(The chapter has been modified)
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Arthur sat on a decayed tree trunk, its surface covered in a cold, damp layer of moss, while the first threads of morning light slipped shyly through the thick branches above him.
The light was not warm… but pale, as if the sun itself hesitated to touch this forest.
Silence enveloped the place—an unsettling silence.
Not the silence of absent life… but the silence of something watching.
Arthur was calm.
Calm in a way that did not suit someone who had survived chaos only minutes ago—chaos that nearly ended his life.
As if death was no longer a monumental event.
As if destruction had become a familiar part of his day.
This was not the calm of bravery…
but the calm of someone who had grown used to loss, and no longer feared it.
He slowly moved his gaze, observing the dark tree trunks, the damp ground bearing traces of old footprints, and the thin mist crawling between the trees as if it were breathing.
Then he suddenly spoke, his tone devoid of hesitation:
"Why are we in the forest?"
He paused for a second, then continued:
"Wouldn't it be better to start changing my miserable life immediately?
I know this world… I know its economy, its cities, the merchant families, even the crises that will happen later."
He clenched his fingers slightly.
"If I make a few simple investments at the right time… I could earn a fortune enough for ten lifetimes."
A moment of silence passed.
Then the system's voice came, less playful than usual:
[Yes… that's true.]
It paused briefly, as if choosing its words carefully.
[But if you do that now, we'll lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—an opportunity… not related to money.]
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"Let me guess…"
"Someone's fate?"
[Exactly.]
Arthur raised his head slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"You know I don't believe in romantic destinies."
[No… I didn't know. But that is precisely why this opportunity matters.]
Arthur turned his head toward the dense forest ahead.
"Fine…"
"Talk."
"Tell me what I need to know… before you throw me into another problem."
The system's tone suddenly shifted into an enthusiastic, celebratory one that clashed completely with the forest's stillness:
[At your service, Lord Arthur!]
[You asked for information… and I'm ready to amaze you!]
Arthur clenched his jaw.
"If you're going to talk, then talk quickly."
"Your noise annoys me."
[Ah, ah… truly hard to please.]
Then the system continued in a more serious tone:
[First: you are now in the Eastern Forest of the Loraice Continent.]
[The point where I placed you is known as the Forest of Stillness.]
It paused for a second.
[A place famous for its calm… but not as safe as it seems.]
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"I knew it."
"This area is used as a starting point in the game."
"Weak monsters, scarce resources, but suitable for early training."
[Excellent!] the system said with exaggerated admiration.
[At least your memory is still functioning properly.]
Arthur did not comment.
"And what about this body?"
"Its condition… its limits…"
"I don't just feel weak—
I feel as if I'm trapped inside it."
A faint sound echoed, like pages being flipped.
[Displaying…]
[…Complete.]
A transparent window appeared before him, its edges flickering with faint, unstable light:
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[Name]: Arthur Gray [Mike]
[Age]: 13 years
[Rank]: Commoner — Unclassified
[Race]: Human ???? [Undefined Error]
[Origin]: Unknown?
[Physical Condition]: Weak — Stable
[Curses]: 5 unknown curses
[Compatibility]: Body integration rate: 48.8%
[Warning]: Incomplete integration — risk of future instability
---
[Traits]:
• Emotional coldness (Passive)
• High intelligence
• Combat analysis ability
• Extremely high mental resistance
---
---
[Attributes]:
• Strength: 3.67%
• Endurance: 7.00%
• Intelligence: 50.89%
• Mana: 0.98% (Very weak)
• Charisma: 73.98%
---
---
Arthur stared at the window for several seconds.
He did not feel shocked.
Only irritated.
"Weak… this body is annoyingly weak."
The system laughed lightly:
[That's how heroes always begin!]
[Poor, orphaned, weak… and then they become legends.]
Then it added mockingly:
[But don't worry… at least you're handsome.]
[That's a power in itself.]
Arthur lifted his gaze toward the sky, barely visible through the branches.
"You're truly an idiot."
Then he said coldly:
"But I wonder… how did this person survive in the original storyline?"
The system burst into laughter:
[Because he becomes the legendary king of flirting.]
It stopped, then its tone changed.
[But jokes aside… you possess something no one else in this world has.]
Arthur slowly turned.
"Go on."
[A unique skill. A gift granted only to those who come from outside this world.]
Another window appeared before him:
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[Unique Skill: Insight Eye — Level 1]
Description:
Analysis and possible event paths.
Additional Functions:
• Weak point detection
• Ability analysis
(Unlocks direct death-danger prediction at Level 5)
Note:
This skill can evolve and unlock additional functions later.
---
Arthur read the description carefully.
No excitement appeared on his face.
But his eyes glinted for a brief moment.
"…Not bad."
[I knew you'd say that.] the system replied proudly.
[You can thank me later… with a nice gift.]
"I'll think about it when I actually have money."
The system laughed.
[I hope I live long enough to see that day!]
Arthur stood up slowly, brushing mud and dirt from his torn clothes.
He stood straight despite the weakness of his body, as if willpower alone was holding him upright.
"If I'm at the beginning of the game…"
"Then that means nothing has happened yet."
[Correct.]
"And the original protagonists…"
"They're still just children or trainees."
[Not yet. Everyone is still at their beginning.]
Arthur closed his eyes for a moment.
Images of the original routes passed through his mind…
Wrong decisions…
Victims who had never been given a choice.
Then he opened his eyes.
There was a sharp glint within them.
"Then… it's time to change the story."
The system's voice trembled with excitement:
[That's what I like to hear! Where are we going first?]
Arthur replied with calm, lethal determination:
"To the academy."
"Where everything begins… and where everything breaks."
Then he added:
"And since admission starts at sixteen…"
"I have three years."
He clenched his fist.
"Three years to turn this weak body… into something the world cannot ignore."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then—
[Very well, Arthur Gray… let's see how fate will try to stop you.]
And thus…
The first thread of his new fate began to move.
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