The silence in the safe room stretched on. A soft mechanical hum filled the edges, like a distant server fan. Everything was black, sleek, and unfamiliar. No seams, no screws. Just solid, seamless and smooth panels of material that didn't look like anything human-built.
Kael sat with his back against the wall, arms resting on his knees, his heart finally slowing down from its hurricane pace.
"I'm not dead," he muttered, voice cracked and hoarse. "That thing outside—what the hell even was that?"
He didn't know what to do next.
Until the interface returned, unprompted.
[Creation System: Beginner Tier Unlocked.]
[Remaining Points: 0]
[Tutorial Mode Active.]
Would you like to view the Creation Menu? (Y/N)
He stared at it.
Then, with a shaky hand: "Y… yeah. Yes."
[Accessing Creation Menu…]
The world in front of him changed. The walls dimmed and the space in front of him became a projection — not VR, not a screen. It just was there.
A massive, scrolling menu opened in a language he couldn't read — until it rewrote itself before his eyes. Glowing, golden-white font.
[CREATION CATEGORIES]
Summon
Construct
Equipment
Enhancements
Environments
Creatures (Locked)
Alter World Rules (Locked)
"…Alter what?" Kael blinked hard. "Alter world rules? What even is this? Is this some kind of game system?"
His brain couldn't process it all. It felt too big. Too wrong. He tapped on Summon just to see if it would respond.
The menu flicked open, clean and instant.
[SUMMON]
Basic Combat Unit – Steel Sentinel – 800 CP
Autonomous heavy assault unit. Durable. Armed with plasma cannon and hydraulic limbs.
Drone Scout – Recon V1 – 300 CP
Aerial drone with long-range sensors and mapping.
Support Medic Pod – Mender Drone – 500 CP
Floating auto-medical unit. Limited AI. Nano-fabrication healing.
Kael felt the hairs on his neck rise. A part of him wanted to laugh. To scream. Something in between.
"This is... this is real. This is actually real."
He swiped back, then opened Construct.
[CONSTRUCT]
Safe Room – Level 1 – 200 CP(Already Built)
A small personal shelter. Durable. Soundproof. Restorative field active.
Watchtower – Level 1 – 450 CP
Elevated defense post. Basic surveillance systems. Manual operation.
Resource Extractor – Scavenger Module – 350 CP
Automated drone for scavenging useful materials.
Then Equipment.
[EQUIPMENT]
Pulse Repeater – 600 CP
Rapid-fire energy rifle. Mid-range. Rechargeable.
Hardlight Shield – 300 CP
Deployable personal energy shield. Absorbs damage. 10s cooldown.
Creator's Gauntlet – 0 CP (Free)
System interface gear. Required for advanced creation functions.[Claim Item?]
His eyes locked on it.
"…A free item?"
He reached out, tapped [Claim Item], and light exploded in front of him.
A silver gauntlet materialized in the air and lowered gently into his lap, humming softly. Smooth, minimalistic, with faint glowing lines along the fingers. When he slipped it on, the system instantly responded:
[Creator's Gauntlet Equipped.]
[Manual Creation Mode Unlocked.]
He stood up on shaky legs, held up his hand—and the air rippled. Lines of code, geometric holograms, and hard-light projections snapped into shape.
It felt like wielding raw command over reality.
Kael staggered back, gripping the gauntlet like it was a live wire.
"I can make things. Not just summon them. Not just pick from a list. I can literally create anything?"
[Affirmative.]
[Warning: Manual creations consume points based on complexity, mass, function, and realism.]
He exhaled slowly.
Then laughed.
Not because it was funny—but because it was the only thing left to do.
"This is insane. I'm insane. This is a dream, right? Or a coma? I hit my head. I fell off the overpass. I'm—dead? Maybe this is hell. Maybe this is—"
The wall of the safe room rattled.
Hard.
The laugh died in his throat.
[WARNING: Class-A Aberration still active outside.]
"Oh god." He backed up toward the corner, heart restarting its erratic rhythm.
And yet... behind the panic... behind the horror... something else was bubbling up.
Something dark. Something terrible.
Excitement.
"…If I had a few more points…" he whispered. "I could build a mech. A turret. A base. A city."
The idea terrified him.
Because he knew, deep down, what it meant.
This power wasn't just survival.
It was dominion.
And he had only just started.