Name: Hector Lyder
Sex: Male
Bloodline: The eyes were enhanced by mana
Age: 15 years
Level: Novice
Coin: Lysander
Skill-free: Shoot coins
Skill 1: Mana Attribute (closed) – Request: Overcome the threshold of the life-and-death line. (Progress: 0.00%)
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Storage unit: x1
Luck Coin: A relic held by the gods, imbued with divine fortune. Anyone who possesses it will carry the blessing of the heavens.
"Huh?"
With a hint of excitement on his face, Hector slowly retrieved a coin from his space systems.
"So, it's my reward." He held it between his fingers and glanced over it.
"Not bad…."
A few seconds later, Hector began to stand up and moved from his bedroom toward the bathroom.
"Maybe I need a string to make a necklace," Hector said as he put the old coin on a glass shelf.
This stuff always dropped easily whenever he left it somewhere imprecise, but if he stored it in the systems, he couldn't use its function.
"Well, I've grown quite a bit." Hector slicked back his short, blue hair while examining his reflection in the large mirror.
His frame was still similar to before, yet it had also matured.
He no longer remained a thin person, but he also wasn't very muscular.
He resembled a scholarly young man, akin to his previous human self from the old world. Yet, he was still very young, except for one thing.
He wasn't as attractive as he was now.
"Am I feeling jealous? With the corpse I now inhabit?"
Hector exhaled. "This physique is the dream embodiment of all men."
"Just like me!"
"Sigh…"
"I'll forget it soon…"
"Every human has two distinct parts: a soul and a shell. The score represents the soul, while the flesh is merely a vessel."
"And I'm a fortunate soul."
Then, Hector quickly grabbed a towel hanging nearby and rubbed his face.
While lost in messy thoughts, he failed to notice several minute changes affecting the condition of his body.
His eyes were undergoing a dramatic transformation. His pupils now morphed into something beastly, each featuring two vertical slits at their center. His cerulean irises remained beautiful and enigmatic, drawing in anyone who gazed at them—evoking both awe and unease.
Hours slipped by, and Hector drifted into a deep slumber after enduring many tense moments. It was, without a doubt, the most peaceful rest he'd had since arriving in this world until--
...
...
Tap.
Tap.
"You just lost 10 points."
Tap.
Tap.
"And 20 points!"
The strange voice of a man rang out across Hector's room.
"Ugh?"
Hector slowly blinked his eyes, managing to rise from his cozy, warm bed. Scanning his surroundings, he tried to identify the source of the voice.
In a shadowed corner of the room, a figure to be hidden by thick darkness gradually took shape, revealing itself before his eyes.
It was a man with a soft, refined face, appearing to be in his late 20s or early 30s. He wore an ancient, eccentric leather outfit and rested in a wooden chair, legs casually crossed.
With his flowing black hair cascading down his back and a calm, Hector found the man impossibly striking.
'' You lost 70 points!''
It appeared he was jotting something down in a small notebook.
At first, Hector felt a twinge of fear when a stranger abruptly materialized in his bedroom, but his anxiety gradually subsided upon noticing an Academy badge pinned to the man's right chest.
"What the hell are you doing?"Hector blurted out without thinking, frustration slipping through his words—something rare for him. Still, anyone in such a situation might've reacted the same way.
The young man let out a quiet sigh, continuing to scribble in his notebook.
"Is that all you say to your instructor first, huh?"
A few seconds passed before he spoke, his tone now laced with a subtle amusement and curiosity.
"With those bottom-tier skills, you shouldn't have stood a chance of... the challenge. So there's only one reason. You knew about the first challenge, don't you?
Hector's face instantly tensed at the accusation, but he quickly averted his gaze and rolled his eyes, dodging the man's stare.
"N-No, I-I don't know anything. I've handled everything on my own."
...
"Really?" the man asked with a smirk.
He continued, "You shouldn't hide the truth about your capabilities."
Upon hearing that, Hector could only exhale in resignation. But just seconds later, the next words sent a chill racing down his spine.
"It won't matter to me or anyone else. Your own body is turning against you!"
...
"Heartbeats!"
...
"Sweat!"
...
With each uttered word, the man took slow, deliberate steps toward Hector's bed.
...
"Your expression!"
….
"Take it! It's your elevation form!"The young man swiftly tore a page from his notebook and handed it to Hector, his lips curling into a strange smile—an expression too complex to decipher.
Then, in a flash of fire, he vanished without a trace, yet his final words lingered in the air:
"Well, see you soon in the afternoon!"
"Ah, my name is... Michael Nichols... ~~~"
...
...
...
Seconds passed. Hector remained on guard, glancing around nervously while clutching the coin now hanging from his neck.
"Michael Nichols!"
That name alone was terrifying. The man had already reached the Adept level—an indicator of immense power—but it wasn't just that. He was frighteningly intelligent.
Under normal circumstances, Hector should've been thrilled to have such a high-level instructor.
But in truth, Michael's true identity was something far worse: he was a member of the Doombringer Order.
The Doombringer Order existed solely to eradicate humans who refused to submit to the Noxoria World.
It was an organization of zealots, destined to appear in this world in about two years.
That should've meant Hector was safe for the time being. Yet, deep down, he no longer believed that.
Of course, the Order's motivations had their twisted logic, especially in the grand scheme of this novel's world; its core always remained unchanged.
"So... his mission is just to gather intel for now? If he's not here to kill..."
"A spy?"
"Possibly."
Hector scratched the back of his head, sat up straighter in bed, and unfolded the paper Michael had given him.
"This... It's a list of all my weaknesses!"He muttered, eyes narrowing as he scanned the contents.
"How does he know? Unless he can read minds... ?"
"Sigh... well, as long as it helps me, I won't complain."
He then changed into the academy uniform that had been delivered earlier and stepped out of his room.
He was ready for his first day at the academy.