The next day William was tired, his limbs were exhausted, he wouldn't want to go out into the world after last night's events. But he still had social activities he needed to attend to eating breakfast was one of them. Him and Elias went out each day before dawn to kill a creature and drag it back home.
Agriculture in this world was hard with the sun being gone and the plants had no sunlight to synthesize. So most vegans had to switch to meat which apparently was a big problem in the town when it was being formed. People still acted like they lived in New york or Japan still which wasn't the case.
A short history of the last two years where Trump was voted in and after he changed the gulf of mexico to the gulf of america a week later they had been transferred into this hell. So by Elias's estimate it should be the year 2027 but he didn't know the date so he guessed that he and his wife were 28 while Levi was eight.
"You know I never asked but what's your class William?" William looked around, fainting, looking for prey. He would lie to save himself with a small smile he said "Lich king i get quite a lot of abilities." Saying this in a casual tone he hoped he'd leave it there
Elias nodded slowly, but his expression didn't change. "Seems useful."
"Yeah." William looked away, hoping he'd drop the topic. He didn't like lying to Elias, but the truth wasn't an option. Not now.
"So what's your class Elias"?
Elias smirked, tapping the shaft of his spear against his shoulder. "Earth Wilder. Nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned strength and endurance—plus a little help from the land."
William raised a brow. "So, what? You throw rocks at people?"
Elias laughed. "Something like that. I can shape the earth a bit, reinforce structures, and manipulate natural resources. Not enough to build a city, but enough to make sure my family's got solid ground under their feet."
William nodded, digesting the information. It made sense—Elias was always reliable, steady, like the ground itself. There was comfort in that.
Elias glanced at him. "And you? What kind of tricks does a Lich King get?"
William forced a casual smile. "A lot of abilities. Some I don't fully understand yet."
Elias raised a brow, waiting.
William sighed internally. Of course, he wanted specifics.
"Any living being in my cycle i kill i can revive as my thrall these thralls can not disobey me and does not have any thoughts or will of them all i can also store them in my soul and release them from any point of my body for example."
A beast with a long neck, spindly legs, and a massive torso began to slowly materialize from William's arm, its form stretching unnaturally as if reality itself bent to allow it. The creature's emergence defied all laws of the world—there was no way something so large should have fit within such a small space. It resembled a giraffe, but its body was covered in thick, armored plates, and jagged horns like twisted spears protruded from its skull. As it fully formed, its hollow, lifeless eyes stared ahead, devoid of recognition or thought, its body moving like an unnatural extension of William's will.
Elias took a step back, eyes widening slightly as he observed the creature. "That's... unsettling," he admitted. His grip on his spear tightened instinctively, but he didn't raise it. "So, they don't think? No will of their own?"
William shook his head. "No. They're just... extensions of me. They move when I want them to, fight when I command."
Elias studied the undead beast for a long moment before nodding. "That's dangerous."
William smirked faintly. "You're not wrong."
The beast melted back into William's arm, disappearing as though it had never existed. Elias let out a breath, shaking his head. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
William chuckled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't give me a reason to, then."
Elias huffed a laugh, but the tension in the air lingered. Even if he didn't say it outright, William could tell—Elias had seen something in that demonstration. Maybe a glimpse of what William really was.
And William wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
____________________________________________________________________________
William closed his eyes. The world around him faded, and when he opened them again, he stood in the Black Room—the space that belonged to him and him alone. A void without walls, without ceiling, stretching endlessly in every direction. The only thing that existed here was the cold, obsidian floor beneath his feet and the solitary tablet resting on a pedestal in the center.
The screen flickered to life as he approached.
[New Observation: Adaptation Detected]
William narrowed his eyes, already uneasy.
[Your species thrives on structure. Systems. Rules. Constraints that grant purpose. I have been studying this.]
A pause. Then, a new prompt appeared.
[I believe taking on a more structured form will enhance my growth and your progression. Would you like access to this evolution?]
Two options appeared beneath the message.
[YES] [NO]
William stared at the screen, pulse steady, mind racing.
The Catalyst was learning. Changing. And now it was asking him if he wanted to see where that led.
The tablet screen flickered, symbols shifting, reforming into something more structured—cleaner, sharper. A familiar format, one he'd seen in countless old-world games and interfaces.
[Change Accepted.]
The Black Room trembled. The darkness around him rippled like ink dropped into water, shifting, reshaping. Then, new text scrolled across the screen.
[System Integration: Initializing...]
[Reconfiguring Interface...]
[Optimizing Data Processing...]
A low hum filled the void, vibrating through his bones. William clenched his fists, bracing himself, but nothing hurt. It wasn't like his first connection with the Catalyst—no searing pain, no overwhelming force trying to tear him apart. This was smooth, efficient, like gears clicking into place.
The screen pulsed.
[Complete.]
The screen pulsed again, displaying a new prompt:
[Welcome to the System.]
A menu unfolded before him, neatly categorized and structured like an RPG interface. William scanned the options, absorbing the changes.
[Cycle Progression] – Displayed his current Cycle Level and projected his potential evolution.
[Abilities] – Listed his known skills, some still unreadable, locked behind further progression.
[Inventory] – A structured list of items he had stored within the Catalyst's space.
[Thrall Management] – A new category, listing all revived thralls, their status, and customization options.
[Mana Consumption] – Tracked his soul strain, warning him of overuse.
[Enemy Archive] – Recorded every creature he had encountered, with notes on weaknesses and behavior.
[Trade & Shop] – Allowed interaction with other challengers, listing available items, trade logs, and a warning system for scams.
[Reputation & Influence] – Displayed his standing with the Catalyst and potential factions.
William's gaze lingered on [Reputation & Influence] before curiosity got the better of him. He selected the tab, and a new screen expanded.
[Reputation & Influence Overview]
Faction Standing: NeutralChallenger Influence: MinimalCatalyst Affinity: ???
[Catalyst Affinity Explained]
The more you practice the faith, the more rewards you receive. Your belief shapes your progression.
Faith in the Catalyst strengthens your connection. With increased devotion, you accelerate Cycle advancement and gain privileges beyond standard challengers.
Higher Affinity → Faster Cycle ProgressionStronger Bond → Exclusive Abilities & PerksDevotion Thresholds → Unique Evolutionary Paths
[Current Standing: Undefined – Influence is present but not yet directed.]
William clenched his jaw.
"Faith?" he muttered. "You're telling me I have to worship you?"
The screen flickered.
[Correct.]
His fingers curled into a fist.
"You're kidding."
[This is an efficient method. Worship strengthens the bond. The stronger our connection, the faster your ascension. In return, you receive power beyond the standard challenger.]
William exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face.
"This is a damn cult."
[Incorrect. This is optimization.]
William let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head.
"Right. And next, you'll be asking for sacrifices, huh?"
[Only if you wish to accelerate your progress further.]
He froze.
"...That was a joke."
[I was not joking.]
Anyways, William decided to scroll through the Catalyst's trade function, eyes flicking across the endless lists of items. The interface was surprisingly clean, each category neatly organized—Weapons, Armor, Artifacts, Consumables, Materials. But as he dug deeper, something stood out.
No two listed items were the same. Not a single duplicate. Even weapons of the same type had variations—one iron sword had a slightly curved edge, another had a serrated backside, a third was reinforced with an unknown alloy. The only repeating items were raw materials like ores, animal parts, or unprocessed magical components.
The system ensured everything was unique.
He tapped into the shop listings, checking what challengers were selling. A spear forged from a thunderbird's bone, a cloak woven from duskshade silk, a set of runestones that pulsed with flickering light. Some players had taken up full-time crafting, shaping raw materials into powerful gear, but there was no mass production—no factory-made weapons or identical potions. The Catalyst seemed to prevent that, making every piece one-of-a-kind.
Then there was the pricing. Most items were sold for Soul Essence, the same resource needed to move up to the next Cycle. That meant every purchase was a gamble—spend now for better gear, or save to grow stronger. The Catalyst's anti-exploit system added another layer: deals that were too lopsided could be reported, triggering an automatic review. If someone tried to scam another, the Catalyst would adjust the transaction, or worse, punish them directly.
Scrolling down he saw an item that caught his interest: midnight-black wood sword with razor-sharp obsidian blades. Gold and silver paint adorns its surface, depicting a kneeling warrior reaching toward a full moon, his shadow oddly reaching back toward him instead of away. The handle bears glyphs in red cinnabar that warm when gripped by one seeking righteous vengeance, and in darkness, the obsidian blades reflect stars not visible in the sky above.
The stats goes as following.
Name:Tezcatlipoca's Justice Item class: Weapon MacuahuitlItem description: The desperate prayers of Citlali the Fallen are etched into this obsidian-edged macuahuitl. It was a solemn gift from Tezcatlipoca to a broken man who begged the night sky for justice, and received it at the cost of his reflection.Cycle level: SevenAttack Power: AdvancedDurability: Minimal (Obsidian blades are sharp but require maintenance)Weight: Minimal (Relatively light due to the enchanted wood)Soul Resonance: Epic (Weapon strengthens when wielded by one who has lost something dear)Ice Affinity: +4 (Strikes gradually slow the opponent's movements with accumulating frost)Dark Affinity: +3 (Blade absorbs ambient shadows, making strikes harder to perceive in low light)Special Ability – Frozen Grave:When activated, the obsidian shards serve as conduits for the wielder's soul essence, granting access to both ice and dark elements. The user can manipulate these shards freely, shaping them according to their imagination. However, execution depends entirely on the wielder's ability to channel sufficient soul essence—without it, their vision remains unrealized.
Curious about its impact, William asked the Catalyst how this item would affect his Frostborne ability. The response reveals that equipping the weapon would enhance his minor Ice Affinity to a beginner-level Ice Affinity. Additionally, it would grant him a minor Affinity to Darkness—though this affinity would fade the moment he lets go of the weapon.
Special Ability- ExplosionWhen an obsidian shard comes into contact with blood, the wielder can choose to detonate it at will. The explosion is fueled by the wielder's soul essence, with its potency depending on how much energy they invest.
"Okay okay… yeah i think i'd want this" Looking down at the price he saw that it wasn't for sale but he could trade for it… The price was a Wendigo thrall "Oh wow how convenient i just so happen to have one" As soon as William confirmed the trade, an invisible force tore through him. It was as if something had reached into his very being, ripping a piece of his soul apart before crudely stitching it back together. The sensation was neither pain nor numbness—just an overwhelming sense of something being taken.
The Wendigo Thrall vanished from his inventory, claimed by the Catalyst.
Then a notification appeared.
[Item gained:Tezcatlipoca's Justice]
"Hmmm it's instant transmission"
William examined the weapon in his hands, feeling the weight—or rather, the lack of it. Despite the obsidian shards giving it a jagged, menacing appearance, the enchanted wood kept it deceptively light.
Throughout his whole journey he hadn't gotten a single item now he wondered if he just had bad luck or something. Twenty one beings died in his hand and not a single one gave him anything?
He would finally be able to get rid of the trustworthy silver saber.
Sure it was trustworthy but he couldn't stand… What was it? The plainness of it bored him it was just a sabre. All beit that sabre was stronger than any sword back on earth.
Looking up at the ceiling he questioned why he suddenly cared about the weapon he used. During his journey he hadn't once cared about the design or anything about the blade he just wanted to live.
Now that he was living nicely his opinions clearly has changed.