1 An Impossible Dream

...It's dark.

I can't see anything.

I tried to move, but discovered that I couldn't. I didn't have hands, nor did I have a body. I was merely a formless being, floating in the endless void. All that surrounds me are darkness. Blackness so deep that I could not see any light shining through.

Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I so calm? Why don't I have a physical body? Wait-

I see.

I am dead.

I can't remember anything, but somehow, I knew that I have died. My memories are all fuzzy. No. They are blank. I truly can't recall anything events that has happened in my life.

Then why am I here-

'Welcome.'

Huh? You are-

'Please refer me as System.'

System...?

'You have been chosen as the lucky winner. The first, the last, and the only being that will ever inherit this power.'

Power? What do you mean?

'I am Cosmic Entity which came into existence by pure coincidences, and have been traveling in the void for as long as I can remember. Presently, I am no longer alive, and this is the only fragment of me left behind. I have decided to pass this onto a random being, and you were chosen.'

I am chosen... for what?

'Nothing. As nothing matters to me anymore. You were simply lucky. That's all. This ability will help you calculate your strength, in the form of a Status Screen. And in addition, you will gain certain privileges.'

Privileges?

'Yes... and this is a farewell. Live a free life, Chosen One.'

Wait!

Ping!

'Greetings, Host! I am System.

You are granted one of the following perks. It is the privilege of the one who has acquired the System. And as a bonus for the first, last, and only being chosen, you can select an extra perk. Here are the-'

-This is... Ugh. I can feel... my emotions returning? Ah, they must have been suppressed by the one who called himself a Cosmic Entity earlier. I... still can't remember my own identity. My name, my family, my parents' faces. I can't remember any of them.

Nevertheless, I do recognize this. System. It's similar to a fictional work called the Gamer I have read about in my previous life. If I know about this, then why can't I remember myself?

Hey, System, are you there?

...

Hello? System?

...

Don't tell me... that he's gone? Is this different from the System of the Gamer? He did mention certain privileges and Status Sheet, but do I have no way to communicate with the System?

Or don't tell me... is the System, and who spoke to me earlier, dead? It's not something like the System from the Gamer, but merely a simple RPG interface that I have access to?

Hah.

Hahaha...

Ha, HAHAHA!

I can feel my emotions going wild. I can feel my blood boiling. I can feel my excitement rising. This is the System! A god-like power which can make an ordinary rise above and triumph over all other beings!

Status Screen!

Name: ?

Level: 0

Strength: ?

Endurance: ?

Agility: ?

Od: ?

Circuit Quality: ?

Circuit Quantity: ?

Circuit Composition: ?

Origin: ?

Elemental Affinity: ?

Sorcery Trait: ?

Innate Talent: ?

Status Points: 10

This is... I am in the Nasuverse? The world where Magi, Dead Apostles, Heroic Spirits, and Phantasmal Beasts live? A place where humans are merely baits waiting to be devoured? I-

-Ugh.

Ah, my memories are returning... So this is who I was. I still don't know my own name, but I was from Earth. An ordinary human who lived a peaceful and boring life, striving for nothing but his own quiet place.

But now... I have received a chance to live in a new world. A second chance a life. A chance to learn to use supernatural powers, going beyond what I can ever be. Yes... This is it. This is my chance at my dream. The one I have always wished for, but can't reach.

I only have one desire.

The wish for eternity. Immortality which I could not be killed, a life that transcends death itself.

So to achieve that, I would do anything. Anything. No matter no heinous the act is, I would complete it with a smile. Because. I want it. I crave for it. I long for, I yearn for...! That, that beautiful, and mesmerizing... Limitless Eternity...

This is my second chance, and one which the possibility for true immortality exist! I will study. I will train. I will lie. I will murder. I will torture. I will assassinate. Anything, and everything that stand before my path to eternity.

So would that make me a villain? Yes. Definitely yes. So then, am I evil? Absolutely not. I can be considered evil if you look at my corrupted thought process, but what defines evil? It's simple, really.

Anything that causes a person who is righteous assume that it is extremely immoral is considered evil.

The difference between justice and injustice, order and chaos, sanity and insanity, are mere imaginations set up by the ones who believe in it. And would that make me crazy? Is chasing after a dream which was impossible wrong? No. It's definitely not.

There is no border between rationality and irrationality.

Back at the old Earth, I might have been a psychopath since I was too rational. Yes. Rational. It is a simple thing that anyone can understand.

For a normal person, rationality is irrationality, and irrationality is rationality.

Why do you eat that double cheeseburger when you knew that junk food like that was not great for your health? Because it's delicious? Was temporary bliss more advantageous than long-term benefits?

When you are rational, you would not choose to consume that food. But when your heart goes against you, you will take that juicy and steaming burger and bite down on it like it was heaven incarnate.

I am not special. I am an ordinary person who has too much time, causing me to delve into my own thoughts more often than others. And what I discovered was that my actions and my thoughts went against each other every single second I am alive.

And honestly, I do not care. I was born as a human being. A race which reigns apex on the planet known as Earth. We, the humans, absolutely dominated every other species on the planet.

We didn't need to worry about our own survival everyday. We have easy access to food, clothing, medications, and hygiene. What was there more to ask for? Why would you be that greedy for more?

Those luxurious things: Branded goods, sports car, giant mansions, beach house, mountain villas, those material goods aren't completely necessary. Yes, they make you happy, but I did not need them. I was already happy.

I was a winner the moment I came into existence. That is something that I will never refute. It was my privilege. It was the most significant thing for me. Being human. Becoming human. And dying as a human.

I lived my life carefreely. I was born into an upper-middle-class family and I lived my childhood greatly. I got into a famous university through connections and graduated with a master's degree.

They might say happiness can't be bought, but I digress. It can be bought, temporary happiness that is. But in reality, permanent happiness does not exist. So what? You met a woman which will accompany you for the rest of your life? That's a few decades of happiness, it's not permanent.

Happiness can be bought, and I sure did that. I lived my life as I pleased, I ruined my health because I knew I won't live pass a hundred years. I rather die young contented than die old unhappy.

Was I satisfied? No, not entirely. I didn't achieve my dream. It was impossible from the start. We live in a world of science, not one that is ruled by magic.

However, at this moment, this moment! A System! An unknown power from a dead yet nigh-omnipotent being that could make me become the same as him! With this, I can reach immortality!

I clenched my imaginary fists and focused on the perks once again.

'You are granted one of the following perks. It is the privilege of the one who has acquired the System. And as a bonus for the first, last, and only being chosen, you can select an extra perk. Here are the available perks, please choose two:'

[Prodigious Magical Talent]: You are a genius of Magecraft who possesses EX-Rank Magic Circuits in both quality and quantity (3000 units of magical energy in total). You are an Average One who possesses six Elemental Affinity, the Five Great Elements (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ether) and a rare Element that is different from the norm. You have a choice to randomly receive a pair of ordinary Mystic Eyes (Below Gold-class).

[Prodigious ESP Talent]: You are born with five random Psychic Powers (Including Mystic Eyes), and will be able to master them with ease.

[Special Mystic Eyes]: You have a type of Mystic Eyes that are considered to be such a rarity that they are thought not to exist at all. Randomly grants a pair of Mystic Eyes at or above Rainbow-class and you will be able to master them with ease.

[Absolute Composure]: You have eidetic memory. You can control your emotions and keep calm under any and every stressful circumstances. It is not a suppression as it is merely the ability to always remain calm. You will be completely immune to all mental interferences.

[Distortion Zero]: You possesses a Reality Marble, but you are not an incarnation nor someone who has a distorted mentality. You will be able to master the Reality Marble quickly and not be disturbed by an unusual reality perception.

[Lineage of Blood]: Arcueid Brunestud isn't the last surviving True Ancestor and she does not know it. You have survived the massacre since you weren't present during the incident. After a long experimentation, you have managed to completely suppress and eliminate your Vampiric Impulses. You have access to the race's incredible strength and the usage of Marble Phantasm. However, be warned that you are not and will be nowhere as strong as the White Princess herself.

[Exalted Half-Blood]: You are an offspring of one of the more illustrious Phantasmal Species. You will be granted access to the abilities of a randomly chosen species (Including the Transcendent Kind), and the natural instincts for their usage.

[Bearer of Myths]: You are somehow related to one of the legendary heroes in history. You carry their legacy, in the form of a Noble Phantasm. Randomly receives two arms-type Noble Phantasms. You will be able to dematerialize and materialize them at will, and they will not lose their Mystery through degradation.

[Divine Miracle]: You have limited usage of a randomly chosen Divine Spirit's Authority. This ability can only be used once per day, and its effects are heavily reduced depending on how powerful and damaging it is, e.g. the Authority of Dead Resurrection can only bring back a single life per day and can't be used on yourself.

[Bane of Magic]: You are granted protection against magical effects and cancel spells that target you. It is equivalent to a Heroic Spirit's EX-Rank Magic Resistance.

[Infinite Potential]: Your Origin is Limitlessness. You have limitless potential and can grow to one who is unequaled. However, the road to become the one above all is riddled with difficulties as you are a normal human and your talent is above average at best.

[Revival of Legends]: You have a choice to either become a Demi-Servant by possessing the Saint Graph of a dying Servant or to become a Pseudo-Servant by letting a Heroic Spirit inhabit your body. You will not experience any personality change.

[Dawn of Madness]: You embrace the love of a higher dimensional life form and become their Apostle, receiving eldritch powers from a randomly chosen Elder God or Great Old One.

[I am, You.]: You become one of the well-known characters of this universe by taking over their mind and body. Your personality will not be changed as the one you have taken over is assimilated and dominated by your soul.

[Gods Among Us]: In this land where gods and monsters walk amongst men, you are merely an ordinary human being who is not talented, nor are you a failure. You are ordinary, at best. You can choose to remove all your memories and live in this world without any special powers. You will be blessed with the fortune that keeps you away from all incidents involving the Moonlit World.

....

[Prodigious Magical Talent]. 3000 units of Od, Average One and an extra Elemental Affinity, plus a Mystic Eyes below Gold-class? It might sound great. No, it is indeed great. But when compared to all the other known characters of Type-Moon, it is useless.

3000 units of Od? Sure, that's over double of what Artoria Pendragon has, but it's still below of Ciel's 4000. Even if I mastered Magecraft, I would merely be a powerful Archmagus that can barely rival a Servant of the Caster class. It helps me reach for immortality, though not as much in the big picture.

[Prodigious ESP Talent] is the same thing. If I am lucky, I might get Precognition or Mystic Eyes of Distortion. It seemed that I am lucky... but I will never bet my dream on luck alone.

[Special Mystic Eyes], huh? Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and other that are similarly powerful. Eyes that can kill gods... They are great, and also useless if I get the one that the two Shiki own. So what if I can kill anything? It doesn't matter how lethal I am when I can't hit my target. I also do not know about other Mystic Eyes, so it's a gamble in the end.

[Absolute Composure]. Now this is what I am talking about. A perk similar to Gamer's Mind. No, it's a massive direct upgrade. Eidetic memory, non-suppressed emotions, and absolute immunity to all mental attacks? I need to keep my composure since I value my thoughts the most, and no one will take that away from me.

This first perk is decided.

[Distortion Zero]... Really, these perks are all amazing. A Reality Marble. It's really cool. It has the potential to rival high-ranking Noble Phantasms, and it makes someone look really badass when it's deployed. However, do I have enough Prana to support it? Not changing my mentality is great, so I will keep it in reserves for now.

[Lineage of Blood] is out of the question. I will get great boosts of power with Marble Phantasm and a True Ancestor's physical abilities while removing the race's disadvantage, but I will forever be below Arcueid Brunestud. Immortality of a True Ancestor is not true immorality. I want to be able to live forever. And by forever, I meant even if Earth were to be blown up, I would still be alive and kicking.

[Exalted Half-Blood] is the same. It's a gamble. I might be lucky and receive the blood of the Dragon Kind or of a Divine Spirit. Half-dragon and Demigod, they sound great, though what are the chances of me getting them? And won't I be limit by the bloodline in some way?

[Bearer of Myths], two Noble Phantasms that won't degrade. They will help, massively. If I were to get a sword like Ascalon, I would be able to defend myself against low-ranking Servants even when I am weak. But then, it's a gamble, and one that I would not take when my dream is on the betting table.

[Divine Miracle] is a tough choice. It's very powerful, but I'm worried about the limitations it has. Once per day... what if I were to be attacked after using it up? It's a limited ability, and I do not want to be limited.

[Bane of Magic] is useless. So what if I'm invincible against magical attacks? Would it matter when I get smacked by someone like Heracles? I can resist magic, but I have no defense against physical attack at all. What a joke.

[Infinite Potential]... I think I just found my second perk. It does not matter if I am ordinary. I can grow infinitely, albeit slowly. I will have to see the other perks first before deciding.

[Revival of Legends] is the definition of sudden strength gain. And it is also the definition of zero growth. I will become as powerful as a Servant instantaneously, but I won't be able to grow or develop any new abilities. All I can do is to hone my skills, and that's not what I am interested in.

...I will not be controlled by someone else, absolutely not. [Dawn of Madness] should not even exist as a choice.

[I am, You.] caught my attention. Will I be able to replace... let's say, Type-Mercury? Aozaki Aoko? Zelretch? This is very tempting. If it truly works, I will be able to become a planet-class powerhouse immediately. I will take over and dominate their soul? Will I be able to absorb them? An Ultimate One or a Sorcerer? Is this a trap? ...I will keep this in the reserves.

[Gods Among Us]... Hahaha. Directly going against my dream, isn't it? Is this sarcasm from the System?

Tough choices, aren't they?