Accepting Reality & System’s First MissionThe candle’s weak flame sputtered as he sat motionless, his hands gripping the rough fabric of his tunic. His breathing was shallow. His mind broke between disbelief and hope. And hope was far more dangerous. This had to be some twisted afterlife punishment. There was no logic in rebirth, no reasoning to explain why he was here. And yet, the pain in his lungs as he breathed, the chill against his skin, the scent of mold clinging to the walls—everything was real.His reflection still stared at him, hollow-eyed and fragile. Riel Varelis.A name that meant nothing to him, yet memories—distant, half-formed—began seeping into his mind. A noble house on the brink of ruin. A family that had long since fallen from grace. The Varelis estate, once a seat of power, now little more than a dying husk.And him?The third son. The weakest. The one they whispered about in the halls.“He won’t last the year.” “A disgrace to the Varelis name.” “The gods ar

The Family’s Coming Doom Riel sat on the edge of his cot, massaging his aching legs. Every fiber of his body still throbbed from yesterday’s effort, but he welcomed the pain—it was proof of progress. His fingers clenched involuntarily as he glanced around the dimly lit room, mind sprinting. He had taken his first steps. The System had acknowledged his effort.Now, he needed information.He inhaled slowly, steadying himself. The question burning in his mind was simple: What year is it?The System had claimed he had been sent back fifteen years. But confirming that fact was crucial. Time was an enemy that could not be fought with fists alone.He reached for the small brass bell beside his cot and rang it once. The chime was faint, but within moments, the door creaked open.A frail, elderly servant stepped inside, bowing his head. “Young Master Riel,” he murmured.Riel took in the man’s appearance — aged but disciplined. The slight hunch in his shoulders suggested years of servitude, bu

Training The bruises on Riel’s ribs throbbed with every shallow breath. Pain pulsed beneath his skin, deep and dull, like the echo of a war drum. Each movement sent a fresh jolt through his body, a harsh reminder of just how pitifully weak he had become.In his past life, strength had been a given. A blade in his grip, the fluid precision of combat, the way opponents fell like reeds before a storm — these were things he had once understood as naturally as breathing. Now?Now, a simple beating had left him gasping like a fish dragged onto dry land.The humiliation of it gnawed at him.The System had given him a second chance — but what was the use of a second chance if he remained fragile? A chime echoed through his mind, clear and artificial.[New Missions Available.]A translucent menu flickered into view, its glowing letters forming two distinct tasks:[Mission: Begin Physical Training]Objective: Train the body through consistent exertion.Reward: Strength +1, Endurance +1.[Missi

The System’s Darker SideThe candle beside Riel flickered, struggling against the weight of the darkness pressing in around him. The flame trembled, its glow barely stretching beyond the cold stone walls of his chamber. Shadows loomed in the corners, stretching unnaturally, shifting when he wasn’t looking directly at them.He sat at the edge of his bed, fingers absentmindedly tracing the deep bruises along his ribs. The dull ache in his muscles was a reminder of the day’s exertions, of the slow and grueling process of reclaiming the strength that had once come so easily. His mind, however, was more restless than his body.The System’s words still rattled around in his skull, heavy with implication. Every conversation, every lesson, every warning — it was another step forward, another piece of the puzzle he was trying to reconstruct before time ran out.But fate, it seemed, did not wish to be rewritten.A chill ran down his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck rose.Something was w

The First Step to True PowerThe Varelis estate had long since become a shadow of its former grandeur. The once-stately mansion, perched upon the cliffs overlooking the valley, was now a decaying relic, silent but for the creak of its timbers and the occasional sigh of wind through its cracked windows. The halls, once teeming with the energy of the house’s illustrious history, now echoed only the faintest footsteps of Riel as he moved through the narrow, dust-choked corridors. The estate was dying, and with it, the legacy of his family. Yet, in that oppressive quiet, he could still feel the weight of their long-forgotten secrets pressing down on him.His gaze was sharp, honed over the years of constant survival, of never quite fitting in with the rules of nobility, of always being at the edge of the game. His eyes caught the smallest details —the cracks in the walls, the faded tapestries that hung like ghosts of a better time, the faint outline of a doorway that had been bricked up lo