『Creating new character…』
『Registering basic information…
「Name: Elia
Race: Human」』
『Registering background information…
「An illegitimate child was born in the Valderun Barony, located in the southern reaches of the Dritania Empire along the border of the Demonkin nations.
Her mother, ‘Yus,’ called her a blessed child and gave her the name ‘Elia.’
She was born with pink hair and beautiful features inherited from Yus, a woman of extraordinary beauty, but the circumstances surrounding her birth were anything but beautiful.
Her mother was a ‘maid,’ while her father was a ‘noble.’
The worst tragedy to befall Elia was not being born a nobleman’s illegitimate child and suffering horrific abuse, nor was it losing her mother after the woman became entangled in a conspiracy and disappeared.
It was the day, at the age of fifteen, when a mysterious and monstrous strength awakened within her, and she crushed the head of the brother two years her senior who had tormented her throughout her hellish life in the manor…」』
『Warning! You do not have authorization to make modifications of this type.』
『Bypass registration in progress…』
『Registration complete.』
***
‘How did things ever come to this?’
Elia, the girl locked behind iron bars, gazed through the narrow window at the moon hanging in the dark night sky, her eyes filled with confusion.
‘I’ve only ever tried to be good.’
That was undeniably true.
She had been born the illegitimate child of a nobleman and a maid.
Her mother had been abducted by Demonkin and disappeared when Elia was two years old.
She had grown up suffering abuse beneath a wicked nanny.
And yet, not once had she ever thought of doing anything evil.
On the contrary, she had listened to tales of heroes and the great chronicles of legendary warriors, dreaming that one day she, too, would become a righteous person.
“Goddess, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Therefore, crushing her brother’s head had been an accident.
All she had done was slap the cheek of a brother who was trying to violate her.
It was his fault for having such a fragile skull.
He had spent his entire life committing evil deeds, so the heavens had finally punished him.
“Hey, slave bitch! Shut your mouth!”
The guard snapped irritably at her quiet muttering.
Elia fell silent and contemplated her situation.
‘What’s going to happen to me?’
She had been born the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, but no one had ever treated her as nobility. She had spent her entire life confined to a room.
To her family, Elia had been nothing more than a beautiful doll.
And that doll had caused an incident.
As a result, Elia had been sent away to a convent.
‘I never imagined the Mother Superior would be a slave trader.’
Now, Elia was destined to be sold as a slave.
‘I didn’t do anything evil.’
She wanted to believe all of this was nothing more than a nightmare.
When she opened her eyes again, she would awaken in a peaceful little home surrounded by quiet pastoral scenery.
Her beautiful mother would be there to greet her, smiling happily.
‘This wasn’t the future I dreamed of.’
Someday, she would set out on a grand adventure and make a name for herself as a famous hero.
Perhaps she would even meet the person destined for her and build a happy family together.
“Slave Number 51, Elia. Step forward.”
But this was no nightmare.
“Ah…”
The guard roughly yanked the iron chain fastened around her neck.
As she was dragged away without the strength to resist, Elia prayed.
‘Goddess Deuslute, please grant me your grace.’
Deuslute did not answer.
But a goddess did.
『I shall grant you the power to seize your own destiny.』
“Eek-!”
Elia flinched in surprise as a translucent blue panel suddenly appeared before her eyes.
The guard dragging her along immediately became wary when he felt her sudden resistance.
“You slave bitch! You think you can fight back?!”
Despite the guard’s furious shout, Elia was too captivated by the panel before her to pay him any attention.
The panel spoke to her.
『You possess the power to escape this place.
I shall give you the chance to live a better life.
Everything shall unfold according to your will.』
Elia was bewildered by everything that was happening.
Yet one thing seemed perfectly clear.
“Have I… been chosen?”
This was exactly how the stories of the heroes and warriors she had always admired began.
An unknown being answered her question.
『That is correct, my child.』
A shudder ran through Elia.
She had spent her entire life trapped in nightmares and hell.
But now that she had endured it all…
Her story was finally beginning.
『I shall bestow upon you your first trial.
You are my child, so I am certain you will overcome it.』
『New Side Objective
Escape (E): Escape from the slave trader’s manor.
Bonus points will be awarded depending on your method of escape.
Success: Gain 1,000 Author Points, obtain the System
Failure: Death』
“A trial…”
Trials always appeared in tales of heroes and legendary warriors.
They were invariably cruel and grueling, but the hero always overcame them in the end.
“Ha!”
That meant she could overcome this one as well.
Elia immediately grabbed the chain around her neck with both hands.
The iron links were thicker than her fingers.
But a chain of this caliber could never hope to withstand Elia’s monstrous strength.
Creeeeak-! Clang-!!
The chain snapped apart with pathetic ease.
“G-Guards! The slave is escaping!! The slave is escap…!”
The guard never finished his sentence.
After all, Elia already knew exactly how easily a human skull could be crushed.
“Take this-!”
Splat-!
A single slap aimed at his head shattered the guard’s skull.
There was no need to check whether he was still alive. His death was beyond question.
Hearing the commotion, more armed guards rushed into the room.
Elia looked at them and smiled brightly.
“I understand now! This is my trial!”
The dark night was soon dyed crimson.
***
Elia climbed to the top of a hill, her entire body painted red.
Behind her, the magnificent manor was being consumed by raging flames.
Not a single person who might have pursued Elia had survived.
“I defeated all the villains! This is the achievement of a true hero!”
She rejoiced as she filled her lungs with the refreshing night air.
As though answering her declaration, the blue panel appeared once more.
『Well done, my child. You have passed your trial splendidly.
And one who overcomes a trial should naturally be rewarded.』
As soon as the voice finished speaking, Elia saw the ‘System’ unfold before her eyes.
Simply looking at it gave her an instinctive understanding of the abilities she had received.
『This is a special power bestowed upon you and you alone.』
“A special power… only for me…”
Elia sensed the hand of destiny.
She had been given a fate more extraordinary than that of anyone else.
Because she had been chosen.
『My child, I shall now bestow upon you your second trial.
It is an exceedingly simple trial, yet also an extraordinarily difficult one.』
“Simple, but difficult?”
Instead of answering, the System appeared before her.
『New Core Objective
Deliver Justice (S): Kill ‘Ex.’
Success: Awaken the Hero’s Power
Failure: System deletion』
It was a strange trial whose meaning she could not understand.
As Elia stared in confusion, the blue panel continued its explanation.
『‘Ex’ is the being who shall bring ruin upon this world.
He is the incarnation of unspeakable evil and the source of all wickedness.』
“My goodness… Then is this person called ‘Ex’ the Demon King?”
『He is a being far more wicked and terrifying than even that.
You alone possess the power to bring judgment upon Ex.』
When the blue panel finished speaking, something materialized before Elia.
It was a ‘Special Admission Recommendation’ for Elyon Academy.
“This is…”
『Go to the academy. Ex awaits you there.
He is not an opponent you should confront before you are fully prepared.』
『First, you must strengthen yourself.
I shall grant you a gift to help you accomplish that.』
At that moment, all manner of titles and talents were added to Elia’s System.
Several S-rank titles appeared in rapid succession, each one powerful enough to make its bearer famous throughout the world.
Elia felt an unprecedented force surging through her body.
With power like this, she felt as though she could defeat the Demon King or even a god.
‘So this is the grace of a goddess…’
Then, a question occurred to Elia.
“Are you the Goddess ‘Deuslute’?”
Was this being truly the Deuslute she had sought for so long?
Elia had never heard of the goddess’s blessing being bestowed in such a manner.
The being answered her doubts.
『I am the true creator and architect of this world.
I am the mother of all things and the first light.』
『My name is 「Elysia」.』
***
『The System has been adjusted through temporary measures.
System Level has been adjusted to Level 2.
Base Stats have been adjusted in accordance with your Race Change.』
“My precious stats!!”
A grief-stricken scream echoed through Ex’s room.
His stats had been adjusted.
And they had been adjusted in the worst possible direction.
『Base Stats
Stamina: 1.5
Intelligence: 2.0 [Increased by 0.3]
Agility: 1.5
Magic Power: 1.5 [Increased by 0.3]
Demonic Power: 1.0 [Newly Added] [Sealed State]
Luck: 0.0 [Fixed State]
Charm: 1.0』
“W-What the hell happened to my Luck…?”
For some inexplicable reason, his Luck had fallen all the way to zero.
It had not merely decreased, either. It had been marked as [Fixed].
The thought of all the points he had invested in it made his vision go dark.
‘That was one of the most important stats I had to secure…!’
Luck was a vital stat that protected him from the worst possible outcome, no matter what happened.
Hadn’t people always said that even someone with no other abilities could somehow survive as long as they had enough luck?
And now his Luck was zero.
A stat he had spent a staggering 4,500 points developing had vanished.
Worse still, its [Fixed] state meant he could never increase it again.
The room seemed to spin around him.
He knew that his System Level had risen to Level 2 and that some of his other stats had increased.
But the pain of what he had lost was far greater.
Ex desperately tried to look on the bright side.
“R-Right. At least I got another stat… What the hell is Demonic Power…? Does that mean my grip got stronger or something?”
『Demonic Power: The source of a demon’s abilities. The power of innate abilities is determined according to this stat.
Warning! This stat is currently in a Sealed State. Its value will be adjusted according to certain conditions.』
It appeared to be a stat that had emerged as a result of his transformation into a demon.
But the unfamiliar information displayed beside the stat raised another question.
“[Sealed State]? What kind of scam is this? You give it to me and then immediately take it away… How am I supposed to break the seal?”
『This condition was applied as part of a temporary measure.
The measure will be lifted once specific conditions have been fulfilled.』
“W-What the hell!”
Ex was startled by the System’s response.
This was the first time it had ever answered him so proactively.
Several possibilities came to mind, but Ex forced himself to remain calm.
“What exactly are you?”
『This personality is a Pseudo-Personality generated by the increase in System Level…』
His calm did not last long.
Ex grabbed the System panel and began shaking it like a madman.
“You’re Elysia, aren’t you, you fucking bitch?”
『I do not understand the question.』
“Send me back home, you goddamn bitch!”
『This personality does not possess the authority to…』
“Then at least give me some kind of cheat ability, you piece of shit!!”
『…』
Unfortunately, Ex’s resentment and distrust toward the Status Window and the System had long since gone through the roof.
And he had more than enough reasons to justify it.
“What kind of bullshit penalty turns my body into a half-dead wreck the second I transmigrate here?!”
“The Item Shop and Talent Shop are full of worthless garbage that might as well not exist!”
“It either hides the information I actually need or presents it in the vaguest, most inconvenient way possible!”
“Half the time, I can’t even tell whether this thing exists to help me or kill me! Do you understand?!”
“I know I’m not exactly one to talk, but the modern trend is getting some SSS-rank cheat ability, steamrolling everyone by yourself, and delivering one satisfying beatdown after another!! It’s not desperately crawling through hell and clawing for survival every second of the day, you goddamn hack author-!!”
Only after slamming the innocent System panel around in every direction did Ex finally calm down.
Thinking about it rationally, there was no way the entity controlling the System would personally reveal itself at this point.
“Damn it. Of course you wouldn’t just show up like this. What did you say you were?”
『…』
“So that didn’t work. I guess you’re the real thing.”
His accumulated rage had genuinely exploded, but he had also deliberately acted more deranged than usual in an attempt to expose the being’s true identity.
It had not worked.
Realizing he had simply taken his anger out on the wrong target, Ex sighed.
“What am I supposed to call you? Pseudo-Personality?”
『I will respond if you address me as the System.』
“All right. I’ll call you ‘Serry’ from now on.”
『…I will respond if you address me as Serry.』
In his previous life, Ex had occasionally used ‘Serry,’ the digital assistant created by the famous smartphone company Waffle.
Thinking of it that way made the name feel perfectly natural.
“So what exactly is your function?”
『This personality provides support for the use of the System. Active assistance will be provided within the limits of authorized permissions.』
“Active assistance… Such as?”
『For example, you may request notifications regarding changes to specific information or ask for predetermined actions to be executed.』
That level of assistance did not sound bad.
There were times when he only discovered changes to important information long after they had occurred.
Depending on the situation, those changes could be critically important.
Since he had already started, Ex continued asking every question that came to mind.
“Who created this System?”
『Unable to answer.』
“What is the relationship between Elysia and the System?”
『Unable to answer.』
“What happens when I complete my Core Objective?”
『Unable to answer.』
“Of course…”
He asked several more questions, but none of the answers satisfied him.
Serry responded only to questions directly related to the System.
Every question concerning anything beyond the System was met with the same answer.
Unable to answer.
“Can’t you tell me something useful?”
『Please provide a more precise example.』
“For example… You could tell me which functions I should check right now… Something along those lines.”
『Checking…』
The ellipsis after Serry’s message blinked repeatedly.
Ex had only thrown the suggestion out on the off chance it might work, so the response was unexpected.
A moment later, Serry replied.
『Elements for which advice can be provided under current authorization have been identified. Please review the following:
— Review new Talents
— Review the Item Shop
— Review the Talent Shop
— Review the new function 「Character Information」
— Review the new function 「Synopsis」』
He had already intended to check his new Talents, the Item Shop, and the Talent Shop.
The advice was hardly helpful.
What did surprise him was that two new functions had been added.
“Character Information… Don’t tell me it’s what I think it is?”
Just as Ex was about to examine the Character Information function, Serry displayed another message.
『It is strongly recommended that you prioritize reviewing the new function 「Synopsis」.』
“Huh? Why?”
『There is information you must identify at the present time.』
“What could possibly be in the Synopsis…?”
There was no reason not to check, so Ex activated the Synopsis function.
『Synopsis
「On February 22, Ex opened his eyes during the entrance ceremony at Elyon Academy. When he looked around, he realized that this was not the world he knew…」』
It was exactly what its name suggested.
A synopsis summarizing the scenario.
Every action he had taken until now had been condensed into a written summary.
“What is this supposed to be? A chance to look back on my past and repent?”
Considering the existence of 『Setting Edit』, it was not particularly strange for a function like this to exist.
It was also something he had received from writers back when he worked as an editor.
‘Not that many writers ever bothered sending me a synopsis…’
There was a chance the Synopsis might contain information about future events.
Ex’s occupational instincts, honed over a decade of working as an editor, immediately kicked in as he read through the entire Synopsis.
Unfortunately, nothing in life ever went that smoothly.
『Synopsis
「…Ex examined the Status Window in his room. Various new abilities had been added to the Status Window, and Ex resolved to use them to prepare for the coming doomsday episodes.」』
It contained nothing more than a summary of actions he had already taken.
If it only recorded the past, the function was not particularly useful.
“Damn it. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. I’m an idiot for getting my hopes up.”
『Synopsis
「…When his premature expectations were not met, Ex muttered that he was an idiot.」』
“…”
Was this how an ancient king felt with a court historian recording his every word and action?
“Who’s even writing this thing?”
『The addition of information to this function is managed by this personality.』
‘So it was you.’
Ex considered how he might make use of the function, but no answer came to mind.
Aside from reviewing events that had already passed, it did not seem to have any practical value.
Just as Ex was about to close the Synopsis, new words began appearing at the very end.
『Synopsis
「…Someone filled with fury was walking toward Ex’s room. She was determined to uncover the truth behind the incident.」』
“…What?”
The newly appeared sentence caught him off guard.
The Synopsis did not reveal the future.
At its most current, it merely described events taking place in the present.
“In that case…”
Who exactly was this ‘she’ currently approaching his room?
A sudden chill crept down his spine.
But before he could dwell on it…
Bam-!!
The door flew open with tremendous force after someone kicked it from the other side.
Then an enraged voice roared from the hallway.
“Ex-!!! You wrote that letter, didn’t you?!”
『Synopsis
「…The woman’s identity was ‘Circe.’ Circe had spent the entire day agonizing over the ‘letter’ she received before the demon attack, but no matter how thoroughly she considered the possibilities, Ex was the only person who could have sent it.」』
“Explain yourself right now-!!!”
Lightning crackled around both of Circe’s hands.
‘I’m going to die again.’
『Synopsis
「…Ex prepared himself for death.」』
–TL Notes–
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