In a world that ran on numbers, titles, and status, being powerless was the same as being invisible.
That truth was something Riku had always known even before being summoned.
Back on Earth, he wasn't popular. Not athletic. Not a genius. Just... average. The kind of student who was always in the back row, whose name the teachers paused to remember during roll call. His grades were fine. His life was quiet. He never caused trouble, but he never stood out either.
Then the summoning happened.
A blinding light. A sensation of weightlessness. The next thing he knew, he and his classmates were standing inside a massive throne room its walls lined with banners, its floor polished like obsidian.
And they were told: You are the chosen heroes of Arzallia.
The kingdom's priests performed a divine appraisal. One by one, glowing status windows appeared before them names, stats, and most importantly: their assigned Class.
[Leonhardt Schwarz – Class: Holy Hero]
[Rina Takamori – Class: Valkyrie of Flame]
[Kaito Moriyama – Class: Arcane Gunner]
[Saejima Reika – Class: Spirit Tamer]
…
[Riku Aizawa – Class: Archivist (Unranked)]
He still remembered the silence that followed.
Then the laughter.
"Archivist? What is that, a librarian class?"
"Did the gods mess up or something?"
"Man, even the system doesn't want you on the frontlines."
Leonhardt, golden haired and shining like some divine knight from a game, had been the one to speak for the group.
"I don't mean to be cruel," he'd said, voice smooth and diplomatic. "But you'll just get hurt if you come with us. It's better if the kingdom sends you somewhere… safer."
But Riku knew the truth.
That wasn't kindness.
It was disposal.
And the dungeon they chose to send him to The Depths of Caligo, an SS-Rank hellhole known to devour even experienced adventurers was anything but "safe."
He'd been left there to die.
Discarded.
Just like always.
But for once, that pattern was about to change.
◆◇◆
Riku's body was sore. Cuts lined his arms. His boots were falling apart. But none of that mattered. Because now, for the first time, he wasn't just reacting.
He was evolving.
The Rewrite Protocol hovered before him like a glowing circuit of possibilities. With a single thought, he accessed its interface.
[Current Skill: Energy Core Overload]
[Compatible Fusion Options: None]
[Modification Available: YES]
Riku tapped "Modify."
Dozens of variables lit up energy type, activation trigger, blast radius, cooldown time. It was like looking into the code of the world itself.
"This isn't just recording," he muttered. "This is reverse-engineering."
He spent hours refining the skill. Tweaking it. Rewriting portions that made it less suicidal. By the time he was done, it had become something new:
[Skill: Core Implosion – Variant]
[Effect: Releases a concentrated burst of energy within a confined area. No self-destruction. Usable once per day.]
He smiled.
"I'm not just collecting skills anymore. I'm crafting them."
The system had given him a scalpel. The world had given him monsters.
And he would dissect everything in his way.
◆◇◆
Back at the capital, in the royal war room, Leonhardt stood in front of a magical display showing the surrounding regions.
His blade shone with divine runes. His armor had not a scratch.
"So, the reports are true?" he asked, glancing at the archmage to his right.
"Yes," the old man said grimly. "The dungeon guardian of Caligo is gone. The core's destruction has caused a minor quake across the region. But no adventurer team was authorized to enter."
"Then someone survived the dungeon," Leonhardt murmured.
The same one they'd cast aside.
He remembered Riku quiet, observant, always scribbling notes during lectures. Never talked back. Never stood out.
He had seemed harmless.
Now?
He was something else.
Leonhardt narrowed his eyes. "If he's alive... he may be more dangerous than we thought."
◆◇◆
Back in the depths of the world, Riku stood at the edge of a crumbling bridge overlooking a void.
Every direction held danger. Every choice could kill him.
But unlike before, he wasn't walking blindly.
He had a path now.
He opened his Class Book once more.
[Class: Archivist → Unknown Type]
[Classification: Adaptive System Class]
[Core Ability: Rewrite Protocol – Level 1]
[Slots Unlocked: 1/3]
[Next Upgrade: 3 Unique Skills Required]
He closed it and looked ahead.
A new dungeon floor.
A new tworld New monsters to learn from.
New pieces to add to his growing arsenal.
And with each one, he was one step closer to rewriting his destiny.
"They threw me into the dark to die…"
"But I'll use that same darkness…"
"…to build the weapon that will shatter their entire world."