Author note: the story starts in chapter 1. The prologue introduces the MC and explains his background. Feel free to skip it if you are not interested, but as the author, I recommend reading it.
Dawn broke over the city of Millhaven. Morning mist still hung over the cobblestone streets, while the sounds of merchant carts could be heard in the distance. Adam Luck stood before a cracked mirror in his cramped room, staring at his own reflection.
Fourteen years old. Today he turned fourteen, which meant the Job Awakening Ritual.
*The day everyone looks forward to,* he thought while fixing his messy sea blue hair. *Except me.*
His golden eyes, a strange inheritance from his second birth, stared sharply at the mirror. His face was thin but with sharp angles, a combination that made him look older than his age. Indeed, he was older. If counted with his previous life, he was already in his thirties.
Yes, he was reincarnated. An ordinary college student who died stupidly while crossing the street playing with his phone. So classic. Now stranded in a fantasy world called Eryndor, becoming an orphan in a small border town.
*Life is indeed ironic. Die, be born again, and still struggle.*
Adam glanced at the rusty sword hanging on the wall, the only memento from his adoptive father, Marcus. A good man who died during a dungeon break a year ago. His mother, Elena, followed a month later. They said she was sick, but Adam knew the woman died of a broken heart.
Now he was alone in this small house, with savings nearly depleted and a future that was... nonexistent.
Why? Because Adam already knew he would become Jobless.
Somehow, he could feel it. Maybe a side effect of reincarnation, maybe instinct, or maybe he was just pessimistic. But he was one hundred percent certain that today's ritual would make him society's trash.
A knock on the door made him turn.
"Adam? Are you ready?"
Father Benedict. The local priest who would lead today's ritual. One of the few people who still spoke to him without looks of pity or disgust.
Adam opened the door, nodding briefly. "Ready, Father."
The middle aged man smiled gently. "Come, the ritual will begin soon."
They walked side by side toward the Awakening Temple. The streets were getting busy with merchants opening stalls, children running to school, adventurers in gleaming armor walking to the guild. A normal sight in Millhaven.
This town wasn't a big city. Population of fifty thousand souls, strategic position on trade routes, plus three dungeons around the city: Goblin Warren (Rank F), Orc Stronghold (Rank E), and Crystal Cavern (Rank D). A combination that made this city bustling with adventurers from various places.
"Adam," Father Benedict suddenly spoke. "Whatever job you receive today, remember it doesn't determine who you are as a person."
*Really?* Adam thought sarcastically. *In this world, job is everything.*
The job system in Eryndor was simple but cruel. At age fourteen, everyone would know their job. Warrior, Mage, Archer, Healer, Merchant, Blacksmith, hundreds of variations with different tiers. Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, up to Mythical which only existed in fairy tales.
Good job equals easy life.
Bad job equals hard life.
Jobless equals better off dead.
"Thank you, Father," Adam replied politely, not wanting to argue.
The Awakening Temple stood majestically in the city center. A white stone building with a large dome, decorated with carvings about the history of the first jobs given by the gods. Two giant guardian statues guarded the entrance, making anyone who passed feel small.
Inside, the air was different. There was a strange energy that made the hair stand on end, a direct connection to divine power, they said. The high walls were full of heroic paintings: Paladins fighting dragons, Archmages holding back meteors, Saints healing plagues. Standard propaganda to make children excited about becoming adventurers.
In the center of the room was a ritual circle of gleaming white crystal, surrounded by ancient symbols that glowed softly. The place where thousands of teenagers before had learned their fate.
"Enter the circle," Father Benedict instructed. "Empty your mind, let the divine energy reveal your true job."
Adam stepped in. The crystal beneath his feet felt cold, subtle vibrations spreading throughout his body. The symbols began spinning in the air, the light growing brighter.
Father Benedict began chanting in an ancient language. The energy in the air thickened, and Adam felt something trying to enter his head like a mental scan or something.
White light surrounded him, growing brighter every second. Adam closed his eyes, preparing for the result he already suspected.
But what he didn't expect was the strange voice that suddenly appeared in his head:
*"Chronicle Sync" Initiated...*
*System awakening detected...*
*Scanning for compatible host...*
*Host confirmed: Adam Luck*
*Jobless status detected...*
*Perfect compatibility achieved...*
*Welcome to Chronicle Sync, User...*
*Your true journey begins now...*
*What is this?*
Adam opened his eyes in surprise, but the light had already faded. Father Benedict approached with an unreadable expression, holding a crystal orb that displayed the ritual's result.
"The result..." Father Benedict paused, as if in disbelief. "Jobless."
Silence.
Total silence.
Adam had expected this, but there was still a strange sensation in his chest. Not sadness or disappointment. More like... curiosity?
"Adam, I'm sorry," Father Benedict looked guilty. "This is extremely rare. Perhaps there's been a mistake."
"There's no mistake," Adam cut in calmly. "This is indeed the result."
Father Benedict looked at him with concern. "Do you know what this means? Can't level up normally, can't join guilds, no place in society."
"I know."
"Perhaps you can still be a manual laborer, or learn crafts."
"Thank you for the advice, Father. But I already have a plan."
And he did. That voice earlier, Chronicle Sync, wasn't a hallucination. Something had just awakened within him. Something that might change everything.
Adam left the temple with calm steps. Outside, people waiting for the ritual results immediately whispered upon seeing his expression.
"Jobless..."
"How pitiful..."
"What will he do now?"
"Better to just leave town..."
Adam didn't care. Thirteen years in this world had taught him not to think about people's opinions. A useful skill from his previous life as an introvert who often experienced bullying.
The journey home felt different. People's gazes changed from pity to disgust. Merchants who usually greeted him now pretended not to see. Children pointed while whispering.
*Doesn't matter. I have more important business.*
Arriving home, Adam immediately locked the door and sat in a chair near the window. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the strange sensation in his head.
*Chronicle Sync, what exactly are you?*
The voice appeared again, clearer:
*"Chronicle Sync" is a cross dimensional system that enables synchronization with legendary characters from various chronicles: history, games, films, animation.*
*As Jobless, you are not bound by this world's limitations. Your potential is limitless.*
*First synchronization roulette available. Continue?*
Adam opened his eyes, his heart beating faster. This was real. And if true...
"I can become anyone," he whispered.
For the first time today, Adam smiled thinly. Not a happy smile, but the grin of someone who had just found a secret weapon.
The world said he was Jobless, useless trash.
He would prove them wrong. Jobless didn't mean weak. Jobless meant not bound by rules. Jobless meant free.
They called him Jobless.
He would call himself Freelancer.
And the game had just begun.
Adam stared at the evening sky from his bedroom window. Millhaven was getting quiet, people returning to their homes. They slept peacefully, not knowing that today something was born that would change everything.
*Chronicle Sync...* Adam closed his eyes again. *Let's see what you've got.*
The system responded quickly. A transparent interface appeared in his vision, like a hologram only he could see.
*Starting first roulette...*
*Randomizing characters from database...*
*Filtering based on host compatibility...*
Adam saw hundreds of names spinning rapidly in the interface, some familiar from anime and games he had played, others completely foreign. The Orange Ninja, The Black Swordsman, The Hundred Man Slayer, The Return by Death Hero, and many more.
*This is crazy,* he thought. *I can really get the power of fictional characters?*
The roulette began to slow. The spinning names became clearer. Adam held his breath as the roulette finally stopped.
*First roulette result: The Counter Guardian (Archer Class)*
*10% synchronization automatic*
*Trial for 50% available*
*Trial for 100% locked*
The real journey begins now.