Coincidences can be horrifying...
"Student: Erin Brown."
A young man with short, dark black hair and golden-yellow eyes raised his hand as he answered his teacher.
"Here. "
Yes, that's me—and to understand how I got here, let's go back a bit, about two months ago...
...
"Man, the new chapter of (Ascension) is really amazing."
I was reading the latest chapter of my favorite novel at the time.
"But seriously, how are they going to defeat the Demon King? He's powerful in every sense of the word."
I muttered in a different tone while putting the finishing touches on my regular comment for the novel...
After I finished, I stretched a little, then went to bed...
And right after that, I started slipping into the world of dreams—still thinking about how they might defeat the Demon King.
"Everyone could've made better choices... If I were there, could I have improved them?"
I muttered and drifted off to sleep...
"I think so."
...
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
I woke up to the sound of an alarm that felt unfamiliar. I wasn't in a state to pay much attention to it because of how utterly exhausted I felt.
I turned it off and sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. The first thing I noticed when I opened them was something strange—clearly, this wasn't my room.
I don't know how to describe it other than calling it advanced... I think.
Instinctively, I reached for my phone—and to my fortune or misfortune—I didn't find one. Instead, I found a strange device that resembled a phone in design...
"What is going on...?"
I picked up the device, confused by its design. It lit up instantly—it seemed to respond to my fingerprint, because it activated right away and displayed a screen with some numbers that sent chills down my spine...
The time said 7:00 a.m.—that made sense.
But the date? Completely illogical...
2320/2/2
I thought the phone was broken, or that someone was playing a prank on me...
"What the hell...?"
I pinched myself in disbelief, and the pain I felt proved that this wasn't a dream...
"Calm down, $$$$..."
I took a deep breath to calm myself, and then my eyes began to scan the room, searching for anything to tell me where I was or what that date meant...
There was nothing particularly special in the room. And I mean that literally...
I started moving around, though I felt an odd resistance. I couldn't walk smoothly...
Continuing to search the room, I found the first item of interest: an envelope, styled in an old-fashioned design, engraved in elegant writing: Sun Academy. On it was written: Acceptance Notice.
"Damn it..."
I cursed out loud as I took the letter in my hand...
"Could it be...?"
I opened the letter with trembling hands, unable to believe this might be real...
(To student Erin Brown,
We at Sun Academy are pleased to inform you of your acceptance, having passed the exam with rank 240. Classes will begin in two months, and you are expected to move into the student dormitories at least two days before the new student orientation.
We wish you the best of luck,
Sun Academy)
"Oh my God... It looks like I've entered the world of Ascension."
...
Some of you might think this is wonderful—being transported into a novel world, building a harem or something similar, watching the main characters and plot unfold up close. It's something we've all dreamed of experiencing...
That is, of course, if the novel is logical, set in a peaceful, rosy world.
But believe me when I say—you wouldn't wish to enter this novel. The sheer amount of unknown danger surrounding you... Even the protagonist died—twice.
I thought of one thing to confirm my suspicions...
"Status."
I muttered quietly, and a nearly transparent screen appeared before me. I stared at it in shock...
Name: ERENBrown
Gender: Human
Talent: C
Rank: F
Strength: +F
Mana: -F
Endurance: F
Intelligence: F
Magic: +G
Luck: ??
Art: Flash Strike Technique (2 Stars)
Enables 90% stronger and faster spear critical hits
Skill: Thinking Mind (D)
Thinks faster and more efficiently than normal
"This is better than I expected..."
Not exactly someone who'd die just from being looked at...
"There might be a chance."
You may ask—why did I say that? Because I thought of a thing or two—or, as we call it: cheating.
I know, it's cliché. Even I'm surprised by how composed I am. Most novel protagonists take ages before they begin to think straight...
But what can I do? It's the only way to survive in this world...
Even the hero and his friends died. And I mean literally died—if not for the protagonist's ability and multiple attempts, they wouldn't have made it. But I have none of that...
Clearly—I don't have a system.
Which means I'm missing out on some features, but there's no use crying over spilled milk...
While I was thinking, I noticed a black envelope that instantly caught my attention.
"What's this...?"
I took the envelope and noticed a name written on it: To $$$$$.
"Isn't that my name from my world?!"
Unconsciously, I began to accept the name Erin Brown as mine. I never particularly liked my real name—and with the chance to change it, why not?
I thought as I began to read the letter—repeating what had just happened...
(I know you're surprised right now. But let's say you've reincarnated in this world as Erin Brown. You know he was mentioned only twice in the entire novel—and he died horribly while saving one of the heroines at the beginning...
You have three tasks:
Help the hero and the author. Do not reveal yourself to them unless the author discovers you. Don't worry, the author's skill doesn't affect you.
Defeat the Demon King.
Don't die.
Easy, right?)
(My forehead throbbed as I read that part.)
For every event you complete successfully, you'll be rewarded with valuable information.
For example... Emily.
(When I read that name, I froze. How do I put it... She was my late girlfriend. The police report confirmed it was suicide. Of course, I never believed that—but everything in its time...)
Please try to complete the story to save this world.)
"Damn..."
That's all I could say at that moment.
I wasn't even planning on completing the story. My only goal was to gain enough power and watch the main characters from afar...
Getting involved would only bring trouble and headaches...
But Emily's presence changes everything...
"Can I really see you again... Emily...?"
I don't even know if these are happy or sad memories anymore...
Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice calling me from downstairs.
"Erin, come down—it's breakfast time."
"Coming!"
Out of instinct, I shouted back so loudly I surprised even myself...
I usually don't speak that loudly, let alone shout...
I washed my face hastily...
And noticed my reflection in the mirror—I wasn't handsome or ugly, just completely average...
Short black hair and slightly golden-yellow eyes...
I wore clothes I found nearby—they seemed fitting...
Then I went downstairs to the dining room. I was greeted by the sight of a couple—a man and a woman. They must be my parents. Or rather, the parents of this body...
The woman had long, dark brown hair reaching her back and a kind, wrinkle-free face. She looked in her 30s—serene as she laid out the dishes...
The man looked in his early 40s, with thick, short brown hair, a short beard, and a clearly muscular build...
The first thing I thought when I saw them was: (Protection.)
"Finally, you're down! Come, let's eat."
The woman said with a warm smile.
"Sorry, I had some nightmares—but I'm fine."
I said with the softest smile I could muster.
"I told you to cut back on those novels you read."
The man said as he started eating.
"Sorry..."
That's all I could say.
"Well, now that you've been accepted into the academy, I think it's time we gave you a skill and a weapon to prepare."
The man said, smiling at me.
"Yeah... I also need to start training so I won't fall behind the other students."
They looked at me with visible surprise. Did I say something wrong?
"What is it?"
"Nothing... It's just surprising that you want to train on your own—without us or that girl—what was her name again...?"
"Mai."
"Right, Mai."
I could only smile at them as they talked about me, then we ate in comfortable silence.
After we finished, my parents left. They said they'd be gone for a week to clear a dungeon. Perfect...
"Take care of yourself, son, and keep the house safe. If you need anything, ask Mr. Chris."
"Okay, I'm not a kid. Take care of yourselves too."
I saw them off and waved gently.
As soon as they left, my smile changed...
"Why do I feel so familiar with them...?"
I began thinking about how to live in this world and what happened to Emily...
Just then, a notification appeared with a soft chime...
[Sync Complete]
As soon as I read the notification, a sharp pain shot through my head...
I couldn't stay on my feet—I collapsed to the floor, clutching my head...
It felt like I was being trampled on while molten iron was poured into my ears...
"What the hell is this?!"
I started screaming in agony until I lost consciousness...
...
I dreamed for what felt like a long time—or maybe it wasn't a dream... but memories. The memories of this body's original owner: Erin Brown...
There was nothing particularly special in his memory, except for one thing—he had a connection with one of the main heroines...
(Mai Fuji)—seemed like a childhood friend, but they'd been apart for three years...
When I woke up, it was already nighttime.
"Looks like I was out for a while..."
I said as I looked around, noticing a familiar black envelope—addressed to Erin Brown. This time, it had only one line:
(This is my final gift to you—check your status.)
"Status."
I muttered after reading the note.
Name: Erin Brown
Gender: Human
Talent: C
Rank: F
Strength: +F
Mana: -F
Endurance: F
Intelligence: F
Magic: +G
Luck: S
Art: Flash Strike Technique (2 Stars)
Enables 90% stronger and faster spear critical hits
Skill: Reader's Mind (EX)
Allows thinking 5x faster than normal; time appears to slow; nullifies all mental attacks; immune to the author's abilities
Damn—that's insane luck! Even the hero had A-rank luck, and the author had B...
"Looks like I'm lucky."
I muttered, remembering some unpleasant memories where luck played a role...
Then my eyes fell on the Reader's Mind skill—I read its description, and the more I read, the more joy swelled in my heart...
"Alright... I need to use my parents' absence this week to go to that dungeon and retrieve that book—in fact, I must get it, because one of the novel's strongest villains will find it."
Believe it or not, that villain found the book by sheer luck...
Now I need to go to that dungeon...
The good thing is—I remember where it is, because it was described in great detail in the novel. Even the number of steps to reach it...
With the help of this body's memories, I can get there easily. The bad part—it's a C-rank dungeon...
"You can do this, Erin."
I shouted, slapping my cheeks with both hands..
I grabbed my spear—yes, apparently I'm a spear-user. These memories are more useful than I thought...
Along with some food, I prepared to spend a few days in that dungeon. After all, I'm just F-rank. All I can do is sneak around...
You might ask—why go there if I'm so weak?
Even I considered skipping it—but Reader's Mind changes everything...
You could say it's the perfect skill for this dungeon.
"Oh—and I should eat something before going."
I ate a meal left for me at the house...
Then I rushed out on my first adventure in this harsh—but beautiful—world.
"Let's hope everything goes well."