Chapter 3: The Flicker of the System and a Race Against Time
"System."
The word slipped from my lips in a whisper, like a murmur in an empty room. Silence followed—seconds that felt like an eternity.
"Is it possible that I don't have a system?"
Nothing happened. No pop-up windows, no mysterious voices, nothing to indicate the presence of a system—just a faint silence that filled the room.
"Can I really survive without one?"
A bitter disappointment washed over me.
A sharp pain throbbed in my chest as the glimmer of hope I had clung to was extinguished.
Had I truly lost my mind? Was this just a feverish dream before my real death?
A cold laugh escaped my lips.
Even if I tried to escape, death would still be my fate.
Just as despair began creeping back into my heart—
It happened, as if luck had finally smiled upon me.
A soft blue flicker—not harsh or jarring, but gentle, quiet, as if it were part of the air itself. Then, particles of light slowly gathered, forming a transparent screen floating in front of me.
The screen resembled that of a smartphone, but it was made of pure light. Elegant letters appeared on it, welcoming me to the "Evolution System."
I was stunned by what I saw. Was this the kind of interface that protagonists in transmigration novels got?
"Welcome, Host. The Evolution System has been successfully activated."
A system! It worked! I couldn't believe my eyes. A powerful surge of adrenaline rushed through my veins. This isn't a dream! This is real! That means there's a chance!
"How does it work?" I asked, my voice trembling—perhaps afraid it would disappear if I spoke too loudly.
A new message appeared on the screen:
"Host, the Evolution System operates on the principle of completing tasks. Upon completing simple or complex tasks, you will receive valuable rewards, including experience points, abilities, items, and sometimes unique skills. These rewards will help you evolve and survive in this world."
Hearing its explanation, I couldn't help but wonder—
"Tasks?" I muttered. "What kind of tasks?"
Would it ask me to kill the final boss or unite the continent?
[Host need not worry—the System will never request something impossible. For example, a task could be as simple as: 'Wake up early in the morning' or 'Eat a healthy meal.' More complex tasks might include: 'Defeat a specific monster' or 'Master a magical ability.' Each task grants a reward proportional to its difficulty.]
[If you dislike a task, you may simply reject it—though some tasks cannot be refused, as they affect the world's structure.]
A wave of indescribable relief washed over me.
A feeling of hope began seeping into the depths of my soul—a hope I hadn't felt in years. If there were tasks, that meant there was a path to survival. A way to increase my strength, to change my doomed fate.
I can even have a harem of beautiful girls, right?
"Show me my stats!" I said eagerly. I no longer cared about the headache or the unfamiliar body I was in. All that mattered now was survival.
[Confirmed...]
The previous screen disappeared, replaced by a new one displaying my personal statistics.
[Name: Elias Vandom]
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Base Stats:
Strength: C
Agility: C
Durability: C
Intelligence: C
Willpower: C
Appearance: S
I stared at the stats, and a wide grin spread across my face.
C! Everything is C! This is amazing!
I had never smiled so broadly in my entire life.
In the original novel, I knew that most new students at the Magic Academy—even the talented ones—started with stats at rank G or F. But rank C? That meant this Elias Vandom possessed superhuman strength for his age! He was at least three times stronger than them!
If there was one word to describe him, it would be a monster with insane potential.
And yet, he dies at the beginning of the story. What a cruel twist of fate!
But the stats weren't the only surprise. My eyes landed on "Overall Appearance Evaluation: S."
S! The highest possible rank!
I hadn't known the system even evaluated appearance, but this confirmed what I'd seen in the mirror. Elias Vandom was exceptionally beautiful. With these stats and looks, this body should have been the protagonist—not some disposable side character!
Why would the author give him such beauty and insane stats just to kill him off at the start?
A mix of excitement and madness surged through me. Am I lucky or unlucky?
Lucky because I got a strong, handsome body.
Unlucky because this body was destined to die.
But this meant I had a solid foundation. My base stats were far above any ordinary student's, giving me a massive advantage. Maybe I really could change my fate.
No—I must change my fate.
Whether I was a puppet in the hands of a god or the author, I would do whatever it took to benefit myself—even if it meant stealing the protagonist's rewards.
If the author wanted to make me a stepping stone for the hero...
Then I'd use the hero as my stepping stone.
I closed the system window with a tap of my finger, and the room returned to normal—quiet, but no longer as dull as before.
Everything was in its place—just a boring room. I glanced around at the plain walls and the small closet. I needed to check the time. When does the demon attack happen?
I remembered that the demon attack occurred in Chapter 20 of the novel, on the day the protagonist entered the academy.
But what day was it now? How much time did I have left?
I moved toward the calendar hanging on the wall beside the bed. My eyes scanned the days and weeks, and with each passing date, my heart tightened.
One week.
I rubbed my eyes to make sure the calendar wasn't wrong.
Yes, it was written clearly. The date indicated that the demon attack would happen in just one week!
Meaning Elias Vandom was supposed to die in seven days.
Not two or three months—one week! That was insane! Had I misread the date? No, it was correct.
Despair clamped around my chest again, stronger than before.
One week.
One week to survive an attack that would slaughter hundreds of students—including me.
This was impossible!
"Are you fucking kidding me?!"
I began frantically searching the room for anything—anything—that could help me. I yanked open the closet. It was nearly empty, just a few plain clothes that wouldn't even be useful in a fight against demons. I lifted the mattress, checked under the bed—nothing.
This was the apartment of a poor student, hiding no treasures.
How could the top student at the academy be this broke?
The room was modest, showing no signs of wealth or power. No magic weapons, no ancient scrolls, not even a beginner's spellbook.
It was as if the original owner had deliberately lived here—like he was running from something.
Just a simple bedroom, like a prisoner's cell waiting for execution.
With his rank, he could've lived in the academy's best dorms. So why was he here?
Hopelessness seeped into every cell in my body. I was searching for anything meaningful, anything that could give me even a slight advantage—but I found nothing. Just old, torn textbooks.
Was this my second chance? To die in a week?
Then, suddenly, I stopped.
My gaze landed on the nightstand beside the bed.
There was one book—thick, ancient, looking as if it had survived the dust of time. Unlike the textbooks, its cover was dark, engraved with strange symbols I couldn't decipher.
Was this it? Was this my last hope?
With trembling hands, I reached out and picked it up. It was unex
pectedly heavy, as if its pages were made of lead. I dusted it off with my pale fingers, then opened it.
And I was stunned.
End of Chapter.
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