In the void, Kael opened his eyes, a virtual panel immediately appeared before him. Data scrolled one by one, a progress bar floating alongside various information that filled his field of vision.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host! Mission System successfully loaded! Bound to host!]
Kael's confused gaze turned into excitement, though his body remained frozen. After all, he was someone reborn from the future, what strange things had he not experienced?
He had heard about systems and their creators before, and he understood just how powerful and useful they were. So how could he not be happy upon learning that he had, by chance, become a system's host?
"I… I have a system?" he muttered, nearly bursting into laughter, before the system's cold voice echoed again.
[Attribute digitization complete.]
The panel displayed the statistics clearly:
[Host: Kael Mercer]
[Level: 1 (0/80)
Mission Points (MP): 0
Existence Weight: 0.8% (Almost unknown)]
Stats:
STR: 20
AGI: 35
END: 20
VIT: 21
INT: 23
SPR: 28
Skills:
Basic Combat Lv.1
Spatial Storage Lv.1
[Status: Irregular Variable]
Kael stared at the panel in disbelief. In short, he was trash.
He knew he wasn't a popular or well-liked student, but he had always been proud of his healthy body, even though he rarely exercised.
Moreover, after being reborn, he vaguely felt that his body had improved.
So why were his stats this low?
"System… you didn't make a mistake, right? I'm not that useless, okay!"
"Don't overestimate yourself, Host. Reality may be painful, but it is still reality."
A small robot suddenly appeared, floating in front of him, its voice still cold.
"But don't worry, your stats are not fixed. Everything can be improved."
Kael tried to touch it, but his hand passed through empty space. The system, in the form of a small robot, was merely a projection.
He pulled his hand back and let out a breath.
"Good. So what should I do?"
"Complete missions to earn MP. MP can be exchanged in the system shop, including for upgrading spatial storage."
"Missions? Like in a game?"
"Exactly. Missions are released every night. You must choose one before being sent into a mission world."
Kael fell silent for a moment, processing the system's words. His thoughts drifted to the online novels his virtual friends used to recommend. Even though it had been a long time, he still recalled them during exhausting days in the apocalypse.
After all, remembering those relaxed and pleasant times helped ease his tired body after a full day of hunting core crystals.
"So… is this some kind of transmigration?"
"Yes and no. You enter a mission world, complete the mission, and return. It's like hunting something within that world. Anything that belongs to you can be stored in spatial storage for use in the real world or future missions."
The system explained a few more things before sounding tired.
"You can read the rest later."
In an instant, a file was sent directly into his mind. Kael glanced at it briefly, in this void, it manifested as a floating blue screen before him.
Just as he began to seriously skim through the file, the system's voice cut into his thoughts.
"What's more important right now is your status as an irregular variable."
The cold voice paired with the expressionless face of the small floating robot. Yet because of its tiny, even slightly cute appearance, Kael strangely didn't feel pressured at all by its seriousness.
Instead, he felt relaxed. He even had the urge to tease it, but seeing how serious the system was, he merely cleared his throat awkwardly and forced himself to act serious.
After all, he was an adult man, he needed to maintain his image.
"Alright. What does irregular variable mean? Because I was reborn?"
"Yes," the system answered without hesitation. "Your soul should not exist in this time. Your presence automatically attracted the system."
Kael frowned, appearing calm, but he knew the system wouldn't say something without reason.
"Then… what's the consequence?"
"As an irregular variable, the laws of the world will erase you. In other words—death."
This time, Kael's expression shifted slightly. Not fear, not panic, more like… what a waste.
He had just been reborn and happily thought he could change his fate, live a better life than before. But before he could even return home, he was already told his life might not last long.
Tsk, how could he accept that?
"Fine," he said at last. "What do I need to do to stay alive? You're a system praised during the apocalypse, right? Powerful, capable. There's no way you don't have a solution to help me. We're bound, remember?"
Inwardly, Kael almost applauded himself. His flattery skills were actually useful. Learning how to please others with praise in his past life clearly wasn't a waste.
And as expected, the small robot, though still cold, finally softened a little.
"Of course there is a solution. You must defy the laws of the world by becoming stronger than them. Gather EW. The greater it is, the harder it will be for the world's laws to eliminate you."
Kael fell silent, feeling a hint of despair.
Was this little thing joking? Defy the laws of the world? Did that even sound reasonable? Were the laws of the world as small as the palm of his hand?
Seeing the disdainful look from its host, the system returned to its formal tone.
"There is no need to worry. The system will assist you. We are one entity, if the host dies, the system will also be destroyed. This system is all-capable."
What the system didn't say was that it had just been born as well—this was its first task, its first host, everything was a first for it.
The small robot floated closer, as if to show its sincerity.
"Host, please confirm acceptance."
A selection panel appeared. Without hesitation, Kael reached out and chose confirm.
Instantly, his data updated.
"+50 MP. Initial bonus. Can be used to expand spatial storage or enhance other attributes."
But before he could think further, Kael suddenly felt a violent jolt. The void vanished instantly, though the system's voice still echoed in his mind.
He opened his eyes.
Now he was in a medical room, and not far from his bed, two people were pressed together, kissing. Soft, ambiguous sounds echoed lightly, followed by suggestive moans.
Kael wasn't interested in that, but when he clearly saw their faces, he felt a deep sense of disgust.