Daily sign-in increased from 3 → 5
Explicit probability distribution for rewards, integrated naturally into the system
Growth that is earned, not instantaneous
Story progression that follows logically from Chapter 3
No meta interruptions inside the chapter. The flow remains novel-style.
---
Chapter 4 — The First Rewriting
I knew it before the system confirmed it.
My existence had reached a point where remaining the same was no longer possible.
The sensation wasn't dramatic. No sudden surge of power, no blinding light. It was pressure—internal, structural—like something inside me had outgrown the shape it was forced to inhabit.
Mana pooled unnaturally around my core, drawn in by an instinct I didn't consciously command. The forest responded in subtle ways. Leaves trembled without wind. The ground hummed faintly, as if reality itself was holding its breath.
"Structural saturation confirmed."
"Evolution threshold reached."
"…So this is it," I thought.
"Affirmative."
"This will be your first evolution."
I didn't rush.
I remembered what the Administrator had said—evolution in this world wasn't just about power. It was about definition. Choosing what kind of existence you wanted to become.
"What are my options?" I asked.
Cursed Sage did not answer immediately.
Instead, information unfolded inside me—not as a list, but as directions. Vectors of possibility branching outward from my current state.
"Your race lacks a fixed evolutionary path."
"Available evolutions are influenced by accumulated factors: curse affinity, analytical integration, survival behavior, and conceptual cohesion."
"…Translate that."
"In simple terms: you are choosing what you will be known as."
I considered that.
In my previous life, I had been defined by nothing. A name that carried no weight. A presence that left no imprint.
I wouldn't repeat that mistake.
"I don't want raw strength," I said. "Not yet. I want clarity. Stability. A form that can endure growth."
There was a subtle shift.
"Evolution path selected."
"Designation: Spectral Sage — Initial Stage."
The moment the choice finalized, the world reacted.
Mana surged violently—not outward, but inward. My form compressed, condensed, shedding instability like dead skin. Where I had once been mist and fluctuation, I became sharper, more coherent.
Pain followed.
Real pain this time.
Not physical agony, but existential strain—as if every rule holding me together was being rewritten simultaneously. I felt my curse affinity flare, intertwining with the analytical structures of Cursed Sage. They didn't clash.
They merged.
"Integration in progress."
I would have screamed if I had a mouth.
Then—
Silence.
The pain vanished.
And something clicked.
I existed more clearly.
Not stronger—yet—but more real.
[Evolution Complete.]
[Race Updated.]
[Proto-Spectral Entity → Spectral Sage (Initial).]
I took a moment to process that.
"…Spectral Sage," I murmured. "That sounds dangerous."
"Accurate."
Before I could ask anything else, the system activated again—different from before. Deeper. More intrusive.
[System Update Detected.]
[External energy source identified.]
[Analyzing…]
"What energy source?" I asked.
The answer came from outside.
---
(Third-Person POV)
Deep within the sealed cavern, a slime underwent a miraculous transformation.
A Harvest Festival unlike any seen before rewrote its existence, elevating it beyond monster and into myth. The surge of energy rippled outward—not enough to be noticed by most, but sufficient to feed anomalies sensitive to world-scale phenomena.
The world adjusted.
Unaware that something else had just benefited.
---
Back to me.
[Harvest Festival–class energy detected (Residual).]
[Compatibility confirmed.]
[System absorbing excess conceptual energy.]
"…You're telling me Rimuru's evolution just powered my system?" I asked.
"Indirectly."
"Your third wish prevents exclusivity violations."
I exhaled slowly.
"So what's changing?"
[Daily Sign-In System — Upgrading.]
A cascade of information poured in.
[First Evolution Bonus Applied.]
[Daily Sign-In Chances: 3 → 5.]
"…Five," I repeated.
That alone was massive.
But it didn't stop there.
[Reward Probability Table Updated.]
The system displayed it—not visually, but as absolute knowledge.
Ultimate Skills: 25%
Unique Skills: 35%
Unique Items: 20%
Legendary Items or Above (God-class and higher): 10%
Common / Extra Skills: 10%
I went completely still.
"…That's absurd," I said.
"Correction. It is statistically balanced given your infinite growth vector."
"Balanced for who?"
"For an anomaly."
I laughed.
I couldn't help it.
This wasn't instant power. It wasn't cheating reality. It was a framework that rewarded persistence—and risk.
"System," I said after a moment, "confirm. These probabilities apply to each sign-in?"
[Confirmed.]
"…Five times a day."
"Recommendation: restraint advised."
I ignored that for now.
The evolution wasn't finished yet.
One final sensation surfaced—quiet, heavy, and undeniable.
"Your existence is now recognized."
"By who?"
Cursed Sage hesitated.
"By the world."
Not celebrated.
Not announced.
Just… acknowledged.
I wasn't invisible anymore.
That realization carried weight.
Predators stronger than me could now notice me more easily. Fate-based entities might sense irregularity. High-level beings wouldn't know what I was—but they'd know I existed.
Risk increased.
So did opportunity.
As the mana around me settled, I tested my new form. Movement felt smoother, more deliberate. My presence no longer leaked unintentionally. When I focused, I could anchor myself more firmly in reality—or loosen my cohesion to evade harm.
"…I survived my first evolution," I said quietly.
"And initiated divergence from known worldlines."
Somewhere, the story of this world continued along its familiar path.
But now—
I was no longer just watching from the margins.
I was part of the equation.
And tomorrow, when I signed in again—
Five times—
The world would have to respond.
Slowly.
I deliberately restrained my excitement.
Because power gained recklessly was power lost just as fast.
And I had eternity ahead of me..