I stood in the middle of my bedroom, arms crossed, staring at absolutely nothing.
"This," I told you, "is where a normal protagonist would immediately go poke the plot with a stick."
I nodded once.
"I am not a normal protagonist."
The system hovered silently, probably judging me.
"First things first," I said, exhaling. "We solve problems."
It physically hurt to say that sentence.
Problem One: School Timing
Forks High School.
Bella Swan.
Canon.
If I showed up early, I'd be the weird transfer student who arrived before the weird transfer student. That was unacceptable. The narrative gods hated inefficiency.
I picked up the phone on the desk.
Yes. A landline.
Forks was like that.
I stared at it for a second.
"…I hate making phone calls."
I dialed.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
"Forks High School administration," a tired voice answered.
"Hi," I said, instantly switching to my most polite, non-anomalous tone. "This is Adam. Recently approved transfer student?"
Paper shuffling.
"Yes, we have you here."
"Great. Small scheduling issue," I continued smoothly. "I'd like to adjust my transfer date."
Silence.
"…To?"
I smiled.
"The same date as Isabella Swan."
More silence.
Then—
"…That can be arranged."
Too easily.
I frowned. "No paperwork? No resistance? No 'why'?"
"We were told to accommodate," the voice replied flatly.
I hung up slowly.
"…System."
[Administrative probability adjustment.]
"So you can do subtle."
[Within limits.]
I sighed. "Great. Problem one solved."
Problem Two: Me
I looked down at my hands.
Strong. Steady. Shadow-free.
The Monarch of Shadows stirred faintly in the back of my mind like a sleeping dragon with a bad temper.
"No," I told it firmly. "You're benched."
I turned to the system.
"For the next two months, no shadow abilities. None. I want raw physical conditioning only."
[Request acknowledged.]
"Good. If I'm going to survive vampires, werewolves, and emotionally unstable immortals, I need my body to keep up."
I cracked my neck.
"Training arc."
Two Months Later
Time skipped the way only montages could.
Morning runs through mist-covered forests.
Push-ups until my arms trembled.
Sprints until my lungs burned.
Swimming until the water felt like resistance incarnate.
No shadows.
No summons.
No cheats.
Just muscle, reflex, endurance.
My body adapted frighteningly fast.
Every day, I felt stronger. Faster. Sharper.
I punched trees.
Trees lost.
I jumped distances that made physics uncomfortable.
I healed quicker. Slept deeper.
The Monarch's presence stayed quiet.
Watching.
Waiting.
I ignored it.
"Later," I told it nightly. "You'll get your turn."
And then—
Two months passed.
Arrival
Rain greeted me.
Of course it did.
Forks didn't have weather. It had moisture.
I drove into town in style.
A black 1969 Mustang growled beneath me, engine purring like a beast that knew it was beautiful.
Yes.
Gacha.
I rested one hand on the wheel and smirked.
"I will say this," I told you, "the gacha has taste in cars."
The town sign passed by.
WELCOME TO FORKS
Population: Too Many Vampires.
I pulled up the long, winding driveway to my new home.
Mansion was… an understatement.
Tall. Dark. Modern-gothic fusion. Glass and stone, nestled among ancient trees like it had grown there.
I stepped out of the car and looked up.
"…Yeah," I nodded. "That tracks."
Mansion Exploration
Inside, it was quiet.
Not creepy.
Just… waiting.
High ceilings. Open spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows that showed endless forest.
Rooms I would never use.
Hallways that echoed softly.
A kitchen that looked like it had never known instant noodles.
I explored methodically.
Bedroom.
Guest rooms.
Library (of course).
Basement—mercifully not a dungeon.
I stopped in front of a massive window overlooking the woods.
"A day before Bella arrives," I murmured.
The calm before canon.
I felt it in the air.
Something was about to start.
I exhaled.
"Tomorrow," I told you, "the plot wakes up."
Night
I showered, changed, and collapsed onto my bed.
My body felt good. Earned tiredness. Honest exhaustion.
I stared at the ceiling.
"Alright, system," I said. "Daily spin. Last one before chaos."
[Daily Gacha Available.]
I closed my eyes.
"Please," I muttered. "Weapon. Skill. Artifact. Literally anything useful."
Ding.
I opened one eye.
Then both.
Red again.
No.
No no no—
The item floated into view.
Elegant.
Gray.
Lacy.
I stared.
"…System."
[Item: Grayfia Lucifuge's Underwear.]
Silence.
Then—
"…I give up."
I didn't yell.
I didn't rant.
I just stared at it with the dead-eyed expression of a man who had lost a war he didn't know he was fighting.
"Two worlds," I said quietly. "Two separate demon nobles."
I looked at you.
"What are the odds?"
[High-Rarity Drop.]
"I don't care."
I waved my hand weakly.
"Inventory. Lock it. Seal it. Bury it emotionally."
The underwear vanished.
I flopped back onto the bed and pulled the covers over myself.
"Tomorrow," I sighed, "I meet vampires."
I turned onto my side.
"At least they can't be worse than the gacha."
The system did not respond.
Sleep claimed me.
Outside, the rain fell softly on Forks.
And one day before canon—
Everything was ready.
[Chapter Five Complete.]