The Nexis System – Outcast No More
The cave was quiet. Too quiet.
Dominic had barely eaten. His muscles ached. He could still feel the imprint of the knight's blade against his back from where he was forced into that damn wagon.
He hated how silent it was now. No car engines. No AC hum. No phone ringing. No Monica teasing him. No Brian laughing. No mother calling him to eat. No father's powerful voice...
Just silence. Cold stone. Damp air.
He sat near the wall of the cave, hugging his knees to his chest like a boy in hiding.
Then suddenly — a flash.
Golden light illuminated the space before him.
A soft tone rang out — not of metal, not of magic — but something beyond both. A screen appeared, floating in mid-air.
[SYSTEM BOOTING… SYNCHRONIZING HOST: DOMINIC MENDEZ]
[WELCOME, OUTCAST GOD.]
Dominic's head snapped up. His eyes widened.
"The fuck…?"
He staggered to his feet, stumbling backward. The light from the interface danced across his dark skin and tired eyes.
"A system? Are you serious?" he muttered. "Am I... hallucinating?"
His heart pounded. He rubbed his eyes, then blinked again. The screen was still there. Clear. Solid. Real.
He exhaled, uncertain.
"Okay. No panic. I've seen this in manhwa. This is probably a dream. Or... brain damage."
The screen flashed again.
[I am the Nexis System. You are the selected host.]
[Trial of Awakening Complete. Divine Bond Established.]
Dominic muttered under his breath.
"Why do these systems always show up when everything falls apart?"
He stepped closer, cautiously reaching toward the interface. It flickered like water touched by sunlight.
"Hey... System, right?"
[Yes, Dominic Mendez.]
"So, you can talk. Okay. That's... new."
"Alright. What now? Am I the Chosen One or something? Because last I checked, I was the one kicked out of the kingdom like trash."
[You are the Outcast. But also... the Candidate.]
"Candidate for what?"
[Memory Transfer Required. Warning: mental distress is possible. Proceed?]
Dominic flinched.
"Wait, wait—can I get like… a tutorial first or—"
The cave flashed white.
❖ [SYSTEM MEMORY TRANSFER: INITIATED] ❖
Agony.
He dropped to his knees, vision spinning.
Waves of alien knowledge, divine blueprints, celestial history—all flooding into his mind at once.
He gasped, grabbing at his temples.
He saw a throne of endless light... galaxies orbiting around it.
He saw Satan, a fallen being of immense glory, turn legions of angels and monsters against the divine order. Planets fell. Worlds bled.
The Great One — the origin of creation — watched in silence, bound by a law not to intervene directly.
Instead… He created a god. Not of spirit. Not of flesh.
A god of logic. Of power. Of judgment.
Nexis.
A divine system — not to guide the righteous…
But to choose one who had been cast out.
Rejected by fate.
A soul like Dominic's.
And then, a voice — ancient and weightless — rang in his head like a church bell cutting through time:
"If My Son descends… not everybody can be saved."
The vision snapped.
❖ [TRANSFER COMPLETE] ❖
Dominic dropped to all fours, gasping for air.
Sweat poured down his face. His vision blurred.
"What... the hell... was that...?"
He wiped his mouth and leaned back against the wall, still panting.
"A god. A system. Fallen angels. Chosen one…"
"You expect me to just swallow all this?"
[You have now seen truth beyond mortal limits.]
"Yeah well, truth hurts like hell."
His chest burned from more than exhaustion. This wasn't like any anime. This wasn't cool or exciting.
It was overwhelming. Terrifying.
And yet…
It felt real.
He slowly stood up.
"Okay... okay. Let's take it one step at a time."
He took a shaky breath and raised his hand.
"Status window."
➤ [ STATUS WINDOW: DOMINIC MENDEZ ]
Name: Dominic Mendez Age: 18
Race: Human Level: 1
Title: Outcast God XP: 0/100
Health: 100 Stamina: 60
Mana: 10 Divine Power: 10
Qi: 0 (Inactive) Faith Resonance: 1/100
Strength: 5 Agility: 3
Defense: 4 Intellect: 5
Willpower: 7 Charisma: 6
Luck: ??? Unique Trait: [Divine Echo] – ???
Main Quest: Destroy the Fallen Angels
Time Limit: ???
System Synchronization: 0% (Access Locked)
Inventory:
Old Tunic (Torn) 200 Gold Coins System-Bound Stone Tablet (Unknown Function)
Titles:
Outcast God → (Passive: +1.5x XP gain when alone)
Shop: [Locked]
Skills: [None]
Dominic frowned.
"Qi is zero? Wait…"
He paused, thinking.
"But that's martial arts stuff. What's Qi doing here? I thought this was a sword-and-magic world."
The system responded:
[Clarification: This world is divided into two halves.]
[The Western Continent — where you currently reside — is ruled by knights, priests, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and divine magic.]
[The Eastern Continent remains isolated. There, humans cultivate Qi through martial arts. They are known to transcend human limits.]
[This division has existed since the War of Separation.]
Dominic's brow rose.
"So… Murim exists here too?"
"Damn. This world's more complex than I thought."
"Alright, Nexis. I get the vibe. I'm not ready yet. But…"
He looked back at the glowing interface.
"You said something about me syncing with your power?"
[Correct.]
[To return to your world, you must attain 100% synchronization with the Nexis System.]
[Currently at: 0%]
"Figures."
[Opening initial trial.]
[Trial of Divine Reckoning – Initiate.]
Suddenly, the ground beneath Dominic rumbled.
The back wall of the cave split open, revealing a tunnel glowing with faint, ancient light.
[Trial Objective: Defeat the Guardian of the Forgotten Temple.]
[Reward: 5% System Synchronization. New Ability Unlock.]
"Five percent... huh?" he whispered.
He stepped toward the tunnel, cloak fluttering behind him, dark eyes narrowed.
"Then I just have to beat whatever's in there."
The air in the cave shifted. Cold. Heavy. Almost sacred.
From the other side of the tunnel, something massive stirred. Stone cracked. Chains snapped.
And a low growl echoed — loud enough to shake dust from the ceiling.
"Prove yourself, Outcast God... or be devoured."
Dominic took one final breath…
And walked straight into the dark.