The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 1

In a lavish room, decorated like the manor of a Mafia boss, a man sat comfortably. His brown hair was neatly combed, and he stared intently at a laptop screen, watching as a game slowly loaded.

This laptop was brand new, a precautionary measure since the game had mysteriously appeared on his doorstep one morning.

Initially, he suspected it might be some kind of explosive, but after his men inspected the package thoroughly, they found nothing more than a game.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to see what it was all about.

With the game installed, he began creating his character.

Surprisingly, the game allowed him to make the character as overpowered as possible.

He could select skills that defied balance and even granted the ability to create new ones.

Though he knew this would likely make the game less challenging, it didn't matter.

He had more important things to do, and this was just to satisfy his curiosity.

He chose the "Pure-blooded Human" race, which the game described as akin to deities among humans.

For his talents, he picked god-like abilities in nearly everything—except for mana cultivation.

That, he deliberately set to 'None,' wanting at least one aspect to pose a bit of a challenge.

Once he was done customizing, he hit "Start."

The screen flickered as the game began to load, but then, unexpectedly, the laptop shut down.

Confusion flashed across his face, but before he could react, glowing texts appeared, not on the laptop, but directly in front of his eyes.

"What the..." he muttered, trying to make sense of what was happening.

[Welcome, Host.]

The words hovered in the air, and before he could respond, his vision blurred.

When it cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest.

A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, and the scent of fresh earth filled the air.

For a few minutes, he stood there, frozen, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.

"What the heck happened?" he finally managed to say, glancing around at his new surroundings.

[You have been released and have appeared in this forest,] said a calm, female voice.

The man, who appeared to be in his early 20s, had silver hair and striking sky-blue eyes.

Though initial shock lingered on his face, he quickly regained his composure, trying to make sense of the situation.

"What do you mean, 'I have been released'?" he asked.

[That I can't answer,] the voice replied. [To find more information, you must upgrade the system.]

"Alright, then at least tell me what happened to my body," he said, his mind racing with questions.

[If you're asking about your current state, you are in an exceptional condition. However, the reality you knew before no longer exists, nor do you. That world never existed, or you never existed in that reality,] the voice explained.

"So, you erased me to the point where no one remembers me?" he said, his voice steady despite the surreal situation.

[Host Alex, you will understand more as long as you upgrade the system.]

"Then what exactly are you, and why can I hear you?" Alex inquired.

[I am an entity of great complexity, but in simple terms, I am a system designed to simplify things for you. You can hear me because I am now a part of your soul, Host,] the system answered.

"Yeah, still not entirely clear, but what can you simplify?" Alex pressed.

[Displaying Status.]

[Name: Alex Sylvedy]

[Race: Human]

[Bloodline: Pure-blooded Human]

[Stats]

{Strength: E+} {Agility: E} {Endurance: E-} {Sense: E+} {Charm: B+}

[Skills]

{Arcane Monarch} - Grants the user unrestricted control over the laws of the universe, boosting the host's power to a monarch's level and providing a 100,000% increase in all skills. Requires 10,000,000 Arcane energy to activate.

{The Six Worldly Eyes} - Eyes of truth and understanding, giving the user immense insight, provided they reach a certain understanding of the subject. These eyes have been known by many names, including the Eyes of Destruction, Creation, Life, and Death, as their powers are vast. Skills include: [Wrath of Heaven], [Eternal Flames], [At Zenith], [Past and Future], [Misty realm].

{Soul Cultivation} - A unique cultivation technique accessible only to the host, enhancing the quality and quantity of the host's soul. Grants access to abilities like [Soul Emperor], [King's Aura], [Soul Spear], [Soul contract], and [Emperor's State].

{Arcane Cultivation} - A rare form of cultivation, even the universe struggles to suppress its power. It allows the host to cultivate Arcane energy, a currency that can be used to create anything the host can imagine, as long as the required amount of energy is available.

"Damn, now I regret not choosing mana talent," Alex thought, sighing as he processed the information. "But at least I have the Soul Emperor skill to protect me."

His regret stemmed from the realization that both Soul and Arcane cultivation didn't directly enhance his physical power.

While Soul Cultivation strengthened his spirit, and Arcane Cultivation provided versatile abilities, even producing just one unit of Arcane energy would take two days.

With a sigh, Alex began to walk through the forest, wondering what lay ahead.