memories

Max woke up with a start, his chest heaving as if he had just escaped a nightmare. His dark brown hair was damp with sweat, sticking to his forehead, and his deep blue eyes darted around the room in confusion. His fair skin glistened slightly under the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. He looked young but carried an intensity in his expression, hinting at something beyond his 17 years.

"What the hell..." he muttered under his breath, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. His hands were trembling slightly as he reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. The cool liquid soothed his dry throat, and he gulped it down in a hurry. Setting the empty glass back down, Max closed his eyes and sat still, trying to calm his racing mind.

For several minutes, he remained motionless, breathing deeply to center himself. Finally, he broke the silence, speaking aloud to no one in particular. "So... I guess this is reality," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

As his thoughts began to clear, memories from the previous night surged forward, filling his mind with vivid images and sensations. "I don't know how, but after falling asleep yesterday, I started remembering... everything," he murmured, his voice growing quieter. "Memories of my previous life. A world where there were no monsters, no dungeons, no elves, no dragons, no dwarves. Just peace. It was so different from this place."

He clenched his fists, frustration evident in his expression. "Back there, the government didn't need to fight to survive. Adventures weren't a necessity. And most of all... games. They were everywhere. It's so hard to believe—in that world, they had only computers and mobiles. They were so... primitive. But despite their limitations, they created amazing games. Using such low-powered devices, they managed to bring people joy, creativity, and fun."

He looked out the window at the bustling streets below, where adventurers and government officials prepared for another day of survival. "And here? We have computers, mobiles, and even game cores... but our games are nowhere near what they created. We only use them to train ourselves, to improve our chances of survival. But in that world, games were made for fun, to enjoy."

Max's eyes narrowed with determination. "I have to change that. With the knowledge I have of games from my previous life, I'll show this world what real games can be."

As the thought crystallized in his mind, a sudden voice echoed in his head. "Yes, host. You must make games to grow stronger."

Max's eyes widened in shock, his body stiffening. "Who's there?!" he demanded, his voice trembling.

The voice responded calmly, resonating directly in his mind. "I am the system. You might already be familiar with me from the webnovels in your previous world."

Max's jaw dropped as realization dawned on him. "Wait... you're the one who gave me these memories, aren't you?" he asked, still struggling to process everything.

"Yes," the system replied. "You were selected as the host, and as a novice gift package, it was decided to grant you the memories of your previous world."

Max stared blankly ahead, trying to make sense of the situation. "So... that's how I got those memories," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The system's voice cut through his thoughts. "I am the Creator System. With my assistance, you Can bring your knowledge of games to this world and use it to grow in power.

"As the host is aware, your world, which is also called Earth, was exposed to mana 400 years ago. With it came dungeons, and from the dungeons emerged monsters. In this peculiar situation, many individuals awakened to fight these creatures. However, countless countries perished, and many lives were lost, as the awakened individuals were initially only at F or E ranks."

Max listened intently, his mind absorbing the information.

"After years of relentless battles, America became the last stronghold, protected by a handful of S-rank individuals. They fought valiantly, but the tide of monsters seemed endless. Then, one day, the elves, dragons, and dwarves arrived on Earth. Having lost their own planets, they came seeking a new place to live. Their arrival sparked fierce battles across many continents. Eventually, they claimed different regions as their own."

The system's voice continued, recounting the events as if it had witnessed them firsthand.

"After much conflict, the leaders of all races convened and made a pact: no race would invade the territory of another. Humans, however, could do little to oppose this agreement, as their ranks included only a handful of S-rank individuals, while the other races boasted many SS-rank powerhouses. Knowing the thoughts of humankind, the other races shared knowledge with them to avoid appearing ungrateful for taking over their planet."

Max furrowed his brow, his mind racing to process this history. "So that's how humanity managed to survive," he murmured.

The system continued. "It was through this knowledge that humans learned about the dungeons. When adventurers killed the monster bosses on each floor, they discovered gems. These gems were fragments of the dungeon seed and could be used to build training grounds. These training grounds allowed individuals to grow stronger, with ranks ranging from F to SSS. However, creating such places required adventurers with the potential to connect to dungeon cores."

 "To identify these individuals, they must hold a dungeon core and let their mana flow into it. If the core glows, it means they have the potential to create worlds of varying ranks, depending on the core's power. However, such individuals are rare. Only 10% of each race possesses this capability."

Max leaned back on his bed, his expression conflicted. "But to recreate the games from my previous world... it'll take too much time. The details, the mechanics, everything... my brain might just burst from the effort. And I don't even have enough mana to build those games quickly," he said, his frustration evident.

The system's calm voice chimed in. "Host does not need to worry. The system can handle the calculations and turn your imagination into reality by using your mana more efficiently. You simply need to visualize it."

Max's eyes lit up in surprise. "Really? You're like a golden finger," he said, a grin spreading across his face.

The system remained silent, its lack of response leaving Max to chuckle softly to himself. "Alright," he said, his confidence returning. "If that's the case, let's get started."