Reborn with the SSS-Rank Creator System-Chapter 4: Over-Powered from the Start

Outside Theos's bedroom, Samuel gently squeezed Elena's hand, his voice low and urgent. "Promise me we'll never breathe a word of this to anyone. A different-colored status screen... it could attract dangerous attention."

Elena nodded, casting a worried glance at the closed door. "I understand, honey. He's so young, but I can't help feeling proud, too."

Samuel managed a faint, tender smile. "He's our miracle, after all." Together, they looked toward the thin walls, hoping whatever Theos was discovering wouldn't lead him into harm.

Moments earlier, Theos had quietly slipped away from the living room, eager to examine his mysterious black status screen in private. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, determined to hide his excitement and curiosity for the time being.

Meanwhile, inside his small bedroom, Theos sat on his wooden bed, heart pounding from excitement and residual nerves. He remembered everything his father had said about the world's dangers, yet his optimism remained unshaken. Even the memory of tending his parents during a ten-day illness—when most children would've panicked—didn't dim his cheerful nature. If anything, it strengthened his resolve.

'I should be careful, but I can't help being excited!' he told himself, rubbing his hands together. The afternoon light trickled through the single window, bringing in a soft breeze tinged with the scent of mint and basil.

"Status," Theos murmured, brimming with anticipation.

A black, translucent panel shimmered into view before him, suspended in midair. Its dark background contrasted with faintly glowing text, sharper and more elaborate than any normal status screen:

 ___________________________________________

| [ STATUS SCREEN ] |

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Name: Theos Redheart 

 Species: Human (Superior) 

 Age: 10 years 

 Title: ???? (Locked), Reincarnator 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Cultivation Stage: Bone Forging (0) 

 Strength: Bone Forging (1st Stage) 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Spirit Root: Primordial Grade 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Talents: 

 • Supreme Eyes (SSS) – Upgradable 

 • Master of Every Art (SSS) – Upgradable 

 • Energy Manipulation (SSS) – Upgradable 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Skills: 

 • Basic Dagger Mastery (Stage 1) 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 Unique Skills: 

 • ????? (Locked) 

|____________________________________________|

Theos was mesmerized by the wealth of information crowding his mysterious black status screen. His father once explained that a typical status display would show one's name, race, age, cultivation stage, and sometimes cultivation strength, along with talents, skills, or any unique abilities the individual might possess. Yet what Theos now saw went far beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Studying the text on his screen, Theos realized just how precious his newfound powers might be. He recalled how his father had once remarked that the strongest cultivator in recorded history had a talent grade rumored to be as high as S-rank—the pinnacle of human potential. Yet here he was, staring at three distinct talents rated SSS, each marked Upgradable. Such a thing defied normal boundaries.

A slow exhale escaped his lips as he resolved to study the screen from the ground up. First, he focused on his race, which read "Human (Superior)." He knew for a fact that both Samuel and Elena were ordinary humans, so why did his status refer to him as "Superior"?

Clicking on the entry, he watched new text appear:

Although your soul has been destroyed and scattered for over trillions of years, the core of your soul has remained safe. Since your soul is the purest in existence, the body/race of the user has been upgraded from the effect of the purity of your soul.

"What? My soul?" he whispered in disbelief. Father had often told him legends about reincarnation, but he had never truly believed in them. Now, this screen suggested he was alive trillions of years ago—a notion both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Yet rather than feeling overwhelmed, Theos stayed calm, guided by the steady mindset.

Next, his gaze drifted to his "Title" section, where it read "???? (Locked)." Typically, a status screen never hid anything, but here was a piece of information he couldn't access no matter what he tried. Accepting the dead end for now, he moved on.

He saw another entry: Reincarnator. Clicking on it brought up:

You are a reincarnator. Because you have experienced many things in your past life, you will be able to comprehend those things very easily in this life.

"Mmm... so it's confirmed I've been reincarnated," Theos thought. "That explains why I can pick up skills so fast." He recalled how he'd learned the basics of dagger handling just by secretly observing a traveling cultivator practicing in the village one evening. When he tried repeating those same motions at home with a kitchen knife, it felt strangely instinctual, almost as though he had done it all before.

Turning his attention to his cultivation data, Theos noticed that his strength significantly exceeded his listed stage. He hadn't even begun formal cultivation, yet his raw power matched Bone Forging standards. "That must be the perk of this Superior race," he reasoned. "It's the only explanation."

He remembered how most adults in the village occupied the Spirit Gathering stage, though their combat strength rarely went much further than the Bone Forging level—some even reached Muscle Forging if they were lucky. That was largely due to the poor cultivation manuals circulating among them. Without better techniques or resources, they remained stuck in low-tier stages.

"I haven't started cultivating," he reminded himself, "so my current power has to come from this Superior status."

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Next, Theos focused on the spirit root entry, remembering how his father had explained that not everyone possessed a functional spirit root, even if they had a dantian. Without a viable root, one couldn't properly manipulate energy for cultivation.

"So this is the center of my dantian that lets me manipulate energy..." he whispered, reading the single line that displayed his spirit root's rank as Primordial. A faint shiver ran through him.

Many villagers in Elmsworth either lacked a spirit root entirely or had one of the lesser ranks—his father, for instance, owned a Bronze rank spirit root, which was considered barely adequate. The local rumor mill spoke of progressively more impressive ranks, including Silver, Gold, Earth, Heaven, Legendary, and Mythical. But "Primordial" wasn't something Theos had ever heard of.

"I have not heard of 'Primordial' rank," he muttered. "That means this is something even rarer than the highest ranks I know of... or it might be an entirely separate level altogether."

He paused, letting the significance of that sink in. 'No wonder my status screen is different. Everything about me seems to be off the charts...'

Turning back to the talents list, Theos tapped on Supreme Eyes (SSS). A small description box materialized:

The eyes that can perceive everything. They hold power over space and time, gradually unlocking more sub-skills as the user grows stronger.

'Eyes that see everything,' Theos repeated in his mind. With that phrase, he felt an odd tingle behind his eyelids. Curious, he focused on the newly acquired power. In an instant, his surroundings transformed. Swirling motes of colored energy filled the air, his vision sharpening until he could see dust motes drifting across the room. Even the gentle hum of a cicada resting on a distant tree branch became visible.

From red, Theos's irises grew impossibly brighter, as though they glowed. Everything around him seemed to slow down to a crawl, letting him observe each flittering movement of energy. Through the window, he spied the garden in meticulous detail—every leaf, every dewdrop shimmering like tiny gems.

But abruptly, the entire scene rushed inward, overwhelming him with sensory input.

"Argh!" he hissed, clenching his eyes shut as they began to ache. 'I guess thirty seconds is my limit for now,' he realized, rubbing away the stinging sensation. All he'd managed was to expand his field of vision, identify pockets of swirling energy—which he guessed were spirit particles—and sense the world as if it were slowed down. Still, that alone could drastically boost his comprehension and combat prowess, once he learned to wield it properly.

"This can definitely increase my comprehension and fighting power," he murmured, thoroughly impressed but also wary of its strain on his body.

Theos shifted his attention to Master of Every Art (SSS). Another window surfaced:

You can comprehend and learn any art in existence more easily than others, whether it is martial, scholarly, or creative in nature.

"Isn't this the same as my Reincarnator title?" Theos muttered, eyes narrowing in thought. "Does that mean I only have this talent because of that title?"

In truth, Theos was only half correct. While the Reincarnator title did grant him an uncanny ability to pick up new skills—owing to his past-life experiences—Master of Every Art (SSS) was a fully separate, innate talent that had been with him from birth. The title, by contrast, was something conferred by the system itself. Together, however, they worked in perfect synergy: the Reincarnator aspect sharpened his aptitude for retaining and applying any skill he came across, while Master of Every Art expanded the scope of what he could learn, whether martial, scholarly, or creative.

Finally, Theos clicked on Energy Manipulation (SSS):

You are able to sense and direct various forms of energy, including spirit energy, qi, mana, or any other equivalent. This ability allows you far greater control of both your internal reserves and ambient energy in your surroundings.

"I see... so that's likely connected to my Primordial spirit root," he mused, rereading the description. A fundamental advantage in controlling energy would no doubt elevate his cultivation efficiency. It could also help him craft techniques most people couldn't even dream of.

Letting out a slow breath, Theos closed the hovering windows and gazed at the ceiling, absorbing the gravity of what he'd learned. Each new revelation carried thrilling possibilities—and sobering dangers.

'I need to keep all of this hidden,' he reminded himself, recalling the tragic story Samuel had shared about two powerful cultivators who fought near Elmsworth and destroyed much of the village without a second thought. 'But if I hide my abilities forever, I'll never grow strong enough to protect them from harm...' Reflecting on everything he had just learned, Theos felt both wonder and resolve.

"Mmm... to keep everyone safe, I have to become strong myself," Theos murmured, recalling Samuel's words of caution. Despite his father's warnings about the dangerous world outside Elmsworth, his innate optimism refused to be subdued. "And the best way to do that," he reasoned, "is to join a sect."

He carefully pieced together the knowledge he'd gathered over the years—every snippet of conversation, every rumor overheard, every bit of lore gleaned from travelers passing through the village. Thanks to his perfect photographic memory, which he'd never shared with anyone, Theos recalled each detail vividly. In this world, cultivation resources and knowledge were tightly controlled, and outsiders typically only had access to the most basic of manuals. This was why so many villagers, including his own parents, were stuck at the Spirit Gathering stage or could only muster minimal increases in strength.