Noah stared at the screen in front of him in silence, clenching his fist tightly, as he comprehended something.
"How does this thing work?" Noah asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion and astonishment, just as more screens appeared with the ringing of notification bells in front of him.
[The system is an advanced artificial intelligence capable of interacting with the host.]
[The host's will is what provides the system with enough fuel to operate. If this will ever fades, the system will extinguish as well.]
[The system is divided into three main sections: the store, where you can buy available items with the currency earned from completing tasks; the storage, a spacious area where you can store many objects; and the statistics board, which measures the host's attributes into numbers and facilitates the process of growth.]
[The system will present the host with daily tasks to complete within the available time. Completing them rewards the host with many prizes, and if the host fails to complete them within the specified time, a random penalty will be imposed.]
"Too many details…" Noah thought to himself, following the movement of the words as they materialized quickly before his eyes.
"A penalty? So I'm forced to grow… there's no better motivation than a beating, huh?" Noah thought to himself nervously, with a slight tone of sarcasm.
"I understand from this that as long as I want to walk and move forward, the system will stay with me, meaning I'm forced to change, continuously and without pause. If I don't, my lifeline will break and leave me… there's no room for rest either," Noah said, sighing in the end before lifting his head.
"This… is the statistics window, right?" Noah said in astonishment just before hearing the notification bell again and a new screen appeared in front of him as soon as the previous ones disappeared.
[Name: Noah Grace
Age: 18
Race: Human
Level: 1
Epithets: None
Strength: 1
Speed: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 3
Luck: 1
Active Missions: None
Skills: None]
"So, these are my stats," Noah thought to himself as he looked at the screen in front of him. His stats were really bad. He felt worried.
"I feel sick."
[Mission: Run for two hours without stopping
Available Time: Two hours]
"Run for two hours?! Don't you see my stats? I'll die if I don't stop every few minutes… But if I don't do it, I'll be punished. Maybe the system will leave me too… O-okay, fine. Running for two hours isn't worse than being whipped," Noah thought to himself, remembering a tragic incident with Blake, before shaking his head and clearing unnecessary thoughts before starting the task.
Noah went downstairs and ran outside. In the living room, Adonis was there when he saw Noah leaving.
"Noah? Where is he going at this time?" Adonis said to himself as he looked out the window toward a distant building, deep in thought.
"He'll be fine… but, may I ask why there are some people who have been watching me for a while?"
———
On the roof of a distant building, Elara was there with a taller boy who appeared older. He had short blonde hair, black-rimmed glasses, green eyes, and was holding a black book. He wore a white cloak with a red crescent moon symbol in the center, with a red four-pointed star inside it, and rings linked with several chains.
"Did he notice us from here?" Elara asked, her expression astonished, impressed by Adonis Aris' senses, who had noticed them from this far.
"...is that the strange boy you met?" the boy with Elara asked, looking at Noah from afar as he ran, sweating, already showing signs of exhaustion.
"Yes, that's him. He's really strange. I've been watching him since he ran out of school while a bunch of fools were chasing him. He had a big smile on his face, like he had found something really important to him," Elara described the scene she had witnessed earlier.
"You shouldn't have helped him. It's none of our business," the boy said coldly, still watching Noah from afar.
Elara stayed silent for a while, then spoke.
"That's what's strange about it. I didn't intend to help him, but my body moved on its own, and before I knew it, I was trying to protect him."
The boy looked at Elara, and it was clear he didn't believe a word that had just come out of her mouth. Elara pouted slightly and began playfully hitting his shoulder.
"I'm telling the truth!!" Elara pouted more while continuing to hit his shoulder like a child, but he kept ignoring her.
"Anyway, if what you're saying is true, then it means the 'Null fate' prophecy is correct."
"Hey, hey, don't rush so much. He's just a kid, and he is a flaw as well," Elara said, her voice hinting with concern and tension.
"But the fact that you saved him is enough proof to confirm it," the boy said, still showing a cold expression.
"Impossible…" Elara said, her expression anxious.
"Are you saying… this boy…?!"
She stopped speaking and tried to process what was happening.
"Of course, it's true if the prophecy is accurate. You know 'Lumina,' she always spouts nonsense even in serious situations," the boy said with a slight chuckle, turning away to walk off.
"Let's go anyway. The others are waiting."
The boy left, and Elara followed him.
———
Two hours later, in a public park, Noah arrived, panting heavily, running with difficulty.
[Mission Completed]
Noah sat on a nearby bench, leaned on it, and looked up. His face was red from exhaustion, and he panted, trying to catch his breath. He finally calmed down after a short while.
[Run for two hours without stopping (complete)]
[Does the host want to claim the rewards?]
"Yes…" Noah answered, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
[Host's physical condition has been restored.]
A green aura surrounded Noah, and he felt his exhaustion and fatigue starting to fade, to the point where he no longer felt tired.
"This is amazing…" Noah expressed his admiration for this reward. It was clear that it would become his favorite reward from now on.
[One stat point gained.]
Noah opened his stats screen and thought to himself that any stat would be useful. He would gain more and improve his stats, so his starting point didn't matter. He added the stat point to "Strength," and Noah felt a slight but pleasant warmth in his muscles, which quickly dissipated.
"This system is really impressive. What kind of being created it?" Noah thought. Anyone would be curious about the system's origin if they knew of its presence. Only mystery seemed to cover this artificial intelligence.
[The host received a mysterious magic box.]
"A magic box…?" Noah wondered as the box appeared in his hand.
"Open," he commanded, and the box opened to reveal a metal spoon.
"...a spoon?" Noah looked at the spoon in confusion. The system must be messing with him. There's no way this spoon is his reward, right?
"...Maybe it's one of those weird-looking weapons that are extremely powerful. I see these kinds of weapons in novels a lot," Noah muttered.
He accidentally broke the spoon and stared at it silently, then threw it on the ground.
"Cheap system!"
Noah returned home, and after a while, he entered. He found his half-sister Yserie sitting on a chair in front of the door, asleep. It seemed she had been waiting for him the whole time. Noah looked around. It seemed Adonis and Mirabel had already left, which was expected—they were both very busy. He picked up Yserie and carried her to her room, entered her room, and placed her on her bed, covering her with the blanket. Just as he turned to leave, Yserie grabbed his sleeve.
"...Don't leave…" Yserie said, gradually blushing, looking down and hiding her flushed face under the blanket.
"...I won't leave…" Noah replied. It seemed Yserie wasn't ready for the idea that her dear brother would marry soon. She had always been attached to him as a child and still was. Noah pulled up a chair, placed it beside her bed, and sat on it. He patted her head.
"Go to sleep now… It's late…"
"...Okay."
Yserie fell asleep while Noah continued to pat her head. He leaned back on his chair and stared at the ceiling in silence.
"How cruel is this world… to give you such disappointment as a brother… it is unfair, right?" Noah thought to himself, talking to Yserie in his thoughts, but more, he was speaking to himself, calling himself out. Though he didn't think too much of it, negative thoughts would weaken his will. Without his will, the system would disappear, so he needed to pretend to be brave at least, to fool the system and those around him, that he is worthy, that all of his suffering is meant for something.
[Would you like to activate "Special Training"?]
Noah stared at the message in confusion. Special Training? What could that be?
"Activate…" Noah's curiosity led him to start the training, and since he was full of energy, he wanted to release it so he could sleep.
[The system requests the host to close their eyes and try to sleep.]
This must be another joke. Noah was overflowing with energy, and it was hard to sleep, and now the system wanted him to sleep.
"You have an annoying sense of humor…" Noah expressed his frustration, but he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Then, Noah found himself floating in a dense black space, like the deepest parts of an ocean, yet at the same time, it felt like floating on its surface, endlessly, without senses, before a vast green field appeared beneath a clear blue sky, with a solitary, shaded tree nearby.
"W-Where am I?" Noah felt anxious. He was in Yserie's room, but now he was in a completely different place.
[The system welcomes the host to the "Other realm."]
"The Other realm?… Did I get transported to another realm?" Noah expressed his anxiety and extreme concern about his current situation.
["The Other realm" is a space that appears in the host's dreams once they activate "Special Training" and helps them build their strength inside it. Only the host's consciousness is transferred, while their body remains outside.]
"So, it's a space in my dreams, not a completely different realm… Wait, doesn't this mean I can get stronger… just by sleeping?" Noah wandered in confusion. He could get stronger just by sleeping. Isn't that a bit exaggerated? There must be a cost, right?
[Mission: Kill 50 Spiritual Bulls 50/0 (Incomplete)]
Killing spiritual bulls?! And 50 of them?! He was just a boy with no power. Even though spiritual bulls were ranked "E," this was impossible for him.
[Rewards: Physical and Mental Condition Restoration, 100 Gacha, S-Rank Skill "Influence Field."]
"W-What?! An S-rank skill?!" Noah said in shock, astonishment, and excitement at the same time.
An S-rank skill for such a simple mission was extremely generous of the system… but still, this mission was hard for Noah. However, he didn't intend to give up. Now that he had finally found survival tricks, he wouldn't let them slip away…
That's when it appeared from nowhere, its presence so overwhelming that the air felt heavy. The spiritual bull stands at six feet tall, a mountain of muscle covered in harsh, rough, reddish leather. Its horns curve sharply, slicing the air like weapons. Three eyes, cold and merciless, bore directly into your soul, each one dripping with malice and malevolence. There is no expression, no hint of thought—only a silent, oppressive presence that radiates danger, as if every step it takes could crush everything in its path.
Noah was tense, thinking to himself how he could possibly kill this creature. The bull noticed Noah and began to roar, charging toward him at full speed. Noah jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack and quickly getting back on his feet. The bull turned swiftly and charged again, but Noah managed to avoid it with great difficulty. However, the bull changed its course rapidly and stabbed Noah in the chest with its horns, piercing through to the other side, causing blood to pour out heavily. The bull pulled back its horns and stepped back.
"No… this can't be real…" Noah's voice trembled as he stepped back, feeling the hot blood flow from the hole in his chest. His legs wobbled, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes fixed on the spreading bloodstain.
"Am I… dying?" His breathing became shallow, his vision fading as his hands trembled while clutching his wound, but there was nothing he could do.
"No… I can't… I have so much to do…" He tried to keep his focus, but the weight of death was pressing on him, and all he felt was the horror of realizing he was too weak to survive.
[You died]