The world of Aurelia was a place where destiny was bound by Jobs. From the moment a child entered the academy, they were measured, judged, and assigned a single path: warrior, mage, rogue, priest, or artisan. A job was more than a skill set; it was an identity. A knight would always be a knight. A priest would always be a priest.
Each city specialized in a single Job Path. Ironspire forged warriors, Mystvale nurtured mages, Shadowfen bred assassins, and so on. Once you entered a city's academy, your future was locked. No one ever broke the rule. No one had ever walked two paths.
At least, not until him.
---
Toma.The name itself sounded ridiculous to his classmates. Easy to remember, easy to mock.
"Toma the Tomato!""Hey, ketchup boy, where's your stem?""Don't trip, Toma, you'll squish yourself!"
They laughed. They always laughed. Toma endured. He tried to smile sometimes, but every attempt made his classmates jeer louder. His parents? Gone—no one in Ironspire even knew if they had died in war or abandoned him at birth. The academy matron had taken him in reluctantly, and the only thing she ever said was:
"Be grateful you were left alive. The world doesn't need another failure."
He wasn't strong. He wasn't smart. He wasn't rich. And in Ironspire Academy, that made him a perfect punching bag.
---
It was a cold night when the group of older academy boys cornered him at the training grounds. Toma had only wanted to sneak in extra practice, swinging a wooden sword until his hands blistered. He thought maybe if he worked harder than anyone else, someone—anyone—would notice.
But they noticed for the wrong reason.
"What's this? The tomato thinks he can ripen into a knight?""Pathetic.""Let's see how well fruit bounces."
The kicks came first. His ribs screamed. A fist to the jaw sent stars across his vision. Someone's boot crushed down on his hand until he felt bone grind against stone. He wanted to cry out, but his voice caught in his throat.
When they grew tired, one boy spat on him."Waste of space. You'll never be a knight. You don't even deserve a job."
They dragged him to the bridge outside Ironspire, overlooking the chasm where the river roared below. Moonlight glimmered across the black waters. The tallest boy sneered.
"Let's see if tomatoes float."
And then they shoved him.
---
Cold. The river swallowed him whole. He didn't remember the fall, only the impact—water filling his lungs, darkness pressing in. He sank. He struggled. His mind begged: I don't want to die. Not like this. Not forgotten.
And then… he touched something.Stone. Ancient. Carved.
His body, broken and drowning, was dragged along the current until it wedged against a half-buried shrine beneath the bridge. Moss covered it, but faint runes glowed, as if the structure itself was alive. His hand pressed against the markings, and suddenly—
The world froze.The water around him stilled. The darkness split apart.
And a voice laughed.
---
"Ding! Ohhh, would you look at this? Another dying loser! Congratulations! You've unlocked a once-in-a-lifetime hidden quest.*"
Toma gasped, lungs no longer drowning. His eyes darted around, but there was no one—only glowing text floating before him like a giant translucent window.
[System Installation in Progress…][Binding Soul Contract…][Warning: Soul exchange required.]
A chibi-like glowing figure appeared, arms spread wide like an angel, but grinning like a devil.
"Good evening, user! Or should I call you Tomato-kun? Hahaha! Anyway, here's the deal: You're about to die. Splat. End of story. Unless… you give me your soul."
"My… soul?" Toma croaked.
"Yes, yes, nothing major! Just a teensy-weensy eternal bond where I control every quest, every choice, and every little thing you do. In exchange, you get something even better: Power. You want to be a knight? A mage? An assassin? Heck, all of them? I'll let you. All paths, all jobs, all stats. No limits. Well, except the ones I make up. Hehe."
Toma hesitated. He wanted to scream no—but no strength remained in him. His chest ached. His heart begged. Anything. Anything to live. Anything to prove them wrong.
"Do you accept this deal?" the System chimed. "Yes or yes?"
"What—what do you mean yes or yes?!"
"There's no no button! Come on, pick quickly before you drown again!"
"I—" His voice cracked. Tears mingled with the water around him. "…Yes."
"Ding! Soul Contract Complete!"
---
Light consumed him. His wounds closed. His broken ribs snapped back into place. His vision cleared, sharper than ever. And then the pain came—a burning sensation ripping through his chest, like chains latching onto his very being.
"Congratulations, Toma! You are now bound to the Infinite System™—patent pending. Side effects may include nausea, dizziness, loss of privacy, and eternal suffering. Enjoy your stay!"
The glowing figure somersaulted midair, showering sparkles everywhere.
Toma groaned. "What the hell… what are you?"
"Your best friend, your worst nightmare, your teacher, your babysitter, your stalker—oops, did I say that out loud? Anyway, think of me as your Mentor System. And you, my dear Tomato, are my new guinea pig."
"I'm not a tomato!"
"Correction: You are now a Level 1 Soulbound Tomato Adventurer. Stats incoming!"
A screen popped up:
[Name: Tomato][Job: Unassigned][Level: 1][Stats: Pathetic across the board]
"Wha—why does it say Tomato?!"
"Because I think it's funny! Hehe. Don't worry, you can change it later—oh wait, no you can't! System privilege. Moving on!"
---
Before Toma could argue further, another screen appeared:
[Quest: Survive Your First Night]Objective: Get out of the river alive.Reward: +5 Stat Points.Failure: Death (again).Accept? (Yes/Yes)
Toma clenched his fists. "…Do I even need to answer?"
"Yes!"
"Fine! YES!"
"Quest Accepted! Now swim, tomato boy! Swim like your life depends on it—because it does!"
And so he swam, every stroke burning, every gasp reminding him he had chosen to live—even if it meant selling his soul to a troll.
When he finally dragged himself to the shore, coughing and broken but alive, the System clapped.
"Woohoo! You did it! Barely! 1 out of 9999 quests completed. Don't die yet, Tomato—we've only just started!"
Toma collapsed, staring at the moonlit sky. His life as a nobody was over. His life as the System's plaything had just begun.
A/N:
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