Aiden's consciousness flickered into existence, suspended in a vast, endless void. For a brief moment, he felt nothing—no pain, no emotion, no weight of existence. Just empty stillness. Then, with a sudden lurch, his entire being was pulled downward.
The void shattered into blinding light. Heat and cold washed over him in disorienting waves. His senses were overwhelmed—too sharp, too raw. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer human.
He lay sprawled on the damp earth, disoriented and trembling. His limbs were long and lean, but his skin was different—shimmering faintly with golden scales along his forearms and neck. His hands shook slightly as he pushed himself up. His nails were sharper, hardened like claws.
His breath came in short gasps as he clutched his chest, feeling his unfamiliar heartbeat thundering like a drum. He squeezed his eyes shut, but even that was overwhelming. His enhanced vision picked up details with excruciating clarity—every speck of dirt, every blade of grass, and every bead of sweat rolling down his face.
"Too much… too much…" he muttered hoarsely.
---
[Karmic System Activation]
A faint chime echoed in his mind, and a translucent screen materialized before him.
> [Status Screen]
Name: Aiden
Race: Primordial Ascendant
Abilities: Time Reversal, Elemental Dominion
Skills: Grand Arcanist, Master Swordsman, Dimensional Mage, Runesmith, Tactician
Traits: Infinite Growth, Immortal Soul
Karma: 100 (Spent)
The words meant little to him now. The reality of his new body—the sheer weight of it—was all-consuming.
He staggered to his feet. His legs wobbled unsteadily, and his balance was all wrong. His steps were clumsy, uncoordinated. Too much strength surged through his muscles, making even the smallest motion jerky and unstable.
Reaching out, he braced himself against a nearby tree. The bark splintered under his grip. His eyes widened. He hadn't even squeezed.
"I can't… control it," he muttered through gritted teeth.
He tried to walk, but with each step, he overcompensated, either stumbling forward or slamming his feet down too hard, sending vibrations through the ground. His own strength was working against him.
Aiden, still breathing heavily, raised his hand and focused. "Fire," he thought.
The spark ignited—but instantly exploded into a massive blaze, scorching the earth. He stumbled backward, arms thrown up to shield his face, but the fire refused to calm. His lack of precision only made it worse. The flames surged, wild and uncontrolled.
"Stop, damn it!" he shouted, panic surging through him.
He activated Time Reversal, and the inferno retreated in reverse. The flames folded back into a single spark, and the ground returned to its untouched state. His vision swam slightly. The strain of using the ability so soon after waking was hitting him harder than he expected.
He clenched his fists. "This is ridiculous… I have all this power, but I'm too weak to handle it?"
The forest around him was quiet—but not for long. A low snarl echoed from the shadows. Aiden's enhanced hearing picked it up immediately. His head snapped toward the sound. From the underbrush, a massive Direwolf emerged—its silver fur bristling, and its crimson eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
The beast snarled and lunged. Aiden instinctively tried to sidestep, but his movements were too fast. He overshot the dodge, stumbling clumsily, and the wolf's claws raked his side.
Pain flared as his blood splattered the grass. He gritted his teeth, eyes wide. The pain was real. His hand trembled as he pressed against the wound.
The wolf circled him, growling lowly. His breathing came in ragged gasps. His heart pounded, and his limbs felt heavy—not from the wound, but from his unstable strength. His body was sluggish, uncoordinated.
"Calm down… focus," he growled through gritted teeth.
The wolf pounced again. This time, Aiden forced his legs to move more carefully, narrowly dodging the beast's claws. He turned and thrust his hand out, willing ice into existence.
The ground froze instantly—but in wild, chaotic spikes, forming uneven shards that pierced the air at odd angles. The wolf easily dodged through the gaps.
"Too unstable…"
The wolf lunged again. In desperation, Aiden activated Time Reversal. The world shimmered backward—the blood returned to his body, the ice receded, and the wolf was back in its starting position.
Panting, Aiden braced himself, but his head throbbed violently from the strain. He stumbled slightly, clutching his temple. The backlash from using Time Reversal too frequently was already catching up with him
The wolf lunged once more. This time, Aiden managed to summon a burst of wind to knock it back, but his lack of control sent him flying backward too. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.
"I can't… even control my own magic," he rasped.
The wolf recovered faster than he did. It closed the distance, fangs bared. Aiden's body refused to move properly—his limbs sluggish with fatigue.
"Move… damn it… MOVE!"
The wolf leapt. In desperation, Aiden threw out his hand, and a massive surge of lightning and fire erupted uncontrollably. The blast caught both him and the wolf, sending them sprawling in opposite directions.
Aiden slammed into a tree with a sharp cry, the bark splintering on impact. His vision blurred. He tasted blood in his mouth. The wolf lay twitching nearby, smoke rising from its charred fur.
But Aiden's limbs were shaking violently. His golden eyes flickered weakly. He pushed himself up, gasping. His entire body ached from the magical backlash.
The wolf whimpered once and fled, vanishing into the forest. The fight was over.
But Aiden wasn't celebrating. He was barely standing.
He slumped against the tree, his chest heaving. His hands were trembling uncontrollably—a consequence of the raw magic coursing through him, unstable and untamed. His fingertips were numb from the magical strain.
He exhaled sharply, running a shaking hand over his bloodied side. His enhanced healing had already started closing the wound, but the pain lingered—a grim reminder that he wasn't invincible.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at his trembling hand—the same hand that had unleashed power beyond comprehension, yet he couldn't even control it.
"This… isn't going to be easy," he muttered bitterly.
The system chimed faintly.
> "Power Refinement in Progress…"
"Synchronization Required for Full Mastery."
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. He had been given godlike strength, but right now? He was just a stumbling newborn, barely able to stand.
With a weak smile, he pushed himself off the tree, wiped the blood from his face, and took a shaky step forward.
"If I'm going to survive this world… I have a long way to go."