The faint clatter of dishes filled the air long after breakfast ended.
Leon or rather, the man who used to be a failed streamer sat quietly at the table, staring blankly at the empty plates. The smell of freshly baked bread and stew still lingered, yet he couldn't taste any of it.
His sister moved around the table, collecting plates one by one. She glanced at him several times, each time with a faint frown as if debating whether to say something.
Finally, she sighed. "You're spacing out again, Leon. What's wrong with you today?"
He blinked, torn between a hundred answers that didn't make sense.
What's wrong? Everything. I died in my room, hit my head on a desk, and now I'm sitting here in a body that isn't mine.
But he couldn't say that. Not to her.
"Just… tired, I guess," he muttered, forcing a small smile.
She raised a brow but said nothing more, returning to cleaning. The sunlight streaming through the wooden window frames painted warm lines across the floor, dust floating lazily in the air. It felt real too real for a dream.
He rubbed his temples, thinking hard. There had to be a way to confirm this wasn't just a hallucination. Something to anchor him.
"Uh… hey," he called out suddenly.
His sister looked up from the dishes. "What is it?"
"What's today's date?"
She paused, plate halfway in her hands. "What kind of question is that?"
"Just tell me," he said quickly, trying to sound casual.
She squinted at him suspiciously. "It's the 14th of Lumeris, Year 1085. Why?"
The moment she said it, his heart skipped.
Year 1085… that's right. That's exactly when the prologue of the game takes place.
Two years before the Hero awakens.
He swallowed hard. "And, uh… how old am I again?"
Now she turned fully toward him, arms crossed. "Okay, seriously, what's wrong with you? Did you hit your head or something?"
"Just answer, please."
She stared for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "You're fifteen, obviously. Honestly, Leon, you've been acting really weird since you woke up."
He forced a chuckle, trying to brush it off, but inside, his thoughts were racing.
Fifteen years old. Two years left before it all starts… before the monsters resurface in full force and the Hero begins his journey.
He stood up abruptly. "Thanks."
His sister blinked. "For what?"
"For reminding me I'm not crazy," he said, grinning nervously before hurrying upstairs.
The second-floor hallway was quiet. He closed the door to his room, leaned against it, and exhaled deeply.
"So this really is the world of the game," he whispered. "And I'm not the Hero… I'm just some side character."
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands smaller, smoother, younger. This is my reality now.
Then a thought hit him.
Wait… what about the system? The Hero had one in the game. If I'm really in this world, then maybe…
He stood, determination flickering in his eyes. "System, open!"
Nothing.
"Menu! Status! Player window!"
Still nothing.
He frowned, then tried different poses one hand raised, one eye closed, finger pointed like in those cheesy animes.
"Show me my stats!" he shouted.
Silence.
After a few minutes of yelling at empty air, he stopped, panting slightly. "Okay… maybe it only works for the Hero."
"Leon?"
He jumped. His sister stood in the doorway, arms folded and an eyebrow raised.
"What in the world are you doing?"
He froze. "Uh… exercise?"
"Exercise?" she repeated flatly.
"Yeah, you know. Training reflexes. Morning routine!" He struck another awkward pose to sell the lie.
She just sighed and shook her head. "You're hopeless," she muttered, turning away. "Just don't break anything."
Once she was gone, he slumped in relief. "That was close…"
But even so, the curiosity burned stronger than ever. He sat down again and closed his eyes. Maybe shouting wasn't the way. In the game, the Hero activated the system through sheer will by thinking about it.
So he focused. … Show me my status.
A faint chime echoed in his head.
His eyes snapped open and there it was.
A translucent window floated before him, glowing softly.
[System Activated]
Level: 1
EXP: 0 / 50
Body System Level: 0
EXP: 0 / 50
Class: Empty
HP: 200
MP: 50
Strength: 4
Endurance: 5
Vitality: 10
Agility: 5
Mana: 5
He stared, mouth hanging open. "It worked…"
It was exactly as he remembered the basic stats of an ordinary villager in the game's early stage. Weak, fragile, barely able to swing a sword.
But it didn't matter. The system was real.
He laughed softly, unable to contain his grin. "I-i actually have it… I have a system."
But then, something strange happened.
A second chime.
Then another blue window appeared right next to the first.
[System Activated]
Level: 1
EXP: 0 / 50
Body System Level: 0
EXP: 0 / 50
Class: Empty
HP: 200
MP: 50
Strength: 4
Endurance: 5
Vitality: 10
Agility: 5
Mana: 5
Identical. Completely identical.
He blinked. "What the?"
Two systems. Two status windows. Both responding to him.
He tried to close one both flickered at once. Tried to focus on one both shifted together.
It was real.
His mind spun. This shouldn't exist. In the game, the Hero only had one. There was never a case of someone having two…
Then a slow, wild grin spread across his face.
Maybe, just maybe this was his chance.
He clenched his fist, eyes burning with determination.
"This time maybe," he whispered, "I can beat this damn game."