I'm in the darkness again. " Have I really died? "
[ You have not died ]
"What the hell– "
I was surprised by its sudden response.
[ You're not dead. Your body is simply recovering, adjusting to your new current state. ]
I paused, letting that sink in.
"So… I'm in some kind of resting mode?"
[ Correct. ]
"How long have I been out?"
[ You have been inactive for six days and ten hours. ]
"…That's it?"
I frowned.
"So when do I wake up?"
[ You will regain consciousness once the current cycle ends. ]
I stared into the darkness.
"Couldn't you just have said that from the start?"
[ You did not ask. ]
"Excuse me?"
A small breath escaped me, half annoyed, half amused.
"You've become quite rude."
[ This has always been my manner of response. ]
"Rude," I repeated under my breath.
[...]
I chuckled.
"...Well, I don't mind."
Another pause.'
"…I like a sassy companion."
[ …!? ]
I couldn't help it. A faint sense of amusement slipped through the lingering exhaustion.
"So,"
I continued, my tone shifting slightly, more focused now, I steadied myself.
"What's my status? What changed? What genes did I unlock… and what exactly did that purple liquid do to my body?
A faint glow spread through the darkness. Then something opened, not in front of me but within. Lines formed, aligning into something familiar yet clearer than before. My status window.
[ Status ]
Name: —
Species: Abyssal Genesis Snail ( Primordial Vessel ) Hatchling
Tier: 0 - Unclassified
Condition: Stabilizing
State: Recovery Phase
[ Genes ]
U - Sovereign Slot - Active
A - Adaptation Slot - Active
P - Perception Slot - Active
J - Burst Slot - Active
A quiet pulse followed.
[ Update Detected ]
- Body maturity increased
- Shell formation initiated
- Structural integrity enhanced
[ New genes unlocked ]
[ Gene F - Feeding Slot ] (New)
- Assimilation through consumption
- Nutrient conversion
- Energy gain
[ Gene D - Defense Slot ] (New)
- Enhances durability and resistance
- Damage reduction
- Structural reinforcement
[ Gene S - Structure Slot ] (New)
- Body structure and physical evolution
- Shell development
- Form stabilization
- Growth pathway unlocked
The window flickered slightly, then stilled.
So, I unlocked three new genes, that's good. I focused.
"Can you tell me how I unlocked them?" I asked. "And why is my name blank?"
[ The Feeding Slot was unlocked upon consuming seaweed. A notification was issued at the time, but you were… distracted. ]
I frowned…Distracted? The system continued.
[ The Structure Slot was unlocked when the primordial blood essence entered your body, initiating reconstruction and accelerating physical development. The Defense Slot was unlocked concurrently as your shell reached full formation. ]
The explanation ended then silence followed. I waited but nothing else came.
"…Uh, what about the other question?" I muttered. "And what was that pause earlier? I was being what?"
A beat, then—
[ That should be obvious. You haven't named yourself. ]
Another pause.
[ I was referring to you being overwhelmed… and, frankly, a weak shit. ]
"Excuse me?"
I straightened instinctively.
"I was being human. I went through something emotional and traumatic. I was recovering."
A short silence lingered.
[ Except you are not…human. ]
The words landed heavier than expected.
"…Huh?"
I hesitated.
"But… deep inside, I still am."
A faint pause.
[ If you insist. ]
I stared into the empty space, momentarily speechless. This system is getting sharper by the minute. But as much as I wanted to argue, it wasn't entirely wrong. If I don't get myself together and adapt to this eat-or-be-eaten world, I will not survive.
A quiet silence followed, then another sound from the system was heard.
[ No registered name detected. ]
The line appeared without warning, hovering in the darkness then I paused.
A name…
For a moment, my thoughts drifted back to a life that no longer felt like mine. A name I once carried—a person I once was—a human, fragile and unprepared. That name doesn't belong here. Not anymore.
I exhaled slowly, letting that part of me settle but not forgotten, not denied… but something that I could no longer take, because in this world, this body…this life demanded— needed something else.
Something new.
"…Nyxen."
The word came out quietly, and it felt right. It carried the weight of where I had fallen—into darkness, into something unknown, into a world that tried to crush me the moment I was born into it.
As the word lingered, I realized it wasn't enough because darkness alone wasn't who I am or who I wanted to be. I muttered.
"…Neo. "
It means new, a beginning. The two words fit together, naturally, as if they had always been meant to exist as one.
"…Nyxen Neo."
"Born from darkness and reborn into something new."
Silence followed.
[ Name registered. ]
[ Identity stabilized. ]
A faint pulse spread through me, quiet but certain, as if something had finally acknowledged my existence. I stayed still, letting the feeling settle.
[ Nyxen Neo. ]
Not the person I once was, nor the being I would become but something in between…something that would survive, and this is just the beginning
[ Status ]
Name: Nyxen Neo
Species: Abyssal Genesis Snail ( Primordial Vessel ) Hatchling
Tier: 0 - Unclassified
Condition: Stabilizing
State: Recovery Phase
[ Gene ]
Gene slot: 6 unlocked and active | 15 locked and dormant
Sovereign slot: 1 unlocked and active | 4 dormant
This is just the start. I will survive and one day… I will conquer this world.
I exhaled slowly.
" System, how do I get stronger? "
[ Evolve. Unlock genes.]
"…That's it?" I frowned. "No cheats? No shortcuts?"
[ … ]
I sighed.
"Figures."
I shifted slightly, my thoughts settling.
"Anyway… what are you, exactly? You're not like those overpowered systems in stories."
A brief pause.
[ My evolution depends on you. So… that is the situation. ]
I narrowed my gaze.
"…What was that pause?"
Silence.
"…Did you just insult me?"
[ … ]
I let out a small breath, half amused, half annoyed.
"Yeah… I'm definitely calling you Vex from now on."
[ -_- ]
"You really have an attitude problem."
[ I am functioning as intended. ]
I let out a breath, already feeling the irritation creep in.
"You're really frustrating, you know that?"
A brief pause.
[ Your limitations are the primary source of that frustration. ]
I froze. For a moment, I just stared into the empty space, caught off guard by the response.
"…You—"
I stopped myself. No. Getting worked up over this isn't going to help. I exhaled slowly, forcing the tension out of my body, steadying my thoughts one breath at a time.
"Calm down…" I muttered under my breath. Arguing with it would get me nowhere. Still, I narrowed my gaze, staring into the empty space as if I could glare straight at it. I let out a slow breath and turned my gaze away.
"…I'm just going to wait."
I paused, already feeling the irritation creeping back.
"Because if I keep talking to you…"
I exhaled sharply.
"I might actually explode."
[ Explosion probability: negligible. Emotional instability: confirmed. ]
I blinked.
"…Wow. You're unbelievable"
I opened my mouth—then closed it again.
Yeah. I'm not winning. It was best to stay quiet before I actually proved its point.