Legendary Relics possessed unparalleled destructive and defensive power; only two such items existed on the entire continent.
As for the Villain Points, they could randomly unlock Monster-type subordinates—potentially even Ancient or Demon King-class entities with terrifying combat capabilities. For context, the monster that wiped out the Raymond family was only ranked as "High-tier."
[Monster Ranking: Low-tier, Mid-tier, High-tier, Calamity-tier, Demon King.]
Whether one followed the Protagonist or Villain path, the rewards were essentially a "get out of jail free" card for the entire continent.
Naturally, Ren chose... Option 3.
[NPC Points +10]
Adding these 10 points brought his total NPC points to 1,000—just enough for a "10-pull" on the random talent gacha.
[Basic Talents: Defense +4, Spirit +2, Mana +2. Life Talent: Cooking +1]
"Dammit, still no Attack points," Ren muttered.
Why was his luck always hitting Defense? For someone who only knew Tier 2 spells, Attack power was vital. In this world, the destructive force of both magic and martial arts scaled directly with one's Attack stat.
The system's stat-allocation felt exactly like a predatory mobile game. Over the years, his Mana, Spirit, and Defense had reached monstrous levels—especially Defense, which accounted for 60% of his total points. He desperately wanted high Attack to make his low-tier spells actually hurt. Even points in specialized skills like Array-formation or Smithing would have been better.
Ren sighed. Since the distribution was random, he was powerless to change it. He continued walking at a leisurely pace.
Honestly, being a background NPC wasn't bad. He didn't have to sacrifice himself for others or go on life-threatening adventures. He could just live a quiet, "lazy fish" lifestyle.
It had been eight years since he transmigrated. As a "player" with a system, Ren had zero interest in being the hero or the villain. The saying "with great opportunity comes great danger" had been proven true to him early on.
The tasks for the Protagonist and Villain routes were never easy. If you chose the Hero path, you had to maintain a perfect image. Even if you ground out enough points for a "Transcendent" spell, you might not have the capacity to learn it. And even if you learned it, your early-game mana wouldn't be enough to cast it, making it a useless weight. Worse, you'd likely be hunted by powerful people coveting your secrets.
As for the Villain route? Monsters were powerful, sure, but what if they didn't listen? Without overwhelming strength, his own "subordinates" would likely turn on him and eat him. And don't even get him started on "Monster Bloodlines"—Ren had no desire to turn into a half-human, half-beast freak or lose his sanity for the sake of power.
His conclusion: Heroes and Villains were for suckers.
Being an NPC was the way to go. Random stat boosts were great—even if his gear was trash and his talent was low, he could eventually win through sheer, bloated base stats. Ren had played the "long game" for years; he was a master of staying under the radar. His motto was simple: Play it safe, follow your heart (and stay out of trouble).
_______
Ren wandered aimlessly. Starlight Academy offered various disciplines, with Magic and Martial Arts being the core pillars. Beyond those, there were electives like Smithing, Alchemy, and Array-crafting.
While the core subjects had three instructors each, the electives usually only had one. Ren found that simply walking around the academy a few times a day would trigger system prompts, allowing him to farm NPC points.
As the sun began to set, Ren was just about to remark on another boring day when the mana crystal in his pocket began to glow with a sharp purple light.
This crystal was given to him by Headmaster Claire. It functioned like a smartphone from his previous life, though it was strictly for voice calls. Usually, Claire never contacted him.
Curious, he activated the stone.
"Come to my office. Immediately."
It was a woman's voice. She sounded young, but she carried the natural authority of a strict high school principal. If one listened closely, there was a hint of irritation in her tone—the kind of annoyance where she couldn't even be bothered to say an extra word.
Ren was puzzled. Normally, his teacher—the Headmaster—ignored her "useless" disciple for months at a time. He was a student who had less than 5% elemental affinity, skipped every exam, and spent his days either window-shopping in the city or napping in his dorm.
Ren knew exactly what Claire thought of him. Her calling him now couldn't mean anything good.
At that moment, the mechanical voice rang out again.
[God-Level Choice System at your service. Please make a choice.]
[Option 1: Pretend the signal is bad, hang up, and go to sleep.
Difficulty: C-Rank. Reward: Protagonist Points +10]
[Option 2: Scream into the crystal: "You think I'll come just because you told me to? What are you gonna do about it?"
Difficulty: C-Rank. Reward: Villain Points +10]
[Option 3: Agree and head to the Headmaster's office.
Difficulty: D-Rank. Reward: NPC Points +10]
Ren went numb as he read the options.
His bad feeling was confirmed. Not only were the other options C-rank, but even the NPC choice was D-rank. Usually, his "safe" path was an F-rank (no effort required).
Ren's face darkened. In system terms, E-rank was "zero effort." D-rank meant some physical or mental exertion—maybe even a minor injury—but no risk of death. However, anything C-rank or above involved a genuine threat to his life.
The fact that the Hero and Villain choices were C-rank made his skin crawl. Why was the "Protagonist" choice to ignore the Headmaster? Was Claire planning to ask him to do something unethical or dangerous?
Ren didn't trust people, but he trusted the System's difficulty ratings. He had spent eight years learning its logic. He took a deep breath, sharpened his senses, and chose Option 3. He had to be ready for whatever "D-rank" trouble was waiting for him.
To understand Ren's caution, one had to understand his origin.
Before he transmigrated, Ren was a hardcore gamer. This world was the setting of an RPG called Aeon. He had read the reviews but hadn't actually played it because his PC exploded right as he was about to start.
The plot of Aeon followed a hero named Leon. Leon was a commoner who survived a monster attack as a child, was discovered to have god-tier elemental affinity, and was enrolled in an elite academy. He gained nobility, a royal fiancée, and eventually saved the empire. The game was a "power fantasy" where the player could master every rare spell and romance almost every female character—including his own teacher, Claire.
Ren remembered the reviews saying the game was "easy mode" for the protagonist. But Ren wasn't the protagonist.
When he first arrived, he woke up in a dark, damp basement with a group of terrified children. The system had offered him three paths: Hero, Villain, or NPC.
At the time, Ren had thought: A system? Transmigration? I'm the main character now!
But looking back, he realized how naive he had been.
______
Eight years ago, Ren's first thought upon seeing the system was that he was destined for greatness. He had already begun imagining himself as a legendary mage with a harem of beauties.
But the reality of the "basement" was different. It was a cold, stinking cellar lit by a single, flickering candle. The children around him were covered in filth and trembling with fear.
Ren realized he was at the very beginning of the Aeon storyline. In the game's intro, the "food" for the monsters consisted of the protagonist and a group of children.
If he followed the game's logic, the "Original Hero," Leon, was in this room. Since Ren was a transmigrator with his own system, he figured he and Leon were natural rivals. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Plus, if Leon got all the legendary gear and all the girls, what was left for Ren?
Using the dim candlelight, Ren scanned the room. His eyes quickly landed on a young boy.
The boy stood out instantly. Even covered in dirt, his features were strikingly handsome and his eyes were cold and calm. He didn't look like a scared child; he looked like a hero in waiting.
That has to be Leon, Ren thought.
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