Back in the Land of Origin, Michael—completely unaware that his actions had stirred forces far beyond himself—stared at the panel before him in quiet confusion.
[Title: First in History]
You are the first in your race to achieve something the Origin Will acknowledges.
Achievement: Breaking through the established rating.
Effect: The Origin Will now pays attention to you.
Michael tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he reread the panel once more.
The words lingered in his mind like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
It wasn’t the "Will" part that bothered him. It was the "Origin."
That term alone made him wary.
No, not just wary—uneasy.
There were two things with Origin in them that were already deeply tied to him.
The Land of Origin—an alternate realm accessible only through connection to the mysterious Mark of Origin.
And that mark... it was no small thing.
The Mark of Origin was the foundation of power for awakeners. It was what separated the Awakened from the rest of humanity. Only those who bore the mark could gain a class, level up, and develop system-guided abilities. It was the gateway to growth. The key to evolution. And more importantly—it was the only thing that allowed one to step foot into the Land of Origin, where untold opportunities awaited.
And now, a will—a conscious will—had been named.
Something intelligent.
Michael’s hand twitched slightly at the realization. His eyes stayed locked on the glowing text.
Effect: The Origin Will now pays attention to you.
"...This isn’t just flavor text," he muttered.
A presence capable of appearing on the system panel?
This Will was something real. Some force, maybe even a being.
And for some reason... it had turned its gaze toward him.
Michael’s mouth went dry.
He glanced around the vine dome.
It felt... quieter now.
"...Why me?" he whispered.
He wasn’t naïve. He knew he was different. His undead feedback was absurd, and his talent—Infinite Evolution—was clearly special.
By something that had never been mentioned in any guide?
It was also possible he just hasn’t seen it or doesn’t have access yet.
Michael swallowed hard. He looked at the mark of Origin on his hand. Then up at the "First in History" title again.
"...The Mark lets us grow. The Land is where we search for power. But now there’s a Will watching it all?"
It made him feel exposed.
Like a chess piece that had just stepped into a game.
Michael exhaled slowly and stood to his feet. He stared at the panel again, his brows furrowed.
"The Origin Will... is it a conscious force that governs the system?"
Michael shook his head.
Or maybe... it wasn’t the system at all.
Maybe the system served it.
Whatever the truth was, one thing was clear now.
Someone—or something—was watching him.
Michael slowly raised his hand, summoning the black mark etched into his flesh—the Mark of Origin.
It shimmered faintly, responding to his will, as if alive.
He stared at it in silence.
That was what the panel called it.
He remembered back when he first awakened, barely understanding what the mark meant. Back then, he had spent hours combing through forums.
And it was there he’d seen it.
A post, buried deep in the early threads of awakening theory.
"The Mark of Origin is only the beginning. It is possible to gain more Gifts."
Michael hadn’t understood it then.
He barely understood it now.
He hadn’t seen anything like it since.
No other mention. No confirmed source. No official documentation.
At the time, he’d been intrigued. A second Gift? Something on the level of the Mark?
But he’d hit a wall quickly. Most resources were locked behind strict Federation clearance levels, and his own authority had been barely above civilian at the time.
Eventually, he gave up.
Now the Origin Will had acknowledged him.
The system also called the Mark a Gift.
"Was it you?" he murmured, voice barely above a whisper as he looked at the mark.
"Was it the Origin Will who gave this to me in the first place?"
It made sense. More than he wanted to admit.
Michael’s eyes grew distant.
Was it watching even now?
What else was it capable of?
Did it have a purpose?
Michael didn’t know. He had more questions than answers.
Michael stared at the glowing panel in front of him.
His fingers twitched, a dozen questions racing through his mind.
But then he let out a deep breath.
"...No point thinking too hard."
His voice was quiet but firm, like he was convincing himself as much as stating a fact.
Even if he didn’t understand everything, even if there were hidden costs or watching eyes... It was helping him.
And for now, that was enough.
Worrying wouldn’t solve anything. He couldn’t change what he didn’t understand.
He just had to keep going.
"Go with the flow," he murmured. "See where it leads."
He exhaled again and closed the current notification, preparing to check the next title. A soft chime followed his action as the next line of text expanded.
And then his expression froze.
A second later, he blurted out,
You have shaken—or have the potential to shake—a fundamental balance of the universe.
This is unacceptable to the Origin Will and requires punishment... but as this existence is rare, a reward has also been issued.
Experience gained is reduced by 50%.
You gain resistance and partial immunity to certain universal rules.
Michael stared blankly for a second. Then he read it again.
"...This is messed up," he muttered.
He dragged a hand across his face, then ran it through his hair, visibly trying to process what he was reading.
"Unacceptable to the Origin Will?" he repeated aloud. "What am I—some kind of bug in the system?"