Faced with the system’s options once more, Ize, already battered awake by this other world, instantly saw through its malicious intent.
The original male lead, Lien, possessed high affinity for all elements and a rare martial body.
If he chose the protagonist’s path, it would be no different than copying the main character template, forcefully vying for fortune, and the end would be predictable. The villain route, with random fusion of Magical Beast Bloodline? By then, he would be neither human nor monster, becoming the sworn enemy of the entire human world—a surefire road to ruin.
What’s more, to exchange for those tempting rewards, he would have to dance on the knife’s edge ten times in a row. The pain of his previous attempts was still fresh in his mind—ten times? He feared even his ashes would be scattered.
In contrast, the steady talent points gained from the NPC Value felt so reliable and comforting!
This time, without any hesitation, Ize chose the NPC option with a sense of almost liberated calm.
When the Test Results were announced and Dean Kleia’s eyes filled with barely disguised disappointment and disdain, Ize was practically elated inside. He barely managed not to weep with joy on the spot—at this moment, he had finally succeeded in turning himself into a thoroughly qualified background character!
Standing before the heavy door of the dean’s office, Ize took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
He pushed open the door and paused at the sight within. Three people gathered? It couldn’t be that they’d called him here to play mahjong, right?
Behind a luxurious nanmu desk sat his teacher, the Star Glory Academy’s dean, Kleia. The mature, blonde woman wore half-rimmed glasses, her aura a mix of intelligence and authority.
The other two—one was an unfamiliar young boy. The other… when Ize’s gaze landed on her, his whole body tensed, as if facing a deadly foe.
No wonder the system options were so treacherous this time… Turns out this senior of his was present too.
She was Emma, another of Kleia’s direct disciples, and his senior.
Dressed in the Top Student Uniform, she stood there ramrod straight, her face expressionless. At the sound of the door opening, her cold gaze swept over. The instant their eyes met, Ize felt as though the room’s temperature dropped by several degrees.
He instinctively shrank his neck and, with a bit of timidity, walked up to Kleia and bowed respectfully: “Greetings, Teacher Kleia!”
Kleia shot him a sharp look, her tone filled with undisguised disdain: “Why are you dawdling until now?”
Ize lowered his head, embarrassed, and rubbed his nose. “After class… I accidentally fell asleep in the dormitory.”
Poor talent, yet still so lazy! Kleia looked at him with even more disappointment. “Whether it’s your aptitude or disposition, you are the least motivated student I’ve ever had.” She couldn’t be bothered to scold him further, and went straight to the point. “Do you know why I called you here?”
“Student does not know.” Ize responded obediently, his heart completely untroubled. Being disliked was the norm; he had long accepted that he was the “stain” of the dean’s teaching career. The fact he hadn’t been expelled already was enough to make him grateful.
Over the years, he’d become an expert at survival—rarely showing his face before Kleia, always wearing the plain Standard Uniform and blending in with the masses. The Academy uniforms were divided into white, blue, and black, corresponding to ordinary students, elite students, and top students. Ize was supposed to wear the Top Student Uniform as a direct disciple, but as one who aspired to be a true NPC, low-key was the eternal shield.
For nearly two years, he had all but succeeded in “vanishing” from Kleia’s attention, convinced that she had long forgotten her disappointing disciple…
“Kleia turned to the boy at her side. “Swan, this is your Fourth Senior, Ize. You may address him as ‘Senior.’”
Ize stole a glance at the boy. So this was the fifth disciple newly taken in by the dean—the young master of the ruined Raymond Family, whose home had been destroyed by Magical Beasts.
Such a…tragic fate.
The boy looked about thirteen or fourteen, his figure slim but standing as straight as a pine, with a resolve in his eyes far beyond his years. He saluted Ize as instructed, his manner respectful: “Greetings, Senior Ize!”
Ize’s alarms blared inside. This boy’s outstanding looks and tragic background—he was clearly a core character in the story. The first rule of his survival law: Stay away from all attractive men and women, no matter how harmless they might seem.
Just then, the system’s prompt sounded like a shadow in pursuit:
[The Divine Choice System is at your service. Please make an appropriate selection as soon as possible.]
[Option 1: Look at Swan with righteous indignation. “Junior, your tragedy pains me to the core. Those Magical Beasts deserve death. I will surely avenge you in the future!” Difficulty: S, Completion Reward: Protagonist Value +10]
[Option 2: Look at Swan with arrogance and disdain. “The Raymond Family’s reputation was undeserved—what a bunch of losers, unable even to protect their own land.” Difficulty: S, Completion Reward: Villain Value +10]
[Option 3: “Hello, Junior!” Difficulty: E, Completion Reward: NPC Value +10]
Heh, the system’s digging pits again. Ize sneered inwardly but went with the flow on the surface, nodding politely to Swan and replying properly, “Hello, Junior.”
Swan was clearly startled, as if he hadn’t expected his “senior” to be so…ordinary, even a bit too low-key.
Kleia ignored Ize and continued to speak to Swan. “You’ve been corrupted by demonic energy, and your talent has suffered. It’s troublesome, but not hopeless. For now, recuperate at the academy. As for the Raymond Family’s affair, neither the Empire nor the academy will stand idly by. I’ll personally investigate the origin of those Magical Beasts.”
Swan’s face filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Teacher Kleia!”
Listening to their conversation, Ize felt a premonition of danger. Rumor had it Swan’s talent was ruined beyond recovery, but from Kleia’s words, it seemed there was hope? And today, he was summoned here…
As expected, what you fear always comes.
Kleia’s gaze once again locked onto him like a searchlight. “Ize, prepare yourself. In a couple of days, you’ll be going out with Emma.”
“Where to?” Ize’s sense of dread spiked to its peak.
“Why, to the former territory of the Raymond Family, of course.”
Damn, wasn’t that place overrun by Magical Beasts?
Why start off with something so dangerous?
“The Raymond Family guarded the Empire’s border. The types of Magical Beasts invading this time are unheard of, and the matter must be thoroughly investigated. Aside from our Star Glory Academy, several other academies will also be sending people.”
“I… I’m going?!” Ize was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor. He pointed at himself in disbelief, then looked at Kleia, his voice trembling. “Teacher Kleia, you know how weak I am, right? For a task like this, shouldn’t you send Senior Sarah or Senior Dio? If I go, wouldn’t I just be dead weight?”