**Chapter 1: The System's First Mistake**
The last thing I remembered was the sound of screeching tires and the blinding glare of headlights. Then, nothing. No pain, no light, no afterlife—just an endless void. When I opened my eyes (or whatever passed for eyes in this state), I wasn't in heaven or hell. I wasn't even in my body.
I was a floating, glowing orb of light.
"What the hell is this?" I muttered, though no sound came out. Instead, my thoughts echoed in the void like a bad voiceover. "Did I die? Is this some kind of cosmic joke?"
A robotic voice interrupted my existential crisis.
**[System Initializing… Welcome, Administrator.]**
"Administrator? What are you talking about?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I already knew the answer.
**[You have been assigned as the System for World #7421: Aethernia. Your role is to guide the Protagonist, maintain world balance, and ensure the story progresses as intended.]**
"Wait, wait, wait," I said, my glowing form flickering in frustration. "I was a game developer, not some kind of cosmic babysitter! I didn't sign up for this!"
**[Your consent is irrelevant. Beginning integration…]**
Before I could protest further, a flood of information rushed into my mind. I saw the world of Aethernia—a sprawling realm of magic knights, martial artists, and ancient beasts. I saw the Protagonist, a young man named **Kael**, who was destined to become the greatest hero the world had ever known. And I saw… his stats.
**[Name: Kael Ardent
Age: 18
Class: Hero (Temporary)
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Luck: ∞]**
I froze. "Wait. Did that say *infinite luck*?"
**[Correct. Protagonist Kael possesses MAX LUCK. This is a non-negotiable parameter.]**
"Non-negotiable? What kind of broken game design is this?" I shouted. "How am I supposed to guide someone who's basically invincible? This is worse than dealing with pay-to-win players!"
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The System didn't respond. Instead, it dumped me into the world of Aethernia, where I found myself tethered to Kael like some kind of spectral parasite. I couldn't touch anything, couldn't interact with the world—I could only observe and issue quests. And even that was limited by the System's rules.
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### **The Protagonist's First Day**
Kael was… underwhelming. He was a scrawny kid with messy brown hair and a perpetually confused expression. He lived in a small village on the edge of the Aethernian Empire, where he spent his days herding sheep and daydreaming about becoming a hero. He had no idea he was the chosen one. No idea he had MAX LUCK. And no idea I was now stuck with him.
"Alright, Kael," I said, testing out my new role. "Let's see what you're made of."
I opened the quest menu and created a simple task.
**[Quest: Defeat the Wolf Pack
Objective: Protect the village sheep from a pack of hungry wolves.
Reward: 100 EXP, 10 Gold]**
Kael blinked as the quest notification appeared in front of him. "What's this? A quest? Am I dreaming?"
"No, you're not dreaming," I muttered, though he couldn't hear me. "Now go fight some wolves."
Kael hesitated, then grabbed a rusty pitchfork from the barn. "Alright, let's do this!"
As he marched toward the forest, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I could actually guide this kid to greatness.
Then the wolves showed up.
There were five of them—massive, snarling beasts with glowing red eyes and teeth like daggers. Kael froze, his pitchfork trembling in his hands. "Uh… maybe this was a bad idea."
"Oh, come on," I said. "You have MAX LUCK. You'll be fine."
The wolves lunged. Kael screamed and tripped over a rock, accidentally flinging the pitchfork into the air. It spun wildly, impaling one wolf, ricocheting off a tree, and taking out two more before landing neatly back in Kael's hands.
"What just happened?" Kael asked, staring at the pitchfork like it was a magical artifact.
"You got lucky," I said dryly. "Literally."
The remaining wolves hesitated, then turned tail and ran. Kael stood there, breathing heavily, as the quest completion notification popped up.
**[Quest Complete!
Reward: 100 EXP, 10 Gold]**
Kael's eyes lit up. "I did it! I'm a hero!"
"Barely," I muttered. "But sure, let's go with that."
---
### **The System's First Scheme**
As the days went by, I grew more and more frustrated. Kael's MAX LUCK made him practically untouchable. No matter how dangerous the quests I gave him, he always stumbled his way to victory. It was like watching a toddler win a sword fight by accidentally dropping his weapon on the enemy's foot.
I needed to up the ante.
"Alright, Kael," I said one morning. "Time for a real challenge."
I created a new quest, one that even MAX LUCK shouldn't be able to handle.
**[Quest: Defeat the Ancient Dragon
Objective: Slay the dragon terrorizing the northern mountains.
Reward: 10,000 EXP, 1,000 Gold, Legendary Weapon]**
Kael's eyes widened. "A dragon? Are you serious?"
"Deadly serious," I said, though I was grinning on the inside. "Good luck."
Kael hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. If this is my destiny, I'll do it."
As he set off on his journey, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Finally, I'd found a way to beat this kid. There was no way he could defeat an ancient dragon, even with MAX LUCK.
Or so I thought.
---
### **The Dragon's Demise**
The dragon's lair was a massive cave filled with treasure and bones. The beast itself was a towering monstrosity with scales like steel and breath like a volcano. Kael stood at the entrance, trembling but determined.
"Alright, dragon," he said, raising his rusty pitchfork. "Let's do this."
The dragon roared and lunged. Kael screamed and tripped over a rock, accidentally dropping the pitchfork. It slid across the cave floor, hit a loose gemstone, and ricocheted into the air. The dragon, mid-lunge, opened its mouth to breathe fire—just as the pitchfork landed perfectly in its throat.
The dragon choked, stumbled, and collapsed in a heap. Kael stared in disbelief.
"I… I did it?"
**[Quest Complete!
Reward: 10,000 EXP, 1,000 Gold, Legendary Weapon]**
I groaned. "Of course you did."
---
### **The System's Realization**
As Kael celebrated his victory, I realized the truth: I wasn't just the System. I was the *villain* of this story. My job wasn't to guide Kael to greatness—it was to fail hilariously while he stumbled his way to victory.
And if I wanted to survive this world, I'd have to play along.
"Alright, Kael," I said, creating another quest. "Let's see how far your luck can take you."
**[Quest: Save the Kingdom
Objective: Defeat the Dark Lord and his army of shadows.
Reward: 100,000 EXP, 10,000 Gold, Eternal Glory]**
Kael grinned. "I'm ready!"
I sighed. "I'm not."
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