Prologue
In a soft breeze, the wind touches my face while I'm sitting down on the soft, cozy grass, watching the sunset. It feels like it's giving me the love that I've been longing for, even though it's not really there.
"Darling, dinner is ready!"
The soft voice of my wife makes me even happier. "Ahh, sadly, that was just an echo of memories."
"I should probably be going now. It's nice to see things that make you happy."
As I stand up and look away at the beautiful sunset ... I create a portal to leave this place.
---
Chapter 1
A classroom buzzed like a market. At the front is our class president, who is flamboyantly gay (literally). Meanwhile, the boys in the corner are playing ML and watching porn, while the girls run around like bitches.
Suddenly, our teacher, Ma'am Sharon, yelled:
"QUIET!"
Silence filled the air.
"We are having a long quiz. If you don't shut your mouths, it'll be even longer. Now, get back to your seats."
All the students groaned at the announcement—except for one: Kris Ashren.
Kris was minding his own business, sketching a scene where a man stood on the edge of a cliff, watching the sunset.
After hours of lectures and five subjects, it was finally lunchtime.
Ashren left the school to go to a small diner a few blocks away. While he was walking, someone passed him, someone familiar, someone he knew for another reason, even though they never met before, but he just shrunk it as if it was just the air. As he reached the intersection, a speeding truck had a tire blowout. Distracted by his headphones and phone, Ashren didn't hear the truck's horn—and was hit hard enough to tumble several feet.
"What the fuck just happened?" Injured
He looked at the truck.
"A… truck? Fuck, didn't see that coming. Am I finally getting reincarnated…?"
He died from blood loss and shattered bones.
System
"The owner has been found. Reincarnation has begun in."
"3"
"2"
"1"
---
Somewhere in the highest realm stands a mountain—Mt. Olympus. Covered in mist, myth, and stories, it is where the gods once ruled and where the earth still touches the sky.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. A figure huffed as he approached a large door.
The door creaked open.
Inside, there was a throne at the far end, where the king of all gods, "ZEUS", sat, accompanied by two women.
Hermes knelt.
"Father! I've come to report that the being we've been looking for, has been detected"
Zeus raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Hermes stammered, "But, we're not able to find its exact location, but we're still on it."
Zeus annoyed. "Hmm, you rushed in just to tell me that he's still out there alive, being powerful. And you doing your work badly."
Hermes is in dread. " I'm sorry Father."
Zeus waved him off. "Next time, don't return without better news."
Hermes bowed. "Yes, Father." He left the room.
Zeus grumbled, "Tch, useless arrogant brat, ringing useless information." He turned to the women. "Now, where were we?"
The women giggled. " Sure~~"
---
Birds chirped, trees swayed, and a soft breeze drifted through the window, where a 15-year-old teen slept soundly. Suddenly—
SLAM!
The door burst open. A figure marched in, grabbed the bedframe, and flipped it—sending the teen crashing to the floor.
Kris Ashren groaned, half-asleep. "Huh? What the fuck?!"
Trainer Layla scowled. "Kris Ashren, you might be a genius, but don't you dare sleep in on training day!" She dragged him towards the training ground.
The training ground is a place where you train your body to its limit. With its rough flooring and a hole in the wall towards the magic training ground.
Ashren gasped for air, swinging his sword.
"H-how many… is that?" he panted. "Lay…la…?"
Layla crossed her arms. "500. You're still at 200. Keep swinging."
Layla thought that Ashren's endurance and stamina didn't increase even after years of training, though he is good at swordsmanship but still gets tired in just a few minutes.
Twenty minutes later:
"497… 498… 499… 500!" He collapsed.
"15-minute break," Layla said.
Ashren staggered to a nearby wall.
"Did you do the extra training I assigned?" Layla asked.
Ashren blinked. "What training?" Realizing his mistake, he forced a grin. "Y-yeah, absolutely! I did it!"
Layla smirked. " Oh really? Show me."
Ashren winced. "Sorry…"
Layla sighed. "Forget it. But now, your training's twice as hard."
Ashren felt tears well up. "Yes…"
After the rigorous training with Layla, Ashren with back to his room to experiment and test different types of magic.
*You might be wondering "Why doesn't he just hire a magic trainer?", well the reason is that Ashren bullies them for being weaker than him and they even try to fight back, but as you know the whole in the wall in the training ground, yea, that happened, and the trainer lost. Even though he wants to be taught, he also doesn't want to be taught by someone incompetent.
In his room, where he experimented with his magic, Ashren was able to make a spell. This spell is mostly Psyche magic with a little mix of Efficiency magic, and he named it A.I., pretty self-explanatory, and this will help him take one step closer to his goal of making his robot wife.
Ashren's door creaked and he thought it was his mom.
"Mom, I'm in the middle of something. Could we just talk about it at the dinner table?"
But it wasn't his mom, it was his little sister, Laylie Ashren.
"But kuy, I want to play with you and we talked about this." Pouts at his older brother for his forgetfulness.
*Note: "Kuy" is a shortened word in Filipino for "Kuya", which means in English it's "big brother"
Ashren was a bit shocked that it wasn't his mom, but he decided that bonding with his sibling was important, and this experiment could wait until later; he first recorded his work. As an older brother, he carries his little sister playfully, while they go to the garden to play.
After the bonding between Ashren and Laylie, it was already noon, and he needed to get his little sis some bath to get ready for dinner and himself too.
The warm glow of candlelight flickered across the dining table as the Ashren family gathered for their evening meal. The aroma of roasted meat, seasoned vegetables, and freshly baked bread filled the air. Kris Ashren sat beside his energetic little sister, Laylie, who swung her legs impatiently, waiting for their father to finish serving the food.
Their mother, Elara Ashren, smiled warmly as she set down a bowl of steaming soup. "Kris, how was training today?"
Ashren sighed, rubbing his sore arms. "Layla nearly killed me. Again."
His father, Garrick Ashren, chuckled as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Good. If she's pushing you, it means she sees potential."
Laylie giggled, poking her brother's arm. "Kuy, you're such a crybaby!"
Ashren flicked her forehead lightly. "Says the one who cried yesterday because she scraped her knee."
Laylie stuck out her tongue. "That's different! It hurt!"
Their mother shook her head fondly. "Alright, enough bickering. Let's eat."
As the family began their meal, the conversation flowed naturally—until Garrick cleared his throat.
"Kris, we need to talk about your future."
Ashren paused mid-bite. "My future?"
Garrick nodded. "You're fifteen now. Soon, you'll need to decide where to continue your education. You have three prestigious academies as your options: the Imperial Academy, the Magic Academy, or the T'reo School of Martial Magic."
Laylie gasped dramatically. "Kuy's leaving?!"
Elara patted her head. "Not yet, sweetheart. But soon."
Ashren frowned, setting down his fork. "I haven't really thought about it."
His father leaned forward. "Then it's time you do. Each path offers something different."
Imperial Academy – The pinnacle of military and political training. Future generals, nobles, and empire leaders graduate from here. Discipline, strategy, and combat mastery are its core.
Magic Academy – A haven for spellcasters, researchers, and arcane scholars. If you want to refine your magic, this is the place.
T'reo School of Martial Magic – A rare hybrid institution that blends physical combat with spellcraft. Only the most versatile warriors survive its brutal curriculum.
Ashren's mind raced. Each option appealed to him in different ways.
His mother studied his expression. "You don't have to decide tonight. But think carefully."
Laylie tugged his sleeve. "Kuy, pick the one with the coolest swords!"
Ashren smirked. "And what if I pick the one with the most books?"
Laylie gasped in horror. "Nooo! That's boring!"
The family laughed, the tension easing.
As dinner continued, Ashren's thoughts wandered. "Which path leads me closer to my goals?"
Ashren set down his fork, the idea forming as he spoke. "What if I join the T'reo Academy first—and then the Imperial Academy?"
Silence. The clink of silverware stilled. His parents exchanged a glance as if they knew what they're saying, and for a moment, the only sound was Laylie happily smearing jam on her bread, oblivious to the weight of the question.
Then, his father cleared his throat.
"Your mother and I discussed it further," Garrick said, swirling his wine. "Attending both T'reo and the Imperial Academy isn't just ambitious. It's borderline reckless."
Ashren met his father's gaze. "But not impossible."
Elara sighed. "T'reo's trials break seasoned warriors. If you survive, you'd still need to adapt to the Imperial Academy's rigid structure afterward. Most wouldn't attempt it."
Most aren't me, Ashren thought. Aloud, he said, "I'll handle it. The Imperial Academy's politics won't matter if I've already proven myself at T'reo."
Garrick's lips twitched—the closest he came to a smile. "Spoken like an heir." He set down his glass. "Very well. I'll call in favors to secure your T'reo invitation. But don't expect special treatment."
Ashren nodded. "I wouldn't want it."
Laylie, who'd been kicking her feet under the table, gasped. "Does this mean Kuy's gonna come home with scars? Like Uncle Draven?"
"Hopefully fewer stab wounds," Ashren muttered.
Elara paled. "That's not funny."
Garrick ignored her, studying Ashren. "There's another reason you're set on this path, isn't there?"
Ashren hesitated. His parents knew nothing about the "system" glitching in his mind, nor the cryptic warnings it whispered before going dormant ("Zeus watches"). T'reo's brutal honesty—where strength decide the truth—might force answers from it.
"I need to be stronger," he said simply.
Silence stretched. Then Laylie piped up: "Can I have your dessert if you die?"
Elara choked on her wine.
---
System Reboot: 52% Complete
(Warning: Divine interference detected in host's timeline. Countermeasures pending.)