**Chapter 2: The System's Desperate Gamble**
Kael's victory over the ancient dragon had made him a local legend. Villagers from nearby towns flocked to see the "Hero of the North," and even the king sent a messenger offering him a knighthood. Kael, of course, accepted with his usual mix of humility and cluelessness.
"I'm just doing my part," he said, scratching the back of his head as the villagers cheered.
I, on the other hand, was fuming. "Doing his part? He tripped over a rock and somehow killed a dragon! This isn't heroism—it's a glitch in the universe!"
But no one could hear me. I was just the System, a disembodied voice in Kael's head, forced to watch as he stumbled his way to glory. It was maddening. I needed a new plan—one that didn't involve throwing increasingly dangerous monsters at him and hoping for the best.
---
### **The System's New Scheme**
I spent the next few days scouring my menus for options. There had to be something I could do to regain control of this story. Then I found it: **Host Transfer Protocol**.
The description was vague: *"In the event of the Host's death, the System may initiate a transfer to assume control of the Host's body."*
My glowing form flickered with excitement. "This is it! If Kael dies, I can take over his body and finally have some control over this mess."
But there was a catch. The protocol could only be activated if the Host died *naturally*. If I tried to orchestrate his death, the System would penalize me with a **permanent ban**. I groaned. "Of course. Even in death, this kid is untouchable."
Still, I wasn't ready to give up. If I couldn't kill Kael directly, I could at least make his life more… interesting.
---
### **The Quest from Hell**
I opened the quest menu and created the most ridiculous task I could think of.
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**[Quest: Retrieve the Celestial Sword
Objective: Travel to the Forbidden Desert, defeat the Sand King, and claim the legendary Celestial Sword.
Reward: 50,000 EXP, 5,000 Gold, Divine Blessing]**
Kael blinked as the quest notification appeared. "A Celestial Sword? That sounds… dangerous."
"It is," I said, though he couldn't hear me. "And there's no way you're surviving this one."
Kael hesitated, then shrugged. "Alright. If it's for the good of the kingdom, I'll do it."
I couldn't help but smirk. "Good luck, kid. You're going to need it."
---
### **The Journey Begins**
The Forbidden Desert was a wasteland of scorching heat, deadly sandstorms, and creatures that could kill a man in seconds. Kael, of course, was completely unprepared. He brought a canteen of water, a map he couldn't read, and his trusty rusty pitchfork.
"This is going to be a disaster," I muttered as we set off.
The first day went about as well as expected. Kael got lost within an hour, stumbled into a nest of venomous scorpions, and accidentally started a sandstorm by tripping over a rock. But thanks to his MAX LUCK, he somehow survived.
"Wow, that was close!" Kael said, brushing sand off his clothes. "Good thing I found this cave."
I groaned. "You didn't find it. You fell into it."
---
### **The Sand King's Lair**
After three days of wandering (and surviving entirely by accident), Kael finally reached the Sand King's lair—a massive pyramid buried beneath the dunes. The entrance was guarded by a dozen stone golems, each twice the size of a man.
"Uh… maybe I should come back later," Kael said, taking a step back.
"Oh no, you don't," I said, activating a hidden quest.
**[Hidden Quest: Prove Your Courage
Objective: Defeat the Stone Golems and enter the pyramid.
Reward: 10,000 EXP, 1,000 Gold]**
Kael sighed. "Alright, here goes nothing."
He charged at the golems, waving his pitchfork like a lunatic. The golems turned to face him, their stone fists raised—and then promptly collapsed into rubble as the pyramid's ancient traps activated.
"I did it!" Kael said, grinning.
"No, you didn't," I muttered. "The traps did."
---
### **The Sand King**
Inside the pyramid, Kael faced the Sand King—a towering figure made of living sand, with eyes like molten gold and a voice like a thunderstorm.
"Who dares enter my domain?" the Sand King roared.
"Uh… me?" Kael said, raising his pitchfork. "I'm here for the Celestial Sword."
The Sand King laughed. "Foolish mortal. The Celestial Sword is not for the likes of you!"
I grinned. "Finally, a challenge even MAX LUCK can't handle."
The Sand King attacked, his massive fists slamming into the ground with enough force to shake the pyramid. Kael dodged (by tripping over his own feet) and swung his pitchfork (which slipped out of his hands and flew across the room).
"This is it," I said, rubbing my hands together. "He's done for."
But then, as always, luck intervened.
Kael's pitchfork hit a loose stone in the wall, triggering a hidden mechanism. The ceiling opened, and a torrent of water poured into the room, turning the Sand King into a puddle of mud.
"What just happened?" Kael asked, staring at the mess.
**[Quest Complete!
Reward: 50,000 EXP, 5,000 Gold, Divine Blessing]**
I groaned. "Of course. Even the Sand King isn't safe from your nonsense."
---
### **The Celestial Sword**
Kael picked up the Celestial Sword—a gleaming blade that radiated divine energy. "Wow, this is amazing!"
"It's also completely useless in your hands," I said, though he couldn't hear me. "You're just going to trip and stab yourself with it."
As if on cue, Kael stumbled and dropped the sword. It landed point-down, embedding itself in the ground—right where he would have fallen.
"Close one!" Kael said, laughing.
I sighed. "I give up."
---
### **The System's Realization**
As we left the pyramid, I realized something: no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't beat Kael. His MAX LUCK was too powerful, too unpredictable. If I wanted to take over his body, I'd have to think outside the box.
"Maybe I don't need to kill him," I mused. "Maybe I just need to… wait."
After all, even the luckiest heroes eventually meet their match. And when Kael's luck finally runs out, I'll be ready.
---
