"It is the representation of your system engraved into your soul, which will also materialize in your physical body."
"Do you have any other questions before you leave?" Kael was now almost ethereal, the golden aura around him flickering.
Daniel opened his mouth, then shut it again. The words were stuck somewhere between his chest and throat. When they finally came out, they were quieter than he meant them to be.
"Could you tell me where my parents are?"
The question surprised even him. After everything — golden portals and ancient gods — that was what made him hesitate? He almost laughed at himself, but the image formed before he could stop it: his mother waving from the porch, always worried. His father's raspy laugh when Daniel showed him his craziest videos.
"Kid, you're going to give me a heart attack before you kill yourself."
Kael tilted his head, his expression genuinely serious for the first time. "Your universe has its own gods. But from what I can observe..." He paused, choosing his words. "They are in a place of light."
Something tightened in Daniel's chest — not relief exactly, but close enough. "So heaven exists?" He remembered all the times his parents dragged him to church, a hilarious contrast to his current lifestyle. They were probably laughing at the irony now.
"Something with a similar concept," Kael replied, not wanting to explain further.
"Alright, then." He leaned back, trying to look casual, though his fingers tapped nervously on the table. He wasn't satisfied with the vague answer, but what could he do? At least it wasn't "your parents went to eternal oblivion." Small victories.
"Since it's my new body," he shifted the topic, voice returning to normal, "can I choose it?"
"No. I will modify it after discovering which world you will be sent to," Kael said with a playful smile. He blinked, and the jug of water vanished as if it had never existed.
"Hey, you're not going to pull some sick prank with my appearance, right?" Daniel leaned forward, bothered by the old man's smirk.
"Do not worry." Kael was clearly amused by the boy's discomfort. "I will choose something that suits you: troublemaker vibes and an ego slightly above average."
"Slightly?"
"Now, enough talking." The old man pointed at the golden object floating toward Daniel. "Place your hand on the compass."
He reached out, hesitating for a fraction of a second. His fingers touched the metal.
The compass was strangely cold, with a fine sand-like texture. The moment he made contact, the artifact began spinning wildly. The metallic hum returned, sharper, drilling into his eardrums. The blue light flowing from the compass expanded until it swallowed the clearing.
The swirling light showed flashes of worlds: snow, fire, colossal cities, creatures that should not exist. Kael's figure blurred into a silhouette.
Before the world fully dissolved, he heard Kael's deep voice echoing through the void. "Remember, Daniel Black... true power lies in the choices you make."
Then the heat of the compass became a violent explosion of white light.
Everything vanished.
---
He felt a gentle sway first, like floating on the sea. For a half-second — a blessed instant — he thought he was back: board under him, sun on his face, salty water on his lips.
Then the smell hit him. Grease. Leather. And the sweet, unmistakable after-scent of burnt weed.
Not the ocean.
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the light slipping through the cracks of windows. The silver ceiling of a... motorhome? Pale light painted stripes across the cramped space. The air was thick, too warm, smelling of new leather and old smoke.
"What the hell..." His voice came out rough, scraping his throat with a dryness that didn't feel like his. Or maybe it did?
He moved to sit up, and the body responded differently — lighter, more agile, as if the muscles had been calibrated into a new configuration.
His head throbbed like he had been hit with a bottle. He reached for his temple, but the pain felt distant, strange, as if it didn't fully belong to him. Nothing felt like it fully belonged to him.
He looked out the nearest window. A strip of asphalt cutting through dense forest. Trees he didn't recognize. No birds. No insects. Just the lazy rustle of leaves brushed by wind.
"Where am I now?" he muttered to the empty air.
Before he could make sense of anything, a metallic, mocking voice sliced through his mind — too clear not to be real.
[Hunter System successfully linked]
[Welcome back, Daniel. Ready to die again?]
He closed his eyes and let out a short, exhausted laugh. "Great. A possessed Alexa. Just what I needed. Do you have a name, or should I call you Annoying Voice in My Skull?"
[Oh, good to know your humor survived dimensional travel. My name, if you insist on labeling complex existences, is simply System. And Kael programmed me with a personality similar to yours, so expect uncomfortable truths.]
"Perfect. I got a built-in critic." Daniel stood up — the movement was too smooth, too easy. His old body complained every time he woke up. This one didn't. This one was... new. Obviously.
A bluish translucent interface appeared at the corner of his vision. The lines flickered like an old hologram.
[HUNTER MENU]
Status: Alive [For now]
Life Level: 1 – Common human
Strength: 12 [Stronger than an average human; you can kill a chicken. Congratulations.]
Endurance: 11 [You still can't win a marathon]
Intelligence: 10 [You're a delinquent, what did you expect?]
Speed: 11 [Not even close to Usain Bolt, but passable]
[Note: Maximum human stat is 15]
Stat Points: 0
---------------------------------------------
Skills:
Hunter's Mind – (Maximum level)
Type: Passive
Description: You remain in control under stressful situations. No one can read your mind, mentally control you, or corrupt your thoughts. You are immune to mental illusions.
Skill Points: 0
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Shop: [You have no money. Broke.]
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Inventory:
– 10 weed cigarettes (Don't say I never do anything for you.)
– Lighter (Infinite. Miracle, isn't it?)
----------------------------------------------
Missions: None
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Daniel read the holographic panel twice, a dry laugh escaping. "A sarcastic system calling me a delinquent. Kael really wanted to spice up my existential hangover."
[Sarcasm? I prefer to call it divine honesty. And look on the bright side: Kael's letter guarantees I won't turn against you. We're a stuck duo, like temperamental conjoined twins.]
Only then did he notice an envelope on the dashboard.
Daniel, I imagine you're enjoying your new life. This system used to be a divinity belonging to an enemy of mine. I made some modifications. Before you ask, it will not turn against you because it is linked to your soul. I also altered it so that no being of my strength or weaker can read your mind. I left this motorhome as a gift, and it is not what it appears to be. For more information, ask the system. I believe you will like it. Until we meet again... or not. — Kael
He folded the note slowly, a small but genuine smile appearing. "That old man... at least you know how to treat me."
He stood there in the middle of the motorhome, the letter in hand. The silence was different from the foggy forest earlier. This one was... empty. Complete. No distant traffic. No phone notifications. No "yo bro, let's surf."
His followers were probably going crazy. "Daniel Black disappeared X days ago." They had probably already made those dramatic tribute videos. "Top 10 Insanest Moments of Daniel Black."
"Screw it, I'm living this life with no regrets," he muttered, more to break the silence than anything else, and began searching the vehicle.
The motorhome interior was spacious. A mix of living room and kitchen with a three-seat couch and a large TV. Through a partially open door, he glimpsed a king-size bed.
He went to the bathroom mirror. Stared at his new reflection. Bleached blond hair slicked back, with rebellious strands falling forward. Those strands framed sharp black eyebrows. Around 1.82 meters tall.
Cold blue eyes, deep and almost intimidating, a gold earring, a perfectly shaped body with subtle scars marking his chest and arms — character details added by a thoughtful designer.
He touched the black tattoo of a massive leafless tree on his left forearm. It pulsed faintly. Combined with everything else, he looked like a full-fledged bad boy.
"Yeah, this fits me," he murmured, puffing his chest out unconsciously, feeling the new muscles respond. "And the rest fits too."
He pulled down his pants and looked down, laughing to himself. "He even nailed the anatomical details. That old man's an artist."
Daniel kept searching. In a wallet, he found documents: ID, driver's license, gun permit, and hunting license. All under the name Daniel Black, with a picture of his new face and his age still listed as twenty.
Under the bed, a hidden panel revealed a secret compartment. The smell of cold metal reached his nose. A 12-gauge shotgun, a Glock, three grenades. And, as a final touch, a generous bag of weed.
"Kael, you magnificent bastard... you get me better than I thought."
Daniel loaded the guns. The metallic clack echoed through the small space. The cold steel against his skin made his pulse jump. He stored everything in the inventory, feeling the objects vanish.
"System... what's that about the motorhome not being what it looks like?" He raised an eyebrow, half curious, half suspicious.
[Well, in your old world it would be called a divine vehicle. First: it is armored. It withstands 9mm and .357 Magnum shots without even scratching the paint. Second: Kael, that wannabe wise old man, cast spatial magic on it.]
[Right now, the vehicle is in mode one. In mode two, it expands internally, new rooms appear, and existing ones are enlarged. But from the outside, it keeps the same size. A camouflage enchantment hides all other magic.]
[The water tank was also enchanted with purification magic. Lasts a year for three people, or half a year if you continue believing that showers are existential therapy.]
[All water used in the shower or sinks passes through a spell that purifies it and returns it to the internal cycle. Like an ecological system... but magical. And of course, Kael thought of the most important detail.]
The system paused dramatically.