"All I ever wanted was a fresh start… but what I got was something entirely different."
– From Kain's reflections
[Ding!]
[Evolution System – Delayed Activation]
In a single moment, everything froze.
The air around me grew heavy, and the light dimmed as if the universe itself bent down to whisper something unspeakable. There was no other sound except that metallic chime—an unearthly tone, as if a cosmic machine had begun to stir.
Suddenly, a translucent screen appeared before me, glowing with a soft blue hue, suspended in the air directly in front of my face.
✦ System activating…
Host identity verified: Kain Swan
Age: 17
Level: 0
Due to delayed activation, you will receive a special compensation.
[Delayed Activation Reward – Rank: SSS]
Seal of the Supreme Power – [Fallen Dragon's Soul]
Contains a fragment of the essence of an ancient celestial being, capable of tearing through space and time.
The sealed energy exceeds the host's current capacity.
Auto-protection activated: The seal can only be opened during extreme danger or by gradually enhancing the body.
Emergency usages available: 3
Warning: Excessive use may result in body collapse or mental breakdown.
I stared at the screen, mind hazy, stunned by what I was reading.
Fallen Dragon's Soul? Rank SSS?!
I didn't need experience in video games or fantasy novels to know how rare that rank was. I had been obsessed with systems like this in my past life. SSS meant the highest tier of power—rule-breaking ability… but, as expected, nothing of that magnitude comes without a price.
"Only usable in extreme danger… or after gradual physical enhancement?"
I looked down at the screen again, and a new interface appeared:
✦ Host's Basic Status
Name: Kain Swan
Race: Human
Level: 0
Progress: 0/10
Available Stat Points: 0
[Strength]: 7
[Agility]: 6
[Intelligence]: 9
[Vitality]: 7
[Defense]: 5
[Stamina]: 6/6
I read it over and over again, analyzing every number, every note.
My stats… were almost normal. Nothing extraordinary. Just typical numbers for someone my age.
Then another screen appeared:
✦ Active System Modules
– Status [✓]
– Quests [✓]
– Shop [✕ – Locked until Level 1]
– Inventory [✕ – Locked until Level 10 or by using 10 SP]
– Skills [✕ – No current skills]
Notes:
• XP (Experience Points): Used to level up
• FP (Free Points): Used to increase status attributes
• SP (Shop Points): Used to buy items or unlock sealed functions
✦ Generating First Guided Quest…
Interact with a member of the Cullen family.
Time limit: 10 hours
Reward: 10 XP, 2 SP
✦ Generating First Daily Quest…
• Run 1 kilometer
• 10 push-ups
• 20 squats
Time limit: 24 hours
Reward: 6 FP
I stood there, in the middle of a nearly empty school hallway, facing what felt like an invitation.
An invitation to survive… or be destroyed.
"Is this a dream? Have I been delayed so long that I've become a side character in my own story?"
I had always dreamed of having a system, a power, something to make me special.
But I never imagined the cost would be… all this waiting, all these limits.
I lifted my head, looking up at the gray sky above Forks.
Here, in this small rainy town, my real story was about to begin.
And I didn't yet know… the system was only the beginning.
🌀[End of Chapter Two]
✦ Next Chapter: "The Start of Quests… and the First Cullen Encounter"