The ancient pages of the Primal Codex dissolved into countless motes of light.
Only the gentle rustling of leaves remained.
Yevhen leaned back against the trunk of the oak tree, allowing himself a long, steady breath.
"So..."
"I'm really inside Divine Nexus."
The excitement from receiving the mysterious Primal Codex had almost made him forget one important thing.
This was still a game.
At least... that was what everyone believed.
He raised his hand.
"Status."
A familiar blue window materialized before him.
Character Information
Name: Yevhen
Race: Human
Class: Novice
Level: 1
Health: 100 / 100
Mana: 50 / 50
Attributes
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Vitality: 5
Intelligence: 5
Spirit: 5
Titles
None
Reputation
Neutral
Faction
None
Combat Mode
Disabled (Protected Zone)
Everything was exactly as before.
Perfectly average.
Yevhen smiled.
"At least they didn't secretly make me overpowered."
His attention shifted toward another tab.
Skills.
He selected it.
A new panel appeared.
Skills
Passive
• Basic Human Physiology
• Beginner's Adaptability
Active
None
Unique Skills
Echo of Origin (Unique)
Level: 1
The Primal Codex allows its bearer to observe another individual's technique and temporarily reproduce one learned skill.
Copied skills remain active for a limited duration.
Permanent acquisition requires complete comprehension of the skill's Truth.
Current Recorded Skills:
None
Yevhen reread the description several times.
"So..."
"It doesn't copy strength."
"It doesn't copy talent."
"It copies understanding."
He recalled the final sentence written inside the Codex.
Power without comprehension is fleeting.
A grin slowly formed.
"So if someone learns a legendary sword technique after ten years..."
"...I can imitate it."
"But if I truly understand it..."
"I can make it mine forever."
His heart raced.
It wasn't an unfair ability.
If anything...
It demanded far more effort than ordinary talents.
The Codex rewarded learning.
Not luck.
Not bloodlines.
Not destiny.
Yevhen couldn't help but laugh.
"I actually like that."
Closing the Skills tab, he explored the remaining menus.
Achievements.
Friends.
Mail.
World Map.
Crafting.
Guild.
Everything resembled the interfaces he had seen in promotional videos before the game's release.
Then another icon caught his attention.
Inventory
"Oh."
"I completely forgot."
He tapped the icon.
A spacious grid unfolded before him.
Most of the slots were empty.
Only three items rested inside.
Novice Traveler's Outfit
A simple set of clothing suitable for beginners.
Training Wooden Sword
Attack: 1–2
Durability: 100%
The final item glowed softly.
Its description immediately drew his attention.
Identity Scroll
Grade: Special
A one-time registration item distributed to every new player.
Allows the user to permanently register an adventurer's name.
Warning:
Once confirmed, the chosen name cannot be changed except through extremely rare means.
"So that's how names are registered."
He reached toward the scroll.
The parchment floated into his hands before unraveling by itself.
Golden letters appeared before him.
Please register your Adventurer Name.
A blank space waited beneath.
Yevhen stared at it.
"What should I call myself?"
Many names came to mind.
Something fierce.
Something mysterious.
Something that would intimidate everyone.
He quickly shook his head.
"No..."
"That's not me."
He wasn't born talented.
He wasn't blessed by fate.
He wasn't a chosen hero.
He was simply...
Ordinary.
He remembered lying in a hospital bed, unable to take even a few steps without pain.
Compared to the countless gifted players entering Divine Nexus...
He was probably among the most average.
Yet...
His eyes slowly drifted upward.
Beyond the village rooftops stretched an endless blue sky.
Then he remembered his grandfather's final words.
"The strongest are not those blessed by the heavens..."
"...but those who rewrite them."
Yevhen smiled.
"If I'm ordinary..."
"Then I'll climb higher than anyone."
He didn't want a name that inspired fear.
He wanted one that reminded him of where he began.
A name that carried both humility...
...and impossible ambition.
His fingers moved.
One word slowly appeared upon the glowing parchment.
Aster
Yevhen looked at it for a moment before quietly chuckling.
"An ordinary man..."
"...who aims to shine and become the king above all."
Not because he believed he already deserved the throne.
But because dreams were meant to be higher than the mountains before them.
He nodded.
"I'll earn it."
Without hesitation, he pressed Confirm.
The scroll burst into countless golden particles.
A clear chime echoed throughout the air.
Name Registration Successful.
Welcome to Divine Nexus...
Aster
At that exact moment, another notification appeared.
Unlike the elegant blue interface of the game, this one was written upon weathered parchment.
The Primal Codex.
Observation Recorded.
A name is not merely an identity.
It is a vow.
The Codex acknowledges your resolve.
The page slowly faded.
Yevhen blinked.
"...Even choosing a name counts as a lesson?"
He laughed.
"I have a feeling..."
"...this book is going to judge everything I do."
Closing every window, he rose from beneath the oak tree.
The peaceful village of Mistvale stretched before him.
Novice adventurers hurried toward instructors.
Merchants shouted their daily bargains.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the village square.
Everything looked ordinary.
Just like him.
Yevhen—now known to the world as **Aster**—adjusted the simple wooden sword hanging from his waist and smiled.
He wasn't the strongest.
He wasn't the smartest.
He wasn't blessed with legendary talent.
But he carried something no one else possessed.
A heart that refused to stop learning.
And a dream so absurd that even the heavens might one day tremble before it.
With that single thought, the newly registered adventurer took his first true step into the world of Divine Nexus.