NOVPUB
Chapter 45: COMPLETED
I glanced at the tiny figure still clinging stubbornly to my leg and sighed deeply.
"At least tell me your name," I said, trying to sound calm despite the absurdity of the situation. "If we’re going to be stuck like this... I deserve to know."
She looked up at me, those strange golden eyes wide and shimmering with a dangerous innocence. Then, she smiled, and for a moment, the void around us seemed to hold its breath.
"Hui," she said softly. "My name is Hui. And yours, my husband?"
I twitched violently.
H-Husband?
That word—uttered with such tenderness from such a small mouth—carried more weight than any sword I’d ever faced. My breath hitched, and I cleared my throat to disguise it.
"...It’s Chen Yu," I replied carefully. "Just call me Chen Yu. There’s no need to say ’husband’ again and again."
She tilted her head innocently, placing a finger on her lips like she was thinking it over. "Okay, husband."
My eye twitched again.
"That’s not what I—"
"If you don’t want me to say it out loud, then I’ll just whisper it in my heart," she said sweetly, her voice so soft it was almost a melody. "But I’ll still mean it. Always."
I stared down at her tiny form, wondering how I had ended up in a situation this ridiculous after barely surviving that last challenge.
This girl—no, this thing—was clearly more dangerous than she let on.
"...Are you sure you’re a demon?"
She blinked innocently. "Of course. A very rare one. Only one like me exists."
Figures.
I let out another sigh. If I really wanted to break free of her grip—emotionally, spiritually, or otherwise—I needed to get stronger. Much stronger.
Suddenly, her golden eyes narrowed.
"Husband... you were thinking something bad just now, weren’t you?"
I stiffened. "What? No! Of course not. Why would I—"
"We’re connected now," she said, her voice airy but sharp as a blade. "I may look small right now, but don’t forget—I’m still stronger than you. I can feel your emotions, your thoughts... even the ones you try to bury."
She reached up, placing her small hand gently against my chest, right over my heart. Her touch was cold—but oddly comforting.
"I can feel everything, husband. So don’t even think about leaving me. You’re mine now. Forever."
I instinctively stepped back.
She took a step forward.
I raised a hand cautiously. "Let’s not go throwing around the word forever so easily, alright?"
She gave a small giggle. "Too late. Our fates are already sealed."
I groaned inwardly.
It was official: Challenge 9 was over... but my real challenge had just begun.
I turned toward the swirling portal that had appeared ahead. The exit. Whatever lay beyond it had to be better than this mess.
Without another word, I stepped into the portal.
Challenge 10: System’s Fork
Difficulty: ???
Theme: Free Will vs. Predestination, Burden of Power
Instead of another hellish battlefield, I found myself standing in a pure white void—endless, featureless, and utterly silent. It felt... timeless, like nothing existed here except me.
A single glowing panel of text floated in the air before me.
[Final Challenge Initiated: System’s Fork]
[You will not fight. You will not flee. You must choose.]
Then came the voice.
Not a normal voice. Not male or female. Just calm. Vast. Empty.
"Chen Yu. You have exceeded expectations. But power comes with a price. You must now choose the path your soul will follow."
Three glowing options materialized, each one hovering like a phantom doorway.
Option 1: Embrace the System’s Blessing
Gain overwhelming power instantly—become the strongest in your world.
Gain full mastery over system functions.
Drawback: You will be bound permanently to the system. You cannot resist it or learn what lies beyond. You will be watched, used, and ultimately controlled.
[Warning: You will be a supreme puppet.]
Option 2: Stay the Current Course
Retain your class, powers, and Lawbreaker authority.
Keep all memories, allies, and systems intact.
Drawback: A transcendent existence has taken notice of you. If you continue on this path, you are expected to die within the next phase of your journey.
[Warning: Survival chance drops below 1% unless you change fate.]
Option 3: Reforge Your Path
Abandon the current class. Rebirth as something new—undetected, untraceable.
Gain a new class designed for evasion, deception, and resistance to cosmic manipulation.
Drawback: You must give up Lawbreaker temporarily and many current skills.
[Warning: Class change is irreversible. Outcome unpredictable.]
Just as I was trying to comprehend the weight of these options, a whisper echoed through the void.
It was Hui.
"Chen Yu... the system fears you. That’s why it’s giving you this illusion of choice. Choose carefully. But remember—I will follow you, no matter what you become."
Her words echoed in my chest. Even here, she could reach me?
The panel pulsed again.
[Please select your path.]
No timer. No hints. No guidance.
Just three roads—and the weight of my entire future.
Option 1? Instant power—but no freedom.
Option 3? A clean slate—but I’d lose everything I’d fought for.
I clenched my fists.
"Power given is always power taken. Freedom sacrificed is never returned."
My voice cut through the stillness.
"I choose... to stay the current course."
The void trembled, reacting to my resolve.
[Choice Confirmed: Stay the Current Course]
[Challenge 10 Cleared]
[Title Acquired: Fatebreaker]
[Warning: Your path has diverged from all known timelines. Prepare for the unknown.]
Then came another message. One that made my breath catch.
[Congratulations for clearing the 10th challenge. You are the only human in any known universe to have achieved this.]
The only one?
[Rewards Granted:]
• Trait: Invincible
• Subclass Voucher: Unlocked – New subclass now available.
• Trait Holder – You can now hold unlimited traits. Additionally, you may copy the traits of others and make them your own.
My heart thundered in my chest.
This wasn’t just evolution.
This was transcendence.
In my previous life, even the greatest heroes could only possess a single trait. And now... I could hold as many as I wanted?
I could steal the powers of others and make them mine?
I stared down at my hands, feeling the energy beginning to surge through them. This wasn’t the power of a system pawn.
This was the power of a system breaker.
The system had given me a chance to submit.
Instead, I’d chosen to walk the razor’s edge—and rise.
I wasn’t just some player in their game anymore.
I was becoming the variable they couldn’t predict.
The glitch they couldn’t fix.
The fatebreaker they feared.
