"Hey, System?"
"Are you really a system?"
[Host, you may question my integrity, but never my functionality.]
"But… don't you think there's something wrong with my status panel?"
A frail, dark-haired boy muttered to himself inside a small, run-down room. His cheeks were slightly sunken from hunger, and though his face was plain, his eyes were strikingly sharp. Staring at the glowing interface before him, he scratched his head in frustration.
[Invincible Passive System]
[Host: Wei Yi]
"Don't you think this is a bit too basic?" Wei Yi said with disdain. "I've lived my whole life and never seen a system like you. Honestly, what a trashy excuse for a system. You might as well uninstall yourself." Wei Yi sneered with contempt.
In response, a new line of text popped up on the panel.
[Have you ever actually seen another system?]
"Of course I have!"
[Where?]
"In novels..."
[...]
"And another thing—your name doesn't suit me at all," Wei Yi continued, still grumbling. "I'm a man who likes to take the initiative!"
[Based on my data, the Host remained single for exactly 22 years, 3 months, 7 days, 9 hours, 40 minutes, and 1 second in your previous life. That also happens to be your exact lifespan. You never had the opportunity to be proactive.]
"..."
"Ahem. System, let's just talk about how to actually use you, shall we?" Wei Yi asked, trying to change the subject.
Surprisingly, the system seemed to take the question seriously.
[This system enhances the Host's abilities by extracting passive skills from heroes.]
A flicker of confusion crossed Wei Yi's face.
Heroes?
What kind of heroes?
After all, in his mind, there were just too many beings across countless stories who could be considered "heroes." Still, Wei Yi pushed that thought aside and focused on the more pressing question.
"How do I extract them?"
[Top up required.]
"Top up? Wait, don't tell me you mean money! But I'm broke!" Wei Yi panicked at the reply, staring at the glowing text in disbelief.
Dingdong!
[System offline.]
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
A crisp notification chimed as the status panel went black and quickly vanished.
"..."
Seriously? Are systems always this materialistic nowadays?
After trying several more times to summon the system with no response, Wei Yi had no choice but to give up, at least for now. He decided to go outside, maybe get a better sense of his surroundings.
Wei Yi.
In his previous life, he had been just one among billions living in modern China. He graduated from university recently, but was suddenly transported to this strange world.
To make matters worse, it wasn't even a full-body transmigration. His soul transferred into someone else's body, but without receiving a single shred of the original owner's memories, which meant he had absolutely no idea where he was or what kind of place this was.
Even the only thing that should've been a cheat, the so-called system, was far too grounded in reality.
It made Wei Yi more than a little anxious.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
The scorching sun blazed overhead.
Wei Yi trudged down the street, exhaustion washing over him in waves. An overwhelming sense of emptiness radiated from deep within, sapping his strength to the point where he could barely walk.
This body was way too weak.
Wei Yi had no idea what its previous owner had done to end up in such a wretched state. Even junkies back on Earth probably had more muscle than this.
After a few more unsteady steps, his legs gave out. Wei Yi had no choice but to slump beneath the shade of a nearby tree to rest.
Catching his breath, he took a moment to observe his surroundings. It looked like he was inside a massive compound, maybe some academy or orphanage. Children around his age wandered about, laughing and playing.
"Hey, Ur!"
A loud, excited voice rang out behind him. Wei Yi didn't bother to look. He had no energy to play along with whatever this was.
"Hey, Ur! You hear me?"
The voice came closer. Wei Yi blinked.
Wait... Is he talking to me?
Just as he turned to check…
Wham!
A heavy slap landed on his shoulder like a sledgehammer, nearly dislocating it. The force knocked him flat to the ground.
"Yo, Ur! You alright? You're still as scrawny as ever!"
A worried voice came from above. Wei Yi looked up, face darkened, and froze.
Sakura-pink hair.
A black-and-white scale-patterned scarf wrapped around his neck, even in this heat. And a stupidly bright, cheerful grin that could only belong to—
"...Natsu?" Wei Yi blurted out.
Even though he hadn't inherited the body's memories, speaking came naturally, as if muscle memory kicked in. He didn't know the language here, but somehow, communication wasn't a problem.
"Yo! What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you in over a month!" The boy named Natsu pouted like an abandoned puppy.
"Nothing much... Just studying some magic," Wei Yi replied awkwardly.
"Magic?" Natsu blinked, then suddenly lit up, like someone had struck a match. "That damn Erza actually passed the S-Class Mage trial. Damn it! One day, I'm gonna beat her!"
"And Gildarts... and Gray, those guys are all on my list…"
It seemed Wei Yi had unlocked a floodgate. Natsu immediately launched into a full-blown rant, spouting names and rivalries like a machine gun.
As he listened, Wei Yi gradually drifted into a daze. The more he heard, the more dazed he became.
Especially when he began hearing those familiar, yet distant names…
There was no doubt about it now.
He had crossed over into this world.
Fairy Tail.
A world ruled by magic. It wasn't only used for fighting, but it was also infused into the very fabric of daily life.
And the boy standing before him?
He was the protagonist of this world.
Natsu Dragneel.