[System initialization plete.]

  [Status]

  Rank: 0

  Name: Nova Grey

  Species: Human

  Affiliation: None

  Level: 0

  Css: None

  Attributes:

  Strength: 4

  Vigor: 3

  Dexterity: 3

  Speed: 4

  Intelligence: 6

  Wisdom: 6

  Will: 6

  Luck: 10

  Nova stood by the window, staring out into the dimly lit streets. The holographic dispy floated before him, its faint glow casting shadows across his room. He rubbed his absently, his lips curling into a lopsided grin.

  "What do these numbers even mean?" His voice broke the stillness, filled with curiosity rather than . "And why are they so embarrassingly low? Strength of four? Even an ant might take me out if it got creative." He snickered to himself, shaking his head.

  There was no fear in him, only the bubbling anticipation of something neark of excitement in a life that had dulled over the years. Work, bills, endless routi all felt so meaningless pared to this sudden shift. This wasn’t just a ge; it was a ce at somethiirely different.

  “Guess this is my world now. Stats, systems, weird floating ss... kind of feels like one of ths Jack’s always talking about.”

  Frowning slightly, Nova peered closer at the floating dispy. “How do I figure out what this all means? Maybe there’s a tutorial or something…” He swiped a hand through the air experimentally, but nothing happened.

  With a shrug, he stepped away from the window. “No point overthinking it. Jack probably knows what’s going on.” Jack was the closest thing to an encyclopedia Nova had—a fountain of gaming knowledge and quick solutions. If anyone uood this bizarre system, it was him.

  As Nova turoward the door, a chime rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

  [Choose your css]

  Fme Priorm EmpressLord of the DeepTitan KingSword EmperorFrost Queen…ilted his head, his eyes narrowing at the list. "Fme Prince, Sword Emperor... some of these sound pretty impressive." But then his gaze nded on the final choione.

  Nova barked a ugh. “What kind of choice is that? A trap, maybe? Who’s dumb enough to pione’?” His grin widened as he tapped on Fme Prio iigate further.

  [Fme Prince]

  Affinity: FireRole: Damage DealerRestris: FireAbilities: Wield the power of fire in a regal bze, igniting the battlefield with overwhelming infernos and ruling over every fire.His smile deepened. “Not bad. Might actually be fun burning things dow’s see the one.”

  Switg to Sword Emperor, another set of details appeared:

  Sword Emperor

  Affinity: SwordRole: Damage DealerRestris: SwordAbilities: Wield the divine sword with unmatched precision, cutting through oppos with imperial grad immense power. This css has supreme mastery over swordsmanship, making them an unstoppable for bat.Nova rubbed his thoughtfully. ‘This one’s solid, too. Hard to beat swinging around divine swords.’

  As he mulled over his options, a loud kno his door broke his focus. Sighing, he made his way over and ope to find Jack standing there. He stood at 1.87m with fair skin, his brown hair was as messy as always, but the sharp glint in his bck eyes was anything but casual.

  “You haven’t picked a css yet, right?” Jack asked quickly, stepping ihout waiting for an invitation.

  Nova leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “I was about to. Why, is there a problem?”

  Jack exhaled in visible relief. “Good. It’s good you haven’t chose. Let me guess—Fme Prince or Sword Emperht?”

  Nova raised a brow. “So what if I was? They looked solid. You’re tellihey’re not?”

  Jack shook his head, smirking. “Man, you didn’t evehe other options, did you?”

  “here’s a million of them, and I’m not about to waste time scrolling through eae” Nova admitted, shrugging. “What’s your point, anyway?”

  Jack’s expression grew serious. “The point is, you’re missing the best one. Have you looked at ‘None’?”

  Nova ughed, gesturing at the s still floating beside him. “Yeah, I looked. It’s useless. No affinity, no role, no abilities. Literally nothing. How is that the best?”

  “Exactly” Jack said, stepping closer. His intense gaze bore into Nova. “Every other css is a trap. Fme Prince? Locked to fire. Sword Emperor? Locked to swords. Once you pick, you’re stuck. Yrowth, your options—all of it limited by that css’s restris.”

  Nova frowned but didn’t interrupt.

  “With ‘here’s ri. No limits. You’re free to learn, adapt, and grow however you want. It’s a bnk ste—and that means infinite possibilities. But…” Jack’s tone darkened, “there’s a catch.”

  “A catch?” Nova’s eyes narrowed.

  “If you choose ‘None’ and don’t work hard, you’ll have no powers at all. No system boosts, no pre-defined paths to fall ba. Nothing. You’ll be stuck as you are, and in this world, that’s a death sentence.”

  The weight of Jack’s words settled on Nova, his earlier amusement repced by ption. “So, no safety ?”

  “None. But if you put in the effort, the rewards are limitless. You’ll be able te your own path without the s of the system holding you back. It’s all or nothing.”

  For a moment, Nova didn’t respond. Jack’s words hung in the air, and he felt the gravity of the decisioling on him. The fshy, powerful csses were tempting, but Jack was right. They came with s, however gilded they appeared.

  A slow grin spread across Nova’s face. “Alright, you’ve sold me. We’re going all in.”

  Jack grinned back, g Nova on the shoulder. “Good choice. But don’t get too fortable. There’s still a lot to figure out. While I was ing here, I saw people heading into these weird White portals. I think they’re beginner zones, like early-level areas in a game.”

  Nova stretched, shaking off the lingering tension of their versation. “Sounds fu’s chee out before the whole woes nuts.”

  Jack chuckled. “It’s already halfway there. e on.”

  As the two stepped outside, the scale of the chaos became evident. The streets were alive with energy and panic. People darted about, some wielding newfound powers with reckless abandon. Fmes licked at the edges of buildings; shards of ice littered the cracked pavement. A figure streaked past, their feet ed in a co of wind, while another unched small bolts of lightning into the sky with a booming ugh.

  Looters had already begun ransag shops and homes, their arms overflowing with supplies. Shouts and screams filled the air, mingling with the roar of power and the crash of colpsing structures.

  “Looks like the world’s goo hell already” Nova muttered, gng around with mild amusement.

  Jack’s expression was unreadable. “It’s survival of the fittest now. Let’s make sure we’re the fittest.”

  The two tioward a shimmering White portal at the end of the street, its surface rippling like water in the faint light. Nova’s heart raot from fear, but pure exhiration.

  For the first time in years, his life felt alive.

  As Nova and Jack stepped into the White portal, the world around them twisted and turned, leaving them with a sense of disorientation. The disfort alpable—space seemed to and stretch around them, making it hard to tell which way . The fog that engulfed them was thick, obsg everything except their silhouettes.

  Suddenly, a notificati in their minds:[Select a on][Mission starts in 05:00]

  Nova turo Jack, instinctively seeking guidance.

  Jack, ever the self-procimed expert, smiled bitterly. "I don’t know everything, but if this works like the rest of system, we just have to think about the on we want. By the way, whie are you going to choose?" His tone grew curious by the end.

  Nova pondered briefly before replying, "I’ll start with a spear. What about you?"

  Jack raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "I didn’t know you were a spear type of guy. After all these years, you still mao surprise me. As for me, I’ll go with the saber."

  Nova smirked. "You know, the spear is said to be the king of the battlefield."

  "Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before" Jack replied with a pyful tone of exasperation. "Let’s just think about the ons and see what happens."

  Nodding, Nova focused his mind on the image of a spear. Within moments, a prompt appeared:

  [Spear selected][Are you sure?]

  Nova mentally affirmed his choice, and in an instant, a spear materialized before him. He grabbed it zily, testing its weight and bance. Wheuro che Jack, what he saw left him speechless.

  Jack was hugging his saber like a long-lost lover, his face alight with joy.

  Nova couldn’t help but tease. "Don’t worry, I’ll be your best mahe two of you tie the knot."

  Jack froze mid-hug, quickly regaining his posure. "I was just... excited about finally being able to use the on I like most" he said, brushing off the moment as though nothing had happened.

  Nova snorted but said nothing more, turning his attention to the spear. He’d never handled a on before—old martial arts had always been an i, not a practice. Yet, as he gripped the spear, something stirred within him. The o natural, almost as if it belonged in his hands.

  Both men were lost ihoughts, familiarizing themselves with their ons, as the timer slowly ted down.

  [Mission starts in 00:02]

  [Mission starts in 00:01]

  [Mission started]

  [Mission: Kill All the Goblins in the vilge]

  Reward:

  Primary Reward:Item: Goblin Syer’s MedallionA medallion imbued with the essence of tless defeated goblins. Grants the wearer increased damage (+15%) against goblin-type enemies aened perception of hidden enemies within a 10-meter radius.Sedary Rewards:Gold: 50 sEXP: 150Loot: ce to find rare items and goblin artifacts during the mission (e.g., Goblin Chief's Dagger, Shaman's Grimoire, or Reinforced Goblin Armor).Special Reward (If pleted in under 2 hours):Title: GoblierminatorThis title enhances your reputation in towns and cities, increasing rewards for future quests involving monster extermination.

  As the fog dissipated, a timer appeared in their peripheral vision.

  [02:00:00]

  [01:59:59]

  Then a vilge emerged before them. Its wooden walls stood about eight feet tall, with goblins patrolling the top. The gate was wide open, almost as if mog them, inviting them to enter.

  Nova took in the sight and muttered, "Oh, that’s the vilge, huh?" Stretg zily, he g Jack. "Do you have a pn?"

  Jack studied the vilge for a moment, his expression turning deadly serious. Then, with a tone as grave as the situation demanded, he said, "Nope. Let’s wing it."

  Nova burst into ughter, gripping his spear tightly. "Let’s go then."

  Without hesitation, the two rushed toward the gate.