A stabbing pain suddenly enveloped my head like something was carving into me from the inside. I wanted to scream, but I didn't know how or if I even could. Then something strange happened. Black lines appeared, twisting as if alive, like worms crawling across my thoughts.
What the hell is this!? Am I crawling with parasites inside? My heart raced. What if I couldn't move because something else was controlling me? Parasites…?
The lines shifted. Rearranging. Twisting into new forms. Letters? Runes? Hieroglyphs? What is this? Then it formed into something I saw for the very first time, yet somehow I could read it.
[Condition Met]
Condition…?
[Genome Structure Initialized]
The symbol didn't disappear, they branched out forming a connected network. A structure appeared, not in front of me but within my head. Points emerged along those lines small and dim. Then they organized themselves.
[ Genome Map — Initialized ]
[ Total Slots: 26 ]
[ Active: 2 ]
[ Dormant: 20 ]
[ Sealed: 4 ]
My thoughts froze. Twenty six? The points sharpened. Some glowed faintly, others remained grayed out, completely unresponsive.
[ Sovereign Slot Activated]
[ U — Primordial Gene ]
[ Status: Active ]
Something inside me reacted. I don't know what it is but I feel great. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I'm not completely helpless after all. I laughed excitedly. I'm not doomed yet.
Calm down. I need to calm down. So the genome map has twenty six slots. It didn't appear as numbers or symbols. They look like faint bioluminescent orbs, uneven, pulsing softly like something alive. Thin strands stretched between them, linking one to another forming a network, like neurons woven into a living web. Some glowed, most did not.
One of them flickered. It was faint, barely noticeable compared to the others. But it moved. Pulsing. My attention locked onto it. While it glowed brighter everything else and the network dimmed, leaving only that single point of light.
This is it. I can feel it. The path to becoming stronger. The greatest of all time. Come to me. What power will I get?
[ Slot Detected ]
[ P — Perception ]
[ Status: Available ]
Perception…? I don't even know what that means. Is it something overpowered?
[Activating…]
The orb brightened. Light surged through the strands, spreading outward, racing across the network like a pulse.
[P — Perception Slot Activated]
Then something changed. The darkness didn't go away, but it wasn't empty anymore. I could feel it. The space around me looked still, but it wasn't empty. Then something brushed past me, not touching, but close. My entire body tensed. Something was there. Not seen. Not heard. But known. A presence. Hiding. Waiting.
My thoughts just stopped. This is what I was missing. I couldn't see far before or feel outside a few centimeters, but now it's like I could feel everything around me farther than it should have.
Now I can sense around me… but is that all? Like no other earth shattering skill? I mean isn't this like a system? Doesn't being reborn mean I'll have power that defies nature?
Isn't this perception just being able to sense? I mean, I am an egg and the one eyed cyclop fish is waiting and I have no other skill to defend myself. Aren't I just waiting to die here? Damn it!
Okay. Calm down. I know this has been a roller coaster ride since I woke up, but I need to keep it together if I don't want to die.
First thing's first, what am I?
The moment the thought formed something responded. The web-like network stirred. One of the glowing points pulsed and the strange symbols returned forming into words.
[Self — Identification]
[ Species: Abyssal Genesis Snail ]
[ Variant: Primordial Vessel Snail ]
[ Stage: Larval Stage ]
[ Status: Stable ]
[ Condition: Intact ]
Abyssal… Genesis… Snail…?
Snail?
I went silent. My mind…blanked. No way. A snail? Wait…then that means—the shell, the rolling, the way I couldn't move—it all makes sense.
All that build-up, and I ended up as…a snail!? Not even a crab or a fish, but a snail? How am I supposed to survive if I'm too slow? I wanna scream right now. This is infuriating.
I did ask not to be a non-living thing, but out of everything, it had to be a snail?
Inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…
So, a snail.
A snail.
I'm really having a hard time accepting this now. But…Abyssal Genesis Snail, huh…It sounds powerful. And a Primordial variant at that…but a vessel? What is that supposed to mean?
The moment the thought formed, the network pulsed again. The symbols returned but slower this time as if choosing what to show me.
[ Abyssal Genesis Snail: ??? ]
[ Primordial Vessel —----]
The lines flickered. Some symbols formed then burst then forming again and again then it stopped.
[ Primordial Vessel — Partial Description ]
- A body capable of mutating unique genetic structures.
- High compatibility with mutation pathways
- Structural tolerance: Above standard organisms
I frowned. That's it? It all sounds impressive but it really didn't explain much and my species is even in question mark. Containing genes? My thoughts slowed. So I'm not weak but also not strong but can I become strong?
The network pulsed again. One of the distant nodes flickered—then went dark.
Seriously!? Okay then how do I become strong? How do I mutate?
No pulse, no response from it.
Damn it! Fine, please explain what is the genome map and slots, sovereign slots?
The network pulsed again and symbols formed stabilizing until they became words.
[Genome Map — Description: Biological structure representing genetic capacity and evolution pathways ]
[Gene Slots: Individual nodes capable of housing genetic traits ]
[Status: Active / Dormant / Sealed]
[Sovereign Slot: ???]
I stared at it. So basically this thing is my body's blueprint? Why is the sovereign slot in question marks?
The networks flickered then dimmed.
I see. I can't access that yet. Then what can I access? Which slots are active right now?
The network pulsed again steadier this time. Two nodes responded. One burned brighter than the rest deep, almost overwhelming. The other flickered sharp.
[Active Slots Detected]
U — Primordial Gene (Origin Rewriter)
Status: Active (Sovereign)
P — Perception
Status: Active
Two? My attention shifted to the first one. That node felt different. It emitted a heavy pressure, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It's like something fundamental—not something I could use, but something that defined me.
Then came the second perception. I already felt the effect of the perception gene. So this is it. One thing that makes me special—Origin Rewriter—and this thing might actually be the one that will keep me alive.