"How could it end like this?!"
"I waited fucking 5 years, following this story... just to have to put up with this ending?!" The man complained, as he threw his tablet against the wall.
Crackll!!
New Era was one of the most accessed novels of recent times, a novel in which I invested my entire rare free time.
The story of the novel was set in the world of Etherea, after catastrophic sequences of world wars. After a clash, all world leaders saw the terrible state the planet Earth was in.
There was no other option but to evacuate the planet and search for another place for the human race.
That place was Etherea, a completely prosperous world and compatible enough to shelter what was left of humanity.
But the problem was that Etherea wasn't an uninhabited planet... quite the opposite. It was a place filled with beasts and shadow creatures, along with different races such as elves, trolls, gnomes...
The protagonist of the story was named Mikael, a young boy from a farmer family. After a creature slaughtered his entire village, including his parents, it left only the poor boy alive.
He awakens what was called the system, something that provided him with the resources necessary to take revenge on the one who killed his family.
Mikael, after hearing about an academy created by the empire to nurture the best talents of humanity, goes to the place, managing to be approved after dozens of tests and evaluations.
The plot revolves around Mikael and the main cast, having to face the terrible threats that stand against human life.
"It's an excellent story, right?"
"I'll answer you... NO! It's not an excellent story."
In the last chapters, about to conclude the story, Mikael was the only one still standing against the terrible demonic lord Baal.
Even after everything Mikael went through, after losing everyone he loved, the protagonist was still completely crushed by the demon.
"This damn book!! It managed to destroy all my hopes..."
I always lived alone in this damn countryside city in Japan. My parents were killed in a robbery when I was only 15 years old. Since then, I did my best to guarantee my own survival.
I had to accept working in several shitty low-end jobs just to have something to eat.
You could say the only joy I had were the free moments I still had to read this novel. The story that still managed to keep a spark of hope inside my mind.
"You... you destroyed that, author."
"I HATE YOUUU!!"
My throat hurt from screaming so much out of rage and frustration, but a simple sound managed to pull my attention away.
Beep!... Beep!
I quickly looked at the notification on what was left of the tablet.
"But who the hell is it at this hour?"
I quickly slid my finger down the notification screen. It was a message from the app I used to read that damn novel.
1 new message
"What the fuck is this?"
Author_Edward_NewEra: Hello, dear reader! I'd like to congratulate you for being the first one to finish my beloved novel. Based on your recent reactions, I imagine you didn't like the ending, right?
"Ah, you son of a bi@@..."
But before I could dump all my frustrations onto that shameless author, he kept sending messages in sequence.
Author_Edward_NewEra: I imagine you wouldn't change anything in the story, right? Dear Jonnhy. As a gift for following me for so long, I'll reward you with 1 request. Whatever you desire will become reality, my dear reader. I hope you stay well... it's all I can do now!
"This has to be a joke aimed at me."
"1 wish, huh... I have a wish, right?"
"I WANT ALL THIS SHIT TO END, YOU BAST@@"
...
With all that shit happening in my life, all I could do was drown my sorrows in good old bottles of whisky.
It was one of the few things I truly believed was worth spending every little bit of money I earned on.
"I really hate my life..."
I could truly feel the tears running down my face, but I didn't feel sad.
It was something much worse. An extreme emptiness twisted my chest.
"I-I think... this is already the fifth bottle."
At that moment, I could barely feel my head. My whole body felt heavy like a stranded ship.
"Aahgr..."
My head throbbed as if I had been run over by countless trucks.
Every minute that passed, I felt my eyes slowly closing.
"I-is... this how this miserable life ends..."
It was the last thing I managed to say, as I watched blood running all over my body, until my vision completely went dark.
...
-- Configuring –
-- Final preparations --
[97%... 98%...100%]
--Synchronizing--
"Ainhn..."
"I think I went too far with the drinking."
When I woke up, I could still feel my head throbbing, while my whole body trembled.
But when I finally regained consciousness, I realized something was seriously wrong.
"But where the hell am I?"
It was a small room. The only furniture there was a small desk and the bed I was lying on.
"I think the alcohol really took me to another level."
While I was still trying to understand what had happened, a sudden noise pulled my attention away.
That's when a translucent screen suddenly appeared in front of me.
"???"
-------------------------
Name: Evan Thompson
Potential: D
Rank: G-
Strength: G-
Speed: G-
Endurance: G
Intelligence: G
Mana Capacity: G-
Luck: G+
Charm: G-
Affinities: Fire (Elemental)
-- Art --
Swordsmanship (G)
The most basic level of swordsmanship, having no proper style or patterns.
-- Skills --
Spark (F)
Ability to generate small fire sparks for a few seconds.
-------------------------
I had absolutely no idea what could be happening. At some point, I thought it might have been some insane paranoia because of the alcohol.
"HAHAHA."
"I think this time I really drank too much... all I need is a good rest."
Until harsh reality hit me right in the face with full force.
That's when I saw a reflection in a mirror above the desk in that room.
Wheat-blond hair, a pair of golden irises, a face with a jawline that was honestly pretty decent.
And then I realized that physique wasn't what I was used to.
A body still slim, but fully defined, with some muscle mass.
Unlike my weak and malnourished body... considering that for months I barely had anything to eat at home, surviving only on expired noodles and whatever leftovers I had from previous months.
Thinking my situation couldn't possibly get worse...
I started feeling tremors throughout my entire body.
"B-but... what's happening here? What the hell does this mean?"
While trying to control those damn shakes, I noticed something lodged in my forearm.
It was a small greenish crystal. It looked like it was completely fused to my body.
When, by pure instinct, I lightly touched that stone...
Another translucent image appeared in front of me.
-------------------------
Last Hope Academy
Student: Evan Thompson
Age: 15
Allocation: First Year – Special Class
School Ranking: 2812/3000
Potential: D
-------------------------
"What?"
"Last Hope Academy?"
I shouted in shock. It was as if countless flashes of my life were passing in front of me. It was a completely familiar feeling.
"Wait... this is the world of New Era??"
"Did I really die back then?"
I didn't know how to react to all of that. I felt like a complete lunatic.
Massive laughter came out of my mouth.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
All I could do was clap as hard as I could to celebrate that moment.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
"Congratulations to everyone involved... they sent me to this abyssal place and on top of that... into the body of a mere extra who didn't even show up in the story."