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In a mysterious place with no sign of life, a place with myriads of colors shifting and twisting, there is no air to breathe, no gravity to hold something down, no concept of space and time. It is nothingness — the void.

"...I'm dead. Killed by one of my girlfriends after she found out I have been cheating behind her back." Speaking softly, a hint of resignation lacing his tone, a young man was floating in that void. All alone.

Although he had come to understand his current situation, he was surprisingly calm, not freaking out right after recognizing his death. Normally, anyone in his shoes would lose their calm and freak out like old men whose beard got burned out.

That being said, the young man who seemed around seventeen-years-old named Ryan Maxwell. Standing at 171 cm, he had an above-average appearance, a well-featured face with dark brown eyes, which can be mistaken as black, matching his hair color. His figure was lean and slim, almost skinny. The most peculiar thing about him was his semitransparent body state.

To be precise, he lacked a physical body. He was only a soul, floating in that abyss for who knows how long. There is no such thing as "time" in that place. He didn't know how long he had stayed in that abyss. His sense of time was messed up due to the nonexistent concept of time.

"I wonder if I will meet God and acquire a privilege to revive in another world like in those fantasy stories. I died because of being killed by a scorned woman. If so, I hope that God will allow me to have some wishes..." He paused before smiling in self-ridicule. "As if! That only happens in fiction. I will probably end up in heaven or hell according to my karma. And knowing my previous lifestyle, I fear that I will end up in the hell..." He smiled wryly after his dry soliloquy finished. Then, he heaved a deep sigh in resignation.

Suddenly, something grabbed his attention. It was a blinking golden light in the pitch-black darkness. It suddenly appeared in his field of vision. Far from his position. Or so he believed.

"What is that?" He asked himself curiously. A beat later, he found that the light shifted. It became... "Eh? The light becomes bigger. No, it gets closer!?"

Before long, the silvery-white, no, the majestic platinum light stopped in front of him. It looked like a miniature sun. Around the size of a basketball. It didn't burn him despite their proximity. There was only a mysterious presence, which couldn't be explained in any known man's tongue. Such was the light's inexplicable presence.

He viewed the unknown light silently, inspecting the unknown object carefully. Initially, he thought it was his judge. An angel or something that would evaluate his karmic value. However, he quickly dismissed his baseless speculation when the strange platinum light ball was floating silently not far from him. Then...

[Requesting for the target's approval. Do you want to make a contract? Yes. No.]

He repeatedly winked his eyes, dumbfounded. He was honestly caught off guard by the abrupt request spoken in the emotionless, androgynous voice, which came from the light. "Contract?" He repeated incredulously. Still unable to follow the sudden development. "What did you mean by that? More importantly, what are you? Are you my "judge"?" He asked the light curiously.

[Responding. We are Supreme System. We are not the "Judge" you are expecting. We want to create a contract with you. Become our new host!]

After listening to the light's demand, Ryan's gaze at the light turned flat. Inwardly, his mind was working a mile per second. When the light introduced themselves as "Supreme System", he felt a glimmer of subdued emotions in his otherwise calm and unperturbed heart. It reminded him of something in his old life. After a short while, crazy speculation popped up in his mind. He remembered his favorite books with "Reincarnation" and "System" tropes and wondered if his inane plea from before had become real.

Regardless, he forced down his bubbling excitement and expectation. He needed to make clear of something first before he accepted the mysterious light's offer. He bluntly asked the light, "If I accept your offer, what will happen to me? What do you want from me? What can you provide for me?"

[Responding. If you accept our offer, you will resurrect and have another life. We only ask you to continue the duty of our former host. We can provide you with a chance to become stronger. There are also countless benefits we can give you, but you must accept to be our host first.]

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'So, my guess is spot on.' Ryan noted silently. 'Still, there is the duty as its host. Just what is that? Better yet, I should ask the light directly.'

Ryan returned his attention towards the light and asked it, "Tell me about this duty of your former host. And you say your former host had fallen, as in dead, right? Why was that?"

[Responding. The duty as our host is to protect Akashic Records from the threat that tries to destroy it. Our former host has fallen in the previous war against the threat.]

"Akashic Records? Like the one from Nasuverse?" Ryan couldn't help blurt out.

[Affirmative. However, Akashic Records is much more than that. Instead of a mere Akashic Records controlling a single universe, this Akashic Records has the whole multiverse under its control. Meanwhile, the Akashic Records you have mentioned is similar to a sub-system that acts as the helper of the one we spoke of to micromanage a universe. To make it easier to understand, imagine a multiverse as a giant tree. The tree rod is the Akashic Records we speak of. The tree twigs are the lesser Akashic Records and the universe under its control. The tree branches are the countless parallel universes based on the main twig. Finally, the leaves are the worlds existed within the universe.]

Ryan nodded slowly as he recognized the difference after the light used a simple comparison that even a fool such as him understand easily. Then, he remembered the disconcerting part of the light's story. "Regarding this threat, what is it? Speak honestly!" He demanded bluntly.

[This threat true nature is the manifestations of Nothingness. They try to reclaim Akashic Records as well as the multiverse under it.]

"And why they attempt to reclaim Akashic Records and the multiverse under it?"

[The truth is that this Akashic Records and the Multiverse under it are something that shouldn't have existed in the first place.]

"What did you mean by that? Explain!" Since Ryan was honestly intrigued and impatient, he pushed the light for an answer.

[Originally, this Akashic Records and the multiverse under it were created by our former host, who was also our creator. We don't know how He had done it. However, due to its unnatural existence, the Nothingness attempts to reclaim it. In other words, they are trying to return the state of Nothingness used by Akashic Records and the multiverse under it. Our former host was very stubborn in protecting His creation. Thus, he fought against the Manifestations of Nothingness for countless years.]

"Your former host was surprisingly committed to his cause and very overprotective of his creation," Ryan commented rhetorically. His voice was dry and his gaze was flat. He imagined what kind of a person this creator and former host of the light was. A stubborn one, for sure. Still, he couldn't help but respect such steely determination.

The light was silent, giving no response.

Soon, silence engulfed Ryan and the light. Since there was no concept of time, the flow of time in that place was incomprehensible. An instant feels like an eternity, and an eternity feels like an instant. Ryan was grateful he was in a spiritual form without a physical body. If not, his brain would turn into mush shortly because of the incomprehensible phenomenon that was beyond his puny brain to access and comprehend.

[Requesting. Become our new host.]

The light's demand broke the silence.

Ryan contemplated his choice for a few moments before finally giving his answer, "I have my last question. And this is very important."

[What is it?]

"Other than guarding that Akashic Records, I can do whatever I want, yes?"

[Affirmative. We won't take away your freedom. However, you must guard the Akashic Records from the threat of Nothingness. You can do whatever you want as long as you protect them.]

"Okay." Ryan nodded deeply, mostly to reaffirm his choice. "I agree. Let's create a contract!"

Right after Ryan voiced his agreement, the light rushed towards him and entered his body.