—Ghg... ahh!—
A choked, agonizing groan barely managed to escape my throat, silenced by an absolute lack of strength.
"What is this damn cold?... What's happening? I'm freezing... Why can't I move? Dammit! Everything hurts! It feels like a truck ran over me and left every single bone broken."
In addition to the heaviness, an internal burning—as if acid were scorching my veins—runs through me from head to toe. Panic began to take hold of me; I wanted to scream, to cry out for help, but I couldn't even produce anything resembling a word.
I desperately tried to remember how I ended up like this and why I felt so much pain. Fragments began to surface: the sound of the store's refrigerators, the groceries in my hands, and suddenly, an impact. A thunderous sound, a sudden flash of pain, and the weakness of my body.
I remember collapsing while someone's footsteps quickly receded. Someone was shouting about an ambulance while pressing down on my chest: —"Stay calm! Stay calm, you'll be fine! The ambulance will be here soon!"— Then, the world went dark, and my consciousness simply faded away.
"Okay, so I must be in the hospital. That's it. That's why it's so cold. I must be unconscious... but I still feel this unbearable burning. Dammit! Someone give me a painkiller already..."
A rhythmic and constant sound of flowing water flooded my ears; I assumed it must be the oxygen humidifier, though it sounded much wilder than I imagined.
Amidst that agony, a small translucent screen, similar to a digital notification, emerged directly in my mind.
> [CONGRATULATIONS, HOST!]
> You have been selected to obtain a "Golden Finger."
> Do you wish to accept the bond?
>
"What the hell is this? I guess too many isekai manga and the hospital drugs are taking effect. Fine... I suppose if I focus on this stupidity, the pain will be less. Fine, I accept."
> [BOND ESTABLISHED]
> You have obtained the "Dimensional Energy System."
> Main Functions:
> * Energy Access: Allows access to energy systems based on Authority Level.
> * Dimensional Jump: Travel between dimensions randomly or via presets.
> * Forced Overload: Allows forcing upgrades and reserves using Energy Points.
> Note I: Energy Points are generated through the alteration of causality in the visited worlds. Such alterations could grant Positive Karma or pseudo-binding Negative Karma.
> Note II: The world's pseudo-binding Karma can provide assistance or place obstacles for the host depending on the level of accumulated Positive or Negative Karma.
> [WARNING I]: Individuals with a high level of Positive Karma can generate a halo of grace, creating immediate affability with surrounding people. The host could obtain Permanent Positive Karma if certain world requirements are met.
> [WARNING II]: Individuals with a high level of Negative Karma can generate rejection in surrounding people. In the event of world destruction caused by the host, the world may permanently bind Negative Karma as a final retaliation.
> [WARNING III]: Accumulated Permanent Negative Karma can cause rejection from new worlds (bad luck) up to a "dimensional bounce," resulting in the loss of energy points or the destruction of the host.
> Current Status: No energy authority. System Level: Initial.
>
> [NOTICE]: Soul integration successfully finalized. Biological purge generated.
>
> [SKILL ACQUIRED]: Poison Resistance (High Level).
>
> [NOTICE]: Body repair finalized. Due to extreme damage and insufficient energy, the repair has been partial. Basic vital functions restored.
>
A breath of air without my lungs burning. I feel the pain diminishing, turning into a tingling sensation, although there is a peculiar scent—like damp earth and moss... something doesn't fit.
> [ALERT: NEW ENERGY DETECTED — CHAKRA]
> Do you wish to access this energy source?
>
"Chakra? Are you kidding me? Now it's Naruto? What's next, a tailed beast? Hahaha, alright, I don't feel as much pain anymore... I accept."
> [INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY]
> ... [OMISSION DETECTED]: The host's body already possesses this energy. Ignoring authority restriction.
> [ACCESS GRANTED: CHAKRA SYSTEM]
> Mastery Level: 5 / 10.
>
I feel the cold finally disappearing. "Well... level 5. I guess they didn't give me a prodigy template, huh? Hahaha."
> [ALERT: ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY DETECTED — NATURAL ENERGY]
> Do you wish to access this energy?
>
"Sage Mode? Hahaha, fine, I accept that too."
> [ACCESS GRANTED: NATURAL ENERGY SYSTEM]
> Mastery Level: 0 / 10.
>
"Mastery 0? I accepted level 5 chakra, but level 0 here? What a disappointment... even in a dream I've obtained a trash template."
I tried to concentrate on that last energy, but I perceived absolutely nothing. However, something was changing. The sound of the "humidifier" felt more aggressive, more enveloping. I began to notice extreme humidity and an erratic swaying, as if the hospital bed were floating in a vacuum.
"Fine, I guess this is over... I must be about to wake up. Alright..."
Suddenly, a strange numbness was born at the base of my neck. It was a frigid, alien sensation that began to expand slowly, crawling up my scalp until it covered my head completely. As soon as the numbness closed the circle, the calm shattered.
A stabbing pain, as if my skull were going to explode from the inside, hit me with brutal force. Fragments of a life I didn't recognize—unknown faces, bloody battles, the weight of a cursed lineage, and the sacrifice of a best friend—flooded my mind at an unbearable speed.
The silence of my paralysis broke. My throat tore in screams of pure pain while reality distorted around me........
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Author's Note: This is the English version of the fanfic. The translation is performed with AI; I hope that does not affect your experience.
Purpose: Writing practice for future original projects.
Quality: Chapters of 1,200+ words (from Cap. 2 onwards).
Length: Estimated between 100 and 300 chapters.
Feedback: Your comments are vital. I will be conducting votes to decide certain plot directions, so your participation is more than welcome.
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