After a long day at work, I'm finally home. Today is my birthday, and my parents promised they wouldn't be busy—that they'd celebrate with me without any issues. I even bought a cake with my own money so we could all enjoy it.
"I'm home."
But when I step inside, the house is empty and completely dark.
"Mom? Dad? Leslie? Diana? Ernesto?"
I call out to my parents and siblings, but no one answers. The only thing waiting for me in the kitchen is food wrapped in plastic and a note on top. I pick it up and read:
"Dear William, we had to leave because of a medical issue with Ernesto. We'll be back late, so eat and rest. We'll probably be very late. – Mom"
A short note, but it speaks volumes. I unwrap the food and start eating while checking Ernesto's profile from my secondary account. The first thing I see is a photo posted 30 minutes ago:
"Spending time with the whole family."
A picture of Ernesto, my sisters, and my parents all together at a restaurant.
"Ha."
A dry laugh escapes my lips. I'm disappointed, but I don't know why I expected anything different. Ever since Ernesto came into this house, my parents forgot about me and poured all their affection into him—just like my sisters did. Deep down, I knew this would happen, but they really left me completely alone on my birthday. And my mother had the nerve to lie in that note.
I don't even know how to feel right now. Angry, sad, exhausted—but complaining won't change anything.
I stand up, leaving the half-eaten food behind, and head to my small room. I lie down on my bed and throw the cake in the trash. The purpose I had for it won't be fulfilled anyway.
"Sometimes, I just wish they'd acknowledge me at least once. Today was the last chance I was going to give them, and they still managed to disappoint me—even though I expected nothing."
I already have most of the things I'd need packed away, along with enough money to rent a place. I promised myself that if they broke their promise today, I'd move out. But since it's already late, I'll just sleep and take my things tomorrow without them noticing.
As I get comfortable in the dark room, a bright light suddenly flashes. I turn toward it and see a screen floating in front of me.
[Hello, William. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Iris, a system that has come to give you a small gift.]
"A system? Like in those novels?"
[Yes, something like that.]
"I see. But can you tell me why you're here?"
[As I mentioned, you've been chosen to be the bearer of the Universal Travel System.]
"And what's the catch?"
[There is no catch, so you don't need to worry.]
"Don't think I'm an idiot. You're telling me a system is just being handed to me with no debt or work required? You expect me to believe something like this happens without any strings attached?"
The system stays silent—either I hit a nerve, or it just doesn't have a response.
[To be honest, you're partly right. This system isn't being given to you completely for free. Once you accept it, I'll explain everything. To show my sincerity, I'll lay out the rules, and you can ask questions. If anything doesn't satisfy you, you can decline the offer.]
Well, that doesn't sound like a bad deal. I can even refuse until the very end.
"Before we start, what happens if I decline?"
[Your memory of me and this entire conversation will be erased. For you, none of this will have happened.]
That sounds fair.
"Go ahead."
[Allow me to explain. The Universal Travel System lets you journey to different worlds to complete tasks you choose. In these realities, you might encounter anything—from universes where technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, to medieval worlds, to places where magic exists.]
I see. So with this system, I can travel to different worlds and realities, all to complete tasks assigned by the system.
[If you have any questions, now's the time to ask.]
"Why was I chosen to carry this system?"
[There's no particular reason. In fact, you weren't the first choice—five others were offered this before you, and none of them accepted.]
"None of them accepted? How is that possible when it sounds so good? Maybe I should ask more questions before confirming."
"Am I the only one with this system?"
[No. There are many others who possess it.]
So I'm not alone. This won't be one of those cliché stories where I have to kill other system users.
"What do I do if I meet one?"
[Nothing. The universe is infinite, and the chances of encountering another user are slim. Even if you do, system users are strictly forbidden from fighting each other.]
"We're forbidden? That's surprising. I can see why so many people refused the system—not many would trust it, and some wouldn't even like the idea of traveling through the universe."
"What if one of them tries to attack or kill me?"
[In that case, you're free to defend yourself—or even kill them if necessary. We won't intervene to punish those who break the rules, but if someone reports it, we'll do our best to resolve it.]
I see. They've even thought of that scenario.
"One last thing—why are you giving systems to people?"
[To fight dangerous beings. Occasionally, the system will assign elimination missions. They're not mandatory, but we'd appreciate your effort in completing them. Some system users actively hunt these targets, so you don't have to worry about being forced into them. It's just a recommendation.]
So they're gathering people in case a war breaks out against these creatures. Technically, we're like a peacetime army—fighting small battles but preparing for a larger conflict. Though they don't force us into those wars.
[Do you have any more questions?]
"Honestly, no."
[Very well. Then, William… do you accept the system?]
If I refuse, I'll just go back to my daily life—working myself to death to pay for university someday, starving for the love of a family that'll never give it to me, watching them treat their adopted son better than me, enduring his mockery until I'm finally free.
"I accept."
At least this system adds some excitement to my life.
[Excellent. Then allow me to explain how it works.]
The small screen in front of me expands.
[The system will display a series of stats—strength, agility, luck, intelligence, and others you'll discover and improve. You'll also gain abilities that can level up.]
So far, it seems like a standard RPG system. Nothing too special.
[There's also a mission log and a shop where you can spend points earned from completing missions. Once you accept a mission, you'll travel to that world to fulfill it. That's the basics of how the system works.]
Okay, that sounds a bit more exciting.
[Now, here are some important rules:
1. You can accept any mission, but once you do, you must complete it. If you fail, you'll lose the system and all memories of it.
2. Missions can range from simple tasks to difficult situations.
3. If you just want to travel between worlds without completing missions, you'll need to spend points.
4. Any magical or supernatural abilities you gain will be locked in worlds where magic doesn't exist.
5. The user is responsible for themselves. If you die in another world, the system is not to blame, and no complaints will be entertained.]
That last rule is scary, but I can't back out now. I also understand why they'd restrict magic in non-magical worlds—it could cause complications, or worse, expose the system's existence.
[Well, that's everything, William. Iris bids you farewell and hopes you'll be happy with our system.]
"Wait—you're leaving? Shouldn't you stay since you're part of the system?"
[Of course. I'm just a tutorial explaining how things work—I won't accompany you. Some users choose to sacrifice system functions to keep guides like me bound to them. Would you like to lose some features in exchange?]
Let's weigh the pros and cons first.
"What kind of functions would I lose?"
[I don't know. It could range from minor inconveniences like earning fewer mission points, to major drawbacks like mandatory missions.]
Yeah, that doesn't sound great. Things could go very wrong if I'm forced into impossible missions.
"As tempting as it sounds, it's better not to. Still, thanks for sticking around."
[It's nothing. If you have more questions, the system itself will provide small hints. The rest, you'll have to discover on your own. Now, good luck for the rest of your life.]
With those final words, the blue screen vanishes, plunging the room back into darkness.
"Now, how do I call the system?"
A blue window appears in front of me. So I just have to say "system"—at least it's not something embarrassing like "status window."
---
[STATUS]
Name: William Sanders
Age: 19
Race: Human
Titles: None
-----------------------------------
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 9
Luck: 4
Perception:7
Will: 10
-----------------------------------
[Skills]
None
-----------------------------------
[Missions]
[Shop]
---
Huh. Pretty basic. I don't know what the average stats are for someone my age, but my highest seems to be Willpower, and my lowest is Luck. It's a bit disappointing that I don't have any skills—after all those fights I got into and the boxing I practiced, I don't even have a combat-related ability.
Better not dwell on it. I'll just check the missions for now.
When I tap the mission tab, another window pops up:
[WARNING: It is recommended that the user complete the tutorial missions first. These missions are optional, but we advise completing them to avoid being defenseless in other worlds.]
[Accept] [Decline]
I hit *Accept*. If the system recommends it, I might as well listen. I don't know what kind of missions I'll take later or how dangerous they'll be—better to stack the odds in my favor.
[You may only choose 3 of the following missions. Choose wisely.]
1. Stealth Training
2. Novice Runner
3. Lost Item Retrieval
4. Calming Meditation
5. Wilderness Navigation
6. Resource Gathering
7. Environmental Awareness
8. Conquering Fear
(Mission details will only be shown upon acceptance.)
All of them sound useful, but it's unfair that I can't see the details before choosing. I can only pick three, and while I'm sure about the first two, the last one is tricky.
"Hmm… I think I'll go with you."
[You can no longer select additional tutorial missions.]
Chosen Missions:
1. Stealth Training
- Move silently for 5 minutes.
- Sneak past people without being noticed.
- Reward: [Stealth Skill]
2. Novice Runner
- Run 10 km without stopping.
- Reward: [Running Skill] +1 Agility
3. Calming Meditation
- Meditate for 1 hour without moving.
- Reward: [Calm Mind Skill]
10 km without stopping? I'd pass out halfway!* I don't look like a professional runner, and Agility is one of my lowest stats. Do I even stand a chance?
"For now, I'll focus on the meditation mission—it seems the easiest."
I sit in the lotus position and start regulating my breathing. A thought crosses my mind: If I fall asleep while doing this, will it still count?