Chapter 4: Greed
The air was lukewarm...a little stuffy.
The young man felt warmth circling in his stomach.
At first, it was like a soothingly gentle touch but then the heat rapidly built up and it soon became the sensation of a hot knife twisting through the flesh of his belly. The excruciating pain played with his frantic senses.
He panicked.
But what could he do?
His mind felt fuzzy as though hundreds of clouds were circulating in his head before flowing into his veins and meshing with his blood.
That's right, something was inside him.
Amid his befuddlement, a youthful and dignified voice suddenly echoed in his mind, resembling a shower of rain on a summer day. The voice sounded like the tone of a young, naive steward addressing his snobbish young lord.
[ Ah... I never anticipated a person capable of mustering my true form would ever appear but my creator never fails to amaze me— predicting even this. Is this what is theorized as 'Destiny' or is it a mere whim from those "Above"... No matter.
How many eras have passed, honorable host? 10...ah, or is it already 11? Well, questions aside, it is nice to finally meet you. May I have the honor of your name? ]
'Was it telepathy?' The young man guessed, not the least bit astounded by the cycle of mind-boggling things that kept on happening around him.
At first, he presumed that he may have gone nuts (actually, he had been conjecturing this from the moment he died). Beginning to hear random voices, how otherworldly was this? Or was this simply a psychic ability?
A thought suddenly struck him like bolt from the blue as he was deep in thought. He recollected reading so many times about transmigration escapades and adventures in a mystical world. In the dubious tales, the protagonist unwittingly attracted a power of sorts...
Oh my God! Could this be—
Glin was astounded by the turn in his conjectures. This, what was happening, it was ten times...no, fifty times better than whatever golden finger he could have ever imagined!
"You! Are you System-chan?!" He attempted to make his thoughts as outspoken in his mind as possible, and it seemed communication was possible this way, much to his relief. A reply rang in his mind after a brief moment of silence.
[Eh...system...chan? I think you might have the wrong person, though I am frequently designated as 'Divine System'—]
"Oh, shit! So you 'are' System-chan!" Glin felt a sudden unexpected urge to cry(unfortunately, he couldn't). This was actually happening to him! Excited, his initially blank mind raced with anticipation, blurring the dull pain that was yet to recede. Who knew he would one day experience a fantasy novel firsthand and get isekai-ed with a system?
Furthermore, "Divine System"...huh? He thought. His face would have had a look of simple-minded epicureanism had he had one. "This name, Divine System... It sounds like an unrivaled force!" he thought to himself ecstatically. Just 'System' alone sounded rather mysterious but adding a 'Divine' gave one this feeling of absolute supremity which was super cool!!
Glin didn't care much about race or species and whatnot.
Being an angel, demon, or whatever, was not a big deal to him since that did not mean that he would suddenly become unparalleled in his new world. Not at all. It only meant that his environment would be changing and, most likely, the creatures that he most mingled with as well.
However, everything was different with a system.
[Umm... So...you've been silent for quite a while. Is there something wrong?] The Divine System inquired carefully, feeling very unamused. It appeared that their host was quite an eccentric individual. Thus, the being was concerned. For themselves, of course, as it would be troublesome if their host happened to be a psychopathic sadist.
Upon hearing the voice again, Glin's mind returned to the present. His speech became more polite and soft, unlike earlier. "Hello, Divine System-chan. My name is Glin Gorham. Nice to meet you."
The Divine System felt relieved at his host's kind greeting, though it resembled the tone of a pervert greeting a pretty high school girl. But that was just their imagination, right? 'It seems he doesn't have any problems—'
"So, what are you capable of doing? Interplanetary destruction?" Glin suddenly asked eagerly.
The Divine System was sent into a cold sweat as they thought again to themselves, [W-What is this about destroying planets? No...No one told me about this!] They soon realized that there was perhaps a big misunderstanding between them and their new host. Was it that their host assumed that they were one of those power-based systems?
[Young man, exactly what results are you expecting me to bring about in you as your... System?] The Divine System asked uncertainly, intending to try and confirm their doubts. They really hoped it was not as they thought.
An answer came immediately: "Transcendent powers capable of splitting the skies of course."
Divine System: [...] Transcendent power, huh?
[My honorable host, I'm sorry for the small misunderstanding, but that is not within my job scope] said the Divine System, weakly.
Huh? Glin was puzzled and tried to wrap his head around these words. Not within their job scope? "You mean...you can't give me absolute strength?"
[Correct.] The Divine System sounded more cheerful.
"Is that so? Then what exactly can you do?" Glin asked. He was a little disappointed but still thankful that such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was given to him.
[The being that created me based my power such that one's virtue would equate to their level of power. If one's virtue is lost in darkness, so shall be their power, and vise-versa. My creator told me, 'A person will soon arrive in your midst capable of optimizing this power as it is meant to. Currently, there is no one capable of using this power acceptably and at its full potential. You will know once they arrive.']
"And I am that person?" Glin asked curiously. All of this vaguely sounded like that nonsense from a cheap ancient scroll he had once bought from a traveling salesman. The scroll termed his future to be "filled with immense fortune only worthy of the virtuous and benevolent". But that sounded like a joke no matter which angle he looked at it from. What future fortune? His whole life was a mess! The very essence of the word mess!
The Divine System responded respectfully. [ Yes. I am certain that it is you. I knew from the moment we crossed fates. My power is founded on selfless benevolence...—miracles are born out of kindness. Therefore it takes only kindness for you to gain the transcendence that you so desire. ]
"Ah... You're a kindness system?" Glin couldn't understand a word. What was this about miracles and kindness? Was he being cajoled into a cult devoted to renunciation? But before he jumped to conclusions, he finally asked the question bugging his mind most, "Where am I?"
[ Unfortunately, I do not know as I am not data-based. After leaving the void, your soul was ejected into an empty place perhaps only acknowledged by outer beings. I do however can tell you your spirit's current condition. You are currently semi-comatose. It will take a while before you awaken. Until then, I was hoping to keep you company. ]
"Oh, how thoughtful of you. Thank you. But I still don't understand. What is it exactly that you can offer me?" Glin asked once more, feeling rather uneasy. Not knowing what was within his skill set or future was unsettling for him. It felt as though his life was not really within his grasp.
[...You will understand soon enough, honorable host. ]
The Divine System seemed to be keeping its words more and more vague, but this did not matter to Glin. Everything would be unraveled at some point in time, he believed. He simply had to bide his time. The young man decided that he would go with the flow no matter what his ability truly was. He was determined to make his next life enjoyable and light-hearted, no matter the cost.
Until then, however, he would sleep. He was honestly quite tired after going through so much. A Wheel of Fortune, two celestial-like twins(one being, unarguably, the biggest jerk of the year. Damn you, Silver-Hair, if that is your true name), a bizarre Pool of Memories that should have instead been named Hole of Memories, a Divine System...ugh. Moreover, the inexistence of time in his condition was taking a toll on him. Sigh.
"I'm going to sleep now. Don't bother me unless it's something important," he thought languidly.
[ Alright. ] The Divine System responded quirkily, which made Glin remain awake a little longer. He was actually a little suspicious. Was this really a system? Wouldn't systems have robotic voices and frequently assign you missions, like in the novels?
Yet, this one was more like...a subservient little sister... Or was that a weird analogy? No, no, no. It's definitely not weird. Not weird at all. He brushed his thoughts away and cleared his mind. In his past life, he frequently secluded himself in his apartment to meditate.
Being crammed with problems daily had offered him an unhealthy mental life. At some point when he was only 16, his doctor had diagnosed that he was experiencing a serious case of schizophrenia that would most likely remain with him for a while.
Sighing, the young man gradually began to visualize the meditative exercises that the doctor had prescribed him before...
As Glin was engrossed in his meditation, he didn't notice the two streams of light—one golden, one grey—that circled each other in his mind space.
The two streams of pure light that initially refused to fuse no matter what were, slowly but steadily, becoming one!
Before long, the fusion was complete!
A single ball of white light remained in the place of the two slivers of energy, greedily searching the space for more energy.
It soon discovered a bulk of energy lying around untouched and avariciously consumed it in seconds before calming down and silently falling into hibernation.
The next time, it would awaken with an even more burning hunger.
Such was fate. An angel would become a greedy being incapable of rationalizing the term 'enough'. There was once an angel who was engulfed by emotion and become something not angelic.
The being now smirks in interest. Would this small craving grow into so much more, or would it remain as a fleeting emotion of avarice? Only time would tell but the small, insignificant seed had been planted. And it would grow.
The Divine System, that was originally mum, unwilling to comment on the unbelievable sight happening before them, finally spoke. Their voice was no longer polite. They sounded demonic. [ Well, sure, I was not expecting this. It seems I will get to have some fun. ] That was the only comment they left before disappearing in an unknown void of blackness existing within the young man.
***
In a confined hall, the walls dripping with cold water looked ancient. Old murals were placed on the walls. Paintings of dragons and other mythical beings of untold stories filled the corridor outside the hall.
Wine-red curtains covered the walls.
The only lights in the empty hall were from the torches. The flickering lights blinked in dim amber hues.
In the middle of the empty hall was a single stone altar and atop it lay a figure with a lithe and mesmerizing body. A divine beauty only worthy of God's most refined creation quietly lay there.
The figure's black hair flowed down the altar like a black stream of water. Its body lay untouched and unmoving, until then...
One of its wing-like eyelashes quivered ever so slightly and the single motion breathed life into what could have otherwise been a heavenly and tempting statue.
The figure slowly opened its eyes.
Parting its rosy lips, a liquid voice sounded forlonely in the empty hall: "Where...am I?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Plum_Blossoms
Plum_Blossoms Hey, hey, hey... This is the author speaking! Thank you so, so, so much for commenting before. It was a big surprise and also very encouraging! I really want to live up to expectation and write this as best as I can! But how is this chapter?? Good, bad, amazing, awful?? I want to know so badly!!!!
P.S. The Divine System is referred to as "them/they/their" since their gender is neutral(neither male nor female). But this may change in the future.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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