---
[Scene: Midnight – Crimson Palace, Silent and Still]
The palace breathed silence under the weight of a deep crimson moon.
Haruki moved like ink in water, seamless and soundless. At only ten days old, his body no longer creaked or stumbled. His limbs responded like they had trained for years, thanks to system-embedded muscle memory and relentless daily testing.
Tonight wasn't about training.
Tonight was about discovery.
The whispers that crept into his mind during the late hours — they came from the eastern spire. The one hall no servant mentioned. No instructor acknowledged. A place even Seraphina, his mother, glanced away from when she passed by.
The Forbidden Library.
---
[Scene: Spiral Stairway – Beneath the East Spire]
He reached the obsidian stairwell beneath the tower, lit by blue witchfire sconces that didn't warm the air. Each step down deepened the pressure around him — not magical wards, but presence. The kind that made even the undead hesitate.
When Haruki reached the bottom, the doorway loomed.
It wasn't locked.
The towering arch pulsed with Abyssal glyphs, almost irritated that someone dared stand before it. But the moment Haruki's hand lifted, the glyphs slid aside like obedient soldiers and parted the stone.
The door opened.
He entered.
---
[Scene: The Forbidden Library – Living Archive]
The library was vast — not rows of books, but an open cathedral of floating knowledge. Scrolls hovered midair, some writing and rewriting themselves. Old blood dripped eternally from open tomes. The air smelled of ash and parchment, as if time itself had turned to dust.
> "Only those burdened with memory may hold forgotten truth."
The whisper wasn't spoken, but Haruki heard it anyway. Universal Comprehension made it effortless — his system had long unlocked that trait. He could read and understand all languages, from ancient celestial codes to primal beast script.
He advanced to the center, where the largest tome of all floated above a fractured black pedestal.
The codex had no title.
But it called to him.
---
[System Notification]
> System Alert: Forbidden Archive Accessed
Soul ID Verified – Kurosawa Haruki
Trigger Phrase Detected: "Reincarnated"
Access Level: Conditional Granted
Reading Mode: Abyssal Script (Auto-Translated)
Universal Comprehension Activated
Processing...
---
The book unfolded in silence. Glyphs shimmered, pages flipped slowly.
Haruki's eyes focused.
On the first page, he saw a diagram — intricate, anatomical, and deeply magical. It was a ritual. A soul-bound sigil to be etched once, anchored by his energy and a sliver of his soul.
> Combat Clone Protocol – Sovereign-Class (Type-C)
Haruki read on.
---
[Codex Notes Translated via System]
Purpose: Creation of Combat-Ready Clones
Activation Method: Master Seal etched once → Reusable channeling through energy and soul thread
Clone Power: 99% of Host Attributes at time of casting
Memory Link: All combat experience returns to the host upon dispel
Risks:
No danger from active clones
Only threat occurs if 1,000+ clones are dispelled at once → may cause mental overload or death
Clone Limits:
No evolution
No regression
No autonomy beyond assignment
Cannot absorb or use ability stones
> Conclusion: Tactical perfection. No moral, magical, or spiritual downside under smart usage. Designed for rulers.
Haruki felt the truth behind the pages — not just theory, but clarity. This was no vague ritual from a forgotten age. This was designed for people like him.
People meant to rule.
---
[System Update]
> Ritual Unlocked: Combat Clone Protocol – Sovereign Class
Seal Requirement: 1x Soul Sigil Etching
Summon Method: Channel energy + soul tether to generate 1–1,000 clones
Warning:
Dispelling over 1,000 clones at once may trigger a Cognitive Crash
Clone Memory Sync Detected: Enabled
---
Haruki stared at the pages, then slowly closed the codex.
He didn't smile.
He didn't gloat.
Instead, he imagined training with a clone as strong as himself. Fighting it over and over. Mastering himself, layer by layer, strike by strike. Creating an army of Harukis for testing formations, battle styles, even ruling the kingdom in parts if needed.
Limitless application.
Zero downside.
Complete control.
And yet, that wasn't all.
---
[Scene: Final Page – Hidden Map Projection]
The last page revealed itself in a burst of blood-ink, showing a swirling world map etched in ley lines and divine geometry.
Twelve locations pulsed softly.
Haruki narrowed his eyes. Each location bore a singular label in its center:
> "Ability Vault – Sealed"
The surrounding notes, decoded through his system, described them as ancient trial lands, protected by pre-divine defenses. Within each lay Ability Stones — rare crystals capable of granting supernatural abilities to those with enough talent.
> Note:
All lifeforms possess an "ability threshold"
High Talent: Up to 12 slots
Low Talent: 2 or fewer slots
Ability Stones permanently bond with available slots
Cannot remove or reshuffle stones once absorbed
Haruki's own Talent Rating, as previously revealed by his system at birth, was Level 10 out of 12 — corresponding to 10 available ability slots.
He placed his hand over the map, letting the memory burn itself into his thoughts.
> "Later."
---
[System Notification]
> Landmark Fragment Acquired: Vault Network (Partial Decode)
Note:
System evolution will unlock hidden world interaction features after Sovereign Tier is reached.
[NO ABILITY STONE ABSORPTION EVENT DETECTED]
Status: Awaiting Trigger
---
Haruki stepped back from the codex and turned to leave.
But something had shifted.
The air… heavier. The shadows… stiller.
No god spoke.
No divine force moved.
But he felt it.
They knew.
They saw him now.
They didn't intervene — they couldn't — but awareness was its own kind of weight.
> So be it, he thought.
Let them watch.
---
[Scene: His Chambers – Pre-Dawn]
Back in his suite, Haruki summoned parchment and ink.
He began drawing the master seal for the clone ritual. Carefully. Accurately. His young hands shook slightly — not from fear, but anticipation.
The seal was complex, but he understood it in full.
When finished, he sat back and stared at it.
A perfect tool.
> "This world won't test me. I'll test it."
---
[System Log – Updated Status]
Attribute Value
Age 10 Days
Titles Crimson Initiate, Forbidden Scholar
Clone Seal Ready (Inactive – Soul Not Yet Embedded)
Ability Slots 10 (Unmodified – Noble Bloodline Default)
Ability Cap Active – Mutation Not Yet Triggered
Vault Data Partial Map Stored (12 Locations)
Divine Notice Passive – No Contact
---
As dawn broke, Haruki sat at the balcony alone.
A prince.
A scholar.
A future god.
> "First, I master myself," he whispered.
"Then… I'll master the world."