I woke up, expecting to relish in the view of a grand ceiling, but quite unfortunately, couldn't see nothing.
'System, what's going on? Why can't I see?' I asked. However, instead of hearing the system's robotic, annoying voice, my question was answered by none other than the second treacherous little demon I share this body with, not Akai, but the voice that suddenly appeared as the system fully awakened.
[You overexerted yourself, and you got penalized. Period.] The voice said, a sassy glint in its tone. [You're lucky that bastard that you created was unhinged enough to leave a potential opponent alive.]
"Where's Rael and my siblings?" I questioned, and this time, it was Akai who answered.
"Nah, it's nothing, I'm not here to be liked." I responded confidently, like I wasn't the one who treated him as discardable plot fuel.
"System, aren't there supposed to be any rewards for passing a "Main Plot Event?" Or did I just work my butt off, and get thrown around like a rag for nothing?"
[Your rewards will be distributed once you regain your sight.]
"Hoh… And how long will that take, if I may ask?" I asked, the sarcasm dripping from my voice.
[One Month]
"What the f*ck do you mean "one month." "
[---Error - Error - Error ---]
[Some Skill Descriptions Are Incomplete, Some System Features Have Not Been Added, and Some Stats were incorrectly set]
[--- Fixing Error –--]
[User: Akai Varn]
[User ID: #02]
[Class: ----]
[Race: Swit Demon][1]
[State: Relaxed, Debuff(Blindness)]
[Stats: ]
[HP: 25/200]
[Strength: 27]
[Speed: 70]
[Defense: 53]
[Stamina: 100]
[Perception: Manageable]
[Age: 10yrs4Mths3days]
[Looks: --(You're still 10 years old, man up first)]
[Path: --]
[Level: --]
[Stage: --]
[Total Cultivation: --/--]
[MP: 0(Not Awakened Yet)]
[Dormant Mana: 10000]
"Holy cow… Ten-Thousand? That's a lot."
"It was originally supposed to be 4200 for Akai; Looks like my presence as author has given him some BetterHelp." I thought the system's voice still reading out
[Skills(Revised):
{Writer's Insight:> This skill lets you view the status window of any character(Duration - 20secs)(Cooldown - 2min)}
{Possess:> Lets you take over the body of any character you will to. Duration depends on the strength of the target and your Total Cultivation. If the target is one full stage above you, the skill cannot be used. (Cooldown - 1 hour)}
{World Of Text:> Returns the world to its draft state, so you can edit, add, and delete any and all events. Duration: 1 hour, Cooldown: 1 Decade and 5 years}
{Creator's Command:> Gives you the total submission of all characters you created. Duration: For Entities - 10 Mins/yr, For Fallen - 10hrs/3yrs, For Mortals - Depends on what scale you use it on. This skill is very effective on Entities and Fallen. Once you use this skill, you ascend to an "invincible state," but damage can still be taken}
{Dual Soul:> Passive mode - The "Writer" and The "Possessed" can co-exist in the mind, and are able to converse. Active mode - The "Writer" and "Possessed" can swap ownership over the body for 20 minutes. Cooldown - 1hr}
{Transformation
The amount of messages that I was hearing was so overwhelming that if I could see, I'm pretty sure that I would have been dizzy by now
[Inventory: Empty]
[Spin: 50 points left(default)
Beginner Spin - Offers Common, Uncommon, and Rare Grade <1 point per spin>
Intermediate Spin – Offers Rare, Epic, and Legend Grade items <5 points per spin>
Advanced Spin – Offers Legend, Mythic, and Glitched Grade items <20 points per spin>]
"Yeah, yeah, cool gacha mechanics, but I can't even see, bruh," I grumbled, swiping the air blindly like I was trying to bat away a mosquito made of pop-ups.
[You done yet?] The system asked, clearly unimpressed.
"Mentally? No. Physically? Also, no."
[---Emotion Detected: Sarcasm. Please try again when your sarcasm stat reaches 100.---]
"Oh, shut up."
The barrage of system messages finally faded into the background, leaving me with a pounding headache and a burning sense of "What the hell just happened to my life?"
[You good?] The system asked, its voice a little softer than usual.
"Define 'good,'" I muttered. "I'm blind, got slapped around by my own edgy OC, and now I'm pretty sure I need therapy and mana pills."
[Would you like me to recommend a list of therapists within a 10km radius? OH, fun fact, they're all dead, due to the unhinged character that you basically gave birth to.]
"Shut up, System."
Rael's voice echoed from nearby, deeper and more serious than I remembered. "You're done getting lectured by your mental sidekicks, or should I wait another hour?"
"Geez, relax, Smokey McGuideFace. Let's go."
— 1 Hour Later —
I still couldn't see, but Rael had arrived and was kind enough to slam me into every tree, rock, and unfortunate shrub on the way to the safe zone. Apparently, "leading" someone blind means smacking them in the face with the scenery to help them memorize the path. Thanks, smoke bird.
"Rael," I muttered, tripping again, "I swear on every draft I've scrapped, if you make me stub my toe one more time—"
"I am guiding you," he replied, in that smug echo of his. "You just lack agility. Maybe next time, don't pick a transformation that shreds your eyes like onion paper."
[He's got a point, dude. That lightning wolf thing was cool and all, but you got folded by a guy using hearts as coasters.]
"...I hate both of you."
— Arrival: Safe Zone (a.k.a. Some Random Cliff with a View) —
We finally stopped moving. I could hear wind, birds… and crying.
"Noel?" I called out.
"Um… I… They're gone." Rael said, fluctuating like a pc that had screen issues, although I couldn't see it, quite unfortunately.
Rael's voice was steady, but held a note of reassurance. "They're safe, Daniel. Very safe. They were taken by Noble House Varisent".
Akai writhed in my head, as if he didn't know what the Varisent house was like.
"These ones do," I replied, the smoke around me pulsing gently.
"House Varisent found them. But a note was left, probably written by your siblings." Rael said.
A folded slip of parchment pressed against my chest. I couldn't read it, obviously—blind and all—but Rael began to read aloud in a voice laced with grace, like the words carried weight.
"Dear brother, we were found, and the people who picked us were from the House Varisent. They swooped in soon after Rael left to call you, with a tone that said, "Your safety, education, and happiness will be our responsibility until you choose otherwise." Of course, they also said that you are welcome to join us, if you can find the location, that is, hehehe.
—Nez Varn, Your annoying little brother.
P.S. - I heard that the paper I used to write this trivial note is worth around 5 gold coins. Do with that information what you will."
I exhaled. For a second, the world just… paused.
House Varisent. The kindest noble family I ever wrote. Empathetic to the bone. These were the people who built orphanage networks out of their own coffers, treated servants like family, and actively worked to dismantle class hierarchy.
And I'd created them.
"Hey, don't insult my writing skills." I breathed out.
Rael spoke again, quieter. "Then you can rest, for now."
"No," I shook my head, voice firm. "I'm glad they're safe, but I'm not gonna sit here with my thumbs up my ass while they get trained by legends. They'll grow stronger. So will I."
"You intend to stand with them?"
"I intend to earn the right to."
Rael's form shimmered, the smoke around him pulsing faintly with approval. "Then we begin. Now."
"Wait—now now?"
"You asked for strength. Strength answers now, not later."
He extended a hand toward me, smoke drifting from his fingertips.
"Your sight is gone, but your other senses are unchained. I will show you how to see the world again. Without sight. I would have recommended mana, but your core hasn't aligned with your heart yet. You will see with your ears, hear with your skin, and taste with your nose. You will feel everything. With instinct. With intention."
"Damn, that sounded cool as hell," I muttered, walking forward and reaching out my hand.
"You asked for strength. Strength doesn't wait."
He reached toward me, smoke curling like fingers. "You will learn to see without sight. To feel with instinct. Mana would help, but your core isn't ready."
"Damn, that sounded cool as hell," I muttered, reaching out.
Rael didn't respond. Instead, he surged forward like a wave, slamming into my chest. I gasped. Pressure hit me like a tsunami.
And then—
My [Perception] stat spiked.
Everything lit up.
I felt the dirt breathing beneath me. Heard insects crawling under leaves. Smelled the wind shift.
"This... is insane."
"This," Rael whispered in my mind, "is the world beyond vision. Use it. This is your first step."
"Your sight is gone, but your other senses are unchained. I will show you how to see the world again. Without sight. I would have recommended mana, but your core hasn't aligned with your heart yet. You will see with your ears, hear with your skin, and taste with your nose. You will feel everything. With instinct. With intention."
I nodded.
Not because I had a choice.
Because I refused to fall behind.
I smirked. "Let's find the MC first. He should be somewhere in this forest."
Training Log: Day 1
Status: Blind, pissed off, and more determined than ever.
Goal: Save my siblings.
Secondary Goal(near-impossible): Make contact with all 999 system users.
[1] This will matter in the next few chapters, so keep it in mind