MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 4: Awakening-2

Anthony awakened several hours after the mysterious entity had vanished. Checking the time, he saw it was only 6:03 AM; his awakening ceremony wasn't scheduled until 10:00 AM. He recalled the entity’s words—that they could only meet again once he reached a level just below its own. Anthony immediately dismissed any foolish dreams of actually achieving that height.

Filled with anticipation, he called out internally, 'System.'

[Acknowledging, host...]

[Systems are currently binding. Please wait one hour.]

Anthony grinned. During the five-minute window he had been granted, he had wished for a specific configuration of systems. Realizing he couldn't possibly recall every single ability, he spent three minutes designing the systems and their functions, using the final two minutes to list every ability and talent he could remember or invent on the fly.

He suspected the entity might be literal-minded and refuse to optimize the system for him. He had read enough novels where powerful beings granted wishes exactly as stated without any fine-tuning, simply because the mortal's requests were so outrageous.

The first was an Infinite Resource System. This would provide him with unlimited supplies—be it health potions, stamina elixirs, currency, mana cores, Cultivation manuals, or skill books. However, the entity had imposed a monthly spending limit. Without that restriction, he would have effectively ruled the world already. As his strength increased, this limit would expand, meaning he could eventually pull out a weapon like Excalibur at no cost, though not yet.

He envisioned raising his own army, feeding them talent-enhancing pills from his stock until they were all geniuses. It was essentially a shop where everything was free.

The second was a Sign-in System. He could sign in once a day for random rewards, all of which were guaranteed to be at least Divine Rank. He had specified that 70% of these rewards should be abilities, with the remaining 30% consisting of items, artifacts, and miscellaneous treasures.

Furthermore, he demanded infinite storage space for any item, regardless of its source, and an AI assistant capable of answering his inquiries.

These were his current systems; his specific skills would only activate once his awakening was complete.

Anthony waited patiently on his bed for the initialization to finish. At 7:05 AM, the system chimed.

[Systems have been successfully merged...]

[Commencing host binding...]

[1%... 18%... 45%... 67%... 75%... 94%... 100%...]

Ding!

[Binding complete.]

[Host, please provide a name for the system. As it is a fusion of multiple systems, it currently lacks a designation.]

Anthony pondered for a moment. Since he came from an OP family and intended to be OP himself, the choice was obvious.

"I'll name it the OP System," he declared.

Ding!

[Name registered.]

Ding!

[OP System at your service, Master.]

Anthony’s face lit up like a child discovering the tooth fairy had visited. He felt like screaming and jumping for joy, but he maintained his composure like a man.

"System, show me the menu."

Ding!

[Host: ANTHONY NULL] [Age: 10 years old] [Race: Human] [Class: Unawakened] [Physiques: Unawakened] [Bloodline: Unawakened] [Talent: Cursed] [Skills: Unawakened] [Affinities: Unawakened]

Ding!

[Host must undergo awakening to unlock all abilities.]

Anthony felt a surge of joy as he reviewed the interface, feeling certain he could eventually reach the level of that entity. However, his fantasy came crashing down when his gaze landed on the Talent section. He nearly shrieked aloud.

Instead, his mind roared with fury.

'What the hell? I'm freaking cursed? Is that being messing with me after saying I would suffer? No, it wasn't him... who cursed me? A rival family? Damn it, what's the point of a system if I'm cursed? Am I going to fail my family today?' His heart began to race with anxiety.

Then, a realization struck him. 'Wait, the Infinite Resource System can provide anything. It can surely provide a cure!'

'System, who cursed me? How? What kind of curse is it?'

[The Host is afflicted with the Talent Blockage Curse. This is an Ancient Curse designed to seal a being's potential prior to awakening. As for the perpetrator, the Host must discover their identity through his own efforts.]

Anthony was reaching his breaking point. Ten years of patience just to be sabotaged? Never.

'System, what item in the resource system can break this curse right now?'

[Host, while many items exist to remove the curse, you cannot access them yet. Your spending limit scales with your strength. Due to the Ancient nature of the curse, you must reach S+ rank to afford the necessary remedy.]

'FUCKKKKKKKKKK!'

He was driven to the brink of madness. His mind went blank as he stared at the ceiling in despair. He had asked the entity for limitless talent in all things, but it seemed it was all for nothing. Time ticked away until 9:30 AM, when a summons arrived for him to head to the awakening chamber.

He walked toward his family members, trembling with nerves and uncertainty. He remembered their hopeful expressions from the previous week. When they saw his current state, they simply smiled, assuming his jitters were normal for a child about to awaken.

They entered the chamber precisely at 10:00 AM. Irene, his grandmother, produced an awakening stone.

"Place your palm upon the stone and channel the mana through your body. That will trigger the awakening," she instructed, stepping back.

After a moment of hesitation, Anthony resigned himself to his fate and touched the stone. It erupted in a brilliant blue light, signaling the start of the process as mana flooded his system. Soon, the system notifications began to chime.

Ding!

[Host has successfully awakened.]

[Host has awakened the Magic Swordsman class.]

[System detects Host is cursed.]

[By the authority of ???, the curse is hereby lifted. Backlash has been redirected to the caster.]

[Host has awakened the Primordial Bloodline.]

[Host has awakened the Beginning of All Things Physique.]

[Host has awakened mana and elemental affinities.]

Anthony was in a trance, reading the notifications with a heavy heart at first. When he saw the Magic Swordsman talent, he felt a spark of joy, only for it to be smothered by the memory of the curse. But as he continued reading to the end, he wanted to scream to the heavens that he was the greatest talent in existence.

Noticing his dazed state, his family called out to him. Snapping back to reality, he looked at them with a wide grin. His mother asked eagerly,

"What class did you get?"

"Magic Swordsman," he answered.

The room filled with smiles and congratulations.

"I knew my son had it in him," his father beamed.

"Hmph, you weren't even here for ten years. He's my son, not yours," his mother teased.

As they playfully argued over who he took after, Anthony retreated to his room for the day. The moment he was alone, he pulled up the system to re-read every notification.

'System, why didn't you tell me you could break the curse?'

[Host, the entity '???' commanded that you remain unaware so that you would experience the suffering and emotional turmoil. He stated that he found your distress prior to awakening quite entertaining.]

Anthony wondered if that being was truly a neutral force or a member of the Devil race, but he smiled regardless. At least everything had worked out in the end.

He focused his mind to check the skills he had wished for.

'System.'