CHAPTER 78: SYSTEM (1)

0% Something unexpected materialized in the corner of my eye. Something that defied explanation by any known concept or phenomenon in this world. Even the erudite masters of the mage towers would likely be at a loss to describe it.

If I were to question Sir Meltas or Miss Didoa about this, I’d probably be met with nothing more than a puzzled tilt of the head.

In moments like these, memories from my past life were a huge help. They provided unique perspectives and experiences that the people of this world could never possess.

I immediately recognized what it was.

“A Status Window...?”

It resembled a translucent panel affixed to thin air, reminiscent of something one would only expect to see in a game.

A torrent of thoughts flooded my mind. The shock was so profound that under normal circumstances, I might have spent days or even weeks lost in deep contemplation.

Such was the impact of this Window that had suddenly intruded upon my life.

But fortunately—if I could call it that—the Window’s contents were so significant that they eclipsed all other musings.

[43:05:21:54:55]

In all honesty, I was terrible with numbers.

As a child, I nearly lost my mind trying to memorize multiplication tables. Once variables and strange symbols entered the equation, I had to tap into the very essence of my life force just to comprehend them.

Given my woeful mathematical prowess, this jumble of numbers appeared to follow no discernible pattern or formula. So normally, I would never have deciphered the meaning behind this cryptic sequence.

But then...

[43:05:21:54:52]

“Uhhh...”

The numbers began to change.

[43:05:21:54:47]

No.

[43:05:21:54:43]

They were moving now, following a clear, unmistakable pattern. As hopeless with numbers as I was, even I could see it instantly. This shifting array of numbers represented time—remaining time.

In essence, this Window was a countdown timer.

“Seconds...minutes...hours...days...and...weeks?”

According to the timer, approximately 43 weeks remained...and that was it.

The Window merely displayed the time left, offering no hint as to what would happen when it reached zero.

That uncertainty was maddening. Humans, after all, are creatures who read anxiety into finite time.

That anxiety led me to one possibility—the most symbolic concept associated with limited time.

“...Yeah, no way.”

I tried my best to dismiss the possibility, but no alternative came to mind. Lately, there had been far too many reasons to suspect otherwise.

The sudden manifestation of new power, my rapid growth, and the resulting accumulation of fatigue and strain on my body.

And that brief glimpse of the afterlife during my mana overflux.

“This can’t be my remaining lifespan...right?”

Yes, it was absurd. A Status Window appearing out of nowhere, showing my remaining time to live? And less than a year at that?

I shook my head repeatedly, my expression full of disbelief—evidence of my brain working overtime to find a silver lining. That little hope circuit in there was a dangerous thing. So good at spinning baseless optimism, it ruined peoples’ lives for fun.

Just one more push, right?

Yeah no.

Surely my life won’t be ruined?

It will.

Surely I won’t die?

You will.

But this time I was counting on that power of optimism more than ever.

Please, save me from this terrifying possibility of a terminal life.

Then, as I struggled to shake off my anxiety with these scattered thoughts, it happened.

***

Choose a recipient for experience point distribution.

[Self] , [Faction]

***

If no selection is made within the time limit, a recipient will be automatically chosen.

***...

...

...

***

Experience points will be distributed automatically.

Recipient: Self

***

[You have leveled up]

***

■Risir

Level: 39 41

***

[You have reached a level milestone (6th Rank)]

[Corresponding perks will be awarded]

***...

...

...

***

Experience points to distribute remains.

Choose a recipient for experience point distribution.

[Self] , [Faction]

***

If no selection is made within the time limit, a recipient will be automatically chosen.

***“...!”

Goddammit all. Of all times, it had to be now?

And it’s a big one, comparable to that time with Gerhen. Maybe even greater.

“Frrgh...!”

Something lukewarm seeped from every orifice on my face. I figured it was blood and that my condition was critical.

Yet, who knew what got into me? The first thing I did in this dire situation was to check the Window.

[00:00:39:02:12:54:23]

There was no need to even meticulously compare how much time had decreased, as the highest digit had vanished entirely. How generous.

“Oh, that’s just great.”

An intense headache hit me—at least this time, I was sure it wasn’t from mana overflux.

My body was ravaged by a surge in mana and in response, the timer’s countdown accelerated.

This confirmed that the Window was linked to my lifespan. In other words, I had less than a year left to live.

The stark reality of such a short time made my head spin. A terrible sense of helplessness engulfed me, as if I were sinking into a swamp.

“...Kagh!”

Still, I had to do what I could. After all, living for another year is better than dying right away.

I gathered the mana swirling inside my body through Blue Breath.

“Kagh—! Hufff...urgh...! Huff...”

Even though I’d done this before and should have some experience, it wasn’t getting any easier.

Despite my initial assumption that it was comparably bad to the growth I experienced after dealing with Gerhen, it was actually much more intense.

Back then, I struggled because I lacked the skill to handle the overflux. At present, it was purely the sheer magnitude of the surging magic power that was overwhelming me.

Suddenly, indignation nearly killed me. How could this come out of nowhere? All I’d done was normalize some minor desert devil. Was that really enough to justify such a drastic surge in power?

It didn’t make sense.

Normally, I would’ve simply shrugged it off as a boon to be had. But after learning this process was rapidly draining my remaining lifespan, I was left with nothing but pure indignation.

“Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!”

After what felt like ages, I finally stabilized my magic power. My body was drenched in blood and sweat, and outside the window, twilight had already fallen.

I had planned to finish moving preparations today and bid farewell to the mage tower folks, but that had all fallen through.

And worst of all, one of the few days left in my short life had been wasted meaninglessly.

“Fffu—”

With that half-formed curse, I blacked out.

***“Mastah! You okay?! Don’t die! I’ll be sad!”

“...!”

Awakened by a chirping voice, I first checked outside the window. It was a clear morning without a single cloud in the sky.

But as I gazed at that sky, dark clouds gradually filled my mind.

“I certainly slept like a log...Wasted a whole day...”

Was this really how someone should feel after undergoing explosive growth, getting some rest, and greeting a new morning?

A fresh wave of misery washed over me. From now on, no matter how good things got, I’d probably react just like this. To think that a life once filled with positivity and optimism would end in such relentless pessimism.

I was starting to understand why the elderly were so bad-tempered.

“Mastah! You okay?! Does it hurt somewhere?! Is it because you’re bleeding?!”

Again, a voice chirped near my feet.

A semi-transparent little girl, seemingly made of sand, was looking up at me with bright eyes—Verdandes.

I patted her head.

“I’m fine. Just a bit troubled because I have less than a year left to live.”

“Really?! That’s good! It’s nothing serious! Mastah shouldn’t be sick! Being sick is hard!”

“That’s quite philosophical.”

Just as I had realized why older people become cranky, I felt like I understood why they were weak to little children.

Watching the little girl chirping away, oblivious to the world’s worries, my pessimistic outlook started to shift.

“...Right.”

I pulled myself together.

Not much time left to live? All the more reason to push away despair and hold on to optimism. It’s not like I’d have the chance to regret it later.

“...”

For a moment, I felt a deep, overwhelming sense of fulfillment. Was this what enlightenment felt like?

Now, I understood. For humans, living a long life wasn’t what truly mattered; it was about how you lived. That was where the real meaning lay.

With a heart that had let go of everything yet embraced it all, I checked how much time I had left. I needed to plan how to make the most of what little remained.

[51:01:55:42:15]

“?”

Eh? Why are you back, lifespan? And why are you even longer than when I first saw you?

“...Nice, I guess?”

I felt the corners of my mouth twitching.

Yeah. Who cares how you live? In the end, living longer is what really matters.

No wonder people say it’s better to struggle through life than to be dead.

A surge of motivation hit me. Forget planning how to make the most of my remaining days—something far more exciting came to mind.

Planning how to extend them.

I sat at my desk and went over my memories, noting anything that stood out in the process.

***

[Title : wtf is up with this timer?]

Post : I pushed Kehlryn story and a timer pops outta nowhere

don’t tell me that’s a bomb collar around my char’s neck oy

: yeah no

-[OP] : phew

: the bombs on the world

-[OP] : ?

: When that timer hits zero, it’s the world-ending bad ending.

-[OP] : where tf this come from???

-[OP] : whyd pushing a fate quest suddenly start a doomsday countdown???

: is not suddenly starting a countdown. the game lore says becoz u moved closer to fate, now you can feel it approaching~

-[OP] : bruh I only got 30 weeks left any way to extend it?

: uh yeah this game would have a happy ending if it had something like that

: it’s fail to clear the final area in time and get a shitfucked ending VS clear it in time and get a somewhat less shitty ending

-[OP] : FFS

***...

...

...

***

Experience points will be distributed automatically.

Recipient: Self

***I made progress. I had discovered the key mechanism for extending my lifespan, which could be considered the most crucial piece in my plan to survive longer.

I had no idea why it happened, but thanks to yet another sudden surge of magic power, the answer revealed itself.

Another overflux, another burst of magical growth.

[53:01:55:42:15]

And another extension to my lifespan.

It was now clear that my remaining time was directly tied to my magic. Unstable mana, when surging out of control, drained my lifespan. But once refined and fully integrated into my body, it did the opposite, extending my life.

This mechanism was certainly straightforward...and utterly despair-inducing.

Just yesterday, when I was still stuck at the lower level of the 5th rank, I had 43 weeks left to live.

Now, after enduring one magical outburst after another and barely stepping into the 6th rank, I had 53 weeks.

The infamous wall of the 6th rank had trapped countless mages, keeping them from advancing no matter how much of their lives they devoted to it. Yet after breaking through that very wall...all I gained was a mere 10 extra weeks.

The inefficiency was staggering.

...But still. As the people around me often pointed out, my constitution was a tad abnormal. My magic power increased whenever I normalized something corrupt or villainous. And occasionally, I experienced inexplicable surges of power.

I was someone who had nearly died multiple times not from a lack of magic, but from having too much of it. So just maybe...

I might live long enough to kick the bucket from old age!

Only 53 weeks were left, barely a year. I still had a long way to go.

I wasn’t going to rest easy in my grave, not unless I at least lived to see my great-grandkids. If possible, I even wanted to use mana to achieve some form of immortality.

So, this was no time to sit around.

I got up immediately.

Normalization...gimme normalization...

I stepped out, searching for my next target.

***They say people fail to appreciate what they take for granted.

Now, I understood exactly what that meant.

Where are you...my dear black mage friends...?

Targets for normalization and villains steeped in evil. Up until now, they had always come to me on their own, getting normalized and dumping magic power into me like an annoying chore.

So I had assumed that if I put my mind to it, I could track them down anytime and achieve the dream of extending my life.

But apparently, that was just arrogance.

The past few days, I had been wandering all over Bondalles, searching for any anomalous presence— and I’d found nothing.

In hindsight, it made perfect sense. If this world were the kind of place where black mages—those next-level sons of bitches—freely roamed the streets, wouldn’t it have already teetered on the brink of destruction?

The world was peaceful. Despairingly so.

“Hah...”

Once again, I returned home empty-handed.

What day is it today...?

Checking the calendar, I realized I had just two days left before my promised departure from the Gray Tower.

That was problematic. I had hoped to achieve some results before returning to my main profession as a freelancer. The thought of juggling work and this absurd quest made my head spin.

...Thinking about it, this is actually infuriating.

A surge of resentment welled up inside me as I glared at that damn Window.

Looking back, I had desperately wanted it. Back when I first regained my past life’s memories, I imagined myself soaring through life with the help of a Status Window, just like any protagonist of a reincarnation story.

But reality had offered no such thing. I had even called out to it, just in case, only to be met with natural silence.

So I gave up. Convinced that my life held no System or guiding interface, I had pushed the very idea out of my mind.

And yet, after all this time, it had suddenly appeared—only to throw my remaining lifespan in my face and start working me like a dog.

If it was going to do this, it could’ve at least provided me some extra features.

As I pouted at this pure, 100% responsibility-laden system with zero gratification, a memory surfaced.

-Status Window...?!

Those were the very first words I had shouted upon regaining my past life’s memories...and I probably did it in whatever language those memories had been formed in.

“...”

No way...right?

A sudden thought struck me, and cautiously, I decided to put it to the test.

“Status Window...?”

For the first time, I uttered those words in the language of this world.

“Ah.”

***

■Risir

Level : 41

Race : Human

Class : ???

***“Oh, come on...seriously?”

It turned out there was a mistake with the language settings. I staggered in bewilderment.

But then...

“...Huh?”

A certain detail caught my eye.

“...Level 53? What rank is that again?”

Something was off about my party members’ statuses.