World's Last Hope

Author's Note:

' ' is for thoughts.

" " is for speaking out loud.

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[Calculating soul points…]

[Soul points in possession: 0]

[Attention! Receiving soul points from an external force]

[Received 100 soul points from ERROR]

[Please spend soul points wisely]

Seeing a hologram hovering above him was a surreal experience for Eric. He couldn't stop himself from asking, "What are you?"

[A system created to assist the chosen by the gods]

"So, I'm not the only one with a system?"

[Yes, but each system is unique in its own way.]

"So, what am I sup-"

Before Eric could finish, the system interrupted him.

[WARNING]

[Each time the system responds, it loses energy. Once its energy is depleted, the soul of the host dies along with it.]

[Recommendation: Communicate only when absolutely necessary.]

[Current Power: 940]

[1 power = 1 word generated by the system]

[Choose your next words wisely]

'Man, why does it have to be so complicated?'

"Okay, what actions use energy?"

[Answering questions: The higher the difficulty of the question, the higher the energy consumption. Engaging in conversations and similar interactions also consume energy. It is important to note that features like the shop, status screen, and similar functions are pre-generated and update in real time. Using these will only cost 1 energy point to open.]

'So, every time the system speaks, it consumes energy. It also said that the harder the question is to answer, the more energy it requires. I'll have to restrain myself from asking unnecessary questions. I don't want to die suddenly.'

After carefully considering his words, Eric spoke firmly.

"Then, what actions do you recommend I take?"

[Check the status screen. Spend all soul points in the shop.]

[Recommendation: Buy armor, a weapon, and an offensive miracle.]

'Miracle?' Eric wanted to ask but decided to save energy just in case.

"Status"

The moment he said the word, a small window appeared in front of him.

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[Status]

Race: Human

Name: Eric

Traits: Blinding Star, The Last One, The Cursed One

Soul: Faint

Miracles: EMPTY

Reminisces: EMPTY

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'It's pretty short. I wanted to preserve points, but I'll have to ask what these words mean.'

"What are Traits?"

[Traits are part of every living being. They represent an ability that is often accompanied by a flaw. More information can be accessed by selecting the name.]

Eric did as he was told and focused on the name Blinding Star. Immediately, another hologram appeared in the form of the system.

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[Blinding Star]

Description: In the empty cosmos, the lone star shines in the darkness, illuminating it.

Positive:

You cannot be corrupted

Some individuals will feel attracted to your soul.

Negative:

Like the stars themselves, you will often find yourself alone against the endless darkness.

Some individuals will feel repulsed by your soul.

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'So, some are repulsed while others are attracted to me? This is interesting...' Curious to see his other abilities, Eric focused on the next trait.

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[The Last One]

Description: The last hope from another world has been chosen. Should he fail, the world shall fall with him.

Positive:

Language Enthusiast – You understand every language spoken in these lands.

Last One – You have been granted exclusive rights to purchase special items from the shop.

Chosen – Most races will support you.

Negative:

Target – Monsters will always prioritize attacking you.

Your system feeds from your soul. Should you fail to gather enough energy, you will perish.

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'It feeds from my soul? I've read a few novels with systems, but I've never heard of anything like this.'

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[The Cursed One]

Description: You have escaped the jaws of death once… it will not happen a second time.

Positive:

Not unfamiliar with death, ERROR creatures will see you as one of their own.

Negative:

Death will not let go of its prey a second time. Should the host fail, hell will follow.

Some creatures will feel repulsed by your cursed soul.

Your eyes are crimson, making it impossible to hide that you are a curse-bearer.

Creatures would do anything to devour your soul.

 -----

'This trait is bad news—it's basically a permanent debuff. What does it mean when it says they would do anything? Would they follow me if I hid in a castle, for example? This could turn out to be catastrophic...'

"Wait, did it say my eyes are crimson? Since when?" Eric said, unable to believe the description.

[Your eyes are indeed crimson.]

He clicked his tongue. 'Shit, I just wasted energy.'

Not wishing to waste more time or energy, Eric asked the next question. "What is a miracle?"

[Laws-defining powers granted by the gods or their equals. Usually, they do not possess flaws.]

"What are Reminiscences?"

[Beings that reside in your soul, which can be summoned at any time with the cost of energy.]

"And lastly, what is a soul?"

This time the system didn't answer.

"What is a soul?" Eric asked again, raising his voice slightly.

[Unable to answer question]

'Unable? What the hell...' After a moment of hesitation, he changed his question slightly.

"What are the abilities of the soul?"

[The brighter the soul shines, the stronger the system connected to the host becomes, making the entire arsenal stronger.]

"Huh, how convenient," Eric said aloud.

[Convenient indeed]

'Shit! I did it again—I just wasted energy... Wait, what is energy exactly?'

"What is energy?"

[The essence of the soul]

'This makes sense actually'

"From now on, call it essence, not energy."

[Understood]

"Open a window that constantly displays remaining essence."

Immediately, a window that said [653 remaining] appeared in front of him.

'How is it so low already? Is it because of the questions I asked? I really need to be more careful.'

"Open shop"

Immediately, a window labeled [Shop] appeared. There were countless options, but soon Eric realized something.

"Why is everything locked?"

[The influence of the gods has disappeared, taking all of their miracles with them.]

"The fuck am I supposed to do now? Trying to survive in that world without magic… I'm doomed."

[Exclusive miracle available: The Set of the Cursed One.]

The system filtered out all the miracles unavailable to Eric, leaving him with just one.

[The Cursed Set]

[Price: 80 Soul points]

[Description: For everything there is a price]

"It includes armor, a sword, and an offensive ability. Well, it's not like I have much of a choice, so I choose this one."

[Purchase successful]

[Attention! Host is waking up!]

"Wait! Don't I have time to see what I purchased?"

[The city is about to fall. Wasting more time is not recommended.]

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

[Recommendation]

[Figure it out along the way]

"WHAT?"

Before Eric had time to protest, he was suddenly awake.

"It worked! The gods haven't abandoned us after all!" The voice of an old man shouted, full of ignited hope in his heart.

"Wait! Look at his eyes! He's a cursed one!" A young male voice echoed through the cathedral.

"It doesn't matter what he is! At this point, I'd take a demon, as long as it can fight," a young female voice responded angrily to the man.

As Eric opened his eyes, he observed his surroundings. He was in some sort of cathedral, surrounded by six priests and priestesses dressed in beautiful white robes, standing in the middle of a circle with hundreds of runes he didn't recognize.

But he didn't pay much attention to the details because the moment he looked down, he realized he was completely naked.

'Off to a great start.'

Even though Eric rarely felt embarrassed, standing naked and surrounded by twelve people—six of whom were breathtakingly beautiful women who would have been world-famous if they'd been born on Earth—was enough to make his cheeks flush slightly. He was about to say something when everyone moved in unison.

As everyone dropped to one knee, looking at the young man in the center of the summoning circle, the oldest man positioned at the front spoke.

"Oh, Last One, I know you must have thousands of questions, and I swear we'll answer them to the best of our ability."

As the old man spoke, the ground suddenly shook, almost like a massive earthquake was ravaging the lands.

"But we are currently in crisis. The walls are about to fall, endangering the lives of millions of people taking shelter in this city." The man lifted his head, looking directly into Eric's eyes as he continued.

"I know it's an unreasonable request from a person who just arrived a second ago, but please, save us! Help us push back the ravaging corruption!"

'Well, I have to do it, even if I don't want to. If the city falls, I'll most likely follow suit… If this is a magical world, these people could probably fight as well, making them potential soldiers. So, I guess I'll have to play the part of a fearless leader who will lead them to certain victory, to boost morale.'

Eric straightened his back as much as he could and tried to make his voice sound as cold and commanding as possible.

"I am Eric, the last warrior chosen by the gods themselves. No matter if our enemies outnumber us 100 to 1, as long as I am on the battlefield, victory is certain."