First Contact - Chapter Seventeen (Crashrider)

“Destiny is a matter of Choice not Chance,

It is not a thing to be waited for but a thing to be Achieved”

.....................

The story sets in a mana blessed world, Planet Vermillion, where every being possesses a System.

At the edge of his life, Zero, a man without a System, finally loses everything and embraces his death with a tired yet relieved expression.

As if by fate, the owner of the system approaches Zero through a screen and gives him a chance to connect with the System, however Zero denies it in exchange for a chance to change or undo all the mistakes he has done in his life.

The owner of the System accepts Zero’s wishes but at a certain price and sends Zero back into the past.

Still without a System, but with the knowledge of the future and various skills honed over the years, Zero begins his new journey to change everything he could.

Save everyone who needs to be saved and kill everyone who needs to be killed.

However, the more he moves forward, the more he realises that the ‘truths’ which he had known in his previous life are much more complicated than what they seem.

Balancing his previous beliefs and the new found mysteries that could shatter his perspective, he still keeps moving forward despite things getting more chaotic with every step.

As if fate itself wanted him to fall, an unknown disaster approaches him from behind and a familiar screen comes in front of him

[Ummm… Zero. It might be a bit late but… Looks like I have messed up big time]

After a well-lived life on Earth, Kael never expected anything more than death and the sweet embrace of sleep and darkness.But fate had other plans. He was reborn in another world similar to Earth, where he grew up until he was ten, at which point his memories from his past life were reawakened.He was an old man trapped in a boy's body, but the mixture of the child's memories with his own made him feel more middle-aged than old.A few days later, the world he was in ascended into the realm of war, the battleground of all living beings. Kael was among the few awakened who had the chance to become the ultimate god of existence, based on the orbs of different paths presented before him.Kael was faced with three choices:Orb of ChaosOrb of NothingnessOrb of Void(Choosing any will make you undergo a trial that will change your very existence. Please choose wisely.)While in shock by these options and seriously pondering which one to choose, an unexpected event occurred.(Error detected... A new option has been created)(Be the wielder of the three — Chaos, Void, and Nothingness)(Answer picked by host, transporting...)Kael was in shock as he fell into darkness, with one swirling thought in his mind:“I didn't even pick any.”

Front Page is “NAÍNDRA NUXINUS - CADET CUNN-69”.The world is dangerous, yet, there is beauty in the chaos if you learn how to appreciate it.The “Imperishable”, Entities Above Everything Else, understood this undeniable truth eons ago, gifting to the Mortals a few tools to overcome the challenges across their lives.With this, amusing their own boring existences, looking with enthusiasm what new story could unfold, or if the same mistakes would be done once again but by a different person.The First Gift, is “Shards”, called “Cards” by some, this otorgue instant rewards when you exchange them in an “Imperishable Monolith”.The Second Gift, is the mentioned structure, capable of craft almost anything if you have the recipe, blueprint and the required materials and ingredients, a true aberration depending on who you ask.The Third Gift, is the “Perennence”, with a 100 you won't Die if you are slain, you simply would “Respawn” in a “Memory Hall”, making you partially Immortal, because as long as you have 1 of Perennence, you wouldn't be really dead, and someone else can “Revive” you by providing the missing resource.However, this comes with a drawback, you become a “Servant” of the person or thing that save your life, at least until you repay the Perennence plus an Interest of 50%.The Fourth Gift, is “The Memory Hall”, unfortunately, they had an evil twin, “The Howling Wall”, which are created in places that had seen too many “Take Downs” in a short span of time; Differently to the prodigal twin, you must have a minimum of 25 Perennence to be Respawned, otherwise, at best, you become an Immaterial entity, similar to a ghost, if not, a mindless beast or a simple Drone for a Hive Mind is not far fetched.Lastly, The Fifth Gift, is divided in three concepts, “Repercussion”, “Traits” and “Work”, being the last, one of the most unfair of all the Gifts, as you can't change your Work under any circumstances, which applies even for “The Imperishable”.But the Gifts don't come for free, as they attract a series of weird creatures from unknown territories, sprouting the so called “Graveyards”, “Factories”, “Hives”, “Nests”, “Lairs”, “Crops” and “Farms” across the entire world of “Leathemnur”.NO CHEATSNO PLOT ARMORNO VANILLA EASY LIFEDON'T GET FOOLED BY THE STARTA FAIR SHARE OF:ACTIONBEAUTIESMYSTERIESA WHOLE LOT OF:SMUTBONDINGINDECENCYCOMMENT FOR:KINKSDOUBTSSUGGESTIONS

I’m an imperial uncle; his imperial majesty’s uncle.

Once, someone with nothing better to do took a comprehensive survey of the current dynasty, and summed up the imperial court’s three great cancers.

Wang Qin leads in corruption; the treasury is never full.

Yun Tang favours a few, forming cabals; leading to corruption in our politics.

Prince Huai plays with power, and serves as the head of a hundred poisons — thus causing instability to the throne.

When they talk about the most venomous of vipers, the wicked one who plays with power, the biggest cancer of them all, they’re talking about me: this insignificant prince, Prince Huai, Chengjun.

I can only say that I feel rather hapless in the face of these theories.

In truth, I have been ever dutiful, ever devoted, devoid of intention to monopolise power, and possess even less of a heart to covet the throne. In the entire imperial court, I dare say there is no loyal subject more loyal than I.

But, most tragically, in all the realm, the matter of my being a loyal subject is something that not many would believe.

- Description from Novelupdates