
[Host has helped someone and achieved minor karmic essence.]
[Karmic Points: 0 → 5]
[Congratulations, Host, on your first earning.]
Raiyu blinked, then let out a short, dry laugh. "Hah… so that's how this works, huh?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, still half-smiling. "Guess even helping an old man counts. Didn't think the universe paid interest for basic decency."
[Correction: The act held sincere intent. Karmic value has been measured accordingly.]
"Right," Raiyu said with a small smirk. "Sincere intent. Got it."
He turned his gaze toward the fading sunset in the distance.
"Five points down, a whole world to change. Not a bad start."
Raiyu walked through the narrow dirt street, the faint glow of dusk painting long shadows across the cracked walls. The air smelled faintly of smoke and damp wood.
At the very end of the road stood a small, worn-out hut — its roof half-collapsed, the door hanging slightly loose on its hinges.
That was his home.
He stepped inside and gently pushed the door shut behind him. The creak echoed through the empty space, followed by silence.
The hut was barely more than a single room — no bed, no kitchen, just a straw mat on the floor and a rickety wooden table beside it. A few old clothes were folded in one corner, frayed and patched more times than he could count.
On the floor near the wall sat a small wooden box. Raiyu opened it and found a handful of dull copper coins — maybe enough to buy a day's meal at most.
He exhaled quietly.
"This is it, huh… home sweet home."
In Elyndor Vale, people didn't have time for luxury — or even connection. Bonds were fleeting, conversations short, and love a rare luxury that usually ended in hunger or grief.
Work came first.
Always.
Friendship, laughter, warmth — those were things only the rich inside the Sacred Domains could afford. Out here, survival was the only thing that mattered.
Raiyu sat down cross-legged on the mat, resting his back against the cold wall. His eyes flickered toward the flickering lamplight that struggled against the encroaching night.
"Alright, System," he muttered. "Show me the three treasures."
[As you wish, Host.]
The air around him shimmered faintly as a translucent blue screen materialized in front of him — three slots glowing softly, each radiating a distinct aura.
Raiyu leaned back on the mat, eyes narrowing at the glowing screen before him.
"So how do I use that Eyes of Revelation thingy?"
[Host must equip the slot.]
[Once equipped, the artifact will bind directly to the Host's ocular nerves. Activation will be available at will.]
Raiyu blinked. "...So basically, I just stick it in my eyes?"
[Affirmative.]
He sighed. "Well, that sounds horrifyingly casual, but alright."
Following the system's instructions, Raiyu selected the slot. A faint golden light flickered, and then—
He gasped.
His pupils glowed faintly — a soft, yellowish hue spreading across his irises like ripples of molten gold.
But after a few seconds, nothing happened.
He frowned. "I don't see any change."
[That is normal, Host.]
[The Eyes of Revelation remain dormant until activated.]
[You will perceive their effect once consciously invoked.]
"Okay, let's try this then," Raiyu muttered, pushing himself up and walking toward the small window.
Outside, the dim village road stretched quietly under the pale moonlight.
An old man was sitting on a stool, idly whittling a stick, his posture weary but calm.
Raiyu focused on him, whispering, "Activate Eyes of Revelation."
A soft hum vibrated in the air. His vision shifted — colors deepened, light sharpened, and then faint blue text began to appear over the man's figure.
---
[IDENTITY ANALYSIS]
Name: Harun Tovik
Age: 55
Level: 1
Race: Human
Titles: None
Class: None
Cultivation: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: Human
Spirit Energy: None
Vitality: 100%
[STATS]
Strength: 5
Agility: 4
Endurance: 6
Intelligence: 1
Luck: 3
[TRAITS]
• A man who enjoys watching others argue and fight, finding amusement in chaos.
---
Raiyu blinked, then stared at the glowing data hovering over the man's head.
"...So, this old man's hobby is to see people fighting?" he muttered. "That's… kind of dark."
[Observation confirmed.]
[Human behavioral patterns vary significantly based on environment and survival psychology.]
Raiyu sighed. "Yeah, yeah. In other words — this world's full of weirdos too."
The golden glow in his eyes dimmed slightly as he looked back toward the ceiling.
"Well… at least it works. I can see people's strength and personality."
He smirked faintly, sitting back down.
"Not bad, System. Not bad at all. Guess I'm officially a walking lie detector now."
Raiyu cracked his neck, stretching his shoulders.
"Well then… let's move to the next one."
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he muttered,
"The fucking cursed, gory black heart."
[Deploying Item: Cursed Heart of the Demonic Dragon.]
The air in front of him rippled — like reality itself was bending. A black mist coiled outward, cold and heavy, until something thumped from within.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Raiyu flinched instinctively as the sound grew louder, echoing through the tiny hut.
Then it appeared — a massive, jet-black heart, suspended mid-air, pulsing rhythmically as veins of crimson light crawled across its surface. Each beat sent a faint vibration through the room, making the walls tremble.
He grimaced. "Every damn time I look at this thing, I get chills down my spine."
The heart pulsed again, almost as if responding to his words.
He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, creepy. Let's see if these Eyes of Revelation can tell me what you really are."
His eyes glowed gold as he activated his skill.
For a moment, the heart shimmered with faint golden runes—
Then his vision distorted.
A sharp pulse of pain shot through his temples, forcing him to flinch.
[Error: Object exceeds mortal-level classification.]
[Analysis denied.]
Raiyu groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Fuck… this shit's god-level?"
[Affirmative.]
[The artifact registers above the Divine Threshold. Interaction without containment may risk spiritual instability.]
"Great," Raiyu muttered, glaring at the hovering heart. "I got a literal god's heart beating in my hut. Totally normal day."
[Correction: A fragment of a god's heart.]
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," he said dryly.
The heart pulsed once more — a deep, heavy thud that made the floorboards creak — before slowly dimming down, its glow fading as it returned to a quiet, eerie rhythm.
Thanks for reading.....