Inside a narrow alley, hidden from the main streets, a boy—no older than twelve—lay motionless atop a pile of rotting trash.
The stench was unbearable.
Rats scurried around him, their tiny claws scratching against metal and broken glass as they searched for scraps. One of them paused, sniffed, then began nibbling on the boy's finger.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
His eyes snapped open.
Lloyd's POV
"Ahh—!"
I shot upright, gasping, my chest rising and falling rapidly as if I had just been drowning. Sweat clung to my skin despite the cold air.
"What… what just happened…?"
My voice came out hoarse.
Pain.
That was the first thing I noticed.
A sharp sting shot through my finger. I looked down—just in time to see a rat dart away. My stomach twisted.
"Ugh—what the hell?!"
Before I could process anything else—
"Ding".
A strange sound echoed in my head.
Then a cold, mechanical voice followed.
[You have been gifted with a one-time-use system].
"…What?"
I froze.
"…One-time use?"
My brows twitched.
"You've got to be kidding me… What kind of cheap system is that—?"
Before I could finish complaining, a glowing blue panel appeared in front of me, cutting me off mid-sentence.
SYSTEM UPDATE
Name: Lloyd Williams
Race: Half Human / ??????
Innate Skill
#. ????????
Description: ??????
#. Abyssal Manipulation
Description:
You have become one with the abyss. You are the sovereign of nothingness.
Skills:
Nothingness (Active):Anything you touch while channeling abyssal energy—living or non-living—will cease to exist.
Void Step:By coating your legs in abyssal energy, you can skip space and teleport a short distance.
[Note: System will now deactivate until further notice.]
I stared at the panel.
Then I kept staring.
"…You've got to be joking."
Out of everything there, my eyes stayed glued to one line.
"One-time-use system."
"…So that's it? You just drop this on me and disappear?"
No answer.
The panel flickered once—
—and vanished.
Silence returned.
I let out a long breath and dragged a hand down my face.
"Great… A useless system, mystery powers, and no explanation."
I paused.
"…Yeah. This is totally fine."
I slowly got to my feet, brushing bits of dirt and trash off my clothes. The alley looked just as bad as it smelled—piles of garbage, broken crates, and rats still lurking in the shadows.
"Alright…"
I glanced toward the faint light at the end of the alley.
"Guess I should figure out where I am first."
With that, I stepped out.
The streets weren't much better.
The air was heavy, filled with smoke and the distant clanking of machinery. Buildings loomed overhead, worn down and uneven.
It didn't take long for a realization to hit me.
"…This place feels familiar."
Very familiar.
15 minutes later…
I stopped walking.
Right in front of me stood a building I definitely recognized.
A worn sign creaked above the entrance.
THE LAST DROP.
"…No way."
My eyes widened slightly.
"…Arcane?"
Before I could think further—
"Um… hello?"
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I turned.
Standing in front of me was a girl around my age, with messy blue hair and sharp blue eyes. She was watching me carefully, like she wasn't sure whether I was trouble or just weird.
Up close—
Yeah.
No doubt about it.
She looks even more real than I imagined…
I quickly shook my head, forcing my thoughts back on track.
Focus.
A small smile formed on my face.
"Hey," I said, raising a hand casually. "Name's Lloyd."
She didn't respond immediately—just kept staring with that open curiosity.
Good.
"I'm kinda new around here," I continued. "Do you know anyone who can teach me how to build gadgets?"
her expression shifted to that of an excited child the moment I mentioned gadget, though she is a child.
But had no problem with that because that's exactly what I was aiming for.
Alright… let's see where this goes.