He hadn't expected that today would be the day he died, in fact, he didn't want to… he didn't want to die yet.
He had loved a pitiful life, filled with nothing but disappointment after dissapointment.
But still, he had always tried his all, hoping he could at least one day transform his fate.
It wa just unfortunate there was nothing he could do about it, especially since he had zero talent or even potential.
Suddenly, a notification flashed before him.
[Suitable Host Found!]
'What?' Noah thought, confused about what that notification was supposed to be about.
How was it even floating in front of him in the first place, he had never heard of such a thing.
[Initializing The Supreme Magus System!]
[…]
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
The last notification blink bright red, flashing rapidly like a siren.
'What… is this…?' he thought, shocked about whatever was happening.
But before he could get an answer, a sudden force pulled him from behind.
It was like an invisible hand was wrapped around his body, dragging him backwards at terrifying speed.
Noah instinctively gasped, and the moment he did, he felt something rush into his mouth.
It wasn't air, instead, it was cold, wet soil!
His eyes flew open as he choked violently.
His mind screamed as he felt the muddy soil flood his mouth, sticking against his tongue and teeth.
His body convulsed as instinct kicked in—his arms shot upward, clawing at the thick mud gathered above his body.
Then, with a desperate push, he forced his way upward, breaking through it.
The moment he broke through, cold breeze blew across his face, sending a slight chill down his spine.
He slowly stood up, coughing violently.
Clumps of soil spat out of his mouth as he cough, landing on the scattered pile below his feet.
His lungs burned terribly, and he found it extremely difficult to breathe properly.
He kept coughing until the wet soil mixed with saliva dripped down his chin.
His entire body was also covered in sand, trembling uncontrollably.
When he finally managed to catch his breath, he spat again, trying to rid his mouth of the awful taste, but it didn't help.
The bitterness of the mud clung to his tongue, making his stomach twist in disgust.
He looked down, staring at the scattered pile of soil gathered around his feet.
They had already stained his trousers, making them feel heavier.
He didn't need a seer to tell him what happened, as it was already obvious from what he could see.
'Lloyd…' he thought, his face twisting in rage. 'How could you bury me, you motherfucker!'
He gagged suddenly, the nausea rising up in him. The feeling of the mud in his mouth, the taste of it—god, it made him want to throw up.
He bent over, retching, but nothing came out except saliva mixed with sand.
If it were possible, he would've dug his own hands into his throat to pull every bit of that filth out—but he couldn't even do that.
His fingers, too, were coated with the same soil, and some were even stuck under his nails.
He clenched his jaw, his veins popping in anger.
'Lloyd… Rad… Drey…' he thought, each name burning with fury. 'I'll make sure you all pay… for burying me alive!'
However, his eyes widened as he suddenly realised something.
Even if he found them… even if they were standing right in front of him right now…
What could he do to them?
All three of them were Adept Magus, with Lloyd even being at the high-stage.
He was only an apprentice magus, one at the lowest stage with barely enough mana to channel through his body.
The thought made him gnash his teeth, the truth slamming into his gut like a punch.
His whole life had been like this too, he had been angry… angry at Lloyd, angry at all those who bullied and looked down on him, and lastly, angry himself for having no talent in magic.
However, despite all his anger, he had never been able to change anything, only blindly believing, like a fool.
He hated it, but it was actually the truth.
Then suddenly, his mind went back to the strange notification that had appeared before him in that dark, endless space.
And as he recalled it, something unexpected happened.
A faint chime echoed in his mind, and a new notification appeared before his eyes.
[Welcome Host to The Supreme Magus System]
Noah's eyes widened slightly, his mind blank for a moment as he stared at the glowing blue text that floated in front of him.
He blinked slowly, his voice quiet and shaky as he muttered to himself, "Supreme… magus system?"
The moment he thought about that, more notifications started appearing before him.
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
[A bug has been discovered in the system!]
[Trying to fix bug…]
[Fixing Bug…]
[…]
[ERROR! FIXING FAILED!]
[ERROR! SYSTEM FALLING APART!]
[…]
His face squeezed into a deep frown, staring at the blaring red notifications before him in confusion.
"What…?" he muttered, trying to make sense of it all.
'I got… a system…' he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'And it's falling apart?!'
He had no idea what this "system" was supposed to be, but from the sound of it, it was something significant. Perhaps, it was what he needed to transform his life.
And now, right after it appeared, it was already breaking down.
His lips tightened in frustration.
It was unfortunate, and strange at the same time. He just got something that seemed so mystical it could turn his life around, only for it to collapse without him discovering its true use.
His breathing steadied slightly as he tried to think through it again.
'Could this… have something to do with that strange dark space I was in earlier?' he thought, lowering his gaze.
The sensation of the cold hand wrapping around him when he hit the tree was still clear in his mind, followed by the strange dark place he found himself in.
He hadn't even been able to feel his body, neither had he been able to see anything.
'I died…' the thought echoed in his head like a whisper he couldn't escape.
His lips parted faintly, his expression blank as the truth settled into him.
"I really died…" he muttered, staring down at his hands in disbelief.