I stepped out of my cheap apartment into the morning sun of March 12, 2028. The city smelled the same cheap ramen stalls, mana exhaust from passing hunter cars, and the faint ozone of a dungeon gate two blocks away.
Nothing had changed.
Everything had changed.
My phone buzzed. One new message.
Marcus: "Yo Kai! You free after class? Found a sweet deal on awakening stones. Meet at the usual spot? I'll hook you up bro."
I stared at the screen and smiled for the first time since waking up. In my last life I answered yes. Gave him my last 300 credits.
He "forgot" to bring the stones, laughed it off, and three months later used my money to buy the exact same stones for himself then sold the extras to Lena behind my back.
This time I typed back: "On my way. Got 500 credits ready. Don't flake on me, man."
I sent it.
[Betrayal System Notice: Bait deployed.]
[Expected betrayal value: Low. Reward will be small—but it's a start.]
Perfect. Small fish first.
The Hunter Academy gate was only ten minutes away by foot. Every 18-year-old with even a speck of mana had to register today or lose their spot in the spring intake. I remembered the lines, the loud voices, the way everyone postured like they were already S-rank.
I joined the crowd.
And there she was.
Third row from the back, leaning against the iron fence, book in her hands like the rest of the world didn't exist. Silver-white hair tied in a simple ponytail. Black academy jacket two sizes too big on her small frame. Eyes the color of frozen steel.
Elara.
In my first life I didn't even know her name until the funeral. Now I knew everything. She would graduate top of our year.
She would never join a guild that asked her to stab someone in the back. And four years from now, when my corpse was carried out of Shadow Abyss, she would be the only one who knelt down and closed my eyes without saying a word.
I didn't approach her. Not yet.
Slow. That's how you keep the good ones. Instead I spotted Marcus waving like an idiot near the registration desk.
"Kai! My guy!" He slapped my shoulder hard. Same fake grin I remembered. "You look… different today. More awake or something."
I forced a laugh. "Didn't sleep much. Excited for the intake test."
We lined up together. While we waited he started the usual bullshit complaining about his broke family, how tough it was to awaken, how he needed just a little help to get a decent starter weapon.
I already knew the script. When we reached the front, the examiner scanned our IDs.
"Kai Voss. Mana level… F-rank? Barely." The examiner smirked. "You sure you want to waste your time here, kid?"
Marcus leaned in and whispered loud enough for the examiner to hear, "Don't worry bro, I'll carry you in the practical later. Just like always."
Lies. In the original timeline he ditched me the second the test started and took credit for every kill we made as a pair. I smiled wider. "Thanks man. Here...." I pulled out five crisp 100-credit notes and pressed them into his hand. "For those awakening stones you promised. Buy the good ones, yeah?"
Marcus's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. He pocketed the money so fast I almost laughed out loud. "No problem, Kai. I got you. Best friends, right?"
[Betrayal System Triggered!]
[Marcus Kane has already decided to spend your 500 credits on himself and ghost you tomorrow.]
[Reward incoming in 24 hours when the betrayal is confirmed.]
[Current progress: 1/1 daily quest complete.]
A warm pulse ran through my body. Not much just enough to make my fingers tingle. My stats were still trash, but the system had taken its first bite.
Marcus clapped me on the back again. "Let's crush this test together!"
We walked into the exam hall side by side.
He had no idea I was already counting the minutes until he stabbed me in the back.
And when he did…I would get stronger.
I glanced once more toward the back of the crowd.
Elara had closed her book. She was watching the entrance line with those cold, unreadable eyes.
Our eyes met for half a second. She looked away first.
But not before I saw the tiniest flicker of curiosity.
Good.
Let the small betrayals feed me. Let the big ones come later.
I cracked my knuckles and stepped onto the testing platform.
Time to act weak.
Time to let them underestimate the villain who already knows how the story ends.
To be continued…