Prologue

Prologue

The day everything changed started with a blinding light and a resounding chime that echoed across the globe. It was noon on a lazy Sunday, and Horraine Pinto was lounging under a tree in his yard, contemplating the mundanities of life. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a translucent screen materialized before his eyes, casting a faint glow.

"Congratulations, humanity," the message read. "By the vote of the gods, you will be given the power of your choice. Select an ability from any source: anime, manga, manhwa, manhua, comics, novels, etc. You have five minutes to choose, or one will be given to you at random. Forms of energy such as ki, qi, chakra, mana, and magic are exempt from selection. All abilities will start at the bare minimum and can only be advanced through trial and error."

A timer appeared, counting down from five minutes.

"5:00"

Horraine blinked at the screen, his mind racing to comprehend the absurdity. "How high were these people?" he muttered, staring at the timer as it ticked down.

"4:52"

He shook his head, trying to dismiss it as a bizarre dream. But the sun was high in the sky, the heat of the day undeniable. He glanced around, but his quiet neighborhood showed no signs of the chaos that must surely be unfolding.

"This is a problem," he sighed, glancing back at the screen. The implications of every person on Earth suddenly gaining superpowers were staggering. "I don't trust humanity nearly enough with something like this."

The timer continued to count down. "4:00"

He knew he had to choose wisely. The possibilities were endless, and his mind raced through the countless powers he had seen in anime and manga. But he needed something versatile, something that could adapt to any situation.

"System, is it possible to create abilities that aren't part of the options?" he asked.

The screen flickered, then responded. "Yes, you can create an ability as long as you provide the name and a precise description within the remaining time."

Horraine's eyes widened. This changed everything. He had an idea, an ability that would give him flexibility and a fighting chance in this new world.

"Name of ability: Infinite Arsenal," he began. "Description: This ability allows the user to create or recreate abilities and powers, provided they have a high knowledge of the power/ability. To recreate an ability, the user must know exactly how it works. Creation and recreation of abilities require a sufficient amount of energy, and only one ability can be created or recreated at a time."

"2:00"

He took a deep breath and submitted his creation. The screen processed his request, and within moments, a new message appeared.

"Ability creation complete. System adjustment and restrictions are being applied..."

Horraine watched, his heart pounding, as the screen detailed his ability.

"Ability: Infinite Arsenal Mastery Level: 1 Restrictions: The wielder must have high knowledge of the power/ability they want to create or recreate. Sufficient energy is required based on the level of the ability. Only one ability can be created at a time."

"This... this is better than expected," he murmured, relief flooding through him. The restrictions were reasonable, given the potential of the ability. He glanced around, still no signs of immediate chaos, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

The screen updated once more, showing a new countdown. "Update timer: 13:00:00"

"Now that you have chosen your ability, the system will initiate its update. During this time, you can still check on abilities and status, but the system will not answer questions or give advice until the update is complete."

"Well, that's helpful," he muttered sarcastically. At least he had time to prepare, to think through his next steps. He called up his status screen.

"Status Name: Horraine Pinto Race: Human Age: 16 Alignment: Neutral Titles: None Ability: Infinite Arsenal Stats: STR: 30, SPD: 59, DEX: 40, NRG: 90 Ability: Infinite Arsenal Mastery Level: 1 Restrictions: High knowledge required for creation or recreation. Sufficient energy required. One ability at a time."

"Note: You do not gain stats by leveling up. Stats increase through physical training."

"Simple enough," he mused. The lack of a leveling system meant no easy shortcuts. Everything would have to be earned through hard work. It was a relief, in a way. It meant that immediate destruction wasn't likely, but the potential for chaos was still there.

"Infinite Arsenal: Ability recreation," he commanded, eager to test his new power. The screen changed again, prompting him for details.

"Name of ability: Code: Correct! Description: Code Correct!

Power Description: grants the user multiple powers, including bone manipulation, gravity manipulation, magic, shapeshifting weaponry, plasma/energy manipulation, familiar summoning, thread manipulation, regeneration, vengeance embodiment, resurrection, control immunity, dimensional travel, and restoration. These abilities draw from a pool of energy and are restricted by the user's knowledge and mastery level.

Name of person/being who used it: Correct! Sans."

The system processed the request, and soon detailed the restrictions.

"Infinite Arsenal Recreated ability: Code Correct! Mastery Level: 1%

Restrictions: Limited to manipulating 10-15 bones at a time, gravity adjustments up to 3 times reduction and 5 times increase, shapeshifting limited to known weapons, plasma attacks scaled to energy stat, summon 2-3 Gaster Blasters, no Orochi or Hydra at current level, regeneration limited by energy and stamina, higher-level abilities locked.

Horraine exhaled slowly, absorbing the information. The restrictions were significant but manageable. He felt a surge of energy as the ability activated, a scarf materializing around his neck. He stood, feeling a slight boost in strength.

"Code Complete!" he commanded, watching as his eyes transformed, heterochromic with red and yellow irises. He grinned at his reflection in the mirror. "Looks cool."

Returning outside, he couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the world was reacting. How long before society tipped into chaos? He pushed the thoughts aside, focusing instead on mastering his new powers.

Whatever the gods had planned, he was ready to face it head-on.

Prologue: End