1 Prologue.

The sun was high in the sky, but the forest seemed to be in the darkness ahead of schedule. A row of trees pressed tightly together blocked the sun's rays. A blackbird covered with fluffy plumage tried its best to find an empty gap and a way out of this maze of green leaves. But the chance never came.

And behind him, getting closer and closer, breathing heavily and swinging his stick widely, ran a green goblin. His little muscles grew incredibly tense. His legs, swollen from the intense running, looked especially comical.

"Grrrrr!" - the goblin shouted at the fleeing bird. His face, twisted with fatigue, resembled a deflated rubber ball. But the goblin was not about to give up. He was determined to finish the job and chase the bird down.

What had caused such a spectacular conflict of the century? What had wreaked havoc on the peaceful passage of time in the dense forest?

A piece of meat. Or to be more precise, a delicious and appetizing leg of spiky rabbit.

For such a meal, the green goblin would have pursued the wretched thief to the ends of the earth, sparing no effort. The goblin knew that if he turned back now if he gave up, the other goblins he was hunting with would not forgive him. It had been his mistake, after all, not keeping an eye on the supplies while the others went berry picking in the forest.

Having shortened the distance between them, the goblin was already only a jump away from the fleeing bird. Under normal conditions, the flying thief would have been faster, but the lump of meat clenched tightly in its beak prevented it from gaining the necessary speed.

The green chaser, having estimated the distance and the odds, nodded happily in his mind. His eyes lit up with the certainty that now he would end the chase. He bent the elbow of his right arm, raising the stick higher. He could already see how, in one leap, he would not only catch the bird but strike it with a deadly blow.

Suddenly the thought occurred to him that maybe he could even come back with some bird meat as well? The fantasy grew more pleasant, making him lick his big lips excitedly.

Now!

The goblin, continuing to run, strained his remaining strength, tucked his knees, and prepared to leap forward. As suddenly...

"Ding! Congratulations, you are incredibly lucky! The System has been assigned to help you! The God of War System!"

The voice in his head was so sudden and abrupt that the poor goblin froze in a moment of half-jump. That was the fatal moment. His mind tried to stop his body, but it was no longer possible. His legs twisted and he stumbled and collapsed face down on the ground.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr." - he yelled, spitting out dirt that had gotten into his mouth.

"Nice to meet you too, dear host!"

The goblin, hearing this answer, was filled with rage. He had just lost his dinner, and the damned System wasn't even planning to repent for what he had done. The goblin, to vent his anger and irritation, began to beat all the trees around him with a stick in a frenzy.

[Received the skill Basic Stick Strike (Level 1)!]

"Congratulations, host! You're very talented, you've just discovered your first skill!"

"Grrrrr?" - The goblin looked confused at the stick, then at his hands, then back at the stick. His face, which expressed complete embarrassment and incomprehension of the situation, already changed in a second and took on a happy look. He jumped in place, smiling his sweetest smile, tossing and catching the stick that had become so precious.

"Try hitting the wood a couple more times. You'll probably be able to level up again!"

The green creature nodded without thinking long and assumed a menacing posture. He took his hand far back, swung at the tree, and delivered his blow. But nothing happened.

The goblin stopped, looked around as if trying to find his interlocutor, but failing simply uttered:

"Grrrrrrrr!"

It didn't even take interpreter skills to understand that he was overwhelmed with indignation. He obeyed the System's advice but ended up with nothing. This is an outrage!

"Host, each new skill level increases the amount of effort required! Try doing it a couple more times!"

The goblin scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should follow the voice in his head, but eventually spat on the ground and struck the tree again with determination in his gaze.

Nothing.

He snorted. But he decided to keep going. Another blow and... Nothing again. The goblin was already so annoyed that he bulged his eyes and yelled at the tree:

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

And then with all his strength, not caring about anything else, he launched his savage strike at the motionless tree. The blow ached in his hands, and the stick snapped in half, scattering splinters all around it. But it was worth it.

[Basic Stick Strike skill upgraded (level 1) - (level 2)]

[Power Strike skill gained (1st level)]

[Lower Goblin (1st level) - (2nd level). Gained 2 free attribute points!]

The goblin blinked a couple of times. The number of beeps ringing in his head was too much. His weak brain could not keep up with the incoming information. He stood still, not moving a single muscle as if he was directing all his energy at the moment only to his brain.

"Congratulations! What a success! Let me tell you that you are the most capable of my hosts. You are one of the fastest progressing creatures I have worked with. It is a great honor to be your System!"

Finally, after hearing the information, and hearing the words that were so pleasing to his ears, the goblin grinned smugly. He adopted the triumphant pose of the dominant male as if to say, " I am, you doubted it?" He even pulled his chest forward and tensed his arms, demonstrating his majesty to the invisible System.

"That's what I was talking about! What muscles! What talent! Host, I'm sure we'll make great progress together, you and I!

The goblin snorted arrogantly at these words. At last, his talent had been recognized, now with the System, he would succeed. His mind began to picture his fantastic future.

He sat in an exquisite tent on a huge throne made from the teeth of defeated enemies. His head was adorned with a crown of precious metal - iron. Two of the most beautiful goblin girls were massaging his legs, giving him incomparable pleasure. And beside him stood his loyal hobgoblin general.

He was the chief! He was at the very top!

With this System, it was sure to become a reality. She told him he was the most talented man she had ever seen.

He was drooling all over his face while he was dreaming.

But it didn't last long. Suddenly a terrible, deafening roar echoed through the gloomy forest.

The goblin shuddered helplessly, the mere power of this sonic attack causing him to feel uncontrollable fear. And as he slowly turned his head, three or four feet away he noticed something he never wanted to see in his life.

Tuscan. The bear-like monster, with claws as long and sharp as sword blades, was devouring the small, weak goblin with a ravenous stare. Its jaws opened, revealing a row of teeth ready to tear at living flesh.

The goblin unconsciously stumbled backward. In the weakest part of his body, his brain, he suddenly had a great idea. He had to climb up. There were trees everywhere; if he could climb one of them in time, the tuscan wouldn't be able to reach him.

It was the logical, proper plan, even if it did involve running away.

He took slow steps backward, hoping that in this way he could move closer to the nearest tree. And his luck was good. Tuscan was clearly not hungry today. The monster was only going to attack the goblin for purely entertainment purposes. So seeing the fear in his pathetic victim's eyes gave itself time to enjoy the moment.

The goblin could already see a long branch a few paces away. If he jumped well, he could hook and climb up. And then he would be saved!

"Host, I must declare that you have a unique opportunity!"

"Grrrrrrrr?" - the goblin asked him with a lost expression on his face. Now was definitely not the time to have a conversation.

"It's a level 10 monster Tuscan."

"Grrrrr?"

"Yes, you're right. The difference between you is eight levels. But you got an incredible skill, didn't you!"

"Grrrrr?"

"Did you forget? [Power Strike (Level 1)]. You might think this skill is weak, but it's actually one of the strongest skills at lower levels."

"Grrrrr. Grrrrr?"

The goblin froze; all he had to do was jump up and he would find himself hanging from a branch. But the System's voice insisted that he had a powerful skill. Maybe this was even his chance to win. There was a reason he was the most talented goblin the System had ever seen.

"Tuscans have thick skin that acts as armor for him. But your skill [Power Strike] can pierce the body. It bypasses any creature's defenses and deals damage directly to its internal organs."

The goblin stared thoughtfully at the stick. His eyes darted around in endless doubt. In his field of vision, the figure of the unhurriedly, as if on a walk, approaching monster had already appeared. He had to make a choice now.

"Host, this is a great chance! If you kill an enemy with that level difference, you'll earn a lot of experience. You might even become one of the strongest warriors in the tribe after that."

The goblin opened his mouth mesmerized. The strongest warrior! What he had always dreamed of! Strength leads to wealth. Wealth leads to power. And power leads to female goblins!

The doubts were immediately dispelled. The fantasy seemed all too real. Now was the moment when he would stop being a weak goblin once and for all and embark on his future greatness.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr." - imitating the Tuscan, the goblin yelled. He grabbed the new stick tighter with both hands and sprinted forward. His feet guided him to his goal.

Tuscan didn't move. It just stared dumbly at the prey running toward it, wondering if there was anything wrong with the world if the food came to its own mouth.

[Power Strike!] the goblin mentally commanded and pointed the stick at the monster, who didn't even try to defend himself. The goblin smiled as he noticed his enemy's behavior, glad that the Tuscan was so stupid.

The blow struck the Tuscan's hard skin, and...

Nothing!

There was a thud, and the goblin's hands ached as if he had struck iron. He looked incomprehensively at the stick, then directly into the monster's eyes. Their gazes met, and it seemed to him that the horrible beast's mouth curved into a mocking grin.

"Grrrrr?" - he asked at the last moment.

And the next second, the Tuscan's jaw sliced him in half.

"Well, you're finally dead. And I was afraid I was going to have to spend days on this," pronounced the System as his Host's body was chewed up and became a little afternoon snack for the lazy monster.

*******

"Goblin...it was a goblin. In a world where there are guilds of goblin hunters... I was not born to be a babysitter for such weak monsters." - The sound of an angry voice echoed through the void of space.

A lone blob of energy, or as they were otherwise known as the Divine Spirit, traveled at light speed through the vast expanse of the universe. Myriads of stars and planets whizzed past him in fractions of a second. But he had no control over his etheric body. An unknowable force beyond his control was pulling him toward the new Host again.

"I long for battle...battles. I don't mind if you give me a weak monster, but one with potential. The potential to be a future world-eater" laughed the System madly.

The speed of the spirit began to slow gradually. He knew what that meant. His new world had already been chosen.

He could only hope that the next Host would be better than the last, for he was not going to waste his time on empty-headed trash. This System had boundless ambition!

At one time he was one of the most famous Spirits of the God of War. He bestowed the system on a weak little dragon cub and then ascended with him to the very top.

His host in those days was even able to reach the 973 level! There were only 27 levels left and our Spirit would have been able to break the shackles of the weak etheric light and finally stop playing the role of a useless System. He would have become a demigod himself!

But his luck turned away from him. His host was ignominiously murdered when his lifelong dream was at hand to be achieved and years of hard and exhausting work were nearing an end.

And now look at him. Poor Spirit is forced to wander the ocean of the universe. Forced to find a new host and start all over again.

And with whom? The goblin?

The spirit that was once the top one among all the Systems. The spirit who was envied by all the other spirits of the God of War would not stoop so low.

He was looking for the right host, strong and talented. He was looking for a world filled with war and violence, where his God of War System would allow him to level up much faster.

Suddenly a blob of etheric energy saw a red planet open before his eyes.

"I can feel it. Just look at the aura emanating from this planet. Blood and pain and brutality... oh, that's what I need. I'm in! I just have to hope my luck gives me a strong host!"

His consciousness crossed the boundary of the universe and the world. Behind the dark clouds the world lurked, from which lightning struck ceaselessly, he contemplated his new home.

Excitedly he looked around, trying to memorize the geography of this world for the future.

Two continents, many mountains, and the black waters of the ocean. This was how this world opened its doors to him.

He was drawn lower and lower, pulled toward his chosen destination.

"God of war, I have never prayed to you... But now, that's the case. I know it must be the perfect planet. My ethereal tendrils shake restlessly at the sight of it...Please give me a good Host. I will be your most loyal Spirit at all times." - he prayed quietly.

He flew slower and slower. The red sky might have made ordinary people feel uncomfortable or even frightened, but not our spirit.

He had seen such planets before. Red skies were formed in such places from rivers of spilled blood that evaporated into the atmosphere, replacing the usual blue color over millions of years.

"Flying Island?"

Ahead like an inverted mountain hovered high above the ground a lonely island. The ethereal spirit could already make out the vague outlines of buildings in the distance. Two things caught his attention.

First, is an imposing statue of a man with a blade in his hand, about fifty meters high. The powerful figure showed its ancient grandeur by its mere appearance.

And the second, sharply different from the usual gray buildings, was a domed structure in the center of the city. The thickest and blackest clouds hung over it, and the red sky seemed even more intense here.

"Humans?" - Spirit thought contemptuously. As he flew by, he noticed the creatures that inhabited the city as well. And it looked like they were human beings!

No, he gave up the goblin himself, of course. And even sent the poor creature to his death just to change host...but humans? Seriously, what could be worse?

"Have to change hosts one more time...well, one more person in the universe, one less. Who's going to notice the difference?" - The energy blob shook its tendrils in frustration.

The next instant he was pulled into that dome-shaped, large building. As he moved easily through the walls, he finally saw what was inside.

A sea of seating, a huge screen, and thousands of people gathered together and watched in fascination.

On the screen at that moment was a demonstration of strange creatures fighting, tearing each other's throats out without a shadow of a doubt, tearing their skin open with sharp claws, and pouring liters of blood on the ground.

"This is it! This is what I've been looking for! This is my world, baby! Yahoo... I'm at it again. My host will be the strongest in this world. We will dominate and rule this bloody land together." - The spirit almost stuttered with happiness. His voice trembled with anticipation. All that was left was to get a new Host and he would be back in the game.

As he passed through the dirty sand that covered the coliseum stage (or something similar), his ethereal body found itself beneath the audience space. A dark, wide basement filled with iron cages presented itself to him.

Thousands of different creatures, monsters, and creatures of all stripes and kinds were gathered there. Screams, howls, and roars were the usual sound fillers of the place.

"It's like music to my ears," the Spirit exclaimed cheerfully.

"If only I could choose for myself... That big troll over there looks imposing...or no, that spider over there with 16 paws and 10 eyes. How cute is he! No... Minotaur. There is a minotaur. My host could take a two-foot club and smear all enemies into a fine paste...A DRAGON! There's a baby dragon in here! I could work with a dragon again... Hey, wait, don't pull me any further. Go back to the dragon. No, I don't want to. Bring me back."

But a ruthless force continued to propel the helpless spirit forward. The rows of cages never ended, but it became clear that the further one flew, the worse the goods got.

The monsters were changing for the worse with each passing second. Orcs, cyclops, centaurs. A mermaid?

But he was willing to accept even these creatures. He could still grant them the War God System and they would rise to the top of the world together, each of them still had potential... except he kept getting pushed farther and farther away.

Spirit felt quite sick when he reached the farthest and darkest part of the underground beast pen. In one large cage, hundreds of red-skinned creatures were piled aimlessly in one pile.

A frail and plump body, a disproportionately large head with two small horns on it, and a smooth, hairless tail with a sharp end. And for dessert, two short extensions that could hardly be called legs.

'An imp? Is this a joke? - The spirit stopped talking out loud, for now, there was a chance he might be heard.

His body carried on, he passed through the crowd of demons like a knife through butter and finally saw his host ahead. The spirit's whiskers vibrated as he discerned in the corner of the cage, a monster sitting there alone. Weak in appearance, even compared to those of other demons. Its size obviously made it stand out in a bad way, and hence its strength.

"Well...but it's going to be a short day at work today. Sorry, little friend, but it looks like you'll have to die for... ...for my sake."

And just when the distance between the spirit and its future host had shrunk enough for the etheric tendrils to reach it, a burst of light whizzed by at an incredibly high speed beside our blob of energy. And it hit the little demon directly.

At the same time, Spirit's tendrils penetrated the red-skinned creature's body and merged with its soul. Feeling the explosion of energy inside the demon's body, the Spirit realized that the joining had been successful and it had now gained its new (short-lived) Host.

"Ding! Congratulations you are incredibly lucky! You have been assigned a System to help you! The God of War System!" - said the Spirit in his professional voice. First impressions are very important! However, at the same moment a sound was heard:

"Ding! Congratulations, you are incredibly lucky! A System has been assigned to help you! The Lust God System!" - A woman's voice resonated in response.

Two systems trapped in one body!