"Ur, I feel like you've changed a lot lately!"
Ur was deep in thought when Happy suddenly blurted that out. The words startled him, but he kept a calm face, replying with his usual blank look.
"Really?"
"Yeah! You used to barely say a word. Every time Natsu and I came to find you, we'd be the only ones talking," Happy said through a mouthful of fish.
"What's so strange about that? We haven't seen each other for over a month. A few changes are perfectly normal."
"Men and cats are the same," Happy declared matter-of-factly. "Don't see them for three days, and they grow so much you can't even recognize them!"
For Ur, tricking simple minds like Natsu and Happy, Ur barely had to lift a finger. He could improvise nonsense on the spot and still have them spinning in circles.
"Aye, sir!"
Sure enough, Happy's little eyes squinted into happy crescent moons at the mention of "growing up," thoroughly entertained by the notion of it.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
After eating a little something in the cafeteria, Ur finally felt somewhat better.
Since he was still a minor and not yet a full-fledged mage, his meals were free. Natsu, on the other hand, was a registered mage, which meant he had to pay. And considering how much he had just inhaled…
He and Happy dashed off to the guild hall the second lunch ended to grab a job, of course. If they didn't take on some mission soon, they'd be eating air for dinner.
As for Ur, the moment they left, he hurried back to his room. Ever since realizing he'd landed in the Fairy Tail universe, a certain pressing thought had taken root in his mind.
The moment he got back, Ur beelined for the bed. He fumbled around for a while before finally pulling out an old notebook and a few worn scraps of paper from under the mattress.
The notebook surprised him—he hadn't noticed it before.
But after a glance, he set it aside. His attention had locked onto those old scraps of paper. They were covered in strange symbols he couldn't fully decipher. Still, there was one thing he did recognize.
"500J."
That's right.
These weren't just scraps—they were banknotes. It was Fiore's currency.
Ur had come across them once before, but he hadn't realized what they were at the time. Now that he knew, he didn't hesitate.
He immediately called out to the system.
"Sys—"
He didn't even finish the word before the interface sprang to life in front of him.
The display shifted, and a small, penguin-like creature bounced in place. Then, bold characters scrolled across the panel:
[Penguins: Turning Money Into Happiness!]
"..."
Ur stared at the screen, speechless.
The message vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a more familiar prompt.
[Would you like to top up your balance, Host?]
"..."
Ur swore he had never seen a system this shameless in his life. It was like capitalism had taken on a digital form. Honestly, it was an embarrassment to be associated with it.
"Top up."
He spat the words out like they tasted bitter.
Ding!
The money vanished from his hands, and a new notification appeared on the screen.
[Host has successfully topped up 1,400J. Level 1 Membership activated. Congratulations! You've earned 1 free spin!]
[Would you like to spin now?]
"Yes!" Ur answered instantly.
A swirling black vortex appeared at the center of the panel, spinning like a slot machine. Ur watched with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
Ever since realizing he was in the world of Fairy Tail, a sense of urgency had begun to build within him. This was a world that revolved around strength. Without power, survival was next to impossible.
He had been reborn.
There was no way he was going to spend his second life rotting in an orphanage.
His thoughts scattered wildly as the vortex spun faster…
A flood of thoughts surged through his mind.
Ding!
The vortex on the screen abruptly stopped spinning. A glowing light emerged from its center and shot straight into Ur's body.
Moments later, he could feel the change.
His body tingled, almost like tiny electric shocks dancing across his skin. His stomach, especially, felt like it had turned into a furnace. Even though he'd just eaten, an overwhelming, almost painful hunger started gnawing at him again.
Then came the system notification:
[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the passive ability of Hero: Cho'Gath, Terror of the Void's "Void Hunger"!]
[Your body has received minor physical enhancements…]
[Your stomach has been significantly strengthened…]
[Passive Skill – Void Hunger: By devouring the flesh and blood of living beings, you can absorb their life essence to restore and increase your vitality. The effectiveness scales with the target's strength.]
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
Ur blinked.
"Wait, System… are you sure this passive is correct? If I remember right, Cho'Gath's passive in the game wasn't this. Isn't it supposed to restore health and mana when you kill minions? This sounds more like his ultimate."
He instantly understood what the system meant by "hero."
Terror of the Void.
Cho'Gath.
A champion from League of Legends.
He wasn't good at the game. But he remembered enough of the champions and their skills to know this passive didn't match.
Then the system responded, as snarky as ever.
[Host, are you an idiot? How could skills from a game possibly exist in reality? Ever heard of science?]
Ur felt like a herd of elephants had stomped him.
A system lecturing him about science?
Have you forgotten what you are, you walking contradiction!?
He nearly exploded on the spot.