Chapter 2
Author: Grande
last update2025-02-07 20:09:40

Accepting Reality & System’s First Mission

The 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 are cruel to curse a boy with such a weak body.”

He exhaled sharply, gripping the arms of the chair. He wasn’t just some minor noble. He had become an embodiment of failure.

No wonder they let me rot in this room.

A rush of energy surged through his skull—sharp, electric, commanding.

[Mission: Survive Beyond Your Execution Date or Face Erasure]

A sudden burn lanced through his chest. Kael gasped, his vision blackening at the edges. His body convulsed, fire searing through his veins as if his very existence was being unmade.

He clutched at his throat, gasping for air. It felt as though unseen hands were dragging him into the abyss.

Rejecting reality is not an option.

The words weren’t spoken, yet they rang through his skull like a divine edict. The pain didn’t relent until his thoughts solidified—until he accepted.

This wasn’t a curse. It wasn’t a dream.

It was real.

And if he didn’t act, he wouldn’t just die. He would be erased.

The pain vanished, leaving him breathless, his forehead damp with sweat.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to think past the chaos.

Three months.

That was all the time House Varelis had left before its destruction.

He didn’t know how it would happen—not yet—but the knowledge clawed at the edges of his mind. His family would be wiped out, reduced to nothing but a forgotten footnote in history.

And him?

His execution would come long before that.

He gritted his teeth. Not this time.

A new message appeared, stark and absolute.

[First Mission Unlocked: Stand and Walk]

Objective: Take five steps unaided.

Reward: System Synchronization (1%)

Failure: Further Physical Deterioration.

Kael let out a slow breath. Five steps. That was all.

His body felt like damp parchment—thin, fragile, useless. But he had no choice.

He gripped the edge of the chair, shifting his weight forward. His legs trembled beneath him, as if they recognized the absurdity of his intent.

A slow inhale.

A sharp exhale.

He pushed.

For a single, glorious moment, his weight lifted from the chair. Then his knees buckled. The room tilted.

Pain shot through his side as he collapsed onto the cold, unyielding floor. His breath came in ragged bursts, his chest heaving.

He had failed.

But Riel Draven did not surrender.

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