Jordan didn't move.
His eyes remained fixed on the monitor, his mind sharper than it had been since he woke up in this body. The fog around him hung still, dense and unmoving.
It was as if the entire space had been paused, everything around him waiting for the system to initialize.
A faint layer of static crawled along the edges of the main monitor. It wasn't chaotic. It felt controlled, like something precise was calibrating itself.
Then the text shifted.
[Initialization complete.]
[Detecting user…]
A brief pause followed.
Jordan's gaze hardened slightly. "…User?"
The word had barely left his lips when the next line appeared.
[No registered identity found.]
[Please create a username.]
Silence settled again.
Jordan stared at the prompt, but this time, he didn't hesitate.
There was no need to overthink it.
His surroundings already gave him an idea. The worn desk. The familiar camera angle. The layout he had spent years staring at. It was his old streaming setup, only… more refined and cleaner. Almost like an ideal version reconstructed from memory.
This wasn't something new. It was something that had followed him.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Usernames mattered. They always had.
They were the first thing people saw. The first thing they remembered. The difference between being ignored and being recognized.
If they were too complicated, people would easily forget them. If they were too plain, they would vanish into everything else.
His gaze steadied.
"…EchoZero."
The name came out naturally. No hesitation. No second thought.
It had stayed with him through five years of silence during his previous life. Five years of zero viewers. Five years of talking to a screen that never answered back.
For a brief second, nothing happened.
Then—
[Username "EchoZero" available.]
[Registering…]
The screen flickered once.
[Registration complete.]
A low hum spread through the space.
It wasn't loud, but it was there. So subtle, like something deep beneath the surface had just acknowledged him.
Jordan narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing that something had changed.
The change wasn't visible. Not in a way he could point to. But the fog around him felt… different. As if it had taken notice.
Then the interface updated again.
[Scanning environment…]
[Detecting accessible networks…]
This time, the pause stretched longer.
A faint distortion rippled across the screen, like interference bleeding in from somewhere distant. The static thickened for a moment before stabilizing.
Then two lines appeared.
[Public Interstellar Network detected.]
[Restricted Interstellar Darknet detected.]
Jordan's focus sharpened instantly.
Darknet.
Even without context, the meaning was obvious.
One was most likely open, regulated, and safe.
The other… wasn't meant for everyone.
The screen flickered again.
[Please select a network to bind.]
[Warning: Binding is irreversible at current system level.]
The space fell quiet once more.
Jordan didn't answer immediately.
His expression remained calm, but his thoughts were already moving quickly and precisely.
The first option didn't need much consideration.
It was the public network with wide access and possibly a massive user base.
Of course, this meant an overwhelming competition. There would be too many voices.
It would be hard to stand out.
His gaze shifted to the second option.
It was the Restricted Interstellar Darknet.
It was probably hidden, unregulated, and unknown to most.
This meant one thing. It had value.
Anything restricted carried weight. Anything hidden attracted attention. And attention… was everything.
Jordan exhaled slowly.
"…Let's go with both." The answer came out quietly, almost instinctively.
If there were two doors leading to vaults with valuables, you didn't need to choose blindly. You had to find a way to open both.
The screen froze for a fraction of a second.
Then—
[Error.]
[Current system level insufficient.]
[Please select one network.]
Jordan didn't react.
That outcome didn't surprise him. He was aware that limits existed everywhere. Even here.
His gaze lowered slightly as he reconsidered.
The Public Network was safe, predictable, and crowded. Whereas the Darknet seemed more like a risky and unstable network.
But if access was limited… then every viewer would matter more.
Fewer people meant stronger impact and higher return.
Jordan's eyes lifted again, steady and decisive.
"…Then we don't have to play safe. Bind to the Restricted Interstellar Darknet."
The moment the words left his mouth, the system responded.
[Selection confirmed.]
[Binding to Restricted Interstellar Darknet…]
A new line appeared almost immediately.
[Estimated binding time: 12 standard hours.]
[During this period, system functions will remain unavailable.]
[Proceed?]
Jordan didn't hesitate this time.
"Confirm."
The response was instant.
[Binding initiated.]
The screen flickered violently.
The calm, controlled static from before broke apart as waves of distortion rippled across the display. The fog around him began to shift for the first time, rolling slowly as if stirred by an unseen force.
The hum deepened.
The entire space felt unstable.
[Binding in progress… 1%]
The numbers had barely appeared when everything surged.
The fog collapsed inward.
The screen stretched.
And then—
Everything snapped.
—
Jordan's eyes opened.
He was back.
The small room returned instantly. The worn desk. The cabinet. The faint morning light filtering in from the side.
He was still standing in the same spot where he had been practicing the routine.
He was still a few steps away from the door, as if nothing had happened at all.
Only his slightly uneven breathing proved otherwise.
"…So it wasn't a dream." The words came out quietly.
He lowered his gaze, flexing his fingers once.
Although everything had returned to normal, the memory of that space remained clear. The screen. The system. The binding process. They had all felt real.
He only had to wait twelve hours to access it again
Jordan let out a slow breath.
Then, for the first time since waking up in this world, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"…Looks like I've got something to work with."
He didn't know exactly what the Starstream System could do yet. But it didn't matter.
Because it was his.
It was a tool. An opportunity. Maybe even a shortcut to gain influence, strength, and money… which were all the things this body needed but lacked.
His thoughts were cut off by a voice from outside the room.
"Jordan?"
A knock followed, slightly firmer this time.
"Why aren't you out yet? You'll be late for school."
There was a brief pause before the voice softened.
"…Are you still sleeping?"
Jordan blinked once, the smile fading as he returned fully to the present.
"Yeah, I'm coming," he replied quickly.
He turned toward the door without hesitation this time and reached for the handle.
Whatever this system really was… It could wait.
For now, there were more immediate things to deal with.
The door opened with a soft click.
And Jordan Vale stepped out.